Is Watson any less or more effective than Casboult at the same stage of their career?
I think some of Watson's early games in the 1s were far more effective than Casboult's first efforts. Some would say Watson's efforts in the 1s exceeded his effort in the 2s!
If Casboult turns into "A Miracle" then it suggests Watson needs at least one or two more years on the list at least!
Sorry Spotted One, but Meat showed heaps from the get-go. Especially his marking and general footy nouse... his only weakness was consistency and his tank in the early years was way off the mark - still had baby fat for the first two years at PP.
I think you have to be careful not to assess mobility using fitness or strength.
Is Watson as fit as Cloke, absolutely not, but is Watson as mobile as Cloke I think so!
Cloke is neither fast or agile, he uses brute strength to push off opponents and get a break, speed has nothing to do with it but fitness does because he repeats this lead over and over again!
We, well at least I, speak figuratively. "To run rings round" someone is an idiom that can be used, among other things, to describe the act of showing more ability e.g. in footy, than that another person. I think Cloke would demonstrate that over Watson in spades and I think most who watch any footy would agree on that. But please, feel free to continue to split hairs.
Even contemplating similarities between Cloke and Watto is fraught with danger. They are both males and they both are tall - similarities concluded.
Watson. LOL. Another example of our great recruiting
I think way too much emphasis is being put on the board, recruitment, players, etc., and way too little light is being shone on player development because of that focus. The coaches, MC and specialists are getting away with shizenhouse player development by having that distraction!
There are blokes languishing at the NBs that look to have made zero progress since being drafted as 18 years olds two or three years ago, spuds or not that just simply shouldn't be the case, we should be seeing progress at some level!
Regardless of what happens in the draft or trade week, if we don't get the player development right the players will continue to be wasted!
Some of them started so far back that no matter how much progress they made, it wouldn't bring them up to AFL level - eg McCarthy, Temay, Collins, Lucas, Bower, Bootsma, Mitchell, McInnes, Davies, Kerr, Heyne, Dale, Bray, Carter, Lodge, Austin, Twomey, Dare, Watson... just some of the recruits over the past 3-4 years who really weren't up to it, not matter how much development you could have put into these cats it is unlikely they would be able to cut the mustard. (Yes I know Austin is showing something for the Dishlickers but is still not the sort of tall defender you'd see in a top side).
Last year's recruiting already seems streets ahead of the last decade or so... Cripps, Reynolds, both Ciarans, Johnson, Docherty, Holman ... all show plenty of promise at different stages of development. Haven't seen enough of Giles yet to get a feel for the bloke. (didn't include Everitt or Daisy as they'd already proved they could play before arriving.) Wood may yet surprise. Jury is out on Graham, though, with little to lose now he should be given the remainder of the season to show whether he can or can't cut it. Many will want the same for Watson as the reborn forward, but the same old same old will dog him... too slow, in many ways. He really did not have great competition over the last two weeks up forward - with an AFL quality tall defender on him, well, I'd rather not think about it - love to be really, really wrong.
So let's keep this level of recruiting up... or even improve upon it then ensure we develop the above and the next lot with the right people. Time to be great at recruiting and great at development.
Made the trip to Ballarat. Particularly wanted to see how Jeffy, Cripps and a couple of others would perform.
A much appreciated sacrifice of a Sunday.
Watson - one of the much better games I have seen from him. Somewhat pleasantly surprised by his attack on the aggott - played up forward and was one of our few dangerous forwards. Led well but blew a few good chances - should have finished with 4 or 5.
Faint praise Baggers but probably the most positive appraisal you have given him so far.
He has shown very little (or less) as a defender. Do you think he is a chance as a half-forward who can launch the ball from outside the arc?
Yes, looks more positive as a forward and will be a good addition to the Preston group...
The Northern Blues isn't working and Luke Webster to me has little idea how to develop them into a team....our two best players are a small unit in Sam Cattapan who will probably never get to play AFL footy and it was the same last season with Lambert and Marcon. Cameron Wood is the other but he is purely backup and appears destined to just make up the numbers.....there seems little future in even having him on the list and we probably should have got the next Sam Jacobs from the SANFL/WAFL....
We need a standalone to to develop our players and we need a coach who is better than Webster...he has done nothing with this team and developed no one...
Results like this certainly do give your argument legs. Certainly the Northern Blues, and the Northern Bullants before them, have never acted like a real team. There have always been artificial divisions between the players and the guys have been treated differently. That is not good for any team.
It does appear to be something our admin has addressed: the recent booklet for the Northern Blues that was sent out to me showed more staff, particularly development staff, than I expected at Northern and a lot of it obviously put in place by Carlton. For example, Heath Scotland has recently been added to the list, even though he didn't make the booklet. Certainly something had to be done. It was clear a couple of years back that there was a poor working relationship and the groups didn't mesh well. That said, I am sure we can integrate things better. Attracting a bit more talent on the Preston side of things won't hurt either. Wilkinson, Anthony and the like are a decent beginning and young lads like Cattapan good pickups. But there needs to be more talent coming through. Coaching: Having listened to Webster, he does not impress me as a game day coach. That may be a bit harsh, as I don't see the preparation he does or the planning he does off the field. I would prefer us to name a good match day coach to coach the team, someone who can inspire the team to produce its best. I can't comment on who has or has not done much development: I don't get to see that. But the performances on match days suggest we are lacking that as much as anything. Hopefully the club can determine which are doing and job and replacing those who are not, while looking at the structures at the top clubs and stealing personnel and ideas from them. We need to be the best developers in the business: it makes out recruiting look much more reasonable if we do.
I can't see us becoming a stand alone team, although there would be some really good things to come from it. We have put too much time and effort into the 'Northern Blues' to tear it apart. But we really do need to improve it. Until we do, it will be an albatross around our necks and a concrete pillar on our feet.
As usual, well balanced comments Captain Crash.
I also agree with EB1 and yourself. Webster does not seem to have the comms skills to be an elite development / NBs coach. Listening to him yesterday it was the same old same old and he really does seem unsure of himself and even forgets where he's at in an address! Listening to Scotto address the boys, however, very different... he's really good.
Sometimes cutting your losses is the best option and that's how this marriage (Preston/Blues) looks at present and has looked, really, for a long time. The last time they played as a cohesive unit was under David Teague... Though, in fairness to Webster in one respect, he just didn't have the cattle yesterday.
Made the trip to Ballarat. Particularly wanted to see how Jeffy, Cripps and a couple of others would perform.
Amateur hour!!!! We play in red and white and all our coaches/officials are all in Navy and white... Amateur hour! This attempted creation of the NBs is a farce... embarrassing. New Prez... FFS get us a stand alone seconds side. It is way beyond a joke. This half-@rsed compromise is just plain second-rate.
Overcast and colder than a politician's promise. Local bakery obviously supplies the pies - they were rippers.
Never really looked like winning although we did hit the lead at one stage, only to surrender it very quickly. Really lacked midfield grunt. Cachia would have been valuable. Missed Graham's 'ball magnet' qualities.
Lucas - mostly played in defense. Better and more competitive effort. Surprised he made the better players 6 though. I guess with the ball in our defensive 50 for so much of the game he was bound to have come under notice having got plenty of it but again, his disposal just doesn't hurt the opposition or have surety about it... always seems rushed and unsure! Not much dash and run, more, as I mentioned, a defensive focus.
Watson - one of the much better games I have seen from him. Somewhat pleasantly surprised by his attack on the aggott - played up forward and was one of our few dangerous forwards. Led well but blew a few good chances - should have finished with 4 or 5.
Cripps - rusty. Showed his class from time to time with a couple of good contested grabs and clearances but obviously still working his way back to match fitness. On our website it says he is 190 cm. If he is 190 cm I will chew off my own legs. Closer to 194. You can tell he's still getting used to his growing body! Another game or two should see him ready to return to senior action.
Temay -
Holman, Buckley, Cachia, Waite... did not play.
McInnes - serviceable. Real pity that this kid hasn't improved on last year.
Armfield - one of our best. Good on-field leadership and really encourages team mates from the sidelines and in the breaks. The fact he remains so focussed and involved for the entire 120 is a tribute to his commitment. He's way in front of Ellard... and maybe a couple of others.
Garlett - oh dear. Noticed that MM had a big chat with him after the qtr time huddle broke up. Did a couple of nice things but when in the centre -- needed his class and skill in the clinches -- didn't impact on the game nearly enough. But, going by the chat MM had with him and being given important on-ball roles he'll probably get a call up. But I wonder... even a bread and butter snap from him at a crucial stage only just snuck in for a behind.
Reynolds - didn't do enough. Shows glimpses with strong marks and good foot skills but just doesn't do enough else. Seems to be carrying an injury or has something stuck up his dot as he just didn't move freely or with enough endeavour.
Wood - good. Worked hard around the ground and took some timely marks in defense and attack. But I did notice that in a few 'pressure' situations he fumbled too much. He was encouraged to impose himself more on the game in the final quarter and just didn't seem 'fierce' enough.
The Byrne 'Ciaran' overshadowed the Sheehan 'Ciaran' for the first time I've seen them together. He's really learning some tricks and doesn't look out of place on the ball. The Sheehan 'Ciaran' gave an honest effort in defense but was shaded by his opponent who led him to the ball too often - beat him with footy experience.
Of the Preston boys Cattapan and Wilson were easily the best. A few of the Preston boys were really, really ordinary whereas there really weren't too many weaknesses in the Roosters line-up.
If you could transplant the Skipper's ticker and ability out of his 4'4" body into anything over 6' you would have a champ at AFL level.
Yep, forecast for Ballarat isn't too bad... cold, but not so wet. Might grab the thermos and head up there... been interstate and missed a few games (Seniors and NBs).
Only saw the highlights package of the game here, its been far too long since we flogged a side like that.
The importance of that cannot be underestimated. Yes, the Aints were shizen, but over the past few years we would still have still made hard work of it. Great shot in the arm.
Ah yes, nothing like achieving high ratings and big revenue bucks through exploiting the innocense of kids...
Kids should be allowed to be kids and have happy memories of their childhoods... life reality can be introduced gradually through their teens as they become stronger and smarter and can understand better. Subjecting 10-14 year olds to this is just wrong.
We usually make hard work of games against lower sides but today we seemed really disciplined and positive (except for about 15 mins in the 2nd qtr). Although the Aints were awful and made some horrendous mistakes. But good sides do what we did today... now bring on the Fluffy Ducks (gulp!).
