Review R1: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. St Kilda

[Mutineer]

Watch the damn games

Peatling doesn’t fumble every second possession, for starters

Neither did Sam Berry in his B.O,G. performance in the trial game against South yesterday, might pay to reassess after you see the 2025 version of Berry.

 

[feenix67]

you prefer berry as a player to Peatling.....

not sure you've got too many on your side

if you're looking at purely stats you're obvs not looking at fact peatling's are heavily skewed by sub appearances

and if you are looking with your eyes its even worse, Peatling has so many more weapons for AFL than Berry eg speed, agility, clean ground balls, versatility, goalkicking

compliments our side much more than Berry and has genuine identifyable afl weapons

The fact you're comparing the two says a lot. They are different players with different skill sets. Sam Berry hasn't been usurped by James Peatling, he's been usurped by Matt Crouch.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

The fact you're comparing the two says a lot. They are different players with different skill sets. Sam Berry hasn't been usurped by James Peatling, he's been usurped by Matt Crouch.

That’s interesting given Matt Crouch played all year when available last year (with Berry at times) and now with Peatling

Reason being Peatling adds such a better balance to our side as he’s got genuine AFL weapons and not just a foot soldier like Berry

 

[Mutineer]

Which stats? They look very similar to me statistically.

Last year Berry played 18 games for 13.8 disposals, 1.4 marks, 0.2 goals, 5.1 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game.
Peatling played 19 games for 13.8 disposals, 1.7 marks, 0.4 goals, 5.1 tackles and 3.4 clearances per game.

Peatling was sub a bit more than Berry (though both were sub quite a lot - Peatling 7 times and Berry 5 times) and kicked 7 goals to Berry's 4. From watching them I'd say Peatling is obviously is quicker and more agile, while Berry is an elite tackler. Can't really see how Berry has Peatling covered in just about every stat though.

Berry is a fair bit quicker than many give him credit for even back to his preseason U18's testing 3.02 ain't too shabby.

 

[Interloperer]

I have yet to see a semblance of his talent, my main gripe is WHY DID WE DRAFT HIM.

I've actually been waiting for the discourse to change from "poor management" to "poor drafting" around Curtin.

This is clearly the first domino

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Neither did Sam Berry in his B.O,G. performance in the trial game against South yesterday, might pay to reassess after you see the 2025 version of Berry.

Might not get to see him play this year Mutineer , the other thing about Berry is he didn’t fumble much at U18 level either but different story when the pressure goes up at AFL level

I’m sure there will be injuries and form allowing opportunities for him at some point

 

[ABAB]

Curtin was terrible. Ran around like a headless chook. Got his first touches very close to half time when he took two marks in defence, not up forward.
He doesn't appear to have football instinct and doesn't want to impose himself in any situations.
At the time he was drafted November 2023 will already had committed to picking up Keane. We had Butts, Murray, Worrell and Michalanney. At that time, Himmelberg was also being talked about being turned in to a defender.
At the 2023 draft, Curtin was touted as a tall defender, we just didn't need another tall defender. Also the game was changing from playing three tall forwards to two so there was less need for another tall defender, we enough.
I thought there was an old football saying " don't pick a tall defender early in the draft, you can always find one later on or turn one of your tall forwards in to a tall defender (we found Murray playing country football in NSW). This saying should have been applied also to the drafting of MacAsey at six, what a waste, don't get me started.
Also people were seduced by the odd comments and junior efforts of Curtin at being a big body mid fielder, I would rather have a smaller mid fielder like Serong or Neale that actually can give you value for the sake of being able to say "we have a big bodied mid fielder".
For me to become a Curtin fan he will have to improve a hell of a lot. Please feel free to shoot me down about Curtin and why the Crows needed to draft a tall defender at that time, now we are stuck with a player that we moved up in the draft for and now don't know where to play him. Also you can have a go at me for my thoughts on the drafting of MacAsey.

I haven't seen McAsey dominate any SANFL game in his 4 years like Curtin did last year in his 1st year. I suggest you watch his draft year more closely, he move and play a lot like Dawson so isn't just pigeon hole as a KPD.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I have yet to see a semblance of his talent, my main gripe is WHY DID WE DRAFT HIM.

That just shows that you don’t know what your looking at when you watch an AFL game

Go back to the tape and watch every involvement he had and although there wasn’t many take a good look at the high quality of them

Then just imagine more of them in one game , as that’s what’s likely coming

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I haven't seen McAsey dominate any SANFL game in his 4 years like Curtin did last year in his 1st year. I suggest you watch his draft year more closely, he move and play a lot like Dawson so isn't just pigeon hole as a KPD.

Couldn’t have brought up a better example …. Jordan Dawson . The guy that only started playing regular AFL football around age 23-24

Curtin is … 19 ?

 

[Mutineer]

Might not get to see him play this year Mutineer , the other thing about Berry is he didn’t fumble much at U18 level either but different story when the pressure goes up at AFL level

I’m sure there will be injuries and form allowing opportunities for him at some point

I'll wait to see on that, and Schoenberg also showed he's back to something like his best yesterday, has his burst speed back absolutely and looks the fittest he's ever been, all of Berry, Schoenberg and Pedlar are a class above SANFL.

 

[feenix67]

That’s interesting given Matt Crouch played all year when available last year (with Berry at times) and now with Peatling

Wasn't that my point?

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I'll wait to see on that, and Schoenberg also showed he's back to something like his best yesterday, has his burst speed back absolutely and looks the fittest he's ever been, all of Berry, Schoenberg and Pedlar are a class above SANFL.

Great news for us

Did Taylor play ?

 

[Mutineer]

Great news for us

Did Taylor play ?

Yes very ordinary.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Wasn't that my point?

And my point was that Peatling provides so much more for our side than Berry due to his traits

I don’t care if Berry doesn’t play the same as Peatling , that’s my point

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Yes very ordinary.

That will change when the real stuff starts

 

[feenix67]

I'll wait to see on that, and Schoenberg also showed he's back to something like his best yesterday, has his burst speed back absolutely and looks the fittest he's ever been, all of Berry, Schoenberg and Pedlar are a class above SANFL.

All three have had injury issues but I also feel all three have been pretty poorly developed during our lean years.

Now that we've balanced our age profile, it will be tough for them to get back in and they may seek other opportunities. All well and good, except it will leave us with a similar mid age list gap when the likes of Jordy retire. Probably not a problem I guess if we continue to draft well, but we won't be seeing many single digit draft picks in the next few years.

 

[feenix67]

And my point was that Peatling provides so much more for our side than Berry due to his traits

I don’t care if Berry doesn’t play the same as Peatling , that’s my point

That's like saying Peatling offers more than Jordy Butts. If Peatling and Crouch can play in the side then so can Peatling and Berry, because they aren't playing the same role.

 

[WeeBlake]

I didn’t think Peatling’s ball use was bad yesterday, I’d have considered it pretty okay

He’s an upgrade on Berry on his athletic traits alone

I was a little underwhelmed with Peatling yesterday. He was ok, better than 90% of Berrys games to date.

 

[feenix67]

I was a little underwhelmed with Peatling yesterday. He was ok, better than 90% of Berrys games to date.

That's just idiotic.

 

[WeeBlake]

That's just idiotic.

I thought it was a pretty mild opinion

 

[VictorianCrow85]

Curtin was terrible. Ran around like a headless chook. Got his first touches very close to half time when he took two marks in defence, not up forward.
He doesn't appear to have football instinct and doesn't want to impose himself in any situations.
At the time he was drafted November 2023 will already had committed to picking up Keane. We had Butts, Murray, Worrell and Michalanney. At that time, Himmelberg was also being talked about being turned in to a defender.
At the 2023 draft, Curtin was touted as a tall defender, we just didn't need another tall defender. Also the game was changing from playing three tall forwards to two so there was less need for another tall defender, we enough.
I thought there was an old football saying " don't pick a tall defender early in the draft, you can always find one later on or turn one of your tall forwards in to a tall defender (we found Murray playing country football in NSW). This saying should have been applied also to the drafting of MacAsey at six, what a waste, don't get me started.
Also people were seduced by the odd comments and junior efforts of Curtin at being a big body mid fielder, I would rather have a smaller mid fielder like Serong or Neale that actually can give you value for the sake of being able to say "we have a big bodied mid fielder".
For me to become a Curtin fan he will have to improve a hell of a lot. Please feel free to shoot me down about Curtin and why the Crows needed to draft a tall defender at that time, now we are stuck with a player that we moved up in the draft for and now don't know where to play him. Also you can have a go at me for my thoughts on the drafting of MacAsey.

Lord, how many games has Curtin played? He's going to take a bit of time. Need to give him opportunity. Playing a very difficult role to be a star week in week out with others being the focal points of our forward line.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

**** me. I thought I was a whinger but jeebus, there is literally nothing to complain about with the team at the moment. But some people will find a way!

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Good: fast ball movement in R1 rather than that chip chip bullshit we served up in R1 last year.

 

[Pugsley]

Neither did Sam Berry in his B.O,G. performance in the trial game against South yesterday, might pay to reassess after you see the 2025 version of Berry.

It needs to be consistent.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Neither did Sam Berry in his B.O,G. performance in the trial game against South yesterday, might pay to reassess after you see the 2025 version of Berry.

I’m sure he’ll get games this year when injuries inevitably hit. Realistically he’s the next mid in line

Fingers crossed he carries over that form to the AFL, once he gets the opportunity