Training 2021 Training - pics, reports etc

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I think SPS is criminally underrated. HBF is not his position, yet our supporters are so quick to forget how good he was in 2017-19 when actually played in the midfield. It does suck to see that the coaches will be playing him mostly in defence this year.

Unfortunately, with Newman and Marchy hopefully coming back from injury (which pushes Willo out onto a wing), I just don't see a spot for SPS in the best 22 at this point. He could possibly take Murphy's spot in the midfield mix, but that's unlikely.

However, with Newman being uncertain to make rd 1, we could see a rotation of SPS and Willo across a HBF and wing. I guess we just have to put our full trust into the coaches and selection pannel.

I don't think anyone has forgotten how good he was playing in the midfield at all, and that's exactly why people are frustrated seeing him pottering around the backline.

I also don't think he gets pushed out of the 22. He's played 80 of a possible 84 games since he was drafted. He's at the point in his career when it will be expected that all that development time will start to pay big dividends.

Marchbank was given a two year extension last year, so he's with us til the end of 2022 - might be wrong on this but that looks like the club signaling that he'll be afforded time to recover and regain some form, probably via the reserves. A one year deal would be a pretty clear indication that he needed to perform this year or we'd consider cutting out losses, two years gives him security and takes the pressure off in the short term.

Newman's in an awkward spot. I like him, I think the club and, more specifically, the coaches like him. But we've brought in Saad and Docherty has gotten through his first year back unscathed. Probably leaves Newman battling guys like Newnes, Gibbons, Fogarty for a spot as a versatile rotation option.

Plowman, Jones, Docherty
Saad, Weitering, SPS
Walsh, Williams, Williamson
TDK/Pittonet, Cripps, Setterfield
Martin, Casboult, Fisher
McGovern, McKay, Betts

Interchange then being drawn from:
Experience - Curnow, Murphy
Versatility - JSOS
Reliability - Newman, Newnes, Gibbons
X-factor - Cuningham
Development - Dow, Durdin, Fogarty, O'Brien, Stocker, Kemp, Philp, Honey

And that's the general order in which I think they'll be valued: Experience > Versatility > Reliability > X-factor > Development.

Really hoping a few of the names in the Development category step up and elevate themselves into one of the others.
 
I think SPS is criminally underrated. HBF is not his position, yet our supporters are so quick to forget how good he was in 2017-19 when actually played in the midfield. It does suck to see that the coaches will be playing him mostly in defence this year.

Unfortunately, with Newman and Marchy hopefully coming back from injury (which pushes Willo out onto a wing), I just don't see a spot for SPS in the best 22 at this point. He could possibly take Murphy's spot in the midfield mix, but that's unlikely.

However, with Newman being uncertain to make rd 1, we could see a rotation of SPS and Willo across a HBF and wing. I guess we just have to put our full trust into the coaches and selection pannel.
If you don't see a spot for SPS in our team we must be flag favourites by a mile.. even then he still gets a game.

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Article mentions that Martin is training with the midfield group. Interesting...

That means he would have to replace one of our best 22 worthy small/mid sized forwards.

Assuming we play 4 like last year, it wouldn't be Martin or Fisher. Gibbons is a chance to go, but I rate him. Betts is the last one, but I still think that on a good day, he provides more than Newnes.

Betts averaged 1.8 goals per game in the first half of the season. Once the footy frenzy and condensed fixture started affecting him, his output wasn't nearly the same. Despite all this, he still finished 2nd in our average goals per game, behind McKay. I have no doubt that in front of crowds this year, it will ignite a spark which was missed last year due to COVID.

All that this means is that in my opinion, Newnes isn't in our best 22. However, these are all positive signs that our depth and quality in the list is building.

Bring on season 2021.
Well, if Martin moves into the middle then Newnes could take his place on a flank.
Where do people see SPS playing this year? IMO; Newman or Saad would take his back line spot. Will be interesting to see where the coach plays him.
HBF. Amos has already spoken about him being in the defensive group this year and mentioned that Willo could get some wing time. Newman's not taking SPS' spot, especially early in the year as the last injury report made it fairly certain that Newman will be unavailable round 1.

For mine, it's Weitering, Jones, Plowman, Docherty, Saad, SPS as the starting back 6 with one of Willo, Marchbank, Newman, or even Kemp, Stocker, etc making up the 7th defender on the bench. Round 1 I'd be betting Willo is the 7th, with the other options above (except Stocker) coming off injuries. Later in the year I'd like to see Willo move up the ground and Marchbank be the 7th. Then there's Kemp and where he fits in, will it be a tall def sort of role or more midfield/wing or what?...
 

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I don't think anyone has forgotten how good he was playing in the midfield at all, and that's exactly why people are frustrated seeing him pottering around the backline.

Marchbank was given a two year extension last year, so he's with us til the end of 2022 - might be wrong on this but that looks like the club signaling that he'll be afforded time to recover and regain some form, probably via the reserves.

Plowman, Jones, Docherty
Saad, Weitering, SPS
Walsh, Williams, Williamson
TDK/Pittonet, Cripps, Setterfield
Martin, Casboult, Fisher
McGovern, McKay, Betts

Maybe it's just me, but if it's between Newman and SPS for a spot on a HBF, I would personally pick Newman.

In terms of Marchbank, the injury updates are very vague with him so we don't know exactly where he's at. I might be getting a bit carried away, but if he's holding up in the match sims at training, and does well in the 2 pre-season games, then I'm not sure spending a few weeks in the reserves would help him much.
 
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I get what you mean, but I'm a bit confused in your selection of your best 22. If you're frustrated seeing SPS in the backline, why did you keep him out of position? Maybe it's just me, but if it's between Newman and SPS for a spot on a HBF, I would personally pick Newman.

In terms of Marchbank, the injury updates are very vague with him so we don't know exactly where he's at. I might be getting a bit carried away, but if he's holding up in the match sims at training, and does well in the 2 pre-season games, then I'm not sure spending a few weeks in the reserves would help him much.

Ide say because Teague indicated that is where he will play again this year?
 
Thought about how people rate players a bit over the break....

1. Practically speaking: Newnes is best 22 every time he gets picked to play - same as everyone else on the list - don't ya think?
2. Philosophically speaking: In the long term - everyone is a 'stop gap'.
3. Life advice : Embrace the 'now' . Live in the moment my friend.
4. Proof of concept: Were we all happy for Newnes when he kicked the improbable against Port - look at the reaction of all his team mates. Look at Cottrell a battler by any definition - no one told him he was just a stop gap when he won the game against Sydney for us. Look at Levi - stop gap forward for his whole career - and our best forward for most of it. Lots of examples we can all point to that say the battlers are just as important as the 'stars' and their small successes are often the difference between joy or sorrow - win or loss.
Best post I've read in a while. Lot of truths.
 
Ide say because Teague indicated that is where he will play again this year?
I just personally think we have a better option to fill that role in Newman. Clearly the coaches see something about SPS playing in defence. A very real possibility is that the Newman/Marchbank injuries aren't progressing as we would've hoped.
What confuses me is marchy ... this from Nov 30 ....

'He's like a new recruit': Amos on returning Marchbank (carltonfc.com.au)

Yet he is injured again!?!?!?
The club keeps pushing his return date further, and further back. A bit more transparency from them would be nice, and with Charlie as well.
 
Well, if Martin moves into the middle then Newnes could take his place on a flank.
In order for Newnes to make a move from a wing to HFF, he would need to have a spot on the wing. Personally, I just don't think he makes it.

M - Williamson, Cripps, Walsh
Fol - TDK, Williams, Setters
I/C - Ed, Murphy

However, I am all for rotating Murphy from the midfield to a HFF. This bring someone like Gibbons in for more midfield minutes. On top of that, the club has come out to say Williams will be rotating forward to let Martin get in the guts too.

So many options, and so much depth.
 
I just personally think we have a better option to fill that role in Newman. Clearly the coaches see something about SPS playing in defence. A very real possibility is that the Newman/Marchbank injuries aren't progressing as we would've hoped.

The club keeps pushing his return date further, and further back. A bit more transparency from them would be nice, and with Charlie as well.

Marchy is a big concern, part of me wonders whether his body will ever be right to play AFL :( Pity I really like what he brings in the few times I have seen him play.

Yeah Charlie is a HUGE unknown, largely because if they **** his return up this time (reinjure upon return) his career will definitely be over period, so I would suggest they will be cotton woolling the hell out of him until structurally his knee is as 100% as it can be?
 
Re: Newman.

It's hard to emphasise enough just how serious an injury a ruptured patella tendon is. It's so much more problematic than an ACL and Newman will be doing well to come back to play AFL at all, let alone at his previous standard by round 1.

This is not to say that it's impossible but I personally don't expect much from him moving forward.
 
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Re: Newman.

It's hard to emphasise enough just how serious an injury a ruptured patella tendon is. It's is so much more problematic than an ACL and Newman will be doing well to come back to play AFL at all, let alone at his previous standard by round 1.

This is not to say that it's impossible but I personally don't expect much from him moving forward.
Well this should make it curtains for Charlie too.
 

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In order for Newnes to make a move from a wing to HFF, he would need to have a spot on the wing. Personally, I just don't think he makes it.

M - Williamson, Cripps, Walsh
Fol - TDK, Williams, Setters
I/C - Ed, Murphy

However, I am all for rotating Murphy from the midfield to a HFF. This bring someone like Gibbons in for more midfield minutes. On top of that, the club has come out to say Williams will be rotating forward to let Martin get in the guts too.

So many options, and so much depth.

Just need to kick the ball properly into F50 and we're all set.

beyond-blunderdome.jpg
 
He has cracked his patella bone which is different. As Adam Cooney has said, it all depends on the state of his articular cartilage. If that has been damaged, he's in big trouble, if not, he could go on and have a full career.

* Adam Cheerey
 
SPS is our new Bryce Gibbs. Full of talent, most likely will never reach everyone’s expectations regardless of how consistently well he plays, people will still want more. Will probably be played out of position for fair chunks of his career as what is better for him may not be better for the team. What’s most important is that he does what is being asked by him from the coaches, which by all accounts he does.
 
Just need to kick the ball properly into F50 and we're all set.

Looking at this table bellow, the stats where we were worse off than the Premiers were goals, scoring shots, goal assists, inside 50s, disposal efficiency, marks inside 50, bounces and metres gained.

The majority of those categories will be fixed by solving our shocking deliveries inside 50. The others, all improved with the dash and good ball use of Saad/Williams.

We're not far off baggers.

IMG_20201206_210544.png
 
I don't think anyone has forgotten how good he was playing in the midfield at all, and that's exactly why people are frustrated seeing him pottering around the backline.

I also don't think he gets pushed out of the 22. He's played 80 of a possible 84 games since he was drafted. He's at the point in his career when it will be expected that all that development time will start to pay big dividends.

Marchbank was given a two year extension last year, so he's with us til the end of 2022 - might be wrong on this but that looks like the club signaling that he'll be afforded time to recover and regain some form, probably via the reserves. A one year deal would be a pretty clear indication that he needed to perform this year or we'd consider cutting out losses, two years gives him security and takes the pressure off in the short term.

Newman's in an awkward spot. I like him, I think the club and, more specifically, the coaches like him. But we've brought in Saad and Docherty has gotten through his first year back unscathed. Probably leaves Newman battling guys like Newnes, Gibbons, Fogarty for a spot as a versatile rotation option.

Plowman, Jones, Docherty
Saad, Weitering, SPS
Walsh, Williams, Williamson
TDK/Pittonet, Cripps, Setterfield
Martin, Casboult, Fisher
McGovern, McKay, Betts

Interchange then being drawn from:
Experience - Curnow, Murphy
Versatility - JSOS
Reliability - Newman, Newnes, Gibbons
X-factor - Cuningham
Development - Dow, Durdin, Fogarty, O'Brien, Stocker, Kemp, Philp, Honey

And that's the general order in which I think they'll be valued: Experience > Versatility > Reliability > X-factor > Development.

Really hoping a few of the names in the Development category step up and elevate themselves into one of the others.
Love it .
 
In order for Newnes to make a move from a wing to HFF, he would need to have a spot on the wing. Personally, I just don't think he makes it.

M - Williamson, Cripps, Walsh
Fol - TDK, Williams, Setters
I/C - Ed, Murphy

However, I am all for rotating Murphy from the midfield to a HFF. This bring someone like Gibbons in for more midfield minutes. On top of that, the club has come out to say Williams will be rotating forward to let Martin get in the guts too.

So many options, and so much depth.
Similarly, I'd hazard a guess that Williamson starts the year down back with Newman and Marchbank still seemingly a while off (Newman unlikely for round 1 was my reading of it).

The latest article says Martin is training with the midfield group which to me suggests he could be playing more midfield this year, while we've heard nothing similar with Gibbons (who I think at AFL level will remain a small fwd/hhf who occasionally plays a little higher up the ground but not as a starting mid or someone who makes centre bounce appearances).

Could see something like this Rd 1, with a few rotations in and out of the mid/wing group from Williams, Martin. Newnes, Murph, SPS, Willo and the last bench spot:

FB: Doc Jones Plow
HB: SPS Weitering Saad
C: Walsh Cripps Martin
FOL: TDK Williams Curnow
HF: Newnes Casboult McGovern
FF: Betts McKay Fisher
INT: Williamson Setterfield Murphy Gibbons/Silvagni/Cuningham/Dow

Also, have seen several photos of him in the training galleries but have hardly heard a whisper about DC so far. Pretty much just been Saad, Williams, Cripps, Weitering, Walsh, McKay, Dow, Setters & Fish, plus Silvagni, McGovern, SPS (and perhaps one or two others I've forgotten) who've got a couple of small mentions.
 
None of the so called tall backs we delisted would have offered anything in the event of an injury to Jones or weiters. I think we are covered adequately with marchy, Levi, McGov, Parks and Kemp without looking at proven duds like Mcdonald


MFC player development is generally not well regarded over the journey for good reason - we're hoping we've addressed that more recently with Brendan McCartney and have now brought in Mark Williams.

Oscar needed a fresh start and is in a new environment with a clear ledger - maybe you should back your development staff?




*Mod edit
 
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