Looking at him now he looked bigger in the preseason looks like he has slimmed down, is very very skinny.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Brad Sheppard
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Looking at him now he looked bigger in the preseason looks like he has slimmed down, is very very skinny.
I'm surprised with his lack of form this year.
With the likes of Stevenson carving it up in the WAFL, I'd like to see him play next week ahead of Sheppard.
With the likes of Stevenson carving it up in the WAFL, I'd like to see him play next week ahead of Sheppard.
Postman_Pav
Team Captain
Hindsight is beautiful isnt it.
Fyfe had no profile or much exposed form as a junior. He was very good in the colts (as are many young players) and thats it. No standout state form anything like that. He was considered more of McKinley like forward who had not played midfield much at all. Admittedly, he did have some injury issues in his draft year which inhibited him but nobody could have guessed he would have adapted to AFL so well.
West Coast were desperate for him at 22 but unfortunately they knew Freo would always take him. Pick 7 would have been considered a major reach for a guy who very little pedigree. Many Freo supporters on here had not even heard of him despite following the draft, and they took him at 20.
Fyfe would have been a reach at 7, Rioli would have been a reach at 3. Those decisions are very easy in highsight but for every reach that works there is a great big stinking dud who never does a thing. At least by taking guys with more exposed form with the early picks you increase your chance of getting a guy who will at least play alot of games.
- Oct 25, 2007
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WE MUST STICK WITH SHEPPARD
If we were to drop him for match-up/injury purposes... fine.
But we must give him every opportunity because he is top 10 talent and has shown very strong signs in minimal opportunities.
Face palm mistake aside today, he has shown some very positive signs; strong kicking, good pace, secretly good overhead marking. All for someone who has played 15-odd games.
Young players are going to make cringeworthy mistakes and be inconsistent. That's what young guys do. If we persist with him, I'm sure we'll see his talent shine through the way it has for Shuey, Selwood etc. As long as he's not hurting us, we should stick with him.
If we were to drop him for match-up/injury purposes... fine.
But we must give him every opportunity because he is top 10 talent and has shown very strong signs in minimal opportunities.
Face palm mistake aside today, he has shown some very positive signs; strong kicking, good pace, secretly good overhead marking. All for someone who has played 15-odd games.
Young players are going to make cringeworthy mistakes and be inconsistent. That's what young guys do. If we persist with him, I'm sure we'll see his talent shine through the way it has for Shuey, Selwood etc. As long as he's not hurting us, we should stick with him.
- Oct 25, 2007
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Woosha's contract situation makes this season a win-now proposition for him.
The early season wins and obvious improvements puts ideas in our heads that we can win now.
We aren't that team yet and we shouldn't skip steps in our development to prioritize this year when we are talking about building a sustainable premiership team.
Making finals would be a bonus but that must be secondary to the development of an elite level team. Sheppard is a top 10 talent who has yet to turn 20. We need guys of his calibre (Masten is another one) to develop if we are to become a legitimate premiership contender.
We should stick with Sheppard because it's the long term move. It's the premiership move. Of course we won't because Woosha's livelihood literally depends on avoiding mistakes like Brad made last week. Mistakes that were excused for every single player no less than 12 months ago.
Because so far everything Woosha has done is to save his own skin rather than for the team to progress towards a flag... At some point in the next few years you'll have to concede the club was right to stick with Whoosha
Sheppard may well be worthy of pick 7, I really hope he is, but at this time he is incredibly out of form. It's not just last week, or the week before that (although he was ordinary in both) but his whole season other than that one preseason game. He can learn and grow as a player in the wafl and we can play someone else, someone better.
He is certainly out of form and down on confidence.
I don't really think him playing poorly in the big leagues and losing further confidence is going to do him any good, nor is the encouragement of a poor standard, not to mention playing him in a position that doesn't suit him.
Put him in the WAFL, let him gain some confidence on a wing, not down back then give him another crack.
No reason to be alarmed I don't think. When Embley retires Sheppard will probably be more physically ready and mature as a player, as well as giving him a defined and consistent role that suits him. In terms of succession timing, it's pretty perfect.
I don't really think him playing poorly in the big leagues and losing further confidence is going to do him any good, nor is the encouragement of a poor standard, not to mention playing him in a position that doesn't suit him.
Put him in the WAFL, let him gain some confidence on a wing, not down back then give him another crack.
No reason to be alarmed I don't think. When Embley retires Sheppard will probably be more physically ready and mature as a player, as well as giving him a defined and consistent role that suits him. In terms of succession timing, it's pretty perfect.
- Oct 25, 2007
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Lol. You think that highlighted quote means I'm anti-Worsfold?
It's a realistic view of Worsfold's current predicament. If I were him, I would do whatever it takes to continue coaching. It's not his fault but it's clear that his objectives for this year don't match the teams objectives and that is to continue to grow and develop the squad.
Fwiw, my long standing view has been Woosha deserved the first half of 2011 to stake his claim for an contract extension. That would have made it 2.5 half years rebuilding, long enough to know whether you have the right man or not (Terry Wallace got 5 years by comparison). And imo he earned a 2 year extension after the Hawthorn game. The club has mishandled the situation by putting off contract talks and placing unnecessary pressure on the coaching staff moving forward.
Next time, keep your simple minded fist waving to yourself or better yet, ask questions and get informed before you take your victory lap.
- Oct 25, 2007
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That's a fair argument.
But confidence is a fickle thing. It only takes one good game or in Naitanui's case, one good quarter to know you 'belong'. Scott Selwood had that breakthrough somewhere last season. Masten looks close to breaking through, Smith the same. Darling knew he was the shit when he was having poolside threesomes as a 16 year old. Schofield broke through and fell back again unfortunately. Sheppard isn't that far off imo.
Shake harder boy!
How do you justify that the coaches and teams objectives are contrary? The club wants to improve and win games to make the finals, Woosh wants to improve, win games and become a flag contender. When I have heard him speak at press conferences the line has be that he has faith in the players that they can perform, and in time the club will decide if they want to give him another contract and he will decide if he wants to continue coaching.
I really don't think Woosh shares the "do whatever it takes" attitude towards keeping his job, he's cut senior players that either have contract time remaining, or could have played on, our first two picks from the draft last year have play almost every game, and he hasn't traded good picks for quick fixes (N Krak) either.
Exactly.
The 'sack Worsfold he's a dud' supporters are about to eat hubble pie and TBH they should enjoy doing it. The team has been labelled the most improved side in the comp this season and it is well justified.
As for Sheppard or any other player we have others playing well in the WAFL gunning to get a game. If you lose form we finally have 2 > 3 other guys in form demanding a game. This is a great position to be in.
I say no to playing an out of form Sheppard just for his and the teams development. What about developing J Jones, A Smith, Brennan and even Blayne Wilson later in the year? We need to get development games into Weedon, Strijk, Stevens, Neates, Stevenson and C Wilson when they demand selection and others aren't in form.
Lets reward hard work and form in the WAFL, if we don't players just get dissapointed and start looking elsewhere for opportunites.
- Oct 25, 2007
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If you think saying the right thing at media conferences and not making Fremantle-esque mistakes at the trade table overrides human nature and common sense, fine. You keep living in your naive world while the rest of us discuss matters in reality.
Thats fine if 2-3 of of those names are ready to come in and make a bigger impact than Sheppard but I don't think they are. Weedon might be one. Ash Smith is already in so you can't count him. Strijk can't run out games at WAFL intensity. Stevens and Sheppard play different positions. Stevenson is a fringe player. Are JoJo or young Brennan close, are they better than Sheppard?Exactly.
The 'sack Worsfold he's a dud' supporters are about to eat hubble pie and TBH they should enjoy doing it. The team has been labelled the most improved side in the comp this season and it is well justified.
As for Sheppard or any other player we have others playing well in the WAFL gunning to get a game. If you lose form we finally have 2 > 3 other guys in form demanding a game. This is a great position to be in.
I say no to playing an out of form Sheppard just for his and the teams development. What about developing J Jones, A Smith, Brennan and even Blayne Wilson later in the year? We need to get development games into Weedon, Strijk, Stevens, Neates, Stevenson and C Wilson when they demand selection and others aren't in form.
Lets reward hard work and form in the WAFL, if we don't players just get dissapointed and start looking elsewhere for opportunites.
Which two of the names you mentioned are demanding selection?
I'm very aware of the potential downfalls of giving undeserved games to young guys. It can create an arrogance, a sense of entitlement etc etc. All avoidable with good management. We gave unwarranted games to Masten, Naitanui, S.Selwood, Ebert, Schofield. Even senior players like Embley, Lynch and Nicoski deserved to be dropped on form, but weren't last season. Those same principles should carry over to 2011 but it's not because... why? We are finals bound so development becomes secondary to winning now.
I think Scott Selwood is an excellent example of what you are trying to say.
There were times when many on this board, including myself, wanted him dropped for decision making and disposal errors, but we persisted with him and it has paid off.
I almost agree with you, but the fact that Sheppard is being played in a position that doesn't suit him is the big reason for mine. Just as Masten on the HFF never really helped him last season, I don't think Sheppard having to mind a forward and limit his run forward is going to allow his confidence to grow like it should.
In this I think he should go back to the WAFL and get enough confidence and subsequent form to displace one of Embley, Rosa or even Gaff from the team, or be brought in to cover injuries to these players.
- Oct 25, 2007
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You make a reasoned argument but was he not drafted as a HBF'er?
In between the lulls, he's shown strong signs of being a good HBF'er.
I think to be a HBFer he has to play a loose role, which is what he did in U18s IIRC.
We already have Hurn who we try and get as much freedom for as possible, so Sheppard has to be tight defensively, something he struggles to do.
I would contend that he was drafted as a wingman, based more on suspicion than anything concrete, but the form of Rosa and Embley has not allowed him to play that role in the same way that the presence of Priddis et al has not allowed Masten to play in the guts.
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If the risk is losing fringe players like Stevenson, Strijk or Wilson and the reward is maximising the potential of our top 10 most talented players.
That's a risk we have to take.
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Interesting you mentioned him. News of Embley's fake injury, essentially an omission, foreshadowing change is near...
- Oct 25, 2007
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Well whatever niggle kept Embers out, for the sake of Sheppard's confidence I wouldn't mind if it stayed niggled for another couple of weeks.
He seemed fine the week before in an ordinary performance vs. Essendon and no training injury was reported. Not saying it's couldn't be true, but if it happened it happened very late. Kerr's injury was common knowledge the day before.
He seemed fine the week before in an ordinary performance vs. Essendon and no training injury was reported. Not saying it's couldn't be true, but if it happened it happened very late. Kerr's injury was common knowledge the day before.
