Nick Maxwell

[smiddaz123]

Credit where credit is due, he's been brilliant ever since the Hawthorn game.

Mick seems to have changed his role imo. He seems to be roaming the entire field and effecting contests with his aggression and determination, rather than being schooled by stronger and faster forwards down back.

He's a good utility player to have. He's obviously not a KP backman really, but his new role has given him plenty of value to the team.

I give Mick plenty of credit for his turn around, and well done to Nick for having the mental resolve as well.

Hopefully Mick keeps this going.

 

[Crazy Tails]

Thought Maxwell was very good tonight. His and Goldsacks 1% were great. Some good contested marks aswell. He seems to have found his passion for the contest again.

 

[OniAu]

yeah agree , hes definitely better also when hes uses the agression at the ball rather than directly at a player, i think earlier in the season he tried too much to use it on the opposition player.

 

[Pie eyed]

I love it when "maligned" players come good and show their stuff.
Maxwell took some very gutsy marks and seems to be backing himself and delivering.

Nice goal too.

 

[Jack XR6T]

I love it when "maligned" players come good and show their stuff.
Maxwell took some very gutsy marks and seems to be backing himself and delivering.

Nice goal too.

Not just the goal but I thought the mark was worth mentioning as well. He is one of my favourite players, but going by this board I am in the minority. I too thought he was trying to live up to the jumper (being in no. 5) this year but he has done very well since the Hawthorn game and started to effect real spoils and pressure in the contest.

Well done Maxwell!

 

[The Royal Sampler]

He was very, very good tonight, mostly because he had the right matchup. Asserted himself well in every contest.

 

[loki04]

Was his best game for the year, pitty 60% of the year he plays poorly.
In saying that his last 3 weeks have been very good, just wish that when he has his 6 weeks of poor footy he would be drooped accordingly and players who play well in the VFL get rewarded.

 

[Soul_Pie]

His last few weeks have been great, and when he plays like that you really understand why Mick persists with him despite some off performances. Sure, he'll never be the most skilled player, but he can make a crucial spoil or lay a fantastic tackle and you just have to admire his guts and determination.

 

[Pie eyed]

I really believe that Maxwell has been caught trying to be "everything to everybody".
He is a leading player advocate, taking on some tough issues off field. He willingly put his hand up, unsuccessfully, for the Captaincy.
He has struggled with the "tough guy" tag, not sure how to appease the critics and still play his own game.
And lastly, having inherited the No.5 has some huge boots to fill and probably tried to.

The reality is he is just beginning to simply play his own game again.

The type of game which saw him cannon into Jonathon Brown, badly breaking his leg, one of the gutsiest attacks on the ball I have seen in many years.

I have always rated him as a bloke who, despite his faults, bleeds Black and White and would do anything for the team and the Club.
If he continues and has a long career he will be the type of player coach's love to point to when they need others to stand up and show some mindless courage....like in a Grand Final.


So bloody happy he is getting back to his best and getting some recognition.

 

[September Action]

Looked good tonight.

 

[The Dawes]

Very good game last night - strong in the air and strong in the contest.

 

[Heater39]

Took some good contested marks last night which is his strength. His game style is similar to Tom Harley imo in that he floats back to take some strong marks in the defensive 50. Hopefully he can keep up the good form.

 

[SIDE BY SIDE]

He was good last night for one reason. He didn't get in front of his ability's and try and do too much. He didn't play on one of the key forwards he dropped back when he could was third man up a fair bit and tried to do the 1 % things. He is not one of our skillful players he isn't going to be getting the ball 30 times a game and as long as he doesn't get his ability and ambitions mixed up then he can be a key to our side.

 

[smiddaz123]

He was good last night for one reason. He didn't get in front of his ability's and try and do too much. He didn't play on one of the key forwards he dropped back when he could was third man up a fair bit and tried to do the 1 % things. He is not one of our skillful players he isn't going to be getting the ball 30 times a game and as long as he doesn't get his ability and ambitions mixed up then he can be a key to our side.

Exactly.

As soon as he tries to take a direct opponent, he becomes useless.

 

[ChipDouglas]

Interesting to note that during our recent bad patch Maxy has been a regular in the best players.

 

[Teh_Nub]

Exactly.

As soon as he tries to take a direct opponent, he becomes useless.

much like shaw?

 

[smiddaz123]

much like shaw?

What?

There's a difference between being tagged and man marking someone.

Shaw can shut down an opposition player just fine.

 

[Pie eyed]

No matter what Maxwell's role, position or function you would have to agree he is doing it and doing it well.......the rest is just semantics and or bias.

If he can be third man up, fill the hole, mark, spoil and kick a goal each week I would be more than happy.

 

[Teh_Nub]

What?

There's a difference between being tagged and man marking someone.

Shaw can shut down an opposition player just fine.

monfries?

 

[shawthing09]

Credit where credit is due, he's been brilliant ever since the Hawthorn game.

Mick seems to have changed his role imo. He seems to be roaming the entire field and effecting contests with his aggression and determination, rather than being schooled by stronger and faster forwards down back.

He's a good utility player to have. He's obviously not a KP backman really, but his new role has given him plenty of value to the team.

I give Mick plenty of credit for his turn around, and well done to Nick for having the mental resolve as well.

Hopefully Mick keeps this going.

Spot on. When he has not had to man dangerous fowards all the 1% stuff he does shows and he can do more of it more around the ground and we are not left cursing him because his man is pantsing him.

It's clear his not a KPB. He can play as a loose man in defence but his skills don't warrant making him a loose man. But playing this roaming role and playing on hard working flankers has really got him involved.

monfries?

One game??????? Monfries didn't do it one on one and didn't exactly pants him either, he ran hard away from the ball and if Heath spat the dummy and tried to zone off and not follow the lead they used Monfries.

 

[Teh_Nub]

One game??????? Monfries didn't do it one on one and didn't exactly pants him either, he ran hard away from the ball and if Heath spat the dummy and tried to zone off and not follow the lead they used Monfries.

Monfries made Shaw look rubbish, Shaw couldn't/didn't do anything and monfries dominated. The thing in Monfries isn't a great player, wouldn't be in AA contention like Shaw was last year.

I was just using it as a clear example because most games Shaw has been tagged and the rest he has been playing loose. Idk how many games hes played one on one, if you could please show me your examples it'd be great.

 

[smiddaz123]

Monfries made Shaw look rubbish, Shaw couldn't/didn't do anything and monfries dominated. The thing in Monfries isn't a great player, wouldn't be in AA contention like Shaw was last year.

I was just using it as a clear example because most games Shaw has been tagged and the rest he has been playing loose. Idk how many games hes played one on one, if you could please show me your examples it'd be great.

He completely dominated Brad Johnson.

And before you go get some stats, I realise Johnson did kick some goals. I'll tell you now, those were in the final term when Shaw basically went all out attacking to try and help win us the game, as we were down and not much time was left.

Shaw is a brilliant shut down player.,

 

[Teh_Nub]

He completely dominated Brad Johnson.

And before you go get some stats, I realise Johnson did kick some goals. I'll tell you now, those were in the final term when Shaw basically went all out attacking to try and help win us the game, as we were down and not much time was left.

Shaw is a brilliant shut down player.,

This is probably Brad Johnson worst year in a while, due to injuries and age most likely.

Brad Johnson kicked 2.1 goals, first at 3 min of 3rd quarter and second 12 min of last quarter. He also had 17 disposals and 8 marks

Shaw had a big game and better then Brad's but Brad Johnson wasn't really shutdown.

 

[stui magpie]

Maxy and the Sack - the Collingwood wolf pack. Tall utilities, fast, hard at the ball to the point of kamikaze stupidity, tackle to hurt. Great assets to the team and JA is auditioning for membership as is Brown and Dawes may do soon.

 

[Jabso]

Maxwell had a direct opponent for most of the 2nd half in the older Westhoff. He is much better against a taller opponent and IMO we should have developed him more as a key position defender earlier.

As for H.Shaw he is a great defender. He can get the ball 30 times with or without an opponent. His better games are against opponents who try to get the ball up ground and hurt him. However they've figured out that they just need to take his opponent as far away from the ball as possible because if you try to play off him up field he'll sit back and get a lot of the ball by his ability to read the play OR if you take him deep in defense he is not uncomfortable and will beat you. For a high possession winning defender his contested possession ratio is very high. He has to learn to find new ways to get into the game. If you think it's because he is a poor defender you aren't looking at it hard enough.

Monfries beat him and beat him well. It happens. There are more examples of H.Shaw beating his direct opponent and giving us heaps of rebound than him getting "exposed" by his opponent. Even when his opponent has bobbed up for say 3 goals he probably assist in 6 or more through his creativity.

One area however that we do need to improve to loosen H.Shaw up is to find one good shut down small defender. I wouldn't mind getting D.Johnson from Geelong for cheap (or at least trying Toovey there instead of trying to get him to be a midfield tagger).