Re: Docherty standing down
Reply #13 –
Agreed, Cripps problem is that he is an elite ball winner who is an ordinary user by foot (both targets and scoring) and often doesn't make great decisions, Dusty is likewise an elite ball winner but one who is an elite user and makes 1st class decisions 9 out of 10.
Cripps isn't involved in the chain of play after disposal, Dusty is.
If we judge Cripps by how Dusty plays Cripps would be a failure, so I think it's not a fair frame of reference. Cripps is at another level inside the contest beyond Dusty.
Our club and coaches say and do nothing when Dusty does yet another throat fend off, they just sit back and watch Cripps get pinged for the very same high contact!
Even worse, they watch Cripps get tackled high and pinged for holding the ball or incorrect disposal, even though his opponent hasn't slowed his progress! It's like the AFL decided because he is a giant it's OK for spud opponents to do whatever they like. Some of them have to literally leave/jump off the ground to get Cripps above his shoulders, and the umpire will call play because Cripps is accused of ducking his head when most of the time he is just stooping to pick up the footy!
I've seen Cripps pinged for initiating high contact just because some spud midget negative defender deliberately stepped into Cripps path and got caught with Cripps shoulder. It's like they are coached to throw their head at Cripps' torso and then beg for a free!
Cripps does his best not to clean them up, I think he is doing the exactly wrong thing, he should take a leaf out of Big Nick's play book and accelerate if they want to play that game, make them pay the Plugger price for getting in his way! Across the competition the opponents will soon start to hesitate and that might be all the extra time Cripps will need. Hesitate a little just like the guys who go to tackle Dusty with the thought of coping a thumb in the larynx!