Analysis The Matt Taberner effect

[Rob]

See where you're coming from however if he kicks 5+ in the GF and clunks 10+ marks then that confidence he'll bring in to the pre-season may just be the breakout mentality that Tabs thinks he can make it. For mine, next season Tabs/Cox/CMac are the 3 forwards that get 10 games to gel, Kersten starts in WAFL and has to force his way in.

I agree. But you don't pay someone $500k a year on a WAFL performance.

 

[Dump Truck]

I agree. But you don't pay someone $500k a year on a WAFL performance.

Agree. No matter where Tabs plays AFL next year he won't be on that coin anyway.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Agree. No matter where Tabs plays AFL next year he won't be on that coin anyway.

I would have said the same about Mayne

 

[Sweetback]

I would have said the same about Mayne

He's the exception that proves the rule.

 

[Steinfreo]

Mayne had a couple seasons Tabs can only dream of as well.

 

[mike91]

See where you're coming from however if he kicks 5+ in the GF and clunks 10+ marks then that confidence he'll bring in to the pre-season may just be the breakout mentality that Tabs thinks he can make it. For mine, next season Tabs/Cox/CMac are the 3 forwards that get 10 games to gel, Kersten starts in WAFL and has to force his way in.

So we continue to gift McCarthy games and pretend that he actually had a better season than Kersten?

 

[wayToGo_]

Nice article re Tabs on AFL.com - http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-13/how-freos-big-tab-picked-up-his-career

 

[maccamk]

If Tabener is going to kick 30-35 a season as out tall forward as a primary target it is not a good enough return. We need a KPF kicking 50 plus a year and I just don't see this coming from him. He feels too rigid and one dimensional and lacks an X factor the marquee KPFs in the comp possess.

He is great depth but that is it at the moment. Happy for him to prove me wrong.

 

[Big Animal]

If Tabener is going to kick 30-35 a season as out tall forward as a primary target it is not a good enough return. We need a KPF kicking 50 plus a year and I just don't see this coming from him. He feels too rigid and one dimensional and lacks an X factor the marquee KPFs in the comp possess.

He is great depth but that is it at the moment. Happy for him to prove me wrong.

I hear what you and others are saying but depth implies he is behind someone better. It's not like we are simply concerned about an understudy if our taylor walker/buddy type player goes down. Currently, that KPF position is empty and no #5 pick will fill it from R1 next year. Neither is McCarthy or Kersten doing much in the other forward spots getting monstered by 200cm backmen, Walters has moved into the midfield, Ballas is cooked, Bennell is still touch and go, and the others put down there are just mids. Fact is, our current forward line is sh1t, our team is one of the worst scoring team in the league, and until someone better comes along, Tabs has KPF sown up for me going into next year. I'd like someone who disagrees with me to tell me which of the finals teams is playing a forward line with no one over 191cm.

 

[DaveLister]

Nice article re Tabs on AFL.com - http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-13/how-freos-big-tab-picked-up-his-career

Love the juxtaposition between Nick Bowen's shit stirring and Tavis King's reasonable commentary. Really didn't fit Nick's narrative to include
"I've obviously been at Fremantle for a while now and I'm pretty settled."
"We've got a good group of boys and I'm close with everyone, so it's a good place to be."

 

[scon]

Nice article re Tabs on AFL.com - http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-13/how-freos-big-tab-picked-up-his-career

It is a good article and the if it's the 'simple focus on workrate and competing' that's prompted the improvement in his game all the better.Great to hear that he believes he's capable of plenty of improvement, because confidence and resilience appear to be things he could do with more of.
Anyway glad to hear him say he's comfortable,pretty settled and regards the club 'a good place to be'.
Naturally we'll have it pointed out that he's probably lying because there was a pencil or a microphone or somesuch but a balanced article overall.
Really like to see Peel win generally, but particularly for the likes of Tabs,The Fist,Big Sean and Jonno Griff.

 

[FreoRicci]

If Tabener is going to kick 30-35 a season as out tall forward as a primary target it is not a good enough return. We need a KPF kicking 50 plus a year and I just don't see this coming from him. He feels too rigid and one dimensional and lacks an X factor the marquee KPFs in the comp possess.

He is great depth but that is it at the moment. Happy for him to prove me wrong.

Kicking 50 plus means you are elite these days. Taylor Walker kicked 50 goals for the season and Adelaide finished top. Charlie Dixon is on serious coin for Port, and he kicked 49 goals. Think the expections of a power/key forwards have changed a fair bit over the years.

If Tabs kicks 35-45 goals a season, then he's doing a great job. Have to be realistic these days. Forwards have to do more then just kicking goals.

 

[scon]

If Tabs kicks 35-45 goals a season, then

The club would negotiate on that half a mill.

 

[Wally Walpamur]

As I previously said, get another KPF to work with Tabs and Cam and I could see all three kicking 40 goals each, which is why i'm saying pick 5, whether that be to draft a KPF or use it to trade in a KPF is the most important bit of business for us this trading period. It's the final piece of the spine that we can finally structure the rest around.

 

[imperial_oz]

The club would negotiate on that half a mill.

So they should. His KPIs should be set at 30 goals per season (ball park figure). Eligible for bonus at 40 or 45 or 50....some sort of sliding scale. If he does get around 50 goals per season the he's probably worth the 500k. Buddy averages around 60 goals per season and he's sitting on 8-900k so I'd be happy paying Tabs 500k if he kicks over 50 goals.

I dont really think we have to book someone in for XXX per season without having KPIs to get it

 

[freoextra]

Love the juxtaposition between Nick Bowen's shit stirring and Tavis King's reasonable commentary. Really didn't fit Nick's narrative to include
"I've obviously been at Fremantle for a while now and I'm pretty settled."
"We've got a good group of boys and I'm close with everyone, so it's a good place to be."

I don't think his manager would have been thrilled with those comments as well!!!

 

[freoextra]

So we continue to gift McCarthy games and pretend that he actually had a better season than Kersten?

I couldn't be more confident that McCarthy will end up as a significantly more important forward than Kersten over the next few years. Nothing against Kersten always happy to have forwards that can actually kick goals but to me the difference in talent is very noticeable, that was just the start of bigger things for McCarthy IMO.

 

[ydraw]

If Tabener is going to kick 30-35 a season as out tall forward as a primary target it is not a good enough return. We need a KPF kicking 50 plus a year and I just don't see this coming from him. He feels too rigid and one dimensional and lacks an X factor the marquee KPFs in the comp possess.

He is great depth but that is it at the moment. Happy for him to prove me wrong.

Only 7 players in the AFL kicked 50 or more goals this year, all of them in teams with a much higher average score per game than Freo. Methinks your standards are a touch high.

 

[malpaso]

Freo will sign Tabs, no doubt. We can't draft a KPF that will have an impact IMO. Tabs is young for a KPF and has shown improvement, they will persist at least another 2 years with him and I think it's warranted.

 

[Rob]

If Tabener is going to kick 30-35 a season as out tall forward as a primary target it is not a good enough return. We need a KPF kicking 50 plus a year and I just don't see this coming from him. He feels too rigid and one dimensional and lacks an X factor the marquee KPFs in the comp possess.

Yeah but so does Ben Brown. Completely one dimensional and as vanilla a full forward as you'll find. But he manages to get enough of the ball and he's a great kick on goal.

Not that Tabs is a Ben Brown clone by any stretch, but if he can fix up his kicking - which given he kicks straight in the WAFL is probably more between the ears than anything technical - he's very capable of being a 2-3 goal a game forward, with the occasional bag of 5 or 6.

 

[ydraw]

Not that Tabs is a Ben Brown clone by any stretch, but if he can fix up his kicking

He's kicked 29.12 in the last 2 years. There's nothing wrong with his kicking, you just have a shit memory.

 

[Rob]

He's kicked 29.12 in the last 2 years. There's nothing wrong with his kicking, you just have a shit memory.

He kicked 3.5 in this last 3 games. Most of those 5 were fairly easy if memory serves. If it was 7.1 then there's your 2-3 goals per game.

 

[ydraw]

He kicked 3.5 in this last 3 games.

And 29.12 in the last 2 years. Everyone misses occasionally, he's easily the best kick for goal in the side.

 

[Kram]

And 29.12 in the last 2 years. Everyone misses occasionally, he's easily the best kick for goal in the side.

Bzzzttt.


Here he is.

 

[maccamk]

Yeah but so does Ben Brown. Completely one dimensional and as vanilla a full forward as you'll find. But he manages to get enough of the ball and he's a great kick on goal.

Not that Tabs is a Ben Brown clone by any stretch, but if he can fix up his kicking - which given he kicks straight in the WAFL is probably more between the ears than anything technical - he's very capable of being a 2-3 goal a game forward, with the occasional bag of 5 or 6.

If he hasn't kicked a bag by now he won't.

Ben brown crashes packs.... Tabs falls under them

Tabs issue is that he doesn't have enough between the ears and lacks footy smarts.

How many 50mpenalties did he give away this year foe encroaching on the mark?

If someone is chasing him and we can get value for him do it. We won't look back in 2 years after developing brander and Cox