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Wallace calls for pace

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dogboy23

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I have thought about Wallaces call to get more pace in the side and have found a few wholes in the argument.Robbins,Eagle,bubba,jonno,murph,jordi,gilbo and alvey are all very quick some of them are lightning.The only players i could figure he was referring to are Libba,Browny,westy,contessa,romero and garlick and westy and browny arnt really even that slow.If he was referring to the midfield that is slow im not sure which players he can get rid of to fix it given that romero and contessa barely played this year anyway and he is hardly going to get rid of west brown or libba.So really what im getting at is that if you look at it our midfield is not that slow as most the slow midfielders on our list barely played a game.Has anyone else got any thoughts on this?
Have i wrongly put slow players in the fast category?Tell me what you think:cool:
 
Bronwy isnt that slow really! and what lack of speed he may have he makes up for it with his footy brain.....hes a genius on the field and is always one step ahead of his opponent and most the time his team mates.
 
Yeah i know it wasnt a criticism but compared to the speedsters he is not the same pace.Browny more than makes up for it with football smarts as does westy;)
 

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I would think we lack in the area of big guys with pace. And in defense generally. Ellis, Croft, Kritter (not that big i know), Harrison, Curley etc. Leaves only Grant and Kingsley in key possies that can really run. Compare that to the Hawks where their big guys really run hard out of defence. But you are right as far as the midfield goes, it is pretty quick. you always look slow when you turn the ball over.
 
Who would they be looking to get at then to increase the pace.Someone like Daniel Bandy is very quick for his size and Prestagiacomo is not slow.Actually i think we should move Grant to chb next year imagine how skilful our side would look with a half back line of smith grant murphy and a centre line of brown west and jonno:p
 
Originally posted by dogboy23
Actually i think we should move Grant to chb next year imagine how skilful our side would look with a half back line of smith grant murphy and a centre line of brown west and jonno:p

Creating such a skillful half backline definitely has merit. However taking your number one big forward away from a group that already has relied on Johhno Brown and Smith to play full forward often will leave the forward line too bear. Granty is getting on now, is hard work to chase around guys like Croad. I say leave him forward with Bowden Wiggins Hunter and anybody they recruit to make up the other two to three big marking options the forward line needs. I think the best way we can utilise Grant is to take the emphasis off him and let him do his thing as part of a well structured forward line. Oh for a glenn coleman and Danny Del-re key forward set up to let the rolls royce cruise around showing why he is so highly regarded by us. Am sick of seing him bogged down in physical contests with big plodding backmen. We need to free the man up, not make him follow someone else around all day. 96 he played the full year at CHB and was magnificent. We finished above only Fitzroy.
 
Originally posted by dogboy23
I have thought about Wallace's call to get more pace in the side and have found a few holes in the argument. Robbins,Eagle,bubba,jonno,murph,jordi,gilbo and alvey are all very quick some of them are lightning.
I think there's a difference between fast runners and pacy footballers. Pacy footballers are ones that can win the ball and burst free through a combination of quickness of thought, quickness of foot, and sheer determination. All in the list have quickness of foot, but not all have the other two. And even being quick of foot is diminished in importance if your initial acceleration is poor.

I would argue that only Robbins, Bubba and Johnno have really exhibited 'pace' to any great extent. With half of the list that is simply because they haven't played enough yet to really be judged properly. Murphy - maybe. Alvey - don't think so. Jordi and Gilbo - I hope so. As for Eagle, I think he improved late in the year, but he isn't a 'pacy' player in my view. And even Bubba for the last 2 years, except when there's been a sniff of a shot at goal, has rarely exhibited the characteristics I would consider necessary for a player to be deemed fast.

What we need are some players that can use a burst of speed to the teams advantage - this year we had very few who could do that.
 
Re: Re: Wallace calls for pace

Originally posted by K9-54


What we need are some players that can use a burst of speed to the teams advantage - this year we had very few who could do that.

This is absolutely right. However i think Eagleton and McMahon both exhibit this ability, as well as Johhno Bubba and Robbo, but for various reasons (lack of confidence and game time respectively) the first two i mention did not show it much this year. As for Murph Hahn Guido Gilbee Alvey, i feel they all have the ability to 'drive' away from a tackle to varying degrees (ranked in order that i list them). But unlike the other guys who often can do it with a simple burst of acceleration they rely more on a combination of balance awareness and strength. More in the mold of a Mathew Croft then say Andrew McLeod (who is probably a bad example, as he exudes mastery of ALL the categories mentioned). Probably a bit of a glut of the type of player in defense and midfield that can't get that 10-15 metres extra (Garlick West Brown Libba Romero Dimma Contessa Cox Harrison Curley Ellis Kritter Penny) by carrying the ball has been one of our major problems this year. This is not a criticism of these guys, just a statement on the type of player we probably need less of. That is midfielders/defenders that don't 'take on' the opposition by running with the ball.
 
Originally posted by sigscotty
I would think we lack in the area of big guys with pace. And in defense generally. Ellis, Croft, Kritter (not that big i know), Harrison, Curley etc. Leaves only Grant and Kingsley in key possies that can really run. Compare that to the Hawks where their big guys really run hard out of defence. But you are right as far as the midfield goes, it is pretty quick. you always look slow when you turn the ball over.

I was just thinking how much bigger and quicker the Hawks are compared to us when i was watching the first half of the semi final before. We really DO have a team of short people...slow short people. Ok maybe i'm exaggerating. We DO have some quick players. Robbo..bubba...johnno...jordy etc. Some of yous have mentioned Browny as slow, but from what i remember he used to be a really quick player...but now he's pretty unfit, so maybe after a really hard pre-season it won't be such a weakness for him. Also what i've noticed about the hawks and most other teams...they seam to have a lot more strength and physical players than we do.
:mad:
 
Originally posted by dogboy23
Who would they be looking to get at then to increase the pace.Someone like Daniel Bandy is very quick for his size and Prestagiacomo is not slow.Actually i think we should move Grant to chb next year imagine how skilful our side would look with a half back line of smith grant murphy and a centre line of brown west and jonno:p


Carlton have shown interest in Presti and are willing to give us Porter: they believe he will be a next Silvagni as do the Pies.
 

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When they're switched on, the doggies would have to be one of the fastest teams around.
The new guys Guido, Murphy, Alvey and co. are all quite fast - so I think you'll actually see an increase in pace over the next few years, as these guys improve.
I also don't think the tall players are slow, Grant has the pace of a midfielder. Croft & Harrison are faster than you think. Darcy is very mobile for a ruckman.
(This is based on what I've seen of the doggies this year: I'm a member so I saw most of their home games ).

Height seems to be the main concern, another ruckman is needed (but I guess everybody knows this already :rolleyes: ).
Mckernan would be perfect (I still hope he doesn't leave us though :) )
 
Originally posted by True_Roo
Croft & Harrison are faster than you think.

Pretty good assessment i think true Roo, except for the line above. These guys both run pretty strongly, but when it comes to a serious sprint they are not going to leave too many guys in their wake.
 
Originally posted by sigscotty


Pretty good assessment i think true Roo, except for the line above. These guys both run pretty strongly, but when it comes to a serious sprint they are not going to leave too many guys in their wake.

I think Crofty is quick. I mean, out of 10 times of bulking a player, i'd say he would get caught twice.

Nothing better than seeing Crofty bulk the man on the mark, and go for run...
 
Pretty good assessment i think true Roo, except for the line above. These guys both run pretty strongly, but when it comes to a serious sprint they are not going to leave too many guys in their wake.

Quite right sigscotty, I should have made myself a bit clearer:
as tall players they are not slow. For example if you compared them to North's tall players: McCartney, Carey , Sav - I'd say they'd outrun all of these guys without too much of a struggle.
When compared to the average midfielder, however , I'd agree that they are always going to struggle with keeping up.
 
Originally posted by PC28


I think Crofty is quick. I mean, out of 10 times of bulking a player, i'd say he would get caught twice.

Nothing better than seeing Crofty bulk the man on the mark, and go for run...

PC i assume you mean baulk right mate. So rarely an opportunity to correct you so i had to take it. ;)

Crofty is great at getting around opponents, but he does this with strength balance and nous. not with pace.
 
Originally posted by sigscotty


PC i assume you mean baulk right mate. So rarely an opportunity to correct you so i had to take it. ;)

Crofty is great at getting around opponents, but he does this with strength balance and nous. not with pace.

Thanks for the correction in my spelling. My mistakes are, as you quite rightly put it, rare, so make the most of it :)

I think there may be a bit of pace there Sig, but i think your assesment is not too far off the mark.
 

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Yeah. i mean i am not suggesting the guy is slow, but i don't think his pace is a weapon would be the best way to put it.
 
Originally posted by sigscotty
Yeah. i mean i am not suggesting the guy is slow, but i don't think his pace is a weapon would be the best way to put it.

He reminds me of a smaller Stewie Lowe. Great hands, and a good kick... And same hair stylist :)
 

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