VFL VFL Round 5 v Essendon - Anzac eve - Friday April 24. 2:05pm @ KGM Centre

[sr36]

Cochran played his best game of his career yesterday- but he’s still below the standard needed to be promoted. He still makes basic mistakes and decision making is not sound. I’d promote Ryan ( not to play Howe’s role) ahead of him, because his decision making, and ball security is far better.

Cochran’s baseline should be yesterday’s level and above, before he’s ready IMO.

Parker ahead of both of them for a defensive role, particularly with Moore back next week.

 

[sr36]

He looked 6-8 weeks away yesterday. Cramping almost after every contest

I don't think it'll be long before he's up to managed AFL minutes.

 

[No SPIN]

Parker ahead of both of them for a defensive role, particularly with Moore back next week.

True, but I think Parker is a known quantity at AFL level where as Ryan needs his chance to do the same - the more “AFL ready”, players we have, the more robust our list becomes.

 

[sr36]

Funny because swoop on his review was saying how impressive he looked

Prindable looks pretty clean, but very old fashioned.

 

[yeah man]

Funny because swoop on his review was saying how impressive he looked

Swoopluke? As good of a bloke as he is I don't think he's a good analyst. Very much a vibes guy. He will see someone take a decent mark at training and declare them red hot for a breakout game lol

 

[No SPIN]

Printable looks pretty clean, but very old fashioned.

No where near his preseason level - which is a concern.

 

[sr36]

True, but I think Parker is a known quantity at AFL level where as Ryan needs his chance to do the same - the more “AFL ready”, players we have, the more robust our list becomes.

Sorry Spinny, but thats just not true. Parker isn't a known quantity. He's just been selected about 10 times because he's been more impressive than Ryan. There's this strange concept of the blue sky of kids who haven't played, whereas if they've been good enough to be selected more often they're a known quantity. They're all young players who need to improve to become AFL regulars and Ryan has to improve more than Parker does.

 

[Bianconeri]

Not sure the coaches will see it this way, but I think Allan has leapfrogged Long with this game.

Long had better performances in the VFL before he was listed for us than Allan did yesterday.

 

[nickyds35]

AFL Ready

• West: Just an all-round gun. great mark, great kick for goal and around ground, good at ground level. Definitily an AFL player. Very similar to a Logan Morris/Taylor Walker
  13

  Taylor Walker

  Age

  36

  Ht

  192cm

  Wt

  102kg

  Pos.

  Fwd

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  13.0

  3star

  K

  9.0

  3star

  HB

  4.0

  3star

  M

  5.7

  5star

  T

  1.6

  4star

  G

  2.3

  5star

  No current season stats available

  D

  8.0

  2star

  K

  6.4

  3star

  HB

  1.6

  2star

  M

  4.2

  4star

  T

  1.6

  4star

  G

  1.6

  5star

  - style player.
• Harrison: Fast, clean, powerful, and importantly, a lot of tackling. Not prolific but has AFL traits. Harrison might be the prototype of a player that looks better in the seniors than in the VFL.
• Buller: Played well, did everything, marked and competed well, and kicked straight. Is a smarter player than I though he was after his first 2 games in the AFL.

Good

• Allan: Was good, but I have been burnt by Allan a few times. However, he did some things yesterday (bursting out of packs, taking players on) I have never seen before. Needs a good block of 5-6 weeks in the VFL before being considering again.
• Cochrane: Very nice game, especially in the second half. Quick, athletic, smart, however not sure he will ever be a pure KPD. Think he has a bright future as a 3rd tall in the Ridley/Howe mould, which is great.
• Howes: Didnt catch all of his good moments, but had a good overall game. Is strong/smart, so a good decision by coaches to play him as a defender.
• Bobby: Just nice to see him back, still atleast 5-6 weeks away.

Ok / Some Concern

• Prindable: As others has said, moves like he has cement in his boots, although he had some moments where he looked abit more dynamic. Must be carrying something, if not, we have really drafted against the grain of modern footy.
• Swadling: Love that he wants the ball, but seen some things in his game I dont like. Constantly asks for the ball despite pretty poor disposal, trails behind teamates asking for a handball for no benefit for the team. Looks great running forward, but doesnt have the same urgency chasing an opponent with the ball. Giving me Rhys Palmer vibes, but way too early, has heaps of time to refine his game.
• Smit: Ok game, but some stupid mistakes. Need to persist because the rule changes really suit his game.
• Ryan: One or two nice moments, but otherweise pretty meh. Seems way too cautious overall, and never breaks out of a jog. Never been the same player since he got concussed on debut.
• McCarthy: Quiet, but is way to raw. Will develop for atleast the next 2 years, but you can see in small bursts he has a good footy brain, and has great skills. Think he will be a player, but will take time.
• Saxena: See McCarthy, has skills, but way too raw.

The Ugly
- Reef:

 

[HFF]

I think there's something going on that we don't know about. It's not like we've seen him sprinting and he's slow at full speed ALA Ginny or Sidey. He just seems to lack explosiveness or any sort of dynamism. It's either mental or physical, there's no way this is his capacity, given he's made it this far as a footballer.

I had doubts when we drafted him watching his tape alone…which isn’t indicative of how good a player is or can be but his tape was so underwhelming …and now watching him basically jog contest to contest like there no care in the world …he isn’t a modern day midfielder
Dare I say it ..he plays like the bloke who drafted him in Shane OBree ..yet OBree at least had some uncanny skill left or right

I don’t understand how a midfielder can lack any sort of urgency or speed or even step to create time and space.
His body and gait is so “straight” he can’t get off the line at all physically.

 

[Granit1962]

You don't have to read it princess.

Princess LOL, you must be queen of princesses

 

[Granit1962]

Literally every post is about Allan. Even when he plays well he needs to talk the bloke down. The poor guys probably going to be delisted at the end of the year, but it would be nice if people would just lay off him.

One of those supporters you were prefer were not your own

 

[MoreMoore]

Cochran played his best game of his career yesterday- but he’s still below the standard needed to be promoted. He still makes basic mistakes and decision making is not sound. I’d promote Ryan ( not to play Howe’s role) ahead of him, because his decision making, and ball security is far better.

Cochran’s baseline should be yesterday’s level and above, before he’s ready IMO.

I think Howes went past him in one game

 

[sr36]

One of those supporters you were prefer were not your own

Voted most likely to yell abuse at players as they walk up the race after a loss.

 

[HFF]

I think Howes went past him in one game

Cochrane may work better as a third tall back.
He isn’t a key back in the sense

Howes on the other hand has a commanding presence and physical capacity to want to compete and mark the ball

 

[Doc1763]

Cochrane may work better as a third tall back.
He isn’t a key back in the sense

Howes on the other hand has a commanding presence and physical capacity to want to compete and mark the ball

I was very happy with Howes game yesterday. Howes in, Moore forward, or on the wing

 

[No SPIN]

Sorry Spinny, but thats just not true. Parker isn't a known quantity. He's just been selected about 10 times because he's been more impressive than Ryan. There's this strange concept of the blue sky of kids who haven't played, whereas if they've been good enough to be selected more often they're a known quantity. They're all young players who need to improve to become AFL regulars and Ryan has to improve more than Parker does.

Apples and Oranges SR- if they both were essentially competing for the same spot I’d agree but I think Ryan has size and intercepting ability ( with some here having suggested he play Howes role), which Parker lacks.
I cant think of any advantage that Parker has over Ryan accept maybe intensity at contest.
But until Ryan is given AFL time we’ll never know his true potential, or whether he goes passed Parker.
Now that HH is building, Parker falls further behind because HH can probably play Parker’s role and more, but not the case with Ryan.

Of course there’s blue sky for kids who haven’t played - it’s completely understandable.

 

[Apex36]

Swadling’s disposal isn’t bad. He just goes for a lot, but he’s not a bad kick

He goes for the kicks that only a Daicos could really pull off. If he can learn to play within himself in terms of his decision making he should be a real player long term.

 

[manicpie]

He goes for the kicks that only a Daicos could really pull off. If he can learn to play within himself in terms of his decision making he should be a real player long term.

Buckley started the same way. He'll adapt

 

[sr36]

Of course there’s blue sky for kids who haven’t played - it’s completely understandable.

More blue sky for the one's who've played than those who haven't. They're closer to the mark. With these two we're not talking about blokes who do wow things. They're potential cogs in a team.

There's no sudden finding out. They train all week and play VFL. They can all do good things, but it's a matter of them being able to do them often enough with less bad things. Those getting games are the one's the coaches think are more likely to do good things at the moment or less likely to **** up with positioning or in a moment.

 

[Mkcaptain]

I think Swadling can be an AFL standard kick, but I do have concerns about the mechanics of his high ball drop. Can be okay out in space but may make it hard for him to spot up quick targets.

 

[cfc19902010]

Swoopluke? As good of a bloke as he is I don't think he's a good analyst. Very much a vibes guy. He will see someone take a decent mark at training and declare them red hot for a breakout game lol

Fair enough

 

[Jen2310]

 

[granniewolf]

I thought it was a great game, pretty exciting too.

 

[swoop42]

Howe is one of the greatest overhead marks to ever play the game and it's one of, if not the biggest reasons, he's been able to compete as an undersized key defender all these years.

Ryan is in no way comparable and is closer to being a less talented version of Langdon or a smaller less contested version of Scharenberg.

His dinky 15m sideway kicks are pure Scharenberg.

To be honest I think we'll reach a point this season when we should seriously consider a positional change for the likes of Ryan and Jiath if we want to give them any hope of a senior career. Does Allan have any scope to play on a wing? Could Jiath be a switch hitter and play half forward and back? Who knows but if neither have broken through come July I'd rather challenge them and try something different.

As it stands now even if they put in consistently good VFL performances our defensive line is the most settled and we're prepared to run players through there that can also play multiple roles. Thankfully outside of Howe the rest have proven to be pretty durable also (touch wood) which only limits their likelihood of senior selection.

Right now Moore, Howe, Frampton, Maynard, Quaynor, Houston, Perryman, Jaicos, Crisp and Parker are all ahead of them.

Good luck.