Williamstown Musings

Remove this Banner Ad

Feb 2, 2001
21,789
5,795
Valhalla
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
VFL Magpies
Perfect day at Point Jellybean, with the lads getting up by eight goals or so.

Happy to report some quite positive signs from the lads, although there is plenty of ironing out to be done.

Shannon Cox - Best on ground for mine. Or at least if he wasn't technically BOG, he was clearly the most AFL capable of either side. He was the General of the defence, Clemo or Burns style, which is remarkable given it's technically his second year, with one WAFL year. He spoiled magnificently, gathered spillages cleanly, evaded beautifully with great feeds, marked bravely and ran the ball out with pace. His improved fitness and physique has given him a yard or four and he is now very fast. But it's his maturity which won me over. AFL next week.

Brad **** - Very lively, gathering plenty of it and using it for the most part beautifully. Kicked two goals by my count, but should have had four. really shagged one right in front. Has pace and despite his light frame, he is really quite smart with his body in terms of positioning and buying himself space. I see no real reason why he can't play soon. Leon might be bulkier, but given he is a squaib, I fail to see how this makes any difference.

Chris Bryan - Got reported for a bump in the last, which wasn't high, but was designed to hurt a player going over the ball. Will probably go, even though I reckon there's nothing in that sort of thing. I reckon he was pretty good in some ways. He busted a gut all day and played as the primary ruckman. The Werribee ruck would be close to 7', so Bryan winning taps was rarely going to happen. What he did do was nullify the contest with willing committment, and roved the dead ball and botted it forward many times. He worked his arse off around the ground too and had presence. Did a couple of nice things. Made many turnovers too, including two shanks at goal that were getable. Wearing the #40, he reminded me of a slightly shorter Jamar from Melbourne in that he lacks polish, but should probably be a bearable foil for a White/Fraser type. Queries by Filth supporters that he doesn't work hard were not evident; he killed himself out there for the team. Had an enforcer vibe about him the whole time. Shame he got reported.

Nathan Brown - Encouraging game from this lad. He is a hulk, but in Presti-like fashion, manages to be at the contest considerably more than not. Spoil count would have been through the roof. Is smart too and vocal and I think he will be a Wakes-esque General in years to come. My main criticism of him is that he is fantastic when the play is live. When he has time to think about it however, he is freezing, and making ordinary decisions and as such his turnover amount was too high to introduce him the the AFL just yet. This is fixable with coaching and experience.

Tyson Goldsack - I like this kid a lot. Played defence. His want of the football is quite remarkable and he will fight and fight until he gets a result. He got plenty of it despite having plenty of time through the bench. Is quite strong physically, despite wiry frame. He takes players on with confidence and strength and despite getting caught a few times trying for too much, he also broke out of many tackles, opening the play up. He seems to also make very good decisions with the ball and doesn't appear to get lost (ie. always seems to know which way our supporting players are). Quite tall, but is extremely good below the knees.

Sharrod Wellingham - Started off quite shakey, but improved as the game went on. You could see him mustering confidence. Kicking went from poor to very good, finishing with a strong mark and goal. Very athletic, quick and judging by the second half, a very good kick. Ended up getting a fair bit of it. Outside player, but has some qualities that we sorely need on our senior list.

Chris Egan - Unlike Welli, Eags got plenty of it, but started of rusty and finished off about the same. Played accross half back for a while and his iffy disposal led to some costly turnovers (although Meyer, Cox & Brown were kind enough to extinguish the spotfires). I am abnormally encouraged by what most would view as a bad performance, mainly because he got a heap of it, it's his first game back from a broken thumb and he's usually cleaner than that by foot.

Ben Davies - Heaps of it and ran and fought hard. Still lacks the polish required for AFL and is neither quite inside nor outside. He was good by VFL standards, but we aren't, or shouldn't be, recruiting for Willi.

Sam Iles - See Ben Davies.

Ben Reid - Disappointing first game for Chopper. Played full forward. Started off well with a great ground level fight and feed by hand for a goal, but then had plenty of bench time through lack of effectiveness. Came back in the second half and won a few balls accross the middle, but couldn't provide many good leads. Got one goal. On the plus side he is bullet quick and pressures extremely well. No need to slash wrists, but wasn't good.

Martin Clarke - Struggled to get into the game in the first half, netting only a couple of possies and spending time on the pine. Did much better in the second half. Relishes the tough stuff, which is good given Gaelic is effectively Soccer in its physicallity. Ended up gettting a bit of it in the second half and the encouraging signs are that he finds plenty of time and finds a good option with good footskills. Pretty good pace and didn't do anything wrong other than struggle to find the pill early. Still a way off, obviously, but I have no doubt he will be an AFL quality footballer.


Played at a pretty good intensity and given the number of first gamers we had, I reckon we did very well.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Bryan shouldn't have got reported in my opinion he started to run at the ball then stopped as the werribee kid dropped to the ground and slide head first into his legs a bit unlucky i reckon shouldn't go:thumbsdown: and Stanley played ok in the two's?
 
If i was giving 5-4-3-2-1 votes they would be:

5 - Cox
4 - Limbach
3 - Bryan
2 - Greene
1 - Davies

12 - Cox: Fantastic game. I think everyone has said how good he was. CHB written all over him. Built like CHad Cornes and is dynamic when rebounding. One of the few players who has the confidence and the smarts to follow up a punch from behind, keep running and gather his own spillage at full pace. Great vision too.

Last year I thought he had a long way to go, and was a project player. I was surprised by his promotion and wasn't really convinced we needed to promote him. But I have been proven wrong, he is definately AFL ready.

15 - Egan: In reality it was an unimpressive game but he got involved and put in the hard work. You can tell he needs good players around him and he doesn't adapt well at VFL level. There was one passage of play where he had the ball and was running with along the win. He had Davies on his inside running along with him, both had plenty of space. He drew a player near him so he could handball on the inside to Davies but Davies just wasn't aware of what he was trying to do.

16 - Brown: Beat his man. JtP said it all. For me if you are playing at full back at VFL level and even if you flog your oponent it's still hard to stand out.

19 - Davies: Was pretty good. Full of run from the wings and HBF. Showed a little bit of vision but still lacked the skills. My problem with him is he should be working to be an inside midfielder because IMO he has the body and the courage to do some nice things. Get him to tag so he can learn some ball getting skills.

20 - Reid: I also thought jtp was a little harsh. Moved very well and has clean hands. Wasn't that impressive by any strech but did nothing to deter any praise. Has a beutiful kick on him.

29 - Cook: Wasn't too bad at all. Looks to have gained some intensity. I can see him playing the O'Keefe role (read "role"). Very good in the air, will rarely be outmarked and reads the ball in the air well.

33 - ****: pretty impressive. He definately did his job and then a bit more. I also thought he kicked 2 not 1 like the report says. He is not afraid of crashing bodies, he's not out ther cracking skulls BUT he isn't avoiding contact. He never really got the chance to show off his pace or skills much but still a nice game.

37 - Iles: Pretty disapointing considering his pre-season form.

38 - Goldsack: pretty quiet but tried hard. I don't know what position he'll play in the AFL, hell it was hard to pinpiont what position he was playing today. But he looks ok.

40 - Bryan: Thought he was BOG in the first half. His form went down a bit in the 2nd half. Carlton ********s saying his VFL form was crap and he didn't try should have a look at him. Pitted against street he would nullify Street's tapwork and even beat him sometimes. He had a lot of clearences I would say. REally needs to straighten up his kicking as he hits the ball too low, very hit and miss. I don't think he should of been reported.

41 - Wellingham: A bit quiet but definately has a bit to like about him. I think he a completely different mould to **** unlike what some people are saying here. Wellingham seems to have good footskills and good pace. While he is an outside mid, he is not strictly outside. I would think at AFL level he would win his fair share of inside ball but this is only speculation at this stage.

43 - Clarke: Was impressed by the coaches deciding him to use him in the middle most of the game. Played almost like a tagger. His skills are good but didn't get enough of it. His physicality is very good. He had a lot of runs where he stopped to handball to player when he should of looked for a teammate further up the ground. I think it is either a confidence matter or just the fact he is very inexperienced.

Up for AFL selection:
- Cox
- Bryan
- Brad Penis
 
Also went - said to my son after the game thought Cox was bog and ready to slot straight into the seniors. Not sure if he can play on the smalls like a shaw but could be huge plus becuase he could release shaw to play in the middle with Johnno.

Nathan Brown is way off it and have a sinking feeling we have drafted the wrong one. He is a terrible kick of the ball.

Reid was good despite what the figster said - made 6 tackles and three other nearly ... However is realitively poor over head.

**** - really exciting - dancing feet - kicked two set 2 up and missed one when he tried to checkside through on the run.

Bryan - great game - nothing in the report but will go if that bushie headed maggot (scumpire) has anything to say about it.

Clarke - top 2nd half -

Ryan Cook - trier - agggressive but must muscle up as at this stgae simply not strong enough

overall realy good win - 53 points with a lot of improvement to come
 
I went today, and I was impressed by a few things:

Williamstown played direct footy, the looked to take on Werribee at most opportunities.

Cox was BOG, Bryan was impressive against Peter Street (he's a dopey looking ***).

Davies could be something... needs a bit of polish as mentioned before, **** will be great, and I thought egan was ok.

Brown is a big boy, with a lot to come. I was impressed... bloody hot in the sun tho.
 
Good stuff lads. I'm sure the boys that can't attend the matches live appreciate your work.

There are a few things to be excited about. Last year, we knew pretty much who we had at Willi - like Rowe, the Booch, the Clokes, etc - but we have many new faces.

I'd throw Cox in next week. Bryan's form is a positive and puts pressure on Richards to play well. A bit concerning about Reid and Brown, but I'm prepared to give them time. Agree with the comments about Egan. He will never be a good VFL player. He needs the space and skill level of the AFL.
 
it was a good game today had a great spot in the grandstand

brad penis missing that goal in the square was quite funny lol
 
WilliamstownGoal Kickers: A. Williams 5, D. Limbach 5, P. Rose 2, R. Cook, B. Reid, S. Wellingham, B. D1ck, M. Clarke
Best Players: S. Greene, C. Bryan, S. Cox, A. Williams, D. Limbach, B. D1ck
WerribeeGoal Kickers: M. Pask 3, P. Street, R. Castello, T. Baird, J. Furfaro, N. Batchelor, M. Lynch
Best Players: S. Howard, A. Everitt, T. Henderson, R. Castello, T. Williams, T. Baird
 
Was at The Point today, beautiful day by the bay, watching the seagulls have a run. Left the ground with a smile on thr face seeing the lads get up by 50+ point, and the performances of the young magpies.
No Nicholls today, which suggested he was playing tonight for the pies.
Really impressed with Cox, really looks a player, excellent run out of defence, good pair of hands and his disposal is excellent. BOG for me.
Cook was very good worked all day, gave good run, and used the ball well.
D**k was good in patches, missed one sitter, running into the open goal, after swooping onto the loose ball, but kicked a behind, Played an impressive game though, could be up for a senior birth in next few weeks.
Bryan was good in the ruck and around the ground, kicked a goal,looked excellent in the opening term, was really impressive, probably not as prominent in the second half.
Reid was quiet in the first half, had a really good 3rd quarter, presented well took a few marks, and his tackling was excellent.
N Brown showed good form particulary in the second half, presented well when the ball was run out of defence, playing full back was his position, to me l would like to see him more at CHB, playing up the ground more, is very athletic for a player his size.
Egan played well, had a fair bit of the ball, was playing deep in defence in the first half, started the 3rd quarter on the wing, and still got plenty of it. Ended up back in defence during the third quarter. Created well with his run out of defence. Could be back next week in the senior line up.
Goldsack impressed me with his run, and his approach to getting the footy, went in hard, and always put his body in front when contesting, has good pace, and uses the footy well. Had a couple of good runs out of defence.
Wellingham was quiet for majority of the game, played well in the last quarter, kicked a nice goal in the last quarter, after a good lead inside the 50. Has great pace, and can use the footy well.
Clarke wasn't too busy, played in the centre, kicked a couple of goals, has pace, his skills impressed me, particulary his kicking, not bad for a person that hasn't played AFL footy before.:thumbsu:

Senior Selection next week -
Probables - Cox, Egan
Possibles - D**k, Bryan
 
Martin Clarke - Struggled to get into the game in the first half, netting only a couple of possies and spending time on the pine. Did much better in the second half. Relishes the tough stuff, which is good given Gaelic is effectively Soccer in its physicallity. Ended up gettting a bit of it in the second half and the encouraging signs are that he finds plenty of time and finds a good option with good footskills. Pretty good pace and didn't do anything wrong other than struggle to find the pill early. Still a way off, obviously, but I have no doubt he will be an AFL quality footballer.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume your only exposure to gaelic football is watching the hybrid international rules. It is far more physical than soccer. Is AFL any less physical because it doesn't come close to rugby or american football? You'll see from these clips that the physicality comes from shoulder charges and aggressive tackling to dispossess your opponent. Just because the rules prohibit you from wrapping up a player or charging him front-on doesn't make the game soft. Here's some clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YLqd8ubFlE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StcMJkQ80ns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxUh5xsyz1E
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

A squaib is a small bird native to Belgium, which is a commonly found in French cuisine.

:eek:

All right smart arses, you stand in the Sun all day and then write an in depth analysis without a brain fade! :p

I forgot about Cook. Before his last quarter, where he showed more application, I thought he was cod ordinary. As stated, he gets bossed around too much due to slight frame and is often ruined in one on one contests. He has a Didakian ego, but unfortunately does not have his balance or skills. I think we will regret not drafting a bona-fide midfielder with the top 25 pick used on Cook. Not writing him off, but I can't see him ever becoming an inside midfielder, and if he's a flanker, then I think he needs to have more wow factor in terms of pace and skills. Good goal snapped from 40 though in the last, which minimises my pessimism somewhat. Below average to average game from Cook.
 
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume your only exposure to gaelic football is watching the hybrid international rules. It is far more physical than soccer. Is AFL any less physical because it doesn't come close to rugby or american football? You'll see from these clips that the physicality comes from shoulder charges and aggressive tackling to dispossess your opponent. Just because the rules prohibit you from wrapping up a player or charging him front-on doesn't make the game soft. Here's some clips.
My best mate is Irish, so I've seen heaps of it. I'm not saying that it is soft by any means. I played soccer, and despite the theatrics which I hate, is still very physical too and not a soft game, so the comparrison was not meant to be offensive.

What I needed to see, was that the unique facets of our game (such as contested marking contests, ground level contests, full tackling), did not phase Boy Wonder. And he stood up in tackes and enjoyed some tough ground level contests. In fact, as I said, I think he really loves it! Hopefully over time he can be our Michael Voss...and we all know he will be at least that good!
 
good stuff figbrain!
judging by what mick said after the game, players with good footskills will play next week im guessing cox had good skills if he was BOG?
Yep, hit targets all day and did it often at full pace. Occassionally had tp clear it into space, but all defenders do from time to time.

On cox though, we can't expect an immediate impact relative to his recent Willi form IMO. I reckon he's a confidence player to some degree and the bright lights of Friday night might unsettle him. But let's give him experience immediately!
 
Yep, hit targets all day and did it often at full pace. Occassionally had tp clear it into space, but all defenders do from time to time.

On cox though, we can't expect an immediate impact relative to his recent Willi form IMO. I reckon he's a confidence player to some degree and the bright lights of Friday night might unsettle him. But let's give him experience immediately!

I agree.. just got better and better on saturday.
 
I didn't go to the match but I'm a Ben Davies fan. To me, it seems like he always plays the same, always gets a lot of it and is very reliable. Uses it fairly well, I think he's naturally an outside player. Could take Rhyce Shaw's spot if he doesn't start performing. Hope he gets a chance.
 
Is that the Andrew Williams who played for Collingwood that kicked 5 goals on the weekend I sort of miss him was a pretty terrible player but his name makes him sound like a gun forward pitty such a good name going to a wasted talent.
 
Is that the Andrew Williams who played for Collingwood that kicked 5 goals on the weekend I sort of miss him was a pretty terrible player but his name makes him sound like a gun forward pitty such a good name going to a wasted talent.

Yes it was him. Was pretty bloody quiet in the first half but managed to snaflle 5 majors so in the end was pretty good.
 
I noticed a few people were getting worried about Reid & Brown's performance. I don't know if they played well or not, but you need to remember that they are Key Position Players. KPPs generally take longer to develop and come on than midfielders like Thomas, Pendlebury & D**k. Especially in the case of Reid who was a bottom age player when we drafted him, I believe he is the youngest player in the league.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Williamstown Musings

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top