my partner is a primary school teacher and I get one every fukting week. Primary school teachers are cute, I must say. that is why I still live with her after 40 years.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Autopsy "The Flu Game" - Bulldogs dismantle Freo
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Buku's positioning as a defender is awful. Not sure he knows how to read the play up the field. You see him out of position so often and unable to impact at all.
Has great athleticism but that alone won't be enough to make it.
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
Vandermeer was good, but let himself down again with poor goalkicking - he plays a role, but I feel like people would be more forgiving if he just nailed a shots. Goalkicking accuracy is one of the more replacable elements of being a sub-six foot tall footballer.
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
Except he played all his junior footy, was a Vic Metro U18 representative and spent three years on our list in 19-20-21 as a third tall/key defender. A couple of years in the middle of all that to try and make him more a utility player didn't suddenly undo the years that he's been mainly a defender. The idea that he somehow didn't have development as a defender despite spending three literal years to start his career at that position is a bit silly. This idea that players are entitled to four, five years to "develop" to become an AFL standard player when you could have a swing at a mature-ager or a player who has already performed at AFL level, or just turn over the unknown of another teenager, is also a bit silly. Sometimes the development has to manifest itself to on-field performances.
If anything I would say his move forward was much the opposite - the move forward saved his career. It gave him confidence, helped him develop in different ways, gave him utility value on the field, and the move was made in the first place when it was clear that he was barely hanging on after eventually getting a game after three years developing on the list.
He's not old, but he's not exactly young anymore, and still probably worthwhile being on an AFL list, without being a best 22 player. I don't think he played particuarly well in this game, but can cop the fact that he was selected due to injuries to others and was depth (Keath, Gardner, Coffield and Cleary all being injured).
OK after a few celebratory drinks I am going on a limb here. But I have to say the following. Nobody has mentioned Freijah on this thread to date. But at 18 years of age, the way he plays in defence, he looks great. So I am going to say that he will be the next Dale Morris. He was great today. I hope I am right!!!
The kid is impressive for an 18 year old so composed for a young guy. And a great user of the ball such a penetrating kick can break the game open with it and isn't afraid to have a crack. Doesn't let it fluster him if he fluffs one either. Absolute steal at pick 45 reckon he will be a 200+ game player for us.
So composed for his age. Only real weakness is his body work in one-on-one contests but that will come as he puts on weight and gains more experience. Not a fancy player but just does all the basics right and seems to be very mentally strong
Totallh agree. the kid is brilliant and I hope he becomes the next Morris and he wins many flags for us with the bont!!!
No need to be a smart arse
...You make some good points. I've made similar comments on buku that I might need to reconsider as a result.I'll assume you thought giving English 6 years to develop was 'silly' too...
ossie_21
Premium Platinum
As an 18yo first team player, I thought he’d maybe get a few games and possibly be in & out of the team a few times across the season, at best. But he just looks like he belongs at the level and is not overawed like people have pointed out. Not a big number getter or anything like that, but he seriously looks like a steal for a pick in the 40’s. One of the least of our worries for where we could look to improve via selection
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We now have 6 players in the top 40 on the Coleman in JUH, Darcy, Naughton, Bont, West & Weightman. This is with 4 of those guys missing multiple games.
It definitely seems we’re starting to click ahead of the ball despite some room for improvement still possible.
It definitely seems we’re starting to click ahead of the ball despite some room for improvement still possible.
dogwatch
Premium Platinum
As I pointed out in the Pieman thread its harder to defend against a side that has six serious goalscoring candidates. It's like whack-a-mole. Keep one quiet and somebody else has a productive day.
Those six average from 1.3 goals a game (West) up to over 2 goals a game. We are the second highest scoring side in the league. Swans average 104. Us 95.
Over the years the biggest (perhaps the only) knock on Bont's game has been his inability to hurt the opposition on the scoreboard. That has changed this year. He has averaged over 1.5 goals a game so far. In fact he's pushing up to almost a goal a game over his career now with 222 goals from 230 games. He is 18th on the Footscray/WB all time list.
Here's the list of players who have kicked 200 goals or more, sorted by average goals per game.
Naughton's going OK for a KPD. Take out his first season (when he did in fact play in defence) and he's averaging 1.82 goals a game.
Great game, lots to like. Love JOD, West, Bramble in particular.
One request please ... Bailey Dale to only kick, not handball ever again. When he does handball it often costs us a goal.
One request please ... Bailey Dale to only kick, not handball ever again. When he does handball it often costs us a goal.
grassman75
Norm Smith Medallist
Reckon we will see a refreshed English after the bye - he’s been limping to the line
grassman75
Norm Smith Medallist
Because we are a team in transition with lots of inexperienced players. Sometimes they’ll all click, others they wont.
Every loss this year has either been fatigue or injuries (LIONS, SYD), Shit fixture (LIONS & DEES), Poor Conversion (HAW, GEEL, SYD, ESS) - i could go on. It’s easy to blame the coaches. I just wish we had won those games decided by under 7pts - we’d be in the top 4
grassman75
Norm Smith Medallist
grassman75
Norm Smith Medallist
How about Marcia?
grassman75
Norm Smith Medallist
He wont be the next Dale Morris….no one can be that….he is the first Smokin Joel Freijah
Bontella?
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Is your wife up for changing her own name then?
We recently had our 3rd and I thought I was so clever suggesting Marcus, my wife’s brother is a Marcus so I said we can name the baby after him. My wife saw straight through why I was suggesting the name!
MrChristo
Premiership Player
This. It was evident early just how many times he went to others (or vice versa) for encouragement.
It may have been a pre-game focus, but I believe it's almost impossible to manufacture or force that kind of spirit/unity.
The one that stood out above all the rest was when English took the mark near the goal square in the 3rd from the high ball (from, Bont I assume!
).Lobb and Gallagher were jostling before English came over the top.
Gags kinda stood there a bit bewildered and Lobb went straight to him, big smile on his face.
No idea what was said of course, but it was definitely positive.
There's no doubt in my mind that all the players are absolutely on the same page.
Contract and trade talks are well and truly to the side.
Dogs_R_Us
Space Traveller
A low-key, no-frills player, he is quietly effective. He’ll get better and better.
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