Dawes has to go, enough is enough is enough!!

[Jelly Bean]

Ceglar could surely not do worse than Dawes at the moment. At the very least he would be a more capable ruckman.

Yeah, I am beginning to agree on this.

The delivery to Dawes was bad, but he also dropped marks that hit and went straight through his hands (including the infamous dropped chest mark). In addition, he tries to take chest marks on the lead, giving his opponent more of a chance to spoil. Whenever he tries to take it in the hands anyway, he just has no physical presence in the marking contest, and gets continually outpointed.

His form is ridiculous, and there needs to be a change made.

 

[Jelly Bean]

The more I think about, I really think that Dawes' eye surgery has had a massive impact on his marking ability. He is playing like someone who doesn't really have sharpness of sight, e.g. dropped chest marks, ball going straight through his hands, etc.

It is the only reason I can think of.

 

[Yidaki]

If Cloke had signed earlier, then this shit wouldn't be happening.

 

[the distributer]

The more I think about, I really think that Dawes' eye surgery has had a massive impact on his marking ability. He is playing like someone who doesn't really have sharpness of sight, e.g. dropped chest marks, ball going straight through his hands, etc.

It is the only reason I can think of.

They would've picked up on it at training, i'll be furious if he gets a game next week, he needs to go back to the VFL.

We only have a few weeks left before finals, we can't carry him anymore, time for plan B.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

The more I think about, I really think that Dawes' eye surgery has had a massive impact on his marking ability. He is playing like someone who doesn't really have sharpness of sight, e.g. dropped chest marks, ball going straight through his hands, etc.

It is the only reason I can think of.

I disagree with this strongly. One of Dawes biggest problem is he tries to take a chest mark for at least 90% of every marking contest, and as a result it allows the defenders that extra 2 or so seconds to close the gap and get a spoil in.
He doesn't want to try and take a mark with arms extended and that my friend is poor technique and has nothing to do with any eye issues he might have.

Also after watching last nights game, I think the players know this too and therefore pull their kicks to try and pinpoint a chest mark. And given this is hard kick to achieve, if you stuff it up, you're going to kicks that pull too short and end up at the key forwards feet, which happened far too often last night.

 

[SuperSub17]

If Cloke had signed earlier, then this shit wouldn't be happening.

And we would have no money to sign Beams, etc.

 

[Jelly Bean]

I disagree with this strongly. One of Dawes biggest problem is he tries to take a chest mark for at least 90% of every marking contest, and as a result it allows the defenders that extra 2 or so seconds to close the gap and get a spoil in.
He doesn't want to try and take a mark with arms extended and that my friend is poor technique and has nothing to do with any eye issues he might have.

Also after watching last nights game, I think the players know this too and therefore pull their kicks to try and pinpoint a chest mark. And given this is hard kick to achieve, if you stuff it up, you're going to kicks that pull too short and end up at the key forwards feet, which happened far too often last night.

I agree with your theory, and it was more evident last night than previously, to me anyway. However, Dawes does often try to mark with arms outstretched, e.g. when he is not on the lead (probably moreso than chest marks) and just rarely gloves them. I think this could be symptomatic of bad eyesight (e.g. not being able to watch the ball closely into his hands).

There was an example last night when the ball just went straight through his hands and there was no fist on it. This was in addition to the absolute clanger dropped mark that was horrible.

 

[TheFreshBanana]

Other players made mistakes, just as bad as dropping a sitter. That's just how the game played out towards the end.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I think you guys may have missed the boat in terms of shaking the team up with Cloke and Dawes. Can't be dropping key players now - too close to finals to send that message. Need to stick with the formula or just tweak slightly to make it all click.

Feel sorry for Dawes - he's pretty limited but was really effective when he followed a formula of where to lead and just tackled like a mad man. Now that's he's rucking he appears to be doing two jobs poorly instead of one job well.

Collingwood have a lot of talented small forwards and mids - I wonder how you'd cope without Dawes? The ruck is the real problem because it's hard having a ruck in the team that can't contribute up forward. The second ruckman position is now one of the most important in footy. Do you have any viable options besides CD?

All is not lost - you'll make top four, possible home final and you've won a lot of games without the forward line clicking. Get that right and you'll be flying.

See you in the finals.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

If Cloke had signed earlier, then this shit wouldn't be happening.

That made me LOL

 

[millsy29gopies]

I'm dead serious, atm Macnamara would probably play better than Dawes. And no I'm not suggesting that he comes in... Seriously, Dawes needs to go back to the VFL, bring in Paine if he's not injured. If Cloke plays s**t against West Coast, give him a one week spell to.

 

[Go_Brad_Dick]

I think you guys may have missed the boat in terms of shaking the team up with Cloke and Dawes. Can't be dropping key players now - too close to finals to send that message. Need to stick with the formula or just tweak slightly to make it all click.

Its not about the formula its about a player who does not deserve to be, nor is capable of being in the team any more.
He has been left in on account of having no other depth to turn to, we are already playing so many kids in the team, but he's so useless that we may as well be giving someone else a go because they literally couldn't do worse.

Its too close to the finals NOT to change the formula. He can come back through the VFL next year like anyone else in this poor form would.

 

[loki04]

lmao

 

[loki04]

I agree with your theory, and it was more evident last night than previously, to me anyway. However, Dawes does often try to mark with arms outstretched, e.g. when he is not on the lead (probably moreso than chest marks) and just rarely gloves them. I think this could be symptomatic of bad eyesight (e.g. not being able to watch the ball closely into his hands).

There was an example last night when the ball just went straight through his hands and there was no fist on it. This was in addition to the absolute clanger dropped mark that was horrible.

Bad eye sight or not, when he does put the dukes up he doesn't position his hands to actually take a mark he puts them up like he is trying to 'block' a volley ball straight and hard.

Cloke is being taken to town with by any defender with a bit of pace and it now seems the younger defenders he was mauling physically last year have now gotten stronger and are doing him in in 1v1s too.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

To suggest replacing Dawes with Paine, who hasn't played for several weeks and is too short for a KPP or ruck is ridiculous. We have left it too late to drop Dawes anyway and are stuck with him for the rest of the year. If Dawes was upset about last year's form he will be distressed after playing his final game for this year.

If Cloke does not leave we should trade Dawes while their are still clubs with high hopes that he will come good again. If he is half blind then let him become someone else's problem. He was dreadful last night, making the kind of mistakes a gangly, pimply teenager without any talent might make. He is never going to be a good player.

 

[September Action]

The problem with dropping Dawes is who do we bring in for him?

We can't bring in Wood, as Wood is useless as a second ruck, he has zero ability as a forward.

Witts and Ceglar are not ready yet, and we don't have any other options.

Hopefully we chase someone in the off season, someone who can play forward and give us 10 minutes in the ruck.

We've been hearing this all year. We never even explored a Plan B with Dawes dropped to the 2s. He could have found form and/or we might have unearthed something. Now we are outta time.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

We are painted into a corner and have been since Keefe went down. We are stuck with Dawes.

We need to bolster our midfield to improve delivery into the forward line. Johsnon and Krak to come in with Swan and Toovey . Out Elliot Clarke Mooney and Seedsman. Hell I'd even bring J Thomas in.

 

[loki04]

Ceglar not ready yet what a load of crap, many players have played a successful role a lot younger/skinnier and less experienced (he's in his 2nd year) then him. He has also consistently been one of our best performed at VFL level all season and would be better relief ruck then Dawes and dare i say it provide a better marking target up forward and around the ground as he actually can mark.

I am a Dawes fan in general BUT he has been woeful this year and like any other out of form player should be dropped to find form and confidence at a lower level.

 

[September Action]

What a great gif. Absolutely lost my shit when that happened

Fortunately, I ducked out to the car to get something. The one "play" of the night that went my way!

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Ceglar should have played earlier in the year, eg vs GWS. Bit late now.

 

[Stripes B and W]

i think it is too late now to make the significant structural change of dropping Dawes. We need to stick with the Dawes/Cloke setup, if for no other reason than the lack of a viable alternative. We know they had poor games last night, but i felt Cloke was more clearly beaten one on one than Dawes was. Dawes 'created' more crumbs last night than Cloke, but once the ball was on the deck we were not able to hold it in or crumb the ball anywhere near well enough.
To me the game was played on North's terms, and on their terms, run, carry spread and accurate ball use, they were simply too good at the indoor venue.
FWIW i felt the structure needed to be tweeked on the night. Didak or Faz to the square, Jolly forward for 5 mins, Thomas or even Shaw one out forward. Didnt spot much inventiveness last night...

 

[Tas]

As I said in another thread, I reckon he needs eye surgery again. Seems to be timing his marking poorly. Happened more than once tonight, and has happened all year.

I think it is a confidence thing, when forwards start going for chest marks instead of put the dukes out in front they don't have the confidence to take it in their hands and want the safety of the chest mark even though it brings the defender into the contest.

I think forwards out of confidence shouldn't try and find form in the AFL side, there is the spotlight on them and some yips can turn into full blown psychological trauma, we had the issue with LT and it took more than a year to correct by not dropping him out of the spotlight.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

We are painted into a corner and have been since Keefe went down. We are stuck with Dawes.

We need to bolster our midfield to improve delivery into the forward line. Johsnon and Krak to come in with Swan and Toovey . Out Elliot Clarke Mooney and Seedsman. Hell I'd even bring J Thomas in.

I agree. Thomas will at least be fresh after missing most of the season. If he can kick then he should be given a chance to show something. Blair is a bit up and down in the middle and Beams cannot do the grunt work on his own.

 

[Ickirus]

Dawes terrible marking is because of his technique. He makes a number of fundamental mistakes when trying to mark a ball:
(i) Goes up with flat hard hands (ii) Does not keep his eye on the ball (iii) Closes his eyes just before he marks the ball.

Anyone who has played any level of sport knows you must keep your eye on the ball and not close your eyes whether you are marking, catching, kicking, etc

Compare Dawes technique with Cloke. Cloke has a great technique and follows the ball all the way until he marks (or gets spoilt).

 

[loki04]

Dawes terrible marking is because of his technique. He makes a number of fundamental mistakes when trying to mark a ball:
(i) Goes up with flat hard hands (ii) Does not keep his eye on the ball (iii) Closes his eyes just before he marks the ball.

Anyone who has played any level of sport knows you must keep your eye on the ball and not close your eyes whether you are marking, catching, kicking, etc

Compare Dawes technique with Cloke. Cloke has a great technique and follows the ball all the way until he marks (or gets spoilt).

excellent series of shots, any chance you can send it to the club seems they can't work it out and work on it with him, open your ****ing eyes DAWESY.