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Topic: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation) (Read 75102 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #165 –
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Quote from: bignic – on
I'm elated with the win, gents.
But we can't delude ourselves. We have major weaknesses.

Despite what some on here keep saying, if you are being fair dinkum and prepared to take off the blinkered biased glasses, then you have to acknowledge that Rowe isn't up to it. He panics, he fumbles, he lacks the ability to stick a tackle etc. etc. Watson is no better, and White lacks a football brain. I have seen him go to punch the ball out of bounds at least 4 times in the last three games, when he could have taken an uncontested mark. In fact he went the punch in the last quarter against the dogs, and the ball flew straight up in the air, and it came down into his hands for a clear mark which the umpire didn't pay.

Instead of going the punch, he could have marked the thing to begin with. But he lacks confidence in his own ability to mark the ball, and panics.

I understand that at this point in time, it would seem that we have no one else to replace them, but frankly, leaving our defence in their hands will kill us and has killed us against the top teams.

They nearly cost us the game on Sunday. If the dogs player kicks through the ball and goals instead of doing a Garlett and dribbling the ball through for a point, we are in real trouble.

The only way we are going to win games is, and this is stating the obvious, to do what we did yesterday and establish a big enough lead to compensate for Rowe and Whites  lack of defensive skills.

I'm hoping Everitt can find a place there, and Docherty can overcome his issues and come into the side, and that may give us a better defence that can withstand counter attacks from the opposition.

Until then, it's going to be heart in mouth stuff every game.


Agree....great win character wise and seeing Curnow come back  after beeing wrapped around the goalpost made us all proud bt the Bulldogs are not very good and their key defenders were
terrible.

re: White...degree of difficulty vs Crameri is high...he is a very awkward player as he is mobile but is also very strongly built, lucky he is an indifferent kick and tends to kick the hard ones
but miss the gimme's.
To be fair to Rowe he probably made one glaring error where he kicked the ball quickly without looking but he did spoil Jones mots times and also threw his weight around.
He is a big unit at 198cm to be playin KP and few of the Bulldogs smalls ended up on the deck after he made contact with them.....Jamison isnt big enough to take the really tall forwards, either is White and
as we saw we need Henderson forward.

Cale Hooker was a laughing stock at Essendon for years especially famous for his fruitless chase on Buddy Franklin in one game but now is a reliable defender.......I think Rowe will hold his place ahead of Watson as the former at least lays body on his man and gets physical...Watson doesnt have any body on body skills and cant defend, Rowe at least plays with some effort and intensity.
For those who want him out of the team I reckon you will be dissapointed as the alternatives  are few and I think we have to hope he improves.

Would love to be wrong about Rowe. Doubt I will be, but would love to be.

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #166 –
Quote from: cookie2 – on
@EB1

Agree about Rowe. Will never be a superstar by a long way but could become a reasonably solid, unspectacular, reasonable player who will fill a gap for us for a couple of years.

Same again. Hope I'm wrong about him.

But I do agree with Elwood. Watson is worse!!!

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #167 –
Quote from: Mantis – on
Quote from: flyboy77 – on
Rowe is a deceptively big unit too - 198cm, 96kg.

A better prospect than White imo. noting both have had serious health issues to deal with.....

We need to make Rowe an dangerous defender. Our spine will be easier to build if we have a group of defenders that are reliable and physical. He is probably our best option of keeping Henderson up forward to give us some structure on the attack. Watson is not proven as a defender just yet. Might not ever get there either. Lets hope over time, that I am completely wrong.

If the ability to play is not there, then you can't make a footballer anything. BUT, if a player has got a football brain, is cool in a crisis and has some skill, you can, with time and patience, make them into anything.

An example, Bruce Doull. I saw him at the start. Slow, and frankly hopeless. People tend to forget that. But perseverance and good coaching brought out the wonderful skills he had, and the football smarts he had. Greg Williams another one. Slower than me, but what a footy brain and skills. That more than made up for his deficiency.

Rowe, is slow, BUT has no skills, and doesn't have a football brain. He's a plodder, and always will be one. Unfortunate, but in my opinion, true.

BUT, I really hope he proves me wrong. Anyone that can come through what he did, deserves to be successful in their chosen field of endeavour.

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #168 –
Quote from: bignic – on

An example, Bruce Doull. I saw him at the start. Slow, and frankly hopeless. People tend to forget that. But perseverance and good coaching brought out the wonderful skills he had, and the football smarts he had. .

He would have been delisted if he played in the current AFL system.. ;)

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #169 –
Yep, the old man and I watched Bruce's first dozen or so games and he looked no chance of making it.  350-odd games later....

But then again we got most of the others right from the armchair!
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #170 –
Rowe looks much quicker than Watson, but looks can be deceiving.

Watson is a much better ball user.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #171 –
Rowe has a physical presence and he's having more of an impact on the opposition as his confidence grows.  Our other defenders are ball players who rarely tackle opponents with malice.

Watson may be able to roost the ball a long way but Rowe actually gets to contests and hits them hard.
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #172 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Rowe has a physical presence and he's having more of an impact on the opposition as his confidence grows.  Our other defenders are ball players who rarely tackle opponents with malice.

Watson may be able to roost the ball a long way but Rowe actually gets to contests and hits them hard.

Agree, Rowe is showing a lot of mongrel since he's joined the backline - both on and off the ball. He seems to enjoy it. 

Watson is far too nice by comparison.  ;D
Reality always wins in the end.

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #173 –
Quote from: Lods – on
Quote from: bignic – on

An example, Bruce Doull. I saw him at the start. Slow, and frankly hopeless. People tend to forget that. But perseverance and good coaching brought out the wonderful skills he had, and the football smarts he had. .

He would have been delisted if he played in the current AFL system.. ;)

That highlights the ruthless nature of the current AFL game - sadly.

Likewise Kouta looked like a gumby for some time (not that a Watto type could ever compare...).

But, the lad does seem to have smarts....
Finals, then 4 in a row!

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #174 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Rowe has a physical presence and he's having more of an impact on the opposition as his confidence grows.  Our other defenders are ball players who rarely tackle opponents with malice.

Watson may be able to roost the ball a long way but Rowe actually gets to contests and hits them hard.

Seems quite apparent that MM is a Rowe fan. Watson is a marvellous kick, but his AFL career is slipping away.
IN WADA WE TRUST

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #175 –
Quote from: Juddkreuzer – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Rowe has a physical presence and he's having more of an impact on the opposition as his confidence grows.  Our other defenders are ball players who rarely tackle opponents with malice.

Watson may be able to roost the ball a long way but Rowe actually gets to contests and hits them hard.

Seems quite apparent that MM is a Rowe fan. Watson is a marvellous kick, but his AFL career is slipping away.

I guess we all forget, given Rowe's age and illness of late, how few afl games, at the top level, he has played.

He really can only get better.... and seriously better.

Best part is he seems to like crunching people!
Finals, then 4 in a row!

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #176 –
Quote from: flyboy77 – on

Best part is he seems to like crunching people!

If he can develop the rest of his game in defence, the crunching will become an awesome diversion.
IN WADA WE TRUST
 

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #177 –
Quote from: Juddkreuzer – on
Quote from: flyboy77 – on

Best part is he seems to like crunching people!

If he can develop the rest of his game in defence, the crunching will become an awesome diversion.

When he was drafted he made a comment about hurting opponents that caught my attention.  It's taken a while but it seems that he is delivering on that aspect of his game.

He does need to develop his awareness and improve his decision making but that should come with more experience.  I hope so, both for his sake and because we need a competitive tall defender.
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #178 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Juddkreuzer – on
Quote from: flyboy77 – on

Best part is he seems to like crunching people!

If he can develop the rest of his game in defence, the crunching will become an awesome diversion.

When he was drafted he made a comment about hurting opponents that caught my attention.  It's taken a while but it seems that he is delivering on that aspect of his game.

He does need to develop his awareness and improve his decision making but that should come with more experience.  I hope so, both for his sake and because we need a competitive tall defender.

Dare we dream...Earl mk2?
IN WADA WE TRUST

Re: Rd 5 : BLUES Defeated Dogs (Finally Final Siren Elation)

Reply #179 –
Quote from: Juddkreuzer – on
Quote from: DJC – on
Quote from: Juddkreuzer – on
Quote from: flyboy77 – on

Best part is he seems to like crunching people!

If he can develop the rest of his game in defence, the crunching will become an awesome diversion.

When he was drafted he made a comment about hurting opponents that caught my attention.  It's taken a while but it seems that he is delivering on that aspect of his game.

He does need to develop his awareness and improve his decision making but that should come with more experience.  I hope so, both for his sake and because we need a competitive tall defender.

Dare we dream...Earl mk2?

Earl was a better contested mark than both Rowe and Watson put together.

Casboult is a better comparison, really, plus they both have/had ridiculous kicking actions that give us all nightmares. Earl was a very ordinary kick for goal also... we had Kernahan nailing them from everywhere at the time, though, so it wasn't as noticeable, plus our defence was so good that we could win with an 8 goal total most weeks :P.
Just glad I'm old enough to have enjoyed the 1995 Grand Final