AFL Autopsy RND 21: Stomped on by the Giants

[Old Campaigner]

Guelf's comment that it doesn't matter how talented you are if you're not doing the work seemed targeted. Good.

It honestly feels like there's a group of players who are actively taking aim at others on the list with this sort of stuff. It's good, but also bad that it's come to this.

 

[ghostdog]

It honestly feels like there's a group of players who are actively taking aim at others on the list with this sort of stuff. It's good, but also bad that it's come to this.

Agree and agree. I reckon McGrath is another who has made some pointed comments along similar lines.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Agree and agree. I reckon McGrath is another who has made some pointed comments along similar lines.

I honestly think McGrath should be the next skipper. He's never going to be the most talented on the list but that only really matter to a special group of nuffies and in reality plenty of lesser lights in the AFL have been genuinely effective leaders.

Maybe Merrett has the strength of personality and the right attitude to be the kind of leader we need, and maybe it's just not showing up in the limited visibility we have from the outside, but I just don't see it. He does seem to get pushed around a bit by opposition sides and you don't tend to see even the players on our list I'd consider to be hard nuts remonstrate over it which makes me wonder how much respect he genuinely has among the group. Is he a leader that has been anointed, or got there by default by virtue of being one of our most experienced players, rather than having actually earned the title?

 

[ghostdog]

I honestly think McGrath should be the next skipper. He's never going to be the most talented on the list but that only really matter to a special group of nuffies and in reality plenty of lesser lights in the AFL have been genuinely effective leaders.

Maybe Merrett has the strength of personality and the right attitude to be the kind of leader we need, and maybe it's just not showing up in the limited visibility we have from the outside, but I just don't see it. He does seem to get pushed around a bit by opposition sides and you don't tend to see even the players on our list I'd consider to be hard nuts remonstrate over it which makes me wonder how much respect he genuinely has among the group. Is he a leader that has been anointed, or got there by default by virtue of being one of our most experienced players, rather than having actually earned the title?

I was settled on McGrath last year, and this year you can see he wants the job, but I really think they'd be doing him a disservice by playing him as a midfielder if he gets the captaincy. My view might be a bit narrow, but I would want a Captain who can stand up in big moments - Captain's moments - that lead by example. I reckon his best efforts are when he runs off half-back. He can control from back there and see the game unfolding. He gets lost as a mid and resorts to dumping the kick. Bad look for a captain.

 

[owen87]

I was settled on McGrath last year, and this year you can see he wants the job, but I really think they'd be doing him a disservice by playing him as a midfielder if he gets the captaincy. My view might be a bit narrow, but I would want a Captain who can stand up in big moments - Captain's moments - that lead by example. I reckon his best efforts are when he runs off half-back. He can control from back there and see the game unfolding. He gets lost as a mid and resorts to dumping the kick. Bad look for a captain.

Hodge did a lot of time off half-back as Captain, Nick Maxwell won a Premiership as a defender-Captain. Jarryn Geary did OK.

There's no real reason he can't Captain as a defender, but IMO the 'stand up in big moments' Captain is going to be Hobbs in a few years from the looks of things.