Plays with more passion and intensity than anyone with maybe the exception of our captain. He is not the problem that needs fixing. Nothing to see here.
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Welcome Liam Baker
- Thread starter Tigermad2005
- Start date
Bakes needs a full preseason of training as a midfielder. He has the ability to lower his eyes. I can see an effective future partnership with RCD as pure centre bounce and stoppage extractors. They need to connect and specialise to succeed. I don't like the strategy to move players around. Daniel Rioli is a great example. He used to be a magician around goals but has been turned into a defensive runner. See that prelim against Geelong when he kicked four. Sometimes we get too smart for ourselves and confuse everyone. Jack Ross is another example of a player who has landed in No man's land.
One final example is Josh Caddy. Proven big-game performer and a forward. Can take a mark and kick a goal and knows how to use his body to support Jack and Tom in marking contests. Instead, he is played on the backline and wing where he is found out for pace and criticized.
To be your best in a position you need to physically and mentally prepare to specialise.
Talk of Cotchy to the backline is for the same reason laughably absurd.
The reinvention of players can happen but not on a large scale.
Jack of all trades equals master of none.
One final example is Josh Caddy. Proven big-game performer and a forward. Can take a mark and kick a goal and knows how to use his body to support Jack and Tom in marking contests. Instead, he is played on the backline and wing where he is found out for pace and criticized.
To be your best in a position you need to physically and mentally prepare to specialise.
Talk of Cotchy to the backline is for the same reason laughably absurd.
The reinvention of players can happen but not on a large scale.
Jack of all trades equals master of none.
Bakes has gone under the radar for weeks. He has been very average and fumbled/had poor disposal since he went back from the midfield role to back in defence. Reckon he thought he was going to make his mark as a permanent midfielder and now has lost his desperate desire and composure. Play your role Bakes - wherever the team needs you. Although I agree should be in midfield.
He's had the *smile* knocked out of him over the season. He keeps bouncing up smiling, but it must take a toll. He's hurting, and it's starting to effect him.
I’m not fully agreeing with this but I’m also not convinced he is one of the untouchables.
Certainly dropped off. And skills have gone off. He’s an interesting watch the rest of the way.
Give Bakes some freedom and let him play predominantly midfield for the rest of the season.
Another that has suffered from being thrown around into different positions
100% this.
I watched him live v Lions.
The whole team was physically targeted, and in the absence of our key mids, none more so than Baker.
He was knocked from pillar to post and was a very sore boy after that game.
We’ve asked him to do some big midfield and other jobs since then and he has tried his absolute guts out. While putting his body on the line week in week out.
This past 6 weeks has been a big ask for a still relatively inexperienced and definitely undersized player vs the 6’+ big bodied mids.
I watched him live again closely on Thursday night and during stoppages he was repeatedly on his haunches, looking spent.
And that was in the first half.
But of course still tried his guts out.
The guy desperately needs to be “ managed” ie miss a week. But he won’t be because the team needs him, and besides, Dimma doesn’t believe in “managing “ players.
So in the meantime Zips, you can expect the occasional mis-directed pass to a teammate from a clearly fatigued player.
Get over it.
You seem to forget that when Bakes is running on top of the ground, he can be one of cleanest by hand and foot in the comp.
And that’s both feet.
The bloke is a gun and a heart and soul team mate that, when managed properly and played in the right position, is a core member of our starting team going forward.
To suggest he should be traded is just nonsensical.
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Love Baker. he may even be my favourite player atm, but gee his disposal efficiency gets exposed badly when he’s in the midfield. I acknowledge in and under players aren’t as good in this department. But even when he finds some space, there is a distinct lack of polish.
Wow. Baker is an untouchable. Verstaile, skilled, composed, sure handed. Yeh, he's had a couple of iffy kicking games but his bona fides are there for all to see. He's a star.
I can't reconcile the same guy can have watched Naish play football for 4 years yet still make excuses for him?
Lol, I'm not advocating keeping Naish over Baker and the two don't relate. If Naish goes at years end I'm fine with it. Two things can exist outside of each other.
At the same time, if Baker goes at years end via trade for something decent I'm ok wiht that as well. If it was Cerra for Baker straight up, I'd stop and think. I don't think Baker is A grade yet, he's a very solid core footballer. Everything you say he is he is in patches this year but he's not untouchable.
Not comparing the 2 players. More that you can have doubts over Baker's capability and future yet have not recognised the complete limitations of Naish from day one. Naish has done nothing at AFL level ever to show he has any sort of future in it. Baker's resume is clear. I'm surprised you can't see Baker is worth more than a decent replacement and you think he isn't an A grader. Can play back/forward/mid. Future AA.
You do NOT trade out players like Baker when you are a successful football club. He is the type of heart and soul player that creates dynasties. Kid is only 23 and about to enter his prime. He has possibly the cleanest hands at the club. Competes week in and week out with intensity. Can play pretty much anywhere but ruck. Yeah he sprays a few shots here and there but that is usually after he's just put in 3-4 crazy efforts to win the ball back or provide an option. I'd trade half the list before i even entertained Baker. Short is the one you'd want to look at as a possible trade. Sheesh. People reckon i post some crap.
