Review Vent/Autopsy thread vs Adelaide

[House_of_Dahl]

It was always going to be a long season for the dogs and headache riddled!
I do believe at seasons end we need to look at dumping a few of the 'almost, high potentials' that do nothing but keep getting injured. These guys being:
1. T Williams
2. S Higgins
3. E Wood

None of which can string 3 or 4 games together without needing time off. The likes of Geelong/Collingwood have had super runs with injuries, hence their recruiting is obviously targeting resilient players or just blind luck! The above 3 hold a place due to their potential, which they have, but have never lived up to it. Their injuries upset team balance (in and out all the time), and take up valuable salary space.

Move them on, maybe get something for 2 & 3.

Do not agree with this post on many levels...

- we don't exactly have players banging down the door being kept out by these blokes - so it all it would achieve is we lose 3 good and experienced players. The last thing we need atm.
- bad culture approach. I hope you don't ever have a string of bad luck set-backs in your life (that are out of your control) - cause under this policy see you later. These players devote themselves to the club they deserve better than being dumped when they have treatable injuries.
- Cooney would be long gone under your policy...

 

[TedDougChris]

Yes - people seem to come down hard on the forwards [and fair enough at times] but what hope have they got when [and it's most games] the ball is scrambled forward by the midfield.

I'm actually wondering if we need to slightly restructure the midfield, to have Boyd play solely as a winger and instructing him to stay out of the contest. While he's not super quick, he's experienced enough to follow instructions and also read where the ball is likely to come, meet it at pace and then deliver quickly into the F50...

I accept that this delivery will be erratic at times, but I'm struggling to think of options that are long kicks, strong enough to break a tackle if needed and experienced enough to know where the ball is likely to go.... Normally we'd hope for Griff, Cooney, Higgins or Murphy on the outside (maybe add in Macrae) but we are running out of options..

I'm also hoping that being on the outside may also give Boyd a little more time and hoping his DE will improve...

Completely unrealistic or insanely unrealistic... ??

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I'm actually wondering if we need to slightly restructure the midfield, to have Boyd play solely as a winger and instructing him to stay out of the contest. While he's not super quick, he's experienced enough to follow instructions and also read where the ball is likely to come, meet it at pace and then deliver quickly into the F50...

I accept that this delivery will be erratic at times, but I'm struggling to think of options that are long kicks, strong enough to break a tackle if needed and experienced enough to know where the ball is likely to go.... Normally we'd hope for Griff, Cooney, Higgins or Murphy on the outside (maybe add in Macrae) but we are running out of options..

I'm also hoping that being on the outside may also give Boyd a little more time and hoping his DE will improve...

Completely unrealistic or insanely unrealistic... ??

Can't say I agree with you there. Boyd's strength is hard ball and clearance work. Firing off handballs whilst the ball is in dispute. His disposal is not that flash, he is not a brilliant mark, and he's not exceptionally quick. Leave him where he is.

However, I do see your reasoning - we need to convert some of our inside mids playing different roles.

 

[TedDougChris]

Can't say I agree with you there. Boyd's strength is hard ball and clearance work. Firing off handballs whilst the ball is in dispute. His disposal is not that flash, he is not a brilliant mark, and he's not exceptionally quick. Leave him where he is.

However, I do see your reasoning - we need to convert some of our inside mids playing different roles.

Fair enough. Ideally we get someone like Stevens and Macrae to do this, but I'm not convinced that they have the experience necessary. Other than that, we are hoping Tutt, Howard or Vez step up in the near future... Or we are shifting JJ/Pearce around to fill gaps...

 

[paulveed]

If Wal and Cross can take care of the inside grunt stuff, which I am sure they can, Picken and Lower to negate the oppositions key mid playmakers,
then we have plenty of options to play 2-4 metres wide of the midfield 'scrimmage'. These guys can either receive, or block/tackle an opposition mid if they get the ball inside, then either pump it forward, or spread it wider again into open spaces.
Boyd and Cross usually know just where each other are, given they have played together for so long, as well s being great mates. Wal and little Libba are almost uncanny with regards to finding each other in traffic on the same basis. Leave Libba and Boyd on the periphery of contests rather than inside getting in the way, and let the extractors do their thing deep inside.
Outside these inside and middle ring guys we have plenty of potential outer options with Coons, Griff, Tutt, Macrae, Stevens etc. If we need another alternative in and under we always have Smith.

Perhaps excluding St Kiljoy, and the Blues rinse set, at times pretty much every side can field two or even three good tall KPD's. If we want Jones and Cordy to only have to battle one opponent rather than 2+ we need a third key forward in our structure. He does not need to be 198-200+cm tall, just needs to present/lead, and be of a competitive height [ ie 190+].
Hopefully Stringer and or Fletch R. can fill this role long term, but for the balance of 2013 for mine Williams is our best option.
Then we need a genuine crumber to assist Dal at the big guy's feet.
Though he has had a couple of good weeks at the lower level, I am yet to be convinced by Vez. Time has passed Gia by sadly. Not sure who that leaves us as options.
I would love for it to be Hrovat, but time will tell on that one. Could just be worth giving Pearce or JJ a try in that role for a few games, and see what they could do.

Unfortunately injuries are cruelling us at present, but hopefully this will pass before the season moves on too far. Till then, lets give a few more kids a crack, given we are not
likely to win the next couple at least anyway.

For mine this is a time when we can afford to experiment a little, given no one expects us to win for a couple of weeks anyway, so lets try a few things, and just see what happens. Everyone expects our injury toll to cruel us anyway, so what do we have to lose?

 

[Clay]

If Wal and Cross can take care of the inside grunt stuff, which I am sure they can, Picken and Lower to negate the oppositions key mid playmakers,
then we have plenty of options to play 2-4 metres wide of the midfield 'scrimmage'. These guys can either receive, or block/tackle an opposition mid if they get the ball inside, then either pump it forward, or spread it wider again into open spaces.
Boyd and Cross usually know just where each other are, given they have played together for so long, as well s being great mates. Wal and little Libba are almost uncanny with regards to finding each other in traffic on the same basis. Leave Libba and Boyd on the periphery of contests rather than inside getting in the way, and let the extractors do their thing deep inside.
Outside these inside and middle ring guys we have plenty of potential outer options with Coons, Griff, Tutt, Macrae, Stevens etc. If we need another alternative in and under we always have Smith.

Hang on Paulveed, Libba has the best extraction stats in the league so far this year. We can't leave him hanging off the pack.

 

[TedDougChris]

then we have plenty of options to play 2-4 metres wide of the midfield 'scrimmage'. These guys can either receive, or block/tackle an opposition mid if they get the ball inside, then either pump it forward, or spread it wider again into open spaces.
Outside these inside and middle ring guys we have plenty of potential outer options with Coons, Griff, Tutt, Macrae, Stevens etc. If we need another alternative in and under we always have Smith.

Forgive the editing, I've just highlighted the bits I would like to discuss.

Griff is out for the weekend, Tutt has played one game this year, Macrae one game in total. I agree with Stevens and Cooney, but I think we need to find some additional run and carry - not sure where from, but I disagree that we have plenty of options...

We have plenty of in-and-under types, but I'm not convinced we have that many outside players ready yet - but having said that what is the old Chinese saying about crisis creating opportunity ???? Maybe it's time for someone to step up and create a name for themselves...

 

[paulveed]

Yeah, I am fully aware of Libba's inside credentials. But that does not relegate him to merely that role. He is just as capable from my observation just a little wider.
He has just as good hands out marginally further, which is a position that also gives him greater opportunity to us his foot skills, when compared to being at the bottom of a pack in heavy traffic. Just because he is a bl**dy good extractor, does not mean that is his best [ leave alone only] possible option. If Cross, Wal and Smith can do the grunt work inside,
why would you clutter up that area with a guy who is capable of being at least equally if not more effective on the periphery of the central zone of constipation. I am not suggesting we push Libba Jnr out to the wings, merely that we utilize him a couple of metres wider in order to maximise the use of his skills. If Libba isn't at the bottom of EVERY pack, that would not of necessity mean that we would still not get first hands to the ball with Cross, Wal and Smith still in there.

Now TCR, I am aware naturally of our injury woes, this is exactly why I suggested we experiment a bit with a few of the youngsters in different positions.
We should get Murph, Griff, Addison, Williams to name a few back in coming weeks, so hopefully that will leave a few of the kids looking for alternate roles
if they are to stay in the 22. Let some sit on the periphery of the packs, and after receiving, show their wares, rather than competing for a position in and under the packs, just creating more clutter and getting in each other's way.

Under the B Mac philosophy I think to many guys are trying to fill exactly the same role. While I understand that he wants all players to be capable of going and getting their own ball, I don't believe this means that everybody within 5-10 metres of the ball needs to compete against their own team mates to be the very first to get their own hands on the ball, merely that if they are in the best position, they should be both willing and able to go after the hard ball. This does not necessarily equate to creating a scrimmage that renders moving the ball on impossible for every one, hopefully only for the opposition.