Firrito?

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robaba

robaba

Premiership Player
May 20, 2007
3,195
206
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Was he playing today? I hardly saw him touch the ball. We need Spud to start firing up and honour the number 11. The younger players are starting to hit their straps and the middle tier have to step up or time will pass them by.
 
I reckon Firrito looks at his best when he is running out of defence. Him in the middle seemed like it could work, but I don't think it is.
 
He started off OK and then faded... missed a gettable shot at goal in the first quarter (from memory).
 

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Surely someone in the midfield has to be made accountable?


Swallow was bad. But at 22, and his year to day, excused.

Harris - 13 disposals, good enough? I dont think so.

Simpson - 17 disposals.

Power - 10 disposals, held Selwood to a miniscule 31 disposals.

Firrito - 10 disposals.

Lower - 18 disposals, of which a good 75% were shithouse.

Ross - 23 disposals, about twice as many I50's than anyone else.

Riggio - 10 disposals, however, hit every target i saw, including to 3 leading targets, and i dare say with a fraction of the %TOG, also made the two tackles back to back that caused the Thomas goal.

Harding - 20 disposals



Some of these are running a very thin line, and even injuries shouldn't prevent them from braving the axe.


Wells, Rawlings and Ziebell will be back next week, with Liam Anthony not to far behind.


Ross has earn't his keep, and Wright should be persisted with.



Since Power's late inclusion (when he was supposedly dropped) hes done relatively nothing.

Lower has been truely shit in the last few weeks, needs a extended rest.

And i fear Riggio/Wright will make way for one of the others, which is a shame.
 
blackshadow said:
He started off OK and then faded... missed a gettable shot at goal in the first quarter (from memory).
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Two gettable shots at goal, IIRC.

Although to be fair, he's no (insert name of imaginary North forward who can kick straight with consistency).
 
street_fighter said:
I reckon Firrito looks at his best when he is running out of defence. Him in the middle seemed like it could work, but I don't think it is.
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It may transpire that Half-Back is the best fit for him. I'd take that. Let's face it, anything's better than seeing him play at FB.

Saying that, personally, I'd persist with the current experiment for a little bit. I don't reckon the jury's quite out yet.
 
Spud is worrying me a little. Nothing to do with this match. He is not proving to be the midfielder I thought he could be, and we know he is not a KP defender either. If his best position is HBF then he is competing with a dozen of other blokes some of whom may in time overtake him.
 
Spitz said:
Swallow was bad. But at 22, and his year to day, excused.

Harris - 13 disposals, good enough? I dont think so.

Simpson - 17 disposals.

Power - 10 disposals, held Selwood to a miniscule 31 disposals.

Firrito - 10 disposals.

Lower - 18 disposals, of which a good 75% were shithouse.

Ross - 23 disposals, about twice as many I50's than anyone else.

Riggio - 10 disposals, however, hit every target i saw, including to 3 leading targets, and i dare say with a fraction of the %TOG, also made the two tackles back to back that caused the Thomas goal.

Harding - 20 disposals
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Agree with most of your assessments there. Lower was poor today, and surely needs a rest. Which is a shame, because I like the kid. We should be playing him at HFF, not through the centre or anything.

Swallow didn't have a good day at all. But at least we're seeing his outside game more, and he is becoming a goal-kicking midfielder, which is good.

Harding looked good today. He likes playing Geelong

Harris and Simpson (and Swallow) were smashed today. Geelong just doesn't let your clearance players get the ball. I honestly don't know how they do it. They just get there first each and every time.
 
Chadwiko said:
Harris and Simpson (and Swallow) were smashed today. Geelong just doesn't let your clearance players get the ball. I honestly don't know how they do it. They just get there first each and every time.
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Frustrating isn't it? In their 2nd qurter burst, you see the Geelong players streaming forward with very little regard to defense. They are so confident that their players will win the contested ball and that they will be in a position to receive it. On just a few occasions I would have like to see us get the clearance and make them look silly for running forward. We were just a bit shell shocked at that point though. And when we did get it, we had this "precieved pressure" that caused us to cough it up anyway.

2nd half was better, but it is always hard to tell if they have just taken their foot off the gas a bit with a handy 10 goal buffer.
 
HUTCHYHAIR said:
I've always thought Spud would be better off playing in the centre. He gives us the hardness and his willingness to run and take the oppisition on is what we need.
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I think this is essentially the basis of this thread: many people have wanted Spud to be given a go in the middle for the reasons you give. But now, a third of the season in, he has played most games thereabouts, and people are questioning whether he is up to it. Rightly.

Personally I am a fan and am of the view that he should be in our midfield - the on-ball rotations at least. But frankly, he hasn't done enough there yet. However, I would like them to keep persisiting - if you recall, he started the Richmond game on fire and then did his ankle. I'm wondering if he's still suffering the effects of that injury. I'm hoping he is, in a sense, as it would go some way to explaining his lack of presence since.
 
He is not a midfielder, period. HB is his best position and he should be left there from now on.

Our inside players got smashed through possession but were good in the contested situations. A better midfield structure at contests and some runners to give them confidence to give off the first option will get that right. That and playing in the middle for a good part of the match.
 
Apart from the first 5-10 minutes Spud was appalling for such a senior player. Either he or Harris need to be dropped this week to make a statement. With so many young players the senior core need to stand up.
 

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The Other Dean said:
Two gettable shots at goal, IIRC.

Although to be fair, he's no (insert name of imaginary North forward who can kick straight with consistency).
Click to expand...


"Although to be fair, he's no Brent LeCras." (??)
 
Event Horizon said:
Spud is worrying me a little. Nothing to do with this match. He is not proving to be the midfielder I thought he could be, and we know he is not a KP defender either. If his best position is HBF then he is competing with a dozen of other blokes some of whom may in time overtake him.
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Spud is a good midfielder when the basic plan is to keep it tight in there like it was against Port Adelaide. Strong body, plenty of tackling etc. He's not that great when it's fast and open and we're losing.

That's when he should go to the backline.
 
Spitz said:
Ross - 23 disposals, about twice as many I50's than anyone else.

Riggio - 10 disposals, however, hit every target i saw, including to 3 leading targets, and i dare say with a fraction of the %TOG, also made the two tackles back to back that caused the Thomas goal.
Click to expand...
I put it to Dean Laidleys that Riggio should be in the side ahead of Sam Powers and that it was idiotic of the master tactician to have not brought in Ross earlier then he did.

Riggio is a nice kick. I'd like this guy to be given plenty of game time this year moving forward. Lets find out about the kid and give him that chance. Surely playing him ahead of Sam Powers serves us well in the long term. Even in the short term. Surely. Like it is very clear to me.
 
Mr Reliable said:
Spud is a good midfielder when the basic plan is to keep it tight in there like it was against Port Adelaide.


If you watched the game yesterday you would have seen Mackie line up on a half back flank. When Geelong got possession (most times!) he jogged through the middle and took up a spot between the centre square and the 50. Being a 'back' he didn't have an opponent, so twice he took the ball from a pinpoint pass and dobbed it. Spud should assume this role for us...being in the middle for the bounce is not his go.....Geelong are such a well-trained unit that they know when and where to go...so midfielders like Selwood and Bartel can direct their kicks to MULTIPLE options. We need to direct our kicks to KICKERS like Urquhart, Jack Z and Spud. When we have the confidence and SKILL to kick to these guys (and avoid the handballing plodders) Spud will be a better player.
Click to expand...
 
Zondor said:
I put it to Dean Laidleys that Riggio should be in the side ahead of Sam Powers and that it was idiotic of the master tactician to have not brought in Ross earlier then he did.

Riggio is a nice kick. I'd like this guy to be given plenty of game time this year moving forward. Lets find out about the kid and give him that chance. Surely playing him ahead of Sam Powers serves us well in the long term. Even in the short term. Surely. Like it is very clear to me.
Click to expand...

Yep, very clear.
 
Zondor said:
I put it to Dean Laidleys that Riggio should be in the side ahead of Sam Powers and that it was idiotic of the master tactician to have not brought in Ross earlier then he did.

Riggio is a nice kick. I'd like this guy to be given plenty of game time this year moving forward. Lets find out about the kid and give him that chance. Surely playing him ahead of Sam Powers serves us well in the long term. Even in the short term. Surely. Like it is very clear to me.
Click to expand...

Here ye, here ye.
 
All in all, Firrito has been a disappointment to me. 3 years ago I thought he would become a premier mid-fielder but for some reason it just hasn't happened. Sure, Laidley has been poor at developing players, but Spud needs to lift. Maybe he needs a rocket?

Spud was discussed in detail:

http://www2.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=565792
 
He looks a bit lost and unsure of himself. A mid (footy) life crisis?
He needs to sit down with someone and have a talk.
 
Spud is an honest half back flanker, who has all but reached his potential. If he was the gun that many here think he is, he'd be on Hawthorns list. When all our mids are in the team he has to go back to half back and stay there, with perhaps a brief run in the middle on occasions.
 
Robertsonroo said:
Mr Reliable said:
Spud is a good midfielder when the basic plan is to keep it tight in there like it was against Port Adelaide.


If you watched the game yesterday you would have seen Mackie line up on a half back flank. When Geelong got possession (most times!) he jogged through the middle and took up a spot between the centre square and the 50. Being a 'back' he didn't have an opponent, so twice he took the ball from a pinpoint pass and dobbed it. Spud should assume this role for us...being in the middle for the bounce is not his go.....Geelong are such a well-trained unit that they know when and where to go...so midfielders like Selwood and Bartel can direct their kicks to MULTIPLE options. We need to direct our kicks to KICKERS like Urquhart, Jack Z and Spud. When we have the confidence and SKILL to kick to these guys (and avoid the handballing plodders) Spud will be a better player.
Click to expand...

Hopefully the coaches noticed Mackie, or read your post, RR.
Click to expand...
 
robaba said:
He looks a bit lost and unsure of himself. A mid (footy) life crisis?
He needs to sit down with someone and have a talk.
Click to expand...

This bloke will fix him, even if it's due mostly to luck:

DrPhil.jpg



Then again, maybe any kid could put him back together again:

potato_2.gif


It can't be that difficult. Maybe it boils down to a loss of confidence, and a lack of support around him.
 

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