Preview NAB CUP - Hawthorn vs West Coast vs Fremantle. Sun 13th, Feb

[TheFourPillars]

Am i the only one who had any sort of confidence in our kids. Granted i didn't think they would beat fremantle. I did think we would do West coast though funny how it turned out. I was confident enough that they would put their best foot forward. Congrats on the wins boys hope to see you guys most of you i presume down at box hill our team this year is going to be something

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

Exactly what i was going to say. Don't know why people are happy that we might be knocked out. I would prefer to play on the proper fields then some crappy uneven and thus more dangerous footy field.

If only Whitty or Renouf (i knew he would miss tho) had kicked it in. We deserved to move in. Our kids did awesome today.

Really liking the sound of Schneider! I'm hoping he might get a go! Savage too... seems like his confidence is building. Pretty damn happy with our young guys...

There wont be any play on any crappy field. They simply just dont do it.
Could be Aurora, could be Vic Park or Princes Park or maybe a large regional centre.

In recent years the grounds have been hard but with the amount of rain there has been there wont be a hard ground anywhere.

Happy to go about things away from the spotlight and without any hype of a positive or negative nature.

 

[TAITA]

Exactly what i was going to say. Don't know why people are happy that we might be knocked out. I would prefer to play on the proper fields then some crappy uneven and thus more dangerous footy field.

Yeh, that's rubbish mate - every ground we play on has to be signed off on by both participating teams (as well as the AFL) and some of them are an absolute (wet) dream to play on - lush and cushioned.

Certainly light years ahead of the shifting surface built on top of a carpark that is Idiot Stadium.

Don't let the size of the stands fool ya.

 

[tommyk72]

Can anyone shed any light on big max?

 

[Beandip]

NAB Player Analysis

I thought I'd post up my comprehensive view of how things went from the NAB cup against WCE and Freo, I know a few people have said a bit in the other thread, but I thought I'd start a fresh one for the whole lot (that said mods, move it if you wish). Others can pick it apart, disagree or revel in snippets of truth!


N.Ahmat-Watkins:
Only played one of the games, and didn’t do a great deal (2 touches). Laid 4 tackles though which was promising, moved well, but didn’t position too well. At this stage I’d probably take Tuck based on having a bigger body etc, that said A-W could explode with a bit of time.

L.Breust:
This boy was very impressive, I think he will be knocking on the door for a forward pocket role no worries, moved well, clever player, got his hand on the ball a few times, laid some tackles got a goal, and had a hand in some nice passages of play.

S.Burgoyne:
Classic Burgoyne, every time he touched it, it was pure class, and just silky moves.

K.Cheney:
I was actually quite impressed with the ex-Demon, he took a little while to settle I thought, but then got a fair bit of the ball, and used it pretty well. He did have a couple of clangers, but conversely he did a couple of clever things. In particular late in the second game, a brilliant move on the boundary where he controlled it from a high bounce, slowed down till the defender committed, then burnt right past him.
Puopolo may be ahead of him in Round1 selection, but not by as much as people were initially thinking!

T.Duryea:
I was very surprised by this kid, I’d never paid him much attention and thought he’d probably just scrub around our seconds his whole career, but he acquitted himself with some really good play in both the games he was part of. Not the highest disposals, but tackles in both games, clever sheparding, putting his body on the line and contesting consistently made inroads to being a solid inside player.

S.Grimley:
Pretty quiet and unimpressive, though he was up against NicNat/DCox, and Zac Clarke alone basically (after Renouf copped a knock). As such, he did not show much as a ruckman, a couple of taps that were not greatly advantageous. No marks, nor contesting big packs or providing a target etc. Still in development. That said he moves quite well as a midfielder!

J.Lisle:
Very impressive, had a slow start, which I think brought a bit of criticism, he started with low confidence by my impressions, fumbled a sitter for an aspiring full-forward, but a fortuitous snap resulting in a goal got his tail up. He finished with a handful of marks and a few shots on goal. To be fair to him, he was not always on the end of the highest quality delivery (first half of the first game we didn’t have the best structure).
One thing that stood out, and people have feared is that he is -slow-, he seemed VERY slow at times. However, he reads the play VERY well, and positions accordingly, getting front spot and out-positioning defenders. I think he could slot into the forward line if needed.

A.Litherland:
I really liked what I saw, he reads the play well, positions well and rebounds from the backline with pace and skill. He won a few frees, but also gave away a couple of unlucky ones that you might get away with at the lower level. I think Litherland will certainly be lurking in the wings, adding depth and waiting to seize his opportunity, a player worth persisting with at this stage.

J.Mahony:
Only played one game, and didn’t get a touch, but it wasn’t that bad. He showed excellent character by courageously charging into a pack mark and being winded quite severely, which won him a lot of respect amongst the club I don’t doubt. He looks solid and nuggety, and will probably perform solidly in the two’s.

S.Menegola:
A surprise packet, he was one of our better forwards! I really expected him to be pretty weak and raw, get bustled around a bit, but this was not the case at all, he was assertive, got a goal, laid some tackles was involved in play, read the play well and moved well. I would not be surprised if he goes on to have a great year, and rapidly continues to improve, just seems like a skilled player.

R.Milne:
Played a serviceable game, nothing standout-ish, scrubbed a couple of kicks, but picked up a few possessions and tackles, still needs some work I think, but manages to move to the right places, with more time on the game plans he could become a handy utility.

T.Murphy:
Was out of it almost immediately, with an ankle scare, but it turned out to be only a twinge, and they played it safe; resting him the rest of the games.

P.Puopolo:
Very exciting, people forecasting seem to have been very accurate, he is fast, doesn’t mind taking the opposition on, puts on great pressure and has tidy skills. He laid some strong tackles and was one of our highest possession getters! Will start round 1, and covers the hole left by Brown well.

B.Renouf:
Copped a knock and went out for the rest of the night really, putting a lot of extra pressure on Grimley.

C.Rioli:
Led well it seems, moved players well, and got them motivated to perform really well as a young group. Not to mention his skills were superb, pace and football intelligence. He is a special player.

S.Savage:
Another gem of the night, fast running, good pressure, breaking lines, kicked a goal, set up another beautifully, add a couple of tackles to his stat line too. Really impressed, I think 2011 may be the year he sees some senior time and earns some kudos.

T.Schneider:
Another real gem (what an advantageous night!) He was aggressive, provided good run, and was at the bottom of a few packs, attacks the ball, puts his body on the line and backs it up with intelligent movement and positioning. Plenty of the ball, marks and a goal, a great pickup and future star by the looks of it.

R.Schoenmakers:
For me, this was the major negative of the night, and that is unfortunate, from what I saw he seemed to have taken a step backwards if anything, so amazingly slow... just didn’t contest anything, didn’t look a threat at all. Not sure if he was nursing something, or if playing in the forward line threw him out, but he definitely didn’t look like he’d be playing in the one’s in a hurry (Litherland and Stratton seemingly miles ahead).

L.Shiels:
Didn’t do a great deal, but bloody hell I like the way he goes about it. Throws himself into packs, fiercely tackles, gets to packs and puts his body on the line.

W.Sierakowski:
Got a few touches apparently, but all I really remember is him shanking a kick or two out of bounds, doesn’t seem to have the best skills, but he is only young. Not threatening the selectors yet.

I.Smith:
Ah the great hope... It’s true he does have excellent pace and something exciting about him, he clearly exhibited that when he hammered a super goal off a couple of steps. I think Hawthorn have drafted well, and he will just grow and grow as a player, he combines rather silky delivery with his pace, there was one problem though... on a few occasions the game plan couldn’t keep up! - he’d throw on the afterburners and find himself in space, then there was no one to kick too!

B.Stratton:
Seriously impressed, he had an excellent rookie year, and he looks like he is going to blow that out of the water, he commanded the backline, especially after Murphy went down. He reads the play beautifully, and took some superb contested marks, just floated in from the side and took powerful grabs. People were firing off about him pushing for All-Australian, and to be honest if he can keep that up and improve a little more, yeah, they’re not far off.

M.Suckling:
A strange one, he didn’t seem to do much, but then I looked closer at the stat sheet and he was probably our leading possession getter. He linked together some nice plays and showed that he might have avoided delisting by more than mere chance. I’ll watch him with interest.

T.Tuck:
A fairly underwhelming game for Mr. Tuck, he was hard at it and in the packs and contests, but not very effective he would just grab it and spray it, needs to show more composure. He did lay a few tackles and got hands to it, he is a pretty solid lad and at this stage probably front runner for our last rookie spot.

B.Whitecross:
One of our stand outs, really showed that he has lifted and matured as a player, I saw some excellent decision making, and skill usage from him. Tragically he missed a fairly easy chance to give us the win against West Coast, but such is life. He got plenty of the pill, moved well, and helped his team around him, especially to begin the resurgence in the first game.

J.Williams:
I’d never paid him much attention, but he popped up with a few possies and a couple of goals! Not bad shots either, will have to keep an ear out for him in the seconds.

So for mine, the players of special note were: Schneider, Menagola, Stratton, Puopolo, Litherland, Savage, Whitecross and Bruest... I think all of these guys will either get time in the seniors or make some noise in the two's.

 

[Roughies Boys]

Re: BeanDip NAB Player Analysis

I thought I'd post up my comprehensive view of how things went from the NAB cup against WCE and Freo, I know a few people have said a bit in the other thread, but I thought I'd start a fresh one for the whole lot (that said mods, move it if you wish).


N.Ahmat-Watkins:
Only played one of the games, and didn’t do a great deal (2 touches). Laid 4 tackles though which was promising, moved well, but didn’t position too well. At this stage I’d probably take Tuck based on having a bigger body etc, that said A-W could explode with a bit of time.

L.Breust:
This boy was very impressive, I think he will be knocking on the door for a forward pocket role no worries, moved well, clever player, got his hand on the ball a few times, laid some tackles got a goal, and had a hand in some nice passages of play.

S.Burgoyne:
Classic Burgoyne, every time he touched it, it was pure class, and just silky moves.

K.Cheney:
I was actually quite impressed with the ex-Demon, he took a little while to settle I thought, but then got a fair bit of the ball, and used it pretty well. He did have a couple of clangers, but conversely he did a couple of clever things. In particular late in the second game, a brilliant move on the boundary where he controlled it from a high bounce, slowed down till the defender committed, then burnt right past him.
Puopolo may be ahead of him in Round1 selection, but not by as much as people were initially thinking!

T.Duryea:
I was very surprised by this kid, I’d never paid him much attention and thought he’d probably just scrub around our seconds his whole career, but he acquitted himself with some really good play in both the games he was part of. Not the highest disposals, but tackles in both games, clever sheparding, putting his body on the line and contesting consistently made inroads to being a solid inside player.

S.Grimley:
Pretty quiet and unimpressive, though he was up against NicNat/DCox, and Zac Clarke alone basically (after Renouf copped a knock). As such, he did not show much as a ruckman, a couple of taps that were not greatly advantageous. No marks, nor contesting big packs or providing a target etc. Still in development. That said he moves quite well as a midfielder!

J.Lisle:
Very impressive, had a slow start, which I think brought a bit of criticism, he started with low confidence by my impressions, fumbled a sitter for an aspiring full-forward, but a fortuitous snap resulting in a goal got his tail up. He finished with a handful of marks and a few shots on goal. To be fair to him, he was not always on the end of the highest quality delivery (first half of the first game we didn’t have the best structure).
One thing that stood out, and people have feared is that he is -slow-, he seemed VERY slow at times. However, he reads the play VERY well, and positions accordingly, getting front spot and out-positioning defenders. I think he could slot into the forward line if needed.

A.Litherland:
I really liked what I saw, he reads the play well, positions well and rebounds from the backline with pace and skill. He won a few frees, but also gave away a couple of unlucky ones that you might get away with at the lower level. I think Litherland will certainly be lurking in the wings, adding depth and waiting to seize his opportunity, a player worth persisting with at this stage.

J.Mahony:
Only played one game, and didn’t get a touch, but it wasn’t that bad. He showed excellent character by courageously charging into a pack mark and being winded quite severely, which won him a lot of respect amongst the club I don’t doubt. He looks solid and nuggety, and will probably perform solidly in the two’s.

S.Menegola:
A surprise packet, he was one of our better forwards! I really expected him to be pretty weak and raw, get bustled around a bit, but this was not the case at all, he was assertive, got a goal, laid some tackles was involved in play, read the play well and moved well. I would not be surprised if he goes on to have a great year, and rapidly continues to improve, just seems like a skilled player.

R.Milne:
Played a serviceable game, nothing standout-ish, scrubbed a couple of kicks, but picked up a few possessions and tackles, still needs some work I think, but manages to move to the right places, with more time on the game plans he could become a handy utility.

T.Murphy:
Was out of it almost immediately, with an ankle scare, but it turned out to be only a twinge, and they played it safe; resting him the rest of the games.

P.Puopolo:
Very exciting, people forecasting seem to have been very accurate, he is fast, doesn’t mind taking the opposition on, puts on great pressure and has tidy skills. He laid some strong tackles and was one of our highest possession getters! Will start round 1, and covers the hole left by Brown well.

B.Renouf:
Copped a knock and went out for the rest of the night really, putting a lot of extra pressure on Grimley.

C.Rioli:
Led well it seems, moved players well, and got them motivated to perform really well as a young group. Not to mention his skills were superb, pace and football intelligence. He is a special player.

S.Savage:
Another gem of the night, fast running, good pressure, breaking lines, kicked a goal, set up another beautifully, add a couple of tackles to his stat line too. Really impressed, I think 2011 may be the year he sees some senior time and earns some kudos.

T.Schneider:
Another real gem (what an advantageous night!) He was aggressive, provided good run, and was at the bottom of a few packs, attacks the ball, puts his body on the line and backs it up with intelligent movement and positioning. Plenty of the ball, marks and a goal, a great pickup and future star by the looks of it.

R.Schoenmakers:
For me, this was the major negative of the night, and that is unfortunate, from what I saw he seemed to have taken a step backwards if anything, so amazingly slow... just didn’t contest anything, didn’t look a threat at all. Not sure if he was nursing something, or if playing in the forward line threw him out, but he definitely didn’t look like he’d be playing in the one’s in a hurry (Litherland and Stratton seemingly miles ahead).

L.Shiels:
Didn’t do a great deal, but bloody hell I like the way he goes about it. Throws himself into packs, fiercely tackles, gets to packs and puts his body on the line.

W.Sierakowski:
Got a few touches apparently, but all I really remember is him shanking a kick or two out of bounds, doesn’t seem to have the best skills, but he is only young. Not threatening the selectors yet.

I.Smith:
Ah the great hope... It’s true he does have excellent pace and something exciting about him, he clearly exhibited that when he hammered a super goal off a couple of steps. I think Hawthorn have drafted well, and he will just grow and grow as a player, he combines rather silky delivery with his pace, there was one problem though... on a few occasions the game plan couldn’t keep up! - he’d throw on the afterburners and find himself in space, then there was no one to kick too!

B.Stratton:
Seriously impressed, he had an excellent rookie year, and he looks like he is going to blow that out of the water, he commanded the backline, especially after Murphy went down. He reads the play beautifully, and took some superb contested marks, just floated in from the side and took powerful grabs. People were firing off about him pushing for All-Australian, and to be honest if he can keep that up and improve a little more, yeah, they’re not far off.

M.Suckling:
A strange one, he didn’t seem to do much, but then I looked closer at the stat sheet and he was probably our leading possession getter. He linked together some nice plays and showed that he might have avoided delisting by more than mere chance. I’ll watch him with interest.

T.Tuck:
A fairly underwhelming game for Mr. Tuck, he was hard at it and in the packs and contests, but not very effective he would just grab it and spray it, needs to show more composure. He did lay a few tackles and got hands to it, he is a pretty solid lad and at this stage probably front runner for our last rookie spot.

B.Whitecross:
One of our stand outs, really showed that he has lifted and matured as a player, I saw some excellent decision making, and skill usage from him. Tragically he missed a fairly easy chance to give us the win against West Coast, but such is life. He got plenty of the pill, moved well, and helped his team around him, especially to begin the resurgence in the first game.

J.Williams:
I’d never paid him much attention, but he popped up with a few possies and a couple of goals! Not bad shots either, will have to keep an ear out for him in the seconds.

So for mine, the players of special note were: Schneider, Menagola, Stratton, Puopolo, Litherland, Savage, Whitecross and Bruest... I think all of these guys will either get time in the seniors or make some noise in the two's.

Great read But why did you have to make a thread that has a title that pretty much points out that this is just you player analysis.

 

[TAITA]

Can anyone shed any light on big max?

Only really tall people I reckon.




I certainly haven't heard anything that is of concern, and him not jarring up over on those flat sand tracks may have come into it.

 

[IBleedBrownNGold]

Re: NAB Player Analysis

Great review Beandip!! Thanks for posting it. I too was disappointed with Shoey tonight. Perhaps he does just need to develop further, seems very slow.

I agree with your best player list, Schneider is certainly one to look out for. He's a ripper!

 

[Beandip]

Re: BeanDip NAB Player Analysis

BigMoose: Why did you have to quote the huge post, now it takes up like 15 posts room? hehe, I changed the title for you, anyone is free to contribute, or open up discussion on any of my observations, I just wanted to throw down what I personally took away from the game.

I'm happy for others to contribute! Maybe I missed things, I only pulled out the notepad halfway through the second game and thought "hey maybe some people who can't see the games on the BigFooty forum would appreciate it!"

 

[grizzlym]

Ah, many thanks Beandip, great review.

Big Moose: if he does this sort of fine work he can name the thread anything he pleases!

 

[Roughies Boys]

Re: BeanDip NAB Player Analysis

Why did you have to quote the huge post? hehe, I changed the title for you, anyone is free to contribute, or open up discussion on any of my observations, I just wanted to throw down what I personally took away from the game.

I'm happy for others to contribute! Maybe I missed things, I only pulled out the notepad halfway through the second game and thought "hey maybe some people who can't see it on BigFooty would appreciate it!"

How bout Bailey?

 

[Beandip]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys (and no worries about moving it, as I said I wasn't sure whether to put it as a new thread or not).

It was actually a kind fellow BigFooty'er who was able to help me out with footage, enabling the review, so thanks to him

One thing I was curious about and didn't pick up on, was if it was AC doing all the coaching? Or were the assistant coaches running the show (like some of the other teams so far)?

 

[TAITA]

Re: BeanDip NAB Player Analysis

Why did you have to quote the huge post? hehe, I changed the title for you, anyone is free to contribute, or open up discussion on any of my observations, I just wanted to throw down what I personally took away from the game.

I'm happy for others to contribute! Maybe I missed things, I only pulled out the notepad halfway through the second game and thought "hey maybe some people who can't see it on BigFooty would appreciate it!"

I haven't seen either game yet - I appreciate it, as I do all that have given their analysis and views.

 

[harliquin]

Re: BeanDip NAB Player Analysis

I spent an hour in the rooms before the game, spoke to Jeff and a couple of trainers. There's nothing wrong with Max, they just didn't want to risk him this week (long flights & big opposition). Should play next week.

Having spent time in the rooms before the Freo final (it was very chilled out and quiet), it was VERY exciting walking in to music pumping and the boys up and about, VERY excited to be there. That enthusiasm, and the display the kids showed tonight, should hold us in good stead this season I reckon!

 

[Off The Couch]

Just back from the game - have to say I was impressed with how the guys handled themselves, they did way better than I expected them to.

At the end of the day the results while great where slightly disappointing in that if we had, had players in the forward half in the first half against the eagles, I have no doubt we would have progressed straight through. So many times players looked up and there was no-one ahead of them and they had to play kick and run.

Standouts for mine were
Stratton, Rioli and Burgers as you would expect were outstanding and whiteX looks like he has finally come into his own and will I think have a major role to play this season

For the new recruits
Suckling, Savage, Schneider, Bruest, Pop (if he doesn't start first up I will be shocked), Duryea and Menegola all played well and gives me great hope with 'depth' this season and more importantly competion for spots.

I will not comment on any other players as it is the first game, involved travel and my god it was hot and the humidity was unbelievable. The fact that these guys were able to play 80 odd minutes of football in those conditions without looking like they were tiring speaks volumes about our fitness levels at the moment.

On another note, I would like to acknowledge and give a huge thumbs up to Burgers who was interviewed during the eagles/dockers games and in making his way to the interview stopped along the way to sign autographs for some of the hawks nipper supporters and repeated it on the way back.

 

[Brant]

What impressed me is the context in which our guys performed. What I mean is, there were no easy positions out there. Pretty much everyone out there had to work for their possies - and work they did.

Our defenders did their job without too much assistance from midfield pressure and played fairly well on their opponents. Our midfield lacked guns like Hodge, Mitch, Sewell, Lewis, Ellis, Bruce etc & yet Tucky & Shiels (others too) took it to the opposition.

Our forwards suffered from early dumbness re game style & some dodgy delivery, yet we managed to win 75% the night.

Despite being young & inexperienced, the boys weren't over awed & showed maturity & desperation. Further, nobody stood back & expected the ball on a platter - everyone was hard at it & trying to win their own ball.

Undoubtedly, everyone out there would have performed better still if supported by our 15 odd guns that didn't play. Good work Hawks.

 

[Rhayader]

Re: BeanDip NAB Player Analysis

How bout Bailey?

From hawthornfc.com.au

Ruckman Max Bailey, who has spent 18 months on the sidelines and endured three knee reconstructions, should also return after being held back on Sunday.

"He played a trial game for us down in Tassie, and we just wanted to nurse him through a bit [and] make sure his preparation's right," Clarkson said.

"He just had a little bit of swelling on that knee in that Tassie game."

 

[market]

Just back from the game - have to say I was impressed with how the guys handled themselves, they did way better than I expected them to.

At the end of the day the results while great where slightly disappointing in that if we had, had players in the forward half in the first half against the eagles, I have no doubt we would have progressed straight through. So many times players looked up and there was no-one ahead of them and they had to play kick and run.

Standouts for mine were
Stratton, Rioli and Burgers as you would expect were outstanding and whiteX looks like he has finally come into his own and will I think have a major role to play this season

For the new recruits


Suckling, Savage, Schneider, Bruest, Pop (if he doesn't start first up I will be shocked), Duryea and Menegola all played well and gives me great hope with 'depth' this season and more importantly competion for spots.

I will not comment on any other players as it is the first game, involved travel and my god it was hot and the humidity was unbelievable. The fact that these guys were able to play 80 odd minutes of football in those conditions without looking like they were tiring speaks volumes about our fitness levels at the moment.

On another note, I would like to acknowledge and give a huge thumbs up to Burgers who was interviewed during the eagles/dockers games and in making his way to the interview stopped along the way to sign autographs for some of the hawks nipper supporters and repeated it on the way back.

Spot on CP

It was fantastic sitting in the stands with other Hawkers, at first expecting a score that may have been embarrassing and ending up with a performance that could only be considered outstanding!

Your assessment of the players is pretty much how I saw it too...stratts, we were calling him croady throughout the game,convincing west coasters that he hadn't retired....was a memorable day out and time for another celebratory drink!!!!!

 

[Jaeger]

I think Pelchen and his team have done a great job at the draft table this year.

Litherland looks like he could come in straight away. Good pace, good size and will improve as he gains confidence and experience.

Puopolo is what we need. A quick, big bodied small defender. The pressure he will apply on the opposition will cause plenty of turnovers.

Looking forward to seeing Hallahan.

Isaac Smith will keep improving.

Tom Schneider is going to be a little gem for us. I'd love him to spend time in the midfield but play mostly deep in the forward line as a goal sneak. Great hands.

Menegola has great disposal, touch of class and is athletic. A smart footballer + great athleticism is rare. How he wasn't picked in the first draft is beyond me.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sandgropers, I bet it's nice to come away from a game involving Hawthorn and being so happy with the performance that was on show.

 

[NDFCHFC2]

Sandgropers, I bet it's nice to come away from a game involving Hawthorn and being so happy with the performance that was on show.

Pity the new netball rule cost us the first game alone when combined with blatant home team ump's who mucked up about 10 easy decisions including an out of bounds on the full which was around a meter over, mustve been blind to miss a holding the ball or two against WC and then had the tenacity to pay a charity to WC shortly after. The performance of the umpires was nothing less than shocking but not unexpected given the AFL instruct home side bias as to not disappoint all the home fans/members who spend the majority of cash at the interstate venues.

That new netball rule worked about 20/1 in WCs favour and that alone meant free kick after free kick to WC, when in a proper match it would of been 21 boundry throw ins.

Hawks did little wrong but the overall performance was far from good, as usual from Perth. If the opposition dont get you its always the maggots that do, even if theyre red maggots. Pathetic. Soft display from the umps!

 

[burner1]

Was difficult to work out who was who on a large ground plus a heap of new faces but some thoughts:
-wx - should be in the 22 on that showing
-schneider - surprised how well he did. Didn't look out o place at all
-litherland - could play a few games in 2011 - looks a better tall defensive prospect than schoe. Looked bigger than I thought he'd be, moves very well and didn't look out of place down back. Once he learns not. To rush his disposals at this level could be a very handy defender.
-duryea/Williams/breust/mengola - all seemed to get amongst it. Breust should be in the side fo round 1, but will be interesting to see how the rest develop at box hill. Something about Williams that makes me think he may make it
-tuck - still the same player as 3 years ago. No composure with his disposals. I struggle to see him ever being in our best 22.
-savage/smith - both did some great things in bursts. Savage looks closer to a round one spot.

Overall a pretty good showing by the guys. It's probably the first time in a long long time that we actually looked quick as a side (especially at subi). Hopefully a number of guys can force their way into the 22. There's going to be a lot of guys looking over their shoulders this year - especially in the running posiitons where we have lacked depth for years.

 

[NDFCHFC2]

Renouf should never be instructed to drift forward, and rather be a ruck who drifts back into defence, as I swear he has rarely kicked a meaningful goal in all his life and how the ball ended up in his uncapable hands when a goal was needed is a concern.

all in all, disappointing to not get the better of west coast cowboys when had chances to hit the lead and dominated the last 5 minutes for nothing!

lastly Shoenmakers is not a marking forward IMO, never. Couldnt buy a grab and maybe the ruck or wing is calling, if not HHF drifting into the corridor because he can kick straight if he can manage a set shot. The thing is he cant grab it.

I have the feeling a tight defencive role will be his forte - and he will play better once the better polayers come in, but as a target he was p!ss.

 

[NDFCHFC2]

right by my reckoning hawthorn are still in, but the lack of published qualifying criteria for the lucky losers is worrying given the afl's mixed agendas!

what id like to know is ; is it simply highest % from losers?
or is it +/- aggregate scores from combined 'games'?
confirmation if in a round robin each team wins 1 - it matters zip, and the above criteria is all that matters.

given no clauses (in the fine print and West Sydney, GC group isnt a total mismatch, allowing GC to walk through! as well as syd), id still give the hawks a 40/60 chance of qualifying at least!

the only way I realistically can see hawthorn not going through is IF gold coast Belt west syd, and remain close enough to the swans to nip it on percentage/ for/against.

IMO the way it should work is IF you lose a game the points margin is doubled, and a win the margin stays the same, as it would work out a much fairer system. for example adelaide lost by 10, which would be -20 for them, they then won by 32, so total of 12. This is to negate weak sides like the power or west syd - basically shaping the 2 lucky loser teams single handedly by being belted by 1 team once/ thats all thats needed and it makes a mockery of a round robin. a way to help reduce this farce is IF a side goes down - double the damage. this means sides in a weak group must do more than just hammer the crap team - and at least be competitive against the other team they face before gaining a place in the quarters.

I will be pretty pi$$ed off if hawthorn dont progress when they only lost by 2 points and beat freo by more than wce, meaning on aggregate theyre act level with WC. turning into a bloody farce.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Number 41 for us - was that duryea or menegola?

Whichever it was I think they'll make the grade. Fluffed a lot of marks, handballs, but JUST KEPT GOING.

Dust off the cobwebs, settle the nerves and this guy will be great for us. You can't teach second efforts.