AFL Toast Rd 17, 2018 - 44 point win against Gold Coast!

[Summer Nights]

Dermie’s speech gets more and more slurred every year. Sounded like he really had to concentrate on his elocution yesterday.

 

[pazza]

I actually wonder if the ground had dew on it..as both sides couldn't hit the side of a barn!

 

[BrewSmackerVeiny]

I actually wonder if the ground had dew on it..as both sides couldn't hit the side of a barn!

He was in the coaches box

 

[Doss]

He was in the coaches box

Probably a bit north of his primo 2008 playing weight these days.

 

[Macca18]

The skills observations in this thread are quite interesting.

Anybody who watches night games at Metricon Stadium from about May-August will notice the standard of games dropping significantly. Day games are generally unaffected and games early in the season (Rounds 1-4) generally aren't impacted too much as the weather is still relatively mild to warm during this period. I wasn't at the game last night but have been to other games at Metricon (including against other clubs) and the standard has been quite poor. This is also compounded by the fact that the northern end of the ground has absolutely no shelter whatsoever and is continually exposed to the elements.

The overnight low on the Gold Coast last night was 3°C ... yes 3 degrees. That is cold for Melbourne, let alone the Gold Coast. One of the coldest nights in southern Queensland for many years. The conditions and dew don't equal an amazing spectacle, it doesn't matter how skilful your team is.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

At the end of the day, there's a finite amount of ball to be won. McGrath and Parish had more than 50 touches between them and Guelfi was also playing a little further up the ground from Long and Colyer so there was less opportunity for those two to get their hands on the ball. Colyer wasn't amazing but he simply isn't going to get back to his old numbers playing this new, predominantly forward role. And that's okay, we don't need him to.

Raz is a genuine goalkicker so he comes straight back in. If we're serious about playing the best team every week, Colyer deserves to retain his spot over Long. Why? Actual AFL form, even past form, weighs more than form at VFL level.

In an ideal world, Begley or Laverde would be playing and neither Colyer nor Long would need to grace the field.

 

[eth-dog]

At the end of the day, there's a finite amount of ball to be won. McGrath and Parish had more than 50 touches between them and Guelfi was also playing a little further up the ground from Long and Colyer so there was less opportunity for those two to get their hands on the ball. Colyer wasn't amazing but he simply isn't going to get back to his old numbers playing this new, predominantly forward role. And that's okay, we don't need him to.

Raz is a genuine goalkicker so he comes straight back in. If we're serious about playing the best team every week, Colyer deserves to retain his spot over Long. Why? Actual AFL form, even past form, weighs more than form at VFL level.

In an ideal world, Begley or Laverde would be playing and neither Colyer nor Long would need to grace the field.

AFL form you say? Long's outperformed him the past 2 weeks

 

[Bombermania]

The skills observations in this thread are quite interesting.

Anybody who watches night games at Metricon Stadium from about May-August will notice the standard of games dropping significantly. Day games are generally unaffected and games early in the season (Rounds 1-4) generally aren't impacted too much as the weather is still relatively mild to warm during this period. I wasn't at the game last night but have been to other games at Metricon (including against other clubs) and the standard has been quite poor. This is also compounded by the fact that the northern end of the ground has absolutely no shelter whatsoever and is continually exposed to the elements.

The overnight low on the Gold Coast last night was 3°C ... yes 3 degrees. That is cold for Melbourne, let alone the Gold Coast. One of the coldest nights in southern Queensland for many years. The conditions and dew don't equal an amazing spectacle, it doesn't matter how skilful your team is.

The impact of dew on the ground was talked about during the coverage, the ground develops a layer of moisture which is slippery, it is a bit like what you often find on a golf course at first tee off.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

AFL form you say? Long's outperformed him the past 2 weeks

And if you made team changes according to which player had a marginally better game than another, we would be making 10 changes to the team every week. Colyer was a very important player for Essendon in 2015 and 2017; he deserves to be seen as the better player because he has many, many more runs on the board. It would take some blinding form from Long, at least producing some games at the standard which Colyer has produced before, to change my mind.

 

[Westlo]

And if you made team changes according to which player had a marginally better game than another, we would be making 10 changes to the team every week. Colyer was a very important player for Essendon in 2015 and 2017; he deserves to be seen as the better player because he has many, many more runs on the board. It would take some blinding form from Long, at least producing some games at the standard which Colyer has produced before, to change my mind.

Important player in 2017? He hasn't been anywhere close to good since 2015 where he was playing at a great level.....

 

[eth-dog]

And if you made team changes according to which player had a marginally better game than another, we would be making 10 changes to the team every week. Colyer was a very important player for Essendon in 2015 and 2017; he deserves to be seen as the better player because he has many, many more runs on the board. It would take some blinding form from Long, at least producing some games at the standard which Colyer has produced before, to change my mind.

He was poor to average last year for the most part. Long's VFL form has been better this year, same with his AFL form.

 

[Summer Nights]

And if you made team changes according to which player had a marginally better game than another, we would be making 10 changes to the team every week. Colyer was a very important player for Essendon in 2015 and 2017; he deserves to be seen as the better player because he has many, many more runs on the board. It would take some blinding form from Long, at least producing some games at the standard which Colyer has produced before, to change my mind.

Was shithouse last year.

 

[Doss]

Yup; I like Trav, but he was not in great form in 2017.

 

[Bombermania]

Trav was poor in 2017, his disposal was at times shocking, he often lacked composure, to his credit in his two games this year he seems to have improved on that but he is still rusty.

 

[84859300]

Trav was poor in 2017, his disposal was at times shocking, he often lacked composure, to his credit in his two games this year he seems to have improved on that but he is still rusty.

His hands have been super these last two weeks.

This has been something that I have been critical of him in the past.

 

[Westlo]

If Trav could get back to his 2015 level he'll be a lock for our best 22 and a tremendous asset to a finals assault.

I just don't see it happening, hope I'm wrong.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

I disagree that the Colyer was terrible in 2017. He dropped off towards the end of the year and was up and down the whole season, but I must have missed the huge disparity in quality between his 2015 and 2017 seasons. The only explanation I can offer is that we didn't rely on him for run like we did in 2015 so his importance to the team was somewhat diminished. His complete lack of two-way play was also on clear display last year as well, maybe we missed that in 2015 but I don't remember him being any better at it then.

At any rate, Colyer is still the far more experienced player out of he and Long and he's the one I'd prefer to see in the forward line barring a significant increase in output from Long.

 

[Old Stuckup]

Colyer was probably leading our BnF in 2015 before he got injured.

 

[calyam]

Yup; I like Trav, but he was not in great form in 2017.

Correct. He and Watson were the only two returnees who were significantly worse than they were pre-suspension. Colyer was lucky he wasn't dropped on multiple occasions.

Colyer in 2014 and 2015 peaked as a good footballer. He was never a great footballer and never anything more than a role-player. When you decline significantly from that level, as he did last year, you become a borderline best-22 talent. When you decline significantly again, as he has this year, you are a VFL player.

Right now, based on all the evidence we have, Colyer shouldn't be anywhere near the senior team. He isn't AFL-standard right now and there is no sound reason why he, as opposed to any other player on the list, should be granted the opportunity to find form in the seniors.

 

[MightyDon]

The skills observations in this thread are quite interesting.

Anybody who watches night games at Metricon Stadium from about May-August will notice the standard of games dropping significantly. Day games are generally unaffected and games early in the season (Rounds 1-4) generally aren't impacted too much as the weather is still relatively mild to warm during this period. I wasn't at the game last night but have been to other games at Metricon (including against other clubs) and the standard has been quite poor. This is also compounded by the fact that the northern end of the ground has absolutely no shelter whatsoever and is continually exposed to the elements.

The overnight low on the Gold Coast last night was 3°C ... yes 3 degrees. That is cold for Melbourne, let alone the Gold Coast. One of the coldest nights in southern Queensland for many years. The conditions and dew don't equal an amazing spectacle, it doesn't matter how skilful your team is.

This is all ways over talked up, have been out for a kick on the ground after quiet a few night games on the goldie and its dry. Last night wasn't at all cold at the game 13 deg and overnight didn't drop below 8, have also trained at night up this way for years, i listen to commentators bang on about the conditions and just have no idea what they talking about. There was also zero wind last night yet 6.16 to 13.17 was just a horrible game

 

[AcuteWhistle]

Watching the replay...that first half...

 

[srobbo]

His hands have been super these last two weeks.

This has been something that I have been critical of him in the past.

Gees they must’ve been memorable given he only had it 8 times.