Byrnes v Varcoe

[Moonos21]

Who should play in the Prelim? I doubt they will mess with a winning formula and drop anyone! IMO Varcoe should play. skills wise he is head and shoulders above Byrnes. Even if he gets half as many possies he would be more effective!

 

[PoidaCat]

Just don't drop anyone...

No Change. Please...

If it ain't broke. Don't fix it.

 

[Moonos21]

Just don't drop anyone...

No Change. Please...

If it ain't broke. Don't fix it.

What if Egan is available?

 

[rizzo]

Varcoe, anyday of the week.

 

[JewNoy]

i reckon byrnes did allright yesterday. could kick the ball properly to save his life though.
As another´bloke said if it aint broke dont fix it. if egan is ready then drop byrnes, but dont swap a small forward for a small forward (in my opinion they have done equally little all year)

 

[eliiiiza]

Not another one....

Who should play in the Prelim? I doubt they will mess with a winning formula and drop anyone! IMO Varcoe should play. skills wise he is head and shoulders above Byrnes. Even if he gets half as many possies he would be more effective!

Funnily enough, Byrnes had 16 possessions in the Brisbane game, as compared to Varcoe's 3. That makes it more than five times the number of possessions.

Again, the reason why people think that is because Varcoe doesn't get enough of the ball, which means he has less opportunities to make mistakes.

 

[finrod]

Sorry, but I think we have been through this enough.
Right now, Byrnes >> Varcoe.
Next year, who knows?

 

[DanA]

Not another one....


Funnily enough, Byrnes had 16 possessions in the Brisbane game, as compared to Varcoe's 3. That makes it more than five times the number of possessions.

Again, the reason why people think that is because Varcoe doesn't get enough of the ball, which means he has less opportunities to make mistakes.

I am all for Byrnes playing. He deserves his spot but that is just bullshit.

Varcoe has far better disposal. I don't think that is even debatable. I wouldn't mind betting Varcoe efficiency by hand and foot are both in the 80's while Byrnes kicking in the 60's and hands in the 70's. Worlds apart. Varcoe has dropped off from the beginning of the year while Byrnes has lifted though. Byrnes is now playing much better football.

 

[thehoff]

Varcoe, anyday of the week.

Wow - someone can see what i see.

Please drop Byrnes and trade him to Essendon next season.

 

[Solstice Raver]

Unless Matty Egan is 100% he doesn't play.

There is a reason Adelaide are celebrated mad monday yesterday. They played an unfit Roo. If there has been one constant over the past 40 years of footy it is that you do not take underdone players into finals. I know he deserves a spot and the club are trying like buggery to get him back but sentiment WILL get us beaten.

As for Byrnes v Varco. How about we play both in the VFL this week and see which one wants it more. Needs to have a brilliant "team" game.

 

[G_Money]

I thought Shannon was pretty good on the weekend. He is certainly the 22nd man in the team - his decision making is a level below most of his team mates, and his disposal is wanting, but he worked hard, chased, tackled and did link up pretty well with team mates at times. Varcoe has just looked tired for the second half of the season. Since the Sydney game, he has looked lost out there.

So for me, it's Shannon for the rest of the finals.

 

[Whiskers]

Byrnes hitting better form > Varcoe way outta form. All he is doing is chase chase chase, cmon get the ball sometime would ya? He has time on his side however and should be a good player down the track.

 

[GUSS]

I don't think they will mess with a winning formula. as much as Byrnes disposal kills me, he did enough to holg his spot and Varcoe, although one of the best pressure fwds in the comp, just doesn't get enough of it at the moment.

 

[Fritz_the_Cat]

Hmmmmmmmm i think Byrnes did enough in the last cpl of weeks to hold his spot.... but personally i prefer Varcoe in there (Sorry eliiiiza)

Varcoe doesnt get enough of the ball but is generally very clean with it when he does get it... love the lightning handballs (sometimes too quick for the receiving player to see it coming) good tackler & love his chasing & pressure in the forward line..

Byrnes.. i admire his tenacity & work ethic... have no doubt he is trying his ass off... good forward line pressure.. gets plenty of the ball.. but.. he has some serious technical flaws... bad tackling technique.. seems to run blokes down & then at the last minute dive for the shoulders rather than the hips or pinning the arms.. already given away a cpl of kicks for this & been lucky not to on several occasions... enough been mentioned already about his kicking.. however it must be a confidence thing coz he seems to slot goals easily enough during the warm up.. .but i never expect him to kick them during the game....refuses to use his right foot.. i dont know why (i know he has one coz saw him use it effectively once recently).. i cant understand how anyone can get that far in footy without being at least a reasonable kick on their opposite foot (hell even i can kick both feet & i was only a country hick footballer) it only takes practice to improve it....

although he played pretty well on Sunday.. i thought he was lucky to be paid a couple of chest marks that he seemed to drop...... also frustrates me no end with those runs down the wing that lead to nothing coz he gets to a point where he just has no idea what to do coz he wont kick on his right... hell man run inboard onto ur left & bang it long to the hotspot.. .would be a lot better option than stopping & stuttering & running on the spot..

in short i think Varcoe will be a good future player & i dont think Byrnes is quite up to it... really hope he proves me wrong & has 2 absolute blinders to finish of the year... he has done enough in recent weeks to hold his spot IMO

 

[Partridge]

I am all for Byrnes playing. He deserves his spot but that is just bullshit.

Varcoe has far better disposal. I don't think that is even debatable. I wouldn't mind betting Varcoe efficiency by hand and foot are both in the 80's while Byrnes kicking in the 60's and hands in the 70's. Worlds apart. Varcoe has dropped off from the beginning of the year while Byrnes has lifted though. Byrnes is now playing much better football.

I think that sums it up pretty accurately. Varcoe certainly has cleaner disposal, but it doesn't mean much if you only get 3 touches a game. Everyone raves about his "defensive pressure", but really the last 6 weeks that has been non-existent. The long season has caught up with him I think. Another preseason and I'm sure we'll see an improved version in 2008.

And I have never been sold on Byrnes, but at least he's getting the ball. His disposal lets him down, but he does provide zip around the packs and he did some nice linkup work. He'll keep his spot for the prelim for sure. Only Egan coming back will dislodge him.

 

[WE Are Geelong]

I think that sums it up pretty accurately. Varcoe certainly has cleaner disposal, but it doesn't mean much if you only get 3 touches a game. Everyone raves about his "defensive pressure", but really the last 6 weeks that has been non-existent. The long season has caught up with him I think. Another preseason and I'm sure we'll see an improved version in 2008.

And I have never been sold on Byrnes, but at least he's getting the ball. His disposal lets him down, but he does provide zip around the packs and he did some nice linkup work. He'll keep his spot for the prelim for sure. Only Egan coming back will dislodge him.

And that concludes the debate more than adequately.

 

[darren forssman]

Everyone raves about his "defensive pressure", but really the last 6 weeks that has been non-existent. The long season has caught up with him I think. Another preseason and I'm sure we'll see an improved version in 2008.

i disagree here, he was still chasing the opposition all the way to their forward line non stop even when he was not getting much of the ball in the last 6 weeks.

why not have stokes as the leading up player that byrnes is doing and have varcoe crumbing the feet of ablett/ottens/mooney?

 

[eliiiiza]

I am all for Byrnes playing. He deserves his spot but that is just bullshit.

Varcoe has far better disposal. I don't think that is even debatable. I wouldn't mind betting Varcoe efficiency by hand and foot are both in the 80's while Byrnes kicking in the 60's and hands in the 70's. Worlds apart. Varcoe has dropped off from the beginning of the year while Byrnes has lifted though. Byrnes is now playing much better football.

From the footy record (numbers in brackets are the average of each disposal per match):

Kicking efficency:
Byrnes (8) - 75.0%
Varcoe (4) - 72.2%

Handball efficiency:
Byrnes (8.4) - 82.9%
Varcoe (4) - 83.3%

Disposal efficiency:
Byrnes (16.4) - 79.1%
Varcoe (8) - 77.8%

Yes. Worlds apart when it comes to effiiciency.

 

[Partridge]

i disagree here, he was still chasing the opposition all the way to their forward line non stop even when he was not getting much of the ball in the last 6 weeks.

why not have stokes as the leading up player that byrnes is doing and have varcoe crumbing the feet of ablett/ottens/mooney?

Because Varcoe won't get a touch, like he wasn't before he was dropped.

He's just not ready yet. Plus, he's the only player we've got who won't go in for the hard ball. Don't want him in the side against Collingwood or West Coast in a knockout final. Not yet.

Plenty of time for him, but not this year.

 

[FTW_]

Byrnes.
Not even going to start to argue why he's better than Varcoe - it'd take me too long.

 

[rocker_oz33]

byrnes now and varcoe after a big pre season and byrnes to trade out, 7 have to go

 

[Blue Dimension]

From an outsiders view i really do believe that Varcoe will be better in future no doubt.

Byrnes probably offers more in the short term for you guys.

 

[InsideRail]

Burns presented well on the weekend, however his disposal on a number of occassions, and his kicking for goal are sub standard.

In a tight final (unlike Sunday's) his sprint, sudden stop and then a handball to a guy about to get tackled will cost us big time. As will his finishing skills in front of goal, and inability to hit a lead.

The guy basically hasn't got an ability to pick and deliver to the best option. He is the one player in the team that causes confussion down the field because he doesn't know what he will do and neither do his team mates. He can present, get the ball and sprint, but in a real tight contest he will turn it over and he will cost us big time.

On the weekend, with North zoning off the man (strange by Laidley), Burns was able to dither and get away with it. This lack of pressure on the ball carrier will not occur again in this finals series.

 

[darren forssman]

He's just not ready yet. Plus, he's the only player we've got who won't go in for the hard ball.

varcoe will never be an in and under player getting the hardball, that is not his game.

 

[darren forssman]

okay, which one of us goes by the name lee crossley?

in yesterday's mX (free city daily rag) there was an article on shannon byrnes and also mentioned the competition between varcoe and byrnes for the 1 spot.

only a bigfooty-ite would go into this detail.