Can the real Franklin please come back

[Gary Shadforth]

.

Dare I ask. A run at Box Hill? .


*Running for my life*

 

[Gus]

Remember he was playing on the best man on man defender in the comp.

Everyone needs a bath at some stage, just watch him get his eye in next week.

 

[Brishawk]

He hasn't been the same player since he damaged his thumb toward the end of 2008. I wonder how his thumb is now? Watching him today, there may still be a problem there... Have u ever tried to mark a football with one thumb???

Dropped a chest mark . . . did not need his thumb for that one.

One thing that stood out about Buddy in 2007/08 was the number of leads he would make. Back and forth. Up and back. Now, we are lucky to see one lead. His space less? Maybe. Delivery not quite as good? Probably. But it makes it a lot easier for everyone to hit a forward when everyone is moving and the defence does not know where it is going. He just has to get moving rather than standing there with his hands up in the air.

 

[Gene Simmons]

His confidence is shot, he isn't demanding the ball as he used to.

Not all is lost, he is only human & every player puts in a stinker once in a while... Let's see next week

For now let's not turn into Richmond or Collingwood supporters eating their own..Buddy's a champion-he'll come good

 

[hawk for 37]

Next week will tell where he is at. Has smashed the Pies single handedly in the last couple of years.

 

[Grandmaster]

The Bronx cheers for Buddy today - what a disgrace!!!

Shit like that will make his decision to take the cash and paradise lifestyle all the more easy

Buddy's a champion!!! You dodgy supporters want have a long hard look at yourselves

Clarko should be the one under the pump - Lethal might just get a bit more out of the current squad before the window shuts.

 

[dogbowl]

It was an intense, bruising encounter, this game.

I think the difference was that one team had a functioning big forward, but I still can't believe it was the dogs!

 

[lethalselbow]

Superman has kryptonite.

Buddy has Lake.

He tried hard to shake it, but Lake was all over him like a rash. He'll learn from it and improve. He tried his arse off and didn't drop his head, so get behind him... not on his back!

GO BUDDY!

 

[.M a t t.]

The Bronx cheers for Buddy today - what a disgrace!!!

Shit like that will make his decision to take the cash and paradise lifestyle all the more easy

Buddy's a champion!!! You dodgy supporters want have a long hard look at yourselves

Clarko should be the one under the pump - Lethal might just get a bit more out of the current squad before the window shuts.

Pretty sure that was us Dogs supporters inc. myself.

 

[The Mongrel Punt]

Did play on an accomplished defender today, but dropped a couple of marks he should've swallowed. Overall, I am very disappointed with his output thus far, but have this little feeling that the game vs Collingwood will be a better barometer than the last two weeks.

 

[lethalselbow]

Did play on an accomplished defender today, but dropped a couple of marks he should've swallowed. Overall, I am very disappointed with his output thus far, but have this little feeling that the game vs Collingwood will be a better barometer than the last two weeks.

Buddy juggles a lot of marks, when he should one grab 'em, giving Lake a chance to punch. Not a great game, but he'll be back next week.

 

[seanoff]

quick question.

he seems to be trying to play from behind and if he can't mark backing himself to outrun the defender on the way towards goal.

the question is,

is that what he is being coached to do?

or

is he doing it by himself?


if he's being coached to try that, it needs to stop and the coach kicked in the head.

if it's him, a short run at Box Hill may be in order, after kicking him.

 

[go hawks!!!]

the wuestion is :

will he be reported for high contact to aker? i have a feeling yes, and MAY get one week, lets see how much all you buddy bashers will be missing him then.

buddy is struggling, he can do it, he is very fit, just needs to increase his workrate..... which he will do next week after being front page of the papers copping a bashing.

encourage him!!!

also, i would like to say that our forward structure sux eggs.... imean really...players just lead all together to the same place...

i am just trying to answer the question as to where the buddy from 2008 is? well he came back late last year....to me it is partly the forward structure which is bad and the other reason is that he is not running to the right places!

 

[cam975]

Remember he was playing on the best man on man defender in the comp.

Everyone needs a bath at some stage, just watch him get his eye in next week.

Lake has sure become one hell of a player. Ever since the final in 08 where Buddy was awesome and kicked 8, he has had his measure EVERY game.

Hopefully he can redeem himself this week against the Pies.

 

[PottSie2]

Buddy played up the ground a lot today so saying that they should play him there doesn't appear to be working.
I believe he needs to play out of the goal square like he did in 2008 with Roughhead at centre half forwatd. Buddy is unbeatable leading out of the goal square but for some reason that is not happening.

He hasn't lost his ability.

He appears to have lost his confidence or the coaching staff are asking him to do something else.

Our forward line hasn't worked as well since Barker came on board.

 

[Ripper Rioli]

We can judge Franklin this week he has played against 2 sides which have put Hawthorn under immense pressure and our kicking has been sub par ot him, in 2008 every time he led we would hit him on the chest.. He is playing against his favourtie team this week the Pies, he is in for a big one.

 

[twentythree]

And whats goin on with roughies kickin for goal????......its just atrocious!!!!

 

[cambosis]

He doesn't appear to be confident on leading to the ball, instead always opting for the man on man contest while he sits under the ball. It's one of his weaknesses and something he should be avoiding as he is so strong on the lead.

= Lazy, but easily rectified...

 

[phreeze77]

Leeeeeeeeeeead

There you go .. his efforts vs Brain Lake the last 3 meetings.

Interesting .. Barry Hall leads against skinny opponents that he would wreck body on body ...

Buddy Wrestles bigger opponents and leads on the quick skinny ones.... he was beaten in nearly every contested marking situation today.. Lake, Harbrow, Minson and Everitt.

 

[Gralin]

If Buddy is the best forward in the competition then big games can't be an excuse for him not firing. His workrate seems to be way down. I don't know if its confidence or ego but something needs to be done quick and the quickest way I can see it to drop him.

Harsh but it may be necessary, until his in put in the side based on performance as opposed to potential based on history there is no reason for him to fight it. And to be honest he doesn't seem to have the hunger he used to...

 

[kkwong]

Buddy Wrestles bigger opponents and leads on the quick skinny ones.... he was beaten in nearly every contested marking situation today.. Lake, Harbrow, Minson and Everitt.

Yes I definitely agree with you here, Buddy often thinks he is stronger than he actually and his 'palm offs' often do not work out for the best. He might have to start giving off to his first option a bit more in contested situations and stop so many wrestling situations with big key defenders. Although I do think he is due to explode this week against Collingwood .

 

[raff23]

Remember he was playing on the best man on man defender in the comp.

Everyone needs a bath at some stage, just watch him get his eye in next week.

which is why he should have played to his strengths instead of going body on body all the time, that is what lake is great at. Out on the lead is where he should be all the time, it is getting very frustrating to watch buddy seem to forget what made him such a force in the game.

 

[db11]

One more performance like the one today, and then I think you've got to drop him.

Just for one game, to show that it doesn't matter who you are, you have to perform, it may then give him a wake up call, that his not just a walk up starter.

 

[Hawkwind]

I'm not sure what game most of you were watching today, I could not fault his efforts and he tried to bring others into the game when played further up the ground, which BTW seemed to be a fair bit.

I know he dropped a few marks, but he tried to present as best he could. What must be taken into account here is he was against possibly the best fullback in the last few years and was backed up by a few good players dropping back and also spoiling from behind.

Franklin apart from playing higher up the ground for a bit of the game was even doing some ruck work, either planned or not planned. The point is; yes he is down on form, more from lack of confidence, but this will turn around when he starts to hold a few marks. He did attempt to lead out a few times today but was worn very closely by Lake and Co and they managed to put enough pressure on so as to cause Buddy to spill the would be marks.

Must admit just listening to the game on radio had me thinking he was playing very lazy and not interested, but when I sat down and really watched the replay I saw things quite different.

Some of the problem with both the media and the general public is that he is marked very harshly. If he hasn't kicked 6 or 7 then he hasn't had a good game.

Our lack of effective take aways in the middle due to some obvious reasons also diminish the quality of passes to him. Bagging him is really not going to help his confidence when he really is trying his guts out.

Don't believe what I have said, watch the game again and really watch all his efforts. You may change your mind.

We will be ok going forward, all the intensity is back and once we have some quality back things will click!

 

[HawkPatrol]

He seemed to be cocky today.