Craig Bird & the MCG

[J_Moore]

Too slow to be effective in the midfield on the big paddock. Can't keep up with his opponent, can't spread quickly enough when we have the ball.

For MCG games (or big ground games in general), should probably swap roles with McGlynn and move into the forward line, where he has proven to be dangerous. McGlynn can concentrate on scragging a bloke all day, and not worry about turning the ball over or missing goals from 30 metres out.

Discuss.

 

[Dangas]

On a day the WHOLE side was poor, bit harsh imo because I think he has had a solid year so far in the centre

 

[daymee]

Agree, I love Bird but he looked slow. I don't know how effective McGlynn had been this year, I think we need to start giving our fringe players that are knocking on the door of senior selection a few goes. Like Rachel Hunter says, it won't happen overnight.. Needed someone with pace. Hopefully Cunningham will come good soon, and Pyke can support/replace Seaby who also looked very slow

 

[magic.merkin]

York Park is bigger than the MCG, he had 26 disposals and 7 tackles there.

Ground Size wasn't the issue. Injury/Tiredness/matchups/opposition may have had a little bit more to do with it.

 

[Syd]

Tons of babies being thrown out with the bath water this week.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Jeez we missed Gazza against the Tiges... Bird has been great this year and needs to be played in an uncomfortable role like he was to help him realise where he needs to make further improvements. However he could have provided a bit more forward defensive pressure and allowed McGlynn tofloat into the middle every now and then.

Anyway, we lost to a team that played the ground, conditions and opponent better 2bh. We move on. No need to call for half the side to be dropped or replaced. Sit back and have an honest look at the 1s & 2s and explain to me why players like Bird need to be replaced by (who??). Doesn't make any sense. Please don't start eating ourselves like the Hawks & North posters did after we bet them... We're all much better than that I'm sure.

Hopefully we can get back some confidence next week against a pretty poor Melbourne.

 

[J_Moore]

Tons of babies being thrown out with the bath water this week.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he's bad, or cost us the game or anything. I also think the role he plays at the SCG is perfect.

But he's also had plenty of games where he's contributed well in the forward line, and our forward line is a joke at the moment. I imagine he'd add a bit of defensive pressure, too.

I am wondering if we gain more than we lose by moving him forward on the MCG (or the wide grounds in general).

Plus McGlynn has been pretty poor and isn't contributing a lot up forward. But he is nice and quick.

 

[CAS79]

Craig Bird lead the clearance count in a game the ruck division got smashed. He had more tackles than McGlynn who was apparently our pressure man through the game. Can you say Bird had a good game. Probably not. But we needed to win the contested ball at clearances to stop Richmond getting quick breaks into space to win this game and it's something he at least had some impact on.

Overreaction to singe this young man out.

 

[J_Moore]

I'm not "singling him out". I'm asking a discussion about a specific player, and where they best fit from a structural point of view.

 

[BarneyBent]

Craig Bird lead the clearance count in a game the ruck division got smashed. He had more tackles than McGlynn who was apparently our pressure man through the game. Can you say Bird had a good game. Probably not. But we needed to win the contested ball at clearances to stop Richmond getting quick breaks into space to win this game and it's something he at least had some impact on.

Overreaction to singe this young man out.

This. Also, he was on Cotchin for the majority of the game, right? While Cotchin got a bit of the ball, he rarely had the freedom to be as damaging as he can be (a low DE % by his standards) and on a big ground when the opposition is winning as much contested ball as they were, a player like Cotchin is always going to be able to find some space no matter how good, or quick, the tagger is.

Thought Bird did pretty admirably tbh. He did his best to get as many clearances going our way as possible, and he managed to stem the tide with Cotchin; if Bird doesn't play on him, with the amount of unconstested ball Richmond enjoyed through the middle, Cotchin gets 37 touches, a couple of goals and a handful of score assists. Really had no support from his fellow midfielders.

 

[CAS79]

I'm not "singling him out". I'm asking a discussion about a specific player, and where they best fit from a structural point of view.

Well ok than. Though there are at least 3 other players who’s game needs to be mentioned for lack of impact as well who have escaped much criticism to this point.

Where you do have a point though is when Botlon, Bird and Kennedy in the square at the same time needs to be sorted a little better. One faster player needs to be in there.

His game at Launnie on whose ground dimensions are almost the same was
very good so it cant be singled out by ground size alone.

Wherever the ground Bird is an inside mid and we need to win clearances first wherever the ground and that’s Birds specialty.

 

[J_Moore]

Well ok than. Though there are at least 3 other players who’s game needs to be mentioned for lack of impact as well who have escaped much criticism to this point.

Where you do have a point though is when Botlon, Bird and Kennedy in the square at the same time needs to be sorted a little better. One faster player needs to be in there.

His game at Launnie on whose ground dimensions are almost the same was
very good so it cant be singled out by ground size alone.

Wherever the ground Bird is an inside mid and we need to win clearances first wherever the ground and that’s Birds specialty.

Again, this isn't a criticism thread. He clearly contributed on Saturday.

But we have plenty of players that can win clearances if we put them in the middle.

Bird is at his best when he's able to effectively tag his opponent, and then quickly drift forward when the momentum shifts to bag a goal or two. He couldn't do that on Saturday, I think in part because he lacks the pace to make the switch in time (certainly not alone in that respect).

As a clearance player, he is effective without being amazing. Certainly not the distributor a guy like Kennedy or Jack is.

We lacked strong bodied goal kickers up forward. He can offer that.

Basically, I think he provides something most of our other players don't up forward, but in the midfield, we have plenty of similar types.

It's the principle of comparative advantage. How good is comparative advantage?

 

[.Shotties.]

Mods, card this fool.

 

[J_Moore]

Strike me down, and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine

 

[Syd]

Mods, card this fool.

I saw the OP, and got as far as Poster: J Moore and the first comment "too slow" before losing it!!

Champagne comedy, even if unintended

 

[J_Moore]

I saw the OP, and got as far as Poster: J Moore and the first comment "too slow" before losing it!!

Champagne comedy, even if unintended

Did you actually lose it?

 

[Syd]

Did you actually lose it?

In a fit of laughter, yes.

 

[CAS79]

What has yet to be discussed was Craig Bird was among our better players in the 2nd half against the Hawks in the final we lost last year. Her played a balanced watch game on Smith while looking to play himself into space as well.

One poor game in isolation does not mean he fails there when another game he has done pretty well. Add to the size of the ground at Launnie there is no need to change Bird's position or role based on the size of the ground.

 

[baja]

Team high 25 pressure acts from 70% game time