The positives thread

[jackess]

I still think Paparone is in the Jack Watts category. Not strong or willing enough to be a KPP. Not quick, smart, skilful or hard at it enough to be anything else.

 

[LIONS08]

I still think Paparone is in the Jack Watts category. Not strong or willing enough to be a KPP. Not quick, smart, skilful or hard at it enough to be anything else.

Except we didn't give up pick 1 for him

 

[Elixuh]

I still think Paparone is in the Jack Watts category. Not strong or willing enough to be a KPP. Not quick, smart, skilful or hard at it enough to be anything else.

To be fair Marco is 3 or 4 years younger than Watts. So still needs time to develop.

 

[Panthera]

He took quite a few intercept marks and used the ball well despite a couple of turnovers. One of the few players showing week to week improvement at the moment.

Cutler, N.Robbo and Paparone are long term players for us going by what they've showed so far. All were picked between 20 and 35 in the draft - really important to nail these and it looks like we did

 

[Panthera]

I agree he needs time, but that sounds an awful lot like Staker to me.

No, totally different players. Totally.

 

[Panthera]

Other than the points covered by others above (improved defensive marking and involvement):

- I think he actually has deceptively good hands in close. I noticed him handballing into trouble substantially less than a few of his more experienced teammates.

- He is still prone to a poor kick every now and then, but each week he seems to pick out one or two more of the right options, and his kick (while not 'natural') has definitely flattened out a fair bit.

- His defensive spoiling is improving, which I get the feeling is down to a better feel for the timing of it

- I also think he's stronger than he looks. He held up okay in body contact.

Bearing in mind he has been playing a defensively focused role, if you bring Merrett back in to go with Clarke and Gardiner, he probably has a lot more freedom to float in as a third man and use his running offensively. There is definitely still a fair way for him to go, but this year so far he is probably the one guy who I think has improved a little pretty much every week.

I feel this will be his role moving forward; floating between the arcs to make the play and to get the ball to the likes of Hanley and Rich. His running capacity will also allow him to run off a direct opponent and head forward (once his confidence allows it).

A full season into this kid and a big pre-season and we should have a very good role player on our hands

 

[Happy_Neale]

Think Paps will improve once he fixes his insanely high ball drop. It's really noticeable.

 

[lionshine]

One positive for me is through the glimpses that they have showed, I can see DBeams and Christensen adding a hell of a lot of quality to our side once the likes of Rockliff and Hanley are back in the midfield at full fitness.

 

[CarterS]

McStay looked a lot better. 7 marks, 3 shots for goal, got up the ground a bit. When he spend a bit of time in the backline he looked decent as well. Stats don't really reflect it but he looked much better. He would have been given a serve after last week and he really responded.

Cutler looked decent.

How good is Taylor?

Adcock looks good, I think he gets a bit of an unfair rap. 6 kicks and 14 handballs, he is clearly trying to create some run out of the backline. I think he brings composure.

Mitch Robinson 10 tackles, he is a hard nut, that part of his game is exactly what we need. As for the rest of his game, well, this is the positives thread.

Stefan Martin.

 

[Sanchez365]

Think Paps will improve once he fixes his insanely high ball drop. It's really noticeable.

This is interesting because I feel like his set shot kicking is stupidly accurate.

 

[BuntonRules]

I feel this will be his role moving forward; floating between the arcs to make the play and to get the ball to the likes of Hanley and Rich. His running capacity will also allow him to run off a direct opponent and head forward (once his confidence allows it).


A full season into this kid and a big pre-season and we should have a very good role player on our hands

This is interesting because I feel like his set shot kicking is stupidly accurate.

In his first season, he kicked a few goals marking over his shoulder by outrunning every one to get behind the press. This year Leppa has him learning the defensive game. Paps is going to end up an exceptionally effective wingman.

Not the first to say, but Cutler & Robbo are future A graders.

Am sitting up front on the Harris Andrews bandwagon. Give this kid a few years in the system...................

We got flogged, but I slept well.

 

[Sanchez365]

Speaking of Harris Andrews I actually thought his ruck work was not too bad for a string bean. Also he laid a massive shepard to try and let a smaller guy have a free run at the ball but unluckily he scuffed it forward when he bumped.

Lots to work with.

 

[a mayes ing]

In his first season, he kicked a few goals marking over his shoulder by outrunning every one to get behind the press. This year Leppa has him learning the defensive game. Paps is going to end up an exceptionally effective wingman.

Not the first to say, but Cutler & Robbo are future A graders.

Am sitting up front on the Harris Andrews bandwagon. Give this kid a few years in the system...................

We got flogged, but I slept well.

Thats exactly what he did with Mayes and look how that turned out. Would rather the player just learn his natural position for a few years before going into a defensive role to learn it.

 

[rockypls]

Thats exactly what he did with Mayes and look how that turned out. Would rather the player just learn his natural position for a few years before going into a defensive role to learn it.

I was going to post the same thing. Mayes is struggling at the moment, but can you blame him? Isn't easy to play a new position every year. Regarding Paps - he was excellent last year as a wing / forward flanker because he actually ran both ways and always gave us an option. His defensive running wasn't bad at all. I feel sorry for him, could have easily left us last year but instead he stayed and now he's used as Leppa's scapegoat.

 

[Panthera]

I was going to post the same thing. Mayes is struggling at the moment, but can you blame him? Isn't easy to play a new position every year. Regarding Paps - he was excellent last year as a wing / forward flanker because he actually ran both ways and always gave us an option. His defensive running wasn't bad at all. I feel sorry for him, could have easily left us last year but instead he stayed and now he's used as Leppa's scapegoat.

Whaaaa? How do you figure that?

 

[James North]

A million players struggle in their second year ... and their third.

 

[rockypls]

Whaaaa? How do you figure that?

Mentions him in almost every press conference along the lines of "he's just playing his third game there etc etc", would be smarter to just not play a guy who doesn't like any sort of physical pressure as a tall defender against much bigger bodies.

 

[Skoob]

Mentions him in almost every press conference along the lines of "he's just playing his third game there etc etc", would be smarter to just not play a guy who doesn't like any sort of physical pressure as a tall defender against much bigger bodies.

Should have left that sentence there.
I don't think he's soft, just a bit lost.

 

[matwt73]

In his first year, Paps appeared to have little idea where to go (at all), last year it clearly clicked for him in respect to the wing, High Half forward role, and he was much improved. This suggest that he is coachable, able to learn and willing to learn. I think he played ok on the weekend, what let him down a few times was positioning particularly with the ball in flight. He can learn that. I have every confidence that he will be a part of our next finals side.

 

[jackess]

Should have left that sentence there.
I don't think he's soft, just a bit lost.

I'm not sure he's soft but getting body contact doesn't come naturally to him. He doesn't seem like a natural footballer.

 

[matwt73]

I'm not sure he's soft but getting body contact doesn't come naturally to him. He doesn't seem like a natural footballer.

I agree with the first half. Maybe not the second. i think he has natural football skills, and probably used those to avoid contact at junior level, i do think he is still coming to terms with the physicality of senior football. I may be wrong but he doesn't come across as someone who played seniors before being drafted.

 

[winged1]

Nick Robbo I think he is going to be the inside bull we need, he looks stronger this year and ran THROUGH a couple of guys, which last year he tried but it didnt come off. The other thing was he injected some really hard offensive run and when he did we looked a 1000% better. Good delivery got some of the pill. Was happy he took the opportunity.

Cutler, first half clangers but then started to find his groove, got plenty of it and his good use at 6'3" may not end up being a KPP. But he can certainly hurt the opposition with his disposal and run. I have said it before the big improvement in this side is in Cutler, Robertson and McStay.

Taylor showed some proper speed and when he is the running link player we look a lot better, too often we attacked at half speed but when we really run offensively hard, Taylor needs to be part of that.

Andrews is going ok, delivery to him wasnt great, he goes OK in the ruck when they cant body him ie centre bounce and boundary throw in, but ball ups around the ground he is just too light at this point. Plenty to work with. Interested to see if they leave him in.

Gardiner is going to be a gun, keep in mind he should be our third tall in the back but without Merrett everybody has moved up a spot. Merrett has been a huge out for us, hurt us more than Rocky being out.

Paps, did some good things but again he ended up with McInnes which really should of been Gardiners role, gave away a lot of weight to Mcinnes which showed a couple of times.

There is hope, the kids are developing, we are still a couple of years away.

 

[jjami15]

The draft class of both 2012 and 2013 will be our building blocks and thus getting as many games in to them is vital. Especially Cutler and Robbo due to not getting as many games as the others last year

 

[WA Lion]

Another positive is that we are finally (Whilst touching wood he looks around for a ladder or black cat) starting to turn the corner with injuries. Harwood back last week, West back this week, Freeman very close, Hanley running strongly and a chance of an early return, Rocky back with seemingly no after-effects, Goose seemingly tracking OK after concussion. Sure we have lost Close for the season, but very few clubs go a season without at least one of their players suffering an ACL.

 

[Eons]

We can't go down the ladder any further.

In all seriousness, we looked a much better side when we took the game on last week. If we can clean up our disposal and make better decisions with the ball we'll win this week.