Sinclair

[Ron]

I don't think he is in our best 22, but for the moment i am happy for him to stay. He has plenty to work on, but there are things he does right. He provides pressure, and he can get to the footy.

Even though he made errors yesterday, at least he was getting to the ball, something that Seedsman couldn't do.

 

[jimmy35]

mate, i am a massive Sinclair fan but i use this analogy. its like the kid that tries really hard but he gets in the way of the talented kids.

example was him spoiling pendles today. although i love his effort

His nickname should be potholes

Does bring a lot of effort but skills and decision making aren't up to it yet.

 

[unplugged]

With Luke Ball out for the season, do we not need another game-high tackler..?

 

[Williamc99]

He did some real stupid things but in other ways, he did some good things as well. For me, his finishing is awful. He also tends to dish off handballs to people who aren't free when he could go for goal and if there is someone free and is in a better position, he doesn't give it to them. For example, Jolly both last week and on Anzac Day. He'll get better with time.

 

[wicksy]

At The Moment he is Mr. Momentum Killer as he has killed our Momentum over and over again with his Poor Disposal and missing goals he really should kick

No.... Chris Dawes is Mr Momentum Killer..... Turnover after turnover..... Missed shots from dead in front.... He's lucky he's managed to find himself as our second ruck man otherwise he'd be straight back to the twos.

 

[sloth6]

Should've kicked that goal and sealed the win and should've dished one off to Ugle who was on the right side for a left footer - also in the last quarter.

Certainly not in best 25, let alone best 22.

 

[HeavyPop]

He could be in trouble come the end of the season if he doesn't improve. We delisted Barham and he showed more than Sinclair has.

 

[i_hate_scams]

i see him in the 25-35 bracket. he's handy as a reserve to cover injuries (which is where we are atm) but will never make it in the long term if his disposals does not improve. a player will only remain at a club for about 3-5 years if he is in the 25-35 bracket, either because the player wants to move on (ie McCartney) or is a list clogger from the club's point of view.

 

[Collingwoodity]

At The Moment he is Mr. Momentum Killer as he has killed our Momentum over and over again with his Poor Disposal and missing goals he really should kick

This is so true.

and ALWAYS carlton/essendon scored rebound goals always

 

[MarkT2]

He did a few good things - 1%ers. He lacks poise and skill. That seems fatal to me. If he can quickly adjust to the pace of the game and show more poise he has some chance but I'd bet against it.

Seedsman simialrly lacks a bit of poise but he looks more balanced and better skilled so IMO a fair bit more likely to make the adjustment. He could use a bit of Swans fat on his arms though.

 

[Pie eyed]

Sinclair does a hell of a lot right.
He deserves his spot in the side but opens the door to critics by not being able to finish in front of the sticks.
Had he got those two goals we'd be lauding him.
That said I swore long at hard at the kid yesterday...out of frustration.

Sydney's Jetta crossed my mind more than once.
19 straight points before a major.

 

[wicksy]

Sinclair does a hell of a lot right.
He deserves his spot in the side but opens the door to critics by not being able to finish in front of the sticks.
Had he got those two goals we'd be lauding him.
That said I swore long at hard at the kid yesterday...out of frustration.

Sydney's Jetta crossed my mind more than once.
19 straight points before a major.

Agree.... I can't believe some people on this board writing him off already.
I've seen a lot in the kid already.... Has great speed and jumps in to packs head first. When he gets a bit bigger and gains a bit more composure/confidence, I think he'll improve out of sight.

 

[Trojan Pies]

Sydney's Jetta crossed my mind more than once.
19 straight points before a major.

Jetta failed to put them through the big sticks initially but his field kicking was always decent despite this....obviously this is not the case for Sinclair.

Elliott will come in when fit to fulfil his role. How many times did Sinclair kick 4 goals in the VFL and look as good as Elliott did last weekend with his trick bag?

I'll say that I'm not Sinclair's biggest fan and yesterday he did some outstanding things without the ball and some horrible with it. Like a previous poster, my heart did not raise a beat when he was running into goal because I was expecting him to miss.

Unfortunately, endeavour will only get you so far in senior football. There are plenty of young players out there who have a ton more than many AFL players but because they can't dispose of the ball at the required level, will never make it.

 

[sloth6]

Sinclair does a hell of a lot right.
He deserves his spot in the side but opens the door to critics by not being able to finish in front of the sticks.
Had he got those two goals we'd be lauding him.
That said I swore long at hard at the kid yesterday...out of frustration.

Sydney's Jetta crossed my mind more than once.
19 straight points before a major.

You can't be serious comparing Sinclair to Jetta. Sydney's Jetta looks and plays like a natural footballer, can kick the footy and has genuine pace. I'd also suggest he understands the game a whole lot better than Sinclair as well.

Sinclair has no awareness, couldn't hit the side of barn and he is reasonable quick.

 

[entourage]

Sinclair was disappointing. Tries his guts out, can find the footy, but rarely knows what to do with it. His goal sense is shocking. Top marks for effort, that smother on the boundary in the 4th was golden, but no more than 2 minutes later he fluffed a simple goal (not to mention hue could've easily run in another 20m to make it easier).

I have hopes for him in the future, but he needs time in the twos to refine his skills.

 

[Pie eyed]

You can't be serious comparing Sinclair to Jetta. Sydney's Jetta looks and plays like a natural footballer, can kick the footy and has genuine pace. I'd also suggest he understands the game a whole lot better than Sinclair as well.

Sinclair has no awareness, couldn't hit the side of barn and he is reasonable quick.

I was comparing his inaccuracy early in his career.

Nothing alike as players.
Sinclair gets a lot of ball.
Is he just lucky?
No he goes and gets it and puts his slight frame in hard too.
All good indicators...if he can learn to finish.
Swan, Scotland, Rupe and even Scotty Burns were similar players in their first dozen or so games....sans the inaccuracy.

Seems he may end up being my new "Maxwell".

 

[Pie eyed]

Sinclair was disappointing. Tries his guts out, can find the footy, but rarely knows what to do with it. His goal sense is shocking. Top marks for effort, that smother on the boundary in the 4th was golden, but no more than 2 minutes later he fluffed a simple goal (not to mention hue could've easily run in another 20m to make it easier).

I have hopes for him in the future, but he needs time in the twos to refine his skills.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

After seeing Elliott play last week, there is no doubt that he will soon take over Sinclair's spot. Elliott is a classy footballer where Sinclair is not. Sinclair to refine his skills in the VFL as others suggested, though he can stay in the side till Elliott is ready to replace him.

 

[Dynamics]

I love his endeavour. When some of our blokes were not quite doing those 1 percenters in the opening rounds, he was throwing his body at the contest like he was possessed. I'm sure that's why Bucks has kept playing him and I love it.

But I have a natural aversion to poor foot skills and what Sinclair does is more than just nerves or inexperience to my eye. I felt the same when he got the ball - I just expected him to miss. And he did. Badly.

Interesting contrast with Fasolo who has foot skills but doesn't seem to be in the right head space, sometimes playing with a me-first attitude. If only we could combine the best of both of them!

I don't know that we will drop Sinclair yet but he better start kicking straight or Ugle / Elliot will take his spot.

 

[Number 10]

It begs the rhetorical question then... How much did we need Krakouer yesterday!!!???

 

[Breakthelines]

He is a kid for christ sake.

His pressure, tackling and hardness at the balls fantastic.

Yes his kicking for goal yesterday was poor but I like the way he goes about his footy. Buckley seems to like the way he goes about it and he will improve each week. Development is the key with Leon gone and Krakouer out and getting close to 30.

He has more to offer than Tom Young (Dud).

 

[Number 10]

I would like to toast him though on his game yesterday because he saved the game for us on 2 occasions (even though missing that goal was almost unforgivable).

First was when there was a contest 60 out from Essendons goal and there were 3 Essendon players about to pick up the ball and pump them inside 50... He ltierally put his well being on the line and drove head first towards the ball and got wrapped up and caused another ball up - something that took alot of courage.

Second was his mark outside 50 to set up Blair's goal - hell it could have been Dawes or Beams on the end of that ball and could have fumbled the chest mark under such pressure, but he didn't. And he did the discipline thing and popped it to the goal square -the rest is history.

His smother on the wing too deserves some kudos and the only other bloke who would have done that is Thomas.

9 tackles was also fantastic, I just wish he could kick because he could really add much more to the team.

 

[cleomenes]

The first thing in football is to get the ball. Sinclair can do this, and did it yesterday in an enormously pressured game. The next thing is to get away with it to do something with it. He did this too, with a little less success. The last thing is to use it well. He failed here, and could have cost the game with the two misses.

So the question for his future is, will the use of the ball get better? I suspect the answer is yes. He doesn't have an awful drop, he kicks good distance, and he has a look. The missing link seems to be confidence that he is doing the right thing. Sprays from senior players won't help this. Experience should.

More time is required, and less judgement from us on the basis of limited eveidence. We seem less critical of Seedsman, even though he has been unable to get in position to deliver the ball at this level. Most of us see that experience is needed here too. Several posters have made the valid point that Ben Johnson was a hacker in his early days, and he is a crucial player now. I agree with those that eye luke Ball's job and think that Sinclair might be able to do that, but not straight away. In short, give him a break until his potential has been explored. It certainly hasn't yet.

 

[HFF]

The kid just cannot get it together.

Look, I hope he can because it will make our side stronger but his kicking and decision making in the role he is playing is hurting us. Pressure can only keep you in the side for so long. He is on very thin ice.

Didak and Elliott are much needed because both would have finished off yesterday.

 

[lgarth80]

I would like to toast him though on his game yesterday because he saved the game for us on 2 occasions (even though missing that goal was almost unforgivable).

First was when there was a contest 60 out from Essendons goal and there were 3 Essendon players about to pick up the ball and pump them inside 50... He ltierally put his well being on the line and drove head first towards the ball and got wrapped up and caused another ball up - something that took alot of courage.

Second was his mark outside 50 to set up Blair's goal - hell it could have been Dawes or Beams on the end of that ball and could have fumbled the chest mark under such pressure, but he didn't. And he did the discipline thing and popped it to the goal square -the rest is history.

His smother on the wing too deserves some kudos and the only other bloke who would have done that is Thomas.

9 tackles was also fantastic, I just wish he could kick because he could really add much more to the team.

This.
Watch his last quarter and there is a lot to work on, but more to like.

He won the ball, finishing is difficult when under pressure, and this was a very big occasion.
He turned Fletcher and really could have sealed the game with that 40 metre shot on the run, which didn't miss by much.
Good mark and kick to the square to setup Blair's goal (if he'd gone to Jolly I fear he or Jolly would have messed it up)
Numerous 1% actions

The down side is certainly his kicking, but his ball-winning late made me think it's a confidence and tempo thing, and that he's starting to "get" AFL football. He's never been known as a bad kick from juniors.

Watching Buckley when he missed sigh at the screen saying "Benny" made me think of Malthouse with Ben Johnson.

Everyone in 2002 would have probably dragged Johnson in that Qualifying Final after shanking a few kicks, but Mick kept faith and was rewarded with that amazing tackle on Burgoyne late which was a key factor in our victory.

Sinclair could have done the same for Buckley.

No doubt in my mind had we subbed Sinclair and not Seedsman (as many in my area of the crowd were asking for) we would have lost.

Buckley's faith in the kid didn't win us the game (probably should have) but let's remember we won by a point and Sinclair kicked a few of them in the last term...

I was of the opinion drop him, now I'm not so sure, just as he's starting to show that he could play a role in our team, I'd like him to get a few more under the belt.

That said, I think with Thomas, Shaw, Didak returning next week, he's pretty much got to resign himself with a spot in the magoos until injury strikes again.