MOL

[liz]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
I could only see one player in the league who could possibly be the most suitable match up Micky, And he plays for our side!!!
Adam Goodes.

Goodes would get slaughtered at ground level by O'Loughlin.

He'll probably get Clement this round against the Pies and that should be very interesting. Clement has done well on him in the past and is also in outstanding form thus far this year.

Magic will earn his match payments if he just keeps Clement tied up and away from most of the play, even if he doesn't kick many himself.

[TheHood]

Originally posted by liz
Goodes would get slaughtered at ground level by O'Loughlin.

He'll probably get Clement this round against the Pies and that should be very interesting. Clement has done well on him in the past and is also in outstanding form thus far this year.

Magic will earn his match payments if he just keeps Clement tied up and away from most of the play, even if he doesn't kick many himself.

Spot on Liz.

Presti on Baz is also a challenge for both players.

Means Nick D has to really play a prominent role crumbing under Baz. Nicky might get the depleted and broken Dane Swan (fingers crossed).

[cressakel]

Originally posted by Mike_B
He provides us with two options in one - the marking forward or the crumbing forward and he does them both so well, which of course provides headaches for opposition coaches - do you put a defender on him who is good in the air and risk being burned at ground level, or a smaller one on him to match him on the ground but risk being burned in the air.

I actually think that MOL is as effective for the Swans this year as the years of his All-Australian selections in 1998 and 2000 when he played as a half-forward flanker/midfielder.

In a year when goals are at a premium - and second forward options who can kick a goal even more so - O'Loughlin's goal sense in the air, on the ground and in dispute is second to none in the comp at present and couple that with his goal assists of 2-3 per goal in the last month, you can understand why I believe he is currently at his equal most effective of his career.

Don't be suprised if he ends up with 55-60 goals by the end of Round 22.

Now, if only Davis and O'Keefe could kick more goals and Bazza could kick bloody straight.....

Seriously, with Bazza's previous season conversion rates and beautiful kicking action, he would/should be giving Mark Williams a nudge at present for the Coleman medal.....

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by cressakel
Don't be suprised if he ends up with 55-60 goals by the end of Round 22.

That would put him on a par with his run home in 2000, which was one of his best years in tems of goals. He kicked 53 goals that year from 22 games, including 36 in the last 10 games.

Ironically though, it was one of our worst years in the past decade!

However, in 2003 he actually kicked more goals per game throughout the season and kicked 26 goals in the last ten games.

And this was one of our best years in the past decade!

[oh no - evil me, using stats to provide info again!]

[cressakel]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
That would put him on a par with his run home in 2000, which was his best year in tems of goals. He kicked 53 goals that year from 22 games, including 36 in the last 10 games.
[oh no - evil me, using stats to illustrate a point again!]

Ironically though, it was one of our worst years in the past decade!

But we didn't have Bazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaaaaaa, Nicky D and O'Keefe that year my friend.

Great year by Micky in 2000, although goals were a bit easier (only a wee bit) to come by in those days but, in hindsight Micky did play cameo roles in the midfield as well.....

If Micky does kick 55-60 this season and is on par with 2000 for goals kicked for the season, maybe we should put it to a vote (2000 or 2005) taking into account all the variables mentioned above and in previous posts on this subject !!!

[liz]

Originally posted by cressakel
But we didn't have Bazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaaaaaa, Nicky D and O'Keefe that year my friend.

Makes a big difference. In 2000 he was our main spearhead up forward. He's playing a different role at the moment, with far more genuine forwards in the team.

While his goals kicked are vital, his assists are just as crucial to the team. Having rewatched the weekend's game I've come to the conclusion that it was a pretty mediocre performance by our forward line but those two assists of O'Loughlin in the third quarter have me literally drooling!

[cressakel]

Originally posted by liz
Makes a big difference. In 2000 he was our main spearhead up forward. He's playing a different role at the moment, with far more genuine forwards in the team.

While his goals kicked are vital, his assists are just as crucial to the team. Having rewatched the weekend's game I've come to the conclusion that it was a pretty mediocre performance by our forward line but those two assists of O'Loughlin in the third quarter have me literally drooling!

I concur with all of the above.

MOL is like a fine wine, maturing beautifully with age every season. Let's just hope those imaginery injuries to his legs stay out of his mind this season and in the seasons to come.....

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by cressakel
But we didn't have Bazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaaaaaa, Nicky D and O'Keefe that year my friend.

Absolutely and why I noted that 2003 was one of our best years!

[j s]

Originally posted by liz
Magic will earn his match payments if he just keeps Clement tied up and away from most of the play, even if he doesn't kick many himself.

Interesting concept - using a forward to nullify a defender - other teams have started doing it to Tadhg though - drawing him downfield so he can't set up those defensive fastbreaks.

Definitely not in in the clasic old-style coaching manual - it just proves how much tactics and strategy have changed in recent years.

[liz]

Originally posted by j s
Interesting concept - using a forward to nullify a defender - other teams have started doing it to Tadhg though - drawing him downfield so he can't set up those defensive fastbreaks.

Definitely not in in the clasic old-style coaching manual - it just proves how much tactics and strategy have changed in recent years.

Teams have been doing it for quite a while now, recognising that a HBF can sometimes be a team's most critical attacking player.

But with O'Loughlin I wasn't suggesting that he should tag Clement, more than if he looms as a large enough danger Clement will have to play pretty tight on him, thus limiting his (Clement's) ability to either run out of defence or help out his fellow defenders.

[giant]

Originally posted by liz
Makes a big difference. In 2000 he was our main spearhead up forward. He's playing a different role at the moment, with far more genuine forwards in the team.

While his goals kicked are vital, his assists are just as crucial to the team. Having rewatched the weekend's game I've come to the conclusion that it was a pretty mediocre performance by our forward line but those two assists of O'Loughlin in the third quarter have me literally drooling!

Interesting you should say that Liz as I watched the replay & felt far more positive than when I watched the game live. I thought it was the most potent the forward line has looked all year tho admittedly against one of the weakest defensive units that we'll face.

But the second half in particular, there was some real structure at last to what we were doing down there - and Willo & Monty (& MOL) were finally providing us with someone at the fall of the ball.

[liz]

I may be being a little harsh on the forward line.

The final quarter frustrated me enormously. We had the Dockers on the ropes and against a fragile, inexperienced defensive unit (who had done pretty well to that point, all things considered), we should have been good for at least another 5 or 6 goals.

If the team had just taken their collective feet off the pedal, that would be one thing, but our midfield was still absolutely dominant for the first half of that quarter.

Having said that, while the midfield was still winning most of the ball, the delivery forward left something to be desired. They stopped looking for leads and unmarked options and were just bombing it forward aimlessly. So maybe it was as much the midfield's fault. Watching on TV it is very hard to tell whether the ball was being bombed forward because the forwards weren't working hard enough or whether it was just that the midfield turned their brains off.

I'm not going to let the forward line completely off the hook though - there was some pretty lazy kicking for goal during that quarter after they'd been reasonably switched on in this department early in the game.

[giant]

Actually this is where I 'fess up that I spent most of the last qr negotiating the purchase of two Teddies that play "Cheer Cheer" when you press their tummies (currently on high rotation in the Giant household). In retrospect (altho not necessarily at the time), it was a more fulfilling exercise than actually watching the game.

[OldE]

Erin says that is brilliant

[OldE]

I didn't write that