Opinion The I Was Wrong thread- Where Tom Atkins posts go to die

[Seeds]

Let's face it. We've got a little bit lucky here.
If vardy was fully fit, or Clark was 90% fit, Kersten would be in the VFL. Unless he smashed the wall down.

The best thing is he's contributing. And holding his own.
And who knows, maybe he'll start to believe and become the 80 goals a year player I thought he could be.
Long road to travel yet.

I would still take a 90 percent fit Clark over most forwards in the comp. so we are not lucky on that front.

 

[Cezz The Catter]

He came back unfit and out of shape. This wasn't a conspiracy theory based on an under-clothing vest misidentified as fat that some posters suggested - people around the club confirmed he came back out of shape. In his first few games, he looked slow and unfit.

So while he's predictably gotten better as the season has progressed and he's gained fitness, I don't think the knocks against his professional attitude are wrong or unfounded at all.

But once again I haven't disagreed that he was out of shape during the pre preseason... yet everyone reals off the same argument. I think its mistaken to collectively group his preseason and season fitness under the same microscope, it was always going to backfire, look at him now.

My argument is the preseason would have left him as fit as any other preseason before it. He just played some bad inital rounds. Every player gains match fitness throughout the season that was inevitable and even natural for a slow start.

 

[Partridge]

Let's face it. We've got a little bit lucky here.
If vardy was fully fit, or Clark was 90% fit, Kersten would be in the VFL. Unless he smashed the wall down.

I don't think so. Kersten has kicked 12 goals in his last 4 games, while averaging 14 touches a game. That's way more than Vardy has ever done and we're pretty unlikely to get it from Clark. Kersten's also shown better VFL form than Vardy has as well.

He certainly enjoyed a lot of patience being shown, but it's bearing fruit now.

 

[vinum coupe]

I don't think so. Kersten has kicked 12 goals in his last 4 games, while averaging 14 touches a game. That's way more than Vardy has ever done and we're pretty unlikely to get it from Clark. Kersten's also shown better VFL form than Vardy has as well.

He certainly enjoyed a lot of patience being shown, but it's bearing fruit now.

I completely agree. But Kersten seems to be viewed as the red headed step child.
So he was coming from behind.

Note. I can say this as I still have red pubes, not hair.
Nice visual huh?

 

[you pick one]

Up until today I had Kersten down as just keeping a spot warm for some one else,this evening I think he's the incumbent and will need to be unseated.

 

[Gavin Excell]

2 years ago I gagged on my coffee when read the club had traded a 2nd round pick for Stanley. Id now say he is one of the most important players for the team

 

[Willo_]

I was adamant a month ago Kersten should be dropped.

I had friends though.

*Puts hand up*

 

[BotsMaster]

I was adamant a month ago Kersten should be dropped.

I had friends though.

Was quite funny seeing the meltdowns early in the season when Menzel was being kept out of the team but Kersten was getting a game

 

[jaydee2323]

I predicted Ray Sterrett to win a brownlow... ok I'll admit I was slightly wrong...

 

[David the Cat]

Was quite funny seeing the meltdowns early in the season when Menzel was being kept out of the team but Kersten was getting a game

I admit I was dirty when Kersten was kept in while Menzel was overlooked.

The coaching staff knew better than me of course and gave Menz an extra week to get match fit.

I don't really resile from that wanting Menz before Kersten......Menzel is an out and out star!

 

[Scottland2007]

*Puts hand up*

12 touches in first two games, definately reason to question why he was there. ( I think game three was seven touches). I'm glad he's come good, but there where reasons people where a bit wtf is he in the team.

 

[Willo_]

12 touches in first two games, definately reason to question why he was there. ( I think game three was seven touches). I'm glad he's come good, but there where reasons people where a bit wtf is he in the team.

Yeah I don't have a problem with my questions at the time to be fair.

But I was really starting to question if he was even good enough, and he still may not be for all we know.. he's played 2 good games so far.. but at least he is now tracking in the right direction and showing what we all wanted to see.

 

[Pivo]

Yeah I don't have a problem with my questions at the time to be fair.

But I was really starting to question if he was even good enough, and he still may not be for all we know.. he's played 2 good games so far.. but at least he is now tracking in the right direction and showing what we all wanted to see.

I'm in the same camp.

And it wasn't just his early season form. Previous games in previous seasons he was also found wanting.

Noone is disappointed that he appears to be finding his feet.

 

[vinum coupe]

I wasn't so concerned with him not getting enough of it.
I was more concerned he wasnt slotting goals I knew he was more than capable of kicking.

If you don't kick goals your team mates will start looking for other options. It's chicken and the egg stuff.

I must say I've enjoyed seeing the players tell him to stop looking to give it off and just go back and kick it.
Surely that has to have been a directive from the coaching staff.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Not I but....

Played a round of golf with a superstar cat 11 or 12 years back, asked what the new recruits they picked up looked like and was told they picked up 2 indigenous boys, one is supposed to be a star (Varcoe) and the other is a little older and not much chop to keep Varcoe company. The other player being Mathew Stokes . Not a bad snag at all down low in the draft.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Thought that Scarlett was rubbish when he started and that Ablett Jnr would end up being a good average forward flank.

Then there's my username...

We have a winner!

 

[Smedts_2]

We have a winner!

Lol. In the spirit of honesty...

I have got a few things right, too (thank god).

 

[Partridge]

Yeah I don't have a problem with my questions at the time to be fair.

But I was really starting to question if he was even good enough, and he still may not be for all we know.. he's played 2 good games so far.. but at least he is now tracking in the right direction and showing what we all wanted to see.

Self-belief and confidence seem to be the key words for me. He looks like he's starting to believe he belongs at this level. His play in the last fortnight alone is vastly different to what he was showing last year, or even in this year's pre-season.

 

[catempire]

On Kersten, I don't think the long term "will he make it?" type question can be answered yet. There is a long way to go and nobody is wrong (or right) on that yet.

The thing that many of us were wrong on (decisively so, IMO) is that he should have been dropped around Round 2-4. The reason for that is it is hard to see how we could possibly be in a better position now for having done so. Kersten would almost certainly not be playing as good AFL standard footy as he is now had he been dropped. Vardy - his logical replacement - was unavailable for the entire period (IIRC). We lost to GWS but that was because we got caned in the midfield and a different selection to Kersten would have made no difference to that end.

Kudos to the match committee for sticking with him.

 

[Bobby_]

On Kersten, I don't think the long term "will he make it?" type question can be answered yet. There is a long way to go and nobody is wrong (or right) on that yet.

Sure they are. Just accept you were wrong (for once) and move along.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

On Kersten, I don't think the long term "will he make it?" type question can be answered yet. There is a long way to go and nobody is wrong (or right) on that yet.

Agree.

Happy he's playing well and will admit we are playing better with this smaller more mobile forward line than I thought we would, Stanley drifting forward is a crucial role at times too.

That said one swallow does not make a summer and SK needs to keep doing what is doing.

 

[Bobby_]

That said one swallow does not make a summer and SK needs to keep doing what is doing.

Of course' different rules apply to blokes at other clubs.
I want all the Jansen bagging to cease immediately if we are going to say Kersten has not yet made it

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Of course' different rules apply to blokes at other clubs.
I want all the Jansen bagging to cease immediately if we are going to say Kersten has not yet made it

Slightly different wouldn't you agree.

Making it v playing 200 games.

Petracca was player 12,429 in the VFL/AFL.

To date 531 have played 200+ games which is 4.27%

Let that sink in.

 

[catempire]

Sure they are. Just accept you were wrong (for once) and move along.

Gibberish.

 

[Bobby_]

Slightly different wouldn't you agree.

Making it v playing 200 games.

Petracca was player 12,429 in the VFL/AFL.

To date 531 have played 200+ games which is 4.27%

Let that sink in.

No different as Kersten is 23 and already done more in the AFL than what Walker or Vardy have, but Jansen, who is a couple years younger, and started off his career at Brisbane with a back injury is effectively all but finished and those who said he would become a player in time are wrong, wrong, wrong.