Analysis The Matt Taberner effect

[estibador]

It's actually only a year difference between the 2. Taberner debuted in 2013, McCarthy in 2014. And Taberner missed almost his entire first preseason with Glandular fever.

Two preseasons I said, counting the one McCarthy missed last year.

Fair point about the glandular fever, I forgot about that. Didn't hit him until Feb but still cost him half his first preseason and the first 5 rounds.

 

[FreoMonocle]

If and when we have someone better (same for all players) he'd lose his spot, we don't have that person though. So there are 3 reasons that compel me that we need to keep Tabs in the AFL instead of WAFL until we have someone better.

Cam and Kersten are on the short side as far as tall forwards go, they will have tougher matchups without Tabs - even with him in they struggle with the defenders they get, but will fare worse without him.
Bringing the ball to ground in the forward line - Tabs then daylight. Flip side to this coin is, without him in, some opposition player will routinely mop up the aerial contests.
Tabs in means Johno may play the season out - Johno in the ruck with his dodgy back will wreck him.

Even with worse games such as today, we absolutely need him for structural reasons. But if the midfield would kindly give a decent supply and even just a handful of them being of worthy quality, to our tall forwards, they won't look as absent.

 

[dockshark]

When the coach turns to our best mid/overhead mark to ruck for the last 10 mins when we were technically still in it over our backup ruckman... what does that tell you?

I didn't see Neale in the ruck?

 

[Purple Jesus]

I didn't see Neale in the ruck?

Goldfish?

 

[wayToGo_]

If we're being honest, Taberner has always only been a placeholder. I think he's a good depth option and could improve to the point where he's consistently 'solid' but we're still yet to lure over/draft our longterm CHF option imo. Our inability to recuit and develop someone better places unfair and unreasonable expectations on someone who was a rookie project player. It's not like he's Paddy McCartin, that truly would be something worth getting shitty over.

Placeholder is exactly the right term for Tabs. It'd be great if we had a gun CHF on our list but we don't. 3 of our other 4 potential tall forwards are on the injury list and the other is on the rookie list. Whilst that remains the situation we either play a small forward line (and have MJ rucking) or we play Tabs. In a rebuild year I personally don't think it makes that much difference either way - pros and cons to both.

 

[blue shark]

50652676, member: 167849"] Placeholder is exactly the right term for Tabs. It'd be great if we had a gun CHF on our list but we don't. 3 of our other 4 potential tall forwards are on the injury list and the other is on the rookie list. Whilst that remains the situation we either play a small forward line (and have MJ rucking) or we play Tabs. In a rebuild year I personally don't think it makes that much difference either way - pros and cons to both.[/QUOTE]
Doesnt help when Ballas, Balic, are not available, Walters small forward form down, and Crozier goes MIA.
We really dont have many small forward options, unless Deluca partners Grey, or does Langdon get the nod.
Better to improve the forward structure we have playing now, and add players that can keep the ball inside our 50, mo
re dangerous when the ball is brought to ground.
Having all our forwards going up for the mark with no one staying down is amateurish.

 

[Rob]

I bet Ross wishes you could buy confidence down in Hay St.

He'd get Tabs a life membership and then we'd actually have ourselves a player.

If the problem was a lack of confidence he wouldn't be getting near it in the first place. That's not what his issue is, he's getting his hands to it plenty of times. He's just dropping it.

His problem isn't a lack of confidence, it's a lack of skill.

 

[Mudd]

If the problem was a lack of confidence he wouldn't be getting near it in the first place. That's not what his issue is, he's getting his hands to it plenty of times. He's just dropping it.

His problem isn't a lack of confidence, it's a lack of skill.

He might be lacking confidence because he knows he can't compete at AFL level.

 

[freocuz]

He's not the only one who has displayed poor skills over the journey, but boy he has shown it more often than most as a % of games played I would have thought.

RTB has consistently stuck with him, and stuck up for him. He must have something there, but God I wish he would show it a little more often. He's got to be running out of chances.

Would rather play Dawson as our back-up ruckman.

 

[samFFC]

He's not the only one who has displayed poor skills over the journey, but boy he has shown it more often than most as a % of games played I would have thought.

RTB has consistently stuck with him, and stuck up for him. He must have something there, but God I wish he would show it a little more often. He's got to be running out of chances.

Would rather play Dawson as our back-up ruckman.

Whilst we are re-building?

 

[salim malik]

He **cks with your emotions. You can hate him like no other on our list and then he plays a half decent game and you forgive him and realise he is a rookie listed tall who cost us nothing and talls do take a lot longer to come to hand and then he plays like shit and you hate him again and then ...................

 

[meima]

He **cks with your emotions. You can hate him like no other on our list and then he plays a half decent game and you forgive him and realise he is a rookie listed tall who cost us nothing and talls do take a lot longer to come to hand and then he plays like shit and you hate him again and then ...................

What you trying to said is he act like a rookie b*""h ?

 

[yakamoto]

Exactly Salim. 6pm Sun - Tabs should never be seen in a Freo jumper again, Mon - he was no worse than Cam Mac and Kerstin, today - Tabs is the best we've got for the role so must be persevered with.

 

[Nolo180]

If Tabs keeps going up and Kerston & McCarthy stayed down (instead of getting sucked in) he would be doing his job as long as the other 2 mopped up or moved to the outside of the contest to recieve. Lets face it Tabs rarely marks it but he does draw the opposition like a big man should. Maybe he could try palming it down or over the back in a set play type situation he would look like a superstar then.

 

[FreoRicci]

Tabs have played 50 games, in a relatively back up role to Pav. In and out of the side since 2013. He has kicked 49 goals in that time (close to 1 goal a game) Which is not a bad return, all things considered.
Compared to Shane Kersten- has played 48 games with 55 goals (1.15 goals per game).
This is a really inexperienced forward line that needs to be persisted with. We're not going to have the luxury of a Hogan, Riewoldt and such anytime soon. Have to make do with what we got. Taberner is a raw product. He does try too hard, and anxiously.

One thing we desperately need is a crumbing forward. Walters is now in the midfield and Grey isn't the small forward of that role, more like a defensive forward (de Boer in a way..). Need to look at drafting in that area because a lot of the times, Tabs at least break even in the pack, only for the ball to hit the deck and no benefits come of that. Ballas does that a bit. But it really adds 2-3 goals that we wouldn't otherwise get. Eddie Betts is a huge reason why Adelaide kick so many goals eighth now.

 

[samFFC]

Tabs have played 50 games, in a relatively back up role to Pav. In and out of the side since 2013. He has kicked 49 goals in that time (close to 1 goal a game) Which is not a bad return, all things considered.
Compared to Shane Kersten- has played 48 games with 55 goals (1.15 goals per game).
This is a really inexperienced forward line that needs to be persisted with. We're not going to have the luxury of a Hogan, Riewoldt and such anytime soon. Have to make do with what we got. Taberner is a raw product. He does try too hard, and anxiously.

One thing we desperately need is a crumbing forward. Walters is now in the midfield and Grey isn't the small forward of that role, more like a defensive forward (de Boer in a way..). Need to look at drafting in that area because a lot of the times, Tabs at least break even in the pack, only for the ball to hit the deck and no benefits come of that. Ballas does that a bit. But it really adds 2-3 goals that we wouldn't otherwise get. Eddie Betts is a huge reason why Adelaide kick so many goals eighth now.

It would also help if those smaller players recognised their short-ness. Too many times Walters/Croz/etc. are flying up with the big guys, which is dumb.

 

[M_rash]

It would also help if those smaller players recognised their short-ness. Too many times Walters/Croz/etc. are flying up with the big guys, which is dumb.

Just switch Weller and Croz. Problem solvered for now.

Our biggest forward line issue is the lack of repeat entries / ability to lock it in. Having Tabs, McCarthy, Kersten and Mundy doesn't bode well for forward pressure. Really hope we play Weller forward - we have a lot of HBF options, zero forward pockets though.

 

[Ausbenito]

I really hope this forward line isnt persisted with long term Macarthy shows signs he will be a good AFL player Kersten is no better than Mayne and Tabs is a back up player producing an occasional good game like Shoenmakers or Jesse White.
I dont think it is confidence either he gets too enough contests just has hard hands.

 

[silverscope]

Omitted.

Obviously the coaching staff agreed with what most here thought and his performance wasn't up to standard.

 

[ydraw]

Omitted.

Obviously the coaching staff agreed with what most here thought and his performance wasn't up to standard.

Coaching staff are ****wits who have gone back to only playing 2 talls despite 3 years of repeated results showing it to be a mistake. Now our remaining talls get double teamed and we fail to score 70 points like the last 3 years.

 

[samFFC]

Shocking decision. And Hughes too.

 

[salim malik]

Coaching staff are *******s who have gone back to only playing 2 talls despite 3 years of repeated results showing it to be a mistake. Now our remaining talls get double teamed and we fail to score 70 points like the last 3 years.

Cox and Collins are talls. Both can clunk a mark.

 

[ydraw]

Cox and Collins are talls. Both can clunk a mark.

Are they going to play in the forward line though? No they aren't. We're going back to not having one and as a result we'll be lucky to kick 70 points.

 

[salim malik]

Are they going to play in the forward line though? No they aren't. We're going back to not having one and as a result we'll be lucky to kick 70 points.

Cox is a forward , has played back and forward for Peel.

 

[ydraw]

Cox is a forward , has played back and forward for Peel.

And yet we've named Blakely in Taberner's position. 5 man forward line incoming.