Prediction CEY 2017, make or break, will he make it?

[Kane McGoodwin]

Lyons had achieved a hell of a lot more prior to 2016 than CEY has going into 2017.

Lol, you weren't exactly talking up Lyons last year.

Given you are writing off CEY, he will probably make it now

 

[Vader]

Lol, you weren't exactly talking up Lyons last year.

Given you are writing off CEY, he will probably make it now

I'm still not talking up Lyons. Which speaks volumes for where I think CEY is at.

 

[skoobydoo]

What do you think Thommo has ability?

No, I was referring to the ACT who kept fielding old recycled 'name' , 'not the complete package' players who recently played South Africa and other disastrous series. An ACT that had stayed with a blinkered, comfort entrenched short sighted selection scheme that thankfully terminated with Rod Marsh's resignation. Now some regulation new-blood youngsters have been given a go and things are beginning to turn. It is a fact of life with sporting teams who wish to at least stay abreast of their opposition. Dwelling, or hanging on too long to the known comfort zone courts disaster, and more importantly lost opportunity with developing youngsters.

 

[Red mist]

Showed enough in his "limited" appearances last season to suggest he's a pretty fair chance to make it if given the opportunities....but will he be given the opportunity?....that's the big question!

CEY is big and strong. In tight reasonable hands. A bit slippery. Instead of saying Scott Thompson could have a job at half back at times why not this guy?

 

[Vader]

CEY is big and strong. In tight reasonable hands. A bit slippery. Instead of saying Scott Thompson could have a job at half back at times why not this guy?

Because we have about 15 better options at half-back (slight exaggeration). No place for Thommo or CEY in our back line.

 

[skoobydoo]

My prediction is that he'll probably get a couple of games if his possession volume drops. Having said that, given his inability to play anywhere or do much of anything outside of stoppages, especially work backwards in a rolling zone, I won't be too surprised if he ends up as injury replacement only. For years we've complained about our poor defensive action between the arcs and the quality of our spread from stoppages. Thommo's been a key part of that failing and if we're only sacrificing 3-4 touches per game, assuming it's even that much, we'd likely be miles ahead with a well drilled runner who can work back hard.

Yep. Thommo really only plays half of the game required of him - ie as you say, he has no defensive action once the ball exits his immediate set contest area. I hope we can step clear and forward of Thommo and develop and give the responsibility to youngsters who can provide both sides to their game.

I like Vader's phrasing of 'terminal decline' when referring to Mochael Clarke. I have watched the same inflictment in Thommo for the last 2 years.

 

[Red mist]

Because we have about 15 better options at half-back (slight exaggeration). No place for Thommo or CEY in our back line.

Exactly, so why do they pander in pressers. Is that a cultural thing?

 

[Vader]

Exactly, so why do they pander in pressers. Is that a cultural thing?

I think everything you read in the media during the off-season is a waste of time.

 

[TexForPM]

Given what we've been told, about his position in the team no longer being secure, I'd suggest that he only gets 1-2 bad games in a row before being dropped. Much like VB was last year.

If he plays really well in R1-3, and has a stinker in R4, then he needs to perform in R5 or face being dropped to the SANFL.

This should be for most of our best 22.
No favourites... if someone is smashing it and someone is stinking it, drop them.
I don't understand why this doesn't happen for everyone.

 

[Red mist]

I think everything you read in the media during the off-season is a waste of time.

Not if it comes from the mouth of the Senior Coach. That's kind of distressing.

 

[skoobydoo]

Because we have about 15 better options at half-back (slight exaggeration). No place for Thommo or CEY in our back line.

Yes. Maybe I don't have the full context with Pyke's comment of using Thommo at half-back, but it just in no way appears to have any logic to it.

Sheesh!, I can just visualise Thommo locking down a defensive area and launching forward movements from half-back!

 

[Vader]

Not if it comes from the mouth of the Senior Coach. That's kind of distressing.

I don't care whose mouth it comes out of. The club is a closed book and wouldn't tell us anything meaningful - even to the extent of closing almost all of their training sessions to the public. Anything and everything spouted during the off-season is done with for the sole purpose of brand awareness - keeping the Crows in your head, during the cricket season. Nothing of any real importance is ever said.

 

[Vader]

This should be for most of our best 22.
No favourites... if someone is smashing it and someone is stinking it, drop them.
I don't understand why this doesn't happen for everyone.

Senior players have earned the right to work their way through a form slump. I don't have an issue with a 100+ game player being given 5-10 games to work their way back into form. That said, the coaches & selectors do need to be quicker to figure out when a player is in terminal decline, and not just a temporary form slump.

 

[Red mist]

I don't care whose mouth it comes out of. The club is a closed book and wouldn't tell us anything meaningful - even to the extent of closing almost all of their training sessions to the public. Anything and everything spouted during the off-season is done with for the sole purpose of brand awareness - keeping the Crows in your head, during the cricket season. Nothing of any real importance is ever said.

So Pykes words about Thompson were off season tripe. Cool.

 

[Vader]

So Pykes words about Thompson were off season tripe. Cool.

That's my assumption.

 

[Red mist]

That's my assumption.

Usually wouldn't put a figurehead in that line. The footy manager saying Tex is going to kick a hundred, sure.

 

[skoobydoo]

Senior players have earned the right to work their way through a form slump. I don't have an issue with a 100+ game player being given 5-10 games to work their way back into form. That said, the coaches & selectors do need to be quicker to figure out when a player is in terminal decline, and not just a temporary form slump.

Yes, particularly when the player/s is in the 30plus age bracket.

 

[Red mist]

Yes, particularly when the player/s is in the 30plus age bracket.

That narrows it down.

 

[TexForPM]

Senior players have earned the right to work their way through a form slump. I don't have an issue with a 100+ game player being given 5-10 games to work their way back into form. That said, the coaches & selectors do need to be quicker to figure out when a player is in terminal decline, and not just a temporary form slump.

Trouble with that is we have 9 players over 100 games and three of them are Jacobs, Douglas and Mackay.

If you change the rules each time for selection you will lose respect of players.
no one in our team should get more than 3-4 games of stink.
the level of stink produced needs to be the main concern.

they were close to dropping a couple of guys last year. Would have been good to see them dropped and players playing well and training well to get a shot.
If you don't do this the gold ticket keep rolling

 

[Vader]

Usually wouldn't put a figurehead in that line. The footy manager saying Tex is going to kick a hundred, sure.

I put any and all media releases int his basket - whether it's coaches, players, CEOs, Presidents, or the person who pumps up the balls for practice.

Pyke's big mantra this off-season is that the players need to be versatile, able to play more than one position. Blind Freddy can see that Thommo only has one position. He's hopeless as a forward, so the only thing they can say is that they're cross-training him to play as a defender. We've seen him in the forward line, and we know that's an ugly disaster. We haven't seen him in the back line - we know it would be just as ugly, but we can't say that it's already been tried and failed. Hence why they're talking about him playing in defence. The chances of it happening in reality are somewhere between zero and non-existent, but they have to say something to keep the brand awareness alive during they off-season.

 

[Vader]

Trouble with that is we have 9 players on 100 games and three of them are Jacobs, Douglas and Mackay.

If you change the rules each time for selection you will lose respect of players.
no one in our team should get more than 3-4 games of stink.
the level of stink produced needs to be the main concern.

they were close to dropping a couple of guys last year. Would have been good to see them dropped and players playing well and training well to get a shot.
If you don't do this the gold ticket keep rolling

Don't be too strict on that 100+ game criterion. In our current team, 70 games is probably enough to qualify as a senior player.

Players know what the rules are, and they're mostly the same at every club. Senior players are treated with respect, and given greater opportunities to redeem themselves. Younger & less experienced players, who haven't proven themselves over time, aren't given the same opportunities. I have no problem with this at all.

 

[Red mist]

I put any and all media releases int his basket - whether it's coaches, players, CEOs, Presidents, or the person who pumps up the balls for practice.

Pyke's big mantra this off-season is that the players need to be versatile, able to play more than one position. Blind Freddy can see that Thommo only has one position. He's hopeless as a forward, so the only thing they can say is that they're cross-training him to play as a defender. We've seen him in the forward line, and we know that's an ugly disaster. We haven't seen him in the back line - we know it would be just as ugly, but we can't say that it's already been tried and failed. Hence why they're talking about him playing in defence. The chances of it happening in reality are somewhere between zero and non-existent, but they have to say something to keep the brand awareness alive during they off-season.

What if your basket isn't the actual basket?

 

[Vader]

What if your basket isn't the actual basket?

Do you think there's any chance at all of Thompson playing in defence? Is there even a snowball's chance in Hell of this happening?

Occasionally there will be something said that is actually meaningful. The current Hird situation is probably one such example, injury announcements are another (e.g. VB's sled injury). But when it comes to media releases about players training the house down, players posting PBs in the time trial, or training with different groups... those releases aren't worth the electrons used to download them.

 

[Red mist]

Do you think there's any chance at all of Thompson playing in defence? Is there even a snowball's chance in Hell of this happening?

Occasionally there will be something said that is actually meaningful. The current Hird situation is probably one such example, injury announcements are another (e.g. VB's sled injury). But when it comes to media releases about players training the house down, players posting PBs in the time trial, or training with different groups... those releases aren't worth the electrons used to download them.

You may have a case. Hope it doesn't blend with a basket.

 

[Ozzie]

Saw one CEY game in the SANFL last year (on TV). He was unbelievably good. Not just "really good sanfl player", but special.

Would like to see him have another chance to put it together in afl. Don't know if he'll make it, but could still be a chance.

IMO CEY is an AFL quality player. No doubt about in my mind. His main problem has been Campo and Noble. One has gone and Don will make up hos own mind this coming year. There are 3-5 players who I think will definitely see consistent AFL action: CEY, Hampton, Knight, Greenwood and Menzel. These players will force some of the underperforming players. By that I mean when some in the seniors hit a form drop off they will be replaced. Injury always plays a major part as well.