Autopsy Should have Could have - but didn't. Down by 2 against Port

Remove this Banner Ad

Bandicoot

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 2, 2016
8,020
8,224
Ballarat
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Melbourne Renegades
Errol's delivery, long or short, is superb. Consistently to advantage.
That's funny. Although he did have a number of great kicks I thought he butchered it on a few occasions as well. For someone who kicks the ball as well as he does, I don't have the efficiency stats but I was a little disappointed overall.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Bandicoot

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 2, 2016
8,020
8,224
Ballarat
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Melbourne Renegades
It's his third year though. Most genuine stars have more of an impact by this point. He seems to be developing very slowly and it's becoming a concern. He never looks dominant. Even when he kicked 5 against very poor opposition the other week, he was barely sighted otherwise.
You're referring to midfielders, not key forwards. Tell me who was the last key forward to become a star in his first three years?
 

the hypnotoad

Premiership Player
Mar 7, 2021
4,291
9,816
AFL Club
Sydney
While we’re looking for positives, although it ended up in the farcical final shot on goal, Rampe’s kick out of defence to Heeney in the midfield, and then Heeney’s kick out of the midfield to Florent were two of the most perfectly executed long field kicks you will ever see in a game of footy.

yes! and there would be much more made of that play had florent's kick gone through (and yes, i was another who went up with it watching tv)
not just the quality of the kicks but how damn quickly both players saw what was ahead and delivered ...
and just on that, i thought heeney was generally better last night, apart from kicking for goal (grrrr!)
 

Bandicoot

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 2, 2016
8,020
8,224
Ballarat
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Melbourne Renegades
He goes missing far too often and for far too long, and it happens in virtually every single game.

The goal tally was inflated by Hawthorn, but even in that game he didn't play like a star. He kicked a few easy ones against a shambolic defence and didn't do much of anything otherwise. McLean kicked 5 against Geelong either last season or the one before and it didn't make him a star.

Ofc I hope I'm wrong. I would love him to kick on and become the player that everyone expects him to be, but he needs to improve out of sight to get there.
He goes missing because he is ignored and the ball is constantly kicked to Buddy who hasn't marked a ball over his head since 2016.
 

lazy77

Club Legend
Sep 29, 2018
1,174
1,265
AFL Club
Sydney
You're referring to midfielders, not key forwards. Tell me who was the last key forward to become a star in his first three years?
Not sure. Tbh I only really pay attention to the Swans. How long did Buddy take?

I'm open to being wrong on this. I'm just down on McDonald because I can't see anything he does particularly well. He's not an especially strong mark, not a great kick for goal, not incredibly fast, not exceptional in terms of leading or positioning. He has a long way to go.
 
Jun 16, 2012
25,015
25,576
AFL Club
Sydney
Not sure. Tbh I only really pay attention to the Swans. How long did Buddy take?

I'm open to being wrong on this. I'm just down on McDonald because I can't see anything he does particularly well. He's not an especially strong mark, not a great kick for goal, not incredibly fast, not exceptional in terms of leading or positioning. He has a long way to go.
Pretty sure buddy kicked 75 in his 3rd year
 

Deccas

Club Legend
Jun 9, 2016
1,808
3,559
AFL Club
Sydney
Not sure. Tbh I only really pay attention to the Swans. How long did Buddy take?

I'm open to being wrong on this. I'm just down on McDonald because I can't see anything he does particularly well. He's not an especially strong mark, not a great kick for goal, not incredibly fast, not exceptional in terms of leading or positioning. He has a long way to go.
I had a big look at the first few seasons of all the good key forwards a while ago to get a sense of when hes going to come on. Outside of Buddy who was pretty good even in his second year it was only some really rare and excellent key forward who had a breakout in their third year. Plenty only really came good 5 or even 10 years after thier draft year.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

RedBloodBlackSwan

Club Legend
Aug 29, 2021
2,119
4,267
AFL Club
Sydney
first for inside 50 tackles last year.
10th this year
I agree with the comments that we are too slow with the three talls selected, but are our medium forwards in Heeney, Haywood and whoever may be resting mid doing enough?

If we are only going to have one small, surely Henney and Haywood must lift their defensive pressure.
 

RedBloodBlackSwan

Club Legend
Aug 29, 2021
2,119
4,267
AFL Club
Sydney
Plugger took 2 years off, and he also retired mid year anyway, kept getting injured

Goodes is a better comparison

Players generally back themselves in
Agree. It is not Buddy’s job to drop himself. It’s the selection committee’s.

It’s pretty simple, the other forwards (for whatever reason) play better when Buddy isn’t, McLean couldn’t have played worse than Buddy last night, and all three other talls have a future after next year while Buddy doesn’t.

There are very few reasons to select Buddy outside of past form) and you would have to go back to before finals last year to have much to point to.
 
Jul 5, 2012
24,743
40,159
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Kidding, right?
I had a big look at the first few seasons of all the good key forwards a while ago to get a sense of when hes going to come on. Outside of Buddy who was pretty good even in his second year it was only some really rare and excellent key forward who had a breakout in their third year. Plenty only really came good 5 or even 10 years after thier draft year.
That's very interesting, thanks.
 
Back