cleve, now is the time

[Goldust]

He really is frustrating a lot of supporters as he appears to play with little or no intensity.

It appears that he simply doesn't care enough or show anywhere near enough urgency.

SAID exactly this in another thread earlier this morning!
No urgency!!!
It's not like there isn't a spot there for him .. we're crying out for a key forward!
Yet he seems unwilling to grasp the opportunity and make the position his own.
Maybe from the square is where he needs to be played as some have suggested.
But FFS, just look interested!!!!

 

[Goldust]

Really play him out of the goal square or don't play him at all.
End of story, he could be a 50 goal a year forward player in that role, why bother playing him in a position that he simply doesn't have the tools to pull off?

AIN'T seen much evidence of that. A lot of what IO have seen he'd be battling to get 50 possessions for the year!!
Harsh, maybe ... but I really want to see him stand up and be counted and make that spot his own. Like I said, we're crying out for it to happen. It's up to him!

 

[tony_montana]

i mustve been watching a diff game bc I saw more urgency and effort from cleve than usual. he tried his guts out, ran hard but just had one of those days where the ball didnt go to him and he couldnt get into it.

it wasnt through lack of effort, on that i will argue with anyone they are being over the top

 

[Goldust]

TO me, Cleve is the spitting image of that Geoff Hayward character in The Club when he first arrives at Victoria Park.
Doesn't seem a whole lot interested in football, but has some deep-down talent.
Let's hope we get our own happy ending and he turns it around!!!

 

[The Cotch]

Give him a go. Geez, all this negativity about our players is unbelievable.

 

[coke_zero]

either cleve or someone else needs to take that FF spot before round 1. otherwise richo may have to stay forward a bit more.

 

[THE_GUN]

omg cant believe the way we eat our own, 22yo kpf they cant all be buddy franklin what has gumby,kennedy,sellar done so far.

some players just need to belong & gain confidence !!!

give the kid ff all year good bad or indiffrent, if he doesnt kick 40-50 goals
then yes get rid of him, but give him the chance with an extended period of time in the team.

most on here would of been asking for moore,white,mguanne to be sacked as well.

give the kid a chance.

 

[Goldust]

REALITY is ... give him full forward all year and he fails ... WE LOSE GAMES!

Hawthorn, Geelong .. they can afford to persist with a project, we can't!

 

[freezer]

Not a great performance from Steamer but I get the feeling he was played out of position. While I don't think his intensity was that great, it wasn't as bad as some make out. It more seemed that he was caught under the ball a lot, and was running to contests third or forth man in. Which are pretty common mistakes for a young bloke playing CHF.

Think if he is going to play there needs to back himself and try alot harder finding space and demanding the footy. He's got a bit of size on him now and should be at least making space to get one out with his opponent, and making a contest for the crumbers to rove off. If he can't at least do this and be a mobile target up forward, then yeah can't really see the point of him playing at CHF. Maybe just doesn't have the footy smarts to play there full stop.

Needs to be tried from the square, and told to work his arse of keep presenting and leading hard into space. If can't do this and get a few goals and least make contests, then going to really struggle to find a spot anywhere.

 

[Truetiger]

Not a great performance from Steamer but I get the feeling he was played out of position. .

Please no need to stick up for him Iam shocked no one has said he was injured haha. His first test for the year last night but the same result Failure. Nothing will change with him.

 

[Sausage roll]

i mustve been watching a diff game bc I saw more urgency and effort from cleve than usual. he tried his guts out, ran hard but just had one of those days where the ball didnt go to him and he couldnt get into it.

it wasnt through lack of effort, on that i will argue with anyone they are being over the top

You must have been watching a reply of last years Port game, as not too many seem to agree with you

 

[freezer]

Please no need to stick up for him Iam shocked no one has said he was injured haha. His first test for the year last night but the same result Failure. Nothing will change with him.

OK happy to call it a crap outing for Cleve if it makes you feel more at ease with footbal universe! But still think he isn't a CHF or was ever drafted as one...

He has got a decent size about him now, some talent as a leading forward, and can kick straight. Has got a month to prove something, or is no chance to play the first 5-6 rounds, and then it should take 20+ goals in his first 4 games at the burgers to even get a look in.

We played some decent footy at the end of last year without a recognised FF, so not the end of the world if he doesn't stand up. Just need to rotate a few of the big blokes through there to provide a contest.

It would just be a massive bonus if he can provide a target up there so worth persisting with him for the pre season imo.

 

[Truetiger]

You must have been watching a reply of last years Port game, as not too many seem to agree with you

In my mind he has failed in the Richmond Intra club game and again last night. He could of played for Coburg yesturday and he still would of looked shocking. How many more times will people keep sticking up for him. week in and week out he will continue to dissapoint.

 

[tony_montana]

You must have been watching a reply of last years Port game, as not too many seem to agree with you

nah i watched the right game, just not playing follow the leader

sheep sheep baaah baaah

 

[chrisjie]

He just doesn't have the heart for footy I think.

Not questioning his personality or goodwill. Just saying he doesn't have that meanstreak/blinding determination about him, which is what you need in professional sports.

 

[Sausage roll]

nah i watched the right game, just not playing follow the leader

sheep sheep baaah baaah

1 I started the thread, so I am the leader not the sheep

2. Hughes was an all australian under chf, so he was drafted as a chf

 

[bigstyletiger]

I'm not saying Cleve will be a star but even Buddy and Roughead were given plenty of games before they realy belonged at the level. Cleve does need an extended run and he needs to be played to his strengths. He can lead, mark and is a very good kick. Not to mention he is now a pretty built bloke who has had the sense to get rid of his pretty boy locks. Give him at least the first half of the season. Let's be honest - apart from Richo we don't have another full forward unless you want to try Shulz again or through Putty or Post in the deep end.

 

[Moreaux]

The Steamer will become a greater danger to every side as he can lead well to free space, if we didn't p##s around with the ball so much coming in our forwards wouldn't be out of position.
We can only begin to imagine and hope that most of forward delivery this year will come from elite kickers who hit targets ala Cousins, Cotchin and Deledio with those guys kicking it, Warren Ralph would become a "good " forward so stay tuned to Cleve stepping up this year

 

[TimeFor11]

Cleve was fine on Sunday night, we put the ball inside 50 33 times!!!! Not good enough and he marked it and as usual finished the job on one occasion out of a possible 2 or 3 times when he was the target from memory.

You cant expect much out of a FF when your team has 33 I50s and a lot of the time they targeted other players which is partially his fault as he needs to create more of a presence.

He needs to be our first choice FF for the first 10 games no matter the performance and then re-evaluate but I believe he will be in for the long haul.

 

[coke_zero]

make him train with the midfielders. so he has to get the hard balls and rove.

 

[Themi#9]

Give the guy a chance, just needs confidence.

 

[Bojangles17]

he worked into the game, shit he needed to...will need to raise the bar significantly higher than what he showed on sat if we are to resist giving the likes of Vickery, Putty, sarge or gourdis a crack at FF...Next chance at FF will be Post then Vickery me thinks

 

[megladon]

One point from sundays game, 6 or 7 goals kicked from around the corner snaps by forwards drifting into space in pockets ( clever and deliberate goals ..yes ) a couple of soft leads by Brown, Jack (very clever in the air) and Hughes, but only Richo led hard and hit the ball or packs at speed, still the forwards did a good job considering the inside 50 count, the lack of hard targets caused a lot of over useage 70 meters out. I liKe Hughes he's a good mark and kick, but that seems his main focus, his lack of speed and abillity to get back on the ball means he must use his size and strength to to at least create a contest for small forwards a lot more then he has shown. Putt and Vickery will ruck for at least 2 years before they are tried as key fowards at AFL level ( both have huge futures as ruckman forwards and should be given plenty of time to develop. ) The one game Gourdis played in the Coburg 1s last year was ok he led hard and got back to the contest very quickly also moved easily accross the 50 arc kicked a couple and put 3 or 4 in the square might be worth a NAB game to see how he goes at top level.

 

[Colonel Matrix]

He shirked a contest on the boundary line at one stage, took his eyes off the ball to watch the player instead. The guy is huge and has one of the best players to draw inspiration from (Richo) so the jury is still out in my book.

I'll give him the rest of the season, because I do accept that he is quite young, but he definitely seems a little out of his depth out there IMO.

 

[Bustling Barry]

What I don't understand is, he's a massive unit. (looks even scarier with the romper stomper) He needs to run hard and hit packs real hard. Especially against an under aged Freo back line. STEAMER YOU LOOK SCARY TIME TO BE SCARY!!!