I agree re Dinger but give Graham a full game FFS. Really looking forward to seeing this kid play we haven't had an exciting debutante for quite some time.
Just out of curiosity, how many collingwood and geelong players have been nominated over the past 3 years.
They have clearly been the benchmark for bringing through the kids.
I suspect the answer may be surprising to some (perhaps me) but i doubt its as many as most would think.
I actually think the AFL like giving it to lesser teams who need the hope and publicity of having 'genuine talent' coming through. All i can remember is hack sides getting repeated nominations. (i could be wrong)
Your comparing our side with teams that have finished consistently in the top 4 and played in 4 of the last 5 Grand Finals?
Kinda...
Geelong and Pies are the benchmark. How do we stack up against that?
When i said 'lesser teams' i'm talking about off-field. The new teams, the interstate teams the lesser melbourne sides etc.
Collingwood (3), Sydney (3) and Cats (6) are all known for their development of players who become 'guns' and have been the best sides going around over the period in question. We had 2.
Just out of curiosity, how many collingwood and geelong players have been nominated over the past 3 years.
They have clearly been the benchmark for bringing through the kids.
I suspect the answer may be surprising to some (perhaps me) but i doubt its as many as most would think.
I actually think the AFL like giving it to lesser teams who need the hope and publicity of having 'genuine talent' coming through. All i can remember is hack sides getting repeated nominations. (i could be wrong)
Hardly the impact of an 'almost AA' player whose brilliance is hard to miss.
I think Kingy and Lynchy are telling porkies. My recollection is the same as MBBs....and like you, he is a favourite of mine who i take a keen interest in.
Someone today asked me if I'd want to play finals via the back-door i.e. 9th, even though we are likely to get flogged.
My answer was an unequivocal yes. The thought of playing Collingwood or Richmond in a final is mouth watering even if we do get beaten.
Finals are finals and given how starved we have been over the last 18 years I'll take them any way possible.
As blindingly optomistic or idiotic this may sound, our destiny still rests with us and until we are totally and mathematically out of the frame, I'll keep hoping we can put something together.
I'm hoping the injection of some youth may give us some sort of pulse. Richmond are beatable and have weaknesses. I hope we show some serious balls.
It's funny isn't it.
We are still a chance to get into finals, as unlikely as that seems. Everyone is too busy throwing in the towell to care.
Going by form, logic, current players available for both sides and the misalignment of the planets at present, there is nothing that suggests we even have a sniff in this game.
Walker's defensive side has been average this year. He was exposed as the weak link vs Freo. As for him not being as useful in front of goal, how many did he kick in his injury free year in 2011? 52 from memory, he was our leading goalkicker I think. Yarran was copping the defensive forward in every game as a defender.
Read what i write carrots.
Quote
Yarran is probably better streaming through the middle of the ground, and probably better at kicking the miracle goal. Walker is better as a leadup forward, but not as useful in front of goal. Would also struggle given our forward setup now.
Yarran is more freakish in front of goal and more capable of pulling one out of nothing. Walker is more reliable as a leadup forward. Read consistent.
You've formed an opinion and everything you say from now you arrange to fit in line with your original opinion. ie everything was better under ratten. Trying to convince you of otherwise is pointless at present.
Personally, i think the defensive forwards worked a treat more often than not on Yarran last year. That hasn't worked on Walker this year (or it hasn't been tried). He couldn't break a decent tag.
I never said Yarran was better, i said he hasn't gone backwards. His stats show he is better.
I said previously that i think he is essentially the same player he was last year. Brilliant at his best, sooky and disinterested at his worst and overall consistently inconsistent.
Carrots is trying to say he was a star more often than not last year. I'm saying there is negligable difference one way or the others.
If he is about the same, is he more effective as a forward or a defender? Or are we saying he is as effective as a forward as he is a defender?
I think you need to package up Andrew Walker to make that decision.
Walker back and Yarran forward or Yarran back and Walker forward
What works better? Don't know.
I think Walker is a better defender as he can play on tallish players as well. Yarran is probably better streaming through the middle of the ground, and probably better at kicking the miracle goal. Walker is better as a leadup forward, but not as useful in front of goal. Would also struggle given our forward setup now.
I think this years version of Walker back and Yarran forward works better than last years version of Walker forward and Yarran back..
Ideally, you'd want Yarran to work on his tank and consistency and get more time in the middle.
I never said Yarran was better, i said he hasn't gone backwards. His stats show he is better.
I said previously that i think he is essentially the same player he was last year. Brilliant at his best, sooky and disinterested at his worst and overall consistently inconsistent.
Carrots is trying to say he was a star more often than not last year. I'm saying there is negligable difference one way or the others.
Didn't you watch the game on the weekend? Stats mean sweet FA, I know what Yarran is capable of and I've seen what he's produced in the past, especially the previous two years. I've provided highlight reels at the start of the thread, go back and take a look if you can't seem to remember how good he was.
Double the tackles. More hard ball. More goals.
You want to watch a highlight reel, go support the ruckman for the eagles.
