For me the big winners from todays game were... Everitt Wood Buckley
I expected all to be making up the numbers somewhat but all 3 showed they belong. Everitt probably had the runs on the board already, but there is still the uncertainty of how he would fit in with our structure. He can fit in wherever we need him.
Wood i thought would be a good pickup considering the price we paid for him. However he appeared to be an upgrade around the ground on what our current/previous rucks give us. His 3 marks with 1 contested is better than the career average of both Kreuzer and Warnock. In fact based on stats, Wood is the best marker of the lot. Has a better shot at goal percentage too. Could he do the unthinkable and work his way into the side ahead of one of our other high profile ruckmen?
Then we come to Buckley. What i saw from him today was pure football nous. He is not an athlete that has been taught how to kick. He is a footballer. He knows where to be, and where to put the football to advantage his teammates. He knows how to work in tight spaces, both with and without the football. He has leg speed. He has aggression and a good tackling technique. He might only be slight compared to your average AFL player, but he knows how to play the game. Don't think he can force his way into the starting lineup, but a more than adequate backup adding much needed depth.
I reckon that not only are Bell and Robbo starters in our line up but they're very important to the side adding that hardness and perhaps making the opposition think twice before they go.
^^^^^This x million Finally we have a couple of players that hurt the oppositio, yes they may turn the ball over a bit, but they offer more positives than negatives. Have you seen Juddys games from last year? Did some great things but continually hand balls to the other team and no one is complaining about his disposal. Yes they lack class but would rather them in than someone like Lucas.
OK, i've asked a few people to do this and nobody has complied, so i'll do it myself and then maybe you'll see why i've been so 'negative' towards Bell and Robbo.
Best 22... FB Tuohy Jamison Simpson HB Walker Watson Everitt C Gibbs Judd Thomas HF Yarran Henderson Garlett FF Kreuzer Waite Menzel FOLL Warnock Murphy McLean INT Scotland Carrazzo Curnow SUB Armfield
EMG Cachia Bell Robinson Lucas Docherty McInness Casboult Graham Cripps
Which of my starters do you guys want to leave out to fit in Bell and Robinson? Armfield and Curnow are similar players with more runs on the board compared to those two. Menzel, Yarran and Garlett might be one small too many, but we could do it while Eddie was here and Menzel offers more marking power and ability to play further up the ground so i don't think thats an issue. So you want to go with only 1 ruckman?
I just can't see, when fully fit, how they will force there way into our best side.
I think Bell and Robbo are the worst users of the ball. Can we afford to carry them?
Jeez Krudds you are seriously harsh on Bell. This kid is the #1 player on our list from last season looking to step up. Carrazzo was a horrible user of the ball early days and won a B&F. If MM didn't believe in these two boys I'd expect they would have been traded out last year.
Mate, i've got nothing against them and love their attack on the ball. But if they turn the ball over when they get it, what does it matter how tough they are when they don't have it?
Bell, has a lot to like and is still coming on as a young bloke. Robbo, who everybody loves, needs to take the next step from up and coming kid, to genuinely good player. Both need to improve their disposal and decision making to step up.
I agree that Carrazzo was a terrible user of the ball and needed to step up to earn his spot in the side, i think it is clear that he did improve his disposal and all around game. Kudos to him for doing that. Until Bell and Robbo do the same, there will be question marks over them. I don't think that is unfair.
As an exercise JK, pick your best 22. See where Bell and Robbo fit into it, if they do, and i reckon you'll have more people than just me pointing out that certain players missing deserve a spot in the best 22.
Tom Bell best game in a navy blue jumper, took the game on when he hard space, offloaded the ball when he didn't.
Robbo - GUN! Better decision making early with fatigue saw a bit of the old Robbo kicks but an improvement on 2013.
As a team I was impressed, tackled well and with purpose, every man was looking to shepperd for team mates and when we got into space we looked very good.
I can't agree with your critique of these 2 players, but agree that the team worked well. Perhaps partially because those 2 were doing the hard yards and team things. But, i do not want the ball in their hands as they make too many errors with it.
Yes, Bell kicked a good goal and yes he had some breakaway clearances, but almost every time he picked out the north blokes so well i think we have to get his eyes checked.
Robbo made better decisions than he usually would, but better than woeful is not that hard. Still a big worry with the ball in his hands.
Honestly, when you include some blokes who missed out today.....Judd, Carrazzo, Scotland, Simpson and Thomas it is the blokes of the caliber of Curnow, Armfield, Cachia, Lucas, Bell, Robinson, Buckley, Cripps, Graham and Ellard who miss from todays squad. From those players, i think Bell and Robbo are the worst users of the ball. Can we afford to carry them?
Everitt is picking himself in our best 22. Menzel will be hard to keep out of it. Watson has just about cemented himself in the backline and will allow Hendo to play up forward.
Wood is brilliant get for Mick and co at the bargain basement price of a rookie pick and is doing better than i expected. Buckley is showing pace and agro, only a little bloke, but is a pure footballer. Some bigger blokes who are not footballers and would not make my best 22 at present are Bell and Robbo. All heart, no skill/brains.
Reckon there will be some pretty decent players on our list who will not be guaranteed a game. Curnow, Cachia, Bell, Robinson, Graham, Cripps, Armfield, Buckley and Lucas are all fighting for 2 spots on the bench by my reckoning.
Daisy ruled out with a cough cough chest infection.
Already stated he will play the following week against the crows in R2.
Perhaps thats all it is?
You'd think if they had any doubts over his ankle they would've said ages ago that he'd be eased into the season and miss a lot of the pre-season games anyway. The fact they named him in R1 shows he has to be there or thereabouts.
Thomas and Cripps to play R1 and the majority of the season. The others to play bit parts at best, but offer much needed depth and versatility.
We don't typically get alot from our first drafted kids from the get go.
True, but i think Cripps is different. He has a mans body already and a love of the contest. Typically, they are 2 things that most kids need to develop once drafted.
I tore my ACL, went to the GP who had done his knee, twice, and had a better than average idea of knees. Did the scans. All came back negative.
3 times later, went back to the same GP and told him that this is BS and i want to see a specialist. Within 2 minutes of talking to him and poking and prodding he had me diagnosed. Not only that he said i had done it the first time.
Granted, the first guy was just a GP, but he was adamant it was nothing major and had all the scans as 'proof'.
Specialists should know better than your GP, but i'm sure there are equally inept specialists out there.
Another story, my uncle had one of his many injuries (hypocondriac mostly) but saw 2 specialists and got nothing back. 12 months went on and still had issues. Got word to see this specialist that everybody raves about, treated some of the Carlton boys in fact, and she had him diagnosed based on him walking in and sitting down on the chair having never met him before. Some are just that good.
- Carrazzo to announce his retirement before the end of the season after being plagued by constant injuries
What sort of prediction is that? Who even thinks that about one of their own?
Sorry carrots, the world is a nice warm fluffy place were people live on forever.
Yeah I understand what you're saying but it's a fairly morbid thought to be coming up with for one of your own isn't it?
Its not morbid, its naive to think it can't happen to you.
I got nothing against him, but the point is to 'stick your neck out' and i thought it was likely that someone would retire prematurely, then i just had to work out who was likely....Waite, Judd, Scotland are most likely...Carrots was next IMO.
