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Prediction R11: Changes vs Collingwood

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This’ll be the game we look back on and say “huh?! This is how we look with a forward line... why haven’t we been doing this since 1995?”

I won’t be surprised if we kick 100+ points with a dominant midfield, ruckman whose taps won’t be easily read and tall forwards in the forward line.
I’ll be surprised if we kick over 60.
 

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Matera was terrible last week
.. and McCarthy terrible the last 8 weeks but doesn't get dropped.

What worries me is what Matera said about the game plan three months ago.

New Fremantle recruit Brandon Matera told a media conference yesterday that coach Ross Lyon has been prioritising pressure acts and tackling over scoring goals in training this pre-season, despite the Dockers often being accused of playing unexciting, low-scoring football.

“Ross hasn't really said much about scoring goals,” the ex-Gold Coast small forward said.

“Everyone loves to kick a goal, but my role at the moment is just the pressure stuff, doing the right things for the team, being in the right spots and then the goals are the bonus.”

Quote from RTB
“The knock on Brandon Matera may have well been from the age of six that he has been a freakishly talented attacking player who can see goals, conjure goals and create goals from nowhere like no one in his age group,” he said.

“As a result of that, he never had to pay any respect to the defensive aspects. Maybe that’s the reason why we haven’t seen him flourish in the manner that we thought.”
 
I'm ecstatic with the changes regardless of the outcome of the game.

Really looking forward to Apeness in the forward line whilst being relieved of the ruck. He'll clunk a couple, but he'll crash a few packs and make his presence felt. His aggression at the man is something we've been missing in a marking contest to help spill the ball to the crumbing types.

Just praying for no injuries.
 
.. and McCarthy terrible the last 8 weeks but doesn't get dropped.

What worries me is what Matera said about the game plan three months ago.

New Fremantle recruit Brandon Matera told a media conference yesterday that coach Ross Lyon has been prioritising pressure acts and tackling over scoring goals in training this pre-season, despite the Dockers often being accused of playing unexciting, low-scoring football.

“Ross hasn't really said much about scoring goals,” the ex-Gold Coast small forward said.

“Everyone loves to kick a goal, but my role at the moment is just the pressure stuff, doing the right things for the team, being in the right spots and then the goals are the bonus.”

Quote from RTB
“The knock on Brandon Matera may have well been from the age of six that he has been a freakishly talented attacking player who can see goals, conjure goals and create goals from nowhere like no one in his age group,” he said.

“As a result of that, he never had to pay any respect to the defensive aspects. Maybe that’s the reason why we haven’t seen him flourish in the manner that we thought.”
So he's dangerous around goals, knows how to kick goals, yet we barely play him in the forward 50? Just don't get why we waste his talents, especially when we struggle to kick goals.
 
Matera was terrible last week
Matera has dropped off a bit for sure. Hence Ross moving him about to get him more involved in the game. Probably would have been worth giving him one last chance at Ballas role with challenge to fire up or be dropped but it isn’t surprising for mine to see him on the chopping block.
 
I think he will struggle because of his size. the bloke is built like a whippet.

Needs to stay out of the packs and crumb the outside. Hope he does well.
Thought he was a bit scrawny and was surprised he got selected this early? Whats the talent like at WAFL level compared to VFL SANFL, NEAFL?
 

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Not trying to be cheeky just wondering. See guys in NEAFL dominate but not do much at AFL level. Hope he dominates. Big wraps in the draft profile.
NEAFL quality is not even in the same ball park as compared to WAFL or SANFL.

I watch the NEAFL on the free to air channel and whilst there is the odd exciting passage some of the kicking quality reminded me of C-grade reserves.
 
Considering he was our best last week against for the last two weeks. Against Subi he got 27d and Subi is full of ex AFL players.
Thought he was a bit scrawny and was surprised he got selected this early? Whats the talent like at WAFL level compared to VFL SANFL, NEAFL?
Thought Harley was rated BOG for his 2 quarters and 5 minutes? http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/11249

For a WAFL comparison, George Hampson is better than Giro in my opinion. For a team that lost to bottom of ladder EF last week with some questionable players (TS and SK) only to be rewarded with an AFL call up, something not quite right.
 
Matera has dropped off a bit for sure. Hence Ross moving him about to get him more involved in the game. Probably would have been worth giving him one last chance at Ballas role with challenge to fire up or be dropped but it isn’t surprising for mine to see him on the chopping block.
Hang on ... Matera was only doing what Ross told him and was training him to do. RTB hadn't said much about scoring goals, that's just a bonus.

You've got a guy who's played 111 games, who RTB says good at conjuring and creating goals dropped for a couple of players the same age who have scored less than half or a sixth the amount of goals. Who does the boss support? Not Matera.
 
Thought he was a bit scrawny and was surprised he got selected this early? Whats the talent like at WAFL level compared to VFL SANFL, NEAFL?
The WAFL is the best competition outside the AFL. Taking into account WA has won the past 6 interstate games, the last two away to Victoria and South Australia. Subi would easily be the best football team not in the AFL.
 
So he's dangerous around goals, knows how to kick goals, yet we barely play him in the forward 50? Just don't get why we waste his talents, especially when we struggle to kick goals.

Have to agree it is baffling.

Last year he was on 2.2 goals a game for a Suns team that was worse than we are now.

I'd love to see the heat-map comparison this year to last year.
 

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Hang on ... Matera was only doing what Ross told him and was training him to do. RTB hadn't said much about scoring goals, that's just a bonus.

You've got a guy who's played 111 games, who RTB says good at conjuring and creating goals dropped for a couple of players the same age who have scored less than half or a sixth the amount of goals. Who does the boss support? Not Matera.

The Premiership coach from last season when interviewed OTC said that goal scoring was secondary to tackling and forward pressure, so what Lyon has said to Matera isn't something new actually I've heard a fair few coaches say that as well.
 
The WAFL is the best competition outside the AFL. Taking into account WA has won the past 6 interstate games, the last two away to Victoria and South Australia. Subi would easily be the best football team not in the AFL.

Last year the WA side was full of experienced guys who were no chance of making an AFL list again. Only Tim Kelly was a realistic chance and he was selected because he was better than everyone else despite being younger. The VFL side was mainly 21-23 year olds who were probably trying to get onto AFL lists. They could’ve picked the 30 year olds who had AFL experience too but they didn’t.

The WAFL could be better than the SANFL but the WAFL and the VFL had very different priorities last year. I still think the VFL is a much better league especially when you consider the number of AFL listed players running around as well.
 
Unique Name posted some heat maps in the Brandon Matera thread I think.

Yes he did, thank you.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/welcome-to-freo-brandon-matera.1180520/page-6#post-55805457

It'd be really interesting to know what he was dropped for. Was it lack of pressure or lack of goals? The former would be more logical because the latter is nonsensical given where he is playing. The comparison with Ballantyne is odd because you would think we would drop one, not both.

The Premiership coach from last season when interviewed OTC said that goal scoring was secondary to tackling and forward pressure, so what Lyon has said to Matera isn't something new actually I've heard a fair few coaches say that as well.

Yeah which is kind of a weird blind spot that I think the modern AFL has. One kind of naturally flows from the other, sure, but if forward half tacking and pressure is your only route to goals you are in trouble - how do you intend to get it in there in the first place? And how do you rationalise the clear differences between scoring % from a mark inside 50/clean ball get to the mad scramble to make a tackle and a contested possession? Interesting to see how the Eagles approach works this year.

Maybe i'm way off base there given what Richmond and the Dogs have done - but I think there's one key point around Matera here. I don't see many similarities between him and your Butler/Townsend/Castagna types - I don't think he's rapid. It's more of a natural instinct thing (for lack of a better term) ala what Lyon alludes to. Why did we recruit him to try and change him as a footballer?
 

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Prediction R11: Changes vs Collingwood

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