Toast Nick Duigan

[Aphrodite]

E.F.A.

Good Fanks!

 

[mediumsizered]

Yesterday's performance certainly came out of nowhere for Duigs. For most of the season he has struggled in the VFL & looked a long way from getting back into the seniors, yet to his credit, when given a reprieve yesterday he grabbed the opportunity with both hands & made it impossible for the selectors to leave him out next week.

Duigs has a limited skill set, but he is mentally strong & his endeavour can never be faulted. No doubt he will be put under the microscope this week by the Swans' coaching staff & won't be given the same space in our forward line that the Tigers gave him. If he can back it up with a strong performance this week (he doesn't necessarily have to kick 4 goals again) this will go a long way to getting him another year on our list.

 

[AB_Blue]

Simple answer is no.

It worked against Collingwood last year and it worked in this final but that just won't be the norm.

Applaud the guy for yesterday but even in his interview, he just seemed like a man on the outer. Did anyone else pick this up?

Yes. It's like he already knows he is in the gun.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Kensa Carter]

Nick "Sanga" Duigan is a real emotional favourite, just like Levi Casboult was last year.

It's difficult to know what list management will look like the further we push into September.

We may just keep most of the list and trade minimally.

 

[Quazza]

perhaps he grew the mo in a thinly veiled attempt to enamour himself to Mick

 

[Boltfromtheblue]

Never seen a pool man kick so many goals.

 

[le dominateur]

Not hard to come up with 6-8 players to be delisted before Duigan. One tough hombre, would have liked to see him play many more games this year.

 

[BluesMan]

Awesome set shot

 

[Kensa Carter]

Not hard to come up with 6-8 players to be delisted before Duigan. One tough hombre, would have liked to see him play many more games this year.

Then Laidler has a sushi roll before the game and kicks 12.

We live in weird times.

 

[rampar]

You play these types of guys in finals. Doesn't take a backward step. Hard as nails and plays for his teammates. He will be invaluable against the swans.

Not everyone has the skills and natural ability of yarren but it takes all types to win a game of footy.

 

[Garth Vader]

Simple answer is no.

It worked against Collingwood last year and it worked in this final but that just won't be the norm.

Applaud the guy for yesterday but even in his interview, he just seemed like a man on the outer. Did anyone else pick this up?

When he was asked whether he thought his story (persisting in the vfl and finally getting chances that he has capitalised on) might be inspirational to other players, and he just shook his head with a little irritation and said "I dunno", I kind of got that impression.

 

[Garth Vader]

Was very happy to see Duigs play and play well. Hear, hear, to the OP's toast !!!!

 

[Garth Vader]

You play these types of guys in finals. Doesn't take a backward step. Hard as nails and plays for his teammates. He will be invaluable against the swans.

Not everyone has the skills and natural ability of yarren but it takes all types to win a game of footy.

 

[Garth Vader]

perhaps he grew the mo in a thinly veiled attempt to enamour himself to Mick

But each mo is so different. Duigs' is more in the mold of the Musketeers, whereas, Micks is......err......hmmmm....how would you describe it??

 

[Jeremias]

Nick's performance yesterday afternoon could well go down as one of the greatest Carlton finals cameos of all time. Just one of those sub-plots of a terrific afternoon that we'll look back on in decades to come and smile at the memories accompanying it.

Trying to explain the turn-around in fortunes with Nick is nigh on impossible. What we saw from him yesterday was so far removed from what he's produced for the majority of the season that it almost defies belief and all logic.

It is no secret that Duigs has been on the outer for most of the season. Has really struggled to break into the senior side and hasn't looked likely at VFL level.

Duigan throughout the year has been slow, poorly skilled, fumbly and making poor decisions. Duigan yesterday afternoon was the exact opposite - presenting well, clean in the air, making the right decisions with and without the ball, and clinical in front of the big sticks. The only thing that remained a constant in his game was his toughness and willingness to sacrifice his body for the benefit of the team.

That's not even to mention that he wasn't expecting to play 10 minutes before the first bounce.

Well done to Nick, he deserves an enormous amount of credit for taking the opportunity presented to him with both hands and making every post a winner on the day. It's hard not to admire him for the way he approaches his football and it's even harder not to admire him after that performance. Came from nowhere to help haul us over the line. He was called upon and lifted accordingly. That's leadership at its best for you - that's why he's in the leadership group.

The next sub-plot in this story is whether or not that performance was good enough to convince MM that he's worth another contract. Lots of people say yes, some say no. I'm as yet undecided on that front, but it'd be hard to argue against rewarding him for his efforts. I certainly wouldn't be disappointed should we decide to keep him around for another year but I still don't think we will.

Whether we will or we won't is, at the moment, secondary. What matters is that he put in a performance for the ages, helped us progress against the odds and certainly deserves retention in the senior side for another week.

 

[Neese]

I think he might get tapped for a coaching role if he doesn't play on, or unofficial psychologist

 

[brazilblue]

Please change thread title to Nick fookin Duigan

 

[T2B_]

I thought in that interview, when he said "just good to get the opportunity" or words to that effect, he seemed to look elsewhere (past the interviewer) and raised his voice a bit, as if he was directing it at Mick or other officials.

I could be reading far too much into that though.

 

[JustaBattler]

Duigan doesn't have the height to stop forward talls, doesn't have the running rebound capability or long kicking ability that is required of defenders. He doesn't have the tank to play midfield. He has heart and his best two games have been in the unusual forward defender role - both times scoring multiple goals. Along with Judd - Duigan was instrumental in winning the game last weekend, primarily because he slotted a few goals from a fair way out - as well as setting up a goal. Magnificent efforts each time.

Listen to Malthouse's post match comments on Duigan's effort - he mumbled some inanities about emergency players having to be mentally ready to play..couldn't bring himself to say anything positive about Nick. Makes me wonder if Malthouse will have a change of mind based on one game....

 

[James_Blues]

If only Duigs was made the sub he could've been given the nickname Nick 'Super Sub' Duigan

 

[SimonH]

Duigan doesn't have... the running rebound capability or long kicking ability that is required of defenders. ...

As the sun sets on Nick Duigan's CFC (and presumably AFL) career, it's worth reflecting on how the (supposed) ultra-professional, strategic, highly-structured systems of AFL clubs, wind up coaching the life out of some players.

Nick Duigan is the probably the best state league running rebound defender that I've ever seen. A classic big-intercept-mark-and-take-'em-on, 70–75 metre player. It's that ability, that got him drafted into the AFL system in the first place. A shame that 'team structure' meant that AFL fans saw so little of him doing what he did best.

 

[thylacine60]

As the sun sets on Nick Duigan's CFC (and presumably AFL) career, it's worth reflecting on how the (supposed) ultra-professional, strategic, highly-structured systems of AFL clubs, wind up coaching the life out of some players.

Nick Duigan is the probably the best state league running rebound defender that I've ever seen. A classic big-intercept-mark-and-take-'em-on, 70–75 metre player. It's that ability, that got him drafted into the AFL system in the first place. A shame that 'team structure' meant that AFL fans saw so little of him doing what he did best.

You don't think he was given this role?

 

[JustaBattler]

As the sun sets on Nick Duigan's CFC (and presumably AFL) career, it's worth reflecting on how the (supposed) ultra-professional, strategic, highly-structured systems of AFL clubs, wind up coaching the life out of some players.

Nick Duigan is the probably the best state league running rebound defender that I've ever seen. A classic big-intercept-mark-and-take-'em-on, 70–75 metre player. It's that ability, that got him drafted into the AFL system in the first place. A shame that 'team structure' meant that AFL fans saw so little of him doing what he did best.

Every time Malthouse says to journalists " I am not here to criticise past Administrations or Coaching...blah blah blah ( criticising away by implication anyway..)

I am hearing - "this list is shit, the players are shit and I am going to rebuild a decent list over time because not shit players are hard to find.."

.........I won't go on but patience is a pre-requisite in all things I guess.

 

[SimonH]

You don't think he was given this role?

Obviously never went near it in 2013. But in 2011/12 I just thought that he took too many intercepted grabs where there was a gap open, and then meekly went back behind the mark and looked for the next chip up, or other low-risk option. I wouldn't believe that he was overawed at playing at the next level up, and so the only rational explanation I could think of is that he was following an instruction based on team structure/strategy. Obviously you watched Carlton more and closer than I did in that time, so happy to be told that I'm wrong and he did take 'em on back then.

 

[thylacine60]

You make a fair point. This board would certainly agree that playing the team role has crueled Gibbs' flair even though it has helped build his defensive game.