Who improved and who didn't in the 2018 season

[fidstar]

Thought we could have a discussion thread about who were our big improvers this season (and people who dropped off a cliff).

This is the result of the voting for the last two seasons and the difference between the two. I have taken out players who didn't play at least 10 games in both seasons.

The results are skewed a little to the positive as we played an extra game this season.

PLayer................2018 votes....2017 Votes.....Difference
Jack Redden..........37.86..........14.18..............23.68
Andrew Gaff..........33.08...........10.55..............22.53
Shannon Hurn........34.84..........14.40..............20.44
Jamie Cripps...........17.23..........2.78...............14.45
Jack Darling............26.15..........13.50..............12.65
Brad Sheppard........23.54..........11.03..............12.52
Chris Masten...........9.44............1.98................7.46
Will Schofield..........4.17............0.13................4.05
Tom Barrass............9.73............6.73................3.00
Mark Hutchings........6.36...........4.46................1.90
Mark LeCras............6.80............6.41................0.39
Elliot Yeo................48.29..........50.73..............-2.44
Jackson Nelson.........0.20...........5.79...............-5.58
Lewis Jetta...............6.33...........12.86..............-6.53
Liam Duggan............3.54...........11.44..............-7.90
Nathan Vardy............1.46...........9.72...............-8.26
Jeremy McGovern.....14.67..........27.40..............-12.73
Luke Shuey..............22.84..........40.61..............-17.77
Dom Sheed...............8.62..........28.28..............-19.66
Josh Kennedy.............9.74..........38.46..............-28.72

Notes:
1) If someone had said that McGovern, Shuey, Sheed and Kennedy would have seasons substantially worse than last year, what chances would you have thought we'd have of winning a premiership?
2) Yeo's dominance in the last two years shows here. He won the vote by 10 even after getting less votes than last year!

Improvers
1) Redden's and Hurn's improvement really stands out. The league really took notice of Hurn, but Redden was often overlooked by the media. He should have been talked about for the AA squad.
2) Gaff returned to his best. After two seasons of poor voting, he returned to his 2015 form (where he had 41 votes)
3) After a poor 2016 Cripps showed he still has something to offer.


Not so improvers
1) Shuey had a big drop of 18 votes (and that was after last year where he dropped 13 votes from his spectacular 2016 campaign)
2) Kennedy's drop seemed injury related, so not going to read too much into that one.
3) Dom Sheed made up for a poor season with a great finals showing, so I'm going to forgive him.


Thoughts on this season improvers?

 

[fidstar]

Also,

Who takes the big step next year?

 

[KERRPOW]

With another year in the midfield, yeo will go up another level.

Hope sheed can build on sheedtember rather than go the way of the boyd.

 

[Balls In]

Cole Ryan Rioli

 

[RookiePick]

I'm backing Hickey to have his best year on our list TBH.

Seriously though...Vardy. His first season coming into it knowing he is the numero uno. He is mature and in his prime as a ruck.

Let's be honest, if he played for a Vic club the meeja would have been jizzing over a story with as much "feelgood" gravy as Vardy's tale has. The bloke managed a paltry average of 3.5 games per season at Geelong. In two years here he has surged to over 50 games, played 5 finals and is a premiership player.

 

[Inside Bull]

Good thread, love the work you do

Just one comment is that with the way the votes are structured obviously there are still just as many votes to go around whether we win a flag or a spoon. As such in a great year like this year a player needs to do more to stand out from his peers. So it might not be that said player had a worse year but more that his teammates had a better year.

 

[Eastcoasteagle]

Interesting analysis and for me is bang on.
I think Yeo can go into elite midfielder category next year. I'm talking top 10 players in league.
I think Sheed has that confidence in himself now, and will have a great year.
Rotham is the next one I think to debut and we'll start to see him come through.
I think competition for spots between the young guns will drive accelerated growth for all of them.

 

[Candiru]

Who takes the big step next year?

Steal my thread, why doncha?

 

[Candiru]

In the interest of board unity, maybe we can merge with my one here .... https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...r-in-whether-we-can-go-again-in-2019.1208475/

Suggested title: How we made everyone EAD in 2018 and why there are second helpings in 2019

 

[Candiru]

Thought we could have a discussion thread about who were our big improvers this season (and people who dropped off a cliff).

This is the result of the voting for the last two seasons and the difference between the two. I have taken out players who didn't play at least 10 games in both seasons.

The results are skewed a little to the positive as we played an extra game this season.

PLayer................2018 votes....2017 Votes.....Difference
Jack Redden..........37.86..........14.18..............23.68
Andrew Gaff..........33.08...........10.55..............22.53
Shannon Hurn........34.84..........14.40..............20.44
Jamie Cripps...........17.23..........2.78...............14.45
Jack Darling............26.15..........13.50..............12.65
Brad Sheppard........23.54..........11.03..............12.52
Chris Masten...........9.44............1.98................7.46
Will Schofield..........4.17............0.13................4.05
Tom Barrass............9.73............6.73................3.00
Mark Hutchings........6.36...........4.46................1.90
Mark LeCras............6.80............6.41................0.39
Elliot Yeo................48.29..........50.73..............-2.44
Jackson Nelson.........0.20...........5.79...............-5.58
Lewis Jetta...............6.33...........12.86..............-6.53
Liam Duggan............3.54...........11.44..............-7.90
Nathan Vardy............1.46...........9.72...............-8.26
Jeremy McGovern.....14.67..........27.40..............-12.73
Luke Shuey..............22.84..........40.61..............-17.77
Dom Sheed...............8.62..........28.28..............-19.66
Josh Kennedy.............9.74..........38.46..............-28.72

Notes:
1) If someone had said that McGovern, Shuey, Sheed and Kennedy would have seasons substantially worse than last year, what chances would you have thought we'd have of winning a premiership?
2) Yeo's dominance in the last two years shows here. He won the vote by 10 even after getting less votes than last year!

Improvers
1) Redden's and Hurn's improvement really stands out. The league really took notice of Hurn, but Redden was often overlooked by the media. He should have been talked about for the AA squad.
2) Gaff returned to his best. After two seasons of poor voting, he returned to his 2015 form (where he had 41 votes)
3) After a poor 2016 Cripps showed he still has something to offer.


Not so improvers
1) Shuey had a big drop of 18 votes (and that was after last year where he dropped 13 votes from his spectacular 2016 campaign)
2) Kennedy's drop seemed injury related, so not going to read too much into that one.
3) Dom Sheed made up for a poor season with a great finals showing, so I'm going to forgive him.


Thoughts on this season improvers?

The biggest improver was Redden followed by Darling. Hurn was great, going to a new high in his 30s, which is pretty rare. Yeo and Gaff also improved, with career-best years. Gaff developed a more contested game and Yeo became a full-time mid.

I'd also throw a shout-out to Hutchings who was vital.

Cripps became more consistent. Barrass continued to develop. Duggan settled into a role. Cole leapfrogged a few and was comfortably best 22 by year's end.

Rioli is my tip for the big improver in 2019.

 

[avishka5]

Also,

Who takes the big step next year?

Liam Duggan will make tallying up votes easy for you next year. Will be getting 5's each week from everyone.

 

[Candiru]

Liam Duggan will make tallying up votes easy for you next year. Will be getting 5's each week from everyone.

The Hacksaw to the midfield?

 

[avishka5]

The Hacksaw to the midfield?

Nah 2019 AA half back, 2019, John Worsfold medalist, 2019 Norm Smith Medalist and 2019 AFL Premiership player.

 

[Candiru]

Nah 2019 AA half back, 2019, John Worsfold medalist, 2019 Norm Smith Medalist and 2019 AFL Premiership player.

We produce HBFs in a lab. Upgrade The Hacksaw to the midfield.

 

[avishka5]

Nah trust the process. Duggan=next Beau Waters.

We produce HBFs in a lab. Upgrade The Hacksaw to the midfield.

 

[Candiru]

Nah trust the process. Duggan=next Beau Waters.

Nah different. Duggan could be a poor man's Gaff.

 

[Seadog]

Sheed makes the list in both categories.

 

[avishka5]

Nah different. Duggan could be a poor man's Gaff.

You mean Gaff could be poor mans Duggan?

 

[Falco]

I agree with Eastcoasteagle I think Rotham if played on the outside / wing could be the quick outside player with marking ability and footskills we've been looking for. He's not a third tall, he's not big enough to play that position. I see him as an Embley type.

Depending on injuries which often provide younger players with an opportunity, I think Hickey will tear it up in a reborn role in an excellent club.

 

[Coaster2012]

It makes sense really. Our A graders basically stayed the same, while our bottom half really took the next step and that was the missing piece. We became a really settled side in 2018. Our best 22 was obvious. Which can't be said of previous years.

As for next year? I think Duggan will take a massive step forward. He's got to. He will be the next captain and a solid 2019 could see him captain by 2020-21.

 

[Jiggyman]

Cripps the biggest improver, for mine. Redden at least had the history of a prolific midfielder, despite his massively improved 2018.

To go from pressure-specialist to genuine threat from anywhere in or on the 50, with midfield numbers playing a high hff... Top 5 in a flag-year B&F holding us together when we were teetering mid-late season... And I still don't think he's fully matured.

Cripps could have finished that GF with 3 or 4 goals. If he lowers the eyes whilst going I50, he has the tools to tear games apart for many years to come.

 

[Double the Fist]

I'm backing Hickey to have his best year on our list TBH.

Seriously though...Vardy. His first season coming into it knowing he is the numero uno. He is mature and in his prime as a ruck.

Let's be honest, if he played for a Vic club the meeja would have been jizzing over a story with as much "feelgood" gravy as Vardy's tale has. The bloke managed a paltry average of 3.5 games per season at Geelong. In two years here he has surged to over 50 games, played 5 finals and is a premiership player.

Boy, I hated the Varydy pick and couldn't understand it. Really resented the fact we got him.....

He and WCE have proved me wrong. (they have been doing that lately)

Well done Vards.

I was soooo wrong.

 

[Double the Fist]

The biggest improver was Redden followed by Darling. Hurn was great, going to a new high in his 30s, which is pretty rare. Yeo and Gaff also improved, with career-best years. Gaff developed a more contested game and Yeo became a full-time mid.

I'd also throw a shout-out to Hutchings who was vital.

Cripps became more consistent. Barrass continued to develop. Duggan settled into a role. Cole leapfrogged a few and was comfortably best 22 by year's end.

Rioli is my tip for the big improver in 2019.

Cole, Hutch and Barrass were monsters for our club this year. So underrated given 3 of our top 10 were out!

 

[TY24]

Players I'm expecting to improve next year:

1. Dom Sheed - after such a strong finals campaign I'd be backing Dom to lock down his spot and be a mainstay in our midfield for 2019. Who makes way for him is an issue for another day.
2. Jack Darling - prior to 2018 we saw glimpses of JD's best. In 2018, we saw what he's truly capable of and if not for a season disrupting injury, he could very well have been a Coleman and John Worsfold Medalist. In 2019 I'm backing JD to well and truly take over the reigns from JK as our number 1 forward.
3. Liam Duggan - heres hoping Duggo can take the next step and become a real general of our back 6. Met him in person, great bloke.
4. Willie Rioli - expecting a 40 goal season now that he has some experience under his belt. The surname holds high standards and I expect nothing less.
5. Matthew Allen - he's been on our list for so long, it feels like he's been given the "this is your last chance" talk. He's come back looking trim and from all reports could be ready to tear it up in 2019.

Players I'm expecting to decline next year:
1. Nic Naitanui - the talent will always be there, but after 2 knee reco's, are his best days behind him?
2. Lewis Jetta - his body is letting him down more and more of late and time isn't on his side.
3. Josh Kennedy - similar to Jetta, I'd be surprised to see him play 22 games this year, JK's best days are probably gone.
4. Chris Masten - he had a great year, but with young talent coming through like Ainsworth, Allen and Bradshaw his days could potentially be numbered.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

4. Chris Masten - he had a great year, but with young talent coming through like Ainsworth, Allen and Bradshaw his days could potentially be numbered.

Ainsworth can't kick, Allen is caught in between positions, Brayshaw is too slow.

Masten has his wing locked down for now. Extremely underrated player.