Opinion Which two would you prefer?

[kane249]

Don't get me wrong, I think Shep will be good and he has heaps of improvement left in him.

But Fyfe is on another level, as far as I'm concerned.

Bingo, Shepp is handy but he's no Fyfe

 

[Smotie]

Fyfe is the next James Hird....

 

[Definitely Maybe]

Brownlow votes aren't everything, but the count tonight reinforces Freo fans prefering Fyfe to Darling. 14 votes in 9 matches is unbelievable. Both him and Darling are going to be great players.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Brownlow votes aren't everything, but the count tonight reinforces Freo fans prefering Fyfe to Darling. 14 votes in 9 matches is unbelievable. Both him and Darling are going to be great players.

It's a midfielder's award; not a fair way to compare the two IMO.

 

[Definitely Maybe]

It's a midfielder's award; not a fair way to compare the two IMO.

I'm not using it as a comparison between Fyfe and Darling, but part of the reason why Fyfe is rated so highly. I wish we had both.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I'm not using it as a comparison between Fyfe and Darling, but part of the reason why Fyfe is rated so highly. I wish we had both.

Oh yeah, Fyfe is awesome. I'm not denying that.

Still wouldn't trade JD for him though.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Yes but he hasn't been in a position/opportunity to show it. His disposals are clearly better for a start.

His disposal by foot is certainly better, but his disposal by hand isn't. These stats show how much contested football Fyfe gets in comparison to Sheppard.

If you want to compare him to anyone, compare him to Shuey. Shuey is a far more damaging and effective player than Fyfe, who gets on the outside and can hurt you with elite ball movement and run and carry.

Shuey's kick to handball ratio is 59/41.
43% of all his possessions are contested.
Averages 4 marks per game and 2% are contested.
76% Disposal efficency.
5.5 Clearences per game.
2.0 Bounces per game.
0.9 Goals per game.


Fyfe's kicks to handball ratio is 61/39.
52% of all his possessions are contested.
Averages 4 marks per game and 25% are contested.
56% Disposal efficency.
4.0 Clearences per game.
0.1 Bounces per game.
0.4 goals per game.

Sheppards kick to handball ratio is 63/37.
30% of all his possessions are contested.
Averages 4 marks per game and 6% are contested.
73% Disposal efficency.
0.7 Clearences per game.
0.2 Bounces per game.
0.5 goals per game.

Perhaps the best signs for Westcoast fans is Sheppards contested ability is his weakness and this year he showed some serious attack on the football and started doing some heavy lifting when required. If he can build on that form in 2013 improve his ball winning ability further then his natural strengths will become more useful.

 

[Clay Davis]

For what it's worth both Harvey and Lyon are desperate morons, he should be played as a half forward and not as a midfielder.

Oh lordy, WTF would you know. When Fyfe plays in the middle, we win the majority of the clearances.

 

[Clay Davis]

You weren't trolling. I have no idea why the thread was locked.

bushie.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Oh lordy, WTF would you know. When Fyfe plays in the middle, we win the majority of the clearances.

Have i offended you?

Fremantle rank 12th for clearances, Westcoast rank 6th. Five Westcoast players and four Fremantle players average more clearances than Fyfe. He also has the equal highest clanger count in the competition.

So it's clear he isn't the one getting first effective disposals in Fremantle's midfield, nor does he use it particularly well on the handball receive. What is clear is he gets in the right spots to get those contested possession around packs and when he does pull out an effective disposal he can be pretty damaging and creative in close.
If Fyfe was playing for a top four clearance side he wouldn't be getting as much game time in the midfield rotations and he would better be able to utilise his large motor and impressive marking skills to better advantage.

I have been a big fan since before he was drafted, he's a seriously good footballer and a potential great of the game. So I think he should be coached differently, what's the big deal?

 

[Clay Davis]

Have i offended you?

Fremantle rank 12th for clearances, Westcoast rank 6th.

Way to prove me right.

Fyfe - 11 games.

No idea where you're pulling these stats from, BTW. All I see is that West Coast average two more clearances per game than Freo.

He also has the equal highest clanger count in the competition.

Please tell me, who else is high in the clanger count.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Way to prove me right.

Fyfe - 11 games.

No idea where you're pulling these stats from, BTW. All I see is that West Coast average two more clearances per game than Freo.

11 games and his clearence numbers improved on last year.

The AFL website providing the stats FWIW. The clearance would need to be broken down game by game, it is possible that Fremantles midfield structures break down without Fyfe and potential clearances don't happen because of his absence in the chain of disposals from a clearance.

I think he's highly effective around packs irrespective of his DE, i think he's poor running down the wings as a link man and kicking inside 50, it's not like his contested ability is lost by playing him forward of the ball just puts him in a more damaging position to use it in comination with some of his other strengths.

Please tell me, who else is high in the clanger count.

Sure plenty of other good players get lots of clangers.
Thompson is the closest midfielder of note and gets he a lot more clearences and is more efficent.

 

[Clay Davis]

The AFL website FWIW.

11 games and he averaged less clearences last season when he played 21 games? He's improved in spite of his injuries.

I think you'll find in the 11 games Fyfe played Fremantle only lost the clearances twice. Against Port in his first game back and against Geelong in the semi where they piled on the clearances in the last.

In the games he missed, we were flogged in the clearances more often than we won them.

The effect of Fyfe winning the clearances is more than just the clearances he wins himself.

 

[TheLad!]

I think you'll find in the 11 games Fyfe played Fremantle only lost the clearances twice. Against Port in his first game back and against Geelong in the semi where they piled on the clearances in the last.

In the games he missed, we were flogged in the clearances more often than we won them.

The effect of Fyfe winning the clearances is more than just the clearances he wins himself.

he is a great player no doubt but i can see what they're saying i would prefer fyfe to dominate in the forward 50 rather than be just good in the middle,

 

[Gizza]

No doubt I'd love to have Fyfe. That being said, if we had Fyfe this year and no Darling I don't think we would have done as well as we did. Good key forwards are hard to find and Darling kicking 50+ goals as our main forward in just his second year is huge. The guy will dominate teams when we have Kennedy and Lecras fit and firing.

 

[Smotie]

The effect of Fyfe winning the clearances is more than just the clearances he wins himself.

Which is what EasternHills said in his last post:

11 games and his clearence numbers improved on last year.

The AFL website providing the stats FWIW. The clearance would need to be broken down game by game, it is possible that Fremantles midfield structures break down without Fyfe and potential clearances don't happen because of his absence in the chain of disposals from a clearance.

Stop arguing for the sake of arguing.

 

[Clay Davis]

Which is what EasternHills said in his last post:



Stop arguing for the sake of arguing.

That's not what he said in his initial post and if you notice the time stamp in the post I quoted, he edited it just as I replied.

That's why I said "I think you'll find". He basically stabbed in the dark by saying Fyfe should not play midfield and threw together some poor stats to make his argument.

he is a great player no doubt but i can see what they're saying i would prefer fyfe to dominate in the forward 50 rather than be just good in the middle,

Freo desperately need pure midfielders who can kick goals. He's got the tank for midfield, so why not use him there?

 

[TheLad!]

That's not what he said in his initial post and if you notice the time stamp in the post I quoted, he edited it just as I replied.

That's why I said "I think you'll find". He basically stabbed in the dark by saying Fyfe should not play midfield and threw together some poor stats to make his argument.


Freo desperately need pure midfielders who can kick goals. He's got the tank for midfield, so why not use him there?

no i just mean, in the perfect world you would have him in the forward line, as an opposition supporter I'm much more worried about him on the forward flank than him in the square at a centre bounce.
Yes freo need a goal kicking midfielder but if he is that good in the forward line its a bit of a waste,

Yeah michael Jordan was good at baseball but......

 

[Patron]

For what its worth i agree with EH. Ive always thought that ideally fyfe would be played on a HFF. His best asset would be his marking IMO which is more useful playing HFF than on ball.

 

[WCE_phil]

I think you'll find in the 11 games Fyfe played Fremantle only lost the clearances twice. Against Port in his first game back and against Geelong in the semi where they piled on the clearances in the last.

In the games he missed, we were flogged in the clearances more often than we won them.

The effect of Fyfe winning the clearances is more than just the clearances he wins himself.

In regards to fremantle winning the clearances when fyfe players rather than him being truly brilliant on the inside its just how much better he is in that position that the person he displaces and thus being the potential fullcrum and balance point of freo winning it through the middle. Think of it like bread. It is still tasty and nutricious without the effect of yeast yet by adding yeast it becomes awesome

I also strongly believe that fyfe's best position is on a HFF flank with partial midfield time and not as a full time mid. His kicking will improve the more he plays as will his decision making due to natural experience and having a more mature body. He has the ability to be one of the very best of his generation and his high flying ability and marking is up there with the best in the comp. He is good in the clearances but not great (he's no cotchin), which while making him good in the middle by having a strong midfield and playing him from a HFF flank his addition then becomes all the more useful especially as he is then also more likely to have more time and a much greater effect on the scoreboard. Players like fyfe are very hard to come across and more difficult to find than an extractor of the ball. In a perfect world freo would have another 2 class mids thus ensuring both pavlich and fyfe never had to be thrown into the middle for large periods. Building the perfect team mind you is quite impossible with the salary cap and thus why all teams will have weaknesses.

I rank darling and fyfe quite similarly in what they will be able to bring to their respective sides however while sheppard is certainly no star at this stage pitt doesn't look like he deserves to be anywhere near an AFL list and as such the reason why i voted for darling+sheppard over fyfe+pitt.

 

[Smotie]

I wonder what people's selection would be if it was Fyfe/Shephard or Darling/Pitt.

I know who I would choose...Darling/Pitt...

 

[Clay Davis]

My opinion is that the midfield is a lot broader than the 3 who play centre square, and having Fyfe in there doesn't subtract from his ability to go forward, take a mark and kick a goal.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I wonder what people's selection would be if it was Fyfe/Shephard or Darling/Pitt.

I know who I would choose...Darling/Pitt...

Fyfe / Sheppard

Freo supporters (quite rightly) are extraordinarily excited by Fyfe's output. His second year was phenomenal and they only see upside. On output trying to compare Fyfe to Darling is nigh on impossible due to their varying positions - however both were thrust into prominent roles in their second years and thrived.

We've seen a few midfielders do what Fyfe has done in his 2nd year (Judd, Selwood, Cousins, McLeod) and they have all gone on to be stars of our game.

What we haven't seen for quite a while (probably Whitnall 15 years ago) is a second year key forward kick 50 goals. Does that mean Darling goes on to become Wayne Carey - or does he become Lance Whitnall?

For mine - the sky is the limit for both players, though it may not be achieved. Each club would quite rightly not trade one for the other. And any supporter pretending that one is significantly better then the other would be wrong IMO.

So ultimatelty it comes down to Sheppard and Pitt. Sheppard showed in his first year he has a lot of talent and started to show that again this year before injury, forcing his way into a fairly handy side. Pitt on the other hand hasn't shown that much (yet) - so ultimately whichever gun is lined up with Sheppard at this stage would be the winner.

If you were going on value from the draft selections, you'd have freo ahead - given Shepp was pick 7 and Pitt 20

 

[Patron]

fyfe/ sheppard