Player Review vs Hawks

[Mungo Mulligan Stew]

I thought JT was good, really good early hitting the ball hard but looking at his efficiency, you can't carry 42% into every game. That being said I didn't think it was that bad and was real surprised to see Taylor Adams at 65% efficiency as I thought his disposal was worse. May have just been more defined and at crucial times.

I think Levi Greenwood was fantastic and exactly what we need, some really physicality in the contest - just no nonsense get the ball stuff. He had 2 or 3 bad decisions go against him early but still managed to find plenty of hard ball (15 disposals) at 80%. Which is pretty good for someone this board says can't kick. This was all in only 54% TOG.

De Goey - very hard not to get excited. Again only 57% TOG and 12 disposal but at 92% - Hold on, that's not heard of here at Collingwood.

Freeman - 53% TOG 13 disposals at 85% efficiency

Karnezis - 15 disposals at 80% efficiency and 3 goals

Fasolo - 16 disposals 82% efficiency

Kennedy - 17 disposal 83% efficiency

Grundy - 11 disposals 91% efficicency

Williams - 18 disposals 84% efficiency only 56% TOG

They are real promising numbers, especially for a first hit out and more importantly from some key young players we need to take the next step.

I don't know what happened over this preseason - but I want some!

Excellent review - reposted to The Collingwood Blog

 

[Ricky90]

Steele Sidebottom: Thought he was pretty good. Has a gear or two more to use, but for a first hit out he did well in cruise control. Was a little bit annoyed about him playing on from Crisp's free kick but these things happen and it's Sidey, I'm willing to forgive him for that one. Should see him sharpen up throughout the season and be one of our best in 2015.

Patrick Karnezis: Thought he was excellent. He did play a big chunk of the game (about 80%) but 15 disposals in the forward line at 80% efficiency is nice. Kicked three goals and laid five tackles! Very happy with that, he reads the game really well and gets into the right spots. Saw him cherry pick a couple of goals (at least one), which is nice - it says he knows when the ball is about to pop out the back and he can position himself accordingly. Footy is easier when it's uncontested and he seems to be able to find his goals that way.

Corey Gault: Well! I think we've got something to work with here. That pack-splitting mark to start the 4th quarter was fantastic! Had no regard for what was in front of him, eyes were on the ball, took the mark and kicked the goal. You see that and you think, "that's what we want" - and it is! If he can start doing that once a game plus another goal here or there he'll be getting time in the seniors this year! I'm quietly excited about him at the moment, and he definitely feels like a freebie considering the time he's spent on the rookie list. He did bits and pieces throughout the rest of the match that were nice, but his ruckwork needs some development.

Alex Fasolo: The forward. I don't think the backline experiment was a fail, he learned some nice lessons and I think his footy is ready to go to another level this year, perhaps because of it. But he is a forward, we can all see that. Sixteen disposals at 81% efficiency is very nice to go along with his four goals. Didn't lay any tackles this time around but that will be his test. Putting together his offensive prowess and the defensive lessons he learnt last season. I'm excited by him, and especially by the duo of he and Karnezis. I got the feeling they were able to read the game and where each other was, really well. If it wasn't one, it was the other and it was nice to watch!

Jesse White: Getting his plaudits for the game and I suppose they're warranted at this stage. He took a couple of nice marks and kicked a couple of nice goals. His work rate looked to be up and that's a huge plus. I'm not sure if he was up because Cloke wasn't there but I really hope he can bring that sort of form to the season proper with Cloke involved. I also liked his attack on the pill outside the forward 50. He's a mountain of a man, if he can do a spell in the midfield here or there I'd love to see the results. He could be just too big to displace and it could work to our favour. I'm just spitballing here but I saw a few things I liked.



I'll do more after I have some breakfast. It's Sunday and I'm lazy but I'm also hungry as shit.

 

[Mungo Mulligan Stew]

I'm with you - Crisp and Karnezis! And look out! What about Greenwood and Varcoe too! What do you have Brisbane? Oh, Beams and Paine! And so it came to pass, that Beams the annointed one, in breaking his pre-destined bond with the mighty ones, inadvertently set the seeds of Karnezis the mercurial, Crisp the swift and powerful, Greenwood the tenacious and Varcoe the reborn, to reek havoc among the northern unbelievers who dare question the might and the right of the Collingwood FC!

Jeezuss...luv me sum biblical sh1t.

PS: Reposted to The Collingwood Blog

 

[Implanttheseed]

I have always thought Freeman will need plenty of time in the VFL in 2015. That's no problem. Miss a year of footy in your 1st year in the system and I think you regress from the player you were when you arrived at the club. As such he is a project that will take time. 12 months of no footy at that stage of his career has to be a hinderance but something he will readily make up if he stays fit. Just needs time and realistic expectation.

If I remember correctly it took danger a couple of years to come good .. So I think patience is the key for sure

 

[the mighty T]

If I had to take only one thing out of Thursdays performance, it was the efficiency and unpredictability of the diverse forward line we put out there. Forward line come round one should consist of:

HF: Karnezis, Cloke, Broomhead
FF: Elliott, White, Fasolo

Complimentary players who are also versatile. Elliott and Fas can play taller than they are and also provide pressure. Karnezis as the third tall option who floats across high half forward when the resting ruck is deep. Cloke is the big banana, who needs to play the dual role this year as marking option and decoy to open up the forward line for the likes of White who can do a little more with extra space. Broomy is the interesting one, but as others have mentioned, his touch is that good that we need his skills and natural goal sense in the forward third.

Also, I thought Gault was fantastic.. showed tenacity and endeavor at the contest and I thought was okay in the ruck duels.

 

[cleomenes]

Broomhead is an interesting one. He doesnt get enough of the ball, but he does enough with 14 touches or so that he doesnt have to be a big ball winner.

Ill take his 15 or so quality touches because we have big ball winners already.

However, if he wants to take the next step he needs to be a 25 possession a game player. He just looks so laconic out there that it makes you wonder if he cares enough, but all reports are he has a competitive streak.

Interesting prospect for us. Could be anything. For now he is serving a role anyway.

I agree that Broomhead needs to get more of the ball, but think that it is more of the uncontested that is needed. I thought last year he was almost suicidally hard into contests given his stature. Like you, I see a lot in him, and think that this year he just might become a standout player.

 

[Ricky90]

Cont...

Josh Thomas: Thought he competed well. Disposal was a bit off, even when he had some time to work with, so that's the main negative on his game and if we're being honest, it's what we really need less of. But he's tough and finds the ball pretty well. There were a few passages of play where I thought "gee, he's stepped up, he's going to make the grade" and the rest of the time he seemed fine if it weren't for his shoddy disposal. Has a lot to work with and this season we'll see a few games where he's getting up around the 30 disposals mark. I just hope a lot of them are clean.

Ben Kennedy: Seemed pretty busy all night but I didn't really notice any impact. He's a one touch player normally and seemed a touch sloppy for his standards but good for a first hit out against the Hawks. He's definitely someone I'm hoping will have a big season. I'd much rather him in the side than Blair, at this point and I hope during the season that transition is realised by Bucks and put in place.

Levi Greenwood: Stoked to have this guy in the team. He's a gem! Plays to win and despite the feeling I had of him coming into the side of being a "see ball get ball" type player he's a bit more. Has some skills and vision and defends well too. I think we'll be pleasantly surprised by this guy pretty quickly. Just hope he doesn't steal too much development time from Adams.

Brodie Grundy: Was really good! We lost the hitouts according to the stats (but they're misleading when broken down), he beat Ceglar to being the most influential ruckman on the ground. Kicked a nice rovers goal, was physical without giving away frees and smart with his running patterns getting to all the right spots. I was pleased to see him in the thick of things at times playing as an extra midfielder rather than just finding space as a marking target but was a touch slow at times. Will have been an excellent learning experience for him though.

Taylor Adams: I've said this before and I'll say it again, I have a bit of a man crush on this kid. He's an absolute BULL. Dives into packs to get the footy and more often than not comes out the other side with it in his hands. He'll be very handy for a long time this guy and his skills? Well they're not really all that bad. His decision making at times is a bit off but his execution of the good decisions is more often that not on point. He'll iron most of his issues out in the next year or two. Disposed at 65% efficiency but had 6 clearances. So I'm pretty happy with that for an inside mid.

Tom Langdon: I can see the Maxwell comparisons and I can see the Clement comparisons. He's somewhere in between. Reads the flight of ball beautifully. It's so pretty to watch him read it better than the other players in the vicinity. Knows when to leave his man and when to apply body contact, he holds the ball long enough, makes the right decisions and apart from one kick on Thursday night disposes cleanly. This kid was such a steal.

Tim Broomhead: Not as clean as I was expecting but it's early days yet. Made it to a lot of contests and found a bit of the ball. There was one passage of play where De Goey released him through a quick handball and he was too slow to release. Just grazed the footy with his boot luckily and wasn't called for holding the ball. Will tidy that up in the next few weeks. Excited by what this guy brings to the table, so if he can take that next step and get 20+ touches each night he'll be quite handy I think.

Marley Williams: Had 18 disposals at 83% efficiency which isn't bad but for some reason I remember the clangers. Don't want to say too much on him because I feel like my opinion will be incorrect. I'm not worried about where he's at, this early into the season, he's a good tough player and we'll see him do plenty of good things in the coming weeks.

Jamie Elliott: Quiet night for Billy, I thought. Didn't see a lot of him and only had the three marks. I assume most of those were up the field as he only had the one shot on goal which was a goal. I don't like him rotating through the middle but he wills himself to succeed so if that's where the coaching staff want to develop him and that's where he wants to play than I have total faith. But I do hope he spends most of his time in the forward line.

Jackson Ramsay: I liked what I saw! Fifteen disposals at 73% efficiency is nice for him. And that dash up the wing with a nice short pass to Fasolo. Easily could've been chased down and easily could've over kicked. But showed awareness and composure to steady and deliver. Was very pleased with that. Still not confident on him making the grade in the long term but he shows promise.

Jack Crisp: Thought he was good! Gutted for him when Steele took off with the footy and sprayed a shot that should've been Jack's. But had a presence and showed tackling prowess, strength and even relatively clean disposal. I think he's got a lot to work with mainly because of his size and fitness. If he can find the footy a bit more I'll wager him becoming a part of the team, probably on a wing but as someone who can also work well on a flank.

Jordan De Goey: I definitely think the entire Collingwood army will be sporting a collective hard on for this kid. Early signs are fantastic. He was tough and willful on Thursday night. He tackles with intent to hurt and spill the footy. He competes in tight very well, I could watch him sharking that tap in front of Mitchell, slapping his hands away, bursting out of congestion and delivering to Gault over and over and over again. He's got a lot to work with, I just love how clean he is and the decisions he makes are very good! Only had the 12 touches (57% game time) but went at 92% efficiency. And to think eight of those 12 were contested, gee, I'm absolutely salivating at watching this kid's career unfold. When he's working at 25+ disposals per game, we'll have one of the best players in the league. That's my general feeling one practice match into his career. Early days but I'm more excited by him than I have been by anyone for a long time.

Nathan Freeman: From 53% time on ground he had 13 touches going at 85% efficiency. I didn't notice too much of him to be honest, but saw a few nice kicks that didn't rate a mention by the commentary team. Didn't show much of the power and speed he's known for so I think he'll spend some time in the VFL before debuting but I'm excited nonetheless.

Nathan Brown: Was a bit slow throughout the match and was beaten by McEvoy to begin with. But he's a big opponent to come up against so not an easy task, especially after Brownie had missed so much footy. Worked his way into the game nicely and had a good one in the end. Will get better with time.

Travis Varcoe: Seemed to hold back a bit for mine. Didn't see too much of the pace and footskills he's known for but he definitely showed a bit. Still not thrilled we got this guy but I think he could prove to be handy while our younger brigade is developing. Just want to see him putting the burners on drilling balls down the throats of our forwards more often. That's my wet dream.

Ben Sinclair: Was very impressed with Sincers! Disposal efficiency was right up, and absolutely no remnants of his problems of old. Surely it can't be, surely he hasn't fixed his kicking issues?! Thirteen touches at 92% is very nice coming off the half backline and provided his trademark dash. At this stage I'd have him in our round one team but of course we are yet to see Seedsman.

Adam Oxley: Quiet game from the Ox but only played a bit over 40% game time. Had a few touches but nothing to report really. Was neither here nor there. Needs to take the game on and show something, be daring. I can't see him breaking into the side with a conservative approach. Hope to see him again in the NAB challenge and hope he steps it up. At this stage I don't really know what to think or expect.

Sam Dwyer: Only had 23% game time, so that's not even a quarter of football. Not much to say really but got a few touches and used it reasonably well. Hope to see him get more time in the next few games. He's one I expect to be pushed out by years end.

Jack Frost: A bit rusty for a first hit out. We were all a bit disenchanted by him getting wrong-footed by Anderson and losing himself under the high ball that Gunston beat him too but I'm not too worried about that just yet. I have very fond memories of him from last year so I'm sure he's going to iron out the wrinkles and show us what he's capable of. I'm undecided as yet on what I want our backline to look like this year but I hope Frosty gets a look in.

Alan Toovey: Quiet from Tooves but was subbed out pretty early, so all is forgiven. We know what we're gonna get week in week out with this guy, so no point really banging on too much about him. He's one who could get pushed out by years end but is lucky in that he's a good size to match up on both small and medium forwards. We don't have many others like that.

Tyson Goldsack: Goldy was very quiet! Needs to show more even with the small amount of time he was given. He did set the tone early with his tackling pressure as a few have already stated but didn't do much else. He could lose his spot to Karnezis or Crisp this season and to be honest, I wouldn't be all that worried by it.



All in it was a very nice first hit out. We were just as inexperienced as the Hawks team and although it doesn't show much, it does show that the future is bright! Very very excited by the Pies this year after seeing that. Need to keep a lid on it.

 

[Dynamics]

Been meaning to post something... Jackson Ramsay had a pretty damn good game. I think JR is a little easy to write off as one of those VFL types who drift in and out of the seniors (idiotic commentators called him Jack Ramsay all night, but they also called Grundy "Heath" all night... imbeciles). But I thought Ramsay played with real dash and some of his delivery was first rate. He should be proud of his efforts and I hope he gets another go against Carlton.

 

[jackcass]

Broomhead is an interesting one. He doesnt get enough of the ball, but he does enough with 14 touches or so that he doesnt have to be a big ball winner.

Ill take his 15 or so quality touches because we have big ball winners already.

However, if he wants to take the next step he needs to be a 25 possession a game player. He just looks so laconic out there that it makes you wonder if he cares enough, but all reports are he has a competitive streak.

Interesting prospect for us. Could be anything. For now he is serving a role anyway.

I think his numbers will climb as he gets more TOG and more midfield exposure. I got the feeling that with 6 on the bench and 2 subs that the gametime of several players was really managed.

 

[jackcass]

If I remember correctly it took danger a couple of years to come good .. So I think patience is the key for sure

It takes most players a couple of years, those that fire from year 1 and continue to improve beyond that are the minority.

 

[jackcass]

If I had to take only one thing out of Thursdays performance, it was the efficiency and unpredictability of the diverse forward line we put out there. Forward line come round one should consist of:

HF: Karnezis, Cloke, Broomhead
FF: Elliott, White, Fasolo

Complimentary players who are also versatile. Elliott and Fas can play taller than they are and also provide pressure. Karnezis as the third tall option who floats across high half forward when the resting ruck is deep. Cloke is the big banana, who needs to play the dual role this year as marking option and decoy to open up the forward line for the likes of White who can do a little more with extra space. Broomy is the interesting one, but as others have mentioned, his touch is that good that we need his skills and natural goal sense in the forward third.

Also, I thought Gault was fantastic.. showed tenacity and endeavor at the contest and I thought was okay in the ruck duels.

Still gets pushed around in the around the ground ball-ups but his centre ruck work is okay and his 2nd & 3rd efforts when the ball hits the ground are very good. Will continue to improve as he builds core strength.

 

[Laurie Holden]

I think his numbers will climb as he gets more TOG and more midfield exposure. I got the feeling that with 6 on the bench and 2 subs that the gametime of several players was really managed.

I agree. He also had a few nice touches that put the ball to advantage of our players that wouldn't be a possession. Just positioned himself well and tapped the ball in the right area (one in particular stood out but can't remember when ATM)

 

[Laurie Holden]

On Crisp, he looked pretty good for mine but appeared a tad tentative. Think he will improve with confidence, understanding the game plan and structure and hope he gets a bit of a run at it in the next two games.

 

[Douglass]

Crisp needs to play 4 qtrs for my mind to be best 22 round 1.

Was impressive early but faded. When you look at who will be available, it won't be easy for Crisp, Freeman, PK or others to walk into the side.

Our core 22 is pretty strong.

It will come down to how effectively and consistently they perform in the NAB series. I'm guessing that PK will be played again next NAB game (if fit) to see if he backs up. I'm not so sure Crisp or Freeman will be in the next game, but likely in the third, depending on how others perform. NAB is for trialling I think the question of the forward half hasn't been answered yet, so we'll probably see PK again soon.

 

[NT.Thunder]

If Maynard's finger is ok he needs to be played next game I think.

 

[SApies]

If Maynard's finger is ok he needs to be played next game I think.

Player I'm most excited about seeing. Got a great feeling about Maynard...
Saying that. I didn't have a great feeling about De Goey when we read his name out. So just goes to show I know absolutely nothing..about anything!