We Still Are Lacking Something.......

[moogerfooger]

The main thing we lack is experience. I believe we have all the essential elements within our existing squad. The only thing we need more of is game time and experience.

that's it, in a nutshell.

As Ian "Daisy" Day used to say "the thing about experience is you can't get it until you've had it".

 

[Crow-mo]

Petrenko can tag like Shirley

in what sims world is that?

 

[Crow-mo]

Symes' role is so under valued.

no, not its not.

 

[StonesThrow]

Thompson is every bit as good as Swan...

I agree but I also think he can improve.

 

[vlbl]

I personally think what we are really lacking is another 'gun' inside mid to go with Danger. This will then free up Thompson to play a bit more outside and i think that will really unleash him to take that step up and become an elite midfielder. This will really complete the engine room, because we'll have the 2 absolute clearance machines, and to add to that we'll have a plethora of quality players playing outside the packs to a degree (not saying they won't be doing any inside work), in Otten, Mackay, Vince, Thompson, Knights and etc.

Hopefully this can be completed in this years draft and the legend of Rendell will grow.

 

[Vader]

I personally think what we are really lacking is another 'gun' inside mid to go with Danger. This will then free up Thompson to play a bit more outside and i think that will really unleash him to take that step up and become an elite midfielder. This will really complete the engine room, because we'll have the 2 absolute clearance machines, and to add to that we'll have a plethora of quality players playing outside the packs to a degree (not saying they won't be doing any inside work), in Otten, Mackay, Vince, Thompson, Knights and etc.

Hopefully this can be completed in this years draft and the legend of Rendell will grow.

I tend to agree with this. Most of our inside midfielders are still from the older generation - Shirley & Edwards being most prominent. The only younger ones I'd describe as being inside are Dangermouse & Stevens. We would have been screwed in several games this year were it not for Edwards' efforts in the guts.

I'd like to see us draft a top-flight inside mid as well.

So... shopping list of 3:
1. Top-flight small crumbing forward who has flair and knows how to kick it between the big sticks.
2. Top-flight inside mid.
3. Ruckman over 196cm tall, to keep Moran, Maric & Griffin honest.

It's only the weakest draft in a decade. I'm not asking for too much, am I?

 

[James23]

1. A potentially elite midfielder, with 1 glaring weakness
2. A decent small crumbing forward
3. Someone that Rendell has plucked from absolutely nowhere that nobody has heard of, ala Henderson

With Rendell as recruiting manager, Draft day feels like xmas as a little kid

 

[cmndstab]

1. A potentially elite midfielder, with 1 glaring weakness
2. A decent small crumbing forward
3. Someone that Rendell has plucked from absolutely nowhere that nobody has heard of, ala Henderson

With Rendell as recruiting manager, Draft day feels like xmas as a little kid

Tell me about it I'm almost excited for the season to end just to see what rabbit Rendell can pull out of the hat this time

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

In order to compete against the best, i still feel we lack 2 things:

- A speedstar in our forward 50 (crumber) a Cyril Rioli type player who can also go into the midfield and break a game open when it gets tight.
The best fit is Jared Petrenko;

- Another Key forward. Tippet in our number 1 and Stevens 2, but that is not enough. Bring in Taylor Walker &/or Burton.

I would bring in Taylor Walker, Brett Burton and Jarred Petrenko
FOR...
Symes, Shirley and Reilly.

Thoughts?

I rikee very much

But I'd keep Reilly and dump Sellar. Our ruckman are doing nothing so why bother with two of them? Do we get double the value with two ruckmen? Double nothing is still nothing.

Walker and Petrenko... guns. And they're guns now. The only times they've struggled at AFL level is when NC has got the all-familiar youth jitters that we thought he was over and had them on the bench the whole game. In his heart, Neil hates young players who are rough around the edges... and absolutely LOVES limited older players who have flaws up the ying yang but at least they are consistent flaws that he knows and can work around.

Our champions will just pick up the slack for Shirley's lack of speed and kicking penetration and Symes' disposal... won't they? They've always had to in the past and that's worked great

 

[KUNG FU]

I personally think what we are really lacking is another 'gun' inside mid to go with Danger. This will then free up Thompson to play a bit more outside and i think that will really unleash him to take that step up and become an elite midfielder. This will really complete the engine room, because we'll have the 2 absolute clearance machines, and to add to that we'll have a plethora of quality players playing outside the packs to a degree (not saying they won't be doing any inside work), in Otten, Mackay, Vince, Thompson, Knights and etc.

Hopefully this can be completed in this years draft and the legend of Rendell will grow.

I can't get any of the AFL stats sites to work properly, but pro-stats (a site which has its fans as critics as they differ from Champion Data) has our top 5 clearances players this year on average as Thompson, Edwards, Vince, Mackay, Shirley. Dangerfield is 9th with 1.7 per game. Of that top 5 ST, Vince and Mackay are definitely on the young side. Mackay has frequently been mistaken as a quick outside mid by this board because he is skinny, likes to run and carry and his foot skills are his greatest asset but in time I think we'll see him as a part of the centre square contingent. He'll never be a bulky player due to his frame, but a couple more pre-seasons and he'll be compete with the best in the middle. Another excellent extractor who's been down this year, in my mind due to his plantar fascia injury is van Berlo. I think that's a pretty solid inside unit of 5 young players who you can rely on in the centre square.

My preference for best available (inside and/or outside) midfielder x 3 and 1 speculative 215cm ruckman in the rookie draft.

I tend to agree with this. Most of our inside midfielders are still from the older generation - Shirley & Edwards being most prominent. The only younger ones I'd describe as being inside are Dangermouse & Stevens. We would have been screwed in several games this year were it not for Edwards' efforts in the guts.

Stevens is a mid?

 

[Vader]

Stevens is a mid?

Stupid typos/brain farts. That was meant to be Thompson.

 

[magtrev]

My preference for best available (inside and/or outside) midfielder x 3 and 1 speculative 215cm ruckman in the rookie draft.

I wonder if Gheorghe Muresan wants to play AFL

 

[Mismatched]

But I'd keep Reilly and dump Sellar. Our ruckman are doing nothing so why bother with two of them? Do we get double the value with two ruckmen? Double nothing is still nothing.

Maric can't ruck the entire game, that's why we require two ruckman and if we bring Tippett into the ruck to cover, then this limits Tippett's time up forward to about 30-35% gametime and where back to where we were at the beginning of the season To beat St Kilda we'll need our forward line functioning to its fullest, and considering Kurt Tippett kicked 7 goals last time we played at the Dome and is one of the form KPFs of the comp, I don't see how dropping Sellar and using Kurt as a second ruck will help. You didn't see St Kilda dropping McEvoy and moving Kosi into the ruck as a back up to Gardiner, when the Saints had to take on Geelong without King.

For mine, this year was all about developing the next generation of players and giving them some quality game time at AFL level, why not give Sellar the chance we have given others? Its not as if he's been horrible, 7 possessions and 7 hitouts from 30% game time and 9 possessions and 8 hitouts from 50% gametime is quite solid from a blokes 2nd and 3rd games.

 

[WALL-e]

According to my dream last night we lack me in the forward pocket kicking checksides from seats.

 

[ManInTheArena]

For mine, this year was all about developing the next generation of players and giving them some quality game time at AFL level, why not give Sellar the chance we have given others? Its not as if he's been horrible, 7 possessions and 7 hitouts from 30% game time and 9 possessions and 8 hitouts from 50% gametime is quite solid from a blokes 2nd and 3rd games.

The question mark I have on Sellar is that I don't think he has ever been exposed to anything like the pressure he is about to experience if he is in the side that takes on the Saints, however I don't see that we have any other option without taking Tippett from the forward line periodically and you rightly say this year was all about developing our younger players. I hope I am wrong but the thought of Sellar under that sort of pressure makes me cringe. He looked fierce at the ball and man over the previous two weeks but didn't look at all comfortable when he had the ball, add to that St. Kilda's pressure *shivers*. If I was to purely look at this week to win the game and forget about development I do wonder if Griffin would be a better option as I think he would be more comfortable with the ball in his hands, but then there is a question mark over him because he has just returned from injury. Now I am creating a paradox for myself, I would hate to be on a selection committee.

 

[Mismatched]

The question mark I have on Sellar is that I don't think he has ever been exposed to anything like the pressure he is about to experience if he is in the side that takes on the Saints, however I don't see that we have any other option without taking Tippett from the forward line periodically and you rightly say this year was all about developing our younger players. I hope I am wrong but the thought of Sellar under that sort of pressure makes me cringe. He looked fierce at the ball and man over the previous two weeks but didn't look at all comfortable when he had the ball, add to that St. Kilda's pressure *shivers*. If I was to purely look at this week to win the game and forget about development I do wonder if Griffin would be a better option as I think he would be more comfortable with the ball in his hands, but then there is a question mark over him because he has just returned from injury. Now I am creating a paradox for myself, I would hate to be on a selection committee.

Considering last time Griffin played(the Port game) I don't think he'd be much of an improvement. Having watched the Freo game twice now, watching how Sellar handled the ball, I don't think he looked that bad, yes he handballed more than he kicked, but then I think that was more so team rules, ie handballing to a running Mackay who would be a designated "kicker" of the footy. When I look at the issue, I just see it as a great opportunity for Jimmy to show what he's got against one of the top ruck combo's in the AFL. All he needs to do is minimise the influence of their second ruck who'll likely be King, who's been in solid, but hardly spectacular football this year and hasn't played since round 11.

 

[ManInTheArena]

Yes, maybe I'm over reacting. I suppose we will see on Sunday if he's picked.

 

[smoovy]

I wonder if Gheorghe Muresan wants to play AFL

I prefer Manute Bol

 

[crowman86]

I prefer Dwight Howard

 

[smoovy]

I prefer Dwight Howard

No capes allowed on an AFL ground

 

[vlbl]

I can't get any of the AFL stats sites to work properly, but pro-stats (a site which has its fans as critics as they differ from Champion Data) has our top 5 clearances players this year on average as Thompson, Edwards, Vince, Mackay, Shirley. Dangerfield is 9th with 1.7 per game. Of that top 5 ST, Vince and Mackay are definitely on the young side. Mackay has frequently been mistaken as a quick outside mid by this board because he is skinny, likes to run and carry and his foot skills are his greatest asset but in time I think we'll see him as a part of the centre square contingent. He'll never be a bulky player due to his frame, but a couple more pre-seasons and he'll be compete with the best in the middle. Another excellent extractor who's been down this year, in my mind due to his plantar fascia injury is van Berlo. I think that's a pretty solid inside unit of 5 young players who you can rely on in the centre square.

My preference for best available (inside and/or outside) midfielder x 3 and 1 speculative 215cm ruckman in the rookie draft.

That's all fair when considering the stats this season. I was actually referring more to the future then next season. Shirley and Edwards will most probably not be in our next premiership side, so there is no point discussing them. Danger is 9th on the list this year in terms of clearances, but it is clear that he has spent a great deal of game time in the forward line, and with the limited time he has had in the middle, i think it is more then fair to say he has the capabilities to be our most dangerous inside player.

My point was more about freeing up Thompson to play a bit more outside then he currently does. Like i said previously, if he isn't under the pack trying to dish out the ball to others, and receives the ball a bit more, I genuinely believe he will become an elite onballer of the game. I agree with your points about Vince and VB, who should become the core of our inside team in the future, but similarly to Thompson, i would rather Mackay receive the ball more then trying to get the ball and dishing it out, as you stated yourself he is a beautiful kick and i'm sure our forward entry will be more effective if he is delivering lace out passes (not to mention Otten). In saying that i'm not saying they should not get the hard ball, when it's their turn they have to go. I just personally feel that we need 1 more top notch inside player and we're set with our midfield.

 

[mulz]

something we a lacking is definitely a a class ruckman.....but i thought we were lacking something about this time in 97 ....i was wrong

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Maric can't ruck the entire game, that's why we require two ruckman and if we bring Tippett into the ruck to cover, then this limits Tippett's time up forward to about 30-35% gametime and where back to where we were at the beginning of the season To beat St Kilda we'll need our forward line functioning to its fullest, and considering Kurt Tippett kicked 7 goals last time we played at the Dome and is one of the form KPFs of the comp, I don't see how dropping Sellar and using Kurt as a second ruck will help.

Is Tippett permanently up forward the entire reason for our turnaround? Didn't we beat Collingwood in Round 1 with him in the ruck? Me thinks there's more at play than just the one move... and the Birdman is BACK.

You didn't see St Kilda dropping McEvoy and moving Kosi into the ruck as a back up to Gardiner, when the Saints had to take on Geelong without King.

But King and Gardiner are good players. They are both in their best 22. There is no reason to play Kossie in the ruck because when they pick their best 22 players they already have two ruckmen PLUS Kossie. We don't. Gardiner in particular has been fantastic lately. If their two ruckmen were just Gardiner and McEvoy and King wasn't on the list, you can guarantee they'd be experimenting with Kossie in the ruck (as they did last week at Subiaco).

For mine, this year was all about developing the next generation of players and giving them some quality game time at AFL level, why not give Sellar the chance we have given others? Its not as if he's been horrible, 7 possessions and 7 hitouts from 30% game time and 9 possessions and 8 hitouts from 50% gametime is quite solid from a blokes 2nd and 3rd games.

Sellar out, Walker in... the development... continues.