Meesen call-up????

[RogerRabbit69]

I know this may seem pretty radical, but could John Meesen come in as a tall forward?

Watched a bit of him recently and he's improving all the time. He seems to have a very good level of fitness, quite good overhead and very respectable foot skills.

And he seems like the kind of kid who would have a real crack if given the chance.

 

[curto2007]

interesting idea, but i dont think we have to bring in a tall this week unless we want to try and stretch the dogs for height, maybe bring in Porplayzia or Vince.

 

[RogerRabbit69]

I wasn't necessarily thinking this week (especially considering the Bulldogs' apparent lack of height).

He's still raw, but I get the feeling he has what it takes.

 

[drakeyv2]

Vince, Vince, Vince

 

[RogerRabbit69]

Yep, Vince would definitely be knocking on the door, you'd reckon. But he's not the kind of player who will stretch the Bulldogs' defence (speed or height).

 

[Alex99]

I highly doubt John Meesen will play AFL football this season, as I would suspect that Ivan Maric would get the first opportunity to show what he can do. To help compensate for the injury to Nathan Bock and Ian Perrie, the club could move Rhett Biglands to a forward pocket role and allow Ivan Maric to play as a second ruckman, if Rhett was ineffective as a forward then Meesen may be considered but Scott Stevens would also have to come into consideration and hopefully by then Scott Welsh would be ready to play.

Until the scans come back Ian Perrie may only be out for 2 to 6 weeks and a worst-case scenario would be 12 weeks

 

[RogerRabbit69]

I agree Maric is ahead of Meesen purely in terms of ruckwork.

But I think Meesen has more footy 'smarts' than Maric, if that makes sense. Based purely on what I've seen this year, I think Meesen will eventually be a better player than Maric (that prediction could come back to haunt me one day).

 

[Cap]

I agree Maric is ahead of Meesen purely in terms of ruckwork.

But I think Meesen has more footy 'smarts' than Maric, if that makes sense. Based purely on what I've seen this year, I think Meesen will eventually be a better player than Maric (that prediction could come back to haunt me one day).

Considering we are looking for forwards you would think Meeson may sneak ahead – Biglands has his knockers (not in the exciting feminie way ) but he is fine form this season – Clarke as Back up with Messon up forward doing the ruck work up there in need, not a bad way to learn your trade

 

[Stiffy_18]

I agree Maric is ahead of Meesen purely in terms of ruckwork.

But I think Meesen has more footy 'smarts' than Maric, if that makes sense. Based purely on what I've seen this year, I think Meesen will eventually be a better player than Maric (that prediction could come back to haunt me one day).

I agree.

Meesen has been imprving week in week out this year and has actually taken over as the #1 ruckman with the Redlegs.

In terms of getting a game as a ruckman, Maric is no doubt ahead. However, Meesen is a better mark and a better forward option than both Biglands and Maric in terms of his skills. Meesen is better on the lead, better overhead mark than either of the two and not only can he mark but he is mobile enough to kick goals from the crumbs.

I like the idea of resting Biglands in the FP but he is just not a full time forward to matter how you look at it.

I thought about this topic as well and I wouldn't be surprised to see Meesen get a game in a forward pocket while Sarge and Welsh are out injured.

For the record, I also think that Meesen will be a better player than Maric down the track.

 

[arrowman]

Some good thoughts on this thread... So, who do we put at CHF? Hentschel, with Roo at FF? I've heard it suggested that Biglands could play CHF, even if he doesn't take a lot of marks / kick a lot of goals, with Bode, Vince and company snapping around his ankles....

 

[Alex99]

Some good thoughts on this thread... So, who do we put at CHF? Hentschel, with Roo at FF? I've heard it suggested that Biglands could play CHF, even if he doesn't take a lot of marks / kick a lot of goals, with Bode, Vince and company snapping around his ankles....

Exactly, just make a contest. Don’t try and be Wayne Carey or Jonathon Brown but all that he should be concentrating on is simply making it a contest.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Exactly, just make a contest. Don’t try and be Wayne Carey or Jonathon Brown but all that he should be concentrating on is simply making it a contest.

No way in hell can Biglands run out a whole game at CHF in a structure that we play in now. Biglands is not aerobically fit to do the sort of work that Perrie and McGregor do for the whole game at CHF.

Playing in the ruck for 15 minutes each quarter is different that playing 2 hours at CHF covering lot of ground and providing a contest. Just take a close look what our CHF does. The ground he covers and the double backing he does, Biglands would be out on his legs by half time.

 

[AJ_No.4]

No way in hell can Biglands run out a whole game at CHF in a structure that we play in now. Biglands is not aerobically fit to do the sort of work that Perrie and McGregor do for the whole game at CHF.
QUOTE]


well that is yet to be proven, i reckon he would be fitter than you are giving him credit for............ Biglands is pretty fit.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Biglands is pretty fit.

Thats why he blows over those trees at Max Basheer Reserve when he comes off at the 20 minute mark every quarter

 

[AJ_No.4]

Thats why he blows over those trees at Max Basheer Reserve when he comes off at the 20 minute mark every quarter

and so are our midfielders, it just means hes giving it his all. Playing centre half forward is a lot different to playing ruck. The Ruck is a lot more gruelling, running up and down the ground following the ball compared to short continous sprints whilst the ball is in the area and then getting a little bit of recovery. Biglands would have plenty of fitness to play centre half forward.

I play both positions and I can tell you that I prefer to play CHF than the ruck.....

 

[Crow-mo]

and so are our midfielders, it just means hes giving it his all. Playing centre half forward is a lot different to playing ruck. The Ruck is a lot more gruelling, running up and down the ground following the ball compared to short continous sprints whilst the ball is in the area and then getting a little bit of recovery. Biglands would have plenty of fitness to play centre half forward.

I play both positions and I can tell you that I prefer to play CHF than the ruck.....

well argued.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Saw Meesen play for the first time on the weekend and my observation was:

He has a real prescence on the field and WILL be the better player over Maric.

His strength even at this stage (needs to put on 10kgs) demonstrates he will be awesome in a couple of years.....ran the full length of the ground really exposing his opposition number.

Good mark, kick and a real thinker. Needs to learn how to position himself better to get to more contests and he is very up and down at the moment.....was clearly on top for periods of the game then would fall right away and look very ordinary. But you could see him working thru each situation and changing (trying) his approach.

One thing though he must learn not to reach to tackle opponents as he cusrrently does a lot of jumper grabbing to tackle.....he'll do a wrist or at worst have shoulder problems if he continues.

Long story BUT Maric at this stage before Meesen no queries but Meesen longterm and perhaps Maric as a KPP.

 

[jenny61_99]

I saw Maric in person for the first time at Carrara last week when he limped off after hurting himself at training. My first impression was how small and immature his body is in comparison with the likes of Biglands and Clarke. And I mean... a LONG way off. Somebody would just have to touch him and he'd snap. So if he looks like that..... and Meeson is 10kg smaller again . My F-I-L told me that Maric is supposed to be 94kg... and I find that really heard to believe. If he is 94 how heavy are Clarke and Biglands???

 

[RogerRabbit69]

I play both positions and I can tell you that I prefer to play CHF than the ruck.....

Not at AFL level, I assume .....

If you watch Perrie, he's on the move for almost the entire game. It's been well documented that he's one of the fittest players at the Crows.

Biglands could play CHF - but he couldn't play CHF like Perrie does. If he did, he'd be looking for somewhere to lay down by half-time. And that's not a slur on Biglands. Very few players could run out a game as well as Perrie.

 

[NikkiNoo]

Not at AFL level, I assume .....

If you watch Perrie, he's on the move for almost the entire game. It's been well documented that he's one of the fittest players at the Crows.

He was second to Burton this year in the Edurance tests. SO we have two of our best endurance athletes out.

 

[Stiffy_18]

I saw Maric in person for the first time at Carrara last week when he limped off after hurting himself at training. My first impression was how small and immature his body is in comparison with the likes of Biglands and Clarke. And I mean... a LONG way off. Somebody would just have to touch him and he'd snap. So if he looks like that..... and Meeson is 10kg smaller again . My F-I-L told me that Maric is supposed to be 94kg... and I find that really heard to believe. If he is 94 how heavy are Clarke and Biglands???

Clarke is supposedly 100 kg and Biglands is supposedly 105 kg

 

[Stiffy_18]

Not at AFL level, I assume .....

If you watch Perrie, he's on the move for almost the entire game. It's been well documented that he's one of the fittest players at the Crows.

Biglands could play CHF - but he couldn't play CHF like Perrie does. If he did, he'd be looking for somewhere to lay down by half-time. And that's not a slur on Biglands. Very few players could run out a game as well as Perrie.

That was the point I am trying to make. Our structure requires our CHF to cover as much ground as a midfielder (which Perrie easily does) and with all due respects to Biglands I don't think he can play CHF the way we need it to be played as our structure commands. As a stay at home CHF he would do a good job there but our forward structure is about creating space for others and covering a lot of ground. No way in hell will Biglands cover the miles that Perrie does. And thats no disrespect to Biglands what so ever.

The better set up IMHO would be Hentschel at CHF and Biglands at FF where he doesn't have to cover as much ground as he would at CHF.

 

[RogerRabbit69]

The better set up IMHO would be Hentschel at CHF and Biglands at FF where he doesn't have to cover as much ground as he would at CHF.

Yep, definitely need a real workhorse at CHF ... and I agree Biglands isn't suited to that role.

 

[Crow_68]

Quick solution this week....no good match-up for the all-Australian fullback in the Bulldogs forward line, so switch him to the other end of the field. Rutten would be too strong for Brian Harris at FF, and Hentschel too mobile for Grant. Bring Maric in the following week...with Brogan's injury, instruct Ivan to smash into Lade at every opportunity.

 

[Messiah]

He was second to Burton this year in the Edurance tests. SO we have two of our best endurance athletes out.

Biglands is the fastest player over 20m in the squad. So he should be able to lead (then either drop the mark or kick it out on the full).