Two things i needed to get off my chest

OrangeCutter

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I like many other Essendon supporters am optimistic about our season ahead, but I want to pick at 2 nagging problems that I have.

Ruck division – Laycock and Hille have the potential to be the best ruck duo in the competition especially with there ability to go forward. I personally believe that Laycock showed a lot of good signs this year and will be the number one ruck next year, but he is not there yet. Hille is lethargic and looks great one game and hopeless the next, he is a big risk each game he plays because sometimes we go out there with 21 players because of him. This pair will have a lot to do with our standing with in the competition at the end of the year.

Mcphee – what happened to this bloke? Was it the proxocide? Was it all the time doing his hair and looking in the mirror? He went from a bloke who use to refuse to come off the ground because he was such a competitor to the fairy he has become(im not questioning him having time on the bench because it’s the modern game but the shift in his desire to play alla 2003) On the surface he has the perfect build great kick strong mark and is athletic but he plays as a running half back who plays along the boundary lines going throughout the whole game without contact and using his foot which can kick and penetrate 60m to send passes 11m. I hope new coach and new position changes him.
 

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#2
I like many other Essendon supporters am optimistic about our season ahead, but I want to pick at 2 nagging problems that I have.

Ruck division – Laycock and Hille have the potential to be the best ruck duo in the competition especially with there ability to go forward. I personally believe that Laycock showed a lot of good signs this year and will be the number one ruck next year, but he is not there yet. Hille is lethargic and looks great one game and hopeless the next, he is a big risk each game he plays because sometimes we go out there with 21 players because of him. This pair will have a lot to do with our standing with in the competition at the end of the year.

Mcphee – what happened to this bloke? Was it the proxocide? Was it all the time doing his hair and looking in the mirror? He went from a bloke who use to refuse to come off the ground because he was such a competitor to the fairy he has become(im not questioning him having time on the bench because it’s the modern game but the shift in his desire to play alla 2003) On the surface he has the perfect build great kick strong mark and is athletic but he plays as a running half back who plays along the boundary lines going throughout the whole game without contact and using his foot which can kick and penetrate 60m to send passes 11m. I hope new coach and new position changes him.
Im not to worried about our Ruck division really. Laycock and Hille did it pretty good last season and we always have Ryder as a back-up.

My patience is slowly wearing away with Mcphee but i think he'll come good. He doesnt have that great determination like he used to but i dont think he was a Sheedy lover also. Still one of our better players and will step up next season.
 

The Dustbin

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#3
I'm hoping with Laycock having a full pre season his fitness levels will improve. Like you said he showed some good signs last year in the ruck and around the ground. Just needs to work on his fitness. I remember games last year when Laycock would contest the centre bounce, then at times watch the opposing ruckman stream forward leaving Chook in the centre square with his hands on his knees. His fitness hasn't been there cause of injuries.

Hille was very frustrating last year. Still he can provide good back up to Laycock and prove to be a real menace up forward. Laycock is definately a better palm ruckman then Hille. Hille I though last year was too big in the body, lost some of his mobility.......

Don't worry about McPhee, Knights has said he will be used on a HFF as a lead up forward. Hopefully it will be a position that suits him and he re-discovers his form from a few years ago. We all know he can take a grab and has decent foot skills.
Certainly hope he doesn't play on any of the Key forwards.
 

KING-JAMES

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#4
Chook is looking good in some photos I have seen of him, much better than in the past. I think he has the talent to be a star so its good to see him working harder.
Hope he breaks out in 2008.

McPhee should do well as a HFF/wing, his actually a nice kick when he isnt under the pressure of running the ball out of defence. I'm confident we will see him improve. However some are expecting a superstar. Perhaps too big an expectation, and we have to let go of his 2004 and just let him play good footy.
 
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#5
I think that with a decent preseason under laycocks belt he'll be able to get to a lot more contests, with hill playing as a tall forward and going into the ruck to give laycock a rest.

And McPhee has been pretty disappointing the last few years, with the new coach hopefully he will find that desire and hunger that got him all australian honors.
 
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#7
McPhee:

3rd in kicks
4th in general kicks
1st in short kicks
3rd in handballs
4th in handballs received
1st in general marks
4th in contested marks
1st in contested marks
4th in loose ball gets
4th in hit outs
2nd in tackles
3rd in rebound 50's

I'm not saying he has starred the last two years, but this is a player who was coming of ostioitis pubis (or how ever its spelt).

He does not seem to exude that natural confidence that a lot of AFL players have and he seems to be very much a confidence player. Really looking forward to seeing what he can do next year after a full pre season.
 

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#8
Hille strings some good games together so i feel the Op is being a bit harsh. He is still well in front of Laycock in terms of who is the better ruckman. I do agree that he needs to work on his fitness though.

Everyone seems to be on the McPhee bashing bandwagon which i find quite strange. Before he was injured he was the best player on our list behind Hird, Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher. The last two years he has been carrying injuries and his groin was in pretty bad shape for quite along time. Any of you that goes to watch Narre Warren play would know about his injury problems as Adam goes to every game that he can. I see him there regularly and chat to him often. In 2006 he actually had knee problems ontop of the groin problems which most people don't know about. It was actually a great effort on his behalf to get up for games because on quite a few occasions he siad that he didn't think he would pull up but then i would see him running out on the Sunday with the boys. I am not happy with the OP's comment that McPhee has become soft, if you knew what he went through to pull up for games you wouldn't be saying that. I saw him on one Saturday and he was clearly limping and had his knee all strapped up yet he ran out the next day and was servicable. Their is no doubt that he must have had some jabs just to enable him to play...soft players don't do this. The second half of last season he started to get some fitness back and his form improved. If he is fit next season he will show you all that he is as good as he always was! Then people can jump back on him again.
 
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#9
Mcphee – what happened to this bloke? Was it the proxocide? Was it all the time doing his hair and looking in the mirror? He went from a bloke who use to refuse to come off the ground because he was such a competitor to the fairy he has become(im not questioning him having time on the bench because it’s the modern game but the shift in his desire to play alla 2003) On the surface he has the perfect build great kick strong mark and is athletic but he plays as a running half back who plays along the boundary lines going throughout the whole game without contact and using his foot which can kick and penetrate 60m to send passes 11m. I hope new coach and new position changes him.
i wouldnt worry too much about mcphee... he will take a huge step this season to almost all australian form... mcphee was as victim of sheedy's poor coaching throughout the year... he was being played as a key defender a lot of the time, and imo shouldnt even be used as a floating defender, he should be used in the midfeild and forward (which is how knights is going to play him). he needs the freedom to use his athletisism and strength to his advantage..
if i could i would put all my money on him having a great year

the ruck duo just needs some fine tuning... both hille and laycock need to find a way to play together.. both want to be the number one ruck and both are pathetic when they are a number 2 ruck.. if they can learn to play together they would be very good
 

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#11
McPhee made good strides back to form last year. I believe he can get back to near his best next season. At his worst, he is still a very handy player back there.
 

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The Dustbin

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#13

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#14
McPhee was prone to a lot of dumb decisions running off HB last year, but I think he'll make a terrific HFF, can lead and mark, could easily chip in with 20+ goals next year.

With Ryder as third tall, and plenty of options off HB with Rama, Nash, NLM, Dempsey ect ect I think this will turn out to be an excellent decision by Knighter.
 

OrangeCutter

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Im not using Mcphee as a scapegoat i just think he is ignoring his natural ability to playa soft running game. I hope forward does the trick but i think he is better as a HBF just not the way he has been used past couple of seasons. I want to see him use his body, his long penetrating kicks, he needs to run forward, leave his man and take some marks across other forwards like jacobs and wellman use to do.
while i like him at half back 5 minute bursts up forward and through the middle would be good to see

or m i just being greedy exspecting to much?
 

kelvin_sheedy

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#21
Im not using Mcphee as a scapegoat i just think he is ignoring his natural ability to playa soft running game. I hope forward does the trick but i think he is better as a HBF just not the way he has been used past couple of seasons. I want to see him use his body, his long penetrating kicks, he needs to run forward, leave his man and take some marks across other forwards like jacobs and wellman use to do.
while i like him at half back 5 minute bursts up forward and through the middle would be good to see

or m i just being greedy exspecting to much?
He was No.2 for tackles in our team last year and always flies the flag.

I think people are way too harsh on him around here. I think it's got to do with the hair and the pecs.
 

Merv

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#22
He was No.2 for tackles in our team last year and always flies the flag.

I think people are way too harsh on him around here. I think it's got to do with the hair and the pecs.
I can't speak for anyone else but imo, he has been extremely disappointing, from the point of view that we know what he can do.

When he is down on his confidence, he drops marks, fumbles the ball below his knees and chips it around as if he is scared to make a mistake.

He is now one of our more experienced players and our young kids need him to stand up and lead the way.....

No more excuses, deliver or go......
 

Colin D'Cops

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#23
I can't speak for anyone else but imo, he has been extremely disappointing, from the point of view that we know what he can do.

When he is down on his confidence, he drops marks, fumbles the ball below his knees and chips it around as if he is scared to make a mistake.

He is now one of our more experienced players and our young kids need him to stand up and lead the way.....

No more excuses, deliver or go......
Agree...:thumbsu:
 

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#24
I can't speak for anyone else but imo, he has been extremely disappointing, from the point of view that we know what he can do.

When he is down on his confidence, he drops marks, fumbles the ball below his knees and chips it around as if he is scared to make a mistake.

He is now one of our more experienced players and our young kids need him to stand up and lead the way.....

No more excuses, deliver or go......
Name a player who hasn't struggled when carrying injuries?

Next season when he is fit and firing from getting a full season under his belt he will be back to the form he displays when his body is right and you will all be back on the bandwagon. But i will remember each and every one of you that bags him out on our board.......:thumbsu::cool::D
 
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