News Workhorse (Priddis) Improves Efficiency

[Eagle87]

i have to tell you, i was typing a constructive debate against Paran's logic, but in the process of defending priddis against masten+swift etc,and the role of extractor types, i had a realisation,and arrived at E87's logic.."hang on there are Judd and Cuzz types who can do both things -extract,run and spear"..so i ended up hanging an argument with myself-which saved this panel a lot of tedium i'm sure..

but ive safely arrived at the conclusion,that cuzznjudd types are extremely rare,and until sports cloning arrives,we have to make do with human imperfections..and until then priddis is mighty fine by me,especially handing off to shuey.
(but hmm, imagine a priddis-judd clone,or priddis-cuzz clone)(you could have a priddis,cox,shuey,darling clone - and itd be a one man team!!??)

TBH bali-dog you are basically getting to the nub of my issue with Pridda. He is a decent enough player at a certain level but I'm not sure you can build a premiership winning midfield around a player quite as one-dimensional as he is. By build around, I mean he gets 80% of every game in one of the offensive (non-tagging) centre square spots. How do you develop other guys in those spots when the bloke already there is adequate? I mean he does enough to retain a spot as did plenty of those Freo one paced short people a few years ago - we all knew they couldn't bring them a flag, but they could be competitive and even make some finals.

The teams that have prolonged periods of success generally have gun midfields ... we may choose to try strangling our way to a flag like Sydney in 2005 but frankly, I reckon that ship has sailed ... I just reckon having such a one dimensional bloke in a key spot will be an impediment to us getting back to the top and the 85 mins a week is better spent finding the next gun mids rather than standing our ground and fighting for 9th ...

Others disagree, others have alternate views usually based on notions of surrounding plodders with jets but thats simply passing the buck ... The real good sides have mids who, individually, are at least good in their weaker areas ... Priddis wouldnt be anywhere near an AFL list for any trait at all except first hands at a stoppage ... a very good skill but very one dimensional IMO ....

 

[Eagle87]

No. I just like giving him a ribbing all the time.

You do understand that you don't actually wind me up? Unless you equate pity with "rage" ....

 

[bali-dog]

well..in a way it doesnt matter what side of the argument you stand on..because priddis will be there until he's superceded by someone better..natural selection/evolution..and the someone better will be a gun bullocking midfielder with devastating skills..the time will come..no-one is guaranteed a long term spot to the detriment of the teams progress..for coaches, the team and winning is paramount..if a better player, suited to priddis' role, appears on the horizon..priddis will be phased out accordingly..the same applies to every player.(meanwhile theres a koby stevens etc waiting in the wings-priddis knows this and is why he improves himself,its also why depth+pressure is good for the team)

also, i agree that priddis may have more surprises in store,such as improving his run and kick penetration..whats the difference between him and your idea of a gun midfielder?-he's really not that far off, and could be there by years end,or post preseason...pinpoint kicking, and a regular goal or two a game would put him in that league...
and if it got to that he would be one of the best mids in the comp..as good as a judd type,thered be some eating of humble pie then..might be worth hedging your bets and cutting him some slack..just a bit.

 

[no1bankteller]

By build around, I mean he gets 80% of every game in one of the offensive (non-tagging) centre square spots. How do you develop other guys in those spots when the bloke already there is adequate?

At what point do you say to the young blokes it is your responsibility to develop your own game/career rather then gifting them time by benching/not selecting someone who is currently (on performance) one of our top midfielders?

My view of our current young midfielders is as follows:

Luke Schuey - absolute gun, has taken it upon himself to earn time in the midfield and continues to perform. Personally I see him as the best young midfielder we have had since Judd.

Masten - very talented young player who has shown signs of being a B+ performer. The problem I see is his durability. I am not sure if it's his build and he does not have the strength/size to play extended periods in the center or if it is that he has not worked hard enough on his conditioning (core strength). I believe that the lack of time in the midfield (over last few years) is due to durability concerns rather then because of Priddis being gifted time in the center.

Scott Selwood - impressive, durable, tough and has speed. Like Schuey he has taken it upon himself to develop himself. Has been given time in the midfield, initially, as a stopper but of late has shown that he has the capability to be more dynamic and hurt teams offensively as well.

Brett Ebert - struggled with disposal last year, playing in the middle, however he is only 20/21 years of age and has lots of maturing and development left in him. I though that he has improved his awareness and disposal by foot significantly since last year and he may at some stage find himself taking time away from Priddis.

Swift - I so want this guy to be good, he has all the skills but he has not performed consistently in the past when given the opportunity to play AFL. I was at his first game against Carlton at Etihad a few years ago and he was horrible (and perhaps this still colours my perception of him). Personally I think the selection committee are doing the right thing by playing him in the WAFL (and by the sounds of it he is working pretty hard) to get more experience and confidence in his body. It also seems like they are sending out a message (by selecting him on the extended bench) to him that he is valued and that his time will come.

The way I see it is that until some of the younger guys step up and show a bit more then they are now showing now we can only play those that perform.

However once the above players start performing, just like Schuey and Scooter, then we will see Priddis playing more and more off the bench (assuming he is not capable of re-inventing himself as a forward pocket ). If this means that in two years Priddis is no longer in our team then it means that we have a seriously good midfield and none of us will be unhappy about that.

 

[bali-dog]

If this means that in two years Priddis is no longer in our team then it means that we have a seriously good midfield and none of us will be unhappy about that.

exactly..

 

[Fargo]

Scooter isn't the calibre of player that we should be looking to build a midfield around either...

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Because non of the rest of his spud team mates are good to enough to continually win contested footy. You make me laugh mate.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, people occupy positions for nothing more the fact they do.

Pridda is much improved on 2010 so far, doesn't mean he's brilliant or irreplaceable. Just means we are playing as a team.

 

[September_Glory]

Scooter isn't the calibre of player that we should be looking to build a midfield around either...

You sir, are wrong.

 

[September_Glory]

Our two losses this year have been grind it out, lots of stoppages type games. In those games, Priddis went head to head with Josh Kennedy and Sewell but couldn't convert a ruck advantage into effective clearances. Both Sydney and Hawthorn grinded us down and their extra class showed in the end. This week, we are facing a good Essendon team playing at home and the key matchup is Priddis vs. Watson. It will be interesting how the matchup unfolds and it's impact on the game.

The 'role reduction' process is progressing with the return of Kerr who is taking more and more of Priddis' feeds. It's Kerr's ability to attract multiple tacklers and create time and space for others that is so valuable to Priddis.

It's not a coincidence that Priddis has slowly elevated his game this year as Kerr has gradually found his.

 

[lmach]

Of topic abit, but i was Watching AFL Teams last night on foxtel, and im pretty sure i heard someone on the panel i think maybe BT say that the Eagles were number 1 in the comp for D/E.


Anyone Know if that is true?

I also seen that, it was actually Liam Pickering. not sure if it's true though, if it is...WOW

 

[Alexwce]

Scooter isn't the calibre of player that we should be looking to build a midfield around either...

Why not?

 

[no1bankteller]

In the Age today -

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...ring-a-path-to-the-finals-20110506-1ecbt.html

 

[Fargo]

Why not?

I think Scooter will be a good player, but he just doesn't have that level of class of a player who we should be making our number one mid. IMO he should end as that kind of bloke every team values - big bodied, great competitor, adequate by foot, can shut down a dangerous small forward or mid and is decent offensively.

However, do you really feel he can be top, top class mid? He doesn't spread well, tends to go sideways or backwards, he's not very creative with his hands and isn't clean - has a tendency to fumble at ground level or over-run the ball. In short, he's the kind of guy who slows down forward transitions rather than making them more effective. Not what you want from a number one mid.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Scooter improves too fast to rule him incapable of anything at this stage. He's 21 this year and has allot of improvement left.

 

[bodazoka]

Scooter has improved to the point where you would be confident to play him in a top 4 team in the role he currently plays.

As far as A grade attacking midfielders go by my calculations we may have 1 in Shuey. Blokes like Mundy, Kerr, Martin, Cotchin, Boak, Judd, J.Selwood who are gun A grade inside midfielders usually show that they have class very early. I dont belive the likes of Masten, Swift, Sheppard have shown that sort of talent so its debatable wether they will actually end up better than Priddis in that role.

You could give it a shot but that comes back to the question wether you take out a bloke (who is in the leadership group) who is performing consistantly at a decent level on the hope that another will surpass his level in a few years. I dont know what that would do for the team.

A level down from those blokes above are your Watson, Boyd, Kennedy, Mitchell types. The way Priddis is playing this year sudgests to me he will reach there level. But obviously will never become better then that.

If your not happy with that I would sudgest either tanking untill we get those quality midfielders or trading them in from other teams. But in the mean time..

 

[Fargo]

Scooter improves too fast to rule him incapable of anything at this stage. He's 21 this year and has allot of improvement left.

Fair point.

 

[Alexwce]

As far as A grade attacking midfielders go by my calculations we may have 1 in Shuey. Blokes like Mundy, Kerr, Martin, Cotchin, Boak, Judd, J.Selwood who are gun A grade inside midfielders usually show that they have class very early. I dont belive the likes of Masten, Swift, Sheppard have shown that sort of talent so its debatable wether they will actually end up better than Priddis in that role.

I think you're underestimating Masten and Swift. I haven't seen enough of Sheppard to comment on him but both Masten and Swift have shown that special something at AFL level.

Unfortunately both Masten and Swift have been prone to injury. When we started winning games towards the end of 2009, Swift was one of our most consistent and outstanding players, he was slick, hitting targets and part of the reason we were starting to win games we were not expected to win.

Masten has only played some 40 games and in half those games he's played at 70% fitness, returning from injury, carrying an injury or going off early injured. I remember the boys traveling to footy park to play the Power also in 2009, where Masten collected himself some 35 touches and kicked a couple of goals. One of the Derby's last year, Masten was close to BOG before getting injured early, unfortunately we went down in the derby but we were really throwing ourselves at the dockers in the first half highly due to Masten's effect around stoppages.

I think Scooter will be a good player, but he just doesn't have that level of class of a player who we should be making our number one mid. IMO he should end as that kind of bloke every team values - big bodied, great competitor, adequate by foot, can shut down a dangerous small forward or mid and is decent offensively.

However, do you really feel he can be top, top class mid? He doesn't spread well, tends to go sideways or backwards, he's not very creative with his hands and isn't clean - has a tendency to fumble at ground level or over-run the ball. In short, he's the kind of guy who slows down forward transitions rather than making them more effective. Not what you want from a number one mid.

I think he can be a B+ grader and possibly even better than that, whether he will ever be a true elite, I don't know. However he has plenty of improvement left in him and unlike brothers Troy and Adam he actually has some Joel in him (other than the kamikaze attack on the footy).

Priddis, Watson, Boyd etc have all proven to be exceptionally good midfielders without having natural ability or being natural athletes.

 

[Double the Fist]

Surely he would have to take the mantle as West Coast's most consistent contributor over the last few years.
.

And during very lean times too.

The good thing is we are now causing other teams to do this.

Yeah, certainly taking the pressure up a notch! BAM

What is most impressive with Priddis lately, is his ability to stop and prop in traffic and choose the correct option. Always seems to have time. Might not have the best pace in the world but leads the way for our young mids to learn from. If everyone at West Coast had his work ethic, we would have the best team by far.

He seems a bit Cuzz-esque with the way he trains and prepares. Not as good as Cuz but the younger players all admired Cuz for his ethic and preperation. Totally professional. Pridda leads the training and preperation by example. Champion he is!

One dimensional players are one dimensional.

Gee, he is bloody good as a one dimensional player. I see him in the same mould as Watson and Hayes. Nothing flashy but real workhorses. You may laugh at my comparason with Lenny but that is how I see it.

 

[bodazoka]

I think you're underestimating Masten and Swift. I haven't seen enough of Sheppard to comment on him but both Masten and Swift have shown that special something at AFL level.

Unfortunately both Masten and Swift have been prone to injury. When we started winning games towards the end of 2009, Swift was one of our most consistent and outstanding players, he was slick, hitting targets and part of the reason we were starting to win games we were not expected to win.

Masten has only played some 40 games and in half those games he's played at 70% fitness, returning from injury, carrying an injury or going off early injured. I remember the boys traveling to footy park to play the Power also in 2009, where Masten collected himself some 35 touches and kicked a couple of goals. One of the Derby's last year, Masten was close to BOG before getting injured early, unfortunately we went down in the derby but we were really throwing ourselves at the dockers in the first half highly due to Masten's effect around stoppages.

It depends on your expectations, If you still think they will be genuine A grade players of the calibre of players I mentioned previously then mabye they should displace Priddis. I think at this stage they may or may not be B grade mids.

 

[placebo]

Seriously lol at anyone who reckons Priddis is as good as Jobe Watson. I got sick of saying that last year, but it seems even more apt today.

Another perfect illustration of what E87 talks about with Priddis' one dimensional style. We've got a guy like Shuey who is spending a ton of time at half forward this year where he should be getting more time in the centre square, and Lecca should've got a go in the centre square today too, but because Priddis spends so much game time in the centre square and can only rotate from the bench, we're effectively a rotation down in the middle. Jobe Watson has shown he can play forward, so he can now rotate through the bench, up forward and through the middle and many of the other best mids have other strings to their bow. Priddis, by his one dimensional nature, can only play one role and today was a good, clear illustration of exactly what some of the Priddis critics have been talking about.

 

[bodazoka]

When he has a good game they come out.

When he has a bad game they come out.

Placebo.. you have zero idea how many minutes Shuey spends in the midfield and even less how and why LeCras spends time there as well.

 

[Masto]

Priddis' goal kicking was fair dinkum ordinary today. Missed from the goal square. Had another shot that barely went 30 yards and dribbled through for a point.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Kerr rises to the challenge and Priddis is forced into a receiver role for large minutes today. Highlights his weakness as a player.

 

[bodazoka]

I agree... was crap at goal today just had to shake the head.

He could of kicked 3..

 

[sTeeL]

He was hardly alone today... I reckon Woosha needs to put up goal kicking practice for every session this week. Sick of seeing us with poor set shot kicking.