Past #39: Leigh Harding - selected with #13 in 2000 RD - retired at end of 2010 season - coaches at BL

[Carnthe]

i think thommo to remain as a leading full forward is a good idea.

mcintosh to spend some time in the forward line (pocket) to make the most of quick kicks forward, particularly early (to throw out match ups with a tall) and late in games (as the quick players get tired the talls dont get any shorter).

harvey to do some pack roving and some work up the ground (wells can also do a bit of this).

jade rawlings was excellent as a mobile marking option.

if he can kick 1 or two goals a game i think thurley's defensive work is valuable.

i think lecras deserves a chance, he leads hard and is the kind of player who we could play through on the half forward line.

 

[Dont think Do]

Not sure if I have been watching different games from the rest of you but I think Harding has improved his goal kicking. He used to be 75/25 on the run and 25/75 from set shots.

His set shots used to let him done badly however he is now kicking the ball straight.

Lets not forget that without him it took us 7 shots inside 50, to score a gaol.

He has a hard role to play as a small forward, but his pace means he is always a chance to get the ball.

 

[Woodson]

He has a hard role to play as a small forward, but his pace means he is always a chance to get the ball.

comes back to the same ol' story with Turtle >>> doesn't get enough of the pill and when he does, it's a 50/50 bet he'll use it well. In the AFL, you just can't make a career from a 50/50 situation as I already realise some at the club are getting away with 20/80 on most occassions.

 

[giantroo]

I certainly don't. I think his time is up.

 

[Marstermind]

I think we missed Joel Perry and his exciting skills more

You're either Joel Perry's mum or Joel Perry himself.

 

[Roo-Boy]

No not on his current form

 

[pharro]

it must be very hard to play the crumbing forward in our team. Tommo is never busting the pack, he only ever takes a grab (or drops them) when on a lead and as a FF is spends a lot of time pushing leads outside the 50. We don't seem to have anyone that can put in a well timed short lead, but that's also has to do with the ability of players to run the ball forward of the center!

The other thing Thommo demands is plenty of space so crumbers are never in the vicinity. That's fine when Thommo grabs everything in sight but there needs to be a Plan B. Perhaps the Chad might at the very least provide a road block at CHF.

 

[RoyalBlue]

it must be very hard to play the crumbing forward in our team. Tommo is never busting the pack, he only ever takes a grab (or drops them) when on a lead and as a FF is spends a lot of time pushing leads outside the 50. We don't seem to have anyone that can put in a well timed short lead, but that's also has to do with the ability of players to run the ball forward of the center!

You just hate Thomo.

 

[mav-1]

You just hate Thomo.

Hate is such a strong word, I don't hate anyone that pulls on the Blue and White, and in fact I like Tommo. Unlike a lot of posters on here, I don't hold a vendetta against our players, and quite frankly I find your suggestion offensive.

I will however clarify my point of view for you. Our back line copes abuse on here, our midfield cops abuse and our forwards cop it as well....all except Tommo. Why? In 10 games he's kicked just 19 goals with 13 of them coming from 2 games. Thats 6 goals in 8 games. We need a better return from him and I think Tommo also needs to learn how to bring the small forwards into the game. That's an opinion, not based on hate but based on observation. There is no way I'd drop him, there is no way I'd say he needs to be traded, but I will say there are things in his game that I think need work.

 

[Carnthe]

I think we'll see Thommo kick some goals against the leaky defences of Richmond, Carlton and Essendon in the coming weeks. He's come up against some pretty good defensive players in the past few weeks. When we got him across from Hawthorn he was never an elite forward he's always been a servicable ruckman/forward but he is a great athelete. I think for what he's got as a player he is very hard working and gets the most out of his game. He couldn't be expected to do much more.

 

[rooboy_88]

Hate is such a strong word, I don't hate anyone that pulls on the Blue and White, and in fact I like Tommo. Unlike a lot of posters on here, I don't hold a vendetta against our players, and quite frankly I find your suggestion offensive.

I will however clarify my point of view for you. Our back line copes abuse on here, our midfield cops abuse and our forwards cop it as well....all except Tommo. Why? In 10 games he's kicked just 19 goals with 13 of them coming from 2 games. Thats 6 goals in 8 games. We need a better return from him and I think Tommo also needs to learn how to bring the small forwards into the game. That's an opinion, not based on hate but based on observation. There is no way I'd drop him, there is no way I'd say he needs to be traded, but I will say there are things in his game that I think need work.

If we can kick it longer and quicker like we displayed against the swans, he could get the forwards more involved, maybe play boomer as a permanent FP

 

[gooch]

I assume Whyman did all the small crumbing stuff since he got all the goals

How did Whyman go this weekend?

 

[Carnthe]

How did Whyman go this weekend?

4 goals

 

[Devil Fish]

How did Whyman go this weekend?

Do you reckon when Whyman has a free kick paid against him, he looks at the umpire & says, "Why man?"

 

[Devil Fish]

Gee, that was a real typical Leigh Harding game last night - unsighted for 3 quarters & then chimes in with 2 late goals to keep his career alive. BUT, in the last quarter, Harding was running toward goal on his left foot but decided to kick a right foot banana which failed miserably. That piece of footage alone is enough for me to say that Leigh, you are not a required player. To not have the confidence/ability to kick the ball on his left foot 30m out is disgraceful & it's that sort of garbage which can cost you games. Do these guys actually practice kicking on their opposite foot at training at all????
In a nutshell - it's not good enough.

 

[Shagga is all Class]

I'd take two goals a game each from Harding, Grant, Harvey and Jones any day of the week. Typical Harding, no doubt but get the football up there with some real movement and these guys will get the opportunities to do the job.

 

[Dont think Do]

before people make comment on Harding they should have a look at the type of player he is.


A small forward, if small forwards could stay in the game the hole time and kick 5-6 goals each game why do we have blokes like Thomo? Getting 2 goals a game out of small forwards is a good return, yes he has no left foot, hes not alone there. But as well as kicking 2 goals he got a clearance from the middle that set up a goal, and they had a hand in a goal by brown i think.

His biggest problem has been set shots at goal, however this year he seems to have that problem fixed and is kicking as straight as anyone.

If we want to query the kicking ablity of our players lets talk about a leftfooter in the team who seems that he can only kicking round the corner rain makers.

 

[rooboy_88]

before people make comment on Harding they should have a look at the type of player he is.


A small forward, if small forwards could stay in the game the hole time and kick 5-6 goals each game why do we have blokes like Thomo? Getting 2 goals a game out of small forwards is a good return, yes he has no left foot, hes not alone there. But as well as kicking 2 goals he got a clearance from the middle that set up a goal, and they had a hand in a goal by brown i think.

His biggest problem has been set shots at goal, however this year he seems to have that problem fixed and is kicking as straight as anyone.

If we want to query the kicking ablity of our players lets talk about a leftfooter in the team who seems that he can only kicking round the corner rain makers.

For Harding to be a required player in 2007, as long as he can develop more consistency and if JYD senses he isnt getting touches, slot him in the centre and let him show soime mungrel because he isnt half bad with his clearances, is the only way he will be there in 2007.

Maybe Carlton might do a trade for a third rounder

 

[jacko57]

DevilFish asks "Do these guys actually practise kicking on their opposite foot at training at all ?"

I wonder if they actually practise kicking on their PREFERRED foot !!! So many unpressured turnovers last night, which would have cost us 4 points against most teams.

 

[Hotel 6]

I reckon Turtle has slimmed down a bit and no longer looks like he is spending most of his time developing his biceps in the gym. I reckon he is an X factor type player but he needs to grab this opportunity or it could be his last.

I caught the end of the replay last night and I was shocked when Dwayne Russell said Turtle was out leading goalkicker in 2003. I check the stats and he did (only bagged 33 goals though)

 

[Harris 10]

Get rid of him.

Would have to kick 20 to 25 goals from now until the end of the year to even consider keeping him.

 

[RoyalBlue]

Consistancy.

That's all I'd like, tonight's game means nothing unless he backs it up.

 

[Tas]

Some of these comments from 'North Melbourne' supporters are just rubbish.

We saw the difference between Harding and anyone else we have, he kicks goals, he sets up goals for others. Nobody that replaced him when he missed was able to do that.

I am all for giving someone else a go who will put it on the scoreboard if they are better but we have no better.

If Thurley played and Harding missed, we would have lost. It is as simple as that. It is not only the goals he kicked but the scoring shots he gave off to Hale and Thompson.

Who do we have on the list that will do a better job? Nobody.

 

[CR7]

If Thurley played and Harding missed, we would have lost. It is as simple as that. It is not only the goals he kicked but the scoring shots he gave off to Hale and Thompson.

What fanciful garbage.

Does that mean if Hamish played instead of Petrie we would've won by 50?

 

[Carnthe]

Food for thought. If Shannon Grant plays as a small forward for the rest of the year, not saying he is going to kick 5 goals every game, but he looked pretty dangerous up there, then why do we need another small forward. Because it seemed that we could not sustain winning the ball over four quarters in the midfield, would it be an idea to include another midfielder to increase the depth in our rotations and hopefully the team will perform better over the course of 4 quarters. Especially if we have Chad Jones up forward and Leigh Brown who roved a few contests in the forward line (A clever half forward trapped in a KPP body - as someone on here referred to him). For mine we have had to many utility type players in the side, this year and the past couple also, occupying the flanks and pockets, and not enough genuine KPPs and midfielders.