Who do we need to have a big '07 for us to do well?

[Harro12]

The list is forming nicely now. I agree with Rosy's way of thinking that the one that needs the big season is Plough. I respect Phantom's indepth analysis and list management critique however, the game is changing and speed and athleticism count for so much now. I don't go for the fact that we don't have a certain % of talls and therefore we aren't ready. I think versatility of the talls that we currently have is very important.

 

[FightingFury]

Lids,Browny,Schulz,Tambling and Meyer are where I see the potential for the greatest gains.

Hopefull the Steamer kicks on too.

Would be handy if Polak fires,will release J.Bowden.

Thats assuming Gaspar can play the majority of the season without too much damage inflicted?

 

[evo]

Lids,Browny,Schulz,Tambling and Meyer are where I see the potential for the greatest gains.

Hopefull the Steamer kicks on too.

Would be handy if Polak fires,will release J.Bowden.

Thats assuming Gaspar can play the majority of the season without too much damage inflicted?

Hopefully Thirsty can get going by R 5 or 6 and we see the end of Gaspar.

 

[craig]

Look out Evo , Andy might get a bit miffed and then you'll be in strife. ;D

 

[Scoop]

Foley to be the in and under for the season and average between 22-27 possies and keep up his clearance rate.

If that happens Deledio and Tambling should learn to run to Foley for easy kicks. If these three learn to play together and really feed off each others strengths then we will have a three legitimate mids to that then make Kane Johsnon, Tuck and Cogs as a really good second string attack. Don't jump up down when I say second string, to be a good a side you need to have at least 7-9 great mids. The other two or three can be made up of Polo, Howatt, Hartigan, Tivendale, Hyde and the rest.

Maybe Raines sneaks up for a look but with rebounding backs so important I don't mind the idea of him and Joel playing the springboard role.

Slowly we are building a midfield. Our back half is a major worry and the forwards look more then capable. But if our midfield gets on top we can some what cover our backs and give our forwards enough supply to kick 15-18 a week.

That is the key for me.

 

[bairdy380]

Whooooeee, the pre-season guessing game eh....alrighty then lets have a crack.

Defence: Gaspar to negate and bring ball to ground, not try and win it. thus bringing Raines to being the critical ground level link.
Midfield: Sugar as the stopper, I'll go Tuck must have a better skilled year...has shown he can get the pill, needs to work on releasing accuracy either by hand or foot. Quick mention to Foley for hard yard ground level work.
Forwards: Krak must have a solid year...we have an abundance of big power forwards, we must have the equally skilled guys front and centre if it does come free. And as a second I'm going to go for Sarge...if he can use his size to have defenders second guessing and looking back for fear of being crunched then it is a win to us.

 

[evo]

Foley to be the  in and under for the season and average between 22-27 possies and keep up his clearance rate.

If that happens Deledio and Tambling should learn to run to Foley for easy kicks.  If these three learn to play together and really feed off each others strengths  then we will have a three legitimate mids to that then make Kane Johsnon, Tuck and Cogs as a really good second string attack.  Don't jump up down when I say second string, to be a good a side you need to have at least 7-9 great mids.   The other two or three can be made up of Polo, Howatt, Hartigan, Tivendale, Hyde and the rest.

Maybe Raines sneaks up for a look but with rebounding backs so important I don't mind the idea of him and Joel playing the springboard role.

Slowly we are building a midfield.  Our back half is a major worry and the forwards look more then capable.   But if our midfield gets on top we can some what cover our backs and give our forwards enough supply to kick 15-18 a week.

That is the key for me.

Really good post Scoop.I definately agree Bowden and Raines are perfect rebounding half backs and should remain there.Hopefully Newy can get back to and beyond pre- injury form to become our 'rebounding/cleanup' bp.Casserly also looks to me be well suited to the rebound role.It'll be good to have competition for one of the most important spots in footy.A few years ago we only had one(fairly poor) player in this role-Chaffey

Can also add White and Connors as players vying for Polo ,Hyde ,Tivver groups spots.

Depth is definately improving.

 

[Jools]

Yesterdays HS had an item on height, weight and age of the clubs.

Our club was the lightest average weight according to the table (even though the article says it's the Bulldogs) and equal 3rd shortest height. In age we were 6th youngest.

I'd say we need the average of the club to get bigger in '07 to do well!

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21024368%255E19742,00.html

 

[Ghost of Punt Road]

85.9 kg?

I don't call that light myself!

For a fit person to be that weight makes them pretty solid

 

[FightingFury]

85.9 kg?

I don't call that light myself!

For a fit person to be that weight makes them pretty solid

Thats featherweight Ghost.

Around 100kgs is about comfortable.......isn't it? :-[

 

[craig]

lightest and 3rd shortest :-\ :-\ :-\

Wallace has definately put his signature on the club with our lack of height.

 

[craig]

85.9 kg?

I don't call that light myself!

For a fit person to be that weight makes them pretty solid

Thats featherweight Ghost.

Around 100kgs is about comfortable.......isn't it? :-[

Tis fine Struggs 8)

 

[Anduril]

Look out Evo , Andy might get a bit miffed and then you'll be in strife.    ;D

Noted.

 

[Jools]

85.9 kg?

I don't call that light myself!

For a fit person to be that weight makes them pretty solid

That was the Bulldogs weight. Our average was 85.2 kg, Geelong the heaviest at 89.4 kg.

 

[Dyer'ere]

P.Bowden showed in the Brisbane game what he can do if he asserts himself during a game. He can do this a lot more often. Maybe he can do it most weeks.

Jack....you seem to have changed your tune on Paddy. I seem to recall that you weren't overly impressed when we picked him up?


For me the key player is pretty obvious....N. Brown. Brownlow medal winning form when he went down. If he can get back to that form (and all other things being equal) Sept action is a certainty.

I have changed my tune on P.Bowden, RU. I misread him. Got him completely wrong. My bad.

I thought that he couldn't play. And when Wallet recruited him for a defensive role I was certain he couldn't play attacking defence because he doesn't have the will to defend. I now think that he can it's just that he doesn't. That Brisbane game was a glimpse.

Because we have no midfield we rely heavily on drive from defence to score. Paddy gave us plenty of stats in that area in 06. Got into little stat factories particularly with his brother but did smile all at the coalface. But to be fair, he did give us run. The Brisbane game (particularly the first quarter) was very different. He attacked and won the contests, then cleared the ball. Outstanding footy. But only a glimpse.

The thing that's usually lacking in P.Bo's game is conviction. Credit to Wallet here. He's building Paddy. He's given him manageable assignments and steadily built the self belief of the player. If Paddy can go on with this, full credit to him.

It may seem that I'm being too critical of P.Bo. Maybe. We're always harder on the ones we think can play- and don't.

On N.G.Brown, I think he's the best footballer at the club ATM. I expect him to have a good 07 after the recovery year but I don't think it will be anywhere near enough for us to have a big year unless we can find some blokes to win it and deliver it to him. By a "big year" I mean surprise final four side and depending on the progress of our youth, I haven't ruled that out.

I agree with bairdy on Tuck. If he can give us some quality ball out of the middle it would be a huge bonus. It's not out of the question. He's an immature player who had some 2YB last year.

 

[Phar Ace]

The thing that's usually lacking in P.Bo's game is conviction. Credit to Wallet here. He's building Paddy. He's given him manageable assignments and steadily built the self belief of the player. If Paddy can go on with this, full credit to him.

Yep.  His best and worst were worlds apart at Bulldogs - he frustrated each coach.  There was a missing link - confidence.  Gradually this is arriving.  Your account of this is superbly outlined MrD.

I agree with bairdy on Tuck. If he can give us some quality ball out of the middle it would be a huge bonus. It's not out of the question. He's an immature player who had some 2YB last year.

Yep again.  Tucky is still to mature.  His 'spot ups' though at times are an example of a great footy brain.  Where others just see a glut of players, he spots players running to gaps.  Like his raw-boned father, I suspect it will still be years before we see his best - but his best will be worth it for its sheer durability over time. 

 

[Dyer'ere]

Roger, Pharace.

If P.Bo plays twelve quarters in 2007 like that Brisbane quarter and can keep his stat factory going the rest of the time, he'll make All Aust. And I'll be a fan. If he just does the stat factory stuff, I'll be very disappointed.

On Deledio, I think that Wallet is grooming his outside game- as he should. Lids will be 19yo for the first few rounds of 2007. He was penciled in for a starting eighteen berth at 17yo. He is a baby.

IMO he plays his best football inside. Left to his own devices he would be a one-man suicide squad. Terry is 100% right to keep him the hell out of there while he is so young. Luke Ball and Daniel Kerr were both playing hard-arse inside footy at 19yo. How are they going injurywise?

Deledio is on the Buckley path. Some people think that Buckley is a natural outside player. I don't agree. Even in 2006 he won three consecutive CB clearances against Brett Kirk. He can play inside alright but he has been groomed to play outside (usually only a couple of metres off the stoppage) and is still playing at 44yo (or thereabouts). When do you reckon Kerr and Ball will retire?

Another reason to play Lids outside in his youth is to polish up his outside game. His use in the crushes is supoib but as we've seen, he's by no means infallible when he's in space. Gotta work on that.

Deledio is using his petrol on game-breaking sprints. (As instructed, I guess.) He hasn't got the juice to run the other way as yet. It won't always be like that. He's half way through his third preseason. How's he going in the distance work ATM?

 

[Richmond United]

P.Bowden showed in the Brisbane game what he can do if he asserts himself during a game. He can do this a lot more often. Maybe he can do it most weeks.

Jack....you seem to have changed your tune on Paddy.  I seem to recall that you weren't overly impressed when we picked him up?


For me the key player is pretty obvious....N. Brown.  Brownlow medal winning form when he went down.  If he can get back to that form (and all other things being equal) Sept action is a certainty.

The thing that's usually lacking in P.Bo's game is conviction. Credit to Wallet here. He's building Paddy. He's given him manageable assignments and steadily built the self belief of the player. If Paddy can go on with this, full credit to him.

Yes Jack.  The Brisbane game was exceptional (particularly the 1st qtr).  He was ready to go that game.  Why?  If memory serves he had a moment in the previous game that he would rather forget.......heard footsteps!  To his credit (and perhaps to the credit of the coaching panel) he came out and made amends the very next game against the Bears.  Perhaps that will prove to be a watershed moment in Paddy's career.

I was always bullish about Paddy coming to the club.  Really thought all the ingredients were there.....just needed to work on his head space.  If he really believes in himself i think he can rise to an even higher level in 07.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Yes Jack. The Brisbane game was exceptional (particularly the 1st qtr). He was ready to go that game. Why? If memory serves he had a moment in the previous game that he would rather forget.......heard footsteps! To his credit (and perhaps to the credit of the coaching panel) he came out and made amends the very next game against the Bears. Perhaps that will prove to be a watershed moment in Paddy's career.

I was always bullish about Paddy coming to the club. Really thought all the ingredients were there.....just needed to work on his head space. If he really believes in himself i think he can rise to an even higher level in 07.

I reckon you're right RU. He had one of his moments the week before. I'd forgotten.

No doubt he got some stick from the coaches. Pettifer got a reminder from the panel after one such and he chased and worked a lot harder the next week or four.

Anyways, I'm hopeful about P.Bo.

The big factor in our favour for 2007 is that we have enough youngsters coming through to all but guarantee that some of them will take some giant steps. And a few older players who could, too.