Preview Changes: R5 vs Richmond - Saturday April 16, 4.05pm ACST @ Adelaide Oval

[Scorpus]

IN:
McAdam, Cook, Berry

OUT:
Hinge, Rowe, Schoenberg

Hinge dropped and named as an emergency, not injured

 

[Southerntakeover]

I reckon the centrepiece is Rachele, in time.

Possibly- I'm hoping it's someone we draft this year. Love Rachele, but will be tempting to keep him rotating forward given his goal sense and kicking.

But we really should be finding out whether Berry, Pedlar et. al. are potentially upgrades on B graders and lower now.

 

[LeftyLuke]

Thing is, he doesnt survive a head to head comparison with any of those players and you know it.

Disingenuously cherry picking a few stats based upon small sample size that ultimately do not hand up to greater scrutiny to suggest equivalency isn't a good faith tactic.

The main problem with Laird is the bomb kick forward. If he just showed a bit more composure and looked for the handball or free player he would be so much more damaging. Other than that his ball winning ability is pretty elite..

 

[ABAB]

Does anyone else hear banjos?

I bet you saw those 2022 statistic of Laird and thought "sh*t, he actually might be an A grader" then immediately look at last years statistics.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I bet you saw those 2022 statistic of Laird and thought "sh*t, he actually might be an A grader" then immediately look at last years statistics.

Militantly stupid.

 

[Southerntakeover]

The main problem with Laird is the bomb kick forward. If he just showed a bit more composure and looked for the handball or free player he would be so much more damaging. Other than that his ball winning ability is pretty elite..

It's not just the bomb, he does it when he's unpressured as well. His kick, largely, when required to go long ends up with too much 'loop' on it. He's rarely a good or clean inside 50 entry.

 

[Southerntakeover]

It's weird how everyone on the board universally agrees that our midfield is our No 1 problem yet when any individual from the midfield gets critiqued there are posters who go into bat for them all guns blazing.

They have the club's syndrome.

They claim to understand that we're rebuilding, but when called upon to assess a senior player will always swear that they're actually one of the best in the business and could not be questioned.

In this instance, it's a relatively uncontroversial statement about Laird's status in the game (B Grader) which was not a pejorative, and the weakness to his game that can't be tolerated.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I mean, on this board in the last month we've had both Laird and Keays disingenuously compared to Petracca. People have to know that it's nonsense when they're doing it, so what's really going on?

 

[GreyCrow]

For those looking for the game day thread

Unblock 1970crow

 

[Mutineer]

For those looking for the game day thread

Unblock 1970crow

I've been sorely tempted at times, his continued negativity on steroids gets a tad boring over time.

 

[Gtowncrow]

Possibly- I'm hoping it's someone we draft this year. Love Rachele, but will be tempting to keep him rotating forward given his goal sense and kicking.

But we really should be finding out whether Berry, Pedlar et. al. are potentially upgrades on B graders and lower now.

Murphy and McHenry as midfielders should be explored while you're at it.
With a bit of luck, particularly Ned could become a youthful Sloane for us. I see extremely similar traits of peak Sloane. He is as tenacious as a pissed off Jack Russell.
He's going to place the oppo mids under as much pressure as any player we could put in there.
He will gut run to get to the next disputed ball.
He'll run both ways with equal intensity.
He'll get pissed off when things don't go his way.

There is no hotter place on the field than the stoppages and I like having a desperate warrior type in that heat.

Murphy and McHenry will need time to become good mids but they look every bit as likely to be successful as any on our list beyond the "stacked" incumbents.

 

[apollo_creed]

Someone a few days ago summed up nicks very well, he’s obviously a great manager of people and culture, but he can’t coach, he will be gone end of next year if performance and his selection policy continues.

Sounds exactly like David Noble unfortunately. It is mystifying how clubs don’t prioritise a coaches tactical nous and understanding of the game ahead of anything else.

 

[FR0GGY]

It's not just the bomb, he does it when he's unpressured as well. His kick, largely, when required to go long ends up with too much 'loop' on it. He's rarely a good or clean inside 50 entry.

His trade mark kick. Not looking and across the body

 

[Gtowncrow]

Someone a few days ago summed up nicks very well, he’s obviously a great manager of people and culture, but he can’t coach, he will be gone end of next year if performance and his selection policy continues.

I'm open to the future of Nicks but at the time of being appointed, the AFC was broken from top to bottom. Perfect choice to bring a team together and create a culture of positivity within the squad.

His priorities should evolve as the squad matures. I agree with you that he cannot remain the same "nice guy" forever.

I don't know for sure but during his interview process, he would have been asked to submit a long term development plan. I would have thought this might have been ten years long with yearly milestones.

Given that, I think he would be coaching to a bigger and much more considered plan than most of us short tempered, BF reactionary types give our thoughtful consideration about.

As I started with, I'm open about him going forward but I don't want him replaced just because his timeline of events doesn't agree with ours.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

For those looking for the game day thread

Unblock 1970crow

Certainly trolling many on this board knowing full well how many have blocked him.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Sounds exactly like David Noble unfortunately. It is mystifying how clubs don’t prioritise a coaches tactical nous and understanding of the game ahead of anything else.

It's actually about having the right balance of assistants with different strengths to supplement the coach.

Not all coaches are gun strategists & motivators... which is is why you pick assistants to cover their weaknesses.

 

[Crowboto]

Out R.Sloane
In J.Lyons

 

[hey shorty]

It's actually about having the right balance of assistants with different strengths to supplement the coach.

Not all coaches are gun strategists & motivators... which is is why you pick assistants to cover their weaknesses.

I think it's also about how those pieces gel.

Tactically we may have the right people, but do they mesh together.

 

[Gtowncrow]

His trade mark kick. Not looking and across the body
View attachment 1374670

ROB... Perfectly in the way again!!

 

[FR0GGY]

ROB... Perfectly in the way again!!

You could have 10 ROB’s on top of each other, the ball is still clearing them.

 

[Vader]

For those looking for the game day thread

Unblock 1970crow

No chance. I'd rather go without this week's game day thread than have to read his drivel.

 

[1970crow]

For those looking for the game day thread

Unblock 1970crow

I'm starting these threads even before I do wordle now.

 

[1970crow]

Certainly trolling many on this board knowing full well how many have blocked him.

If you're able to read this, I didn't know until last week that posters couldn't see threads created by blocked posters. Certainly fun now.

 

[FR0GGY]

If you're able to read this, I didn't know until last week that posters couldn't see threads created by blocked posters. Certainly fun now.

Offer cash prizes too, really rub it in.

 

[1970crow]

I don't disagree, my original post was aimed at the collective three. Laird, as the best of the lot right now, isnt our first target for improvement. It was others that got loony at the suggestion he's not a Jordan Dawson laser leg.

The question comes down to whether we're trying to improve on him at all: you don't need to upgrade on elites, but my view is that whilst B graders may be the best we have for a while yet you ultimately do still need to seek improvement if you want to get to the promised land.

I.e. is he in there as a stop gap, or is he actually the centerpiece?

I think Keays has a point of difference in that he is a run and carry player and can do that from the contest at times. Schoey the only other, but he's now an SANFL mid. I'm happy to develop our midfielder with these 2 as the experience heads. Laird gets a lot of it and if we get guys in the right place with leg speed, Laird will become more valuable. Keays covers a lot of ground and is prepared to work back at speed, whereas the other 3 are all in the habit of jogging back and hoping to be used on the way out. I'm really happy with these 2, but that doesn't mean I can't discuss their exceedingly obvious weaknesses.

 

[1970crow]

Offer cash prizes too, really rub it in.

Free tickets. But that's more further punishment these days.