Bigman’s Training Reports

[Cap]

He’s a weapon and I love him

Will add alot to the forward line if he stays in good Nic

Absolutely, definitely the forward with potential to open up the game and do some midfield work.

 

[pjcrows]

Do we though ?

We need him to be his 2023 self as a forward and improve on that then we have a weapon

Some mid stints for sure but I don’t think he’s a full time mid at afl level , good forward at his best which he showed consistently in 2023

Really struggled in midfield at sanfl level the times I saw him last year , he really should have showed more if he’s going to be an afl mid

Rankine Peatling Soligo Dawson Curtin Draper are the guys I want playing midfield for next 3 years and M crouch for next year as a min

I’m quite positive re our midfield from 2025 onwards

To win a premiership, yes. You need your first rounders to be A graders and you need multiple midfielders to rotate.

 

[Cromulant]

To win a premiership, yes. You need your first rounders to be A graders and you need multiple midfielders to rotate.

we've got multiple midfielders now, if Pedlar becomes another one that's fantastic.... but we don't need him to become an A grade AFL midfielder

 

[Jeffcrowe]

To win a premiership, yes. You need your first rounders to be A graders and you need multiple midfielders to rotate.

Well I got bad news

By their 4th season they’d usually be able to be above average in sanfl in midfield against state league players

Shown some very promising things forward in 2023 at afl level

 

[pjcrows]

That's right, I forgot - the Crows midfield is stacked.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

That's right, I forgot - the Crows midfield is stacked.

The chances of Pedlar filling the void permanently are minimal

Taylor , Dowling and Berry ahead as potentials prob in that order medium term

Haven’t seen Pedlar play a complete midfield game in 4 years on list at afl or sanfl

Lucky Peatling Draper Rankine Soligo and maybe Curtin look likely as well as more experienced heads Dawson and M Crouch for now

 

[Gtowncrow]

BTW, Bigman, could you keep an eye out on Turray vs ROB when they have ruck contests against one another.

Very curious to see how he goes against an AFL ruckman

Good pick up. Turray being competent (or better) helps greatly this year if ROB gets injured or poor form.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

The chances of Pedlar filling the void permanently are minimal

Taylor , Dowling and Berry ahead as potentials prob in that order medium term

Haven’t seen Pedlar play a complete midfield game in 4 years on list at afl or sanfl

Lucky Peatling Draper Rankine Soligo and maybe Curtin look likely as well as more experienced heads Dawson and M Crouch for now

Out of Pedlar, Dowling, Berry and Taylor, I am confident Dowling is the most likey to end up in the midfield. Berry I've given up on, Taylor is ok but fitness wise is way off, his second halves were shocking.

 

[Gtowncrow]

You've got to give Matty some Kudos for making it happen. I love a good story like that.

I'd generally think this does NOT happen in 90% of cases though.

I still hold a torch for Jones, Pedlar, Cook, Milera, but reality is probably against me. Statistics certainly are.

To be honest, I'd be happy if one of these guys finished the 25 season inside the top 10 bnf. Two of them would be a terrific bonus for the club as it will show that two of them have moved past "potential good players with talent".

It's not unrealistic however, that none of them even play round 1.

 

[Gtowncrow]

We actually jammed now back there

Who amongst the backline log jam has potential to move position somewhere? I.e. Hinge as a midfield pinch hitter or Dowling on a half forward flank? Etc...

Thoughts anyone?

 

[tinman]

No-one on this board wanted him .....can't give Crouch away ....Free to a good home, doesn't even have to be good

Just saying ....this is not the first time this board has completely written off a player .....to then do a backflip

No-one is a gross exaggeration Wayne. Plenty of posters never closed the door on Crouch and have celebrated his resurgence.

I’ve always believed that we need to get a better mix of players with pace around him, rather than get him to become a player he isn’t. That he has been able to reinvent himself to some extent is a massive credit to him. A large part of his phoenix like rise from the ashes has been the change in players around him though.

He’s a completely different case than Smith who has lost touch, composure and his main weapon, his kicking was woeful. Now short of a miracle I can’t see Smith turning that around. If he can, great all credit to him. But if he plays again and delivers what he did for the first half of 2024 he’ll cop heaps on the board and so will the coach for playing him.

 

[Golumless]

To win a premiership, yes. You need your first rounders to be A graders and you need multiple midfielders to rotate.

Teams can wear a level of attrition with first round picks. It's more the ones that hit, need to hit in a big way.

The only real barrier to winning a premiership is teams need a concession (whether NGA/FS/PP) pick becoming an important player. Don't have that, and no matter how well you do draft/trade/development wise, you ain't winning shit.

 

[Shifty Crow]

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If you actually read properly most people had issues with the way it was handled publicly, not with him being handled.

I do read probably- I have the right to an alternative opinion that I don’t have an issue with how it was handled other than Lairds comments

I’ve gone over my reasons a million times - not going to continue to flog a dead horse

Move on - the player has


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[WeeBlake]

Teams can wear a level of attrition with first round picks. It's more the ones that hit, need to hit in a big way.

The only real barrier to winning a premiership is teams need a concession (whether NGA/FS/PP) pick becoming an important player. Don't have that, and no matter how well you do draft/trade/development wise, you ain't winning shit.

Or a Dangerfield/Jezza level FA

 

[WaynesWorld19]

No-one is a gross exaggeration Wayne. Plenty of posters never closed the door on Crouch and have celebrated his resurgence.

I’ve always believed that we need to get a better mix of players with pace around him, rather than get him to become a player he isn’t. That he has been able to reinvent himself to some extent is a massive credit to him. A large part of his phoenix like rise from the ashes has been the change in players around him though.

He’s a completely different case than Smith who has lost touch, composure and his main weapon, his kicking was woeful. Now short of a miracle I can’t see Smith turning that around. If he can, great all credit to him. But if he plays again and delivers what he did for the first half of 2024 he’ll cop heaps on the board and so will the coach for playing him.

The problem is Crouch has two distinct playing styles .....and it's not just his leg speed which is the issue

His crabbing style, backwards, sideways ....15 mtre kicks, 1 mtr handballs to teammates under even more pressure
This play slowed the ball movement down so much .....in a different ball movement era it was acceptable ....but in recent years the emphasis is very much on midfield speed in all facets

Then there's the style Crouch has played after his long excile at the backend of 2023 .....driving his legs out of contests and kicking longer
In 2024 ....he wrestled with the two styles ....good & bad games ....again later in the season there was a few times he went to "naturally" crab with a handball .....only to check himself mid-play and kick long

It was obvious he was under instruction, as he was in 2023 .....drive your legs out of contest, then give to a free moving player ......the bad habits are ingrained, but Crouch is trying to adapt

 

[Mostyn]

Cumming is a very good player , just needs to stay fit

Even if Nank loses form we still have hinge and max and Ryan and even Laird back there

And we have what looks like a fit milera

Smith is next after all of those

My first four small defenders selected are Max, Hinge, Cumming and Laird. Nank is on the edge, then it's probably Chayce, Ryan and Milera.

 

[Cromulant]

That's right, I forgot - the Crows midfield is stacked.

Its now in a position whereby Pedlar doesnt NEED to be an A grade mid and we'll be a good side.

 

[Mostyn]

Not really

Soligo had an interrupted pre-season. They were easing an essential player back in. It's very naive for anyone to criticise that.

 

[Mostyn]

Who amongst the backline log jam has potential to move position somewhere? I.e. Hinge as a midfield pinch hitter or Dowling on a half forward flank? Etc...

Thoughts anyone?

Dowling isn't part of the backline log jam - Hinge COULD play wing though.

 

[119others]

Think I've written this before but I recently spoke to someone who currently works as a data analyst for an AFL club and he said his models had Rankine as the third-best midfielder in the AFL this season. Lots can happen that's beyond our/his control, especially injury, but his talent and impact aren't in question at this stage.

Thanks for sharing. Clearly our most talented elite player and a Norm Smith type player. He and TT (and friends) to lead us to glory in many big games in the future.

Anyone laughing at your post is just completely clueless and disrespectful - please ignore and keep up any inside information like this

 

[119others]

are we still thinking Rachele to the midfield or are we just happy to see him be a Toby Greene like forward who occasionally has a cba

Never seen Rachele anything like T Greene who is much more physical and also a good mark for his size.

Besides the normal forward pocket traits of kicking mercurial goals at times I just don’t get the comparison

 

[119others]

Peatling will be great forward due to goalkicker and pressure and speed when he rotates out of mid

I don’t mind Dawson pushing forward when he rotates

Even Draper forward when he rotates will add alot up there

With this years additions of express pace trio of Draper, Cumming and Peatling, joining Rankine and above average speed Max, Hinge, Worrell and Jones (if he plays), I just wonder if we now have one of the fastest teams in the league?

 

[Cap]

Never seen Rachele anything like T Greene who is much more physical and also a good mark for his size.

Besides the normal forward pocket traits of kicking mercurial goals at times I just don’t get the comparison

100%, I was thinking in the fact hes a forward who has the occasional CBA, not a midfielder.

He's not Toby Greene. I don't think anyone is. But that type of role.

 

[BRL121]

Think I've written this before but I recently spoke to someone who currently works as a data analyst for an AFL club and he said his models had Rankine as the third-best midfielder in the AFL this season. Lots can happen that's beyond our/his control, especially injury, but his talent and impact aren't in question at this stage.

I apologise profusely for previously laughing at this post: it was following a discussion on Rachele as a midfielder and I must have read Rankine as Rachele. That was my intention.

 

[Slime Roy]

With this years additions of express pace trio of Draper, Cumming and Peatling, joining Rankine and above average speed Max, Hinge, Worrell and Jones (if he plays), I just wonder if we now have one of the fastest teams in the league?

Off the top of my head I wouldn't immediately think so.
Certainly nice to contemplate though (after slowly going sideways & backwards for so many years!)
More importantly, who are we going to enter into the GF Sprint??.. Or will the whole team be busy playing a match