The game is tomorrow afternoon at Richmond. Squads haven't been published yet. I'll publish it if I can, but at the moment I don't get much internet access at work.
Nobody there to report, anything will be appreciated?
Qtr time here & the Tiger are all over us. 40 v 11.
Lots of errors under strong tiger pressure.
Sitting with the elite up in the grandstand, I have Jack & Jo Silvagni with both of Jacks grandmothers right in front of me, Cain Liddle, SOS, Mick Agresta, David Teague all sitting nearby.
I heard a rumour Polson is not playing in the NBs game, can anyone confirm?
He is named as en emergency for tonight, we could have a late withdrawal?
Polson & J Silvagni not playing, no Kennedy either, in the VFL practice game.
@ half time the score is 50 v 37, the Tiger are still up, although a much better qtr from the Blues. The main difference was their lift in intensity.
Matt Owies is playing in his first game. Ben Silvagni has probably impressed me the most of the Blues listed players, rarely loses in the air, and is composed with ball in hand.
Everybody has done some nice things, but overall we are too often out numbered around the contest, not organised enough either going forward and at times defending too.
Polson & J Silvagni not playing, no Kennedy either.
At least one player needs to be on standby as a ‘ready to go’ emergency for the main team. I wouldn’t read too much into Silvagni and Polson not being out there.
73 v41 @ 3qtr time.
No Silvagni, Owies or Stocker that qtr.
Richmond are much more organized and when they are on they are hard to stop.
De Koning has been terrific.
93 v54 Final score, now off to the main game....
Qtr time here & the Tiger are all over us. 40 v 11.
Lots of errors under strong tiger pressure.
Sitting with the elite up in the grandstand, I have Jack & Jo Silvagni with both of Jacks grandmothers right in front of me, Cain Liddle, SOS, Mick Agresta, David Teague all sitting nearby.
They wouldn't let me in! :( :( :(
Matthew Owies played yesterday and looked raw. The way he ran and kicked reminded me of Carrazzo. James El-Moussali wore 44 and he looked even more like Carrazzo. Both made a couple of awful errors, but ...
We were smashed in the ruck and in the mid-field.
Owies played basketball at school, so very new to football...
Owies played basketball at school, so very new to football...
not quite. he was an elite underage footballer - but opted to focus on b'ball circa age 14/15.
Exactly, at St Kevins he played basketball as his prime sport for many years...
Owies looks a good kick, easy style and he just needs match play to adjust to the pressure , when he adapts he will be a smart player as small point guards rely on brains to distribute the ball and we saw point in case with Ed Curnow...Ed at the top of the key(50m mark) and zero idea what play to run as well as being too slow.
not quite. he was an elite underage footballer - but opted to focus on b'ball circa age 14/15.
Whats an elite under age footballer look like vs an elite over age footballer?
I know we like positive signs of anything, but IMHO, 14-18 are the formative years of an athletes body, and thats where they really start learning the nuances of the game, how to play position, and refine their craft.
We will see, but if he plays even 50 games at AFL level he will be deemed a roaring success.
We will see, but if he plays even 50 games at AFL level he will be deemed a roaring success.
There are some that expect him to get there easily, it'll be interesting, from what I have heard the physical part of the game won't be an issue. Fitness shouldn't be an issue, but as Billy Slater pointed out on TFS, AFL is a different type of fitness to most other sports.
Glad to hear Owies has some skills, they are sorely needed!
Did Stocker play? My neighbour (a high level coterie member) reckons he is a stone overweight. I find that very hard to believe but can anybody confirm how he went if he played?
There are some that expect him to get there easily, it'll be interesting, from what I have heard the physical part of the game won't be an issue. Fitness shouldn't be an issue, but as Billy Slater pointed out on TFS, AFL is a different type of fitness to most other sports.
Glad to hear Owies has some skills, they are sorely needed!
The AFL would demand much higher levels of aerobic fitness than other codes surely?
Did Stocker play? My neighbour (a high level coterie member) reckons he is a stone overweight. I find that very hard to believe but can anybody confirm how he went if he played?
He must have put on a s!&t load since he joined the club, based on this photo. I find it hard to believe.
Did Stocker play? My neighbour (a high level coterie member) reckons he is a stone overweight. I find that very hard to believe but can anybody confirm how he went if he played?
He played the first half only and he was not the only one to do that. I didn't see much of him: I got there in the 2nd quarter.
Ben Silvagni was another. The most I saw of him was at 3/4 time when I went out to the huddle.
How did Sam Fisher go?
Did Jesse palmer play well??
Did Jesse palmer play well??
He was very rusty: it was his first outing and he needed the run. Nowhere near his best.
How did Sam Fisher go?
His least effective game for a long time. But we were pounded in the middle.
AFL site reporting De Konig strained a knee, after a dominant performance.
AFL site reporting De Konig strained a knee, after a dominant performance.
Early signs are good.
Will see a specialist on Tuesday. They are saying it's a lateral ligament which is not as bad as a pcl or ACL.
Early signs are good.
Will see a specialist on Tuesday. They are saying it's a lateral ligament which is not as bad as a pcl or ACL.
That is promising, but at lateral ligament is usually a 6 - 8 week injury, depending on how bad it is. I can't comment on how bad it is, but the scuttlebutt is suggesting it will be closer to 6 weeks. Not a disaster, but not the best.
NORTHERN BLUES 1.1 5.7 5.11 7.12 (54)
RICHMOND 6.4 7.8 10.13 13.15 (93)
GOALS
Northern Blues: De Koning 2, Keppel 2, El Moussalli, Wheeler, Wilson
BESTS
Northern Blues: Wilson, De Koning, Wheeler, Fisher, O’Brien
Not enough listed players named in the bests, those guys should be creaming it at that level aiming to play seniors.
Whats an elite under age footballer look like vs an elite over age footballer?
I know we like positive signs of anything, but IMHO, 14-18 are the formative years of an athletes body, and thats where they really start learning the nuances of the game, how to play position, and refine their craft.
We will see, but if he plays even 50 games at AFL level he will be deemed a roaring success.
Given that players who cross from other countries eg the Irish and Americans are able to pick up the game with ZERO underage experience I cannot see how limited underage experience can be a death knell for Matt Owies.
Given that players who cross from other countries eg the Irish and Americans are able to pick up the game with ZERO underage experience I cannot see how limited underage experience can be a death knell for Matt Owies.
Owies was an elite junior footballer, played above age and was on the radar of the TAC Cup squads before he chose basketball.
Fans seem to be happy to ignore this fact, but think it really tells us that success or failure will be more a mindset issue than a physical barrier for Owies.
Given that players who cross from other countries eg the Irish and Americans are able to pick up the game with ZERO underage experience I cannot see how limited underage experience can be a death knell for Matt Owies.
Dont get me wrong, I think he'll be ok, but of the number of converts that try it out, most of the successful ones are quite limited.
Zach tuohy is the exception not the rule. As is Mason cox. For each one of these guys, there are at least 5 others that barely rate a mention if they even get a game. Then you have your ciaran Sheehan and ciaran Byrne types too.
Going back to owies, elite junior footballers are fine, but how can you dictate whom they are elite next to, when elite juniors dont necessarily become elite seniors if they become seniors at all?