Todays game!!

[chammond]

Moore and Willoughby looked very useful, but I was a bit dismayed by how comprehensively we were beaten in the middle . . . particularly since Jolly regularly got first hand on the ball.

Jude Bolton was terrible, and Schneider was nearly as bad . . . there is no way Schneider'll ever make a follower - he's got no stamina and gets to too few contests . . . just leave him in the pocket and let him do what he's good at.

Spriggs was okay . . does a lot of work off the ball, never stops running, and he's very hard at it in contests . . . but just doesn't seem to actually get the ball enough. He buzzes around all the time, put hardly seems to get many possessions for all that effort.

Vogels looks like the real thing . . . just keeps leading all the time, and doesn't mind jumping into packs. Grundy also worked hard . . lots of leads, but was on the end of some atrocious delivery . . fumbled a few gettable marks.

Campbell and Jolly are both big solid men . . . I was surprised at how much Jolly has bulked up, and he doesn't mind putting it about . . he'll certainly add a bit of toughness to the side.

I liked the look of Shaw. He was obviously very nervous, but he can take a strong grab, and stood up for himself when the Dogs tried to intimidate him off the ball. Strangely, although he walks like a duck, he is very fast across the ground.

I think James may have blown his chance, but LRT certainly made the most of his . . went toe-to-toe with a very strong opponent . . . perhaps defence is his niche after all.

[Rob-bloods]

I think the performance was serviceable with (I Made it) 14 players out.

I was behind the goal and did not have the best view to analyse, but I was a bit disappointed with Jolly and Spriggs.

I did not think LRT looked too flash IMO, and he took far too long to move the ball on whenever he got a possession.

I liked a couple of the touches from Willoughby, we scored some very neat goals. Moore looked a good prospect, also Dempster and Vogels looked handy.

I think Schneider carried on from when he last played, with dumb decision making. Agree with poster who said he is no midfielder, I would go further that's not just his stamina it's his brain. He is a long way short of being an onballer at this time.

He was not alone though, I thought some of the few experienced players made some of the silliest mistakes.

But how different will we look round one? Big Bad Barry cruuising round that 50 metre arc et al....roll on round one!

PS Goldspink hasn't changed, totally inconsistent.

[liz]

Originally posted by Rob-bloods

I did not think LRT looked too flash IMO, and he took far too long to move the ball on whenever he got a possession.

I can only recall one instance when LRT took his time moving the ball on. And he waited and waited until a player made a lead onto the wing and duly hit him on the chest.

[desredandwhite]

Well, given the differences in available players, I think we did alright. Of course, it always hurts like hell to lose any game of footy, but IMO Rodney Eade would be a bit more dissatisfied with his troops' performance today than Paul Roos.

I was entertaining guests so only had 3/4 of my attention on the footy... but a few observations:

- Roos made good use of the rookies, that's for sure! I think at a lot of times our forward line was made up exclusively of players wearing numbers 35+!

- I like the look of Moore

- Grundy is the best name we've had on our list for a long time.

- Skill levels about as expected for this time of year

- Expecting big things from McVeigh, LRT and Dempster

[sfan]

Originally posted by liz
I can only recall one instance when LRT took his time moving the ball on. And he waited and waited until a player made a lead onto the wing and duly hit him on the chest.

I remember that. It was a wide pass to the wing. By then the bulldogs had flooded back. I have said a number of time here that if he can be instinctive he is OK. If he has to think then he looks indecisive.

[Reggi]

Originally posted by chammond

Jude Bolton was terrible, and Schneider was nearly as bad . . . there is no way Schneider'll ever make a follower - he's got no stamina and gets to too few contests . . . just leave him in the pocket and let him do what he's good at.

Heh heh - can we archive this quote. I thought LRT was burning 1st qrtr - our backline was solid given that we were getting torched in the midfield - we still had quite a number of our 1st choice midfield available. Not a good sign - a combination of J Bolton - Kirk and Spriggs/ Fosdike should have been better.

Of the newbies - Grundy looked too slow for AFL. Vogels has some chance.

We should be more competitive against Belconnen/ Ainslie this year.

Dempster & McVeigh, lesser extent Moore and Willoughby looked promising

[sharp9]

Originally posted by Bleed Red Blood

Buchanen didn't do anything.

You are absolutely deadset ****ing joking!

In my opinion the two finest bits of play in the entire game were by Monty - one assist after a brilliant mark and play on followed by a sublime snapped goal a couple of minutes later. His chase in the forward line was instrumental in slowing down their rebound..which was otherwise waaaaay to easy, and when he was in the midfiled their easy and quick takeaways were significantly reduced.

Moore and Potter in the midfied also did very well....ie seemed to break even.

Bolton, Kirk and even Bevan were slaughtered at the stoppages.

Potter - liked him a lot. Whnever he was on the ball he was always near it...unlike Schneider

Grundy - has ability but discovered that this ain't the under 18s....even easy marks bounce out of your hands at this level. Big things in 2007, though.

Spriggs - Mmm got the ball a bit, but so what?

Dempster - Here we go, here we go, here we go! Looked like a real player. Belongs. Would be very happy to see him on the HBF to let Tadgh go to the wing.

James - 50% very good and 50% no good at all. I'll err on the side of Charlie and continue to hope that his shockers are the aberration and that he may become Matthew Scarlett one day.

LRT - Phew! That's one KPP sorted for the next decade....only 3 more to go

Vogels - Still really skinny but he looked like the genuine article. I'm a teensy bit excited. Looked CONFIDENT. Demanded the ball. Yes, yes.

Campbell - He wasn't bad either. Thumping kick, good leads. Runs like he has a strange lead weight attached to his calves (calfs??)

Powell - Not looking too good, despite getting into the think of it a few times. Can't seem to grab the ball cleanly. Just looks messy all the time.

Moore - OK now I'm really excited. He is the goods, no doubt. With him, Monty and Schneider they look like the Stumpy Triplets. Why not bring on Clarke while we're at it?

Schneider - Nowhere near the fitness to play on the ball as an outside midfielder. Looked good with ball in hand but his kicking is just not reflecting how talented he is. I know that his seems arse about but I truly believe he is a good kick...it's just that half the time he kicks it poorly! I suggest it is a mental thing if you get my gist.

Doyle - The genuine article around the ground

Jolly - Won't play much this year unless Ball or Doyle is injured

Willoughby - Looked btter on TV. Knocked off the ball far too easlily (same with Spriggs) and his disposal was OK without being eye catching. Clearly not ready this year...but lots of potential.

Bolton, Bolton, Kirk, O'Keefe - Very disappointing games from all of these players who should have been leading in the class department. Jude very sloppy disposal (as per usual), B2 looks disinterested and his disposal is (again) nowhere near 2003. I used to talk him up for the midfield. what's gone wrong? Is it that he is not getting any decent leads to kick to these days? O'Keefe was ordering the forwards around (which is good) but he continues to to lead in such a way that his opponent is all over him when the ball arrives and/or the ball goes over his head or through his hands. Has to take too many contested marks. Riewoldt and Hird for example get far more marks in a little space. His mark, turn and delivery for a goal assist (I think) in the 4th Q showed how talented he really is. Looking forward to him being awake the whole game. Kirk was outplayed by Boyd...who wears 42 and hasn't played a senior game that I recall. Oh dear.

Bevan - Looked classy and unflustered when picking up the scraps at half back. Found ways out of trouble often. His opponents took too many marks in the 50, though. Don't know if this was his fault or to be expected when the time from tap out to forward's chest is 1.8 seconds.

Fosdike - No, unfortunately. Delivered one good kick into the fifty (that I recall) which was not marked but reminded us of his strength. The problem is that there was one of these kicks, not 10. Just nowhere near it when running around in the middle...doubt if he made a single grab pick up in the entire match...which is par for the course for him. Will not play in the seniors this year without injury to others.

Nicks - Must not play in the backline ever again. Shocking errors from someone with undoubted ball winning ability and veteran's nouse. Should be doing what Johnson and Smith were doing for the Dogs.

McVeigh - Excellent. Looks unhurried in traffic....unlike Jude, of course. Superb goal.

[footyhead]

Originally posted by sharp9


In my opinion the two finest bits of play in the entire game were by Monty - .....

Moore and Potter....

Bolton, Kirk and even Bevan were slaughtered at the stoppages.

Potter -....


Spriggs - Mmm got the ball a bit, but so what?

Dempster - Here we go, here we go, here we go!

James -....

LRT - WOW




Powell ....

Moore - OK now I'm really excited. He is the goods, no doubt. With him, Monty and Schneider they look like the Stumpy Triplets. Why not bring on Clarke while we're at it?



Doyle - The genuine article around the ground

Jolly - Won't play much this year unless Ball or Doyle is injured

Willoughby - Looked btter on TV. Knocked off the ball far too easlily (same with Spriggs) and his disposal was OK without being eye catching. Clearly not ready this year...but lots of potential.

Bolton, Bolton, Kirk, O'Keefe - Very disappointing games from all of these players ..... Kirk was outplayed by Boyd...who wears 42 and hasn't played a senior game that I recall. Oh dear.

Bevan - Looked classy and unflustered when picking up the scraps at half back. ......

Fosdike - No, unfortunately. ..... Will not play in the seniors this year without injury to others.

Nicks - Must not play in the backline ever again.

McVeigh - Excellent. Looks unhurried in traffic....unlike Jude, of course. Superb goal.

Great analysis Sharpie, ta
So lets get those new kids in the midfield and shake up the likes of Kirk and bolton up (Kirk back to doing what he does best TAG) and Bolton traded at years end for someone less dissapionting

fosdike delisted.

LRT to be our CHB

Ed Clarke to be played early to if he plays well in practice matches.

This might bbe Roosies Velvet rebuild.