Bigman’s Training Reports
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Interesting question betts.
Still a bit of water to go under the bridge but at this stage, just before trial games, I think it would go:
Murphy, Nankervis, Berry, Sholl, Cook, Hamill, McHenry, Gollant, Parnell
Now that’s not solely based on pre season form (Berry would be first if that was the case) but also factors in whether or not there are spots open to fill.
Murphy is a favourite of the coaches and one of the few forwards we have that consistently put on pressure. I’m not convinced we need both him and keays when we already have pedlar and rankine up there but he’s clearly in our plans, he’s almost always been in the ‘A’ team and he’s had a good summer.
Next is nank who has built nicely throughout the pre season and has come a long way in a short space of time which is an exciting trajectory. What he offers is serious flexibility and with clouds over soligo and milera he gives us another running option, plus with butts possibly out as well as murray it shuffles every tall up a spot and may open up an opportunity down back. Or if curtin isn’t ready. Suspect he’s in that 22-25 mix, might be a good sub option.
Berry has had a terrific pre season (hopefully he’s all good after today) and deserves a spot, but if you look at our most recent team it would be in place of schoenberg and they may not see him as a like for like. He’s not ahead of crouch at this stage either. If soligo isn’t ready then that may be his opening as we will be down a mid rotation. Otherwise it could be tough, I hope he gets in though. I would play him regardless.
Sholl will very likely play if both soligo and milera aren’t fit, and may still get a spot if it’s just one of them (particularly soligo on that wing). If both are playing I don’t think there’s a spot for him other than as a sub option. We would already have those two plus jones, smith and to a lesser extent hinge. That’s enough runners imo. He’s had a good summer though I do think his weaknesses are still there, in particular his body strength. Once he’s caught he rarely gets away.
Cook has fallen away a bit, largely because he’s been stuck in the graveyard that is the B team forward line in match sim. He could definitely help his case on Friday but I’m not sure he’s done enough lately to earn a round one gig. Was in good form earlier in the pre season however and offers a point of difference up forward with his smarts.
Hamill I would have had lower but he has featured for the A team quite a bit in the absence of milera. Clearly they see him as a plan b to give us that speed and drive, unfortunately the same problems haven’t gone away. I think he’s a chance if milera is out, otherwise it’s unlikely.
Ned almost always trains well and gives himself the best opportunity, but he is in a role that has some real quality ahead of him and even murphy appears to be favoured instead. One or two injuries to our smalls and he becomes a solid chance to feature however.
Gollant was back today from injury and actually looked quite good. He may quickly move past cook in the pecking order but I’m hesitant at this stage because of the recent injury plus he’s had just an ok pre season. But he could be a bolter depending on what they want to do with the forward line.
Parnell is still recovering from that shoulder - he’s training but with a fluto hat - and understandably hasnt been a standout since xmas. Very likely to start in the sanfl before he gets a look in.
I think those first four - murphy, nank, berry and sholl - are all in the mix. There’s a gap between them and the rest of those names.
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How can verifiable facts be untrue?
So ch7 interview with nicks asking him players to look out for this season
Mentions Pedlar second ( after Thilthorpe) , and there are people in here doubting his selection round 1 . As I said previously , extremely highly rated internally
Mentions Pedlar second ( after Thilthorpe) , and there are people in here doubting his selection round 1 . As I said previously , extremely highly rated internally
- Sep 3, 2018
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Murphy shouldn’t be on the list - he isn’t fringe (for now anyway)
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- Sep 28, 2016
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I think Peds is a lock for best 22. But will spend time in the 2's side more for his development. Him running against Laird and Crouch in the trials will be great for his running patterns and ability to find the footy.
Still think Pedlars 25 touches will be worth more then Crouchs 35. But right now he needs to build to that. And he's still a while away from 25 touches a game. Probably a long while
Gee, I'd be surprised if Pedlar is playing any 2's this year.
Last year he got his body right and played nearly all season.
He aint going to develop in the 2's
Nicks has just said, look out for TT and Pedlar this year
- Jul 8, 2016
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I assume that Betts was referring to the trial matches they've had not the season proper. In the trial matches he's been splitting time between A's and B's which had prompted some people to question where his pecking order is. He'll be playing AFL 100% if he doesn't get injured..
- Sep 28, 2016
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i'm talking about the trials
In fairness to Crouch, if he carries on like he finished last year then his 35 touches are worth a fair bit more than they used to be.
Crouch uses the ball well. He always looks for the best option, has the ability to stand while being tackled and still handball to advantage. However if he starts holding the game up and/ or passes behind again like he used to then he needs to be dropped again. I do doubt he will revert to this, he seems like a player re-born.
Pedlar, Rankine and Rachele will use speed to break through and deliver well more often than not. They are all capable of winning the hardball themselves of course.
Dawson can do both, either win the hardball and deliver or break through and deliver. Fantastic all round player. True footballer.
Laird is the weak link and that doesn’t mean he’s no good. He’s brilliant at winning the hardball but then burns it far too often either with a one metre handball to someone already under pressure, a five-ten metre handball that takes too long and usually not out in front of the player or a blind forty metre kick forward to a contest. It’s no point winning the ball if you don’t clear it to our advantage.
This is why stats can be so deceiving.
I know it’s not a popular view but hopefully others will start to see it too.
- Oct 16, 2011
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It's because he always brings an eski to training with a couple of Great Northern Ginger Beers in it (Nicksys fav)
CryptoCrow
Hard Ball Getz
Tell him to get off the great northern rubbish and onto the real deal, you can all thank me now
Attachments
We do have a bit of zip and speed around the ball now so hopefully Crouch's lack of speed is less exposed and he can go to work using the tools that he does have. Defensively I just don't want to see the opposition exit the stoppage with no pressure.
- Oct 16, 2011
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Tell him to get off the great northern rubbish and onto the real deal, you can all thank me now
Just saying, it ain't real ginger beer unless it has a picture of Rob on the carton "made by Gingers, filled with Ginger, drunk by Gingers"
A grade thrown around too loosely however there was that 3rd quarter against Geelong for memory a couple of years ago where he took it out of the middle and kicked back to back goals which was very exciting. Love for him to find a way to make that kind of impact in games.
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- Sep 28, 2016
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TBH I've never had a problem with Crouch as a player, and his games last year was certainly some of the better footy he's played as a Crow. Its the midfield balance that was always the issue in my eyes.
I love that we have players around him now that can get the most out of Crouch's in and under, ball magnet talents. When he was surrounded by midfielders who played equally slow, equally handball first, and equally backwards/sideways then Matty sunk into the median and became a crab of a midfielder and was easy to take pot shots at. Not all his fault, but he was always the first with the ball, so took a lot of the blame for the midfield disfunction.
Surround him with silk players and a burst players and Matt's 35 touches per game all of a sudden become super valuable. Releasing a running Dawson or a bursting Rankine is a far better use of a 2 meter handball then hitting his stationary brother who handballs it right back to him while he's getting tackled.
Please can we stop disrespecting Rory Laird. A-grader. Full stop.
It’s an opinion board mate, no one is disrespecting anyone. We just see different qualities in players and what they bring.
- Mar 20, 2013
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A grade debates can be one of the most tiresome on bigfooty
Usually the problem is the definition of A grade
Often 1 group arguing against classifying someone as A grader, but they base that on A-grade being the absolute top echelon of 5-10players in the comp versus a group who see A as being a broader crop (maybe say AA squad contention) and still acknowledging these A graders aren’t the absolute best elite in the game but there’s a higher or subcategory to reflect those rare talents
This is a fair point. To me I just can’t see how an AA, best and fairest winner and one of the leading disposal/tackle players in the entire comp would have a ‘B’ rating of any kind. But I do understand it’s a subjective rating system. Personally, the top 5-10 are superstars. The next 50 would be A-grade (Laird safely in that category) then the ‘b’s
