Past #10: Ben Cunnington - will retire from the AFL after * game - 238 games/95+ goals/2x Syd Barker Medalist/Shinboner - thanks for everything Cunners

[roospur]

Spot on Teffy! Kid is going to be a jet, it takes time though!

 

[Old Skool]

Spot on Teffy! Kid is going to be a jet, it takes time though!

It takes longer when the kid is an inside midffielder.

It takles even longer when the kid is an inside midfielder in an inexperienced midfield.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Was impressed with Bens footy nouse on the weekend, his work off the ball was great, constantly moving and his head was always going back and forth looking for a free player to cover, or space to run into to offer a handball receive or kicking option.

His first half was poorish, but his second half was excellent in my opinion.

As Teffy said, theres absolutely nothing wrong with his awareness (or atleys for that matter) as theres a difference between not knowing youre about to be tackled and drawing defenders intentionally.

His work by hand COULD be a bit quicker, but it will come with practice, when he does dish off a handball it looks like an absolute bullet, I saw him dish off a good 20m handball completely flat at the game which left me going phwoarrrrrr.

Theres a definite improvement from last year with him drawing tackles, last year hed be caught HTB every time, but now he slaps away hands, fends off, breaks tackles and at least draws his man every time.

Time is all it will take.

 

[spurs]

Awareness is an issue if a player unintentionally keeps getting tackled.

Ben is actually prepared to draw the tackler and still attempt a better handoff, rather than choosing a poorer option just to avoid physical contact. He had this prevelance because he could get away with it as a younger footballer and he will get away with it much more often in the AFL when his body matures. I, for one, don't want this trait coached out of him, as any decent football judge is aware that the ability to hand off the ball to a team mate whilst under pressure is an ESSENTIAL trait in the arsenal of an inside midfielder.

Comprende?

I hope this helps to clear up your lack of understanding.

But he does get caught when holding on to the ball and doesnt take the best FIRST option at anytime. He doesnt draw a tackler at all? He gets caught because of his lack of AWARENESS when he has the ball.As stated, I think he will be a good footballer for us but right now he gets caught far too often.
Another guy behind a pc who probably has never played the game but thinks he knows it all.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

But he does get caught when holding on to the ball and doesnt take the best FIRST option at anytime. He doesnt draw a tackler at all? He gets caught because of his lack of AWARENESS when he has the ball.As stated, I think he will be a good footballer for us but right now he gets caught far too often.
Another guy behind a pc who probably has never played the game but thinks he knows it all.

Is your 2nd sentence a question or a statement? Either way, it strongly suggests that you haven't been watching. Your next sentence about lack of awareness confirms that you haven't been watching.

I bet you were one of those getting stuck into JZ a year ago, then singing his praises 4 months later.

 

[Old Skool]

But he does get caught when holding on to the ball and doesnt take the best FIRST option at anytime. He doesnt draw a tackler at all? He gets caught because of his lack of AWARENESS when he has the ball.As stated, I think he will be a good footballer for us but right now he gets caught far too often.
Another guy behind a pc who probably has never played the game but thinks he knows it all.

Listen.

Mate.

Get some footage of Spitta working inside the packs in 2007 and get some footage of Spitta working inside the packs now.

 

[Z_K]

Listen.

Mate.

Get some footage of Spitta working inside the packs in 2007 and get some footage of Spitta working inside the packs now.

Don't have a look 2008, Swallow's 3rd year, because he couldn't get a game.

 

[giantroo]

Just a reminder of how hard he goes at it

[YOUTUBE]Uu7u_EcCIXg[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Old Skool]

Don't have a look 2008, Swallow's 3rd year, because he couldn't get a game.

Spitta didn't average 20 disposals a match over a season until 2010 when he was 22/23 and had 60+ games under his belt!!!!!!

What's a "pass mark" for Spitta?

 

[Saintly31]

But he does get caught when holding on to the ball and doesnt take the best FIRST option at anytime. He doesnt draw a tackler at all? He gets caught because of his lack of AWARENESS when he has the ball.As stated, I think he will be a good footballer for us but right now he gets caught far too often.
Another guy behind a pc who probably has never played the game but thinks he knows it all.

Yep, I agree completely.

Ben will get better and his toughness/determination/mental side of the game is excellent and very important.

Stats are almost irrelevant for young players (eg: Watts V Hurley....one a dud, the other a star and both needed time), its their development that counts, and Ben has not come on as much as many would hope - thats not a criticism as he is still doing OK, just need him to get better when he has the ball under pressure....

 

[MaddAdam]

He's very aware around goals too. Is an excellent set shot and very good in and around the goal square.

 

[LB2Snake]

Just a reminder of how hard he goes at it

[YOUTUBE]Uu7u_EcCIXg[/YOUTUBE]

Gzuz! How's the "click" when it pops back in.
Hadn't seen that footage. Respect!

 

[spurs]

Yep, I agree completely.

Ben will get better and his toughness/determination/mental side of the game is excellent and very important.

Stats are almost irrelevant for young players (eg: Watts V Hurley....one a dud, the other a star and both needed time), its their development that counts, and Ben has not come on as much as many would hope - thats not a criticism as he is still doing OK, just need him to get better when he has the ball under pressure....

Thank You,

That is what I am saying. He should be a good footballer for us but he does get tackled from behind a lot. He hopefully will learn from that. I am not having a go at his toughness or shots at goal or anything like that. Just his awareness and with time he will get this right with the tempo of AFL footy.

 

[spurs]

I bet you were one of those getting stuck into JZ a year ago, then singing his praises 4 months later.

Yep, I was one saying that about JZ for sure. I was at Subi watching him play and he was terrible. Obviously you haven't played the game either

JZ has improved his game out of sight and he knew his fitness levels were not up to scratch and now his skills and tank is at a level where he can use his skills to great effect and will be one of the elite midfeilders in the AFL.I can't wait for 2012 to see him in action.

 

[Old Skool]

Thank You,

That is what I am saying. He should be a good footballer for us but he does get tackled from behind a lot. He hopefully will learn from that. I am not having a go at his toughness or shots at goal or anything like that. Just his awareness and with time he will get this right with the tempo of AFL footy.

You're agreeing with an Essendon knob that has snuck in here to stir shit.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Thread contains a liberal amount of this:

combined with a fair dose of this:

 

[Old Skool]

It takes ZERO skill to analyse the present.

 

[ThePezDispenser]

haha ^^^ Very fair.

I love him as a player, I love how he plays, in this competition though, he doesn't have the strength or speed to take the man on like he would in the 2's or he did at the U18 level.

It's not about taking that out of his game, it's about knowing when you can get away with it and when to play safe.

I can't imagine him shrugging off too many of the senior geelong boys!

 

[GarnerSmash]

It also takes zero skill to make statements about the future and using other players as evidence that a specific player will make it. That is a false guide. There are too many variables involved to say that because Cunners is a specific type that he will take longer and because Swallow took four years to get there that Ben will eventually get there too.

Personally I do think that Ben will be a very bloody good midfielder with his strengths being his ability to extract the ball and release his team mates and his ability to apply great physical pressure. He will also have great evasive qualities in close. I mentioned late last year that he will be an awesome 40-50 meter player with great ability to win the ball and execute in that radius.

That said I think, based upon watching every game he has played, that he struggles to make good decisions when he has time and multiple options. That leads me to believe that he has not yet full adapted to the pace of the game when the ball is in quick movement in space. Basti is a natural in this area, Cunners just isn't. I do think it is a matter of time until he clicks but I do not deny my belief that he is not there yet.

 

[Saintly31]

It takes ZERO skill to analyse the present.

It takes ZERO skill to predict the future....plenty of arrogance, ignorance and psychosis though

 

[Saintly31]

It also takes zero skill to make statements about the future and using other players as evidence that a specific player will make it. That is a false guide. There are too many variables involved to say that because Cunners is a specific type that he will take longer and because Swallow took four years to get there that Ben will eventually get there too.

Personally I do think that Ben will be a very bloody good midfielder with his strengths being his ability to extract the ball and release his team mates and his ability to apply great physical pressure. He will also have great evasive qualities in close. I mentioned late last year that he will be an awesome 40-50 meter player with great ability to win the ball and execute in that radius.

That said I think, based upon watching every game he has played, that he struggles to make good decisions when he has time and multiple options. That leads me to believe that he has not yet full adapted to the pace of the game when the ball is in quick movement in space. Basti is a natural in this area, Cunners just isn't. I do think it is a matter of time until he clicks but I do not deny my belief that he is not there yet.

I think that is a very fair and honest assessment.

He is clearly not there yet (and may not ever be as good as we hope) but will certainly be a long termer as he is too committed/determined not to reach a decent level in AFL footy

 

[Old Skool]

It also takes zero skill to make statements about the future and using other players as evidence that a specific player will make it. That is a false guide. There are too many variables involved to say that because Cunners is a specific type that he will take longer and because Swallow took four years to get there that Ben will eventually get there too.

Personally I do think that Ben will be a very bloody good midfielder with his strengths being his ability to extract the ball and release his team mates and his ability to apply great physical pressure. He will also have great evasive qualities in close. I mentioned late last year that he will be an awesome 40-50 meter player with great ability to win the ball and execute in that radius.

That said I think, based upon watching every game he has played, that he struggles to make good decisions when he has time and multiple options. That leads me to believe that he has not yet full adapted to the pace of the game when the ball is in quick movement in space. Basti is a natural in this area, Cunners just isn't. I do think it is a matter of time until he clicks but I do not deny my belief that he is not there yet.

I'll see you in 2 years Tron.

 

[GarnerSmash]

I'll see you in 2 years Tron.

Do you disagree with my opinion of the player he will become Tef?

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Yep, I was one saying that about JZ for sure. I was at Subi watching him play and he was terrible. Obviously you haven't played the game either

JZ has improved his game out of sight and he knew his fitness levels were not up to scratch and now his skills and tank is at a level where he can use his skills to great effect and will be one of the elite midfeilders in the AFL.I can't wait for 2012 to see him in action.

No wonder RB had a running battle with you, you're a clown.

1. Of course you were too short-sighted to see that JZ was a potential superstar and ignorantly got stuck into him;
2. Of course you're too stupid to see that a young fella recruited a year after JZ will perhaps play like JZ did a year ago, when the clowns were getting stuck into him (yet four months later proclaiming their love).
3. Of course JZ improved out of sight as an AFL footballer, as all the good judges knew he would. It was only the ignorant clowns that couldn't see it.
4. Stunningly, some of those same clowns can't see the blatantly obvious parallel between JZ and Cunners - a year apart - and are making the same boring criticisms.
5. Of course I played the game, princess, as I'm sure you did. However, it's not particularly relevant to the ability to understand that young players take a few seasons to develop into great players. Not many will, but some of us can pick it before it happens based on how the young players go about it (even if some of their games are "terrible"). If your judgement on the field was as bad as it is off it, I would have loved to have played on you

 

[Husk]

Do you disagree with my opinion of the player he will become Tef?

Careful BTron, or you'll get labeled a hater.