The never ending Priddis debate - part II

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kranky al

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I have been a member of BF for a few years now and have learnt a lot from this forum. And as I have posted on a few occasions, my background is rugby not football so my knowledge base is limited. But this has to be said…

For the past few seasons I have kept a close eye on Priddis trying to recognise the flaws in his game play that are so vigorously described in this forum. Well here's the thing.. Not only do I reckon that the exaggerated criticism of Priddis is shite and inaccurate but - it suggests to me that the knowledge base of a few BF members on this forum is not much more than mine.

I get his weaknesses, god only knows they've been detailed to the nth degree. But it seems to me that to have such a biased/unbalanced view on a bloke who contributes so much and can muster sufficient votes from the umps to earn a Brownlow medal, well… it seems a classic case of the simple truth getting in the way of a good story, one that the easily led masses have dined out on all too easily.

Priddis has a role to play based on his skill-set and he plays that role like the true champion he is. And furthermore, he will be there to pick up his winners medal when next we stand on the podium on grand final day.

yet for the first time in years - when finally our midfield looked pacy line breaking and dynamic - he was on the half forward line

for years we have said our midfield is slow and one paced - but we had ebert on the hff - he left us for port to play in his natural position - in the guts

all year last year we could have been giving yeo serious midfield minutes to build his tank


the rest of the year we are going to see a different midfield from the last (seems like forever) shuey and yeo are going to take teams apart - the pruddites will sit there waffling their antiquated, cobweb infested jism spurts - but it will become more and more obvious to anyone with half a brain that he was too slow and too limited to play the role he played in todays game and as a result of him getting most of the minuites in the guts we failed to recruit and bring on a player to replace him. thank **** simmo has the guts to put him on the flank.
 

Smotie

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I have been a member of BF for a few years now and have learnt a lot from this forum. And as I have posted on a few occasions, my background is rugby not football so my knowledge base is limited. But this has to be said…

For the past few seasons I have kept a close eye on Priddis trying to recognise the flaws in his game play that are so vigorously described in this forum. Well here's the thing.. Not only do I reckon that the exaggerated criticism of Priddis is shite and inaccurate but - it suggests to me that the knowledge base of a few BF members on this forum is not much more than mine.

I get his weaknesses, god only knows they've been detailed to the nth degree. But it seems to me that to have such a biased/unbalanced view on a bloke who contributes so much and can muster sufficient votes from the umps to earn a Brownlow medal, well… it seems a classic case of the simple truth getting in the way of a good story, one that the easily led masses have dined out on all too easily.

Priddis has a role to play based on his skill-set and he plays that role like the true champion he is. And furthermore, he will be there to pick up his winners medal when next we stand on the podium on grand final day.
You are right.

Your knowledge base is limited.

Stick to rugby.

But the umpires gave him votes. Haven't heard that before.
 
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Obeanie1

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you know whats one way of getting fit enough to run out games in the midfield?

playing for as long as you can in the midfield

tbh if yeo is a starting mid then as the game goes on and he tires then priddis rotates in there - he is less likely to be exposed so badly for pace when his opponents are tired

its just good to see that finally there is another position on the ground he can be used in - its killed us having him only in the centre
Priddis playing as a high half forward instead of starting on ball isn't because Priddis has all of a sudden learned how to play forward more its because we have finally found others who can play on ball and the coach is willing to try new things.

Priddis forward isn't a bad option, I've posted before he is very good at ruck stoppages deep forward. He and the rucks know how to win a clearance and he's pretty decent snapping goals in traffic or shooting out a hand ball to a small in the clear for a shot on goal.

Also backs will be more concerned about Le cras, Hill, Cripps and Kennedy than Priddis so he gets a bit more space to work with.

The Eagles Evolution is finally happening.:thumbsu:
 

Johnno22

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So the argument "We have nobody else" is finally debunked.

;)
Bit quick off the mark there Smotie.

I don't see him out of the team anytime soon but there are others now who have moved up the pecking order.

Some on here will say finally they have addressed Priddis' shortcomings.

Others will say they have finally found some players to share the load.

But the reality is the transition from a Priddis let midfield to the more rounded midfield unit will probably take another 18 months.

Still I think we are all liking what we see.
 

The Dodger

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Bit quick off the mark there Smotie.

I don't see him out of the team anytime soon but there are others now who have moved up the pecking order.

Some on here will say finally they have addressed Priddis' shortcomings.

Others will say they have finally found some players to share the load.

But the reality is the transition from a Priddis let midfield to the more rounded midfield unit will probably take another 18 months.

Still I think we are all liking what we see.
That is what is strange to the opposition to the premise of this thread for so long.
 

The Dodger

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Priddis played a different role playing more off the forward flank and less time on ball . But he had the most goal assists , most tackles and second most clearances .
Played his role very well as usual .
Don't start lauding our new midfield set up until they play better opposition or in not ideal conditions .
Also as awesome as yeo is he can't run out a game in the midfield
Strange response to Smotie's post.

Priddis was also run off like there was no tomorrow. Our dominance meant that it was for naught but against a better team they will be spring boarding off the half back line without an issue.

No one is really saying this midfield is the answer people are just saying different is good. The writing was on the wall with the Priddis lead midfield...at least give something else a go...and we are seeing that.
There is a good chance that that midfield will get belted against a good side next week, but there is scope for improvement.
 
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Xsess

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Priddis playing a distinctly different style this year. I like. We know he's a contested animal, this years he's winning the footy in close but instead of jamming it straight to boot he's holding it, absorbing tackles and using his strength to dish off. Lots more handballs and more importantly he's releasing runners to space.
 

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yet for the first time in years - when finally our midfield looked pacy line breaking and dynamic - he (Priddis) was on the half forward line
Many people here have whined that Priddis could play no other position than inside midfielder, yet as a half-forward as you see it he had 29 possessions, 5 marks, 9 tackles and I saw two passes direct to the chest of a leading forward who goaled plus a great handball to set up an easy goal for Gaff. Despite our easy win and ruck advantage they won the clearances 34 to 33, so there's still work to be done.
 

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domo

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Priddis playing a distinctly different style this year. I like. We know he's a contested animal, this years he's winning the footy in close but instead of jamming it straight to boot he's holding it, absorbing tackles and using his strength to dish off. Lots more handballs and more importantly he's releasing runners to space.

BAHhAHAAhHAaHAAHaaHAaHAaHAHAaAHaHaAHAHAHaAHAhAHAHAAHAAHaaa

And as for him playing half forward .. now he's a specialist half forward is he?? ... getting 29 disposals.. . BAHAHaHAhAAa
you guys must be taking the pish surely???

They are HIDING him there as a Decoy! to maintain their rotations.. where he will/can cost us less damage in terms being exposed with one man down, particularly in defense. Thank farg so far he is not clogging up the space in front of kennedy and Lecras.. he still just floats around meaninglessly like he has always done in the centre square... OPEN YOUR EYES And watch him ESPECIALLY when the EAGLES DO NOT HAVE THE BALL...
At least now this year he is out of the centre bounce more often.
 

Eagle87

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I have been a member of BF for a few years now and have learnt a lot from this forum. And as I have posted on a few occasions, my background is rugby not football so my knowledge base is limited. But this has to be said…

For the past few seasons I have kept a close eye on Priddis trying to recognise the flaws in his game play that are so vigorously described in this forum. Well here's the thing.. Not only do I reckon that the exaggerated criticism of Priddis is shite and inaccurate but - it suggests to me that the knowledge base of a few BF members on this forum is not much more than mine.

I get his weaknesses, god only knows they've been detailed to the nth degree. But it seems to me that to have such a biased/unbalanced view on a bloke who contributes so much and can muster sufficient votes from the umps to earn a Brownlow medal, well… it seems a classic case of the simple truth getting in the way of a good story, one that the easily led masses have dined out on all too easily.

Priddis has a role to play based on his skill-set and he plays that role like the true champion he is. And furthermore, he will be there to pick up his winners medal when next we stand on the podium on grand final day.
Wow, did you get the taste of his shit off your tongue before or after this post?

THE criticism of Matt is that we can't win anything with him at the centre of our midfield. And we can't, we haven't and we won't.

His flaws are too many and he's too easily exposed by the genuinely good sides.

I think the weekends role as the extra mid starting more often outside the square and then following the ball is still flawed because he again will be exposed by other better sides when it counts.

As a very high half forward he dropped a few very easy marks; he took the wrong option on a few occasions that killed clear goal scoring opportunities, he can't kick from distance or run inside 50m and kick unless in acres of space and too often he doesn't block or clear space for others. The same defects he has on ball will hurt him forward.

He was ok on the weekend and nothing more than that.

He will not ever be a member of a premiership team at AFL level.
 

Eastern Rangers

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Priddis playing a distinctly different style this year. I like. We know he's a contested animal, this years he's winning the footy in close but instead of jamming it straight to boot he's holding it, absorbing tackles and using his strength to dish off. Lots more handballs and more importantly he's releasing runners to space.
He did that v Fremantle?
 
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BAHhAHAAhHAaHAAHaaHAaHAaHAHAaAHaHaAHAHAHaAHAhAHAHAAHAAHaaa

And as for him playing half forward .. now he's a specialist half forward is he?? ... getting 29 disposals.. . BAHAHaHAhAAa
you guys must be taking the pish surely???

They are HIDING him there as a Decoy! to maintain their rotations.. where he will/can cost us less damage in terms being exposed with one man down, particularly in defense.
I laughed just as hard... specialist half-forward lol.

Anyway, things won't be so simple. Playing him at HF still creates a load that others have to carry. If the other mids start breaking down in time (and they will), then things will end up back where they started.
 

Eastern Rangers

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In the current game - where turnovers and scores there from are considered oh so important, Priddis is again leading the league in effective tackles.
Turnovers matter most when the opposition players are positioned offensively as possible and that generally means tackles in high congestion or at the scrummage aren't as definitive as stoppages on the transition where space is closed out from the outside. The players outside stoppages come in and close of space and the angles available to those players on the inside.

Been done effectively against West Coast for years when Woosha insisted on using Shuey as first receiver type role.
 

Eastern Rangers

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I laughed just as hard... specialist half-forward lol.

Anyway, things won't be so simple. Playing him at HF still creates a load that others have to carry. If the other mids start breaking down in time (and they will), then things will end up back where they started.
Could do a Graig Wulff. Only without the fearless aerial ability and less speed over the deck.
 

RookiePick

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Yeo's little drop step to block the GWS players run toward the handball target is key there in that play. He was the only GWS bloke moving toward West Coasts goal and it gave Gaff an acre of space to settle and goal.

Hopefully we see a lot more of this blocking/shepherding to ease pressure and create space.
 

Eagle87

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He can retire now with that handpass.

Handy when you've got Yeo palming it down to you like an elite ruckmen.
That one handball, which was his only option, has been talked up more than Wayne Harmes' punch to goal square....

It's a handball that any decent mid has made every week. But with Matt it becomes a talking point for his fans. Says something.
 

GIFMaker

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Wow, did you get the taste of his shit off your tongue before or after this post?

THE criticism of Matt is that we can't win anything with him at the centre of our midfield. And we can't, we haven't and we won't.

His flaws are too many and he's too easily exposed by the genuinely good sides.

I think the weekends role as the extra mid starting more often outside the square and then following the ball is still flawed because he again will be exposed by other better sides when it counts.

As a very high half forward he dropped a few very easy marks; he took the wrong option on a few occasions that killed clear goal scoring opportunities, he can't kick from distance or run inside 50m and kick unless in acres of space and too often he doesn't block or clear space for others. The same defects he has on ball will hurt him forward.

He was ok on the weekend and nothing more than that.

He will not ever be a member of a premiership team at AFL level.
Perfectly weighted pass for Kennedy. You have to take the good into account as well when conducting a fair and unbiased analysis of his performance

ezgif-2450630232.gif
 

Some Idiot

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Turnovers matter most when the opposition players are positioned offensively as possible and that generally means tackles in high congestion or at the scrummage aren't as definitive as stoppages on the transition where space is closed out from the outside. The players outside stoppages come in and close of space and the angles available to those players on the inside.

Been done effectively against West Coast for years when Woosha insisted on using Shuey as first receiver type role.
Priddis is also top 10 in the league for goal assists, and top 20 in the league for effective disposals.
His strong tackling at contests is still a huge asset however. There's a reason that many of the best coaches consider effective tackles to be the most important stat in the game.
 

GIFMaker

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That one handball, which was his only option, has been talked up more than Wayne Harmes' punch to goal square....

It's a handball that any decent mid has made every week. But with Matt it becomes a talking point for his fans. Says something.
Are you sure it was just one handball? Because the above GIF begs to differ
 

Eagle87

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Perfectly weighted pass for Kennedy. You have to take the good into account as well when conducting a fair and unbiased analysis of his performance

View attachment 130646
In determining whether Matt can assist us in winning a flag I have to take account of a 30m kick under zero pressure kicked out in front of an elite forward?

The sort of pass that a decent schoolboy footballer would make 8 out of 10 times?

Why?
 
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