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Autopsy Roast & Toast v Hawks & Changes for Eagles

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VFL players report, Good signs from McAuliffe and Kaleb Smith

The Richmond VFL side got back on the winners list in Round 6, defeating Box Hill last Saturday night. Here’s how coach Jake Batchelor assessed the performance of each player.

Kaleb Smith (31 disposals, 10 marks, two tackles)

“A great game, all three phases were strong. He was engaged with his teammates and had some big plays when the moment arrived for him. He stepped up and played his role extremely well.”

Kane McAuliffe (23 disposals, eight marks, 11 tackles, two goals)

“Best on ground, he was extremely impactful around the ball. He drove his legs, was aggressive with his tackles and his follow-up work was great. He was also very alert and active on defence.”

Tom McCarthy (22 disposals, seven marks, seven tackles)

“Played as a half-back but entered most centre bounces for us. We saw how damaging he can be with his feet and his ability to drive his legs.”

Tyler Sonsie (20 disposals, three marks, two tackles)

“Really impactful game as a high half-forward, didn’t go chasing the ball and played his role really well and was really selfless in our forward 50.”

Joel Garner (19 disposals, five tackles, four clearances)

“Played as a midfielder most of the day and was just tough and combative and really vocal for us as you expect for the stand-in skipper, great game.”

Lachlan Wilson (18 disposals, three marks, five tackles)

“Played like a man possessed. It only says five tackles but his ability to step into the contest and keep the numbers in the screen was absolutely immense for us and I think he’s one of the players that when he plays well, we play well.”

Jacob Koschitzke (18 disposals, 10 marks, seven intercept possessions)

“A great performance as a key-defender, he was strong in the contest, played the system well and won the ball back well for us. He had some big moments when the game was getting close.”

Jacob Blight (18 disposals, seven marks, five intercept possessions)

“Strong role as a defender working with Kozzi and Campbell Gray, he had some good opportunities, and he used his feet really well. He was involved in our attack really strongly and had some good aerial moments.”

Josh Smillie (17 disposals, one mark, four tackles)

“Great improvement from last week, he was tough on the inside, drove his legs well and used his body extremely well for us. He also improved his defensive awareness.”

Judson Clarke (16 disposals, two marks, seven intercept possessions)

“Played the wing role really well, inside and outside, and ran all day. Equal second highest intercept possession winner and he had a great body spoil on the Box Hill ruck to save a goal late.”

Sean Lai (15 disposals, six marks, two tackles, two goals)

“He had some huge moments that we showed and celebrated at half-time around stepping into the contest and producing multiple efforts. It was an awesome result that he got to kick two goals in his second game as well.”

Austin Johnson (13 disposals, four marks, two tackles, one goal)

“Great game on the wing, his running power is through the roof. He’s a really efficient goalkicker for us as a winger. He doesn’t necessarily get heaps of the ball but he makes the most of every opportunity.”

Campbell Gray (12 disposals, six marks, nine intercept possessions)

“He won the ball back for us the most with nine intercept possessions and four intercept marks. He kept working on the fundamentals of his defence with reading the play. His tackling was strong, his aerial contests were strong and like every week his effort was strong.”

Liam George (12 disposals, three marks, two tackles)

“After not playing last week, he came straight back in and played his role really well as a front and centre forward. He got up the ground to help us defend and really helped us set the ground up which helped our team move the ball.”

“Not getting heaps of statistics at the moment but his running power, reading the ques and playing team defence is really strong. His day will come where the ball finds him a bit more, but I’m really impressed with how he’s tracking.”

Mutaz El Nour (11 disposals, three marks, two tackles)

“He continued his really strong form in the backline by simplifying his role of defence and aerial play. There’s a couple of opportunities to tidy up some ball use but the non-negotiables of his game are going really well.”

Massimo Raso (10 disposals, one mark, three goals)

“The front and centre specialist, he’s going really well at the moment. He’s taking on feedback around his defence as well as crumbing patterns and he’s putting them into action straight away.”

Thomas Sims (nine disposals, three tackles, six hit-outs)

“Played second ruck for us and competed really strongly. Six spoils as a key-forward is an interesting statistic but I loved that when he was behind, he played the percentages and embraced the role.”

Liam Fawcett (nine disposals, two marks, one tackle)

“Barely got out marked all day against two opponents, he brought the ball to ground so the small players could get to work. The game will come where they all stick for him.”

Jasper Alger (nine disposals, three marks, two tackles, three goals)

“Improvement from last week in terms of finishing his work, he had a great opportunity to share the ball inside-50 which he did really well. It was great team first behaviour.”

Jacob Bauer (eight disposals, three marks, one goal)

“Another one that just played his role and will be better for that. He made the ground really big when we needed to attack and impacted the scoreboard. It was a good improvement on last week.”

Oliver Hayes-Brown (four disposals, two marks, eight hit-outs, two goals)

“Kicked two of our first three goals and looked really potent when he was forward for us. He’s still learning the ruck craft but I think he’s improving well.”

Mate Colina (one disposals, one tackle, three hit-outs)

“Tough game and a tough day for him, he hurt his knee at the first centre bounce and fought really strongly throughout the rest of the game to continue to help us get rotations in, so he will be missed.”
 
Training Reports from PRE
Main Training Thursday:
From the outset it was a much more contested session, a bit of agro, those that got beat didn't like getting beat.
Trainor, for example got rag dolled by Blight in almost a sling tackle which he didn't like and was on the verge of a raised elbow retaliation, Trainor in another passage went back with the flight with Mykelti coming the other way, but to Lefau's credit he planted himself so as not to run through him but when skinny Luke meets brick shithouse there can only be one result, Trainor got up checking that his rotator cuff was still functional. Again Trainor, going for a ground ball gets a knock across the nose and gets up a bit ginger. For a skinny kid he certainly doesn't take a backward step (y)
Gibcus: I'll start with Josh as the last Injury update seemed to have some people jumping to conclusions that Josh was done just because he hadn't been given a time frame and Taj had.
Well like last week Josh did every non-contact drill with the main group and was actually moving a bit better than last Thursday, so I am believing the just being conservative line.
Taj: Did not participate in main group drills but was really cranking up his conditioning and a lot of change of direction work
Juddy: Left the ground with what appeared a niggle?
Trigger: Looked as sharp as I have seen him on track, even some eye catching movement which I have never associated with him before.
Simms: Followed Nank around in one particular game play drill where Nank basically ran forward so Simms found himself loosely manning him in defense and took three or four very clean one grab marks.
Campbell Grey: A good chunk of the session was consigned to ruck craft vs OHB, so maybe setting him up for a duel pronged role?
Rioli: No injury but surely shouldn't get a guernsey after last week?
McAuliffe: Training with mids along with the usual suspects.
Jasper, Sonsie, Seth, Steely Rioli with forwards


Not Training:
Kaleb Smith & Smillie

Being a Sunday game a 24 man squad will be named so I have no insight on selection.
Just to add to Caesar 's report.

It's interesting what continuity and confidence brings.

Trigger trained hard over the summer and looked good. But he was more just working hard and doing the drills and partaking/ playing his role. Today he was noticeable in that he was "pro-active" and attacking the drills and showing out as being "better". He really stood out in a couple of contested and tackling drills and then was very sharp in the "match sim" drill.

Kane Mac, to me, was similar. He seemed more confident in his body and worked in what I see as a more refined role. I'm with Caesar and think he'll play soon.

I like seeing the evolving drills. It's pretty obvious a fair bit of thinking is going into teaching/ working through some key expectations on contested ball, tackling and getting through tackles. Getting through tackles/ pressure Hops, Trigger and Brown were stand outs. Balta also quite good. In applying the pressure/tackling, Trigger was also very good.

Lalor and Hops got into it as well though ended up with hugs but Lalor did not like getting caught.

The "match sim" was the smoothest I've seen for a while. Good quick ball movement, good run and on the whole good decision making. You can see the confidence/trust growing and the boys gelling. Note: Some execution is not quite there but that is as much that the "opposition" knows what's coming and it is easier to intercept.

All in all a good high tempo session.
 

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The trouble is we see a player who has played 15 games and think that’s the finished product and all we will get. It’s why the constant criticism of Tresize with 16 games baffles me.

Almost every single player is significantly better at 50 games than 20 games. To a level it’s usually not even close. So if I see an inexperienced player who shows even glimpses of talent and AFL level qualities - even occasionally … I know I’ll see those traits a lot more when they’ve played another season or two.

I’ve seen Tresize play some excellent quarters of football, and even have some good overall games. He’s done some things where I think ‘wow, that was good’. So I can look past his occasional hacked kicks and mistakes, knowing at 16-games he’s still learning the caper and going to get better with every game he plays.

But I’m guilty as well … I’ve written of MRJ, Broad, Astbury and more over the years … all of them before they got anywhere near 50-games, despite them all having great moments early in their careers.

I’m not sure that I’ve noticed Tresize doing anything especially good or especially bad, which I guess is good 🤷‍♂️

I keep looking for flashes of brilliance from our young players but, sadly, I’m seeing much from anyone other than Lalor. I’m also struggling to see any discernible Yze playing style; our goals either seem to come from turnovers or just dumb luck but mostly not at all.
 

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