Player Watch Charlie Dixon Part 2

[all seeing eye]

Why the focus on Dixon surely its the coaching , gameplan and forward structure. We rely on stoppages, forward half pressure, repeat enties from a high press. We will be having the same discussions, when its Lord or Scully next year, its what they want , quantity over quality.

 

[JimmyBC]

Delusional is thinking not many defenders beat Dixon.. Bonkers

 

[edgie]

I agree Dixon is still the best when in form/fitness, but he ain't fit and form is debatable.

What do we lose whenever he goes to ground (most of the time) and takes an eternity to get up, fat bloke in division 4 style? Basically being a player down so the other team can rebound easier? We all laugh about Walker moving like a cargo ship in Baltimore, but at times he looks like the Krakouer bros compared to Charlie (and he might not like that)

 

[jackag24]

I agree Dixon is still the best when in form/fitness, but he ain't fit and form is debatable.

What do we lose whenever he goes to ground (most of the time) and takes an eternity to get up, fat bloke in division 4 style? Basically being a player down so the other team can rebound easier? We all laugh about Walker moving like a cargo ship in Baltimore, but at times he looks like the Krakouer bros compared to Charlie (and he might not like that)

Do we know exactly why Dixon seems to fall over 20 times a game? Does his ankle cause him so much grief that he just seeks the comfort of being horizontal?

 

[jackag24]

And yet we went 0-5 when he missed the start of 2022.

Dixon is our best key forward. Anyone who believes otherwise is just deluded. Whether he is utilised well is another question but he can't not be in the team, it's an absurd notion.

I thought we went 0-5 because we played like absolute s**t for 5 rounds

 

[bringbackbucky]

His body is so cooked. He won't be able to walk by the time he is 50. We should've retired him at year's end.

 

[Lefti93]

His body is so cooked. He won't be able to walk by the time he is 50. We should've retired him at year's end.

I've said it on here before, but we opted not to give a cooked Jay Schulz a contract for 2017. He's twice the player Charlie is.

 

[johnnysix]

I thought we went 0-5 because we played like absolute s**t for 5 rounds

We went 0-5 because we still played "bomb it to Dixon" and it was even worse because he wasn't there. When we finally changed our game plan around the cattle we have, we started winning.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

With him in the team, he is kinda holding back the rest of the forward line to find its own way, so to speak.

 

[johnnysix]

Why the focus on Dixon surely its the coaching , gameplan and forward structure. We rely on stoppages, forward half pressure, repeat enties from a high press. We will be having the same discussions, when its Lord or Scully next year, its what they want , quantity over quality.

I agree that it's all these things, but we seemed to get away from that when Charlie wasn't playing. I have no idea what Charlie would be like these days playing a different plan / structure because we basically never do it when he's in the side. I watched on Sat night behind the goals and Charlie was behind his man every time i looked. There's no intention of leading. The only explanation I have is that the coaching group are playing a game plan around his limitations.

 

[TeeKray]

I watched on Sat night behind the goals and Charlie was behind his man every time i looked. There's no intention of leading. The only explanation I have is that the coaching group are playing a game plan around his limitations.

Well our best forward set up surely involves Marshall and Georgiades leading and Dixon providing the deep option.

In this instance I would absolutely instruct him to play from behind because if he plays in front he'll just get held or pushed under the ball and we know he's not getting any free kicks when this happens.

Obviously it looks much messier than this in practice but I imagine this is the theory.

 

[PortPortPort]

Kicking it to Dixon 32 times for only 2 marks is shocking. He can't compete 1v1.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Well our best forward set up surely involves Marshall and Georgiades leading and Dixon or someone else providing the deep option.

Yes please.

 

[edgie]

His body is so cooked. He won't be able to walk by the time he is 50

That's ok he prefers to drive anyway

 

[Tibbs]

Devil's advocate: Dixon is still a very capable AFL forward who commands the best opposition defender (or two) on him each week. If they ignore him, he will quite easily win a match off his boot. Yes he is cooked, but even still he is a dangerous opponent.

The real issue remains, that for the last 7 years, he has been incorrectly labeled, & incorrectly used at Port. The coaches have sold the line that "get it to Dixon, and our forwards will crumb off him" is the best use of him. He has bought the line, and goes for everything. The players have all bought the line, and bomb it to him. And for years the public & media have bought the line, and lauded Ken & Co for their use of "Big Charlie!"

You can see from the commentary, and post game media analysis, that people are finally questioning the rubbish coming out of the Hinkley clan! Something that the "white noise" has been screaming about for years! We have good forwards, but have a terrible forward structure. They constantly bunch up, and compete for the same mark. They constantly remain static, and get out-bodied by defenders who have become wise to the ridiculously poor tactic!

You can see players like Georgie and Todd want to mix it up, but are held back by the team tactic of "bomb it to charlie." I dont blame Charlie at all, even though I do get angry at him. Get rid of Charlie now, and I just dont see things improving. Bring in a decent coach with vision, and this team is premiership bound.

 

[sobrave]

His body is so cooked. He won't be able to walk by the time he is 50. We should've retired him at year's end.

He literally fell over in every single contest. Couldn't/wouldn't chase Pearce so it was easier to just go to ground. He makes everyone around him have to work harder

 

[edgie]

Dixon is cooked, it's unfortunate we'll never get to see what a different coach would do with him, and he spent all bar 3 years of his career with Ken, but that was his choice too.

 

[Sewer de Lance]

Hawkins is a hulk of a man, but most of his goals have come from smart lead up work throughout his career. Dixon often demands the ball in pack situations which is low percentage, low IQ football.

I’d like to hear Tredders take on this, but I think we are a better side without him.

 

[sobrave]

Dixon is cooked, it's unfortunate we'll never get to see what a different coach would do with him, and he spent all bar 3 years of his career with Ken, but that was his choice too.

He's still never reached the heights he did at gold coast when he kicked 41 goals in 16 games including a bag of 7. For a team that won 3 of those 16 and was basically not competitive.

At that stage it looked like he could dominate in a good side. Especially if we could get his ankles right.

Cue 8 years of bomb it to Charlie in wrestling match.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Hawkins is a hulk of a man, but most of his goals have come from smart lead up work throughout his career. Dixon often demands the ball in pack situations which is low percentage, low IQ football.

I’d like to hear Tredders take on this, but I think we are a better side without him.

I think we would be better without him.
He's old, slow and injured.

 

[Powerage]

And yet we went 0-5 when he missed the start of 2022.

Dixon is our best key forward. Anyone who believes otherwise is just deluded. Whether he is utilised well is another question but he can't not be in the team, it's an absurd notion.

Spot on. This notion that we had a beautifully functioning opening forward line and Marshall was able to go beserk is preposterous. There is zero evidence to support that

We were 4-6 until Dixon came back and as stated in the Marshall thread Marshall took more marks, disposals, shots on goal and goal assists once Dixon came back into the team.

Its all very well to bang on about Dixon but he is our only power forward. In fact the player who most projects a physical presence in the air. Even playing up the ground other players know that if they kick to Dixon it will at least be a 50/50 ball in most games. . You have to have that player who you know will neutralise the contest. Bring the ball to ground front and center or create a stoppage.

Dixon does this while being a leading contested mark in the league.Averages 1.7 goals a game and 6 score involvements. He is an integral part of the team. He also plays in ruck for most forward stoppages, and does it well. Far better than any other option would.

That we did not blood a replacement for him until he was 32 and how he is used in our current gameplan. Well That's certainly another topic for discussion.

 

[Malibu#27]

Hawkins is a hulk of a man, but most of his goals have come from smart lead up work throughout his career. Dixon often demands the ball in pack situations which is low percentage, low IQ football.

I’d like to hear Tredders take on this, but I think we are a better side without him.

Tredders commented last week and was full of praise for his marking in that game. I didn’t hear him this week.

 

[jakey]

Most of the time Dixon can neutralise the contest and #bringittoground if he doesn't mark, but last night he was well and truly beaten by his opponent, no neutralising at all.

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Can he though? Oppo regularly have absolute intercept marking field days vs us. Charles is pretty good at halving a contest if he can get to it, but he frequently gives away a clumsy freekick (28 frees for, vs 43 against over the past 2 and a bit hobbled seasons). His mobility is such that he doesn't make the contest unless it drops more or less on his head also.

 

[edgie]

Hawkins is a hulk of a man, but most of his goals have come from smart lead up work throughout his career. Dixon often demands the ball in pack situations which is low percentage, low IQ football.

I’d like to hear Tredders take on this, but I think we are a better side without him.

I had a Geelong mate that would always winge that Hawkins always goes the wrestle instead of leading.

I think he had eyesight issues.

 

[edgie]

Can he though? Oppo regularly have absolute intercept marking field days vs us. Charles is pretty good at halving a contest if he can get to it, but he frequently gives away a clumsy freekick (28 frees for, vs 43 against over the past 2 and a bit hobbled seasons). His mobility is such that he doesn't make the contest unless it drops more or less on his head also.

A loose defender will tear us up regardless of who's playing with our current structures, but Charlie can at least usually not be dominated by his direct matchup.