Bigman’s Training Reports

[Danger in Texas]

More class , less workmanlike

Be good if he could get as fit as Dylan Moore as he’d smash it

If you believe bigman's reports re: Rash's fitness he's well on his way there

Agree that he's classier, might not average as many tackles per game but 19 touches and 1.5 goals a game would be an excellent peak to aim for

 

[Jeffcrowe]

If you believe bigman's reports re: Rash's fitness he's well on his way there

Agree that he's classier, might not average as many tackles per game but 19 touches and 1.5 goals a game would be an excellent peak to aim for

Super excited about him

 

[Cromulant]

Soligo as sub in round 1 was a strong contender.

Not really

 

[Jeffcrowe]

bigman do you see Rachele as predominantly a forward or predominantly a midfielder as his career progresses?

What do you think Drugs ? I’m going to say 90% forward but wouldn’t be rigid about it ie open minded

 

[Golumless]

The biggest issue for Rachele is yo go back to playing on instinct. You can see at times that he second guesses himself and then gets caught. It wasn't happening in his first year.
We've almost Jonsed him. Hopefully he can be allowed to play on instinct more. It will get the best out of him.

What needs to happen for Rachele is the changes we made to his game in 2024 to become his natural instinct, and for everything to get a touch quicker, which will happen with practice (and will likely be second nature come this year). Not go back to what was occurring seeing the main switch to his game is a serious step in the right direction.

One thing we've likely been working on with Josh and where this opinion has come from is that Josh has seen a dramatic downswing in the number of shots he's taking from >40 m. 2022 he took 17, 2023 it jumped to 26, which dropped to 15 in 2024. The thing is, Josh sucks from >40 m, going at <40% goal accuracy (lowering to < 30% >50 m), and a lot of the shots in this region are corridor. Inversely, between 15-30 m, Josh shot count rose from 27 to 33 and his goal accuracy rose from 40-55% to 66% in both sectors (source: https://www.wheeloratings.com/afl_xscores.html?id=140b1db).

What you're seeing is not a kid getting overcoached, it's a kid developing a proper judgement what shots to go for with his skill set. We came nowhere near to "Jonesing" Rash, and that the vast majority of comments around him are just bed wetting.


(Also one thing our coaches have been good at is developing shot selection, seeing we were the 6th most accurate side in the last four years).

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

What do you think Drugs ? I’m going to say 90% forward but wouldn’t be rigid about it ie open minded

Forward

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Soligo as sub in round 1 was a strong contender.

High performance call

Actually might have set him up for a good season

 

[pjcrows]

There's alot for us to get excited about in 2025. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Pedlar goes. I still think he has the tools to be an A grade smallish forward/midfielder.

We need him to be an A grade midfielder.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Interesting about Dawson. Makes me wonder if he's gonna spend more time back on the Wing this year.

TBH I'd not be against it, I think his DE goes down when he's a permanent mid. And at times last year I felt like he was trying to do too much in the middle and it impacted his usual ice cold decision making.

So him playing more as a mismatch wingman with a weapon left foot, rather then a full time clearance mid could get more out of him for the team, even if it's with less touches

I think he has the ability to play wherever he thinks we need his influence the most during games.

The likes of Hodge, Burgoyne, Enright, etc played where they were needed.

 

[cleanhands]

Interesting about Dawson. Makes me wonder if he's gonna spend more time back on the Wing this year.

TBH I'd not be against it, I think his DE goes down when he's a permanent mid. And at times last year I felt like he was trying to do too much in the middle and it impacted his usual ice cold decision making.

So him playing more as a mismatch wingman with a weapon left foot, rather then a full time clearance mid could get more out of him for the team, even if it's with less touches

It gives us an alternative kick to option from kickouts

 

[Golumless]

Interesting about Dawson. Makes me wonder if he's gonna spend more time back on the Wing this year.

TBH I'd not be against it, I think his DE goes down when he's a permanent mid. And at times last year I felt like he was trying to do too much in the middle and it impacted his usual ice cold decision making.

So him playing more as a mismatch wingman with a weapon left foot, rather then a full time clearance mid could get more out of him for the team, even if it's with less touches

Everyone DE% (especially KE%) goes down as a permanent mid. It's more contested (or partially contested) ball, less uncontested that does it.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

It gives us an alternative kick to option from kickouts

Ideally we would have at least 1 tall wingman to target. Either Dawson or Curtin... or even Worrell if we are mixing things up.

Better than targeting ROB & opposition ruckman.

 

[Cap]

We're most likely thinking Toby Greene, due to Izak Rankine beating Rash to the punch.

If Rankine is a complete flop in the midfield, we'll likely revisit Rash as a midfielder, or if we're in a crisis.

I am hoping our 3 new recruits plus development of Dowling and Co help here.

But i agree, i do think Rankine will be a huge success though

 

[Jeffcrowe]

We need him to be an A grade midfielder.

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

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I am hoping our 3 new recruits plus development of Dowling and Co help here.

But i agree, i do think Rankine will be a huge success though

I think Dowling is a more a chance to be a centre square AFL mid than Pedlar but even he likely will struggle to get in there

Maybe we are stacked now

 

[bigman]

bigman do you see Rachele as predominantly a forward or predominantly a midfielder as his career progresses?

Gut feel is he’s a forward given he seems more comfortable roaming the forward half of the ground and has great goal sense.

Some of his midfield work has been ok but like I said I think he clams up in congestion and has less flair when chucked in there.

I’ve no issue with us giving him some time in there even if it’s just to get him into the game given the small forward role can be starvation corner at times.

We want the ball in his hands though given his kicking and his improved tank will allow him to offer more up the ground and become a more of a link player.

I think he has the ability to be a 20 touch, 1-2 goal a game forward which is seriously handy.

 

[cmndstab]

I think we should almost no full time midfielders. Crouch for now and perhaps Soligo, but that's it.

Everyone else should be rotating through there while also contributing elsewhere.

 

[Cap]

I think Dowling is a more a chance to be a centre square AFL mid than Pedlar but even he likely will struggle to get in there

Maybe we are stacked now

I forgot about Pedlar TBH.

Let's let's hope Injury free.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I forgot about Pedlar TBH.

Let's let's hope Injury free.

He’s a weapon and I love him

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

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I think we should almost no full time midfoelders. Crouch for now and perhaps Soligo, but that's it.

Everyone else should be rotating through there while also contributing elsewhere.

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

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Didn’t he have an ankle concern in the last practice game. Missed a week or two training before round and that’s why they started him as sub?


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Yep missed 2-3 weeks

Exploded rounds 2-5 so not sure you’d call it a fail

It was a burgess call even though people in here never believed it

 

[Cromulant]

We need him to be an A grade midfielder.

Why ??

 

[FR0GGY]

His work is top of the pile and very well respected by more than he knows.
3 league chat groups of mine get his reports and we get 12 other team reports back.
His are by far the best imo.

The other 11 are probably Alex’s in one form or another.

 

[FR0GGY]

While all the bed wetters on here were throwing their toys out of the cot, people forgot to look at the prospect that the events of last year would not only be the catalyst of head down as a player but also the beginning of his leadership journey


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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.

 

[Eddie Murphy]

We need him to be an A grade midfielder.

Reckon we were more desperate for him to make it as a midfielder this time last year (which, while his ceiling, was always a bit of a stretch). Since then, we’ve had Rankine, Soligo, Peatling and Draper added to the midfield core. We’re now far less desperate for Pedlar to hit his ceiling. There’s a spot for him in our forward line and our future midfield will hold up without him.