The Age's 2004 Preview

[Streaker]

I personally think that these guys have no idea of what happens over here in the West and just take guesses based on their own crappy media reports.

NIALL'S BEST 22
B: Wirrpunda, Glass, Staker
HB: Hunter, Jakovich, Braun
C: Embley, Cousins, Kerr
HF: Chick, Gaspar, Sampi
F: Matera, McDougall, Jones
Foll: Gardiner, Judd, Fletcher
Inter: Banfield, Lynch, Cox, Wooden

I don't know about that.

Have a read and see what you think.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/03/15/1079199160826.html

 

[Clayton]

Kasey Green not in the our best 22 they definately have no idea what is going on out west the guys our Franchise player

 

[jess-jess]

the fact that they have Jacko at CHB shows they haven't really payed any attention to us this pre season. Also no johnson. and aren't we wanting Gaspar to play down back? This guy hasn't done his homework

 

[Mead]

Wonderful 'journalism' from the Age- how their 2004 season preview differs from a 2003 season review I'm not sure at all.
As with a lot of the ones for other teams, they read like they were written around october last year and locked in a bank vault somewhere- Jako at CHB?! Lynch on the bench? Braun swanning around the HB line, with Kasey Green and Paul Johnson and languishing in the WAFL?

 

[coasting]

A bit harsh having Daniel Chick 'at the crossroads'. He struggled when injured but performed some crucial roles on Pavlich, Buckley, Yze as well as others.

 

[Altum Volantes]

I don't think it's that bad a review, about what you'd expect from a Victorian journo.

The best 22 is around the mark.

I think some people are jumping the gun a bit on the likes of Lynch and Johnson, a bad round 1 could see them in the WAFL - IF they get picked for round 1 that is.

Kasey Green is touch and go for a place in the team, just like last year, he could have been dropped without any real suprise - maybe put him in there instead of Brent Staker in a back pocket - or Michael Collica.
Maybe swap Wooden on the bench with Chad Morrison, could go either way though.

Daniel Chick is at the crossroads, another injury plagued and inconsistent season will put question marks over his value to the team. Trying to recapture top quality form at 29 would be even harder, and the team may then have to consider a younger option.

"WE" might want to play Travis Gaspar down back, but the guy hasn't actually played down back yet has he ?
He'd be in the best 22 if fit, and I'd say he would also be up forward.

He's right about a few points he makes, but remember the guy isn't coming from a fans point of view or is it very likely he will have seen the team play other than the 2 Wizard Cup matches (He commented on Cox's new build, so he has seen something.)

I've seen worse reviews.

 

[jod23]

It's the same as last year because we havent changed that much from last year. We have the finest midfield in the comp and our spine struggles. It's the same this year as it was going into 2003. But this year we are that much closer with Johnson, Lynch and Doogs showing something. With Glass also to come back into the side.

The best 22 was a little wayward but the general point of their review was spot on. Perhaps they could have talked a little more about our developing KPP's though. I believe we are a lot closer than the experts seem to think or know.

 

[eagleye]

i am from Victoria and trust me the jornos last year were saying we'd finish around 12th, they really were. The only one that said we'd do well was Dennis Commetti and he's from WA! They have improved their opinion of us but are still abit behind. Woosha was right last year when he questioned whether Victorians respected us.

 

[mick ryan]

Originally posted by jess-jess
[aren't we wanting Gaspar to play down back? This guy hasn't done his homework [/B]

The operative word being PLAY, will the guy ever be injury free??
In a way he's the WCE version of the Dockers McPharlin only worse.

 

[masai]

It would appear the Vic media are in love with the Hawks, as they must be predicted to be in position 6 upwards.

The Hawks have done b all in the pre season to show me that they will be serious contenders, I think the media must be hanging their hats on the draw rather than team skill or performance.

Ok review, but I will repeat it again, Wirrapunda is not a back pockets bootlace. Half back ok, but he is too loose to play in the last line.

 

[Streaker]

I was just looking at our 'supposed' best 22 by Craig O'Donoghue in the new Inside Football and it had our spine as follows

FF McDougall
CHF Gaspar
C Judd
CHB Jakovich
FB Carroll

No disrespect to these guys but lay off of the drugs.

Get ready to have coffee come out of your nose.
The full team was as follows.

F Chick McDougall Matera
HF Jones Gaspar Kerr
C Embley Judd Braun
HB Sampi Jako Staker
B Wiirpunda Carroll Humm

R Gardiner Cousins Fletcher
Int Green Banfield Cox Morrison

No Hunter, Glass, Lynch, Johnson, Nicoski, Seaby, Selwood and the list goes on...

Their rankings for last year were

1. Cousins
2. Gardiner
3. Kerr
4. Jakovich
5. McIntosh
6. Chick
7. Judd
8. Phil Matera
9. Troy Wilson
10. Wirrpunda

Even Gaspar cracked a mention at 16 with Peter Matera at 19 and Seirakowski at 26

This year Gaspar moves up to 13 with Carroll close behind at 14 and even Kane Munro makes the top 30 before Lynch and Collica.

I paid $4.95 for this?????

 

[mick ryan]

Originally posted by West Coast Stre
I was just looking at our 'supposed' best 22 by Craig O'Donoghue

I paid $4.95 for this?????

Well what do you expect, he is after all an umpire as well as a journo and if you reckon that Victorian based journo's are bad this guy and some of his Worst Australian colleagues wouldn't get a gig on the HUN or The Age etc.

 

[The Mission Man]

Originally posted by Black JuJu
I don't think it's that bad a review, about what you'd expect from a Victorian journo.

The best 22 is around the mark.

I think some people are jumping the gun a bit on the likes of Lynch and Johnson, a bad round 1 could see them in the WAFL - IF they get picked for round 1 that is.

Kasey Green is touch and go for a place in the team, just like last year, he could have been dropped without any real suprise - maybe put him in there instead of Brent Staker in a back pocket - or Michael Collica.
Maybe swap Wooden on the bench with Chad Morrison, could go either way though.

Daniel Chick is at the crossroads, another injury plagued and inconsistent season will put question marks over his value to the team. Trying to recapture top quality form at 29 would be even harder, and the team may then have to consider a younger option.

"WE" might want to play Travis Gaspar down back, but the guy hasn't actually played down back yet has he ?
He'd be in the best 22 if fit, and I'd say he would also be up forward.

He's right about a few points he makes, but remember the guy isn't coming from a fans point of view or is it very likely he will have seen the team play other than the 2 Wizard Cup matches (He commented on Cox's new build, so he has seen something.)

I've seen worse reviews.

Stop making sense. You know the drill. All journos are meatheads and young one-gamers like Paul Johnson are dead-set guns deserving of the entire nation's respect and attention.

It's not Niall's fault you have a spine-in-the-making that no-one knows very much about. I thought it was a reasonably well-balanced review and as informative as these things can possibly be.

 

[TheRealBuzz]

I thought it was spot-on.

 

[Kenny_01]

Originally posted by TheRealBuzz
I thought it was spot-on.

Ditto... normally these things in the Vic media are a bit off when talking about our clubs but I thought it was a good effort this time around.

 

[Exeter]

Originally posted by The Mission Man
It's not Niall's fault you have a spine-in-the-making that no-one knows very much about.

That's almost a compliment MM.

There is a god afterall.

 

[Sera]

Seems like a fair review to me. Don't think the coaching staff would see Chick at the crossroads if he was named in the leadership group?

 

[WestCoastJonny]

I think the age has produced a good REVIEW but not a good preview eccept for Carro puting us at second, my hatedred for her has subsided a little. Also i would have Lynch in the back line before Glass as when he gets the ball he looks like a little boy with a hot potatoe . Johnson should also get a run at CHF during the season proper as Gasper doesnt look like his body wants to hold up to AFL footy, lets hope not though.

 

[DanielKerr4]

Only queries i have were Jacko at CHB and Lynch not in the starting 18. The rest is pretty good.

Today the Hawks were in and were put 4th!!! Unbeliveable!

 

[Jabber]

Originally posted by DanielKerr4
...Today the Hawks were in and were put 4th!!! Unbeliveable!

'The Age' a quality newspaper. To quote Edmund Blackadder "Firm, soft & thoroughly absorbent".

 

[str8khlr]

Originally posted by Sera
Seems like a fair review to me. Don't think the coaching staff would see Chick at the crossroads if he was named in the leadership group?

He's an experienced player, probably good round the club. Doesn't mean he's not another bad season from the end of his career.