Player Watch Sid Draper

[AFC979810]

I get it, but I think guys like Dawson, Rankine, Soligo, Peatling etc just make things work wherever they play on the ground. And Crouch is still a very useful player to have in there, his current level of performance doesn’t give ‘fringe 22’ vibes

Things could change over the course of the season, but the mid rotation we had tonight worked, I’d be happy to roll with that R1

The one thing thats stopping me from wanting Crouch out is that he finally has a midfield mix that plays to his strengths.

Considering he has only had two games at AFL level where him & Rankine each had 50%+ CBA's (win vs Carlton, 4 point loss vs Collingwood).

He now has 3 players with raw pace to mix in (Rankine,Peatling,Draper) as well as an elite ball user in Dawson. Soligo is most like Crouch IMO, but has more strings to his bow.

And just back to Draper. Last time we had a rookie South Australian with the #34 he was an All Australian in his first season. No pressure young fella.

 

[Cromulant]

The one thing thats stopping me from wanting Crouch out is that he finally has a midfield mix that plays to his strengths.

Considering he has only had two games at AFL level where him & Rankine each had 50%+ CBA's (win vs Carlton, 4 point loss vs Collingwood).

He now has 3 players with raw pace to mix in (Rankine,Peatling,Draper) as well as an elite ball user in Dawson. Soligo is most like Crouch IMO, but has more strings to his bow.

And just back to Draper. Last time we had a rookie South Australian with the #34 he was an All Australian in his first season. No pressure young fella.

This.

If Crouch doesn't work with these guys around him, he never will.

And i know he came on fresh on a very warm night, but Sid's gonna be just fine

 

[daniel_4tw]

As much as I hate to say it…

Round 1 - Draper sub and replaces Curtin 3 Qtr time, injuries and game performance permitting.

That speed and tank! What a weapon!

 

[Cromulant]

As much as I hate to say it…

Round 1 - Draper sub and replaces Curtin 3 Qtr time, injuries and game performance permitting.

That speed and tank! What a weapon!

Could happen the other way too.

He's been managed all pre season to get to this point.

We need to find a spot for both of them because they shouldn't be playing 2s

 

[NSolis]

Plenty of evidence from that performance that he'd do well as sub, and that he should be in the team. Seems like a good option to start him in that role and adjust as the season goes on. Who else would we pick as sub? Curtin to avoid having 4 tall forwards or Nank? Draper seems like a better pick to me.

 

[Cromulant]

Plenty of evidence from that performance that he'd do well as sub, and that he should be in the team. Seems like a good option to start him in that role and adjust as the season goes on. Who else would we pick as sub? Curtin to avoid having 4 tall forwards or Nank? Draper seems like a better pick to me.

Curtin for mine.

Ability to come in and play absolutely anywhere. It's a tricky one because you want them both to get good game time.

 

[crows dude]

Playing our only recent All Australian midfielder not in the midfield is certainly a choice

Dawson to a wing

 

[Southerntakeover]

For sure, but we ain’t doing that

Should never frame our demands around them though

 

[Southerntakeover]

Curtin for mine.

Ability to come in and play absolutely anywhere. It's a tricky one because you want them both to get good game time.

And you now, we should try not to drive Curtin out of the club by continuing to treat him like shit when he can be playing AFL elsewhere

 

[Cleric]

Dropping Sholl means we are short on outside players so we'd have to rotate some of our best mids (Dawson or Soligo) into that position

I don't see the point in doing that when we could just drop Crouch

You still need inside beasts that get the ball in the middle, in congested stoppages, and send it out to the players to run with it.
Crouch is still the best option we have in that area. You don't know what you have till it's gone.
Tell me who is going to get 35 possessions each week, take the hits, and feed the ball out?

 

[Scorpus]

You still need inside beasts that get the ball in the middle, in congested stoppages, and send it out to the players to run with it.
Crouch is still the best option we have in that area. You don't know what you have till it's gone.
Tell me who is going to get 35 possessions each week, take the hits, and feed the ball out?

Soligo has all the tools to be a better version of Crouch

 

[Cleric]

Sid looks to be an absolute gem, and the icing? He's a Crows tragic who is living his dream by playing for the team he supports, at home, in front of his family and friends.
The benefits that brings is massive.
Look at Thilthorpe. Signed a long term contract, no interest in taking big offers from interstate clubs, and will absolutely play better here.
We save cap space, don't lose talent, and they have an extra pride in playing for the team that other players don't.

 

[Cleric]

Soligo has all the tools to be a better version of Crouch

Soligo is a different player than Crouch. He is more of your Robbie Grey type of player, than an inside ball winner. As we have seen over the last two weeks, he is a scoreboard threat as well, so I would want to see him playing in the forward half more.

 

[Scorpus]

Soligo is a different player than Crouch. He is more of your Robbie Grey type of player, than an inside ball winner. As we have seen over the last two weeks, he is a scoreboard threat as well, so I would want to see him playing in the forward half more.

Soligo being different to Crouch is exactly what I want.

I don't think our side requires a guy who is only good at extracting the ball

 

[Cleric]

Soligo being different to Crouch is exactly what I want.

I don't think our side requires a guy who is only good at extracting the ball

But you need a guy who is elite at extracting the ball, and he is excellent at it, infact the best we have in the team.

A few years ago our issue was that we had too many of that type in the team, but now we don't.
It's no coincidence that our teams uptick last year coincided with his return to the team.
He is important to our structure, more than people know.

 

[Scorpus]

But you need a guy who is elite at extracting the ball, and he is excellent at it, infact the best we have in the team.

A few years ago our issue was that we had too many of that type in the team, but now we don't.
It's no coincidence that our teams uptick last year coincided with his return to the team.
He is important to our structure, more than people know.

I dunno about this uptick. We've performed poorly with Crouch plenty of times over the last couple of years including losing our first four matches last year.

I'm not saying he's a bad player that causes losses. But I don't think he's that important. Most sides in the AFL are moving away from the one dimensional accumulator

 

[Cleric]

I dunno about this uptick. We've performed poorly with Crouch plenty of times over the last couple of years including losing our first four matches last year.

I'm not saying he's a bad player that causes losses. But I don't think he's that important. Most sides in the AFL are moving away from the one dimensional accumulator

He's not an AA and B&F because he is a plodder.
Some of his inside work by hand is sublime.
You need to get the ball to move it forward, and no one at the Crows can extract the ball and farm it out as good as him.

I think he is more important for team structure than alot of people realize.

 

[Crow till I die]

After reading the above, its standing out like a sore thumb Laird needs to be dropped and if you had another guy thats considered unlucky, sholl might be that guy although the role of sub might work for him as an injection of pace and good ball use in that role would be a good thing. Curtin and Draper need to just be in the side unless they fatigue and need a rest. They really are a massive part of our future success

 

[Crow_Magnon]

Draper must play round 1. I know Sholl did well last year, but I think Curtin come into his wing role as he has more versatility. Rachele and Miocalanney have to find a spot too...so I'm afraid Sholl is my out.

 

[Cromulant]

Draper must play round 1. I know Sholl did well last year, but I think Curtin come into his wing role as he has more versatility. Rachele and Miocalanney have to find a spot too...so I'm afraid Sholl is my out.

Cant see that happening, played well last night too.

 

[spenze]

You still need inside beasts that get the ball in the middle, in congested stoppages, and send it out to the players to run with it.
Crouch is still the best option we have in that area. You don't know what you have till it's gone.
Tell me who is going to get 35 possessions each week, take the hits, and feed the ball out?

Maybe

I can see the arguments as well for Crouch in now as we have a better balance of CBA attendees who compliment him but Peatling and Soli are beasts at extraction as well and provide more dimensions than Croucher. I'm not sure his time is up just yet but the clock is definitely ticking and the likelihood is that Crouch does not add another role to his resume this late in his career.

I think he is lucky that Draper isn't in his third year otherwise there would be no room at all for Matt

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Draper must play round 1. I know Sholl did well last year, but I think Curtin come into his wing role as he has more versatility. Rachele and Miocalanney have to find a spot too...so I'm afraid Sholl is my out.

Tough round 1 selection for all. Sholl performed well last night. Draper will play.

 

[Golumless]

Does Curtin have the aerobic capacity to play as a full time wing in his second year? It's a very demanding role. I think if we do this he would still have to rotate forward for a bit which still means dragging an inside mid to the wing.

Agreed, I don't think you would ditch the forward role entirely, just have it as a bit of a reshuffle when TT is rucking and you're relying on your second unit to hold the game. Still, I'm not envisioning a role that gets more than 70% TOG in total.

Dragging an inside mid to wing is fine, and really it might be a good way to begin to transition Dawson into being a part time inside midfielder, whilst keeping him involved around ground. You're going to shuffle those five anyway, and personally, I'd rather see Dawson away from the forward line.

 

[BucketsNj]

Okay so where do all the players fit? Here is the prototype Nicks team that played today with the missing players added back

B Worrell - Murray - Michalanney
HB Hinge - Keane - Laird

R O'Brien - Dawson - Rankine
C Cumming - Crouch - Sholl

HF Rachele - Fogarty - Neal-Bullen
F Walker - Thilthorpe - Keays

I Peatling - Soligo - Curtin - Milera/Nankervis

Who drops out to rotate Draper in?

Really, Draper or Curtin have to be sub. I can't see any other option. And I think, unfortunately, Draper is better value as sub than Curtin. Who just needs some games into him. But what a great problem to have.

 

[Schulzycrow]

Draper must play round 1. I know Sholl did well last year, but I think Curtin come into his wing role as he has more versatility. Rachele and Miocalanney have to find a spot too...so I'm afraid Sholl is my out.

Should be Laird, but it won't be.