VFL Round 7: Williamstown vs Essendon, Point Gellibrand Oval, Saturday 11/05, 3:05 PM

[FlyingV]

running out of gas is choking. If you have history in doing this then better use your "gas" in game. Time your runs, time your momentum shifts better. Think it's something like 4 games this year (at VFL level) that we have given up 4th quarter leads and lost

This is a probably one of the worst takes I’ve read on here in some time.

 

[Gabe251]

I miss the days where people reviewed every AFL listed players game...

Hint hint

 

[BrunoV]

Not a bad performance, not bad at all. Williamstown away is just about the most difficult away trip in football both because the conditions are so difficult and also because they are generally premiership contenders (they do now sit on top of the ladder). I've only seen the last 3 games but I'm pretty happy with what I've seen generally, the strength of the team is back to something approaching 2019. There is nothing wrong with losing a close game to Southport which is always strong. Winning against Collingwood away, and with a few now being added to the team / hitting their straps / no longer having their minutes managed, is also a good result. The VFL Bombers may be 1 and 5, sitting 19th, but I am not be worried about the current ladder position. Each line is strong enough to maintain a proper structure in which to develop players (as well as you can in the VFL) which has not been the case post-2019. I expect the team to shoot up the ladder in the next few months.

I thought this game was pretty high quality. We seemed to have the run of play for most of the match and only really lost control and the lead with about 10 minutes to go, as Williamstown stormed home with the wind / to the scoring end. It was a pretty even performance generally, I don't think anyone played a particularly good game. I have no standout so much so that I checked the write-up on the website to make sure my impression was on point.

For example, while Tsatas again got the most ball he did not have a particularly big impact on the game. His kicking wasn't the trainwreck it was against Collingwood but it wasn't good. He had 11 clearances but most of those were pretty standard, scrappy VFL clearances and a number of handballs which were not effective. Something that was noticeable, compared with his game against Collingwood, was that he did hit the ball at speed, working through traffic, a few times, and did get away a clean handball. That looked good. What he needs to do now is be breaking forward rather than sideways and backwards, because he does have a good burst of acceleration. As I understand it, he's been sent to the VFL to develop his hardball game. He is doing that but there is still a lot to clean up so I don't think his performances are screaming out for a promotion. Be happy with incremental improvement and give him time. He hasn’t played much footy. He was probably a 6/10. He’d need to do more with the ball for a higher rating. He's learning the side of his game but he's not on the list to be the inside workhorse (and he's not showing any particular aptitude) so don't let the numbers lie to you.

I thought Bryan was probably best of the AFL listed players with a performance that would be a 6.5-7/10. He was against former GWS listed ruckman Tom Downie

Tom Downie

Age

31

Ht

201cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

5.0

1star

K

2.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

5.0

1star

K

2.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.0

1star

who must be 30 by now, he's been around for ages, since GWS inception from memory. He’s not small either. The point is that Bryan could not be expected to have it all his own way as rucking is an old man’s game (probably more so than any other position). He did a good job with the hitouts, winning comprehensively on paper 45-25. His work at ground level wasn't as much a feature this week but he took at least 4 uncharacteristically imposing marks around the ground, 1 or 2 of which were defensive intercepts. He also stood his ground in a pack a few times as everything fell around him which I liked. I’ve seen him play better games but that was close to my favourite game. Pull that mark down I50, kick a goal, and win a few more clearances / throw around a bit more weight at stoppages and we’re talking about his arrival. That's not far away but it always seems close.

Hayes and Reid can be addressed together as they used each other to pad their numbers. They seemed to kick the ball to each other quite a bit from the kick out to into a pocket and took all of the kick outs between them. Neither was poor but neither could be said to have commanded their position as a key defender. When defenders are as big as they are compared to the competition it is not exactly an achievement to disrupt/spoil the ball in the air. I don't recall many if any classic 1v1s either was involved in. They'd need to be pulling down 3 or 4 contested marks, at least, for those performances to really rate. Having said that, Reid looked fit. He was throwing himself around which was encouraging. He does not look off the pace at all. Hayes seemed to get up the ground a lot more. I’d give both a 5.5-6/10.

I thought Caddy played his best game, I’d given him a 6-6.5/10. He presented really well on the lead and was aggressive in the air, taking 3 or 4 strong marks (I'd classify as contested). It was a pretty solid all-round game, you can let his numbers do the heavy lifting: 2 goals, 15 disposal, 6 marks (3 to 4 contested) and 3 tackles. He showed a bit of everything. I think he shanked a shot on goal (which it not entirely unreasonable given that the wind seemed to be very strong in the first half). I haven't been impressed to date but a few more games like that and he should start to enter discussions for the AFL side. The rating might seem harsh but the standard here is Laverde kicking 5 to 6 with >8 shots on goal and bullying opponents. Caddy can do that and it is what should be expected.

Jayden Davey played 4 quarters for the first time I’ve seen. 15 possessions and 3.2 is a great starting point and accurate reflection of a very dangerous attacking small forward's game. He was pretty lethal around the ball while forward, very dynamic in a way that he has not consistently been to this point. There was at least 1 really good finish and one really good score involvement / assist. I think he also hit the post. Having said that the '0' in the tackles column also properly reflects a non-existent defensive game. I suspect the pressure acts column would be as grim. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to work rate / general lack of match conditioning. It should not be forgotten that he's not really played competitive footy for the last 3 years and that he's building a game back from scratch. I give him 6-6.5/10. Add 3 to 5 tackles and some chasing and harassing to that and it’s a 7.5-8/10. That should be achievable pretty quickly.

Whereas Visentini was objectively good against Collingwood (maybe 6 out of 10), he was quieter this week probably only a 5. He should have kicked at least 1.1 but ended up with only 0.1. I lost track of what happened to the first shot (whether it was out on the full, or passed off). Having said that I am no less enthusiastic about the things I saw (bearing in mind he is a long term project I am not expecting to see play AFL until year 3 at the earliest and unless an injury crisis hits). The thing I really liked was his ground level follow up, be it from a marking or ruck contests. He is both aggressive and willing to put in the hard work chasing, it's not just throwing his weight around in the phone box of the post ruckwork contest. He also adapted his ruck work against Downie after Downie was jumping into him to negate his leap. He had no problem wrestling around the ground and then following up after the ruck contest. Now he's got to combine this performance with the Collingwood one.

I could really only give Tex a 4.5/10. He falls below a pass because he did not covert, he is credited with 0.2 but I am sure he had a third shot. As was the case against Collingwood, when he is involved he is good (this time it was at least 1 really strong mark, a few bits of classy ball use and a few really strong contests), but he is not involved enough. He is the type of player who would have a profound impact with 15 possession but he’s got to get to that level.

I’ve left Roberts and Lual last of the AFL listed guys because I have struggled to form clear impressions of their games. Shiel is just running around getting fitness and looks a mile off the pace.

Roberts did not have the significant influence this week that he had against Collingwood. The times I recall him running with the ball he used it well. What I didn’t notice this week, as much as against Collingwood, was the same level of intensity at the contest mainly because I am not sure the opportunity presented itself. He did not play poorly, he did his job on his wing but there was an absence of decisive movements.

I’m surprised Lual had the ball 19 times. I really only remember a few good defensive contests and a few moments of quality ball use. Interestingly his AFL fantasy rating was only 56 which supports the eye-test despite him getting a bit of the ball.

I don't have time for much more. I am getting a read of Hately, O'Neil, Hoare, Foley, Peris and Eckersley who all look really good additions to the VFL list. Nyko and Gray have their moments, too.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Nothing on Trentham. Highest altitude ground in the state. We country boys are tough though.

700m, that's very high! I was like "there's no way it's higher than Oatlands in Tas".

I was wrong lol.

 

[doug85]

Not a bad performance, not bad at all. Williamstown away is just about the most difficult away trip in football both because the conditions are so difficult and also because they are generally premiership contenders (they do now sit on top of the ladder). I've only seen the last 3 games but I'm pretty happy with what I've seen generally, the strength of the team is back to something approaching 2019. There is nothing wrong with losing a close game to Southport which is always strong. Winning against Collingwood away, and with a few now being added to the team / hitting their straps / no longer having their minutes managed, is also a good result. The VFL Bombers may be 1 and 5, sitting 19th, but I am not be worried about the current ladder position. Each line is strong enough to maintain a proper structure in which to develop players (as well as you can in the VFL) which has not been the case post-2019. I expect the team to shoot up the ladder in the next few months.

I thought this game was pretty high quality. We seemed to have the run of play for most of the match and only really lost control and the lead with about 10 minutes to go, as Williamstown stormed home with the wind / to the scoring end. It was a pretty even performance generally, I don't think anyone played a particularly good game. I have no standout so much so that I checked the write-up on the website to make sure my impression was on point.

For example, while Tsatas again got the most ball he did not have a particularly big impact on the game. His kicking wasn't the trainwreck it was against Collingwood but it wasn't good. He had 11 clearances but most of those were pretty standard, scrappy VFL clearances and a number of handballs which were not effective. Something that was noticeable, compared with his game against Collingwood, was that he did hit the ball at speed, working through traffic, a few times, and did get away a clean handball. That looked good. What he needs to do now is be breaking forward rather than sideways and backwards, because he does have a good burst of acceleration. As I understand it, he's been sent to the VFL to develop his hardball game. He is doing that but there is still a lot to clean up so I don't think his performances are screaming out for a promotion. Be happy with incremental improvement and give him time. He hasn’t played much footy. He was probably a 6/10. He’d need to do more with the ball for a higher rating. He learning a side of his game but he's on the list to be the inside workhorse (and he's not showing any particular aptitude) so don't let the number lie to you.

I thought Bryan was probably best of the AFL listed players with a performance that would be a 6.5-7/10. He was against former GWS listed ruckman Tom Downie who must be 30 by now, he's been around for ages, since GWS inception from memory. He’s not small either. The point is that Bryan could not be expected to have it all his own way as rucking is an old man’s game (probably more so than any other position). He did a good job with the hitouts, winning comprehensively on paper 45-25. His work at ground level wasn't as much a feature this week but he took at least 4 uncharacteristically imposing marks around the ground, 1 or 2 of which were defensive intercepts. He also stood his ground in a pack a few times as everything fell around him which I liked. I’ve seen him play better games but that was close to my favourite game. Pull that mark down I50, kick a goal, and win a few more clearances / throw around a bit more weight at stoppages and we’re talking about his arrival. That's not far away but it always seems close.

Hayes and Reid can be addressed together as they used each other to pad their numbers. They seemed to kick the ball to each other quite a bit from the kick out to into a pocket and took all of the kick outs between them. Neither was poor but neither could be said to have commanded their position as a key defender. When defenders are as big as they are compared to the competition it is not exactly an achievement to disrupt/spoil the ball in the air. I don't recall many if any classic 1v1s either was involved in. They'd need to be pulling down 3 or 4 contested marks, at least, for those performances to really rate. Having said that, Reid looked fit. He was throwing himself around which was encouraging. He does not look off the pace at all. Hayes seemed to get up the ground a lot more. I’d give both a 5.5-6/10.

I thought Caddy played his best game, I’d given him a 6-6.5/10. He presented really well on the lead and was aggressive in the air, taking 3 or 4 strong marks (I'd classify as contested). It was a pretty solid all-round game, you can let his numbers do the heavy lifting: 2 goals, 15 disposal, 6 marks (3 to 4 contested) and 3 tackles. He showed a bit of everything. I think he shanked a shot on goal (which it not entirely unreasonable given that the wind seemed to be very strong in the first half). I haven't been impressed to date but a few more games like that and he should start to enter discussions for the AFL side. The rating might seem harsh but the standard here is Laverde kicking 5 to 6 with >8 shots on goal and bullying opponents. Caddy can do that and it is what should be expected.

Jayden Davey played 4 quarters for the first time I’ve seen. 15 possessions and 3.2 is a great starting point and accurate reflection of a very dangerous attacking small forward's game. He was pretty lethal around the ball while forward, very dynamic in a way that he has not consistently been to this point. There was at least 1 really good finish and one really good score involvement / assist. I think he also hit the post. Having said that the '0' in the tackles column also properly reflects a non-existent defensive game. I suspect the pressure acts column would be as grim. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to work rate / general lack of match conditioning. It should not be forgotten that he's not really played competitive footy for the last 3 years and that he's building a game back from scratch. I give him 6-6.5/10. Add 3 to 5 tackles and some chasing and harassing to that and it’s a 7.5-8/10. That should be achievable pretty quickly.

Whereas Visentini was objectively good against Collingwood (maybe 6 out of 10), he was quieter this week probably only a 5. He should have kicked at least 1.1 but ended up with only 0.1. I lost track of what happened to the first shot (whether it was out on the full, or passed off). Having said that I am no less enthusiastic about the things I saw (bearing in mind he is a long term project I am not expecting to see play AFL until year 3 unless at the earliest and unless an injury crisis hits). The thing I really liked was his ground level follow up, be it from a marking or ruck contests. He is both aggressive and willing to put in the hard work chasing, it's not just throwing his weight around in the phone box of the post ruckwork contest. He also adapted his ruck work against Downie after Downie was jumping into him to negate his leap. He had no problem wrestling around the ground and then following up after the ruck contest. Now he's got to combine this performance with the Collingwood one.

I could really only give Tex a 4.5/10. He falls below a pass because he did not covert, he is credited with 0.2 but I am sure he had a third shot. As was the case against Collingwood, when he is involved he is good (this time it was at least 1 really strong mark, a few bits of classy ball use and a few really strong contests), but he is not involved enough. He is the type of player who would have a profound impact with 15 possession but he’s got to get to that level.

I’ve left Roberts and Lual last of the AFL listed guys because I have struggled to form clear impressions of their games. Shiel is just running around getting fitness and looks a mile off the pace.

Roberts did not have the significant influence this week that he had against Collingwood. The times I recall him running with the ball he used it well. What I didn’t notice this week, as much as against Collingwood, was the same level of intensity at the contest mainly because I am not sure the opportunity presented itself. He did not play poorly, he did his job on his wing but there was an absence of decisive movements.

I’m surprised Lual had the ball 19 times. I really only remember a few good defensive contests and a few moments of quality ball use. Interestingly his AFL fantasy rating was only 56 which supports the eye-test despite him getting a bit of the ball.

I don't have time for much more. I am getting a read of Hately, O'Neil, Hoare, Foley, Peris and Eckersley who all look really good additions to the VFL list. Nyko and Gray have their moments, too.

I’m curious to know your thoughts on Shiels game. I thought his kicking was so poor that it’s hard to imagine him ever playing at AFL level unless we have a catastrophic injury crisis.

Am I being too harsh?

 

[BrunoV]

I’m curious to know your thoughts on Shiels game. I thought his kicking was so poor that it’s hard to imagine him ever playing at AFL level unless we have a catastrophic injury crisis.

Am I being too harsh?

No, he has been putrid but it also doesn't seem to me that he has been doing more than running around for some conditioning.

I assume that once he gets to full match condition he'll need to flick the switch for a 1/4 to prove he can do it and that all will be forgiven. He is a hardened pro, after all.

 

[ant555]

I’d rather him than Alwyn.

Alwyn applies more pressure and chases. Jayden has not been doing that. Bit of a break out game this week offensively but he is worse than his brother defensively .

 

[Happyskeret]

700m, that's very high! I was like "there's no way it's higher than Oatlands in Tas".

I was wrong lol.

It’s freezing up there in the middle of winter and the ground is like clay unless they have improved it? When I was playing it was always cold showers after the game too.

 

[bombreys]

I’m curious to know your thoughts on Shiels game. I thought his kicking was so poor that it’s hard to imagine him ever playing at AFL level unless we have a catastrophic injury crisis.

Am I being too harsh?

I think he’d definitely be next one up if another wing got hurt - and probably a mid.

 

[Duckworth]

A lot of talk about the conditions at Williamstown, the breeze wasn't that strong, a factor but not extreme. Also, it was a nice sunny day.

 

[doug85]

I think he’d definitely be next one up if another wing got hurt - and probably a mid.

I’d hope it’d be Roberts

 

[fairbump_playon]

Not a bad performance, not bad at all. Williamstown away is just about the most difficult away trip in football both because the conditions are so difficult and also because they are generally premiership contenders (they do now sit on top of the ladder). I've only seen the last 3 games but I'm pretty happy with what I've seen generally, the strength of the team is back to something approaching 2019. There is nothing wrong with losing a close game to Southport which is always strong. Winning against Collingwood away, and with a few now being added to the team / hitting their straps / no longer having their minutes managed, is also a good result. The VFL Bombers may be 1 and 5, sitting 19th, but I am not be worried about the current ladder position. Each line is strong enough to maintain a proper structure in which to develop players (as well as you can in the VFL) which has not been the case post-2019. I expect the team to shoot up the ladder in the next few months.

I thought this game was pretty high quality. We seemed to have the run of play for most of the match and only really lost control and the lead with about 10 minutes to go, as Williamstown stormed home with the wind / to the scoring end. It was a pretty even performance generally, I don't think anyone played a particularly good game. I have no standout so much so that I checked the write-up on the website to make sure my impression was on point.

For example, while Tsatas again got the most ball he did not have a particularly big impact on the game. His kicking wasn't the trainwreck it was against Collingwood but it wasn't good. He had 11 clearances but most of those were pretty standard, scrappy VFL clearances and a number of handballs which were not effective. Something that was noticeable, compared with his game against Collingwood, was that he did hit the ball at speed, working through traffic, a few times, and did get away a clean handball. That looked good. What he needs to do now is be breaking forward rather than sideways and backwards, because he does have a good burst of acceleration. As I understand it, he's been sent to the VFL to develop his hardball game. He is doing that but there is still a lot to clean up so I don't think his performances are screaming out for a promotion. Be happy with incremental improvement and give him time. He hasn’t played much footy. He was probably a 6/10. He’d need to do more with the ball for a higher rating. He's learning the side of his game but he's not on the list to be the inside workhorse (and he's not showing any particular aptitude) so don't let the numbers lie to you.

I thought Bryan was probably best of the AFL listed players with a performance that would be a 6.5-7/10. He was against former GWS listed ruckman Tom Downie who must be 30 by now, he's been around for ages, since GWS inception from memory. He’s not small either. The point is that Bryan could not be expected to have it all his own way as rucking is an old man’s game (probably more so than any other position). He did a good job with the hitouts, winning comprehensively on paper 45-25. His work at ground level wasn't as much a feature this week but he took at least 4 uncharacteristically imposing marks around the ground, 1 or 2 of which were defensive intercepts. He also stood his ground in a pack a few times as everything fell around him which I liked. I’ve seen him play better games but that was close to my favourite game. Pull that mark down I50, kick a goal, and win a few more clearances / throw around a bit more weight at stoppages and we’re talking about his arrival. That's not far away but it always seems close.

Hayes and Reid can be addressed together as they used each other to pad their numbers. They seemed to kick the ball to each other quite a bit from the kick out to into a pocket and took all of the kick outs between them. Neither was poor but neither could be said to have commanded their position as a key defender. When defenders are as big as they are compared to the competition it is not exactly an achievement to disrupt/spoil the ball in the air. I don't recall many if any classic 1v1s either was involved in. They'd need to be pulling down 3 or 4 contested marks, at least, for those performances to really rate. Having said that, Reid looked fit. He was throwing himself around which was encouraging. He does not look off the pace at all. Hayes seemed to get up the ground a lot more. I’d give both a 5.5-6/10.

I thought Caddy played his best game, I’d given him a 6-6.5/10. He presented really well on the lead and was aggressive in the air, taking 3 or 4 strong marks (I'd classify as contested). It was a pretty solid all-round game, you can let his numbers do the heavy lifting: 2 goals, 15 disposal, 6 marks (3 to 4 contested) and 3 tackles. He showed a bit of everything. I think he shanked a shot on goal (which it not entirely unreasonable given that the wind seemed to be very strong in the first half). I haven't been impressed to date but a few more games like that and he should start to enter discussions for the AFL side. The rating might seem harsh but the standard here is Laverde kicking 5 to 6 with >8 shots on goal and bullying opponents. Caddy can do that and it is what should be expected.

Jayden Davey played 4 quarters for the first time I’ve seen. 15 possessions and 3.2 is a great starting point and accurate reflection of a very dangerous attacking small forward's game. He was pretty lethal around the ball while forward, very dynamic in a way that he has not consistently been to this point. There was at least 1 really good finish and one really good score involvement / assist. I think he also hit the post. Having said that the '0' in the tackles column also properly reflects a non-existent defensive game. I suspect the pressure acts column would be as grim. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to work rate / general lack of match conditioning. It should not be forgotten that he's not really played competitive footy for the last 3 years and that he's building a game back from scratch. I give him 6-6.5/10. Add 3 to 5 tackles and some chasing and harassing to that and it’s a 7.5-8/10. That should be achievable pretty quickly.

Whereas Visentini was objectively good against Collingwood (maybe 6 out of 10), he was quieter this week probably only a 5. He should have kicked at least 1.1 but ended up with only 0.1. I lost track of what happened to the first shot (whether it was out on the full, or passed off). Having said that I am no less enthusiastic about the things I saw (bearing in mind he is a long term project I am not expecting to see play AFL until year 3 at the earliest and unless an injury crisis hits). The thing I really liked was his ground level follow up, be it from a marking or ruck contests. He is both aggressive and willing to put in the hard work chasing, it's not just throwing his weight around in the phone box of the post ruckwork contest. He also adapted his ruck work against Downie after Downie was jumping into him to negate his leap. He had no problem wrestling around the ground and then following up after the ruck contest. Now he's got to combine this performance with the Collingwood one.

I could really only give Tex a 4.5/10. He falls below a pass because he did not covert, he is credited with 0.2 but I am sure he had a third shot. As was the case against Collingwood, when he is involved he is good (this time it was at least 1 really strong mark, a few bits of classy ball use and a few really strong contests), but he is not involved enough. He is the type of player who would have a profound impact with 15 possession but he’s got to get to that level.

I’ve left Roberts and Lual last of the AFL listed guys because I have struggled to form clear impressions of their games. Shiel is just running around getting fitness and looks a mile off the pace.

Roberts did not have the significant influence this week that he had against Collingwood. The times I recall him running with the ball he used it well. What I didn’t notice this week, as much as against Collingwood, was the same level of intensity at the contest mainly because I am not sure the opportunity presented itself. He did not play poorly, he did his job on his wing but there was an absence of decisive movements.

I’m surprised Lual had the ball 19 times. I really only remember a few good defensive contests and a few moments of quality ball use. Interestingly his AFL fantasy rating was only 56 which supports the eye-test despite him getting a bit of the ball.

I don't have time for much more. I am getting a read of Hately, O'Neil, Hoare, Foley, Peris and Eckersley who all look really good additions to the VFL list. Nyko and Gray have their moments, too.

Thanks for a very thorough and useful analysis Bruno.

 

[Blind Turn]

Not a bad performance, not bad at all. Williamstown away is just about the most difficult away trip in football both because the conditions are so difficult and also because they are generally premiership contenders (they do now sit on top of the ladder). I've only seen the last 3 games but I'm pretty happy with what I've seen generally, the strength of the team is back to something approaching 2019. There is nothing wrong with losing a close game to Southport which is always strong. Winning against Collingwood away, and with a few now being added to the team / hitting their straps / no longer having their minutes managed, is also a good result. The VFL Bombers may be 1 and 5, sitting 19th, but I am not be worried about the current ladder position. Each line is strong enough to maintain a proper structure in which to develop players (as well as you can in the VFL) which has not been the case post-2019. I expect the team to shoot up the ladder in the next few months.

I thought this game was pretty high quality. We seemed to have the run of play for most of the match and only really lost control and the lead with about 10 minutes to go, as Williamstown stormed home with the wind / to the scoring end. It was a pretty even performance generally, I don't think anyone played a particularly good game. I have no standout so much so that I checked the write-up on the website to make sure my impression was on point.

For example, while Tsatas again got the most ball he did not have a particularly big impact on the game. His kicking wasn't the trainwreck it was against Collingwood but it wasn't good. He had 11 clearances but most of those were pretty standard, scrappy VFL clearances and a number of handballs which were not effective. Something that was noticeable, compared with his game against Collingwood, was that he did hit the ball at speed, working through traffic, a few times, and did get away a clean handball. That looked good. What he needs to do now is be breaking forward rather than sideways and backwards, because he does have a good burst of acceleration. As I understand it, he's been sent to the VFL to develop his hardball game. He is doing that but there is still a lot to clean up so I don't think his performances are screaming out for a promotion. Be happy with incremental improvement and give him time. He hasn’t played much footy. He was probably a 6/10. He’d need to do more with the ball for a higher rating. He's learning the side of his game but he's not on the list to be the inside workhorse (and he's not showing any particular aptitude) so don't let the numbers lie to you.

I thought Bryan was probably best of the AFL listed players with a performance that would be a 6.5-7/10. He was against former GWS listed ruckman Tom Downie who must be 30 by now, he's been around for ages, since GWS inception from memory. He’s not small either. The point is that Bryan could not be expected to have it all his own way as rucking is an old man’s game (probably more so than any other position). He did a good job with the hitouts, winning comprehensively on paper 45-25. His work at ground level wasn't as much a feature this week but he took at least 4 uncharacteristically imposing marks around the ground, 1 or 2 of which were defensive intercepts. He also stood his ground in a pack a few times as everything fell around him which I liked. I’ve seen him play better games but that was close to my favourite game. Pull that mark down I50, kick a goal, and win a few more clearances / throw around a bit more weight at stoppages and we’re talking about his arrival. That's not far away but it always seems close.

Hayes and Reid can be addressed together as they used each other to pad their numbers. They seemed to kick the ball to each other quite a bit from the kick out to into a pocket and took all of the kick outs between them. Neither was poor but neither could be said to have commanded their position as a key defender. When defenders are as big as they are compared to the competition it is not exactly an achievement to disrupt/spoil the ball in the air. I don't recall many if any classic 1v1s either was involved in. They'd need to be pulling down 3 or 4 contested marks, at least, for those performances to really rate. Having said that, Reid looked fit. He was throwing himself around which was encouraging. He does not look off the pace at all. Hayes seemed to get up the ground a lot more. I’d give both a 5.5-6/10.

I thought Caddy played his best game, I’d given him a 6-6.5/10. He presented really well on the lead and was aggressive in the air, taking 3 or 4 strong marks (I'd classify as contested). It was a pretty solid all-round game, you can let his numbers do the heavy lifting: 2 goals, 15 disposal, 6 marks (3 to 4 contested) and 3 tackles. He showed a bit of everything. I think he shanked a shot on goal (which it not entirely unreasonable given that the wind seemed to be very strong in the first half). I haven't been impressed to date but a few more games like that and he should start to enter discussions for the AFL side. The rating might seem harsh but the standard here is Laverde kicking 5 to 6 with >8 shots on goal and bullying opponents. Caddy can do that and it is what should be expected.

Jayden Davey played 4 quarters for the first time I’ve seen. 15 possessions and 3.2 is a great starting point and accurate reflection of a very dangerous attacking small forward's game. He was pretty lethal around the ball while forward, very dynamic in a way that he has not consistently been to this point. There was at least 1 really good finish and one really good score involvement / assist. I think he also hit the post. Having said that the '0' in the tackles column also properly reflects a non-existent defensive game. I suspect the pressure acts column would be as grim. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to work rate / general lack of match conditioning. It should not be forgotten that he's not really played competitive footy for the last 3 years and that he's building a game back from scratch. I give him 6-6.5/10. Add 3 to 5 tackles and some chasing and harassing to that and it’s a 7.5-8/10. That should be achievable pretty quickly.

Whereas Visentini was objectively good against Collingwood (maybe 6 out of 10), he was quieter this week probably only a 5. He should have kicked at least 1.1 but ended up with only 0.1. I lost track of what happened to the first shot (whether it was out on the full, or passed off). Having said that I am no less enthusiastic about the things I saw (bearing in mind he is a long term project I am not expecting to see play AFL until year 3 at the earliest and unless an injury crisis hits). The thing I really liked was his ground level follow up, be it from a marking or ruck contests. He is both aggressive and willing to put in the hard work chasing, it's not just throwing his weight around in the phone box of the post ruckwork contest. He also adapted his ruck work against Downie after Downie was jumping into him to negate his leap. He had no problem wrestling around the ground and then following up after the ruck contest. Now he's got to combine this performance with the Collingwood one.

I could really only give Tex a 4.5/10. He falls below a pass because he did not covert, he is credited with 0.2 but I am sure he had a third shot. As was the case against Collingwood, when he is involved he is good (this time it was at least 1 really strong mark, a few bits of classy ball use and a few really strong contests), but he is not involved enough. He is the type of player who would have a profound impact with 15 possession but he’s got to get to that level.

I’ve left Roberts and Lual last of the AFL listed guys because I have struggled to form clear impressions of their games. Shiel is just running around getting fitness and looks a mile off the pace.

Roberts did not have the significant influence this week that he had against Collingwood. The times I recall him running with the ball he used it well. What I didn’t notice this week, as much as against Collingwood, was the same level of intensity at the contest mainly because I am not sure the opportunity presented itself. He did not play poorly, he did his job on his wing but there was an absence of decisive movements.

I’m surprised Lual had the ball 19 times. I really only remember a few good defensive contests and a few moments of quality ball use. Interestingly his AFL fantasy rating was only 56 which supports the eye-test despite him getting a bit of the ball.

I don't have time for much more. I am getting a read of Hately, O'Neil, Hoare, Foley, Peris and Eckersley who all look really good additions to the VFL list. Nyko and Gray have their moments, too.

Good stuff bruno

 

[Yoda_]

Not a bad performance, not bad at all. Williamstown away is just about the most difficult away trip in football both because the conditions are so difficult and also because they are generally premiership contenders (they do now sit on top of the ladder). I've only seen the last 3 games but I'm pretty happy with what I've seen generally, the strength of the team is back to something approaching 2019. There is nothing wrong with losing a close game to Southport which is always strong. Winning against Collingwood away, and with a few now being added to the team / hitting their straps / no longer having their minutes managed, is also a good result. The VFL Bombers may be 1 and 5, sitting 19th, but I am not be worried about the current ladder position. Each line is strong enough to maintain a proper structure in which to develop players (as well as you can in the VFL) which has not been the case post-2019. I expect the team to shoot up the ladder in the next few months.

I don't have time for much more. I am getting a read of Hately, O'Neil, Hoare, Foley, Peris and Eckersley who all look really good additions to the VFL list. Nyko and Gray have their moments, too.

I think the VFL list, as bare boned as it looked grim prior to round 1, is showing that the no-name VFL players are quickly adapting to the roles asked of them. From the kids required to slot in to key spots (Nyko, Smartt when available, Eckersley etc), to the more mature guys holding down the number 1 spot (see Grey, Hoare, Toma) so the (AFL) kids don’t need to be the numero uno shows that maybe, just maybe this VFL cohort has something about them.

Realising we had 5 unavailable (from AFL pushing down depth) shows that maybe we have depth. That is blind faith but the VFL kids are impressing me as each week goes by

 

[Old Campaigner]

I think the VFL list, as bare boned as it looked grim prior to round 1, is showing that the no-name VFL players are quickly adapting to the roles asked of them. From the kids required to slot in to key spots (Nyko, Smartt when available, Eckersley etc), to the more mature guys holding down the number 1 spot (see Grey, Hoare, Toma) so the (AFL) kids don’t need to be the numero uno shows that maybe, just maybe this VFL cohort has something about them.

Realising we had 5 unavailable (from AFL pushing down depth) shows that maybe we are Belinda depth. That is blind faith but the VFL kids are impressing me as each week goes by

We also have some decent AFL listed players who don't need protection in there. Hayes, Tsatas, Menzie, Reid, Shiel, Weid, Wanganeen, and Bryan are all capable of holding their own. Caddy is still light but doesn't seem to care too much, Visentini is a lump of a lad who doesn't strike me as needing protection either. There's a decent amount of leadership and experience in that lot too.

That leaves 'the kids' J Davey, Lual and Roberts (I don't think I've forgotten anyone). They can take the least damaging opponents and work away at their game without needing to worry about getting towelled up each week.

 

[Yoda_]

We also have some decent AFL listed players who don't need protection in there. Hayes, Tsatas, Menzie, Reid, Shiel, Weid, Wanganeen, and Bryan are all capable of holding their own. Caddy is still light but doesn't seem to care too much, Visentini is a lump of a lad who doesn't strike me as needing protection either. There's a decent amount of leadership and experience in that lot too.

That leaves 'the kids' J Davey, Lual and Roberts (I don't think I've forgotten anyone). They can take the least damaging opponents and work away at their game without needing to worry about getting towelled up each week.

Agreed !

With depth in numbers, we could come home with a strong run providing we continue to stay healthy. Remember we could have Hunter (FF), Baldwin (CHB) as linchpins. That frees up Reid, Hayes and Caddy could get off the noose more

 

[Old Campaigner]

Agreed !

With depth in numbers, we could come home with a strong run providing we continue to stay healthy. Remember we could have Hunter (FF), Baldwin (CHB) as linchpins. That frees up Reid, Hayes and Caddy could get off the noose more

Baldwin could well play this season although we're nearly halfway through already so the 6 week timeframe for his return means he won't get many games.

It wouldn't surprise me if Hunter ends up delisted at the end of the year, which is a real shame because he has a stack of potential. The ACL injury means we won't see him at all this year.

 

[Nicholas61]

Not a bad performance, not bad at all. Williamstown away is just about the most difficult away trip in football both because the conditions are so difficult and also because they are generally premiership contenders (they do now sit on top of the ladder). I've only seen the last 3 games but I'm pretty happy with what I've seen generally, the strength of the team is back to something approaching 2019. There is nothing wrong with losing a close game to Southport which is always strong. Winning against Collingwood away, and with a few now being added to the team / hitting their straps / no longer having their minutes managed, is also a good result. The VFL Bombers may be 1 and 5, sitting 19th, but I am not be worried about the current ladder position. Each line is strong enough to maintain a proper structure in which to develop players (as well as you can in the VFL) which has not been the case post-2019. I expect the team to shoot up the ladder in the next few months.

I thought this game was pretty high quality. We seemed to have the run of play for most of the match and only really lost control and the lead with about 10 minutes to go, as Williamstown stormed home with the wind / to the scoring end. It was a pretty even performance generally, I don't think anyone played a particularly good game. I have no standout so much so that I checked the write-up on the website to make sure my impression was on point.

For example, while Tsatas again got the most ball he did not have a particularly big impact on the game. His kicking wasn't the trainwreck it was against Collingwood but it wasn't good. He had 11 clearances but most of those were pretty standard, scrappy VFL clearances and a number of handballs which were not effective. Something that was noticeable, compared with his game against Collingwood, was that he did hit the ball at speed, working through traffic, a few times, and did get away a clean handball. That looked good. What he needs to do now is be breaking forward rather than sideways and backwards, because he does have a good burst of acceleration. As I understand it, he's been sent to the VFL to develop his hardball game. He is doing that but there is still a lot to clean up so I don't think his performances are screaming out for a promotion. Be happy with incremental improvement and give him time. He hasn’t played much footy. He was probably a 6/10. He’d need to do more with the ball for a higher rating. He's learning the side of his game but he's not on the list to be the inside workhorse (and he's not showing any particular aptitude) so don't let the numbers lie to you.

I thought Bryan was probably best of the AFL listed players with a performance that would be a 6.5-7/10. He was against former GWS listed ruckman Tom Downie who must be 30 by now, he's been around for ages, since GWS inception from memory. He’s not small either. The point is that Bryan could not be expected to have it all his own way as rucking is an old man’s game (probably more so than any other position). He did a good job with the hitouts, winning comprehensively on paper 45-25. His work at ground level wasn't as much a feature this week but he took at least 4 uncharacteristically imposing marks around the ground, 1 or 2 of which were defensive intercepts. He also stood his ground in a pack a few times as everything fell around him which I liked. I’ve seen him play better games but that was close to my favourite game. Pull that mark down I50, kick a goal, and win a few more clearances / throw around a bit more weight at stoppages and we’re talking about his arrival. That's not far away but it always seems close.

Hayes and Reid can be addressed together as they used each other to pad their numbers. They seemed to kick the ball to each other quite a bit from the kick out to into a pocket and took all of the kick outs between them. Neither was poor but neither could be said to have commanded their position as a key defender. When defenders are as big as they are compared to the competition it is not exactly an achievement to disrupt/spoil the ball in the air. I don't recall many if any classic 1v1s either was involved in. They'd need to be pulling down 3 or 4 contested marks, at least, for those performances to really rate. Having said that, Reid looked fit. He was throwing himself around which was encouraging. He does not look off the pace at all. Hayes seemed to get up the ground a lot more. I’d give both a 5.5-6/10.

I thought Caddy played his best game, I’d given him a 6-6.5/10. He presented really well on the lead and was aggressive in the air, taking 3 or 4 strong marks (I'd classify as contested). It was a pretty solid all-round game, you can let his numbers do the heavy lifting: 2 goals, 15 disposal, 6 marks (3 to 4 contested) and 3 tackles. He showed a bit of everything. I think he shanked a shot on goal (which it not entirely unreasonable given that the wind seemed to be very strong in the first half). I haven't been impressed to date but a few more games like that and he should start to enter discussions for the AFL side. The rating might seem harsh but the standard here is Laverde kicking 5 to 6 with >8 shots on goal and bullying opponents. Caddy can do that and it is what should be expected.

Jayden Davey played 4 quarters for the first time I’ve seen. 15 possessions and 3.2 is a great starting point and accurate reflection of a very dangerous attacking small forward's game. He was pretty lethal around the ball while forward, very dynamic in a way that he has not consistently been to this point. There was at least 1 really good finish and one really good score involvement / assist. I think he also hit the post. Having said that the '0' in the tackles column also properly reflects a non-existent defensive game. I suspect the pressure acts column would be as grim. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to work rate / general lack of match conditioning. It should not be forgotten that he's not really played competitive footy for the last 3 years and that he's building a game back from scratch. I give him 6-6.5/10. Add 3 to 5 tackles and some chasing and harassing to that and it’s a 7.5-8/10. That should be achievable pretty quickly.

Whereas Visentini was objectively good against Collingwood (maybe 6 out of 10), he was quieter this week probably only a 5. He should have kicked at least 1.1 but ended up with only 0.1. I lost track of what happened to the first shot (whether it was out on the full, or passed off). Having said that I am no less enthusiastic about the things I saw (bearing in mind he is a long term project I am not expecting to see play AFL until year 3 at the earliest and unless an injury crisis hits). The thing I really liked was his ground level follow up, be it from a marking or ruck contests. He is both aggressive and willing to put in the hard work chasing, it's not just throwing his weight around in the phone box of the post ruckwork contest. He also adapted his ruck work against Downie after Downie was jumping into him to negate his leap. He had no problem wrestling around the ground and then following up after the ruck contest. Now he's got to combine this performance with the Collingwood one.

I could really only give Tex a 4.5/10. He falls below a pass because he did not covert, he is credited with 0.2 but I am sure he had a third shot. As was the case against Collingwood, when he is involved he is good (this time it was at least 1 really strong mark, a few bits of classy ball use and a few really strong contests), but he is not involved enough. He is the type of player who would have a profound impact with 15 possession but he’s got to get to that level.

I’ve left Roberts and Lual last of the AFL listed guys because I have struggled to form clear impressions of their games. Shiel is just running around getting fitness and looks a mile off the pace.

Roberts did not have the significant influence this week that he had against Collingwood. The times I recall him running with the ball he used it well. What I didn’t notice this week, as much as against Collingwood, was the same level of intensity at the contest mainly because I am not sure the opportunity presented itself. He did not play poorly, he did his job on his wing but there was an absence of decisive movements.

I’m surprised Lual had the ball 19 times. I really only remember a few good defensive contests and a few moments of quality ball use. Interestingly his AFL fantasy rating was only 56 which supports the eye-test despite him getting a bit of the ball.

I don't have time for much more. I am getting a read of Hately, O'Neil, Hoare, Foley, Peris and Eckersley who all look really good additions to the VFL list. Nyko and Gray have their moments, too.

Expecting these on a weekly basis mate

 

[bombreys]

I’d hope it’d be Roberts

Same, but I still think it’d be Dyl. Maybe Tsatas if it were a Parish going out, but I think Roberts is still a while away

 

[Snake Charmer]

Alwyn applies more pressure and chases. Jayden has not been doing that. Bit of a break out game this week offensively but he is worse than his brother defensively .

Tbf this was your exact knock on ADJ the week before he was picked and once given the role in the 1s his game changed

 

[Old Campaigner]

Tbf this was your exact knock on ADJ the week before he was picked and once given the role in the 1s his game changed

From what I’ve observed it’s something ADJ has improved on over the past few weeks, but it’s also something that needs further work.

You could single it out as an example of good coaching really, he’s clearly been shown an aspect of his game he needs to work on to keep his position in the team and seems to have gone about it reasonably well.

 

[ant555]

Tbf this was your exact knock on ADJ the week before he was picked and once given the role in the 1s his game changed

It is still my knock on Alwyn but he was still better than what Jayden has been. I would have given Alwyn 4/10 and Jayden 1/10 .

 

[Nicholas61]

BrunoV who did you like from the VFL listed players as possibilities for the MSD. Foley's kicking looks very good - seems to find teammates when under pressure and pinpoints our players in heavy traffic. Gray takes good marks and looks an awkward matchup.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

BrunoV who did you like from the VFL listed players as possibilities for the MSD. Foley's kicking looks very good - seems to find teammates when under pressure and pinpoints our players in heavy traffic. Gray takes good marks and looks an awkward matchup.

Fox Sports listed Oskar Smartt in a list of potential MSD picks last week, I havent watched any of our VFL team but his stats sheet doesnt really scream "pick me"

 

[Nicholas61]

Fox Sports listed Oskar Smartt in a list of potential MSD picks last week, I havent watched any of our VFL team but his stats sheet doesnt really scream "pick me"

His performance against the Bulldogs reserves a few weeks ago stood out - kicked goals of both wings and just looked dangerous.