Training Pre-season Training 2017

avishka5

150 game legend.
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Posts
20,510
Likes
23,553
Location
Perth SOR
AFL Club
West Coast
He's not noticeably bigger no and he's a bit behind the leading mids when it comes to endurance. I also find him one of the harder guys to spot in drills so I haven't noticed him as much as some others

I'll try and follow him a bit tomorrow and get a couple of stalker snaps for you
Like many I'm keen on sheed as I think he's form could shape our year next year.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Keys

Not Bitter
Joined
Oct 11, 2006
Posts
44,811
Likes
63,223
Location
Yelling at Clouds
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Bengals
Moderator #1,854
Going for a bit tomorrow with the nephew in his wings number 11 lookin forward to it
The players are usually happy to sign autographs and have photos taken when they leave if he's into that sort of thing - it'll be 11.00-11.30 before they finish up though
 
Joined
May 14, 2008
Posts
1,724
Likes
1,959
Location
Canberra
AFL Club
West Coast
http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/video/2016-12-15/gaff-looking-to-add-inside-grunt

Two positives for me from this -

Firstly they're looking to add a bit more size to his frame so he can compete inside a bit more and secondly that he wants to hit the scoreboard more.

Two weaknesses of our midfield are the lack of numbers that can contribute inside and outside (too many one dimensional mids) and the collective lack of goals from the midfield group.

Sounds like those issues are being addressed
Hope the additional kgs don't affect his running game though, which it could. Agree we don't have enough mids giving an 'inside' chop out to Priddis and Shuey last year but hope we don't take away some of Gaff's strength in trying to bolster the overall inside game.

More goals from the mids. Yes please.

Interesting he didn't mention Giles when talking about the ruck options until Nic gets back.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 

avishka5

150 game legend.
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Posts
20,510
Likes
23,553
Location
Perth SOR
AFL Club
West Coast
Hope the additional kgs don't affect his running game though, which it could. Agree we don't have enough mids giving an 'inside' chop out to Priddis and Shuey last year but hope we don't take away some of Gaff's strength in trying to bolster the overall inside game.

More goals from the mids. Yes please.

Interesting he didn't mention Giles when talking about the ruck options until Nic gets back.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
He's already one of the the fittest players in the comp and a few kg's wouldn't impact it too much. Getting Gaffy spending more time in the guts now could go a long way once the likes of mitch and priddis leave. He's a gun player but the only way he can go to the next level is if he has an impact in the middle.
 

Keys

Not Bitter
Joined
Oct 11, 2006
Posts
44,811
Likes
63,223
Location
Yelling at Clouds
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Bengals
Moderator #1,857
Hope the additional kgs don't affect his running game though, which it could. Agree we don't have enough mids giving an 'inside' chop out to Priddis and Shuey last year but hope we don't take away some of Gaff's strength in trying to bolster the overall inside game.

More goals from the mids. Yes please.

Interesting he didn't mention Giles when talking about the ruck options until Nic gets back.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
He does look a bit thicker and his running has been fine. I understand where you're coming from but I from what I've seen so far I don't think it's a concern
 
Joined
May 14, 2008
Posts
1,724
Likes
1,959
Location
Canberra
AFL Club
West Coast
He's already one of the the fittest players in the comp and a few kg's wouldn't impact it too much. Getting Gaffy spending more time in the guts now could go a long way once the likes of mitch and priddis leave. He's a gun player but the only way he can go to the next level is if he has an impact in the middle.
It's not just the extra kgs he will be carrying. More of an inside game requires more bash and crash and certainly more toll on your body, and I mean during games. Is he going to be able to keep that incessant running game deep in the third and fourth quarter where he can really hurt the opposition if he is bashing and crashing through the first and second?

Please note, these are just musings. I'm not saying he can't. I just know his strength lies in his ability to just keep running and presenting all game. I'd hate to see him lose some of that for the need to balance our inside game.

I actually kinda like your idea of getting Masten (if anyone) to become more inside focused, because to me he doesn't have the same hurt factor on the outside as Gaff does and so we'd potentially lose less. But then Masto would Probs get caught HTB that many times they'd name an award after him.

Overall though I think we need to have less of these one dimensional players (either inside or out) and just have mids who can hold their own in a contest AND can do something with the pill in space.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 

matt_bas

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Posts
5,429
Likes
5,999
Location
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Liverpool, East Perth
http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/video/2016-12-15/gaff-looking-to-add-inside-grunt

Two positives for me from this -

Firstly they're looking to add a bit more size to his frame so he can compete inside a bit more and secondly that he wants to hit the scoreboard more.

Two weaknesses of our midfield are the lack of numbers that can contribute inside and outside (too many one dimensional mids) and the collective lack of goals from the midfield group.

Sounds like those issues are being addressed
So kicking a few more goals and winning more contested ball. Lock him in for the Brownlow
 

avishka5

150 game legend.
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Posts
20,510
Likes
23,553
Location
Perth SOR
AFL Club
West Coast
It's not just the extra kgs he will be carrying. More of an inside game requires more bash and crash and certainly more toll on your body, and I mean during games. Is he going to be able to keep that incessant running game deep in the third and fourth quarter where he can really hurt the opposition if he is bashing and crashing through the first and second?

Please note, these are just musings. I'm not saying he can't. I just know his strength lies in his ability to just keep running and presenting all game. I'd hate to see him lose some of that for the need to balance our inside game.

I actually kinda like your idea of getting Masten (if anyone) to become more inside focused, because to me he doesn't have the same hurt factor on the outside as Gaff does and so we'd potentially lose less. But then Masto would Probs get caught HTB that many times they'd name an award after him.

Overall though I think we need to have less of these one dimensional players (either inside or out) and just have mids who can hold their own in a contest AND can do something with the pill in space.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
don't think Gaff will ever be the bash and crash type. However, some of his best games have been where his spend more time in the guts. The most recent of those games was the crows game where he collected the most CP's and clearances and yet he finished the game strongly. By adding a few more KG's it allows him to back that sort of effort each week, instead of being managed.


Masten had a decent year in 2013 and by memory he spend a lot of time in the middle and was affective. I disagree about masten being in affective on the outside. His decision making is shite in congestion but with space and time he generally becomes a great weapon going into attacking 50. He doesn't hit the scoreboard but gets it to the hands of a leading forward. As i said before im unfazed by masto playing or not. If he plays we are guaranteed of 25-20 touches ( we really lacked mids racking up the tuches last week) but if he doesn't someone young and skillful gets a spot in the side.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

2006_Eagles

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Sep 6, 2015
Posts
22,039
Likes
18,292
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Pelicans, Perf Wildcats
http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/video/2016-12-15/gaff-looking-to-add-inside-grunt

Two positives for me from this -

Firstly they're looking to add a bit more size to his frame so he can compete inside a bit more and secondly that he wants to hit the scoreboard more.

Two weaknesses of our midfield are the lack of numbers that can contribute inside and outside (too many one dimensional mids) and the collective lack of goals from the midfield group.

Sounds like those issues are being addressed
Gaff is so outside it's not funny

How can he just be made into an inside mid when the instincts, muscle memory etc aren't there?
 

dajesmac

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 9, 2009
Posts
16,559
Likes
9,051
Location
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Perth Demons, Liverpool
Gaff is so outside it's not funny

How can he just be made into an inside mid when the instincts, muscle memory etc aren't there?
I don't think it's about changing his role but moreso developing him into a more well rounded midfielder with a more balanced skillset. By making it a focus at training and placing him at a few more centre bounces the intention will be that he can get better at winning his own ball. A Gaff who could win the ball on the inside consistently would make him one of the better mids in the game.

I don't think he will get that far but this is more about Simpsons' multi-position capability focus than anything.
 

Eaglespur

Premiership Player
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Posts
4,564
Likes
5,293
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur
I don't think it's about changing his role but moreso developing him into a more well rounded midfielder with a more balanced skillset. By making it a focus at training and placing him at a few more centre bounces the intention will be that he can get better at winning his own ball. A Gaff who could win the ball on the inside consistently would make him one of the better mids in the game.

I don't think he will get that far but this is more about Simpsons' multi-position capability focus than anything.
Yeah i cant see this being a negative thing, unless they do a Lecca and try and turn him into something he is not. Him wanting to be a bit stronger/capable of winning his own ball and score more goals cant be a negative thing.
 
Joined
May 14, 2008
Posts
1,724
Likes
1,959
Location
Canberra
AFL Club
West Coast
Gaff is already an AA level midfielder and one of the best in the league at what he does. If he adds goal kicking and a more inside game to his belt he's a A+ level player
No doubt it'd take him to the next level. Just wondering whether trying to get him there will take away what currently makes him as good. Having said that, thought he was pretty ordinary for the first half of the season. His kicking went to shit and became another one of our bang-it-on-the-boot-and-hope brigade. To his credit he worked through it and did start to come good in the back end of the season.

One thing he has going for him in this search for a bit more ball winning nous is intent. He is slight but he certainly isn't afraid to throw himself at the contest and have a crack. He isn't about bruise-free footy. He just hasn't had much success at it because he really hasn't had the physicality to impact a contest and he lacks some of that nous.

As for more goals. That to me is as much about how we structure up and who we look for, as the ability to convert. As a team I don't feel we get our mids (or they don't get themselves) into scoring positions. And on the rare occasions we do, more often than not they shit the bed and screw the opportunity.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 

SpaceClef

Big Willie
Joined
May 14, 2011
Posts
16,688
Likes
20,401
Location
Vegas
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Las Vegas Bears
I think Gaff should stay far outside but if he can win more of those one on one contests on the wing then he will become a far more dangerous player.

Currently he loses more contests than he wins but he is pretty good at halving them and forcing a stoppage.

Still, if he can start to win them more he will become an absolute weapon.
 

Lolbert

Team Captain
Joined
May 9, 2016
Posts
398
Likes
647
AFL Club
West Coast
I think Gaff should stay far outside but if he can win more of those one on one contests on the wing then he will become a far more dangerous player.

Currently he loses more contests than he wins but he is pretty good at halving them and forcing a stoppage.

Still, if he can start to win them more he will become an absolute weapon.
Agreed, can't see the club putting his greatest assets at risk for the sake of a little bit more inside time. Adding strength and contest will make him a better player regardless of where he is though.
 
Top Bottom