Review Lobb is God! Dogs jam pussies at the Cattery

[Dog 36]

Yes, both Libber and Larkey are AA chances as a midfielder and a forward. As English is as our number 1 ruck.

Not sure what you’re getting at exactly?

Who cares what those other factors are and what previous years form is like. English has been our best ruck option all year and is favourite for the AA in that role on the back of his season.

I don’t base what English has done or what he brings on AA selection

Because he is an AA does not mean he is the best ruck for this team

I may have misunderstood you CB but it seems because English is AA therefore xxxxxx

 

[Charlie Bucket]

In the first half last night he was doing very little around the ground and in the taps was getting touched up by a first gamer and a mediocre Stanley. It was when he was taken out of the ruck in the second half that he started to have an influence and we looked heaps better around the ball.

I don’t want a highly paid ruckman that is a liability in the ruck. Throw-ins are deplorable. His AA jacket will not come for his ruck work.

His ball use and decision making was poor in the first half but I don’t believe you can say he was doing very little around the ground. Pretty sure he had 12-13 disposals at half time. Finished with 18.

Dont disagree his Ruck work was poor, but for most of the year it’s been pretty good. He’s had big tap numbers across the year and his effectiveness is head and shoulders above what it’s been in previous years. That coupled with his work around the ground sees him as a likely AA ruck selection. It’s actually dumbfounding that supporters want to downplay how good he’s been this year. And considering our other ruck options are lacking, hes been the clear best option for us.

“His AA jacket will not come for his ruck work” Welcome to modern day football.

 

[Dog 36]

When is that last time Bev made a move in the ruck like he did last night ?

Every other time seems it was pre planned. Timmy starts and plays x min then Lobb then Timmy again

Was telling when Lobb started the 3rd qtr in the ruck and was noticed by and acknowledged by midfielders that I heard speak

Why wasn’t something like this done earlier when you could see Timmy was having a bad day in the ruck

 

[Charlie Bucket]

I don’t base what English has done or what he brings on AA selection

Because he is an AA does not mean he is the best ruck for this team

I may have misunderstood you CB but it seems because English is AA therefore xxxxxx

So the AA ruckman for 2023 isn’t good enough/suited for the role as No1 ruck in our team?

That’s what you’re going with? Jeepers.

 

[DognBones]

How ironic that an old retiring wingman bows out with a lazy 36 disposals and arguably BOG when we are desperate for a quality winger. Looks like he could play for a couple more seasons and would walk into our team.

 

[MaxiBont]

I understand a lot of you pricks (myself included) will bring up that it was only an undermanned Geelong side, but how can you honestly say Bevo has lost the players after that?

Probably losing to one of the worst sides in in AFL history a week after losing to 16th.

 

[Dog 36]

So the AA ruckman for 2023 isn’t good enough/suited for the role as No1 ruck in our team?

That’s what you’re going with? Jeepers.

Yes not sure Timmy is the best type of ruck for this team regardless of AA or not.

If he gets AA won’t be because of his ruck craft which these team needs more than his possessions around the ground

 

[Pocket Terrace]

His ball use and decision making was poor in the first half but I don’t believe you can say he was doing very little around the ground. Pretty sure he had 12-13 disposals at half time. Finished with 18.

Dont disagree his Ruck work was poor, but for most of the year it’s been pretty good. He’s had bif tap numbers across the year and his effectiveness is head and shoulders above what it’s been in previous years. That coupled with his work around the ground sees him as a Lilley AA ruck selection. I’ts actually dumbfounding that supporters want to downplay how good he’s been this year. And considering our other ruck options are lacking, hes been the clear best option for us.

“His AA jacket will not come for his ruck work” Welcome to modern day football.

Modern day football has seen recent AA rucks like Gawn, Nic Nat and Goldy. All of which are fine players around the ground (as is Timmy) but are/were also huge assets to their team at bounces and throw-ins.

I like English, but I don’t like when the game is on the line and somebody like Kieran Briggs dominates him around the ball in a narrow loss, as occurred in the last quarter of that game recently.

 

[goodcop badcop]

Well done to Lobb. Dropping him to the VFL was the best move for him, has come back with a lot more intensity. I wish we dropped a few others throughout the season.

Not convinced West will make it as a full time mid, but glad we actually tried a few different things.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Yes not sure Timmy is the best type of ruck for this team regardless of AA or not.

If he gets AA won’t be because of his ruck craft which these team needs more than his possessions around the ground

Our team? Why is our team different to others?

Show me where effective hit out stats result in a better performing midfield and matches won. This has already been proven to be false. Several times.

 

[bresker]

Tim English has finished the season on 14 goals. He’s our sixth highest goal scorer , only behind the Bont and our four forwards.

He’s scored more than any of our attacking mids.

This is on the back of very limited time forward .

 

[Dog 36]

Our team? Why is our team different to others?

Show me where effective hit out stats result in a better performing midfield and matches won. This has already been proven to be false. Several times.

Grand final 2021

 

[Munnez]

Lobb was very, very good but hey, why didn't we see that effort in so many previous games.

Has a lot to do with the fact that we have hardly targeted him for the majority of the year rather bomb it on Naughts and JUH heads

 

[King Harold]

So the AA ruckman for 2023 isn’t good enough/suited for the role as No1 ruck in our team?

That’s what you’re going with? Jeepers.

Your defence of English is hard to argue against CB , in the end his game was ok.
No one doubts his abilities, but my beef with him is when things are tough for him his energy level and intensity seem to drop off. I get it he is not a physical player , but it dosn‘t stop you crashing packs and tackle with intent If the rest of your game is a struggle. It’s what you expect from all in the team, let alone your first ruck.
He perhaps should look at some tapes of the 70’s ?

His ruckwork last night against moderate opposition bordered on embarrassing.

 

[Munnez]

Missed the game. Did bont poll any brownlow votes?

Should be in the votes he was influential

 

[Doggies_13]

Isn’t it possible for English to be a good ruck albeit more an extra mid style ruck as his strength rather than advantaging the mids and being a hit out beast.

But he may not be the style of ruck that best suits our team and the needs of our team

 

[Testekill]

Well done to Lobb. Dropping him to the VFL was the best move for him, has come back with a lot more intensity. I wish we dropped a few others throughout the season.

Not convinced West will make it as a full time mid, but glad we are actually tried a few different things.

It's funny because we used to be the team that was willing to drop name players who were underperforming and it would generally work out for us.

 

[Freshwater]

How ironic that an old retiring wingman bows out with a lazy 36 disposals and arguably BOG when we are desperate for a quality winger. Looks like he could play for a couple more seasons and would walk into our team.

Was Poulter on him all night? Poulter looks likely with the footy, but lazy or low footy IQ without it.

 

[doggy_dog]

Our team? Why is our team different to others?

Show me where effective hit out stats result in a better performing midfield and matches won. This has already been proven to be false. Several times.

I have no stats for this so take with a grain of salt.

I think there’s an intangible element to ruckman that’s very difficult to measure. It’s throwing their bodies around, clearing space and allowing their midfielders extra time. I don’t think English does this overly well.

Best example I can think is the Giants with Flynn vs any of Preuss/Mumford/Briggs in recent years. Flynn’s raw stats look relatively comparable to the others, but the team doesn’t win.

 

[Zgope1]

Lobb must be amazing. Our clearance differential is number 2 in the league and centre clearance differential is 4th. Lobb must really be beefing those numbers up in his limited time there despite our crappy first ruck

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Modern day football has seen recent AA rucks like Gawn, Nic Nat and Goldy. All of which are fine players around the ground (as is Timmy) but are/were also huge assets to their team at bounces and throw-ins.

I like English, but I don’t like when the game is on the line and somebody like Kieran Briggs dominates him around the ball in a narrow loss, as occurred in the last quarter of that game recently.

The point of difference for those rucks was their work around the ground. That’s what won them AA’s.

 

[bresker]

English is sometimes good in the ruck and sometimes awful . Sometimes I look at stats , often I watch the game with my eyes.

 

[jdz101]

Except most of his lesser games were when we went 7-2 and he’s been much better as the team has stunk it up the rest of the season. It’s not like he’s just racking up goals while we’re flying.

He was a victim of being the only sore point for people when our record was great. His good form while the team around him has struggled hasn’t gotten the same attention.

I kind of get why good points haven't got much attention around here lately though. The team has been so diabolically awful that a guy bobbing up and kicking a couple isn't going to matter.

Last night was easily his best game for the team but the opposition was of a pretty low standard.

Unfortunately the pattern with him against good teams is that he'll kick maybe one goal and get a handful of possessions and be a complete phantom outside of that, getting outmarked or outbodied by guys 15cm shorter than him.

Is he the problem with this team? No, but at his age he should be finding a handful of opportunities for last night's sort of game each year against inexperienced opponents and he just...doesn't.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Are we be a bit a bit unfair on English. Yes - he had a stinker and has dropped off the last few games but he has had a great season and some great games during the year. Look at the singing of the song - he looked like he needed to vomit. I bet he wasn’t 100% but he also needs to angry when things don’t work out to get himself in the game rather than trying to do something flashy.

Lobb - I am not a fan but kudos to him he showed us the talent he has. Makes it all the more frustrating in last game of the season. But he has had one outstanding out against a first gamer and maybe two/three good games since being dropped for being terrible and now he at 30+ is the solution?

Dale had his worst game of the season as did Jones.

But mostly the blueprint for beating us was rolled out again by a half VFL team and they could have won if they kicked straight - tag one of Bont or Libba (Parfitt to Libba) and go hard at our weaker bodies and we will step back not forward. See this in pressure acts being miles ahead of ours.

Who would we say in our team is hard and powerful? We are also not fast so can’t use that. Watching the game most contests had almost all players sitting outside the contest only Libba and West are going hard at the ball.

You all see this in the blocking in marking where we are easily pushed off but no first initiation by us. It seems like a coaching thing - ‘don’t be distracted by the opposition just go yourself’ but premierships are won by defensive mindset. JOD has good out because he is desperate in defence.

This is a complete turn around from the in your face pressure of the chart that took us to the promised land but also Wood, Moyd, Cement, Picken, Morris, were all hard and Dalhouse, Shiggsy and Hamling all loved the pressure. Today we have Bont,Macrae and Libba from that team so eight less that have only been replaced by three Red, Duryea and newly West.

That is a huge difference - part is just physical/natural aggression but I think most is coaching to play more the hands off precision game that requires great skills - skills that have to hold under pressure - which they haven’t recently - part of this in underlying skills and part is confidence (eg Dale has the skills - so does Marra but they have lost confidence).

But the solution is the same - hardness and pressure gets you on top of the opposition and that gives you confidence then the skills come. Flea said as much in his interview when he said they had playing to not make mistakes and when he just went at it the game started to work for him - so they are all aware of this but a player had to adjust themselves rather than coaching creating a Hunter culture rather than being the prey.

BTW is West signed for next season - has every reason to leave and has increased his market value as well as critical value to us in lowering our reliance on Libba. We ride on the back of Bont but a good Macrae is still strong. For Trelor we have Smith - so have options they are both just not in form. But for Libba we have tried Daniel, McLean, McComb, García and just now finally West may have shown signs of a solution. Have to be strong over the ball and great hands. Probably the best other in the club is Sullivan so not many options.

Coaching is interesting - the best coaches were pricks as players - why? They got the best out of themselves and others with aggression not talent. Let’s get someone with that - like the ex port coach in as assistant with this specific goal ‘junkyard dogs’ or someone like Craig. Great coaching teams have AFL level coaches in them. Then bring back the heart and soul - two of Bob, Moyd and Morris.

This is not all on Bevo - he was vocal about having to lose those he didn’t want to but the whole clubs coaching recruiting has been terrible. A defensive coach leaving at the business end is a sign of the problems but the biggest indication is what percentage of players would we say are playing at their best?

We can improve the list but list is top 4 - problem is performance culture without that talent is wasted.

 

[goodcop badcop]

It's funny because we used to be the team that was willing to drop name players who were underperforming and it would generally work out for us.

It's probably an indication on how bad our depth is. Lobb was only pushed out because we had Darcy demanding it and we probably needed to give Khamis a go as his form has been very consistent throughout. Cleary seems to be very unlucky by all reports though.