Player Watch #11: Jason Castagna - signed to 2023

[captain blood 17]

Nah, if you listen to the Dimma-ites and mates on here, they'd have you believe he did this all strategically. He deliberately kept Cumberland and Sonsie out to have them peaking
All I know is pissing Aarts, Soldo, Edwards and Castagna and the like off earlier would have seen us in the top four likely.

Not at all, far from it, but developing players and ensuring they are going to do the right things behaviourally in the senior team is key to success. There was things Sonsie had to learn and Cumbo has been on the list for what, 3 years? It's fantastic that that our development coaches were able to work on them to the point that they impacting when playing. There doesn't seem to be the "high/low" performance of the young blokes. Surely that makes sense? So yes, there is a strategy to it. A long term, sustainable strategy. Stupid sexy Dimma. What would he know?

 

[banana_bus]

Of course there’s more than 1 reason or 1 player that cost us games, and of course every player makes mistakes but those same players that make mistakes are the reason we are in the game in the first place.

Can you honestly, hand on your heart say Castagna or Aarts have put us in a game? They’ve been momentum killers all year. Geez George’s own teammates were laughing at him last week when a banana kick from 15m out went the wrong way

They're not stars, they never have been. Neither have McIntosh or Pickett or Astbury. They're warriors and role players. Like I said, I'm ecstatic that Cumbo MRJ and to a lesser extent Sons Miller and Gibcus have come in and done the jobs they have - it's the ideal scenario. But saying George and Aarts are the direct reason we're not in the top 4 has to be one of the most ridiculous arguments of all time.

 

[Wooden Robot]

Cool. So Cumberland and Tarrant should never play for us again either. In fact let's cut every player that's cost us in a tight game.

Remember when Cotchin sat out the last 2 min against the GC and campaigner kicked the goal after the siren? Should have been delisted immediately after that game.

I'd be concerned if Cumberland was still doing it at the end of next season or in 2024; Castagna - as a 26yo, 27 next season - and with 130-odd games under the belt is still making rookie errors and as a so-called, seasoned 'three-time premiership; star still doesn't have the poise and smartsto slow it down or take the right option.

Your attempts to pain this guy out as a superstar, yet diminish and overlook his glaring and profound flaws is quite alarmong.
No hope for you if you are unable to accept that George's clusterf*** against GC and the timing of it wasn't a turning point n the game.

 

[banana_bus]

I'd be concerned if Cumberland was still doing it at the end of next season or in 2024; Castagna - as a 26yo, 27 next season - and with 130-odd games under the belt is still making rookie errors and as a so-called, seasoned 'three-time premiership; star still doesn't have the poise and smartsto slow it down or take the right option.

Your attempts to pain this guy out as a superstar, yet diminish and overlook his glaring and profound flaws is quite alarmong.
No hope for you if you are unable to accept that George's clusterf*** against GC and the timing of it wasn't a turning point n the game.

Yep his missed goal was the reason the Suns came back from 7 goals down to beat us. Get help mate.

 

[tigerfan1961]

What you talking about? There were direct plays where aarts and castanga cost us the gc and north games. Cost us a top 4 shot easily.

And we only lost the Aints game when Grimes went down. King hadn’t had a sniff until then and to add to that, it’s the only game I can recall where he bloody well kicked straight

 

[banana_bus]

And we only lost the Aints game when Grimes went down. King hadn’t had a sniff until then and to add to that, it’s the only game I can recall where he bloody well kicked straight

Delist him. How dare he get injured and single handedly cost us a game.

 

[Wooden Robot]

Yep his missed goal was the reason the Suns came back from 7 goals down to beat us. Get help mate.

Funny thing is had Fumbles kicked that goal you'd be telling us all how he was the match winner.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

They're not stars, they never have been. Neither have McIntosh or Pickett or Astbury. They're warriors and role players. Like I said, I'm ecstatic that Cumbo MRJ and to a lesser extent Sons Miller and Gibcus have come in and done the jobs they have - it's the ideal scenario. But saying George and Aarts are the direct reason we're not in the top 4 has to be one of the most ridiculous arguments of all time.

Kmac is a very good role player, George is/has never had anywhere near the impact that kamdyn has. If he was at that level he’d be playing every week

Astbury and Pickett are / were both significantly better than role players.

 

[tigerfan1961]

Yep his missed goal was the reason the Suns came back from 7 goals down to beat us. Get help mate.

I’ve backed most of your comments but don’t agree with you here. If he kicked that goal, that game was over Mate, no doubt at all in my mind. Was a momentum killing moment, and it’s not only didn’t he kick the easy goal, he could also have slipped a handball to Cumberland by drawing the defender for an even easier goal.
George has some fantastic traits but until he can reliably kick the footy at an acceptable rate, he should be practicing it full time at training and playing VFL until he proves he can do it.

 

[tigerfan1961]

Delist him. How dare he get injured and single handedly cost us a game.

Never blamed him, just said unfortunately it changed the momentum of that game. Stop being so precious and confrontational

 

[Marcel Proust]

All role players outside; Riewoldt. Martin. Cotchin. Grimes. Prestia. Lynch. Vlastuin. Bolton. IMHO

 

[banana_bus]

I’ve backed most of your comments but don’t agree with you here. If he kicked that goal, that game was over Mate, no doubt at all in my mind. Was a momentum killing moment, and it’s not only didn’t he kick the easy goal, he could also have slipped a handball to Cumberland by drawing the defender for an even easier goal.
George has some fantastic traits but until he can reliably kick the footy at an acceptable rate, he should be practicing it full time at training and playing VFL until he proves he can do it.

Agree to disagree. You could say the same thing about 20 other incidents in that second half - we weren't good enough, we were wasteful, the game should have been dead and buried by half time. Cumberland and Bolton missed 4-5 absolute sodas between them. They kick those the game is over no?

 

[banana_bus]

Never blamed him, just said unfortunately it changed the momentum of that game. Stop being so precious and confrontational

Learn sarcasm mate.

 

[tigerfan1961]

Agree to disagree. You could say the same thing about 20 other incidents in that second half - we weren't good enough, we were wasteful, the game should have been dead and buried by half time. Cumberland and Bolton missed 4-5 absolute sodas between them. They kick those the game is over no?

Same in almost every game we’ve lost. Especially Norf

 

[banana_bus]

Same in almost every game we’ve lost. Especially Norf

The Norf loss was comical, it really was. Riewoldt 2.6, Cumbers 3.4. Again, you can't put it down to any one miss, it was a team fail.

 

[Boston tiger]

Of course there’s more than 1 reason or 1 player that cost us games, and of course every player makes mistakes but those same players that make mistakes are the reason we are in the game in the first place.

Can you honestly, hand on your heart say Castagna or Aarts have put us in a game? They’ve been momentum killers all year. Geez George’s own teammates were laughing at him last week when a banana kick from 15m out went the wrong way

Do you always need to put Castanga with Aarts ?
I’m looking back at Castanga ‘s stats in the early games and expecting to see a horror story but they look like your run of the mill small pressure forwards stats . Dropped after a 2 possie 5 tackle game against the Swans… game before he had 19 possies and a goal.
2km of 50s didn’t help and that young Lynch fighting his way back into side has certainly made us look good against a couple strugglers .

A missed goal in the first quarter scores the same as missed goal in the last .

 

[Grrr]

It's not the goal kicking that is a factor, would say Cotchin has missed as many gimme's as George. Richo missed a couple from memory. George in his peak was a good player. In 2019 playing mostly inside 50 he took the most inside 50 marks for us behind Jack. Okay, not a lot of competition but it was still significant. He was always a flawed player but for a few years his strengths outweighed his weaknesses, hence the 3 cups.

2022 is playing like he no longer believes in himself, reckon he knows he has been getting games mainly due to Hardwick's loyalty. He is reticent to take the game on, his main strength in our helta skelta style. We no longer play that style as much because with Lynch and Jack we have two targets. Our forward entries have been longer and straighter. Cumberland, Edwards and to a lesser extent MRJ have taken Georges spot inside 50 because they get the job done efficiently by and large.

So George is now a high half forward and he is not suited to it, he doesn't have the footskills. He would no more think about taking a mark up around the wing and swing inboard to try and hit a centre corridor player than fly. He will chip safely 20m sideways or assess the situation and bang it long to half forward/boundary line. Momentum killer.

No fault of George's other than he is getting picked each week. He is some value as a sub because he knows the structures and he adds speed and running power and he stops young players sitting in the dugout when they could be playing full games in the VFL. Very much doubt he will be in the side come finals time. You have to have respect for a player that has managed to get the best out of himself when so many 'better' players have not. 3 Premierships is one hell of a bonus.

 

[TigerImposter]

I still don't believe Aarts and George directly cost us those games. Poor leadership and coaching especially cost us those games. It's like saying Cumberland directly cost us the Freo game, or Tarrant the Geelong game.

The Saints game sticks out to me as the one where Dimma was completely and utterly out coached and in hindsight should have been the catalyst to solve our bullshit. The Swans game is similar, can't be losing that from where we were.

The Gold Coast and North games are on the playing group as a whole, 150%.

We are where we are now - I still have faith in Dimma and the MC - yes we are better off with Cumbo, MRJ and Miller playing the roles they are now. Certainly has a 2017 feel about the squad right now. Remember the Freo/Mundy after the siren loss? Almost a replay of the Cats game this year. Let's hope we've got it right now!

I agree with most of that, but in modern day footy you still can't afford to carry players . Going in two to four men short means fatigue will eventually set in on the boys that have been carrying the lightweights and eventually you get run over. Seeing us now we're running games out.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Do you always need to put Castanga with Aarts ?
I’m looking back at Castanga ‘s stats in the early games and expecting to see a horror story but they look like your run of the mill small pressure forwards stats . Dropped after a 2 possie 5 tackle game against the Swans… game before he had 19 possies and a goal.
2km of 50s didn’t help and that young Lynch fighting his way back into side has certainly made us look good against a couple strugglers .

A missed goal in the first quarter scores the same as missed goal in the last .

Yep
Imo neither are AFL standard.

Loving what MRJ, Cumberland and Sonsie are delivering

Get on board BT , embrace the beginning of filtering out the list cloggers and playing the kids that’ll deliver more Premiership glory

 

[Boston tiger]

Yep
Imo neither are AFL standard.

Loving what MRJ, Cumberland and Sonsie are delivering

Get on board BT , embrace the beginning of filtering out the list cloggers and playing the kids that’ll deliver more Premiership glory

Just the rewriting of history I don’t like . Gifting games? come on you are better than that.
Blaming losses on our 22nd players

All I hear about Castanga is throw away lines and specific kicks that missed. You would think he’s never kicked a goal.

As for the booing of Castanga this thread hasn’t helped .

The assassination of Castanga has been a horrible period in Richmond history and I’m glad to say I’ve got around him.

Do I care if he plays or not ? Not one bit . Do I like a 3 time premiership player being called a spud . No

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Just the rewriting of history I don’t like . Gifting games? come on you are better than that.
Blaming losses on our 22nd players

All I hear about Castanga is throw away lines and specific kicks that missed. You would think he’s never kicked a goal.

As for the booing of Castanga this thread hasn’t helped .

The assassination of Castanga has been a horrible period in Richmond history and I’m glad to say I’ve got around him.

Do I care if he plays or not ? Not one bit . Do I like a 3 time premiership player being called a spud . No

Bro you are taking this way too seriously.

Good on you for putting forward your opinion, very consistently may I add

But at the end of the day it’s all about moving forward, you can’t gift games, you can’t live in the past. George’s time is over.

 

[Wooden Robot]

Bro you are taking this way too seriously.

Good on you for putting forward your opinion, very consistently may I add

But at the end of the day it’s all about moving forward, you can’t gift games, you can’t live in the past. George’s time is over.

Some don't like it, but he totally has been gifted games for too long.
Form has not warranted it in a long time.

 

[Wooden Robot]

As for the booing of Castanga this thread hasn’t helped .

Of all the amazing reaches made on this board, this may be the biggest reach of all.
Yeah, it was all me and a few others - we were at the game booing him.

 

[Cdog71]

So George is now a high half forward and he is not suited to it

That’s this year, but if you look at his tackle numbers for the last three years it’s fallen away a lot.
Pretty good argument HHF is in more contests

It's not the goal kicking that is a factor,

54% conversion isn’t great and we’d probably agree it’d be poor if you drilled down on the set shot conversion.

 

[Rocco sifreddi]

Some don't like it, but he totally has been gifted games for too long.
Form has not warranted it in a long time.

He's been gifted games for 2 years now
He shouldn't be anywhere near the senior side.