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AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Player Watch Brandon Zerk-Thatcher
- Thread starter Grave Danger
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Ropable
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- Aug 19, 2017
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- Port Adelaide
Zerklejerk
Not beZerkers?
Dons fans keep going on about that their midfield is so shit and yada yada, and to look at that list it’s lower teams defenders on that goals conceded list right so that supports what they say….
…
But there was 10 teams either lower or comparable on the ladder to essendon and zerk leads it by a fair margin.
So at some stage dons fans need to stop relying on that as a crutch to explain why he was so poor.
North and west coast midfields were not just subjectively, but objectively miles worse than essendons, yet their key defenders are not on that list. Zerk conceded many many many more goals than their defenders.
See above
If “bad midfield” explains his poor performance… why are the teams with far worse performing midfields backmen not exposed as bad as zerk?
Doctor Feel
Shitposter In Chief
All this bullshit around his name when we all know hes gonna be called Roller.
Travisty1331
Senior List
- Aug 4, 2010
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Iam not sure how much of us you watch, but it’s a pretty widely known fact that we are the worst team at defending the ball from inside 50 to defensive fifty so that makes it incredible hard for defenders.
Also losing Ridley really hurt our defense in the last four rounds to come across and help out, zerk had about 15-20 kicked on him in that time so iam not too fussed by a reverse coleman
Playthekids76
Team Captain
Most goals conceded by a defender in 2023 - 53 Brandon Zerk-Thatcher
He's a B grader at best.
He's a B grader at best.
B That Jerker
Geez I wonder if Zerk-Thatcher playing 22 games has anything to do with that?
Compared to Barrass's 14 games, McGovern's 9 games?
And I mean, 5th play on that list is Noah Balta, the guy who took the most intercept marks in the league.
Just about every team would want to add Charlie Ballard to their defensive group.
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Ben Mackay (19 games) Sam frost (18 games) we’re not on the list despite playing for teams that were objectively and proven worse sides than essendon.
Geelong crows and the dogs all finished around essendon. I’m sure they had key defenders play the year.
My point is that don fans can’t blame it all on being a poor team
“We’re such a bad team that’s why he had an extraordinary amount of goals kicked on him”
How many times can essendon fans ignore reality?
North conceded around 300 more points this season than essendon.
There was only approximately 380 points between essendon and ladder leader Collingwoods points conceded for comparison
West coast conceded around +600 more points than essendon.
Yes essendon are poor
No they are not remotely as poor as a bunch of the teams below them on the ladder
No that’s not my opinion, it’s cold hard fact.
He won the reverse Coleman (convincingly) because he had a horrible year in a poor team.
Simple as that.
Travisty1331
Senior List
- Aug 4, 2010
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This is your board so iam not going to push back any further at the end of the day it’s a difference in opinion and that’s ok.
Good luck with the zerk
Esava, BZT, McKenzie
Who takes the top key forward?
Who takes the top key forward?
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McKenzie's likely to need both legs amputated next year
Ken will go with McKenzie
Mckenzie shouldn’t even be in the 22 next year.
Older, injury prone and with likely only 12 months left, is now backup.
I dunno
I don’t think McKenzie is more than just ‘okay’
But it’s not like the guys were bringing in are superstars.
I’m also of the opinion that until I see otherwise that Alir zerk and esava is less viable than a Alir zerk / esava and one of McKenzie / pasini.
I Just think McKenzie / pasini are better fits next to two tall defenders. I guess we will find out though
I think the West Coast and North defenders are helped by games played.
Games played by West Coast and North Melbourne Key Defenders:
Tom Barrass (14)
Rhett Bazzo (11)
Josh Rotham (13)
Ben McKay (19)
Aidan Corr (19)
Griffin Logue (15)
I don't think it's fair to use the ladder to assess the bomber's defence; the whole team was very poor defensively. I've cherry-picked some stats, but keep the below in mind.
Essendon defensive profile (Port in brackets)
4th most i50 conceded (10th)
4th most marks conceded (16th)
5th most marks i50 conceded (12th)
17th for spoils from defenders (4th)
14th for intercepts (8th)
Either the midfield isn't providing enough pressure for the defence to work with, or the defenders are not coming across to help as often as they should. In the GWS game, it looked like it was both.
The eye test tells me Zerk-Thatcher lacks the build and intensity to be a proper scragging #1 Key Defender. In the GWS game, he had no answer for the physicality or smarts of Hogan and was often 2-3m away from Hogan when he was taking marks.
If we decide to use him as a swap for McKenzie, I can see it working over the course of the season, but we will give up games in a Clurey vs. Hawkins meltdown style.
He seems capable of covering the Mihocheck/Fritsch/Langford types 1v1 while moving off his man to spoil and intercept. He's a huge upgrade on Jonas due to his mobility and height.
Yes. What you’re saying is that essendon are bad.
There’s no denying that, but there’s worse teams, as your examples above show and their players didn’t track as bad.
As I said, north conceded something like over 300 points more than essendon over the season, which is a similar difference between what dons and ladder leader magpies conceded.
Eagles conceded twice as big a difference.
Zerk conceded a huge amount of goals. Staggering. Dons fans cannot blame it all on their team sucking as if they’re the only team, or first team that’s had a bad midfield.
I would be interested to know if a port defender conceded nearly as many goals in our seasons we finished lower on the ladder.
I just don’t really see the point in playing Mckenzie if we get those two even if he is slightly better/on par.
McKenzie has probably 12 months of footy left in his career. If we’re recruiting the others I’m assuming that’s as they realise they effed up our list management down back (which I’ve been whining about for years), and this is our only way to address it. Meaning, those 3 will be our main backline for the next few years so they may as well be playing together to build that defensive cohesion.
I’m putting Pasini on the scrap heap and he won’t make it. Then we’re relying on McCullum and Marshall who need 12-24 months development and the odd game when ready to aid their development which pushes Mckenzie further back.
Just from a team cohesion point, I’d rather invest our time into BZT/ Esava and Aliir then someone that won’t be there going forward as we’re going to be relying on them for the next 3-4 years.
I think a backline of Esava taking the big forwards, BZT the CHF types and Aliir as the third man interceptor could be a good set up. I still dream about that QF a few years back where we managed to have Aliir man up on Rohan and take 16 intercept marks or something ridiculous.
If we can free up Aliir to play that role and further up the ground again, the defence will work.
Esava.
