FB19
Premiership Player
- Feb 2, 2022
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Why did your reply say it quoted me I didn’t say anything? Weird.
Recommitted Denver Grainger-Barras [OOC 2024]
- Thread starter BloodySwan
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SSSSSS
Brownlow Medallist
- Apr 18, 2011
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- Six decades of domination
Wishful thinking. Big boys are going to take time as did Fogarty and Marshall.
Maybe he makes it? Maybe he doesn't but stiff to write him off after three years (one being a Covid year) in the system.
It's not like anyone in the 2020 draft has really set anything on fire. JUH and Logan have been patchy. Philips is a midget mid who can barely find the pill. Campbell hasn't been convincing so far. Hollands can't get a game at the GC.
Thilthorpe/Perkins arguably the best performers so far in the top end but they aren't exactly setting the world alight.
I'm happy to give him time to develop. His knock isn't his ability it's the fact that he doesn't have the body and fitness to play out the game yet.
- Jun 14, 2014
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Bit of a ramble incoming…
Will be a very good third tall / HBF. Won’t be a good ‘key defender’ (can’t play on the gorillas). Hawks need to accept this and pivot their list rebuild accordingly. Seems they are, though - playing third tall at box hill.
Hawks would benefit from a ‘seven man defence’ game-plan.
Scrimshaw’s preferred position is as third tall / flanker. Denver plays his best football in the same role, but Denver is better at killing the ball, scraggier, and has the potential to mark and kick just as well. Scrimshaw has more flexibility to play any part of the ground, though. Rethink Scrimshaw as a ‘tall utility’ and don’t pigeonhole him on HBF - have him start on bench / sub unless he’s specifically filling in for an injury. Give Denver that permanent spot on HBF. Forget third tall. Use Sicily who also plays his best as a loose defender as that ‘seventh man’. Forget about Weddle being a wingman because he looks genuinely lost and make Weddle your lockdown third tall / your new Stratton. Blanck as your main KPD. Hardwick / Morris / whatever as your lockdown small/medium defender. If Jeka gets up, he can be CHB - his field kicking is great. This Hawks backline needs to make some tough calls, though: it can’t function with all of Frost, Jiath, and Impey being run-and-gun exit defenders with ordinary disposal. Also, if Hawks end up with the #1 pick, that’s pretty much stamped all their papers - because my preferred spot for Reid is as a premium HBF (basically, what CJ is doing but way better - Reid has a 50-metre pinpoint boot on him on top of all the dash and theatrics, he’s also just better at manning up, basically).
E.g.
FB: Hardwick - Blanck - Sicily
CHB: Grainger-Barass - Jeka - Reid
WING: Weddle (starts here, then stream back into defence and man-up to free up Sicily)
SUB / INT: Scrimshaw
Above has less raw pace than what’s currently being played, but makes up for it with better ACTUAL DEFENDERS and a focus put on good decision-making and long, accurate kicking. That long, accurate kicking will more than make up for the loss of raw leg speed.
Will be a very good third tall / HBF. Won’t be a good ‘key defender’ (can’t play on the gorillas). Hawks need to accept this and pivot their list rebuild accordingly. Seems they are, though - playing third tall at box hill.
Hawks would benefit from a ‘seven man defence’ game-plan.
Scrimshaw’s preferred position is as third tall / flanker. Denver plays his best football in the same role, but Denver is better at killing the ball, scraggier, and has the potential to mark and kick just as well. Scrimshaw has more flexibility to play any part of the ground, though. Rethink Scrimshaw as a ‘tall utility’ and don’t pigeonhole him on HBF - have him start on bench / sub unless he’s specifically filling in for an injury. Give Denver that permanent spot on HBF. Forget third tall. Use Sicily who also plays his best as a loose defender as that ‘seventh man’. Forget about Weddle being a wingman because he looks genuinely lost and make Weddle your lockdown third tall / your new Stratton. Blanck as your main KPD. Hardwick / Morris / whatever as your lockdown small/medium defender. If Jeka gets up, he can be CHB - his field kicking is great. This Hawks backline needs to make some tough calls, though: it can’t function with all of Frost, Jiath, and Impey being run-and-gun exit defenders with ordinary disposal. Also, if Hawks end up with the #1 pick, that’s pretty much stamped all their papers - because my preferred spot for Reid is as a premium HBF (basically, what CJ is doing but way better - Reid has a 50-metre pinpoint boot on him on top of all the dash and theatrics, he’s also just better at manning up, basically).
E.g.
FB: Hardwick - Blanck - Sicily
CHB: Grainger-Barass - Jeka - Reid
WING: Weddle (starts here, then stream back into defence and man-up to free up Sicily)
SUB / INT: Scrimshaw
Above has less raw pace than what’s currently being played, but makes up for it with better ACTUAL DEFENDERS and a focus put on good decision-making and long, accurate kicking. That long, accurate kicking will more than make up for the loss of raw leg speed.
Look, I don't want to be a naysayer, but this really is poor analysis.
1. Of course DGB can't play on gorillas. He currently weighs slightly less than a fun-size mars bar. But he's 20 years old mate, why would we presume he's destined to stay that weight for the rest of his career? He is roughly 195cm, and every single draft analyst said his ability one-on-one against key forwards, his body-use and his intercept marking were his big strengths.
2. Why do we have such goldfish memories when it comes to young KPDs? They generally take 4-5 years before they get the job done reliably. The exceptions to that rule over the past 20 years could probably be counted on one hand, and I guarantee you that none of them were playing in basket case teams down the bottom of the ladder.
3. Your use of Hardwick and Morris as interchangeable is laughable. Morris hasn't played a game this year and is fighting for his spot on the list, whereas Hardwick is one of the best defenders in the league.
4. Jeka will also be lucky to be on the list next year.
5. Frost does not have ordinary disposal, Frost has no disposal. You cannot compare him to any other player. To compare an athletic cro-magnon like Frost with a sublimely skilled player like Impey tells me that you just don't watch the Hawks. I can't blame you on that front, we're not much chop - but why offer such an in-depth opinion?
6. I agree with you on Scrimshaw, and clearly the Hawks coaching staff do as well. He's a carbon copy of Sicily, except without the ability the reliably defend an opponent. Say what you will about Frost, but he defends like his life depends on it. And with DGB, Weddle, Blanck and eventually young Will McCabe to come through that backline, I think Scrimshaw is at a cross-roads. His clean ball-handling, quick hands in tight and superb kicking inside 50 have long caused supporters to wonder whether he could move into the midfield, but I don't think he's ever displayed an ability to win his own footy. We already gave him a crack in there a year or so back, when we were getting steamrolled in the middle of the ground, and it didn't stick.
AAAAAANNNNYWAY Denver Grainger-Barras: I love his attitude, tenacity and I think he will become an elite player, my only fear is that it won't be at Hawthorn. The WA clubs will be ready to swoop and offer peanuts, thankfully he's contracted til next year, when I'm sure he'll be showing up the doubters.
hawkinoz
Club Legend
- Nov 6, 2022
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After last week's VFL game
****
****
Box Hill Coach Zane Littlejohn has reviewed the performances of every AFL listed Hawk following their recent win against the Sandringham Zebras.
Denver Grainger-Barras (5 goals, 11 disposals, 6 marks)
"The discussion ahead of the game was around keeping Denver forward and growing that area of his game, and he was able to contribute really well in the front half. He had some really good contested marking moments, he took three contested marks inside 50 which is a great reward. What we know with Denver is he is a beautiful kick of the footy so he was able to make sure he made the most of those opportunities he got. He'll continue to work on his craft as a forward and finding other avenues, rather than just the contested marking. He provides unbelievable energy. We love his competitiveness and what he's able to give."
Iceman!
Brownlow Medallist
I see no world the Hawks entertain a trade this year, his value is rock bottom.
Hold him and hope with another pre season he can start to show some of his talent. If not then shit happens.
Hold him and hope with another pre season he can start to show some of his talent. If not then shit happens.
FB19
Premiership Player
- Feb 2, 2022
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Takes a potato farmer to recognise a spud does it? Maybe we should delist, you know you are at rock bottom when a Norf fan questions your playing ability. Enjoy him being on your list then alongside Dan Howe and soon to be Lachlan Bramble and Harry Morrison!
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His last AFL game (round 19) as a forward saw him subbed off at half time statless and subsequently dropped for the fourth time this season.
The hawks prefer Frost in defence and Fergus Greene in attack.
He is in his third season now.
Wouldn’t garner much in trade, hawks probably better served holding him and hoping for the best …
Iceman!
Brownlow Medallist
His tank is still genuinely sub AFL standard, he can’t run out full AFL games consistently. Needs to get that in order before anything else.
- Jul 13, 2015
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Or he has the body of an interceptor and they want him to play key defence. And its taking time.
But if he kicks more goals at VFL I do wonder if we end up combining him with Lewis and Ryan/Ramsden as the 3rd tall forward.
Still plenty of time for him to learn.
Our problem is we have many too good for VFL and not quite AFL level.
Irony of WCE and Roos posters potting him is they have huge numbers of players not even VFL level.
How's that ironic?
- Jul 13, 2015
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Maybe for BF its expected floggery I guess.
Is it?
Can people not allowed comment on a players' performance if their own team has shit players?
Might as well shut the entire site down, in that case.
- Mar 19, 2020
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This is kind of the issue. Why is the guy going to stay at Hawks and play hop skotch with his career if another team is able to give him a longer contract and a certain path forward?
If anyone wants DGB and talks to him, he will ask to leave . He is probably at the same spot Paddy Dow was this time last year, except I think with the amount of people wanting some form of KPP defender it means he will just get a better offer elsewhere.
North/Sydney is my bet
- Jul 13, 2015
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He may be completely open to what Hawthorn are doing. He was pretty happy kicking a bag at Box Hill.
What do you think the Roos or Swans would do differently ?
Zane Littlejohn....what a name.
And 0 touches until he got subbed off against us.
Yep,
It’s classic BF nuffery.
By that logic, Geelong supporters were the smartest in the league after the grand final but today are only the ninth smartest.
When the hawks 3peated, their supporters were the smartest but today, those same supporters are the third dumbest.
Why posters feel the need to run with this moronic logic is one of life’s great mysteries
- Oct 14, 2012
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Not sure if DGB is a Pontiac, Desiree, Kipfler or a Chat.
Either way he's from the same family.
Not worth two bob.
Either way he's from the same family.
Not worth two bob.
So if you're team has more wins, it gives you're opinion more weight?
This is where the irony actually is
Propose we look only at ladder position before commenting on another team in future.
Will be bookmarking a lot of posts...
