Analysis The Matt Taberner effect

[Steinfreo]

Man you're some kind of crazy....................................................wearing Eagles colours indeed.



And I won't mention that suspicious stain on your crotch area.

Ok I fixed it.

 

[electricfeel]

He really hates those post match interviews though! Stands so far away from the interviewer and mumbles the entire time haha

 

[scon]

Shy boy I'd guess.
Sandy the same and I'm hoping his trajectory follows that of the game's largest man.
Quality today and as Ross said weeks ago 'If he can compete in the ruck,it'll make him a lot easier to pick.'
Compete he did!
A very rounded game.
I'd be sticking with those three bigs up front for another 2-3 games,regardless of form to see if it develops or just consolidating will be damn fine.

 

[meima]

So good to see him ruck , people here just talk about his goal with peel if he get pick earlier round the hunger might not be there . he game is getting the all round effect . to train a footballer character send them to wafl until they want it enough .

 

[youmewe]

Ok I fixed it.

Much better. I was rather afraid for your sanity there for a while.

 

[rgauci]

Perfect conditions for him today, he marks well in dry weather, but this goes beyond that, he was excellent.

 

[Gussman]

would have to be leading the average this year

Yup. Really glad we have the best contested mark in the comp in our forward 50.

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

ydraw vindicated and must be a very happy man indeed. Like a proud father.

Personally never doubted him.

#myboytabs

 

[Rob]

What's funny is that he actually dropped at least a couple he should have taken.

The all time highest contested marks in a game is 10. By a bloke called Carey.

 

[Ripper]

The all time highest contested marks in a game is 10. By a bloke called Carey.

He probably dropped a couple that day as well.

 

[yakka man]

Wowza, Arnold Schwarzenegger-esque biceps there.

 

[E Shed]

I've had a real up and down relationship with Tabs. I commented when we first rookied him and I saw him at training that he was good below his knees and has good lateral movement and looks a prospect. Then after getting a look at his kicking I said he'd never make it. Then I apologised after he did his first few good things at AFL level and said he was maybe better than I thought.
Repeat and rinse about 3 times now. Every time I write him off he does something I didn't think he was capable of.
An enigma. Excellent game from him today.

Don't think I've had anything to add on Tabs since I wrote this last year.
Nothing more to add really. Its best I mentally cross him off again because he keeps doing it to me.
Once again, excellent game today!

 

[malpaso]

Great game today however as well as he played and may it continue the biggest plus for me is that by Tabs playing it frees up Kersten to roam around the place.

 

[FreoRicci]

He really hates those post match interviews though! Stands so far away from the interviewer and mumbles the entire time haha

He's shocking at that. Told my old man that, oh look he's interviewing Tabs. How awkward and horrible he ll be.
Such a shy and dislikes the spotlight that bloke

 

[FreoRicci]

Wowza, Arnold Schwarzenegger-esque biceps there.

Oh lord. Imagine the coaches - keep your eyes on the ball!

 

[MadEyeEmmy]

Well, they don't nickname him the Duck at FFC for no reason....

In all seriousness, I have a soft spot for Tabs and really enjoyed watching him clunk those marks then go back and slot the goals with a cool head. Let's hope he takes bucketloads of confidence to the MCG next week. Onya lad.

 

[wayToGo_]

Don't think I've had anything to add on Tabs since I wrote this last year.
Nothing more to add really. Its best I mentally cross him off again because he keeps doing it to me.
Once again, excellent game today!

Yeah I was thinking here we go again. Tabs will do some good things and get our hopes up and then be inconsistent again in a few games time. But...

There was almost 0 not to like in his game yesterday. The first thing that made me go wtf was when he took a mark out on the wing and didn't like his treatment so threw a fist back into the leg of the defender. Tabs with a little bit of aggro = AFL quality KPF. It's clear the run of games in the WAFL and scoring regular goals has done wonders for his confidence. And unlike in previous years you saw it in his eyes every time the ball came near him. He expected to mark it, irrespective if he was surrounded by three opponents or just one.

I told myself before the game that I wasn't going to get suckered in again if Tabs played a cracker. But I have. If he can continue playing with confidence then just on that alone Hale has earned every cent we are paying him.

 

[meima]

When he had a quiet game ,please look at his ruckwork and other part of his game also . Grey, croz get the love then the drop by some here when they are quiet. Eg grey after Melbourne game , croz after eagles game .

Weller and tucker look like the untouchable when come to bad form .

 

[Freoforever86]

Biggest thing I noticed is that he was physical. Threw his weight around a bit.
He freed up Kersten big time and both should have prob kicked 5.

Ruck work wasn't bad, ran to the right spots at the end where he took a mark on their goal line.

Very positive signs from tabs, but let's not get carried away. Wanna see that work rate every week. Not necessarily kick bags every week (though that would be nice), but take his marks and be involved as that lead up fwd

 

[E Shed]

Yeah I was thinking here we go again. Tabs will do some good things and get our hopes up and then be inconsistent again in a few games time. But...

I'm generally not too far off when I look at someone's raw materials and decide if they have enough weapons to compete and the top level. With Tabs its like he comes out and does stuff that just didn't look like it was in his physical capabilities. Like drilling a goal from outside 50 which he'd previously shown no sign of being able to do. If he keeps finding new levels he might end up a really decent player. Not just a guy we throw down there because he's big and gives a contest but a serious weapon. He's perfect KPP size and super athletic. If he gets the mental side right . . .

Weller and tucker look like the untouchable when come to bad form .

Because you always back in class. Even with people saying Weller played poorly yesterday some of his vision/ kicking was sublime. He has it in him to be A grade. His vision and kicking mechanics are superb. Its why I rate Weller higher than Langdon who despite knowing how to find the ball looks like a fundamentally poor kick (to me).

 

[meima]

I'm generally not too far off when I look at someone's raw materials and decide if they have enough weapons to compete and the top level. With Tabs its like he comes out and does stuff that just didn't look like it was in his physical capabilities. Like drilling a goal from outside 50 which he'd previously shown no sign of being able to do. If he keeps finding new levels he might end up a really decent player. Not just a guy we throw down there because he's big and gives a contest but a serious weapon. He's perfect KPP size and super athletic. If he gets the mental side right . . .

Because you always back in class. Even with people saying Weller played poorly yesterday some of his vision/ kicking was sublime. He has it in him to be A grade. His vision and kicking mechanics are superb. Its why I rate Weller higher than Langdon who despite knowing how to find the ball looks like a fundamentally poor kick (to me).

I agree , I would rather move weller to the wing than drop him , but tucker really disappointed me by far above all youngster (my high expectation ) . Committee really need to fix a proper role for him rather than interchange , hate to see sherriden replace tucker TBH . I wonder tucker can play IBbo position , saw him play quite well at peel.

 

[Belnakor]

Very positive signs from tabs, but let's not get carried away. Wanna see that work rate every week. Not necessarily kick bags every week (though that would be nice), but take his marks and be involved as that lead up fwd

people were saying the exact same thing last year after the Brisbane Lions game when he kicked 5.

Lets see how he goes next week before anointing him as the next messiah please.

 

[PapaJ]

people were saying the exact same thing last year after the Brisbane Lions game when he kicked 5. ...

Thought the same thing. But there was something different yesterday too. For starters, he was able to be part of a working 3 big system (all of them quite mobile which helps) rather than just a temporary replacement for Pav.

Of course, he plays a position that will be up and down. Unless you regularly run through the midfield, the KPP players (and fwd flankers too) can easily drift in and out of games depending on other factors. So that's to be expected, but if he can be a contributor to a system rather than a spot player that the rest of the team don't know how to use, then you've got a useful player. Whether he kicks 5 one week and none the next, as long as he can be reliable enough, he'll do fine.

Sure, it's wise to keep expectations in check, but that doesn't mean you don't celebrate the good times. He had a great game yesterday either way you look at it. His next big challenge is to bounce back when it doesn't all go his way and still show he belongs.

 

[Ripper]

people were saying the exact same thing last year after the Brisbane Lions game when he kicked 5.

Lets see how he goes next week before anointing him as the next messiah please.

Difference this time is Pav is not going to be playing against the Tigers. IIRC His best game prior to yesterday was when everyone was rested against Port.

 

[Nickos66]

I think he can benefit greatly from our young guys playing the free flowing, attacking game style, and having a few other talls up there playing different styles will only help him not get singled out. He looked really good yesterday. I've always been a harsh skeptic on Tabs the last 2 years or so, but he can make a real fist of it with the flair the youngsters are binging to the side.