Re: VFL 2017 Rd 8: Northern Blues vs Coburg at Preston
Reply #47 –
Disappointing game in many respects, terrible inconsistency, maybe it was having 2 weeks off.
Mrs Baggers and I moved around the ground a bit so we could get a good look at Casey B and a few other blokes... also she insisted on watching in the sunshine rather than the grandstand! Went looking for RR at half time but couldn't find you 
Josh should give the blokes a rocket after this hot/cold effort... there was a dash of lethargy which was more than apparent. When we put the foot down for 10 minutes in the third and then for a little longer in the 3rd, we were dominant.
Thoughts on some individual players:
Casey Byrne: poise, composure, confident, vocal... welcome back. Seems to have played around 2 1/2 qtrs. Was running freely and did a couple of dashes through half back, linking up in the centre and then running forward. Yummy. Just missed a terrific goal after linking up through the guts.
Macreadie: serviceable. Did some good things in the heat. Coming along nicely.
White: the general down back and did some very good things, as you would reasonably expect. Good leadership. Was BOG for mine. Love some of the lip he gave opponents.
Buckley: hard to comment on Dylan's game as he is playing very differently, as if he's learning a completely new way to play. Very disciplined game from him today
Gus: One of our better players without being outstanding. You're confident when he has the ball in his hands.
Jaksch: played exclusively down back. Took a couple of timely grabs at the end. Not much else.
Kerridge: got plenty of it and I know he was mentioned in the best players but he, like Graham, turned it over too much. But you have to acknowledge that he put in and was very important at crucial moments with his strength and smart positioning.
Boekhorst: not the same bloke I saw a few weeks ago, the one who busted a gut from contest to contest. Flashed in and out of the game with some impressive efforts, which is the best I could say. Linked well at times.
Smedts: you want to like Billie. He provided a spark with important deft efforts when we were in trouble, particularly in the second and third quarters. Sent down back in the final qtr to try and help quell the onslaught.l Concerned.
Den Den: was his usual self without being outstanding. Good on-field leadership.
(The advantage of moving around the ground on the fence is that you get to hear a lot more of the on-field banter - Den, White and Palmer were the most vocal and instructional.)
H: working much harder and impacting many more contests in the air and at ground level. Has caught Casboultitis with his goal kicking (the old Casboult, that is 
).
Phillips: Flip was up against a huge lunatic, listening to what was coming out of his opponents mouth was hilarious. Anyway, Flip took some good grabs and worked hard in the ruck contests, winning his share.
Palmer: I know some may disagree but I thought this bloke was very instrumental in keeping us in the game in the first half with his endeavour and mongrel at the aggott, along with vocal instruction to team mates - no idea what happened to him in the last quarter, just non-existent... along with a number of his mates.
Le Bois: lively early and laid a couple of really good tackles, then faded.
Polson: probably a day he'd like to forget. Disappointing.
Pickett: some very good signs. Could have kicked a great running goal, he collected it just forward of the wing and took off leaving everyone in his wake and when he was about 30 metres from goal the bloke chasing him was illegally shepparded unnecessarily (stupidly) and the ball was given to the opposition by virtue of a free kick. Dumb footy... sorry, but it was a Preston bloke who infringed robbing Pickett of a ripper.
Graham: gave his all. Was winning the ball well but a few costly turnovers marred his efforts. Early in the last he tried to outrun a potential tackler which was dumb. The bloke caught him and the resultant turnover was critical to Coburg's comeback. Seemed to me that he tried to finesse at times and came undone. Great possession stats and some influential contributions but also some undisciplined efforts which'll make it hard for him to return to the seniors. Dirty Harry, "Man's got to know his limitations."
Gallucci: hard to see this effort, which was serviceable only, helping his cause re being at PP next year.
Kerr: struggled being second fiddle to H. Work in progress is the most positive thing I can say.
Preston boys: Wilson and O'Shea were the pick with strong efforts. This little Corboy fella deserves being watched.
Topic: VFL 2017 Rd 8: Northern Blues vs Coburg at Preston (Read 17075 times)
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