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News Butler

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Brennan and Stevenson bring something different to the team. It was noticeable during the NAB Cup that these two were able to chase down the fast break when the opposition got through our press. Against the Bulldogs, a lot of the scores we conceeded occurred in this manner. Also, they have the ability to break the lines themselves.

It'll be interesting to see when/if thet get their chance.
 
EasternHills said:
Butler is a long way from the second best kick in our team.

They dropped him and for a reason, i backed Smith all summer and it seems like the match committee have as well. Not at any particular players expense.

The tendency of our backline to move the ball slowly in seen on these forums as a work rate issue from our midfield, when really it's the inability of our defenders to create space.
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Really - name me 5 better kicks than Butler. I'm pretty sure he had our best DE last year and was the only competent option out of defence last year when Hurn was tagged. I think Smith has potential, but he's miles behind where Butler is as a defender, tackler, kicker and decision maker.
 

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paran said:
Really - name me 5 better kicks than Butler. I'm pretty sure he had our best DE last year and was the only competent option out of defence last year when Hurn was tagged. I think Smith has potential, but he's miles behind where Butler is as a defender, tackler, kicker and decision maker.
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That's precisely the "problem" at the moment. We've got heaps of HB options that could all feel hardly doneby for not being selected. Personally, I'm glad we didn't select all three of A.Selwood, Waters and Butler. It's debatable which of those three should have missed out and which of the younger, faster players should come in. You could mount a fair argument for all of them.
 
paran said:
Really - name me 5 better kicks than Butler. I'm pretty sure he had our best DE last year and was the only competent option out of defence last year when Hurn was tagged. I think Smith has potential, but he's miles behind where Butler is as a defender, tackler, kicker and decision maker.
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Clearly the match committe disagrees with you in at least one way. They didn't select him for a reason.

Clearly Butler is better at getting into the hole and taking marks, he links up better up the ground and he lays more tackles, even more than the famed defensive king in Waters.

If you where going to select a player in Westcoasts lineup to take on Andrew Walker for a large period of minutes and have the necissary speed to switch back onto one of there small forwards at times, it would be Ashley Smith no questions asked. McGinity is too short, Brennan is unproven and Stevenson isn't as strong defensivly.

Ashley Smith played 18 games in 2011, compared to Butlers 13. He played some exceptional games and he had some stinker. As is to be expected of a player of his experience, Butler wasn't around to as much as Smith to take the pressure of Hurn.

You said he was our second best kick in our "Team", but asked me to name five.

Hurn, Stevenson, Shuey, Strijk, Hams, Newman, Wilson, Kennedy, LeCras.

Id make a case that Gaff is better on the fact he's under more physical pressure, id say Schofield and Masten can kick it further and take more risks that pay off. Sheppard is probably a similar kick, perhaps he's a little better on his non preffered than Butler but he's also capable of dashing through on foot and collecting his 30m passes.

Butler is a solid defender, just like A.Selwood and Waters. All three are medium paced, and lack penetration by foot and as far as playing sytle goes.

Id actually rather have Butler in the side than A.Selwood (in a sole defensive role).

Asking Butler to improve his game is only a good thing, and being able to rotate guys on basis of needs is also a good thing. :thumbsu:
 
paran said:
Really - name me 5 better kicks than Butler. I'm pretty sure he had our best DE last year
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Butler's kicks, due to our game plan, most of the time are a low switch kick in defence to a stationary target under no pressure. If you screw that one up you shouldn't even be playing amateurs.

When he was actually brining it out of defence he always hit a target up that was 20-30 meters away (again, easy kick), or gave off a handball.

Never seen him take the game on, run off half back, break a tackle, or try a really long dangerous kick to the advantage of a team mate
 
Ghossein said:
Butler's kicks, due to our game plan, most of the time are a low switch kick in defence to a stationary target under no pressure. If you screw that one up you shouldn't even be playing amateurs.

When he was actually brining it out of defence he always hit a target up that was 20-30 meters away (again, easy kick), or gave off a handball.

Never seen him take the game on, run off half back, break a tackle, or try a really long dangerous kick to the advantage of a team mate
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Play Butler off the HFF ala 2006. Our forwards would love him.
 
thorne89 said:
I think that's rubbish.

We should be targeting a flag over the next 2/3 years while Cox/Glass/Kerr are still in the team.

Butler should be one of the first picked; it's not the time for youth promotion, it's time to go hell for leather for a flag. ;)
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well, i hate be the one that said i told you so..and i was just speculating or guess-timating...but its been confirmed by the coach..senior players may find themselves warming the bench more,or doing wafl time this season, due to a healthy depth and in form young players.. ;)

(makes perfect sense to me,a healthy team is always in transition-always bringing in the next best thing-or chipping out the weak link)
 

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bali-dog said:
well, i hate be the one that said i told you so..and i was just speculating or guess-timating...but its been confirmed by the coach..senior players may find themselves warming the bench more,or doing wafl time this season, due to a healthy depth and in form young players.. ;)

(makes perfect sense to me,a healthy team is always in transition-always bringing in the next best thing-or chipping out the weak link)
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I like Woosh but I reckon he is having a lend of us here on this change in policy - is he implying there is a difference between this year and last year (ie new selection policy?). What senior players are missing from the side at the moment that support this change in selection policy? Butler is only one player and Smith is probably the one who is keeping him out (I wouldnt exactly call him an in-form young player, he was poor in the NAB cup and last week). Anyway, Butler was in / out of the side last year due to injury etc and not exactly well entrenched in our best 22 as a result. Sure, Embley was sub last week but he couldnt of run out a full game anyway. Not like there was any other option.

The only new players we played in round 1 that werent getting games regularly last year were Hams and Hill. Hill is new to the club anyway and these 2 seem to be in for Nicoski and Lecca (ie forced changes not changes due to an apparent change in selection policy).

Plenty of players with experience (and that were in our best 22 last year) got games in round 1 despite being underdone and / or out of form in NAB cup (A Selwood, Lynch, Embley, Smith).

Edited - I am not saying I disagree with those selections (although I didnt agree with A Selwood round 1 and dont agree Smith should be playing this week after his lack of effort against Doggies) but I do disagree that at this time there has been (and is evidence) of a change in selection policy. The match committee once again seems to be backing in its tried and tested soldiers as they tend to. Perhaps this change in policy will be more apparent as the season wears on.
 
if butler isnt fairing well with the match committee by year's end he could walk,
he's an established player who other clubs would be happy to recruit.

he's a free agent at the end of this year if im not mistaken.

as healthy as competition for spots in a team is,
would hate to lose a quality team member such as him.
 
Such is life Ben said:
Perhaps this change in policy will be more apparent as the season wears on.
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the coaches words, not mine..
perhaps (definitely) he needs his seniors to stay solid this season-and is firing a warning shot..
perhaps he's tweaking and tuning the gameplan..

perhaps he's prepping everyone,in an oblique way, for the bigger games ahead,using presumably softer games to get players like smith up to par..
perhaps the coach knows whats going on..? ;)

(anyway some great signs today against Dees,albeit a bit of a training drill in the end)
 
I wouldn't suggest going as far as trading Butler. He's a good player who has had a couple of ordinary-average games. With WC being in flag mode, now isn't the time to be trading guys who are capable performers. Even if he's surpassed as best 22, he's quality depth at the very least.

Perhaps it's time to test out what Lewis Stevenson can do in Butler's place though. Neither Butler or Stevenson are physical players, so WC aren't going to be losing out in that regard. Stevenson will provide more toe though. If Butler is surpassed by those coming beneath, all the better for the club.

With a backline consisting of Brennan, Glass and Schofield, the injury to A.Selwood, and the form of McGinnity, Stevenson should be given a go vs the Saints.
 

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