Bishop

[Demonheart]

Hi guys, a have a question about Matty Bishop for you all, he has been on your list for a couple of seasons now, how has he performed? What do you think of him? He was one of my favs at Melbourne and I wasn't happy when we traded him, but I don't get to see many Port games so I don't know how he is travelling.

 

[Eddie Woloschek]

Tonsorially challenged.

 

[Beffery]

There are some supporters that don't rate him all that highly but I have been really pleased with what we have gotten from him since 2000.
He's become one of our many success stories (along with Schofield, Montgomery, Pickett.. etc) and is rarely ever given a complete bath by an opposition player.
His flexibility with who he can cover is also a major asset for us. He can go from Tarrant one week to Nathan Brown the next. Not many tall backs can do that effectively.

The following was written in the herald sun's 2003 report on Port:

QUIET ACHIEVERS

MATTHEW BISHOP and STEPHEN PAXMAN

How Melbourne must wish it had never let Bishop go. His defensive game keeps improving; no other key defender conceded fewer goals this year. Paxman got the job done in his usual unspectacular manner.

'Can't really complain about that.

 

[Portia]

If Bishop played at another club, to me he'd be one of those generic players that they have that you never really worry about.

They're OK players, but you'd never have an interest in getting them to your club, and even on the very rare occasion he puts in a top game against your team, you would be more likely to criticise your team for being so bad as to let him do that.

Similar players from other clubs include: Ian Perrie, Marcus Ashcroft, Adrian Hickmott, Mark Graham, Justin Peckett and Michael Collica.

 

[Groove]

I wasnt happy with Bishop the first couple of years he was at the club, his take on his man and then bomb it long before he got tackled frustrated me alot. however i think he has really improved the last couple of years to be a valuable inclusion in the side.

 

[Portia]

I wish he'd go back to doing that.

 

[powernut]

I don't think he mans up tight enough, but believe that he's vastly underrated due to his versatility. He doesn't get many votes or accolades, but can usually be relied upon to do his job. He is one of our more consistent performers.

 

[mic59]

I have very little to say against him. If I was forced to list at least one of his shortcomings, it is that he distributes the ball among the backlines sometimes without disposing of it. He may get the ball where he can go on a run and punt it well up the field, but will instead pass it back to someone under pressure who has to hastily get rid of the ball back to him. He is then set upon and has to put up a high ball to a place where we might not have a numbers advantage. This doesn't happen all that often but enough times to frustrate me.

 

[blackdiamond]

I have no problems with the Bish, one of my favourite players.

He would have to be our most versatile big man in defence and matches up very well against the likes of Tarrant who beats most backmen with his pace.

 

[rubberman]

Bishop does his job fairly well except for getting caught in possesion a few times. He runs the ball out of defence pretty well too.

 

[Fullarton Power]

Take him back please!!

 

[Eago77]

He's a good honest player. Probably a couple of times a month you want to kill him because he makes a bad blunder but he also has many good points.

 

[Powerstuff]

I agree with a great deal of what has been said.
Not a great player but worth feeding. Brave, skillful, clever at times. Tries to play like the nearby Gav Wanganeen at others and gets caught. Time with us must be drawing to a close and given that Paxman was a better player and his contract wasn't renewed......