Welcome to Tigers: Jason Castagna | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Welcome to Tigers: Jason Castagna

We all know what a lousy kick for goal he can be, but what really annoyed me most at the ground was his lack of awareness, how he would never pick the best option (not necessarily an utterly horrible option but never the best). He has good traits but his lack of vision is a real liability. I would replace him with a fit Sydney Stack in a heartbeat.
 
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Can somebody dumb this down so i might be able to understand it as i'm the first to put up my hand that i don't - exactly what is this 'intangible' quality that George brings that gives him preference over all other options in his position - i sort of got it when we only had one big forward, his combo of physical presence and pressure was required - but now we have two key forwards - and the pressure situation is now different in our game style - carrying a small forward that isn't good in front of goals and who often ruins momentum just has me confused.
 
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We all know what a lousy kick for goal he can be, but what really annoyed me most at the ground was his lack of awareness, how he would never pick the best option (not necessarily an utterly horrible option but never the best). He has good traits but his lack of vision is a real liability. I would replace him with a fit Sydney Stack in a heartbeat.
Yes, absolutely. Costs more goals than he kicks or creates. Often cannot get the ball off his hands properly, or gather it effectively, let alone his boot.
 
Can somebody dumb this down so i might be able to understand it as i'm the first to put up my hand that i don't - exactly what is this 'intangible' quality that George brings that gives him preference over all other options in his position
Frightens *smile* out of the opposition defence 'coz no-one knows where he'll pop up from or whether he'll kick five goals or five out on the full from three opportunities.
 
Can somebody dumb this down so i might be able to understand it as i'm the first to put up my hand that i don't - exactly what is this 'intangible' quality that George brings that gives him preference over all other options in his position - i sort of got it when we only had one big forward, his combo of physical presence and pressure was required - but now we have two key forwards - and the pressure situation is now different in our game style - carrying a small forward that isn't good in front of goals and who often ruins momentum just has me confused.
Yes too. Drives me spare with the errors he makes, although I acknowledge his energy, effort, hard running and physicality. But I just want a SF who is really deadly around goal. He ain't. It's compounded by Bolton being down there too, who often just doesn't release the ball to a team-mate in the most offensive position, where and when he should. At AFL level, you usually only have 1-3 seconds to use the ball for the best option.
Just worried the errors these guys are making will cost us a final.

Came back to add: our strategy with the SFs just isn't working that well any more. Not catching and tackling much, not scoring enough, the pressure has really dropped off. Butler has fallen away and it's far too late to blood AArts.
 
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Can somebody dumb this down so i might be able to understand it as i'm the first to put up my hand that i don't - exactly what is this 'intangible' quality that George brings that gives him preference over all other options in his position

Question is who are you considering as 'all the other options' and then the discussion can be had. 18 disposals, 3 tackles, 38 pressure act points, 1 goal 1, 10 score involvements (most for the Tigers). Who at the moment is giving more in the forward line? Certainly not Rioli or Bolton or Butler. Right now Castagna is giving the most of what we expect from our small forwards. I am not a fan of his general abilities in disposal and decision-making but he's first small named atm.
 
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Most score involvements in the game, with 10. 3 more than anyone else. And over half of his disposal tally. He must have done something right.
 
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Came back to add: our strategy with the SFs just isn't working that well any more. Not catching and tackling much, not scoring enough, the pressure has really dropped off. Butler has fallen away and it's far too late to blood AArts.

I don't think I agree with this. Our defensive forward pressure has actually picked up significantly after a bit of a lull mid-season. Brisbane, however, tried a bit of the Pies tactic of keepings off in the backline which does result in lower pressure stats. We've been vulnerable to that in the past but we weathered that tactic change well and dominated Brisbane for many periods of the game and won comfortably. That to me is a very positive sign. Other teams know how we play, can they counteract it. 9 wins in a row, 4 against top 6 says at the moment, no.
 
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Most score involvements in the game, with 10. 3 more than anyone else. And over half of his disposal tally. He must have done something right.

10 is a great number. Only others games a small forward had at least 10 score involvements in a game this year were:

- Castagna in Round 17 with 10
- Baker Rd 8 with 11

Higgins had 9 in Round 9.
 
I don't think I agree with this. Our defensive forward pressure has actually picked up significantly after a bit of a lull mid-season. Brisbane, however, tried a bit of the Pies tactic of keepings off in the backline which does result in lower pressure stats. We've been vulnerable to that in the past but we weathered that tactic change well and dominated Brisbane for many periods of the game and won comfortably. That to me is a very positive sign. Other teams know how we play, can they counteract it. 9 wins in a row, 4 against top 6 says at the moment, no.
My concern is the failure to convert our attacking opportunities more effectively. We keep teams in the game through this, so that they can come back at us in the 2nd half, same with Lions yesterday. We never really bury sides despite our F50 advantages often, which has really cost us percentage, thus a top 2 finish and MCG home final.
I'll concede we have to go with George for the reasons his defenders have offered but he still worries me. However, thought the good news yesterday was the positive signs from Drioli. Would love to have kept Bakes forward and Stack back!
 
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My concern is the failure to convert our attacking opportunities more effectively. We keep teams in the game through this, so that they can come back at us in the 2nd half, same with Lions yesterday. We never really bury sides despite our F50 advantages often, which has really cost us percentage, thus a top 2 finish and MCG home final.
I'll concede we have to go with George for the reasons his defenders have offered but he still worries me. However, thought the good news yesterday was the positive signs from Drioli. Would love to have kept Bakes forward and Stack back!


Sure I agree I think we can improve our conversion rate (every supporter of every team probably says the same thing), we do leave a lot on the table but look at the scores we've given up in our winning streak of 9, many against the top teams; 55,82,45,60,66,63,67,58,70. If we continue to strangle our opponents like this our own conversion rate becomes less important. For me that's the primary focus. other tweaks will help but less important. We have the team now (minus all those injuries we had earlier in the season) that can win this.
 
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Classic Captain Chaos yesterday.
He is an enigma.
Lots of bad, a little bit of good.
I think we are a better side with him in it, just wish he would minimise the howlers.
He would be a nightmare to play on.
Captain Chaos caravan now rolls into BrisVegas.
 
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10 is a great number.

So that would include where he ran into an open goal missed Lynch and the goal - point
The tap through the point when he could have grabbed it and handballed to Lynch in the square.
Doesn't include the OOB set shot from 30 out, I guess.
The one Lynchy touched on the line
One good set shot snap. Any help on the other 6?
 
Reckon Georgie perfectly suits our style of footy. More hack n scrap n scramble than is normally considered acceptable for an elite competition, yet it works. Sure Georgie's a bit of an enigma, but he's dangerous n unpredictable. We generally get way less stats than most of our opposition each week, Less clearances, less overall possessions, less kicks, less contested, less ruck to advantage, Less frees ( farkin maggots ), probably more handballs n metres gained from handball. But generally we don't dominate the stats numbers during a game, yet we win far more games than we lose over the last three years, because we're constantly in attacking, harassing, swarming motion during games. Nor do we get stuck with one or two primary goal kickers that need to kick a bag each week to keep us in a game, we generally have a raft of players that can bob up n kick two or three or five goals at any stage during a game.