The Non-Essendon Thread

[Call Me Cake]

Carlton is shit.

 

[criticize]

warnock is one of the worst kicks for goal, has hacked them up all year. including one missing the goals and going on the full by probably 40m against the crows.

he later had a easy set shot from about 30 and huddo asked walls will he kick it, and walls response was "oh shit" luckily quiet enough no one picked up on it.

add some pressure to the situation and the spud is going to struggle big time, i said to my mrs at the game hes 50/50 at best here, still probably got closer to the goals than hampson would have.

 

[eth-dog]

Sydney are not any good. They are still winning only by reducing the game to a scrap-fest. Basically, hack, hack, hack. They will make top 8, but not top 4 and will not cause much trouble in the finals.

I disagree. They are a good side. Sure, they play inside more than outside, but look at their key defenders, key forwards. I'll admit LRT is a hack, but most teams would love a defence of:

Kennelly-Richards-Smith
Shaw-Grundy-Malceski

Goodes, Bradshaw, Reid are all good kpf targets. Don't underestimate Sydney

 

[Slattery_20]

Shizen on the weekend and very scratchy against Port the week before and rolled over in what could only be seen as favourable conditions for them against a side not renowned for wet-weather scrapping.
Very unimpressive last 3 weeks. Pretty impressive before that. They'll plug away in the 8, again, they'll put it through North then Brisbane, but that hardly gives us a good line on how well they ar going.

 

[kfc1]

The Cats still lack an effective tall forward

 

[yaco55]

Will go out on a limb.

Doubt that Geelong will make the GF.

Have struggled through games - winning 4 by less than 2 goals - Doubt that that have as much upside as some other sides.

 

[kfc1]

Their upside is that Johnson is out of form and will come good.

The downside is that if teams can find a way to tag Bartel and Selwood out of a game I don't think they have the tall forwards to make up for that. At the moment the forwards aren't firing bu the midfielders are...

 

[Kong]

I also don't see Geelong lasting the entire season. Might make the GF, but won't win it.

 

[Kong]

Jack Watts being moved to defence.

The old "forward fails as a forward; move him to defense" trick.

See Ben Reid, Chris Tarrant etc.

 

[Slattery_20]

Watts hasn't been bad at all this year.
He's a year or two behind others, and was clearly thrust into it well before his time, but he's coming along perfectly fine.

 

[Kong]

I haven't seen much of the Dees (NAB Cup, vs Adelaide) so I have no idea.

I just find it funny, particularly when a club invests so highly in their "star forward" (Reid, Watts in particular).

I don't rate Reid though, so maybe I'm just a goose.

As for Watts, I've said all along that I've seen nothing to make me think he'll be a great player, but I've assumed he will be, because 16 clubs couldn't get it so wrong these days, surely.

 

[ant555]

I haven't seen much of the Dees (NAB Cup, vs Adelaide) so I have no idea.

I just find it funny, particularly when a club invests so highly in their "star forward" (Reid, Watts in particular).

I don't rate Reid though, so maybe I'm just a goose.

As for Watts, I've said all along that I've seen nothing to make me think he'll be a great player, but I've assumed he will be, because 16 clubs couldn't get it so wrong these days, surely.

He has been a bit up and down but then he is a developing player playing in what has been an average side that is trying to learn a new game style.
Personally i have liked a few of his games this year, he has had 20 plus possessions in a couple and for mine shown just as much as Gumby has.

The issue is the expectation was he was going to be some sort of Wayne Carey but he is more of a running leading player who has had to adapt to playing in a forward press situation and has not been physically strong enough.
Probably a good thing to get him away from the forward line as he does read the play well and was played midfield too good effect for Sandy in a few games.

 

[ant555]

Will go out on a limb.

Doubt that Geelong will make the GF.

Have struggled through games - winning 4 by less than 2 goals - Doubt that that have as much upside as some other sides.

Is that despite the fact they have managed to introduce a number of young blokes this year and a few of them have stood up under pressure.
I have no idea why people want to knock good form, yes they only just won a few times but the win against Collingwood was impressive. They should have had them shot early and then came back to win after the Pies where looking like running away with it.
Apart from the Saints where the other three wins by less than 2 goals not against sides with a bit of form ? They where Fremantle in Perth, Collingwood and Carlton who are top 4.
They have smashed the bottom sides. Unless you are going to say Carlton are going to win the flag tell me who has more upside ?

 

[Kong]

I always assumed he was more of a Nick Riewoldt type of forward, rather than a Jonathan Brown.

Or is he even still not that similar to Nick?

 

[ant555]

I always assumed he was more of a Nick Riewoldt type of forward, rather than a Jonathan Brown.

Or is he even still not that similar to Nick?

Closer to Nick than Brown for sure but currently he does not have Nicks engine and may never have.
I know you do not want a number one pick playing off half back but i think he could play off half back and have 25 touches every week as he has a bit of class and run.

 

[Kong]

I was thinking recently how quite a few number ones have ended up playing as a hbf/midfield utility.

Hodge
Goddard
Deledio
Gibbs

Perhaps Watts could be another

Maybe even Cooney, to hit top form again?

 

[Kong]

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21133723&postcount=106

Read this post, and the entire thread, for a laugh.

Tiggies supporters trying to convince us they'd take Grigg, Houli, Conca etc over Stanton.

 

[BomberTime]

Your sig is classic whomb, height of stupidity by tiges supporters.

 

[Kong]

They're not even winding us up, either, they actually believe it.

 

[yaco55]

Is that despite the fact they have managed to introduce a number of young blokes this year and a few of them have stood up under pressure.
I have no idea why people want to knock good form, yes they only just won a few times but the win against Collingwood was impressive. They should have had them shot early and then came back to win after the Pies where looking like running away with it.
Apart from the Saints where the other three wins by less than 2 goals not against sides with a bit of form ? They where Fremantle in Perth, Collingwood and Carlton who are top 4.
They have smashed the bottom sides. Unless you are going to say Carlton are going to win the flag tell me who has more upside ?

Still not convinced there game style will hold up in the pressure of finals - Their forward is a bit of a concern - although I dont worry about it as much as others.

Time will tell whether my prediction is correct.

 

[Godzke]

Meh, Stanton has been overtaken by Hocking and even Lonergan in terms of importance. I would've said Hocking was more important last year but now it seems Lonergan is as well. Why? Because Lonergan has gone away and added more to his game. Stanton hasn't changed. He's the same player now as he was 4 years ago.

Stanton desperately needs to add a string to his bow. Sure he busts a gut as much as anyone, but what use is a solid work ethic when your team work (1%ers) is ****ing shit? I can't recall him ever laying a sheppard.

 

[Kong]

I think they've become more important than they were because the game plan is: tough nuts only on the ball; get it out to the others.

It's why we've rarely seen Stanton, Zaka, Jetta etc start on in the centre square.

Nothing to do with Stanton "staying the same". What exactly has Loneran changed this year? Besides being played at centre bounces, where he should have been all along.

 

[Summer Nights]

Good point Whomb. Even Winders, before he did his ACL, was spending much less time in midfield contests this year.

 

[Godzke]

I think they've become more important than they were because the game plan is: tough nuts only on the ball; get it out to the others.

It's why we've rarely seen Stanton, Zaka, Jetta etc start on in the centre square.

Nothing to do with Stanton "staying the same". What exactly has Loneran changed this year? Besides being played at centre bounces, where he should have been all along.

Got to be kidding!!!

Has desperately worked on his fitness in order to play there? His tank was awful. Now it's considerably better. He's also worked a lot on his overhead marking ability so now he's a better small forward option target than even Gus! I don't want to say anything more because I don't want to pump him up and be dejected if he falls away later this year but he has done AMPLE over this preseason to give Watson the perfect cut out option when rotating between on the ball and in the forward line.

I think Hirdy has been successful in getting 5%-20% extra out of almost every single player. Lonergan has probably given him more.

Good point Whomb. Even Winders, before he did his ACL, was spending much less time in midfield contests this year.

So what did Winders do? Reinvented himself as a HFF and hence his massive contribution to goal-assists and i50s.

 

[Godzke]

Oh also, I'm looking forward to playing Melbourne next week. Boy are they a soft team. With a week's rest, the absence of Hocking and Watson shouldn't be too bad.