Player Watch Riley Thilthorpe - Signed to End of 2028

[hey shorty]

Do forwards usually play well when the midfield goes missing?

Funny, the job gets harder for defenders too.

RT showed last night that he has little business in the 2s. Berg has a stinker today and the pressure will be on.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

When the team was flying he looked good when the pressure came on he went missing like most of them.

You've reviewed the SANFL game bagging our midfield, claiming that Hately just bangs it on the boot aimlessly and that no one in the AFL team should be worried about being replaced after a poor display across the board. But also Thilthorpe should be kicking bags of goals every quarter

 

[cmndstab]

And the other three quarters when he was virtual non entity?

He had 1 outstanding quarter if you actually watched the game.

Forwards always drift in and out the game. What matters is he makes it count when things are going his way.

If someone else has to go out to make way for him it's Himmelberg. No questions asked.

 

[Mutineer]

You've reviewed the SANFL game bagging our midfield, claiming that Hately just bangs it on the boot aimlessly and that no one in the AFL team should be worried about being replaced after a poor display across the board. But also Thilthorpe should be kicking bags of goals every quarter

Where exactly did I say Thilthorpe should be kicking bags of goals?



If you're going to quote me provide where I said that.

Parnell was clearly our best IMO and he also went missing.

Unless players stink it up badly today not one player from yesterday played well enough to knock the AFL door down.

Obviously regards Thilthorpe all eyes will be on Himmelberg today.

 

[Crom14]

Isn't it common knowledge we have drafted a bunch of mids who can't kick? Until we surround our forwards with some competent inside 50 kickers we'll likely continue to only see flashes from Riley. Still seems a redundant practice playing him in the 2s at this point, particularly when Jones has been gifted 42 games.

 

[Mutineer]

Forwards always drift in and out the game. What matters is he makes it count when things are going his way.

If someone else has to go out to make way for him it's Himmelberg. No questions asked.

If Himmelberg stinks it up badly today of course Thilthorpe is in line for selection but that's purely dependent on Himmelberg's performance today.
Are you suggesting that even if Himmelberg follows up last weeks decent game with an equal or better performance today he should make way regardless?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Where exactly did I say Thilthorpe should be kicking bags of goals?



If you're going to quote me provide where I said that.

Parnell was clearly our best IMO and he also went missing.

Unless players stink it up badly today not one player from yesterday played well enough to knock the AFL door down.

Obviously regards Thilthorpe all eyes will be on Himmelberg today.

Here

And the other three quarters when he was virtual non entity?

He had 1 outstanding quarter if you actually watched the game.

If - in your own observations - no one played well enough to earn an AFL recall and Thilthorpe was playing in front of that underwhelming crew then that means...?

 

[dogs105]

Isn't it common knowledge we have drafted a bunch of mids who can't kick? Until we surround our forwards with some competent inside 50 kickers we'll likely continue to only see flashes from Riley. Still seems a redundant practice playing him in the 2s at this point, particularly when Jones has been gifted 42 games.

"Gifted"

His first 18 months, he was playing really well when given on ball time in the reserves, and the Bigfooty consensus was that he needed to be given games. One SANFL game he and McHenry turned around from the centre square in the last quarter. I don't think our issue is giving too many games to kids.

 

[Mutineer]

Here



If - in your own observations - no one played well enough to earn an AFL recall and Thilthorpe was playing in front of that underwhelming crew then that means...?

Thanks so I never said it.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Thanks so I never said it.

Your posts are there for everyone to read. I don't know why you'd be trying to distance yourself from them.

Thilthorpe played one good quarter according to you, then fell out of the game.

You've also said;
the three best mids on the field were Glenelg players (your words)
no one on the ground was deserving of an AFL call up (your words)
our structure gone to shit (your words)
among other criticisms - Freeman did sfa, Hately plenty of nothing disposals, Strachan won a lot of taps directly to Bays players, Schoenberg kicking still shit, Milera a mile off it, Davis absolute crap etc (all your words)

Do you think any of those things you observed had something to do with Thilthorpe falling out of the game?

 

[CrowinNT]

And the other three quarters when he was virtual non entity?

He had 1 outstanding quarter if you actually watched the game.

True 3 goals in the square
1 Contested Mark ?
First quarter

 

[Mutineer]

Your posts are there for everyone to read. I don't know why you'd be trying to distance yourself from them.

Thilthorpe played one good quarter according to you, then fell out of the game.

You've also said;
the three best mids on the field were Glenelg players (your words)
no one on the ground was deserving of an AFL call up (your words)
our structure gone to shit (your words)
among other criticisms - Freeman did sfa, Heately plenty of nothing disposals, Strachan won a lot of taps directly to Bays players, Schoenberg kicking still shit, Milera a mile off it, Davis absolute crap etc (all your words)

Do you think any of those things you observed had something to do with Thilthorpe falling out of the game?

Sure but the same applies for all players, not 1 player played well enough to knock down the AFL door unless players stink it up badly today, and least of all yesterday's midfielders who were pantsed by an AFL delistee and 2 2nd tier mids.

 

[Crom14]

"Gifted"

His first 18 months, he was playing really well when given on ball time in the reserves, and the Bigfooty consensus was that he needed to be given games. One SANFL game he and McHenry turned around from the centre square in the last quarter. I don't think our issue is giving too many games to kids.

Hard to say they haven’t been gifted when Riley has had more impact across 14 games than Chayce has over 42 games, but only one has found themselves in the 2s.

 

[dogs105]

Hard to say they haven’t been gifted when Riley has had more impact across 14 games than Chayce has over 42 games, but only one has found themselves in the 2s.

Read the bit again about people saying Jones spent too long in the 2s.

 

[dogs105]

Hard to say they haven’t been gifted when Riley has had more impact across 14 games than Chayce has over 42 games, but only one has found themselves in the 2s.

Potentially that's why Thilthorpe played almost twice as many games as Jones in their first seasons?

 

[FR0GGY]

Potentially that's why Thilthorpe played almost twice as many games as Jones in their first seasons?

There’s no doubt Chayce has been lucky, should have been dropped before the last game and in previous seasons.

 

[dogs105]

There’s no doubt Chayce has been lucky, should have been dropped before the last game and in previous seasons.

It was just the "only one finds themselves in the 2s" statement that was particularly stupid. Last year Jones played twice as many reserves games as Thilthorpe.
Jones must be on about his last chance, but saying his games have been gifted, and Thilthorpe hasn't had as many chances is asinine. Thilthorpe is in his second year.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Where exactly did I say Thilthorpe should be kicking bags of goals?



If you're going to quote me provide where I said that.

Parnell was clearly our best IMO and he also went missing.

Unless players stink it up badly today not one player from yesterday played well enough to knock the AFL door down.

Obviously regards Thilthorpe all eyes will be on Himmelberg today.

We're dead ass bottom club territory and people are still talking about having to burn it down to displace players.

 

[skam85]

I wouldn't write him off as a player yet but I do think it's funny how the Vic commentators wank off every time he gets near the ball. Dude could slip over and face plant and they'd be pitching a tent.

He had a Fog like game a few weeks ago, something like 7 touches and a goal and they ranted on about his influence on the game.

 

[Schulzycrow]

I think long term he could be our first ruck. Got the engine to be a very mobile ruck that could switch forward. Be a real Grundy or Gawn type.

 

[Crow till I die]

I dont mind Thilthorpe building at SANFL level whilst Walker and Himmelberg are walking the walk at AFL level. Its up to Thilthorpe to put the pressure on as competition for places is a healthy thing.

I hope he can really start to dominate in the coming games

 

[StickerMan]

I dont mind Thilthorpe building at SANFL level whilst Walker and Himmelberg are walking the walk at AFL level. Its up to Thilthorpe to put the pressure on as competition for places is a healthy thing.

I hope he can really start to dominate in the coming games

For anyone who has watched the SANFL games, is Riley relying on his size to move opposition defenders off the ball to take marks and kick goals, or is he getting on his bike and using his elite fitness to outwork his opposition?

If he is outmuscling his opposition, this won't work at AFL level and should be watching re-runs of games with Nick Riewoldt and base his game off of that and not Tom Hawkins.

 

[skam85]

RT has far more importance and value to us as a KPF and should be developed accordingly

 

[Crow till I die]

For anyone who has watched the SANFL games, is Riley relying on his size to move opposition defenders off the ball to take marks and kick goals, or is he getting on his bike and using his elite fitness to outwork his opposition?

If he is outmuscling his opposition, this won't work at AFL level and should be watching re-runs of games with Nick Riewoldt and base his game off of that and not Tom Hawkins.

Not sure as I have not caught any of the SANFL games so far this year.

I always thought that where I see RT as our greatest weapon will be to try and instigate a pagans paddock type play during games where when we get the ball at half back say, the forwards push high up the ground and thilthorpe streams back to the goalsquare so that the forward 50 is emptied out for that kick inside 50. Get him 1 out v his man and let him use his height to outmark his man if the defender is smaller than him or if he is being marked by a tall defender, let RT use his speed to get away from him. Lets face it, as he gets stronger, he has speed, , can contest mark at the highest point and knows how to kick goals - a perfect tall forward he should become

 

[StickerMan]

Not sure as I have not caught any of the SANFL games so far this year.

I always thought that where I see RT as our greatest weapon will be to try and instigate a pagans paddock type play during games where when we get the ball at half back say, the forwards push high up the ground and thilthorpe streams back to the goalsquare so that the forward 50 is emptied out for that kick inside 50. Get him 1 out v his man and let him use his height to outmark his man if the defender is smaller than him or if he is being marked by a tall defender, let RT use his speed to get away from him. Lets face it, as he gets stronger, he has speed, , can contest mark at the highest point and knows how to kick goals - a perfect tall forward he should become

I agree that this approach could work, however does the modern game of zone defenses allow a Pagan's Paddock type setup? I think opposition coaches are pretty smart these days. We had a similar game plan in 2017 where we were blitzing teams on the counter-attack and were the highest scoring team in the comp. Back half of the season, opposition coaches implemented a plan to stop our scoring and it worked, stopping us in our tracks and making us look at alternative ways of moving the footy.

Whatever the game plan, RT should be using his aerobic capacity to out-work his defender and not try an out-muscle them and force one-on-one contests. I was so surprised to see in round one he had run so far in the game as he seemed to sit idle in the F50 asking for the ball to be lobbed on his head. I don't know how he clocked up so many kms when all he seemed to do was stand in the goal square!