Strategy The future...

[Allikat]

Yeah this year Neale is very Priddis-esq.

2014-2015 Neale is way better.

DE% this year 68.4%, 25 clangers, 1 goal in 7 games.

DE% last year 75.4%, 49 clangers, 16 goals in 24 games.

Something's clearly up with his kicking from watching him. Whether that's just a blip or as a result of no Sandilands and no Fyfe putting a lot more pressure on him, who knows. It'll be interesting to see if he improves as the season progresses.

His problem with kicking could just be that he's been carrying a slight calf injury

 

[Scham]

Lol, Neale is much better than Cunnington.

He's also better than Cotchin and Varcoe isn't in the same league as Neale.

 

[Allikat]

to me that just looks like a random list of 30 players. Half of them aren't even inside mids, or actually that good

 

[TheMcManusNose]

His problem with kicking could just be that he's been carrying a slight calf injury

Yeah I think it's a combination of that, being the #1 clearance inside player the whole season rather than #2 or #3 normally, and whatever game plan issues the whole side seems to be slogging through.

 

[wayToGo_]

Yeah this year Neale is very Priddis-esq.

2014-2015 Neale is way better.

DE% this year 68.4%, 25 clangers, 1 goal in 7 games.

DE% last year 75.4%, 49 clangers, 16 goals in 24 games.

Something's clearly up with his kicking from watching him. Whether that's just a blip or as a result of no Sandilands and no Fyfe putting a lot more pressure on him, who knows. It'll be interesting to see if he improves as the season progresses.

Still think the drop in disposal efficiency and more mistakes etc is more a symptom of a new game plan than our player's actual skills. I have had countless debates with people that a player having a poor DE% is often just as much the fault of his team mates as himself. If you are in amongst 4-8 players trying to extract a ball and do, and then have no outlets to dish off to, you'll either get caught with it or be forced to handball or kick randomly. Same goes if your team isn't spreading effectively coming out of defence. The good news with Neale is he is winning a heap more ball this year (increased numbers of disposals), and he is stepping up as a leader. I'm predicting once the entire team is playing to the new plan effectively Neale will make less mistakes and we'll get a heap more effective disposals from him.

 

[Arcassius]

Being the #1 inside player helps his development - he'll be better for the experience.

 

[Square Peg]

Hogan will be a better forward then Pav because these days our midfield is amazing and he'd never need to go in there. Think what Pav would've achieved had he been a pure forward from day 1 with a top 4 tier midfield delivering to him

Our amazing top 4 midfield? LOL

 

[Freomaniac]

I'm enjoying this season much more than I thought i would. Hughes, AP, Langdon, Grey, Tabs, Weller, Blakeley, Tucker, Croz have all showed plenty in a team that's losing. Get another dozen games into those guys learning how to cope at AFL level then a long preseason and we are back next year. Thats the advantage of the Lyon plan, newbies can learn their trade by being cogs in the machine.

At least you found some positives

 

[Ysaye]

to me that just looks like a random list of 30 players. Half of them aren't even inside mids, or actually that good

I didnt bother distinguishing between inside and outside; a midfielder may be good on the inside but play outside because of the personnel (or lack of) around him.

I also don't rate number of possessions particularly highly - to a certain degree the number you get is considerably affected by how close you are to the centre - when Neale wasn't in the centre and out on the wings he averaged a lot less.

How damaging your disposal is is where it is at for midfielders. Speed plays into this in that if you can get into space you can make you disposal look better than it is. Neale is never going to be a long kicker and whilst his field kicking and handballing is probably b/b+ level, it is never going a grade. He doesn't have break away speed either.

 

[Unique Name]

Cotchin at #7

Biggest seagull, quick 1-2 stat padding, sideways kicking midfielder there is playing right now.

 

[Kenny_01]

Lol, Neale is much better than Cunnington.

He's also better than Cotchin and Varcoe isn't in the same league as Neale.

He's not better than Cunnington yet (prob on par or Cunnington or just behind) but Varcoe? Lol.

I think Neale is just under the Sloane/Shiel/Viney bracket with the likes of Cunnington, Coniglio and Wines.

 

[Ausbenito]

Yer agree Neale been good but would trade him in a heartbeat for Omeara or Swallow he is just not damaging enough he is our Priddis but quicker but not as good inside take a first round pick for him.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Yer agree Neale been good but would trade him in a heartbeat for Omeara or Swallow he is just not damaging enough he is our Priddis but quicker but not as good inside take a first round pick for him.

Omeara career is over. Won't be anything like he would have been, had he not been injured. Will need to be carefully managed, like Cooney post injury.

Great depth player, but not much else.

 

[Dump Truck]

Our amazing top 4 midfield? LOL

Fyfe, Bennell, Neale, Hill, Weller, Mundy and a fit Sandi is a top 4 midfield IMHO.
Barlow, Walters, Hill, Suban, D.Pearce, Neale and a competing Griffin is a bottom 8 midfield.

There difference is one or two players and a fit sandi feeding to them. Griffin tries his heart out and is serviceable (more then what can be said for Clarke) but he is not a top 10 ruckman. Walters is too small and we need his presence up forward, Barlow has lost a yard of pace but a great extractor. Hill needs some support as D.Pearce isn't getting tagged or even acknowledged by the oppisition these days and Neale is trying hard without the Godlike brute strength and power of Fyfe there to support him. So to rebuttal your condescending comment is our midfield a top 4 set up this year? No chance in hell. However next year, I think it can be.

 

[Dump Truck]

Omeara career is over. Won't be anything like he would have been, had he not been injured. Will need to be carefully managed, like Cooney post injury.

Great depth player, but not much else.

I'm no physio or doctor (so if there is one please correct my terrible knowledge) but I think his isn't as structural as Cooneys, Menzels, Morabitos etc. If he can get it right he will be a gun. Of Gold Coast players over the next few years I would try and lure home Martin before Omeara but neither would come cheap. Also heard Martin wants to be a one club player and is a pretty loyal bloke so basically no chance there.

 

[wayToGo_]

Do a club's supporters judge their own players more harshly than others? I notice quite often people think players from other clubs are far superior to our own but everything points to the exact opposite. Is it because we don't watch the players from other teams as much, and when we do, we only see their (positive) highlights? Therefore we don't see their mistakes and deficiencies as much where we do with our own players?

Above people have preferred Cunnington, Swallow and O'Meara (and earlier plenty more) to Neale. These guys are all good players but they average a lot less possessions than Neale (like +10 in Neale's favour), and despite what some people think last year Neale had the best retention rate of all of them by a fair margin. I like Cunnington and think he is a great inside mid but last year Neale averaged 80 more metres gained per game. In 2016, Cunnington's output has been down from 2015 - down on pretty much every stat including dropping 80 metres gained per game, so now Neale is smashing him by 150 metres gained per game, as well as contested possessions (+4), and score involvements. So not only does Neale still have a far better outside game his inside game has also surpassed Cunnington's (imo). Not going to even bother with the two GC guys, Neale's output is fair bit ahead of both, and of course they also have durability question marks on top of that.

Perhaps we need to take the highlights packages we see with a grain of salt. Just because you see someone do something "special" doesn't necessarily mean they are doing it all the time.

 

[couldhavebeen]

Collins,Apeness ,Balic etc need more games to see if they have the quality to make it but Hurley who is not from an AFL background and has only played a handfull of reserves and a few league games for Peel has shown he has everything needed to make it and should play seniors asap. Really.

Salim Hurley last year was performing very well and his skill level was very good ,before his injury in preseason training he was doing all the drills better than I expected . He marking ,kicking and decision making with the ball in hand were excellent . He is a strong athletic tall and was pushing for an early inclusion in the league team . This is a player that has elite running capacity (16 KLM per game ),strong as an ox and his decision making on when to kick or handball to players in better position was a standout for me .
The rule changes will only make his more dangerous for opposition teams to stop .

 

[rgauci]

I'd take Neale 10x over Cunnington who is like Mundy without class. Guy barely leaves the centre square. Very limited in transition running.

 

[Scham]

Everyone knocks Neale's kicking. Cunnington is worse. Can't kick for sh it.

 

[Scham]

Salim Hurley last year was performing very well and his skill level was very good ,before his injury in preseason training he was doing all the drills better than I expected . He marking ,kicking and decision making with the ball in hand were excellent . He is a strong athletic tall and was pushing for an early inclusion in the league team . This is a player that has elite running capacity (16 KLM per game ),strong as an ox and his decision making on when to kick or handball to players in better position was a standout for me .
The rule changes will only make his more dangerous for opposition teams to stop .

Didn't you also say that Dawson was one of the best kicks at the club based on preseason training? And that he'd be called on to use it more this year?

I've seen 1 elite handball and 1 elite kick from him in 7 rounds!

Hurley's skills and reading of the game are below WAFL league standard and we all know the huge step from WAFL to AFL.

 

[Steinfreo]

Do a club's supporters judge their own players more harshly than others? I notice quite often people think players from other clubs are far superior to our own but everything points to the exact opposite. Is it because we don't watch the players from other teams as much, and when we do, we only see their (positive) highlights? Therefore we don't see their mistakes and deficiencies as much where we do with our own players?

Above people have preferred Cunnington, Swallow and O'Meara (and earlier plenty more) to Neale. These guys are all good players but they average a lot less possessions than Neale (like +10 in Neale's favour), and despite what some people think last year Neale had the best retention rate of all of them by a fair margin. I like Cunnington and think he is a great inside mid but last year Neale averaged 80 more metres gained per game. In 2016, Cunnington's output has been down from 2015 - down on pretty much every stat including dropping 80 metres gained per game, so now Neale is smashing him by 150 metres gained per game, as well as contested possessions (+4), and score involvements. So not only does Neale still have a far better outside game his inside game has also surpassed Cunnington's (imo). Not going to even bother with the two GC guys, Neale's output is fair bit ahead of both, and of course they also have durability question marks on top of that.

Perhaps we need to take the highlights packages we see with a grain of salt. Just because you see someone do something "special" doesn't necessarily mean they are doing it all the time.

Great post. really made me rethink a neale trade.

 

[theGav56]

Great post. really made me rethink a neale trade.

Yes I had the same reaction. A really good post, and it would be very difficult to part with Neale. And probably only if he requested it for whatever reason. But I sit in the "no one is untraceable" camp. The goal is a premiership and sustained success. If Neale is an important piece of that puzzle, great, but if he is what we need to give up to snare the important piece, that is what should happen.