Preview Rnd 1 - Fremantle vs North Melbourne 24th March 3:20pm

Groin guru

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I don’t have an answer to the Pittard question.

But I’m also genuinely curious how North intends to deal with the Ballantyne problem. I mean, he have been quite bad in the past seasons, but what if he suddenly grew confident, stop slipping over and kicked 5 goals in a row?!! The game may be over at quarter time. Wonder if North have a plan for that?
Marley Williams.
 

Deveraux

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Oh my, I thought that was a sly funny dig but.... serious?

Are we talking about the same Pittard? The one I'm thinking of had Port fans come to his house personally to pack his jocks and call him an uber post trade period... that Pittard?
 
Didn't realise North picked up Pittard, this is a game changer

I've just locked in North for the premiership at the TAB and they have got me on the waitlist for Norm Smith odds to be released, Pittard is a dead set certainty

Will you guys play your super recruit Reece Conca on him?

Would be Carey v Jakovich stuff.
 
unfortunately Conca doesn't play forward, guess he will have to play on the measly Hogan/Lobb

Srs question, not being a smart arse, what is Conca's actual position? I think he was recruited as an inside mid no? But then Richmond, having spent pick 6 on him had to go out on an inside mid recruiting spree because he wasn't great there it seems.

Where will you play him?
 

wayToGo_

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I suspect the correct answer to my 'Where will you play him?" question is: Peel Thunder non?
He's a role player so we'll play him as a role player. Every team has them. Mark Hutchings has a premiership medal for instance. He'll block for Fyfe (something we've been missing in recent seasons) and be responsible for making sure the ball doesn't come out too easy at stoppages (something we've also struggled with - mostly because our mids would over commit). We used to use Nick Suban in that role and he was ok when he didn't try to do much (when he'd either get done htb or drop it on the boot to nowhere). We need him to play to his limitations and if does touch the ball then get it to one of our decent ball users - eg Walters, Mundy, SHill, BHill, Cerra, Tucker, Ryan, Wilson etc. He'll play the role Blakely was playing at half back when not in the middle I suspect.

In some ways he's a bit like a lot of your inside mids - can do a job (eg win a lot of the ball) but not that great at using it. It was our same knock on Neale. Would rack up the possessions but our retention was way down compared to when Fyfe, Mundy or Walters had the ball in their hands. It's probably also why we've invested in Blakely at half back a lot, so he learns to make better decisions and use the ball well. And similarly why we've drafted pretty good decision makers - Brayshaw, Cerra, North, Valente...
 
He's a role player so we'll play him as a role player. Every team has them. Mark Hutchings has a premiership medal for instance. He'll block for Fyfe (something we've been missing in recent seasons) and be responsible for making sure the ball doesn't come out too easy at stoppages (something we've also struggled with - mostly because our mids would over commit). We used to use Nick Suban in that role and he was ok when he didn't try to do much (when he'd either get done htb or drop it on the boot to nowhere). We need him to play to his limitations and if does touch the ball then get it to one of our decent ball users - eg Walters, Mundy, SHill, BHill, Cerra, Tucker, Ryan, Wilson etc. He'll play the role Blakely was playing at half back when not in the middle I suspect.

In some ways he's a bit like a lot of your inside mids - can do a job (eg win a lot of the ball) but not that great at using it. It was our same knock on Neale. Would rack up the possessions but our retention was way down compared to when Fyfe, Mundy or Walters had the ball in their hands. It's probably also why we've invested in Blakely at half back a lot, so he learns to make better decisions and use the ball well. And similarly why we've drafted pretty good decision makers - Brayshaw, Cerra, North, Valente...

Cool, cheers, that makes perfect sense.
 
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I suspect the correct answer to my 'Where will you play him?" question is: Peel Thunder non?

he was best 22 for Richmond and he fills a need with Neale gone and Blakely out. I know the unchallenging, groupthink opinion is "lEl reez ConkA lawl" and that he's far form the most fashionable player but he's not the total scrub he's being made out to be. Not a star but still a proper AFL player.
 
he was best 22 for Richmond and he fills a need with Neale gone and Blakely out. I know the unchallenging, groupthink opinion is "lEl reez ConkA lawl" and that he's far form the most fashionable player but he's not the total scrub he's being made out to be. Not a star but still a proper AFL player.

Kind of like that Jasper Pittard we recruited, who made the All Australian squad two seasons ago?
 
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Waterboy?? No but seriously guess he’s been brought in to be role player. Might not be a bad player for the dockets

He's no better or worse than, say, Luke McDonald. The difference is that we know he's a role player and don't pump him as something greater than the reality
 

theGav56

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The role he played at Richmond is the most likely one he will play for us, rolling between HB and midfield. If with Blakely injured he needs to be an inside mid, so be it. The most important thing about his recruitment is that he has a big, developed body that he can use right now, giving a bit of time for our fledglings to build their games.

I just hope he doesn't get any skin scraped off his knees, because that could keep him out for weeks.
 
hahahahaha. Oh ****, how ever will we cope with such a transcendent talent :eek:

Why are you still taking shots when you got some pretty decent replies. Are you forgetting the post that kick off this whole discussion? The one about playing Fyfe as a defensive forward on the God Emperor known as Jasper? you're lucky you're getting anything but straight up derision, let's be real.

Pittard and Conca are both okay role players who will be pretty decent for their new clubs but will also frustrate fans mightily at times with questionable decisions and defensive 50 turnovers. that's really all there is to it.

You do know the Fyfe thing was a joke right?

Pittard has been more than an OK role player - he made the AA squad, you don't do that if you're just a role player.

But agreed, he and Conca are in pretty much the same boat right here right now.
 
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You do know the Fyfe thing was a joke right?

Pittard has been more than an OK role player - he made the AA squad, you don't do that if you're just a role player.

But agreed, he and Conca are in pretty much the same boat right here right now.

Chris Mayne made the AA squad and he was the ultimate role player.
 
A role player with good leadership skills will always be feted by his club & the fans.


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Yep, but such a player never scores high in dream team so isn't "rated".

Unless he's Gary Rohan. Classic role player but feted in media due to Swans mafia.
 

yyou

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Mate, I had a look at the AA teams since 2012 & couldn't find any member who I'd consider a role player.
I was thinking more along the lines of a Zac Dawson or Matt Deboer type & besides the quite defensive key defenders Talia & Glass who I'd even argue were just great defenders, I could mainly see fellas considered top few players at their clubs.
Can I ask which players in the AA teams you'd consider role players?
In fact, wasn't there a fuss made a few years ago made when star mids were plonked on flanks, just to get them into the team, at the expense of people who played in that position?
 
Mate, I had a look at the AA teams since 2012 & couldn't find any member who I'd consider a role player.
I was thinking more along the lines of a Zac Dawson or Matt Deboer type & besides the quite defensive key defenders Talia & Glass who I'd even argue were just great defenders, I could mainly see fellas considered top few players at their clubs.
Can I ask which players in the AA teams you'd consider role players?
In fact, wasn't there a fuss made a few years ago made when star mids were plonked on flanks, just to get them into the team, at the expense of people who played in that position?

"Role player" is a kind of misused term. Shaun Higgins plays his role each week as a skillful attackive midfielder.

Matthew Pavlich could play multiple roles at an elite level.

You wouldn't call either of those blokes "role players" though.
 
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