Brent Staker

[andrew_embley]

Is it just me or is this guy a GREAT tackler? Besides, i think it was the game against St.Kilda when Riewoldt slipped his grasp and kicked a goal, I can't recall seeing anyone break his tackles

 

[theorangeapple]

yeh i remember in a preseason practice match when sydney's crouch saw this thin lanky player and tried to side step him while cornered in the pocker.....pfft that didnt work...staker laided the perfect tackle at the man running at him, even tho crouch tried his best to be tackled high - stakes got holding the ball and we kicked a goal from advantage

 

[ozzult]

Staker is a great tackler, he is good at pinning the arms down and preventing them getting away the handball. Definitely one of his qualities.

 

[Mead]

Good to see Embley get on ok with his teammates.

Everything about Staker's game is very clean- he tackles, kicks, handballs and marks in the sort of way you'd find in a 'how to play AFL' manual- must bring tears to a coaches eyes.

Aside from that, perhaps the other attribute which has a lot to do with his great tackling is he's very decisive. Often there's situations where its difficult to tell whether to go for the man or just close down the angle and run off in case he kicks it, and younger players tend to find themselves hanging in between those two extremes and not doing much of anything. Staker *always* just zeroes in on the guy with the ball, which is generally the best option anyway. Big big wraps for this kid.

 

[USAEagle]

I think the only thing that separates him from Judd is Judd's blinding speed.

A couple of times this year he got a ball in a situation where others, would have foozled it...not a trace of indecisiveness though. He seems to know just when to kick it and just when to handball it, and he is a steady straight kick anywhere out to 55 metres.

Could be a future Guy McKenna - long bow I know, but one of the things that impressed me most in the short time I was able to watch Bluey was his poise. There was never a situation when he was rattled.

Staker is medium rare at the moment. ( HA HA) when he reahces the 40 to 50 games mark we will all be thinking what a bunch of geniuses our recruiters are.

 

[materamagic]

Originally posted by USAEagle
I think the only thing that separates him from Judd is Judd's blinding speed.

A couple of times this year he got a ball in a situation where others, would have foozled it...not a trace of indecisiveness though. He seems to know just when to kick it and just when to handball it, and he is a steady straight kick anywhere out to 55 metres.

Could be a future Guy McKenna - long bow I know, but one of the things that impressed me most in the short time I was able to watch Bluey was his poise. There was never a situation when he was rattled.

Staker is medium rare at the moment. ( HA HA) when he reahces the 40 to 50 games mark we will all be thinking what a bunch of geniuses our recruiters are.

yes i was impressed with Brent's tackling ability but the future McKenna has gone to Wirrapunda for setting up play from defence although Bluey didn't have Wiz's pace and flair.

 

[The Oracle]

Brent is a great player in the making.

Funniest thing I saw was in Adelaide after he ran down the "King", or is that Queen. Wayne Carey gave him a look (and a few words) that more or less said "Who do you think you are taking me on. I'm the King and you're the Rookie.

Bad luck King. He played on you for a while and beat you !!

The King was beaten - All hail the Rookie !!

Go Brent. All the best for a great season in '04 and hopefully a very long stay with The Eagles

 

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by materamagic
although Bluey didn't have Wiz's pace and flair.

true but on the otherhand Bluey was more accountable, better pure defender and better overhead then the Wiz...

 

[Sera]

I guess Understudy has finally given up and conceded he might actually be a good player LOL

 

[Mr Q]

I haven't seen underpants around for a while. Since about the end of September I'd say...

originally posted by materamagic
yes i was impressed with Brent's tackling ability but the future McKenna has gone to Wirrapunda for setting up play from defence although Bluey didn't have Wiz's pace and flair.

Wirrpunda certainly has more pace and flair, but he is also much more prone to errors than McKenna ever was. McKenna's football brain was IMO just about the best to grace the AFL in the last twenty years. He just didn't make mistakes, and while there were players with more ability around him, Bluey could be relied on to do the right thing with the ball all the time.

 

[llosis]

Originally posted by Sera
I guess Understudy has finally given up and conceded he might actually be a good player LOL

Never did work out undie's irrational bent against Staker...

 

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by Mr Q

McKenna's football brain was IMO just about the best to grace the AFL in the last twenty years. He just didn't make mistakes, and while there were players with more ability around him, Bluey could be relied on to do the right thing with the ball all the time.

Agree at the above statement with one qualification. Greg Williams in my mind had the best football brain I have ever seen. Bluey is definately close behind. He is one of the most sure players with the ball I have ever seen, he was never flustered.

 

[drexel]

McKenna marshalled the defense like no-one else i've ever seen. Even as a cripple, he was worth his weight in gold when out there. Ever since he retired, we've looked lost.