Make or Break Seasons

[OzJohnnie]

I don't know why these threads always end up with people speaking rudely to each other. I didn't completely agree with Since 2001 but we spoke politely to each other ....

Anyways

Great passive/aggressive post. Jerk.






(sarcasm font alert, just in case you didn't notice it)

 

[Argy]

I reckon Schoey has a lot of pressure this year.

 

[NICE1]

I reckon Schoey has a lot of pressure this year.

Shoeys been in the "make or break year" category for the last 6 years and still finds himself on our list year after year after doing very little. Sorry but only providing a contest isn't good enough in my book and that's all he's capable of. He's been the benefactor of a team lacking in KP depth since he started.

 

[threesixpio]

Andrew Russell

Abasi

 

[parsons nose]

I'd be happy to see the back of the likes of JOR, Shoey, Brand, Willsmore, TOB and Langers at years end if there is not improvement out of these lads. However, with the pending retirements of, Hodge, Burger, Gibbo and Rough?? that's a hell of a lot list to be turning over in one year. I can see some of the aforementioned hanging around in 2018 through circumstance regardless of improvement.

 

[Thaihawk]

It is a huge make or break year for Hartung. There is no Brad Hill in front of him now. If he wants to cement a spot in our best 22, this is his year. He's shown glimpses in the past but this year he has to step up and show that he isn't just a passenger in this side.

I have a feeling Billy will have a big year in 2017.

 

[PhatHQ]

I'm happy to back 3/4 to take a spot if form is recognised.
I'm indifferent on Willsmore... personally haven't seen him play enough to have a solid opinion.
I'm a Hawks supporter with favourites, like everyone, but Langers, TOB & JOR have had enough flashes for me to suggest that they are all capable of some good quality AFL, especially over the next 3 years if they stay fit & focused.
In saying that, I feel if any of them are injured for any significant period in the preseason they will be gone for sure this time next year.
They all need to take the next step for the club but they are all very expendable if things don't go to plan.
All will be whipping boys at some point this season... under 10 games is bye bye. That leads me to think we will have 50% retention.

 

[Dewnior]

Langford is a list clogger and so is Hartung. O'Rourke is too, I thought he'd be good but I'm happy to admit I have been wring about him so far. Think he has more talent than the other two, seems a mental thing with him. Billy is just soft, not AFL standard IMO. TOB I think can swing to the backline and is handy depth as others have mentioned.

People said the same about Sewell and Suckers and they both ended up multiple premiership players.

 

[Gralin]

People said the same about Sewell and Suckers and they both ended up multiple premiership players.

Emma Quayle's podcast with Hodge Judd and Ball was interesting.
They talked about how when they started they all wrote players like Sewell off and gravitated towards the talented players.
But experience showed them your Brad Sewell types would make it on determination and work ethic, it was the selfish kick a goal and celebrate when 50 points down types you didn't want at the club.
Effort, guts, heart, will to win, competitive beasts, you want these blokes at the club, the more talent they have the better, but talent alone isn't enough

 

[Chubberson]

People said the same about Sewell and Suckers and they both ended up multiple premiership players.

I didn't. Sewell was never a clogger, he'd well and truly made it by his third season iirc and Suckers, whilst labelled soft by some, was head and shoulders above Billy in the hardness stakes and a better player with better skills to boot. Will's 7th season coming up, 46 games going at 18dpg for a mid.

 

[Davo-27]

Langford - can win clearances and is tough, but uses the ball like a country footballer and has the football intelligence of a pile of dog droppings, at his best he was a good honest player with a few freakish goals, but since 2014 he has been utter rubbish

O'Brien - i was never a fan, i thought he did OK in the first few games last year and i was hoping he would prove me wrong, but nope played probably the worst 5 game streak i have EVER seen a player play in, HFC need to wake up and trade/dump this disaster

O'Rourke - was terrible when he first got to the club, couldnt tackle, deal with pressure, seemed spooked by everything, but last year he seemed to grow some balls, if he keeps improving he could be a fringe depth mid

Willsmore - this kid is a decent utility option, but he hasn't been a star at VFL and hasnt debuted, so he is a bit of a mystery, keeping him on means HFC is likely to debut him, otherwise they're wasting all our f$%^ing time.....

tl;dr
Langford - nope
O'Brien - nope
O'Rourke - maybe
Willsmore - maybe

 

[threesixpio]

Emma Quayle's podcast with Hodge Judd and Ball was interesting.
They talked about how when they started they all wrote players like Sewell off and gravitated towards the talented players.
But experience showed them your Brad Sewell types would make it on determination and work ethic, it was the selfish kick a goal and celebrate when 50 points down types you didn't want at the club.
Effort, guts, heart, will to win, competitive beasts, you want these blokes at the club, the more talent they have the better, but talent alone isn't enough

Langers is/was the natural Sewell replacement in this respect

 

[Dewnior]

I didn't. Sewell was never a clogger, he'd well and truly made it by his third season iirc and Suckers, whilst labelled soft by some, was head and shoulders above Billy in the hardness stakes and a better player with better skills to boot. Will's 7th season coming up, 46 games going at 18dpg for a mid.

Billy wasn't at the club when people were questioning Suckers, Billy just brought a new level of soft.

Like Hill, Suckers had a serious weapon valued by the coaching panel. Hill was also soft but he ran all day.

O'Brien by all accounts is an excellent pack mark and versatile - he just needs some time to gain confidence. Will has a heart of a lion, bullocks all day and is not afraid to put his head over the ball and get crunched.

Every player has their flaws but as long as they are committed to working on their strengths and weaknesses, I'll back them in to get it right.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Langers is/was the natural Sewell replacement in this respect

Was hoped to. Doesn't remotely have Sewell's poise. Sewell was a hard nut, but he never made me gulp every time his boot went near the ball.

 

[daniel23]

O'briens biggest problem is production has he had more then 15 possesions in a game olaying fwd even for boxhill ? He's a smart player but I also think he lacks aggression to make it as a fwd . Play him back and see what happens .

Willsmore pretty to watch but soft outside runner with no pace will be gone by years end .

Hartung i really liked prior to this year but he stagnated . I feel he wasnt as soft prior to breaking his arm in that kennedy tackle . His biggest flaw is his lack of agility he is very straight lined and wastes his big tank by running to wrong spots . Saying that i still think he can become a good player and hoping this is a big year now hills out of the team .

O'rourke is purely confidence and belief he needs to demand the ball and make his teammates want to kick it to him. If he did that this year he was in positions to win an extra 4/5 possesions a game and may of never been dropped . He showed tiny glimpses that gave me hope, his injuries are behind him so im expecting something out of him .

Langford play him as a defensive mid . Contest in tight then stick to someone like glue in open play .

Miles is a nice smart footballer but i dont see any growth for improvement plus he tiny with zero muscle on him . I think he would need a big year to

Shoey is shoey

 

[Satchel]

I have a feeling Billy will have a big year in 2017.

I really hope you are right but the guy just hasn't grown on me. I saw some potential before he hurt his elbow but since then meh.

 

[Thaihawk]

I really hope you are right but the guy just hasn't grown on me. I saw some potential before he hurt his elbow but since then meh.

Well, with Hill not there, he has his chance, so if he has any real desire to be in the best 22 each and every week, he will bust his guts to stay ahead of those fighting for Hill's place. If that incentive doesn't drive him to suceed, then he could be off our list at the end of next season. I just have the feeling he wants it badly enough to grab it with both hands. Hope I'm right.

 

[Coathanger]

Well, with Hill not there, he has his chance, so if he has any real desire to be in the best 22 each and every week, he will bust his guts to stay ahead of those fighting for Hill's place. If that incentive doesn't drive him to suceed, then he could be off our list at the end of next season. I just have the feeling he wants it badly enough to grab it with both hands. Hope I'm right.

Unfortunately with the club taking Henderson, that tells me even they don't believe Billy will step up.
I think both Will & JOR both slipped down a peg thanks to the great comeback from Whitey.

 

[TallyHawk]

O'Rourke and Langford will flourish in our next gen midfield of Shiels, Tom, Jaeger, Burton and Lovell. You just have to see the result of the Dogs squeezing Mat Boyd out and letting the kids own the engine room.

Shoenmakers would be under more pressure than O'Brien who can actually clunk a mark, just lacks confidence.

Birchall wouldn't want to put another lackluster effort in again.

 

[threesixpio]

The more I see of O'Rourke, the more I worry. As others have mentioned in a different thread, he's just so vanilla. One last hope this year that playing him in the guts with Mitchell and Lewis gone will unlock some performance that we just haven't seen yet. Otherwise I think he's a goner. Amazing a no.2 pick doesn't have any stand out abilities.

Langford at least has some ability along with a lot of flaws. Hopefully he can get a bit of confidence and improve his calm & decision making. That will improve his disposal but it will never be top class. On the other hand, continuing headless chook impersonations will move him out the door.

O'Brien has talent, but is undersized, unless he can put on a lot of muscle he won't make it long term. At 23 already with seemingly a wiry frame, he needs to find a lot more of something in order to make it, a big surge of strength or athleticism or aggression or height. The only game he stood out at AFL level was in our thrashing of Essendon against undersized defenders, he won't be getting that at AFL level too often. He might get a couple more years due to our very weak KP stocks. Best hope is a move to the backline might unearth something.

Willsmore, not sure why he was ever raised to senior ranks to be honest, I only get to see 1 or 2 games at Boxhill on tv each year but he never impressed AFL ability wise. Slow, tall but lacking strength, no freakish endurance, no outstanding agility, a good kick but never struck me as an amazing one. A taller, leaner, slower, poorer/shorter kicking version of Suckling. We took Suckers at AFL level because of his wonderful kicking, Willsmore doesn't have that. Nor does he have the run to play on the wing.

Miles: Watched him at Boxhill, definitely a footballer but a short one. If he was 183 cm he'd be playing AFL or about to debut with a reasonable career ahead of him. As a shorty, he has to be pushing his way in into the seniors or he will be moving on soon. I don't think he will make it.

A bit tough, but a collection of late 2nd, 3rd, 4th & rookie picks aren't going to produce a lot of top players.

I have been a little disappointed in our rookie list's productivity recently, we produced a few gems there for a while but it seems to have dried up.

Is this post vanilla-ist? Speaking of which I had an uncle who would always get vanilla at the Gelateria.





That's pretty f**cked up just quietly. Vanilla?

 

[threesixpio]

Was hoped to. Doesn't remotely have Sewell's poise. Sewell was a hard nut, but he never made me gulp every time his boot went near the ball.

Mean more in terms of endeavour/heart etc. I think that's why we liked Langers back in 2014

 

[CleanRightBoot]

I always thought Liam Picken was just a negating run-with who had basic foot skills...perhaps Will Langford just needs a revised role. He is still relatively inexperienced so I'm prepared to cut him a bit of slack but I agree it is a big year for his career.

 

[Thaihawk]

Unfortunately with the club taking Henderson, that tells me even they don't believe Billy will step up.
I think both Will & JOR both slipped down a peg thanks to the great comeback from Whitey.

I know will hasn't got a reputation of being a good disposer of the footy, but he can get the contested ball, and has the strength and speed to break away. I am hoping last year was just an aberration, and he finds his 2015 form. H had that boating injury which interrupted his pre season last year, but that shouldn't be an excuse for the whole season.

I love watching Langers in full flight, so, put him with our new stars in the midfield and watch our contested possession numbers jump.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Mean more in terms of endeavour/heart etc. I think that's why we liked Langers back in 2014

No, I liked Langers in 2014 because he played with confidence and could be a bit of a game breaker when he wanted to be. His deficiencies were made up for by what he brought to the table. Ever since he's had more bad in his game than good. He's never been remotely as dynamic as he was towards the end of 2014.

 

[Burtman]

I don't Understand all the hate for hartung. He's been played as the third choice wingman when he should of been starting on the ground getting game time. I think he'll b a much better player than hill and has more of a crack. Tackling isn't something wingmen have to worry about. It's a bonus if they can but it's never been a big part of isaacs game and he's one of the best wingers in the game. I've got a feeling a lot of ppl will Be eating there words by the end of the year