Things we've learnt from tonight

[PieLebo87]

- Shannon Cox and Tyson Goldsack deserve a spot in out backline so far.
- Leon Davis is a superstar, and will definitely be in contention for a Brownlow this year.
- John Anthony is a freak. This guy knows how to mark a footy too, very courageous.
- Cameron Wood is going to spend the majority of the season in the VFL.
- Leigh Brown is providing outstanding physical presence.
- Jaxson Barham has got balls. He doesn't shriek a contest and loves to tackle.
- Dayne Beams and Steele Sidebottom are AFL standard midfielders.
- Late in the first, that handball by Beams to either Swan/Cloke near the boundary was absolutely supreme and someone with absolutely superstar potential could've performed the play the way he did.
- Davis on the wing in the 2nd (?) when he intercepted a Bombers kick was typical Davis and justifies why he'll be in contention for a Brownlow this year.
- Marty Clarke is coming along very nicely.
- Corrie looks like a very average player so far.

 

[malteaser]

being a Ricky Barham fan the difference between father/son is Jaxson tackles and rick was a beautifal kick on the run whereas Jaxson needs to work on it. He runs and kicks like his old man. gotta love a Barham.

 

[bucksisbest]

It was OK.
Still the clearances remain a problem , we were able to pounce on their mistakes , but weren't able to be proactive enough.
We piss around with it trying to be too clever when we have possession in a stoppage , often selling soemone else into trouble with half a metre handpasses.

 

[chop_me]

Presti, Presti, Presti, Presti!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh how badly we needed a big negating defender in the defensive 50 last year. Tonight he had no problem keeping up with Lucas and Lloyd, hopefully he can minimise the impact of Fevola, Franklin etc... when they play in the 50.

the fact that we rely on presti concerns me...... i really can't see him playing the entire season injury-free

 

[zorbadunde]

Shit this year will be good, i just hope all these young kids can keep it up for 22 rounds + finals.

people have to remember though mr cam wood is what 21? and has played about 20 games?

i mean i dont see many other ruckmen in the leauge playing 20 games having an impact either.

His tap work is fantastic its just around the ground he gets nervous, seems to freeze up.

he will be fine ladies and gents.

P.S Barham is back

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Things from tonight's game -

Cox, Anthony, Toovey - All big improvers this year. Anthony will be a regular, Cox has just about done enough to suggest he will play Round 1, Toovey to play more senior footy then he did last year.

Goldsack - Is back. He in the side down back running off half back makes us look a better side. Should play every week.

Sidebottom/Beams - Both very good pick ups. Kudos to our recruiting staff again, both will be hard to leave out come round 1, if they continue with their form. I feel only one, Sidebottom, will play round 1 though. He looks a natural, and ready made to go. The best thing is, l think the pick of our draft picks, Jarrad Blight, still is to be unleashed.

Bryan - Needs tp play every game. Wood is looking like the new Guy Richards.

Cook - Will struggle to hold his spot in the senior side. Has had a pretty ordinary NAB cup. I was looking forward to seeing him take a big step this year, as he played good footy at the end of last year.

Didak - To win this years Copeland. Fit and Firing.

Defence - Has great depth, will be underratted all year, but will get the job done week in week out, and with a ever improving midfield, and a powerful forward line, things are looking as bright as they have done in the last 7 years, since 2002.

 

[Lockyer24]

Cox, Toovey, Goldsack - Excellent. Can we fit them in the team though with O'Brien and Maxwell, not to mention Shaw and Clarke, Presti and Brown. That's 9 defenders by my count (too many). At this stage Toovey and Goldsack might be unlucky as we need midfielders on the bench more than defenders.

Sidebottom and Beams - why can't every draft be like this. Both are going to be very good players for us.

Anthony - Round 1 secured. I like just a set up of him, Cloke, Meds, Didak etc - i.e not too big.

Wood was my only disappointment, Cooky and Reid also struggled at times.

 

[jonesy86]

the fact that we rely on presti concerns me...... i really can't see him playing the entire season injury-free

Brown has only played 1 season of AFL football, he will learn a lot down there with Presti in the team. Presti basically hasn't played for 2 years so hopefully we take the conservative path and rest him next week.

 

[mwalker]

being a Ricky Barham fan the difference between father/son is Jaxson tackles and rick was a beautifal kick on the run whereas Jaxson needs to work on it. He runs and kicks like his old man. gotta love a Barham.

One of my first autographs was from Ricky. He was a favourite of mine back then. I still remember waiting where they would walk inside the mcg to head into the rooms. It was pretty exciting as a 9-12 year old watching them walk by each week I went. I was excited to see Barham tonight and whilst he needs to work on some skills he is blistering just like his dad. Another tackling machine to add to an already pretty impressive team of 1%'ers.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

I don't rate Bryan, but unfortunately he was quite a bit better than Wood last night, who just didn't look interested.

Liked Cox's game. You can see he's getting more confident -- he's starting to play with the kind of verve that he shows in the VFL. Loved how he wheeled around and found JA on the lead in the first quarter last night.

The ball didn't bounce Barham's way tonight, and that combined with about three different hospital handballs meant that he did it tough, but his ferocity in the tackle was excellent. I hope they play him next week.

Thought Cloke was very good after being proppy early. Really presented a target and marked strongly.

Corrie was brave, but isn't part of our best 22.

Beams was excellent again. When he slotted that nine-pointer from outside 50 on his left, I was genuinely confused as to what was his dominant side. But he IS a right footer.

Sidebottom reminded me of Hasleby. Fairly squat build, not quick, but clever with good skills.

Best I've seen Goldsack play since 07.

Thought Thomas was good and Marty Clarke too -- he missed a couple of targets early, but was clever after that.

 

[Lazyboy]

I am pretty damn happy with what we now have..

Cox is a good player and is a play maker, way way better than Egan.

Reid is a unit and will be a monster for us with 2 seasons.

Beams is a gun and probably one of the most natural looking ball winners we have picked up for a long time.

Rusty is going to be that bloke every other club wishes they picked up in the draft when they had the chance. He makes AFL look easy...

Bear turned it over but still offers us that bit of aggression.

Jack can decide to either be a bits man or a future Collingwood FF. The ball is in hist court, has all the tools.

Overall i would say we are cruising along with no real concern.

Bring on the real stuff.

 

[pauly_moss]

Bryan is a much better player then Wood for our side as he is a solid built bloke that when Fraser is being to much of a bean pole we have that option Wood suffers from the one problem Josh has and thats beiing to skinny for a ruck man. Fraser still a stand out no. 1 however and Bryan slots in nicely at 2, I also like the fact that he is another option down forward if we get an injury in a game or if its just not working up forward Wood makes a very good orange cutter as a second option for ruck

 

[Col Davies]

They need to ensure their foot passing and even handball hit the intended mark, too many soft kicks falling short. Bucks would have drilled it half way down your throat, some players try and finesse the kick too much. If you are going to play the short game, you need to make sure your possesions are clean.

What will you whinge about if we win next week?

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

I'm not pumping up this win too much against a 2nd-rate bombers side but there was a lot to like about the way we're structuring our game this year.

You can say that, but I'd stack up Josh Fraser, Harry O'Brien, Paul Medhurst, Nick Maxwell, Anthony Rocca and a couple of others that we were missing against the group that they left out.

They played a second rate Collingwood team

 

[Dave The Man]

Very very worried about Wood's performances so far. I keep hearing "pick 14" in my head as well.
Bear killed him tonight. Wood did absolutely didly-squat.

1st game was Good but put 2 lousy Performances in and I can see why Lions Traded him and we might even have over-paid for him but Still Early days yet

 

[person_pitch]

It's really great to see some genuine and definable improvement in specific players this early in the year. It's probably expected that the side would improve this year given the number of younger players, but it's nice to see exactly where that improvement is likely to come from (e.g. IMO cox making that cox/goldy/toovey position his own, JA and scotty stepping up another notch...).

And a backline containing Heath/Marty/Cox/Harry is looking very offensively creative. If we can actually win a clearance or two one day then we should be able to kick some good scores.

Does anyone have an opinion on Nathan Brown's performances so far? He's one that we need to have another solid year.

 

[Pedro]

Happy with the win and at the game, you can really tell how half paced these games are. Leon was jogging around at times such was the ease of the game for him. Loving Cox at the moment. Goldy and Toovey haven't done much wrong from what I can see. Beams and Sidebottom are future stars. I suppose you have to see them when the pace gets turned up a few notches.

Our biggest weakness was again evident last night though. We got smashed in the clearances AGAIN. Watson wasn't even playing either. We seem to be making up for it in other areas but how good would we be when we start dominating the clearances to the extent that we get dominated. Its scary really.

 

[DoubleO7]

With Cooks inept ability to tag should we try Goldsack in the middle as a tagger?

 

[FuManchu]

What will you whinge about if we win next week?

anything that needs fixing

Not everyone is a sycophant

 

[twoforjoy]

1. watching a Collingwood side dominate is an awesome feeling
2. We are developing a even deep side that has both options and young potential still to be realised
3. Reid does not look as lost as he did last year
4. Leon should be in Brownlow contention in 09
5. Presti is important and hopefully with the depth we have, can be strategically rested and saved up for the big guns of the AFL
6. Big Jack Anthony is the sort of bloke I love to see in Black and White
7. that we are taking the opportunity of NAB matches to experiment a bit structure (notably thomas up back), play the kids and are still winning easily
8. some of the fringe players have stepped up and improved a ton (Cox Toovey
9. O'Bree gets bagged way too much

 

[Col Davies]

anything that needs fixing

Not everyone is a sycophant

and thankfully not everyone is a churlish, moaning, peevish complainant.

 

[didaka]

Anyone else notice Reid limp off in the 3rd?

 

[Optimax]

Anyone else notice Reid limp off in the 3rd?

Ice on his ankle (i love sitting behind the bench), but he was walking fine by the end of the game

 

[didaka]

Ice on his ankle (i love sitting behind the bench), but he was walking fine by the end of the game

I love bigfooty.

 

[Dave The Man]

Anyone else notice Reid limp off in the 3rd?

Nup but you got your answer