Steele Sidebottom to defence

[Harry O]

Currently our defence lacks any good kicks of the football.
A bit scary going into a game tonight with 7 turnover merchants manning the last lines (Brown, Frost, Williams, Sinclair, Toovey, Marsh and Langdon). We need to add some skill and decision making to the backline, not just tonight but going forward. And even worse, one of our most promising replacements in this area (Berg) is supposedly a chance to leave.

I think we should consider re-deploying Steele to defence. He played a lot of his under 18's at Murray at half back. He is very smart, reads the play very well, makes good decisions and will offer good rebound. Especially next year if Aish and Treloar arrive, it gives us that flexibility to play Steele as the 6th or 7th defender.

With Varcoe preferred on a wing tonight on Jetta, I would play Sidebottom at half back or as the 7th defender.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Currently our defence lacks any good kicks of the football.
A bit scary going into a game tonight with 7 turnover merchants manning the last lines (Brown, Frost, Williams, Sinclair, Toovey, Marsh and Langdon). We need to add some skill and decision making to the backline, not just tonight but going forward. And even worse, one of our most promising replacements in this area (Berg) is supposedly a chance to leave.

I think we should consider re-deploying Steele to defence. He played a lot of his under 18's at Murray at half back. He is very smart, reads the play very well, makes good decisions and will offer good rebound. Especially next year if Aish and Treloar arrive, it gives us that flexibility to play Steele as the 6th or 7th defender.

With Varcoe preferred on a wing tonight on Jetta, I would play Sidebottom at half back or as the 7th defender.

Turnover Merchants - I need to look at this. Below is disposal efficiency in % and second brackets is clangers per game.

Brown (83%) (1.4), Frost (86%) (1.1), Williams (73%) (2.1), Sinclair (64.1%) (0.7), Toovey (71%), Marsh (80%) (1.4) (3), Langdon (74%) (2.3)

Pendles runs at 76% (1.9) and Sidey at 77% (1.8)

The numbers don't really prove your theory. Sinclairs efficiency is only 64%, not real good but he hardly directly turns the ball over.

That said I'd like to see Steele running of HBF especially when he's finding it hard to get into the game at times shown over the last few weeks.

Our defence isn't a real big problem IMO, our mistakes there hurt and are evident through games but all in all they're pretty good numbers.

Not sure where this knock on Brown comes from regarding his disposal. He is leading our most efficient user of the ball this season.

 

[Unknown Identity]

LAWYERED!!

 

[Kappa]

Sidebottom being a good kick of the footy is a myth.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Sidebottom being a good kick of the footy is a myth.

He's certainly not a bad kick.

He's so valuable IMO because IIRC he's a good kick on both sides of his body so rarely gets caught out looking for his preferred side. When you watch a player like Suckling who people claim is a great kick, being caught in his wrong side, he's as good as useless.

 

[Kappa]

He's certainly not a bad kick.

He's so valuable IMO because IIRC he's a good kick on both sides of his body so rarely gets caught out looking for his preferred side. When you watch a player like Suckling who people claim is a great kick, being caught in his wrong side, he's as good as useless.

He's valuable because he is one of the best endurance runners in the AFL.

His kicks regularly drop 1-2 metres short of their target causing pressure on his teammates, and he lacks penetration on his kicks.

 

[NT.Thunder]

He's valuable because he is one of the best endurance runners in the AFL.

His kicks regularly drop 1-2 metres short of their target causing pressure on his teammates, and he lacks penetration on his kicks.

And is one of the best kicks on both sides of his body.

 

[Kappa]

And is one of the best kicks on both sides of his body.

If by "best kicks" you mean sometimes reliable over 20-40 metres apart from all the times he regularly misses the target with kicks he drops short

 

[NT.Thunder]

If by "best kicks" you mean sometimes reliable over 20-40 metres apart from all the times he regularly misses the target with kicks he drops short

We'll have to agree to disagree on this Kappa - IMO Sidey is one of the better users of the ball, on both sides of his body, at our club and in the comp.

 

[Kirby]

Sidebottom being a good kick of the footy is a myth.

God you love a big statement sometimes.

He is a good kick. Saying he is an elite kick would be a myth but he's a good kick.

 

[Shaneprice97]

I think it was about the last 5 or so games in 2013 that Sidebottom played in the backline and played very well.

Hes an AA ready to happen there, if we sign Treloar and Aish, ill happily send Steele down back.

 

[Pendles!]

Too good through the mids where he can use his running power. He played there a bit a few years ago and was fairly average defensively.

 

[BoxMatrix]

Turnover Merchants - I need to look at this. Below is disposal efficiency in % and second brackets is clangers per game.

Brown (83%) (1.4), Frost (86%) (1.1), Williams (73%) (2.1), Sinclair (64.1%) (0.7), Toovey (71%), Marsh (80%) (1.4) (3), Langdon (74%) (2.3)

Pendles runs at 76% (1.9) and Sidey at 77% (1.8)

I am actually surprised Langdon's disposal efficiency is so high, and his clanger count is so low. Guess he hasn't been that bad this year...

 

[domin8tors]

Currently our defence lacks any good kicks of the football.
A bit scary going into a game tonight with 7 turnover merchants manning the last lines (Brown, Frost, Williams, Sinclair, Toovey, Marsh and Langdon). We need to add some skill and decision making to the backline, not just tonight but going forward. And even worse, one of our most promising replacements in this area (Berg) is supposedly a chance to leave.

I think we should consider re-deploying Steele to defence. He played a lot of his under 18's at Murray at half back. He is very smart, reads the play very well, makes good decisions and will offer good rebound. Especially next year if Aish and Treloar arrive, it gives us that flexibility to play Steele as the 6th or 7th defender.

With Varcoe preferred on a wing tonight on Jetta, I would play Sidebottom at half back or as the 7th defender.

interesting points, my only argument on this is that one of his biggest assests is his engine. and therefore it makes him an extremely hard working two way runner, often he runs down and helps out the defence and then on the rebound finds himself free in the F50 whereas is direct opponent is still lanquishing behind. so although perhaps we gain with his kicking efficiency we lose his hard running.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I have no issue with him spending some time in the backline but hes a midfielder. Been squeezed out of the forward line though

 

[BEEG]

Sidebottom is a very good short kick but isn't the greatest kick over 40

Reminds me of Sam Mitchell just not as good

 

[xxxWillxxx]

who cares where you name him on the field, the kid just runs goal line to goal line all day.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Sidebottom is a very good short kick but isn't the greatest kick over 40

Reminds me of Sam Mitchell just not as good

Sam Mitchell wouldn't get a game at any other club bar Hawthorn

 

[Markfs]

Turnover Merchants - I need to look at this. Below is disposal efficiency in % and second brackets is clangers per game.

Brown (83%) (1.4), Frost (86%) (1.1), Williams (73%) (2.1), Sinclair (64.1%) (0.7), Toovey (71%), Marsh (80%) (1.4) (3), Langdon (74%) (2.3)

Pendles runs at 76% (1.9) and Sidey at 77% (1.8)

The numbers don't really prove your theory. Sinclairs efficiency is only 64%, not real good but he hardly directly turns the ball over.

That said I'd like to see Steele running of HBF especially when he's finding it hard to get into the game at times shown over the last few weeks.

Our defence isn't a real big problem IMO, our mistakes there hurt and are evident through games but all in all they're pretty good numbers.

Not sure where this knock on Brown comes from regarding his disposal. He is leading our most efficient user of the ball this season.

Stats are interesting things. I can remember Brown kicking high floating drop punts across half-back, only to see them end up in turnovers. I remember seeing it at the Freo game and there have been a couple of others. I wish he would stop doing that. It mightn't have a big impact on his efficiency stats but it can be significant in a game.

As for Frosty, I think his kicking has improved but he takes very few risks and tries to hit safe targets. On the other hand, Marley is more adventurous and you would expect him to make more mistakes. Toovey does seem to just whack it down the line - it's a bit like rolling the dice.

Whatever the reason, we dont seem to be as precise as some of the top teams coming out of defence. While the stats dont appear to support this, my gut has other thoughts. The other thing about kicking efficiency is that it takes two to tango. Hawthorn impresses me about how easy their players upfield make it on the player kicking. Their leading and creation of space is normally very good.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Stats are interesting things. I can remember Brown kicking high floating drop punts across half-back, only to see them end up in turnovers. I remember seeing it at the Freo game and there have been a couple of others. I wish he would stop doing that. It mightn't have a big impact on his efficiency stats but it can be significant in a game.

As for Frosty, I think his kicking has improved but he takes very few risks and tries to hit safe targets. On the other hand, Marley is more adventurous and you would expect him to make more mistakes. Toovey does seem to just whack it down the line - it's a bit like rolling the dice.

Whatever the reason, we dont seem to be as precise as some of the top teams coming out of defence. While the stats dont appear to support this, my gut has other thoughts. The other thing about kicking efficiency is that it takes two to tango. Hawthorn impresses me about how easy their players upfield make it on the player kicking. Their leading and creation of space is normally very good.

I agree - and I wish the public had access to more detailed stats like kicking efficiency over specific distances as like you I suspect many players stats are inflated by short rubbish kicks rather than effective kicks over 40m.

Frost and Brown's stats would be inflated by simple handballs to a running player also out of defence so once again I agree with you.

 

[Bucksboys]

So many defenders

Toovey Brown Goldsack Sinclair Seedsman Frost Maynard Marsh Scharenberg Reid Langdon Oxley Williams Ramsay Keeffe

 

[partypie]

One thing about defenders is that they sometimes need to lock down on their man and blanket them in a one-on-one contests (ie. tackle, chase, spoil, etc) - I just can't see Steelo maintaining that sort of work rate for extended periods because that's just not the type of player he is.

His ball use is also somewhat overrated by some on this board by the looks of things - not because his disposal skills by foot aren't naturally good, but because he occasionally (and sometimes frequently) bites off more than he can chew by trying to stab pass a low ball which often end up at the toes of the team mate in question or makes bad decisions by overestimating what he is capable of doing off his left boot.

He also has zero penetration off either boot - you want your good disposer of the ball off half back to be able kick long, flat, quick 50-55m bullets lace out to a team mate coming out of defence and he just doesn't have that ability in him (not too many players do to be fair).

 

[partypie]

I am actually surprised Langdon's disposal efficiency is so high, and his clanger count is so low. Guess he hasn't been that bad this year...

The bad ones are really bad and he does sweat a fair bit on quick handballs and cheap kicks sideways out of defence (which by the way count as an effective disposal even if they sell the team mate in question out with no options for them to kick to in the process).

I have a suspiscion that any F50 entry to a contest (ie. one that doesn't directly result in a turnover) also might be counted as an effective kick (Langers gets a few of those each week), but I could be wrong on that front.

 

[BoxMatrix]

So many defenders

Toovey Brown Goldsack Sinclair Seedsman Frost Maynard Marsh Scharenberg Reid Langdon Oxley Williams Ramsay Keeffe

Yes, but how many of those are actually quality and capable of winning a premiership?

 

[partypie]

Sam Mitchell wouldn't get a game at any other club bar Hawthorn

Yeah no - I'd slap a black + white guernsey on him tomorrow if he wanted to come over and he'd probably be our best pure midfielder right off the bat.

Pendles is as good of a player because he has a few other strings to his bow, but Mitchell is the best midfield general there is in the game right now, he nearly always makes the right decision and consistently sets up team mates in good positions when disposing of the ball by foot or (especially) by hand - he's the closest thing in that respect to Greg Williams in the modern era since, well, Greg Williams.

I'm 100% positive that Pendles himself would absolutely blow his load on the spot if he knew Mitchell crossing over.