Prediction Round 20: Changes Vs Melbourne + prematch discussion

[Bananna Bender]

Wilson - 29
Banfield - 24
Tucker - 25
Meek - 24
Crowden - 23

They are all back-ups or fringe players. Depth is important but nothing to worry about if they are not preferred to someone with more potential. Wilson came in and performed very well but now dropped for a 20 year old who is up and down but will be a better player. Crowden is a midfielder and there are better options at the moment or we probably play Erasmus or Johnson if there was an injury.

It happens all the time, we get upset about high possession WAFL players not getting AFL games but if they do they rarely have better output that the players they replace. They are then eventually delisted and they don't go on to have huge damaging careers elsewhere. The perfect example of this was DeBoer, he was an absolute gun WAFL mid but just didn't have the skill set to make it as an AFL midfielder due to the pace. He had enough to still get a great career as a role player but it shows that you need to be a gun WAFL player just to be an ok AFL role player.

 

[FreoRicci]

Wilson - 29
Banfield - 24
Tucker - 25
Meek - 24
Crowden - 23

They are all back-ups or fringe players. Depth is important but nothing to worry about if they are not preferred to someone with more potential. Wilson came in and performed very well but now dropped for a 20 year old who is up and down but will be a better player. Crowden is a midfielder and there are better options at the moment or we probably play Erasmus or Johnson if there was an injury.

It happens all the time, we get upset about high possession WAFL players not getting AFL games but if they do they rarely have better output that the players they replace. They are then eventually delisted and they don't go on to have huge damaging careers elsewhere. The perfect example of this was DeBoer, he was an absolute gun WAFL mid but just didn't have the skill set to make it as an AFL midfielder due to the pace. He had enough to still get a great career as a role player but it shows that you need to be a gun WAFL player just to be an ok AFL role player.

100%.
What’s even more is those players listed have played an amount of games that showed they’re not exactly AFL quality.
Tucker unfortunately haven’t been close to potential or talent he teases.
Crowden will only get a game if desperate for small pressure forwards.

The issue will be trading these depth players for better depth players. The depth this season, touchwood, haven’t been required much.

Keen to look at Peel players. Blair Bell is one that deserves a chance.

 

[Bananna Bender]

Tucker and Crowden in the freo team when fit we’re getting more possessions more often than Freddy ,Walker and Henry are getting now ,so doesn’t have much to do with wafl more to do with form and experience to play finals

 

[Lach72]

100%.
What’s even more is those players listed have played an amount of games that showed they’re not exactly AFL quality.
Tucker unfortunately haven’t been close to potential or talent he teases.
Crowden will only get a game if desperate for small pressure forwards.

The issue will be trading these depth players for better depth players. The depth this season, touchwood, haven’t been required much.

Keen to look at Peel players. Blair Bell is one that deserves a chance.

Blair is WAFL only

 

[go_the_dockers]

Yeah agreed, I think part of the problem for Banfield is he doesn't apply much pressure yet he isn't a marking threat either.

All credit to him for how he's improved this year though, and he does have the knack of getting in the right spot.

Yeah, plays like a big with out the marking threat.

I quite like the changes. I think its add more forward pressure and more marking ability to our forward line.

It highlight our lack of small forwards. Badly need a few more to start putting pressure on Walters and co

 

[Purple Suit]

Tucker and Crowden in the freo team when fit we’re getting more possessions more often than Freddy ,Walker and Henry are getting now ,so doesn’t have much to do with wafl more to do with form and experience to play finals

They are different players. Tucker is one of the slowest in the squad at kicking & decision making and has had plenty of opportunity this year to do better. Crowden averaged 10 disposals in 16 games last year & kicked 5 goals. He's doesn't have the same weapons as the offensive players you have listed and will get similar low numbers if played in those positions.

 

[s_wd6]

They are different players. Tucker is one of the slowest in the squad at kicking & decision making and has had plenty of opportunity this year to do better. Crowden averaged 10 disposals in 16 games last year & kicked 5 goals. He's doesn't have the same weapons as the offensive players you have listed and will get similar low numbers if played in those positions.

Now pull out crowden's averages when he actually played in the position he's best at and wasn't forced into a random hf role because of his size.

 

[Purple Suit]

Now pull out crowden's averages when he actually played in the position he's best at and wasn't forced into a random hf role because of his size.

But we don’t have a spot for him in that position unless he is going to perform better than Brodie, Serong or Mundy

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Yeah agreed, I think part of the problem for Banfield is he doesn't apply much pressure yet he isn't a marking threat either.

All credit to him for how he's improved this year though, and he does have the knack of getting in the right spot.

Fun fact - when comparing the first 49 games of all Freo players Bailey sits 6th all time for pressure acts and 4th for opposition turnovers caused. The article was run for Serong’s 50th so that’s why the sample size is 49 games.

Pity there’s no room for the tagger in modern footy as I’d say he played a fair chunk of these games in that role and he is very well suited to it. As a forward he is becoming a reliable avenue to goal but like many forwards across the comp he struggles for consistency. I reckon he’s a bit stiff this week but clearly we want speed.

 

[nurries]

Fun fact - when comparing the first 49 games of all Freo players Bailey sits 6th all time for pressure acts and 4th for opposition turnovers caused. The article was run for Serong’s 50th so that’s why the sample size is 49 games.

Pity there’s no room for the tagger in modern footy as I’d say he played a fair chunk of these games in that role and he is very well suited to it. As a forward he is becoming a reliable avenue to goal but like many forwards across the comp he struggles for consistency. I reckon he’s a bit stiff this week but clearly we want speed.

He will be sub i think.

 

[Bananna Bender]

They are different players. Tucker is one of the slowest in the squad at kicking & decision making and has had plenty of opportunity this year to do better. Crowden averaged 10 disposals in 16 games last year & kicked 5 goals. He's doesn't have the same weapons as the offensive players you have listed and will get similar low numbers if played in those positions.

Tucker if you remember was best freo player on ground before getting concussion against West coast I believe he might have looked slow coming back from ripping hammy off the bone last year but believe his got his fitness and speed back his last couple of games at peel are not results a slow decision player could have achieved even as medical sub came on and did a great job as coasched mentioned in interview before being dropped .

 

[gungho]

Tucker if you remember was best freo player on ground before getting concussion against West coast I believe he might have looked slow coming back from ripping hammy off the bone last year but believe his got his fitness and speed back his last couple of games at peel are not results a slow decision player could have achieved even as medical sub came on and did a great job as coasched mentioned in interview before being dropped .

Sorry man but Tucker has been on the Freo list for 7 years and played a grand total of about 3 good games. Infact, I reckon Blakely has had more good games.

 

[s_wd6]

Tucker if you remember was best freo player on ground before getting concussion against West coast I believe he might have looked slow coming back from ripping hammy off the bone last year but believe his got his fitness and speed back his last couple of games at peel are not results a slow decision player could have achieved even as medical sub came on and did a great job as coasched mentioned in interview before being dropped .

He had a lot of touches but he was not our best player on the ground, and we didn't miss him when he came off. He looked really good right before doing the hammy and I had high hopes for him for this year but it doesn't look like he'll reach close to that level again

 

[Bananna Bender]

Sorry man but Tucker has been on the Freo list for 7 years and played a grand total of about 3 good games. Infact, I reckon Blakely has had more good games.

You must’ve have watched many of those games he was in the best in a hell of a lot more than you mentioned speacially when he was aloud to play his one position wing and not used all over the ground to fill in it seems to me there’s a lot of Tucker ,Banfield and Crowden Hater’s on this site that are just trying to find escape goats for their favourite up coming young players

 

[Purple Suit]

Tucker if you remember was best freo player on ground before getting concussion against West coast I believe he might have looked slow coming back from ripping hammy off the bone last year but believe his got his fitness and speed back his last couple of games at peel are not results a slow decision player could have achieved even as medical sub came on and did a great job as coasched mentioned in interview before being dropped .

Even if that’s true, he was poor the two games prior & got replaced by Noddy who played much bettter. Noddy got injured & replaced by Aish who also played much better.

Tucker has had more opportunities & not recaptured that form at AFL level. It is a huge step up between WAFL & AFL and if you cannot adjust to the pace due to injury, the weather or some other excuse, you will not get many goes at it.

 

[God docker]

According to Nathan Shmook on AFL.com.au, Logue holds the key tonight. He refers to the fact that Logue kept May to season lows in our earlier match up.

How does a journalist employed by the AFL get that onto the website without someone pointing out to him that May was knocked out and subbed off before quarter time?

Ironically he dies the weekly injury lists too

 

[Purple Suit]

You must’ve have watched many of those games he was in the best in a hell of a lot more than you mentioned speacially when he was aloud to play his one position wing and not used all over the ground to fill in it seems to me there’s a lot of Tucker ,Banfield and Crowden Hater’s on this site that are just trying to find escape goats for their favourite up coming young players

Love it!

No one hates these players, people just realise that WAFL form doesn't equal AFL form, especially if you want to play mid fielders in support roles. Our new game plan is to get the turn over and go, when the ball passes thru a slow possession player like Tucker it kills us. Stats don't show this but watching the games does.

 

[sherrif]

Fyfe is actually a big loss for this, finally get a wet one since he is back and its the week he is out of the team


I reckon Tucker played pretty well in the wet for Peel last week but can see why they went Colyer instead, Colyer needs to fix his kicking this week though, can't keep missing targets by 5 metres, its killing us.

Colyer in for Fyfe allows Aish to take his mid time with Colyer on the wing too and hopefully put the clamps on Oliver if needed

Yep so Henry, Acres and Colyer to the wing and Aish onball makes sense. We can't have Mundy or Brodie on Oliver for a half like last time. To make match ups and rotations work then Mundy has to spend more time forward in my opinion. Clark should also spend a bit of time on the wing. Probably when Darcy goes to the bench and Lobb is rucking. I also wouldn't mind Serong spending some time forward too. We need some roving goals of packs.

 

[salim malik]

Now pull out crowden's averages when he actually played in the position he's best at and wasn't forced into a random hf role because of his size.

Just watched Ballas who is a Sandover medal winner and AA and streets in front of Crowden re ability tell us that he was overlooked as a mid in the draft because of his small stature and even at Peel was told to small and he should learn the small forward art.
He did , kicked 76 goals to lead the WAFL and was drafted as a small forward.
Ballas was a class mid who was forced into another role.
Crowden is not a goal kicker and is undersized as a mid.
I can understand why he isn't in the 22 at the minute but I hope he makes it as a class small forward because we could certainly use one.

 

[Wilksyy]

Terrible selection. Was an ordinary last quarter last week.
Banfield is absolutely stiff. Going even shorter tomorrow. Banfield at least harrasses and can tackle.
Guessing with Lobb back, Logue, Tabs and Lobb is too tall to have Banfield as well.

We’re going speeeeed baby!

 

[Wilksyy]

We’re going speeeeed baby!

And with that, Freo by 19 points.

 

[Bananna Bender]

Even if that’s true, he was poor the two games prior & got replaced by Noddy who played much bettter. Noddy got injured & replaced by Aish who also played much better.

Tucker has had more opportunities & not recaptured that form at AFL level. It is a huge step up between WAFL & AFL and if you cannot adjust to the pace due to injury, the weather or some other excuse, you will not get many goes at it.

If a couple of bad games this year is enough to get dropped and not given another chance when you’ve worked hard to get in great form then that would probably apply to 80 percent of the team Tucker and Crowden have AFL experience and shows as no peel players are even close to them in form other than Meek chomping at the bit when needed in ruck and Wilson when one of our injured backs breaks down.

 

[Scham]

If a couple of bad games this year is enough to get dropped and not given another chance when you’ve worked hard to get in great form then that would probably apply to 80 percent of the team Tucker and Crowden have AFL experience and shows as no peel players are even close to them in form other than Meek chomping at the bit when needed in ruck and Wilson when one of our injured backs breaks down.

Blakely has had a better season than Crowden and much better thanTucker. Erasmus and Johnson well underdone in their first year aren't far behind them either. The selectors know what they're doing.

 

[Bananna Bender]

Blakely has had a better season than Crowden and much better thanTucker. Erasmus and Johnson well underdone in their first year aren't far behind them either. The selectors know what they're doing.

If selectors think like you do and current form doesn’t mean s**t then freo can’t be serious about winning a flag

 

[Scham]

If selectors think like you do and current form doesn’t mean s**t then freo can’t be serious about winning a flag

I see it differently - I think our selectors are super serious about winning a flag and that's why they're picking the sides they are. They know who'll take us to a premiership and who won't. They understand the players ability, and limitations much, much better than any of us and they realise that getting a few easy touches against a WAFL team that's only won 2 games all year and was depleted by injury isn't a strong formline. You don't see horse trainers putting a horse that hasn't been competitive in top class races in the past into a group 1 race just because it won last start in Pinjarra.