Toast Fletcher Roberts

[Doggstats]

For all Sids good attributes he coughed up two goals Friday night by simply not being strong enough over the ball (I'm not talking being out marked in a pack or on the lead). Being out muscled by Tex I can handle but being pushed around by Moore is not good enough....

Agree %100. Although getting dominated in the air by Moore all night was embarrassing, it was his ground ball work that really let himself down. This one was the worst:



3 weak efforts in a row. Fumble, then being out muscled by a 20yr old kid, then one of the weakest tackling attempts I've seen.

You would think after being pushed over like it was nothing by Moore he would at least fire up and try to make a mends by sticking a strong tackle afterwards, but his tackle attempt was even more pathetic. Just not good enough.

Remember, Moore is 20yr old kid build like a stick figure. If Moore can do this to him, imagine what the likes of Tex (we already saw this), Hawkins, Buddy, Tippet and the like will do to him come finals.

 

[Tommycash]

Fletch is still growing into it though. Those kind of efforts are poor, but I imagine he can grow.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Fletch is still growing into it though. Those kind of efforts are poor, but I imagine he can grow.

He is 23. How much growing do you expect to happen that hasn't already happened?

 

[True Dog]

Agree %100. Although getting dominated in the air by Moore all night was embarrassing, it was his ground ball work that really let himself down. This one was the worst:

3 weak efforts in a row. Fumble, then being out muscled by a 20yr old kid, then one of the weakest tackling attempts I've seen.

You would think after being pushed over like it was nothing by Moore he would at least fire up and try to make a mends by sticking a strong tackle afterwards, but his tackle attempt was even more pathetic. Just not good enough.

Remember, Moore is 20yr old kid build like a stick figure. If Moore can do this to him, imagine what the likes of Tex (we already saw this), Hawkins, Buddy, Tippet and the like will do to him come finals.

I lost my sh&t when that happened, to me it is his biggest weakness....

 

[BRWB]

I lost my sh&t when that happened, to me it is his biggest weakness....

Ditto. A flood of sledging texts from oppo mates who know my thoughts on Fletch capped it off.

 

[Tommycash]

He is 23. How much growing do you expect to happen that hasn't already happened?

I of course mean growing into a player, not physical growth. I think a lot. He shows enough to suggest he eradicate the hugely blatant errors.

 

[littlenails]

This is a point worth noting for those who'd like to see him delisted. He's been the main man in defence for quite a few weeks now.

Line ball whether he's in the side if everyone is fit (MC would probably just go Adams and Morris) but he's probably first reserve for us as a KPD.

If you don't delist him then this time next year you are not going to have the possibly new Chris Grant, Dale Morris or Matty Boyd in the list spot that he occupies; somebody who will help you will a premiership. Instead you will still have Fletcher Roberts-Dud. And so the number of list cloggers will just increase and the chance of winning a premiership decease.

whats a good proverb for this?
For want of a nail.
Another leak in the dam wall.

 

[jdz101]

Ditto. A flood of sledging texts from oppo mates who know my thoughts on Fletch capped it off.

jesus if your mates are sledging you on a play by play basis is footy even enjoyable anymore?

 

[bobby2]

If you don't delist him then this time next year you are not going to have the possibly new Chris Grant, Dale Morris or Matty Boyd in the list spot that he occupies; somebody who will help you will a premiership. Instead you will still have Fletcher Roberts-Dud. And so the number of list cloggers will just increase and the chance of winning a premiership decease.

whats a good proverb for this?
For want of a nail.
Another leak in the dam wall.

By this reasoning, we might as well delist everyone who isn't going to be a superstar. Fletch is no world-beater, but he's serviceable, still inexperienced and contracted. The worst thing that could happen if we keep him on is that he doesn't perform well. If that happens, we can delist him next year (and not pay out his contract a year early), and get a new possible Grant, Morris or Boyd anyway. If Adams gets injured again next year, we'll probably be thankful that we have Fletch on the list, rather than an extra 18-year old.

 

[The Inbetweener]

I'm pretty hard on him. But the reality is he isn't a number 1 defender.

 

[BRWB]

I'm pretty hard on him. But the reality is he isn't a number 1 defender.

We don't have much else. So hope Fletch's fans are right and he becomes something approaching awesome...

 

[glenashley]

I have confidence in him. This is the first season he's really had a good run with injury and is stringing games together. Fingers crossed he becomes part of our premiership team.

 

[Next Waiting]

We don't have much else. So hope Fletch's fans are right and he becomes something approaching awesome...

As someone who has time for Fletch, I'll concede that the likelihood of him approaching awesome is remote. However, I seem to recall Bev saying early days that he builds his system/game style etc around the capabilities of the players available to him. Lamenting Fletch's lack of one on one capabilities with power forwards is futile and akin to howling at the moon. He is (currently) what we've got, injury free, and works adequately in a system of mobile intercepting defenders and team defence. If a final comes down to Fletch being isolated one on one with a Tex Walker under a bomb in the goal square then we're f****d (most likely). But it would also mean that our team defence and our attack hasn't been effective enough to put us beyond our biggest weakness (last e/f a good example of that).

 

[scooter600x]

If you don't delist him then this time next year you are not going to have the possibly new Chris Grant, Dale Morris or Matty Boyd in the list spot that he occupies; somebody who will help you will a premiership. Instead you will still have Fletcher Roberts-Dud. And so the number of list cloggers will just increase and the chance of winning a premiership decease.

whats a good proverb for this?
For want of a nail.
Another leak in the dam wall.

The problem is we don't know if we have yet drafted the next Chris Grant or Dale Morris. Perhaps Kieren Collins or Zaine Cordy will be that player but until Roberts gets passed by others he should stay.

 

[murphy2bedabest]

I'm pretty hard on him. But the reality is he isn't a number 1 defender.

That's not his role though.

The thing every list needs are guys like Roberts who just do what the coaches ask of them no matter what, be it in the AFL or VFL with little fuss.

Fletcher Roberts is that kinda player, would be on a low contract, allowing us to spend money else were.

 

[Ozil]

As a player I like him a lot.

I think he's deceptively very clever with his positioning, his disposal and his ability to read the ball in the air.

Unfortunately there are points in games when you can't count on any of that, and that's when Fletch's body lets him down.

We need someone who can cope in those moments, but I highly doubt Fletch comes off the list. As murph said, he's low cost, does a good job for the most part and we're pretty stretched for players who can do that job.

 

[BRWB]

As a player I like him a lot.

I think he's deceptively very clever with his positioning, his disposal and his ability to read the ball in the air.

Unfortunately there are points in games when you can't count on any of that, and that's when Fletch's body lets him down.

We need someone who can cope in those moments, but I highly doubt Fletch comes off the list. As murph said, he's low cost, does a good job for the most part and we're pretty stretched for players who can do that job.

Agree with some of that in that a - Fletch is very deceptive in the sense that he has deceived some folk into thinking he is an AFL standard KPD and b - that he is cheap depth that shouldn't be delisted given our lack of options.

 

[BEaston]

I think Cordy would do a better job as the first KD at the moment.

 

[King Harold]

As someone who has time for Fletch, I'll concede that the likelihood of him approaching awesome is remote. However, I seem to recall Bev saying early days that he builds his system/game style etc around the capabilities of the players available to him. Lamenting Fletch's lack of one on one capabilities with power forwards is futile and akin to howling at the moon. He is (currently) what we've got, injury free, and works adequately in a system of mobile intercepting defenders and team defence. If a final comes down to Fletch being isolated one on one with a Tex Walker under a bomb in the goal square then we're f****d (most likely). But it would also mean that our team defence and our attack hasn't been effective enough to put us beyond our biggest weakness (last e/f a good example of that).

My mother in law used to " howl at the moon " regularly , she seemed to think it worked for her !

 

[perro_loco]

As someone who has time for Fletch, I'll concede that the likelihood of him approaching awesome is remote. However, I seem to recall Bev saying early days that he builds his system/game style etc around the capabilities of the players available to him. Lamenting Fletch's lack of one on one capabilities with power forwards is futile and akin to howling at the moon. He is (currently) what we've got, injury free, and works adequately in a system of mobile intercepting defenders and team defence. If a final comes down to Fletch being isolated one on one with a Tex Walker under a bomb in the goal square then we're f****d (most likely). But it would also mean that our team defence and our attack hasn't been effective enough to put us beyond our biggest weakness (last e/f a good example of that).

And that is why we lost that finals game. Walker beating fletch was BC our back line was not supported by our mids. Under our current defensive structure Tex would not have kicked that many goals.

 

[perro_loco]

I think Cordy would do a better job as the first KD at the moment.

No he wouldn't. Otherwise he'd be in the back line but instead is playing forward.

 

[BEaston]

No he wouldn't. Otherwise he'd be in the back line but instead is playing forward.

My post was directly comparing the two players in isolation. Due to player availability it's unfortunately not an option but MY OPINION is that Cordy would do better in the role Roberts is currently performing.

 

[Tommycash]

My post was directly comparing the two players in isolation. Due to player availability it's unfortunately not an option but MY OPINION is that Cordy would do better in the role Roberts is currently performing.

Roberts was in the team before Cordy came in. I can't believe that he is seen as a better backman yet. In any case, Roberts has been playing on some of the oppositions biggest players. No way Cordy could play a similar role in my opinion. He doesn't have the body. Roberts takes some decent intercept marks, and I haven't seen anything similar from Cordy. Cordy is better up forward than Roberts was when he was thrown forward though.

 

[Next Waiting]

Bevo was quick to include Fletch following a line of questioning on Hamling's finals prospects at his presser today. Clearly very much in his thinking and appreciative of the role he plays and his contribution to the team.

 

[Zgope1]

Kills the high ball well, gets us into our offence well I believe with pretty clean hands and nice foot skills. Also not a bad intercept mark

Never wins wrestling matches, usually trails his opponent in but has a knack of spooling from a losing position here and there