Bigman’s Training Reports

[WaynesWorld19]

What has been said?

Just listen to all the various interviews after the Finals exit .....if you have, the explanations have been provided

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Just listen to all the various interviews after the Finals exit .....if you have, the explanations have been provided

What's the gist re our midfield?

 

[crowutopia]

When Laird plays as a DEF, B4 he went into the midfield, most of his kicks were 20-30 mtr chip kicks .....I agree, his long kicks as a MID were aimless ......he should have been more focussed on hitting up players, as he did as a DEF

That may have been Coaching instructions though ?

I disagree with the Cook thinking, of getting the ball into his hands .....his job is to find the ball more ....you can't have players in Finals that need to be given the ball, you know, the receivers .....those player types always struggle under the chaos ball movement of Finals

Agreed on the receivers comment, I just see a kid with no confidence but a big toolkit, hopefully if he is contributing he might Hunt for the ball more?

 

[WaynesWorld19]

What's the gist re our midfield?

That we have to have different players running thru the midfield .....Curtin, Rachele, and Pedlar, names mentioned

This is not as suggested as DJ75 is stating that the plan is for the status Quo to remain .....clearly just being mischievous

 

[crowutopia]

You would think that Tom McGuane's injury setback and rumored injury concerns regarding Sid Draper would give Zac Foot a real leg up. In fact, surely he already has one foot through the door!

The problem with this argument is that he's barely earned selection in his five years at the club.

Yes, he was always going to be a late bloomer, but five years in we should be talking about a guy who is an AFL regular but who hasn't broken out yet. Instead, we're talking about him maaaybe improving enough to earn regular selection right near the ass end of our best 23.

Even if he does improve to that point... how much improvement does he have left? Is he really going to move the needle?

He has zero trade value so we might as well see what he's got, but I am doubtful that he will become anything meaningful at AFL level.

Well when you say it like that, f@#rk

 

[Fud#3]

That we have to have different players running thru the midfield .....Curtin, Rachele, and Pedlar, names mentioned

This is not as suggested as DJ75 is stating that the plan is for the status Quo to remain .....clearly just being mischievous

And we had a crack at Oliver and Petracca over the off season to boost the mids...but some fans just blindyl keep the sack Nicks, Burns, VB, Adam Kelly, Roo mantra.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Where have you been? The guy has been perpetually injured, he's lucky he is still on a list at all.

Has he even been ripping it up in the midfield ressies?

By all reports he’s fit and in good shape, why wouldn’t we harness that over the preseason?

 

[Fud#3]

Agreed on the receivers comment, I just see a kid with no confidence but a big toolkit, hopefully if he is contributing he might Hunt for the ball more?

If we think he's a good kick, then nothing wrong with trying HB. Daicos, Sheezel, Coleman, Bowey, Salem, Rozee are all guys who were DKs and given the ball when they probably weren't in the right spots, but it builds confidence and then their own ball winning ability.

However, it might mean slower ball movement out of defence, so its it's a balancing act.

 

[Betts are off]

We’ve just recruited another forward in Ah Chee, on the back of ANB the year before. What’s your forward line?

I'll tell you my forward line at the end of the pre-season, although I do know I hope Peds is right in the mix, love the intensity he brings up forward when hes fit.

I also hope Ah Chee is getting looks as a wingman as well.

 

[Cromulant]

I'm not convinced the club believes the midfield is a weakness

Yeah they said it was but didnt do a great deal to fix it.

If we get full seasons out of Rankine and Rachele, and Curtin pushes in there it does solve SOME of the issues, and hopefully we can get something out of Draper but who knows there.

Itll still be an issue mind you

 

[George CantStandYa]

I'll tell you my forward line at the end of the pre-season, although I do know I hope Peds is right in the mix, love the intensity he brings up forward when hes fit.

I also hope Ah Chee is getting looks as a wingman as well.

Ah Chee has spoken forward line in every interview. Currently our forward line based on last year and Ah Chee, assuming everyone is fit:

Tex Thilthorpe Rachelle
Ah Chee Fog Keays/ANB

Assumes Rankine is playing mid, rotating with Rachelle which would be a change for Rach.

That leaves Pedlar hoping for an injury. He needs to be able to play midfield, that starts with training with the mids, so far he isn’t.

 

[Golumless]

Agreed on the receivers comment, I just see a kid with no confidence but a big toolkit, hopefully if he is contributing he might Hunt for the ball more?

You either have the mindset for hunting the ball, or you don't. If you need to feel confident to do it at an acceptable level, you are always going to be a flaky footballer.

 

[Scorpus]

Yeah they said it was but didnt do a great deal to fix it.

If we get full seasons out of Rankine and Rachele, and Curtin pushes in there it does solve SOME of the issues, and hopefully we can get something out of Draper but who knows there.

Itll still be an issue mind you

We'll see from their actions. Changing up the personnel (and I don't mean going back to Laird or Keays) would indicate they do genuinely believe our midfield mix from last year didn't work

During the trade period we made a few polite inquiries about some players but didn't go all-in on any of them. Makes me think the club is largely happy with our team and doesn't believe adding to the midfield is a desperate and immediate need

 

[LoBu]

I can't disagree with this POV .....you can say that about so many draftee's ....lots of talent, like Cook, but missing the determination & hunger required to be elite

Sometimes, maturity can help ....sometimes the imminent threat of delisting helps

I thought he played really well to earn a spot, and was playing well that game when he got concussed, was it against the dogs?

Having said that, his problem has always been getting the ball.

 

[LoBu]

I'm not convinced the club believes the midfield is a weakness

Yet you know we had a go at Petracca, NWM and went very hard on draft night for Sharp, have just recruited a wing so we can move Curtin to the midfield, and in 2024 recruited Peatling and Draper.

 

[Cromulant]

Yet you know we had a go at Petracca, NWM and went very hard on draft night for Sharp, have just recruited a wing so we can move Curtin to the midfield, and in 2024 recruited Peatling and Draper.

This is true, but in the end we didnt end up with any of the others.

Im glad we had a go but if they go into the same personnel in the starting midfield next year, or R2 when Rankine returns, we know they havent learnt a thing

 

[jackster83]

This is true, but in the end we didnt end up with any of the others.

Im glad we had a go but if they go into the same personnel in the starting midfield next year, or R2 when Rankine returns, we know they havent learnt a thing

Curtin spending more time in there just seems an obvious way to improve things. Another big body to take the load off Dawson.

 

[LoBu]

This is true, but in the end we didnt end up with any of the others.

Im glad we had a go but if they go into the same personnel in the starting midfield next year, or R2 when Rankine returns, we know they havent learnt a thing

I don't disagree, it was disappointing we failed this year but to say the team wasn't doing everything they could is disingenious.

Out of interest, what is the optimal mix? IMO we should have played Peatling in the middle more during the finals.

As long as Laird is not in the midfield again, but we will have to wait a whole year before we know he's not if they try to slip him in during finals again.

 

[ABAB]

And we had a crack at Oliver and Petracca over the off season to boost the mids...but some fans just blindyl keep the sack Nicks, Burns, VB, Adam Kelly, Roo mantra.

Did you see Nicks strange coaching tactics in the Finals???? Maybe he wouldn't have done those stupid decisions had Rankine not been suspended and Dawson's foot trouble him more than we first thought but on form he probably would still done them.

 

[Betts are off]

Ah Chee has spoken forward line in every interview. Currently our forward line based on last year and Ah Chee, assuming everyone is fit:

Tex Thilthorpe Rachelle
Ah Chee Fog Keays/ANB

Assumes Rankine is playing mid, rotating with Rachelle which would be a change for Rach.

That leaves Pedlar hoping for an injury. He needs to be able to play midfield, that starts with training with the mids, so far he isn’t.

Didn't Bigman say in one of Ah Chee's first match sims for us he played exclusively on the wing? And looked great.

Also, I think what you are not taking into account is positional flexibility. ANB, Ah Chee, Rankine, Pedlar, Rach, Keays even Thilthorpe are all players that dont need to be permanent forwards. Marsh is another who is touted as a 2 position player.

Our forward 6 should be made up of 7-9 key players.

I see no reason why Pedlar would look at that forward line and think injury is his only way in.

 

[kirky]

You have to admit, he did make strides last season

Cook was always described as being footy immature when drafted ....I wouldn't be writing him off at 23 YO

What strides in season 2025 did he make?

 

[kirky]

The other with the recruitment of Ah Chee it will put more pressure on the likes of Pedlar, Cook etc.

No more Murphys or McHenrys in the wings.

 

[Scorpus]

Yet you know we had a go at Petracca, NWM and went very hard on draft night for Sharp, have just recruited a wing so we can move Curtin to the midfield, and in 2024 recruited Peatling and Draper.

The club is always looking to get better at the right price that benefits us, which was the case for all those players

I'm not sure they think the midfield is a weakness that needs immediate fixing to the point they had to secure those deals. Their actions say they think our current midfield is good enough that they don't need to go above and beyond to secure more midfield talent

 

[Caputo]

Also, I think what you are not taking into account is positional flexibility. ANB, Ah Chee, Rankine, Pedlar, Rach, Keays even Thilthorpe are all players that dont need to be permanent forwards. Marsh is another who is touted as a 2 position player.

Our forward 6 should be made up of 7-9 key players.

I disagree I believe the team of 23 should be set up 7-8-7-1
7 Forwards , 8 Mids including Ruck, 7 Defenders and 1 yet to be determined (Utility or extra Rucking capability)

 

[Coopers]

Why isn’t Pedlar being trained up with the mids? High draft pick drafted as a mid, brief spurts has shown good ability to win clearances and brake free, looks fit.

Our midfield is a weakness. What are we doing?

Well, when the ball is in the forward line, and he's near it, that's exactly the same as when the ball is in the midfield and he's near it, so it's same thing, really.

Except he's not in the midfield.