Analysis The Matt Taberner effect

[Unique Name]

Tom only kicked 3. Wasteful 3.3 actually.
Butler kicked 2 and goes to 24 goals for the year

Hawkins 33
Kennedy 28
Butler 24
Taberner 23

not a bad effort given Freo is second worst points for in the league

Butler and Hawkins have played an extra game as well.

 

[freo_leo29]

As much as I want Taberner to win the coleman, (got on him at $251 preseason) he would have to kick some absolute bags to run down Tomahawk and Kennedy

 

[Joao]

As much as I want Taberner to win the coleman, (got on him at $251 preseason) he would have to kick some absolute bags to run down Tomahawk and Kennedy

If we get to play the version of GWS that Sydney got last week, he might kick 10 on them.

 

[Schauermann]

As much as I want Taberner to win the coleman, (got on him at $251 preseason) he would have to kick some absolute bags to run down Tomahawk and Kennedy

Hope he does. Has been some time since we had someone tall kicking bags. Can't leave it to Walters all the time...

 

[FreoRicci]

As much as I want Taberner to win the coleman, (got on him at $251 preseason) he would have to kick some absolute bags to run down Tomahawk and Kennedy

Get Hogan in and he will. GWS are a joke right now. Chance for a few. Richmond on 4 days will be the issue. I’d imagine that’s the game where possibly Hogan plays with Dixon, perhaps and Tabs rested.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Get Hogan in and he will. GWS are a joke right now. Chance for a few. Richmond on 4 days will be the issue. I’d imagine that’s the game where possibly Hogan plays with Dixon, perhaps and Tabs rested.

It wouldn’t be fair on Tabs to rest him while he is going so well.

 

[FreoRicci]

It wouldn’t be fair on Tabs to rest him while he is going so well.

It’ll have to. 4 day break. Travel too. Pick and choose. All in for GWS, last home game. Then Melbourne as a realistic target. Richmond isn’t quite our level, so perfect time to blood Valente, North etc. Tank

 

[Wizard]

The interesting i got out of Saturday night with Tabs is that while watching the game i thought Melican actually didn't do to bad of a job and held is own at times, but Tabs still had a huge impact.

A sign of how he has progressed as a player i suppose.

 

[raffrox]

The interesting i got out of Saturday night with Tabs is that while watching the game i thought Melican actually didn't do to bad of a job and held is own at times, but Tabs still had a huge impact.

A sign of how he has progressed as a player i suppose.

Yep, I agree.

He's just better than most of the players he's playing on at the moment.

 

[Nickos66]

I remember watching him at training in his first year as a rookie and doing a training report saying he was the most promising of the 3 talls we brought in to the rookie list (can't remember who the others were). Since then I've changed my mind on him about 10 times and every single time I write him off for the final and last time he finds another gear. I've never been so polarised by a player.
I think whatever happens now he's having an excellent AFL career and to come from where he did to where he is is a remarkable achievement for a guy of his limited ability. He's gone from having hard hands and dropping everything to one of the best contested marks in the game, gone from being a hopeless kick to a decent field kick and a reliable set shot. He's a testament to hard work and persistence.
Go Tabs!

I remember that, the others were Callum Sinclair? (who obviously subsequently got snapped up by WCE after we said no) and someone else. It wasn't Jack Hannath was it?

 

[GingerDocker]

I remember that, the others were Callum Sinclair? (who obviously subsequently got snapped up by WCE after we said no) and someone else. It wasn't Jack Hannath was it?

Rodda?

 

[Wilksyy]

Mongrel Punt have Tabs in their rolling All Australian team.

MATT TABERNER (FREMANTLE)

If you had told me at the start of this season that Matt Taberner would be featured in an All Australian team, I would’ve had you committed to an institution. But this has been by far Taberner’s best season, and due to his form, Justin Longmuir has made moves to bring star recruit Jess Hogan back into the line-up as a key defender. Kicking 21 goals to be level on the table with Papley and Dixon, Taberner has already achieved his biggest season tally for goals, and that number will only grow. Leading the Dockers in every marking stat, Taberner received selection in five Mongrel teams, and it seems that he has finally turned the corner and is now ready to take the AFL world by storm.
/QUOTE]

 

[E Shed]

I remember that, the others were Callum Sinclair? (who obviously subsequently got snapped up by WCE after we said no) and someone else. It wasn't Jack Hannath was it?

Howson & Moller. Tanner Smith came in the normal draft that year too.

 

[FreoRicci]

Mongrel Punt have Tabs in their rolling All Australian team.

It’s not impossible. If he manages to get to second or third on Coleman medal, that’s almost guaranteed 40man squad.

 

[Bender571]

Howson & Moller. Tanner Smith came in the normal draft that year too.

Some memories for you

Well I managed to get my lazy arse out of bed and wandered into Freo Oval this morning. Gees I'm going to miss going to training there if they do move. The 5 rookie hopefuls were in a group doing end to end run throughs. I confess I can't tell one from the other of them which is unfortunate as one of them looked bloody useful later in the forward drills. All I can tell you is he's not far off 200cm (nearly as tall as Clarke) very mobile and seemed to kick nicely off his left or right side although left is his preferred. Good mark and set shot.
What else did I notice today? Simpson for a start. This kid moves like a ballet dancer, grace personified. Makes going up to take an overhead mark look like art. Very much in the Daniel Wells mode in the way he moves, runs and kicks. Nice build, nice height, looks the absolute business to me.
The size of the 2nd year players. Crozier, Sheridan, Neale, Forster look so much bigger already. Particularly Crozier who was coming a from a long way back. Crozier has lovely long legs and his upper body has filled out nicely. Expect progress from him this year. Sheridan was doing a lot of work as an outside receiver finishing on goal. Looks good an kicked most of them. Neale and Forster were out and about and looking good.
Walters looks hungry like the wolf. He was absolutely charging in the running drills and his field kicking is a thing of great beauty in the ball drills. Still looks a bit yippish on goal though, missed a couple of sitters and was very frustrated. You can practically see his enthusiasm and appetite from the boundary. He is pumped.
Pearce.d is another whose kicking is supernaturally good on the move over distance. I'd love to see a kicking contest between he, Son Son and Hill (kicking lace out on the move). I reckon I'd back Walters but only just. I reckon he's had a bad rap over the journey Pearce, he will be very good for us this year.
Pearce.c is almost unrecognisable from the tubby youngster who came to the club. He's super slim, ripped and his kicking has lost a lot of the awkward ball drop and was uniformly excellent in all the drills. He's a machine.
Menagola looks really good. Very sharp around goal. His skills, height and build are impressive and he is literally a running machine. In one drill they came off on one side of the ground and had to run the boundary to the other side of the ground and he just ate up everyone in his way, sprinted past everyone in his path like they weren't moving.
Michie is moving freely, very solid build and his ball work is clean and sharp.
The general standard of ball drills was better than anything I've seen from out lot ever. Hardly a ball missed it's target and this was mostly from the rookie hopefuls, who incidentally stand out by their body shapes, the system sure whips youngsters into shape quickly.
Clarke, Sandi, McPharlin, Crowley, Barlow, Mundy, Silvagni, Ibbo, Mayne, Balla, Suban all look in tip top shape and very sharp.
Missing were Pav, Hill, Fyfe, Morabito, Kepler, Duffield. I believe Pav & Hill are recovering from ops and doing plenty of running as is Morabito although he hasn't joined the main group yet.
In summary I'd say we are looking the best we've ever looked injury and talent wise at this time of they year. Very excited about the coming year.
I'm off overseas for 5 weeks on Friday so won't be reporting for a while but will be straight back down in January.

I was at training today. What struck me *and Ollie (my staunch but silent training watching buddy) was the lack of standouts on the track. Not that no one was impressive but rather everyone was impressive. It used to that you would groan at the shanks and dropped marks and someone like Hill appeared as a God, now it was 20 minutes in before I even noticed Hill as the general standard of ball movement is so clean and classy.
The guys did circle work before splitting into forwards, mids and backs.
Sheridan worked with the forwards and showed impressive aerial ability, good body work and judgement overhead. He out marked Spurr easily a couple of times from balls kicked in by Rodger the Dodger (who incidentally has been in a pretty decent paddock!)
Keeritön was with the defensive group and looks a willing defender, perhaps has aptitude on that area?
McPharlin is an aristocrat now, royalty IMO. So professional, so good at everything. Johnson and Duffield are in beautiful nick, their ball handling and disposal is simply top class. Ibbotson I believe will have another quiet, clean, unfussy, effective year and get bagged for it no end.
Taberner moves well and has a nice kick but having had a closer look today he is way undersized and raw to play senior footy this year as a KPP. I actually thought Howson was more impressive today, good mover and kick of the footy. Hannath is a massive unit and looks ready to go. Moller is a very impressive athlete, moves beautifully, his ball handling is super impressive (basketball skills) and he kicks it really nicely.
In the mid group Fyfe was a clear standout. He just positions himself better than anyone else, reads it better and his fast muscle twitch sees him react that split second faster than anyone else. He won more ball than the next best by a street.
Clancy was good around the packs. He is a human gristle node. Mzungu covers more ground than anyone and did a lot of receiving.
Michie, as has been mentioned looks very determined. He's an unknown really at this point but appears to have all the tools to be a strong inside mid.
Barlow and Mundy are both fit and hopefully set for big years. Mick's kicking can be a bit up and under but his hands (and the ability to get them free in congestion) are as good as anyone's.
Hill just glided around punching holes in traffic and delivering lace out passes as he does.
It was good to see Balla and Sonny working as pure forwards. They are going to cause some serious havoc this year. Sonny was very vocal, running really hard to good positions and of course his use of the ball is first rate.
Sandi took some nice marks when positioned forward, didn't really notice much of Griff or Clarke today, there is only so much you can take in.
Special mention to Simpson. His athletic ability and grace is very special and his fast muscle twitch is off the chart. His reactions are catlike. On a couple of occasions he marked in the air and did this little twist in mid air so he was facing the direction he wanted to kick in when he hit the ground. On one occasion I noticed just as he was about to drop the ball he realised he was a touch of target so dropped the ball at a slight angle and turned his foot as he was bringing it though the kick to direct it off centre and hit his target lace out. Exquisite.
Olly and I burst out laughing at one passage of play between Fyfe and Simpson. Someone kicked it to Fyfe and it looked for all money to be going over his head then at the last moment Fyfe appeared to levitate and easily marked it and kicked it neatly on to Simpson who did his little mid air shimmy hit the deck at full pace and drilled a perfect pass downfield. Pure poetry.
Overall a very encouraging session for the faithful. Skills/fitness are high and the group are no doubt aware of the pressure for spots and the mood seems positive and aggressive.

 

[bushchook]

Was BOG for us in this game last year, let's hope he can do it again.

 

[toenail11]

Was BOG for us in this game last year, let's hope he can do it again.

He also had a massive case of the yips in front of goal at this point , seems that has disappeared as his confidence has grown

 

[wild side]

Funny seeing Cerra in the backline in those h/lights
kid is much better in the heat of battle

 

[Freoforever86]

He also had a massive case of the yips in front of goal at this point , seems that has disappeared as his confidence has grown

yeah he did. He could have had 10 that day

 

[Monument Hills]

I told you he'd be good. Now you just have to start trusting me on Dixon...

 

[E Shed]

Some memories for you

Damn that's some impressive sleuthing. What a nostalgia trip to read those, thanks.
I don't think I got too much wrong. Found it interesting that I liked the look of Menagola.

 

[Purple Jesus]

Funny seeing Cerra in the backline in those h/lights
kid is much better in the heat of battle

Have to say that his defensive game has really rounded him out nicely though.

 

[Purple Jesus]

Damn that's some impressive sleuthing. What a nostalgia trip to read those, thanks.
I don't think I got too much wrong. Found it interesting that I liked the look of Menagola.

Valente is like that for me. Menagola 2.0 but with leadership.

 

[Spirit Level]

Was BOG for us in this game last year, let's hope he can do it again.

I also remember that massive brainfade in front of goal

He's improved a lot in this are

 

[Joao]

I told you he'd be good. Now you just have to start trusting me on Dixon...

I reckon Dixon has considerably more football talent but is clearly not the athlete Tabs is and at least for the first couple of years definitely not the professional Tabs is.