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Pace

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CowboyFromHell

CowboyFromHell

Witchtripper
Veteran 10k Posts Melbourne Demons - Dominic Barry 2013 Player Sponsor Melbourne Demons - Jeremy Howe 2013 Player Sponsor Melbourne Demons - Jeremy Howe 2012 Player Sponsor Melbourne Demons - Ricky Petterd 2012 Player Sponsor
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Just wanted to gauge what you guys thought in terms of how much pace our side has. After watching the Bombers last night I looked at our midfield and, apart from Davey, we don't really have any guys who are quick. Bruce, Green, McDonald, Jones etc. move well but they are guys who really run and carry with any extra pace.

Do you guys see this as a problem this season, or will we look to do plenty of bullocking work through the midfield that starves the opposition of the ball?
 
Depends on how Bailey coaches them really.

Pace is a good thing to have but you don't really need it. Sydney won a flag without much pace, Brisbane won 3 with grunt in the middle (Aka being the exception to the rule).

Buckley has excellent pace, Sylvia also has pace but hasn't been able to show it due to his groin.
 
It's all about players who have the ability to move the ball quickly, the dons look quick but it has nothing to do with their speed, Hawthorn look the same tonight. Whether our game plan is run and carry or kicking or both or we don't even have one the players must improve their ability to run and recieve the footy. Green and Bruce are classic examples of players who take the cushy option of getting the ball out the back when they could be running past, McDonald on the other hand is working his arse of to get in position. Buckley and Bartram are naturals, Jones, Moloney and Dunn are always moving forward, Bate is as well but for him it's in slow motion! Players like McLean, Sylvia and Petterd need to be incourage to break the lines. We also need them in the backline as it makes clearing the ball so much easier, Frawley likes to go for a run, but the likes of Carroll running with the footy makes me laugh. Hopefully when the team gets settle they have the cohesion that makes them look quick, but we desperately need a few fast ones in the backline, we can't rely of Bell, Wheatley and Frawley being the running defenders. It might be Bartram or Petterd but I wouldn't mind it being Bruce's job to go to a half back flank and co-ordinate getting the ball forward with precision and speed. God help us Brad Green ever becomes a backmen though and I think Yze has had his time on the half back flank as is now better suited as a clever goal sneak/HFF.
 
master bate said:
It's all about players who have the ability to move the ball quickly, the dons look quick but it has nothing to do with their speed, Hawthorn look the same tonight. Whether our game plan is run and carry or kicking or both or we don't even have one the players must improve their ability to run and recieve the footy. Green and Bruce are classic examples of players who take the cushy option of getting the ball out the back when they could be running past, McDonald on the other hand is working his arse of to get in position. Buckley and Bartram are naturals, Jones, Moloney and Dunn are always moving forward, Bate is as well but for him it's in slow motion! Players like McLean, Sylvia and Petterd need to be incourage to break the lines. We also need them in the backline as it makes clearing the ball so much easier, Frawley likes to go for a run, but the likes of Carroll running with the footy makes me laugh. Hopefully when the team gets settle they have the cohesion that makes them look quick, but we desperately need a few fast ones in the backline, we can't rely of Bell, Wheatley and Frawley being the running defenders. It might be Bartram or Petterd but I wouldn't mind it being Bruce's job to go to a half back flank and co-ordinate getting the ball forward with precision and speed. God help us Brad Green ever becomes a backmen though and I think Yze has had his time on the half back flank as is now better suited as a clever goal sneak/HFF.
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That is a fair assessment mate, I agree with most of it however it is a bit one dimensional.

There is such a thing as defence all over the ground and the Dees have been pretty bad at this historically. Oppositions run the ball down the spine against us too easily and I am a bit worried with some of our younger players as far as keeping up with opponents. I think Matty Bate is generaly great to watch but too many times last year their was an opponent with the ball who left him in his wake. Bate is too slow in close in situations. Our other experienced free runners do like it easy (as you said) apart from junior Mac who is an absolute trooper.

I honestly think we need speed all over the ground otherwise we will get belted most times this year. Up forward is a concern for speed and pressure and keeping the ball in. In the middle we are not too bad but we still are ebb and flow there. In defence well, that is a nighmare but I think with good disposal we can cover a lack of pace. When you think of the great defences of premiership sides pace isn't the first thing to come to mind, it was more strenght, structure and competent FB and CHB to fit other players around. Good designated kickers also help.

Out and out pace when we run the lines with the ball is not too much of a worry but we look like absolute duds when cought on the rebound (which happens all too often) as our forwards do not keep the ball in enough.

Also one other thing, our general fitness over 4 quarters is shithouse by modern AFL standards, as a result we can look even slower than what we really are and this is why we are absolute criminals for 1 good quarter followed by a crap one all the time.
 

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BigPete38 said:
1. you are not anywhere near as good as geelong. 2. you have no skill.
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Were you born stupid? Or has this just been a natural progression for you?

I was not stating that we are as quick as Geelong, I was merely asking if they were all that quick.

Now do yourself a favour and use that still attached umbilical chord of yours as a guide and go back from which you came, twat
 
CowboyFromHell said:
Just wanted to gauge what you guys thought in terms of how much pace our side has. After watching the Bombers last night I looked at our midfield and, apart from Davey, we don't really have any guys who are quick. Bruce, Green, McDonald, Jones etc. move well but they are guys who really run and carry with any extra pace.

Do you guys see this as a problem this season, or will we look to do plenty of bullocking work through the midfield that starves the opposition of the ball?
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Pace is overratted the last thing you should look at improving.

Ball getters and ball users are the priority we should look at. Lets face it if you get the ball and use it without turning it over, what the hell does it matter if you cant run for shit.
 
dee-molishon said:
Pace is overratted the last thing you should look at improving.

Ball getters and ball users are the priority we should look at. Lets face it if you get the ball and use it without turning it over, what the hell does it matter if you cant run for shit.
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...and what about when you don't have the ball, which if my memory serves me correctly was most of last year?

Out and out pace may not be necessary but endurance and ability to pressure the opposition into a turnover is essential and I think we have a few players that are way to slow both at attacking and defending.
 
CaptainDavey said:
Were you born stupid? Or has this just been a natural progression for you?

I was not stating that we are as quick as Geelong, I was merely asking if they were all that quick.

Now do yourself a favour and use that still attached umbilical chord of yours as a guide and go back from which you came, twat
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I second that CD - Win a couple games in the NAB Cup and they think they own the place :(
 
"Mental speed" and quickness of mind are more important then leg speed alone - sure it helps but remember Diesel Williams. One of the slowest gun midfielders in history yet moved the ball so fast and showed fantastic awareness.
 

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monoccular said:
"Mental speed" and quickness of mind are more important then leg speed alone - sure it helps but remember Diesel Williams. One of the slowest gun midfielders in history yet moved the ball so fast and showed fantastic awareness.
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Sam Mitchell goes alright too, and he's not too quick, and I'd imagine when Mark Coughlan comes back after some bad injuries he won't be as quick but he'll still have his great talent I reckon. Dean Rioli, when not injured was great too
 
There has been too much emphasis put on pace these last few years, I blame the Bulldogs. When they were up and running 2 years ago they looked great, and all of a sudden people are saying 'The game has changed, its now so fast you need pace in your side to keep up'. Bullshit I say. Look at the Dogs now, languishing with us down the bottom half of the table. The reason however why the Dogs were so good was that they had quick players who also had skills.

Which brings me to my point, at the end of the day who would you rather have in your side, Nathan Jones, pick 12, or the quickest kid in that draft, Jarryd Oakley-Nicholls, pick 8?

I agree that some quickness is required, and I think Buckley, Bartram, Davey and even Moloney loved to run the lines we will be fine. Just sit back and enjoy the 40 hamstring injuries the Dons will have this year as a result of their so called 'Pace'.
 
Theres a difference between individual pace, and team pace, where the ball is moved quickly smoothly. Makes slow teams look quick. Like Essendon. They are about as one paced as anyone in the midfield with a few exceptions.
 

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