How many games has Jack played with each of them? How does he know which side they will turn out of a pack? Which part of the ground they will look to when they do turn out of a pack? Will they hit you on the chest, leave it short or over the top? Will they bounce first? Can they deliver on their opposite foot? What kind of distance can they kick accurately, consistently when running at full pace? At half pace?
Jack, and others, need to know how each of those players will perform at any given scenario and wouldn't have played more than 4 games with any of them, with the exception of Phillips, who have played together on 9 occasions.
That's not a bad point to make, but it doesn't seem to have impacted on the goal kicking of Charlie Curnow, Wright, Casboult, Garlett or McKay. The latter two have played a total of five and three games for us but have outscored Jack by a considerable margin.
Team cohesion is an overall team measure. It really doesn't work when you try to use it to explain one player's poor form, even if that poor form is in part due to glitches with the gameplan. All players, regardless of how many games they have played, are expected to execute the gameplan and they will have practised turning out of a pack and drilling a pass to a leading forward ad nauseum. Of course, inexperience and AFL level pressure will impact on how well those skills are executed. I guess the classic example was when Casboult had ten metres on his opponent and McKay managed to kick the ball out on the full.
As Captain Judd will tell you, its also about cohesion. Being in and out of the side won't do much for his game and the players getting used to him and vice versa.
That's not what team cohesion, as measured by TWI, is about. Jack has played 31 games (still a baby) and probably almost half as many in the NBs. That means that he should know the gameplan and how his teammates play much better than the likes of Dow, O'Brien, Kennedy, McKay, Mullett, Phillips and McKay.
It's hard to kick goals when you're not in the 22. It's not much easier when you're in the 22, down on form and on the receiving end of some speculative inside 50s. Hopefully Jack will get back among the goals against the Doggies.
Doc has less than half as much...so not exactly close...but i agree its unfair to use him as its apples with oranges.
It was more about Cripps being a 'step up' from Murphy playing a similar role.
Sure, its not about accountability exactly, but it can highlight accountability.
The only similarity in their role is that they are usually in the same part of the ground.
It's probably also worth considering that Murphy is 180cm and 80kg and Cripps is 195cm and 93kg. A midfielder of Cripps' size needs to be able to use his strength and size to hurt the opposition both physically and metaphorically. Murphy, on the other hand, has to rely on his speed and footy smarts to hurt the opposition - and that's not implying that Cripps lacks footy smarts.
Silvagnis tally has diminished because he hasn't been in the team!
Captain Obvious isn't quite on the mark this time
This season Jack has one goal from three games. At the same time last season, Jack had six goals from from five games. That is a significant reduction in goals per game. Hopefully Jack can be more productive throughout the rest of the season.
....and Docherty can be exposed in the air by a resting ruckman. Nobody is perfect.
As for not being accountable, he had 11 tackles last week. When was the last time Doc or Murph had that many? FYI, never and 2014. Cripps has still had more tackles in a game than the other 2.
Murphy had eight tackles in his last game, Cripps had one in that game. It's swings and roundabouts.
Silvagni's tally has diminished but we have significant contributions from Charlie, Garlett, McKay and Fisher rather than the spread of single goal kickers at this time last season. If Silvagni can improve his output, our five leading goal kickers can maintain their scoring rates and we get contributions from the midfield and halfbacks, we could be in for a goal fest - particularly now that the defence has been stiffened by the return of Rowe.
Harry could well be our leading goal kicker this season. Although he is likely to get more attention now ... and that makes life easier for Levi and Charlie.
Read what I wrote more carefully MBB Assert is not the same as know!
I assert that the views of Juddy, Bolts and the playing group about Murph's captaincy are more informed/accurate than the views/opinions of supporters generally and most of those folk paid to have opinions about football matters.
I understand you disagree, but I've seen Cripps give up on chasing men multiple times the last few weeks and this week vs West Coast, when they elected not to tag him, it didn't happen.
Collingwood did it. North Melbourne did it.
he will learn from it, but the fact still remains that a quick opponent who could run off him could heavily expose him.
At AFL level if there is one thing I have learned from Murphy's captaincy is that teams look to exploit any weakness they have at any opportunity they can because beating the captain can be the key to winning a game and Cripps has weaknesses in his game that can be exploited. That's a con, and its one that Kruddler missed in his summation.
I also believe Cripps will make a fine captain, its just something for him and the club to think about and work on. I know a week is a long time in football, but the club, the MC and Cripps need to find a way to nullify that weakness irrespective of whether or not you believe it exists.
Finally on Murphy, we all know he has been an ordinary captain, but he works his dot off, and I can't knock him for that. Hes not hercules, he has smashed his body from pillar to post in the clinches for us, and hasnt been durable and strong enough to endure it, and deserves a little more respect than the average punter gives him because irrespective of how badly he gets smashed he still continues to put his body on the line week in and week out, and Ive noted his tackling has improved a bit this season (lets not forget hes wrecked his shoulder twice playing for our footy club, and once they break they stay broken and make tackling difficult).
Two points Thry:
1. Cripps was tagged and that's why he was particularly physical with Dom Sheed.
2. No-one knows that Murphy has been an ordinary captain. Some folk may think that, but others, including Juddy and Bolts, assert that he is a very good captain.
I'm not sure he was "sooking it up" with that tweet, it came across to me as more of a self depreciating comment....ie, he knew in himself that he hadn't performed to the standard of the other blokes.
Anyway, whatever he was thinking at the time, I really hope that he now has some confidence to start building on his game & refuse to give up his spot for anyone.
Good luck to him.
cheers
That’s the way I see it!
I watched Harry’s post game interview and he impressed me as a team-orientated young man determined to improve and with a very realistic appreciation of where he’s at now. I think that kicking four goals will boost his self-belief but he is also well aware of the errors he made and the need to work on eliminating them from his game.
All I am suggesting is that perhaps he is being instructed to play a certain way which is different to how we think he could/should play. We were talking about this very topic at work today and I suggested this to guys in the conversation. Lets face it, they are all robots who try and follow every instruction to the letter. SPS is a tough little character, an ex bull rider. Thats not the hobby of a soft cock right ? The kid also knows how to tackle, I have seen him do it. So why doesn't he do it all the time? Perhaps he other things/roles to do. No1inparticular and I were having a discussion about SPS a few weeks back. He suggested SPS brings others into the game by the way he plays, I am starting to see that now.
Samo was penalised for a dangerous tackle a couple of games ago. Perhaps he has been told to take it easy.
I don’t see a bloke who is ‘ahead of himself’ or is ‘picking and choosing when to go’. I see a bloke who is still learning the game but has a good handle on his role and is doing his best for the club. Bolton’s comments suggest that he has a similar view.
Certainly no disrespect to Murphy....I think many folk are of the opinion that the time is ripe though for a changing of the guard. Hopefully Murph plays on for a couple of years.
Folk who observe Murph’s leadership from the wrong side of the fence Lods ?
It will be time to change the guard when Murph, the players and coaches decide that the time is right. However, I suspect that it will be sooner rather than later given Murph’s comments at the beginning of the year.
Yet some were critical of Cripps as stand in captain last week. He'll no doubt get a run of games now with Murphy's injury so he has a chance to stake a claim
Yes, I thought Cripps was underwhelming last week but it was a last minute call up. He was certainly ready to go on Saturday.
I’m not convinced that either of Cripps and Docherty should be our next captain but I don’t see how they show leadership at training, in meetings or around the club and playing group generally. Judging leadership skills on the basis of an on field performance is fraught. Cripps certainly played a “captain’s game” against Wet Toast but I’d expect that level of effort from all of our players in every game.
While Cripps can “stake a claim” on the field, Docherty is doing the same through his role with the coaching panel. However, I suspect that the club’s focus on leadership will mean that the best leader will be the skipper in 2019 and beyond.
I was disappointed with the result but not really surprised; Wet Toast are on top of the live ladder, have an impressive list and are well coached. However, consistent umpiring could have seen us in with chance.
For me, today was a glimpse of the future with Harry McKay booting 4 goals, Patrick Cripps playing a great captain’s game (after an unimpressive effort last game) and Charlie Curnow, Fisher, Dow, O’Brien, Samo, SOJ and Garlett all contributing. Phillips did OK too.
Jones was back to his best and Rowe did well for an underdone key defender (who was it who said we had too many tall defenders? ? )
Last of all, I want to acknowledge Bolts who showed that he is head and shoulders above the so-called footy experts (how does Jonathan Brown get to criticise someone’s expression?) and can get the most out of a young, inexperienced list.
There’s a long way to go but at least we’re on the right track.
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