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

[davey_magik]

I'm surprised North has kept him for so long. He doesn't kick goals consistently and has always been a very shaky kick for goal.

 

[Devil Fish]

One good game a month is what he's delivered for 3 years. Harding & Riggio for Nick Davis seems merely a formality at this stage.

 

[Dont think Do]

His goalkicking has improved this year over what is has been int he past.

His first shot on goal was from a fair way out,(hard to tell if it was outside 50 from where I was) but he played on quickly and kicked to a empty square and looked like the ball bounced on the line and came back out.

He should have kicked the next one, was on about 45 degrees but yes these should be kicked. And I think the other one was from A long way out after the siren.

But before everyone hangs him as they are keen to do, was he to blame for us losing to Brisbane?

 

[Mailman]

He is one of the players who has had plenty of time on the list, and hasnt taken his opportunities in the position required of him.

He will be traded or delisted.

As Laidley even said, when a player misses goals that are so hard to setup in the first place, it kills the teams morale.

Harding is a morale destroyer.

 

[Tas]

I'm surprised North has kept him for so long. He doesn't kick goals consistently and has always been a very shaky kick for goal.

We have not had anyone better that can replace him, which is why he gets games, which is why a lot of players in our side get games. This is pretty common for most sides, just different positions.

When you have someone better it is pretty easy to get rid of a player that is not up to scratch, when that player is the best you have got then you can drop him for someone worse... it is not really going to do anything for the side.

Our forward pockets are like the Bermuda Triangle, anyone that goes there becomes incapable of doing squat. It is not just Harding, we have two pockets yet people just like to pick on him because he is unfortunate that he gets the ball and does nothing rather than does not even get the ball. 3/4 of our supporters couldn't even name the other players that are in the other pocket because they do not even get the ball.

 

[rooboy_88]

We have not had anyone better that can replace him, which is why he gets games, which is why a lot of players in our side get games. This is pretty common for most sides, just different positions.

Our forward pockets are like the Bermuda Triangle, anyone that goes there becomes incapable of doing squat. It is not just Harding, we have two pockets yet people just like to pick on him because he is unfortunate that he gets the ball and does nothing rather than does not even get the ball. 3/4 of our supporters couldn't even name the other players that are in the other pocket because they do not even get the ball.

We have Harvey and Grant who should be played as permanent forward pockets.

Thurley hasnt done much and Whyman deserves to be given ago.

Usually the second FP is an unconventinal FP who might be a resting Hale or another tall or the two mentioned midfielders in the first point.

 

[Tas]

We have Harvey and Grant who should be played as permanent forward pockets.

Thurley hasnt done much and Whyman deserves to be given ago.

Usually the second FP is an unconventinal FP who might be a resting Hale or another tall or the two mentioned midfielders in the first point.

Grant and Harvey have been worse players at forward pocket than Harding.

Grant has played his best football in the forward line as a half-forward but he got one good year out of it, teams have had a pre-season to review the tapes of him and they know to just stick someone taller on him in the forward line because he doesn't rove, is not that fast on the lead and we do not open up our foward line so all you need is someone a bit taller who is good in the air and they will most of the time be able to spoil him.

Harvey has been useless in the forward line, he used to be our best crumber and a very dangerous goal sneak but can probably count on one hand how many roving goals he has kicked in the forward line in the last 3 years.

Our problem is the consistancy of almost everyone on the forward line.

Harding, Harvey, Grant, Corey Jones, Rocca, Brown, Petrie, Green, Thurley, Sansbury, Hale, McIntosh and Thompson are the ones who have played the majority forward this year. Thompson is the only one that has been consistant.

I do not care what people say, Corey Jones is as bad as Harding in terms of consistancy, accuracy and kicking goals. The three who have played there the most are Thompson, Jones and Harding and Thompson is the only one that sticks his hand up and plays four quarters every week. His problem is that he is limited by supply and being the only effective forward has to contend with other defenders zoning off.

We really need to find 2 good tall forward target options and 2 good small forward options. Jones, Harding and most others that play there really need to go before we will be able to kick a consistantly good score and we will struggle to win until we do. Our midfield is just not going to be able to prop us up like it has done for so long.

 

[fusion]

Gee that's half the side there but your opinion is one I share.

It seems to be a major problem with so many clubs in the AFL. Too many athletes and not natural footballers?

Anyway, getting back on topic - I agree that Harding's trade value is minimal. I'm not fussed whether we keep him or not - I've given up expecting anything from him. Should have been traded a long time ago.

 

[Devil Fish]

It seems to be a major problem with so many clubs in the AFL. Too many athletes and not natural footballers?

Anyway, getting back on topic - I agree that Harding's trade value is minimal. I'm not fussed whether we keep him or not - I've given up expecting anything from him. Should have been traded a long time ago.

Agree with everything.
Although as Brainiac said 2 years back when asked to compare Shane Harvey & Leigh Harding with Aaron Davey he said, "The proof will be in the pudding." Who are we to doubt Laidley's football nouse?

 

[Devil Fish]

If it were up to me, I'd set up a meeting between Turtle & Shredder & just see what happens.

 

[Dont think Do]

Well I have been a Harding fan for a while, however I think the club should look at a trade for him if we can get a draft pick, not swap him for another Hawthorn Reject. We had to take 4 to get one good one.


But the Harding facts

Harding is our 2 nd highest goal kicker
Played 13 from 15 games
Spends around 70-80 minutes on the ground each game
Has a goal kicking Accuracy rating of 64.3% which is above the AFL Average of 52.6

Maybe we should keep him just a bit longer

 

[King Corey]

Harding can play. He's got talents that can break open a game that few have.

The team's not exactly flying but for some reason this bloke gets isolated because his ****ups are more obvious.

Keep him. Put him in a decent structure and he'd be a gun. You can quote me on it.

 

[mark73]

Maybe we should keep him just a bit longer

I agree.Because we are currently a poor side, its highlighted a lot more.If we were a better side, Harding would be a better player and his contributions would be better with more opportunities and the ball coming into the forward line a lot quicker and with a lot more regularity.Still misses goals a forward at AFL level should nail in their sleep, but his kicking has improved, he has loads of pace and is a pretty fierce tackler.Maybe its me but I've always been of the opinion they were good qualities.For a guy that gets really inconsistent game time, he could be worse.

 

[JK Bundart]

Harding can play. He's got talents that can break open a game that few have.

The team's not exactly flying but for some reason this bloke gets isolated because his ****ups are more obvious.

Keep him. Put him in a decent structure and he'd be a gun. You can quote me on it.

 

[Event Horizon]

Interesting situation with Harding. Should he be delisted, few can mount a claim that he has been unfairly treated, or that he hasn't been given a fair go.

Yet should he be retained, few would question why. He has shown that if used correctly (by that I mean not parking him in front of goal but giving him space to run) he can be a decent player. He has two things that go a long way in AFL footy - speed and hardness. Yes hardness. When switched on, Harding can be very hard at it. Which brings us to his major weaknesses. Lack of concentration and of course the kicking for goal.

Delistings will be very interesting to watch this season. After a year from hell, it won't be easy to find 5 or 6 players to cut.

Sav, Sansbury and then it gets a lot harder from there. Le Cras is a touch unlucky but he will go. Powell's non appearance makes it 4. After that it's down to the likes of Harding, Grima, and any number of surprises.

Even Chad Jones and Trotter who have been so highly regarded by the club have done FA despite having injury free seasons. Urch has shown that he is only in front of Grima in being able to recover by round 15.

Assuming Archer plays on, there will be a few interesting decisions ahead, Harding being one of them.

 

[cobba]

Sansbury, Sav, Harding, Thurley, Powell and hopefully we can trade Brown for a Draft Pick.

 

[mav-1]

this is great. We all bag his kicking, so he works hard and improves to a level where he is one of the best at the club. If poor kicking for goal is a reason for delisting then it looks like we will trade Hale for Gardiner.

Turtle gets some time in the midfield and shows that he can find the ball. He's quick and tackles well, and is strong. The problem is if we are going to blood DMac, Grima and Urch in the midfield then there may not be room for him.

I think it will all depend on how many picks we want. Sav will go and I think Arch will as well. Powell gives us a spot and LeCras won't last. Lower will take one spot, and if Whyman is given a shot then Turtle will be on thin ice. It could come down to him and The Chad depending on what we want and what we think we will get in the draft (i.e. tall or small).

 

[Rooboy 34]

The only explanation I have is that he clearly has something on Laidley. Mark Viduka would beat him in a shoot-out. My boss giving out pay rises would beat him in a sprint to catch an opposition player. Shane Clayton plays closer to his opponent. And Paris Hilton preaching about "Saving yourself for the right person" would have more credibility as a genuine performer. The only team that we could possibly trade him to would be the Kangaroos (who would give up their first 2 draft picks!) FFS!!!

Currently I am about as excited about the Kangaroos as the time that I had to sit in small uncomfortable seat, for 24 hours, sitting next to my mother-in-law, on a plane trip to England, for the funeral of a long lost family member (of my wife family, who I had never met), with no alcohol, flat batteries in my Disc-man, and the thought that I was missing a cricket match against our arch-rivals, with a bux night to follow, on a long weekend, in the middle of summer, with the missus out of town!!! Not a good time in my life...

 

[Rooboy 34]

FFS. Him retaining his position has to be a joke!!!

 

[MJ_RULES]

What does this guy have to do (or not do) to get dropped. He is about as usefull as Matthew Lloyd's right foot!!!

(but in answer to the original question, I'll #$@&%!$^&%$$^^^%$!!!)...

Ahhh still have those Bombers in the back of your mind I see

How you doing RooBoy?

Em

 

[CoastBhoy]

FFS. Him retaining his position has to be a joke!!!

Did you watch last weeks game ?? , Harding was more than useful.

 

[Rooboy 34]

Did you watch last weeks game ?? , Harding was more than useful.

Yes I did watch last weeks game - but clearly we have different definitions of useful. He is there as a small forward to kick goals - like Brett Allison, Phil Matera, Stephen Milne etc. He kicked 1 goal for the game - in the last minutes when the game was over. Other than that he didn't want to kick anywhere near the goal as his confidence is clearly gone.

He is a shocking kick at goal, and therefore (IMHO) is not worth his place in the team. He has kicked only kicked 3 goals in a game twice this season, and the 1st time 2 of those goals came in the last minute - once again when the game was over (against Port). Surely we have better options in the reserves. While he continues to get in our best 22, we will never be any better than about 12th...

 

[pharro]

Yes I did watch last weeks game - but clearly we have different definitions of useful... He kicked 1 goal for the game - in the last minutes when the game was over.

If by "when the game was over" you mean that the goal he kicked sealed the win and made sure that the game was all over, then I agree with you.

 

[piro*]

why is this guy still getting a game??? he is not kicking goals and only has a handful of possesions. dont know what dean sees in him

 

[Ghostwriter]

Praps Dean is trying to boost his trade value.