What we lack: A Smash and Grab player

[Schneiderman]

What was eminently clear to me Friday night, and I'm sure you'll agree, is that Judd and Kerr tore us apart. The latter in the early stage, and the former pretty much all night.

Now it goes without saying that Judd is supreme at what he does, and that there are only a select few in the game that come even close, but what is it exactly that makes him so valuable? I think its his ability to use his speed and footy intellect to get to a contested ball, and then get out without being tackled into a free space. I call it the "Smash and Grab" tactic. And a successful team will have at least one, and preferrably two supremos of the tactic.

So which players can do it, regularly and with notable impact, for each team left? I think:

Port - P Burgoyne, B Pickett
Adel - McLeod
Geel - Ablett, Bartel, Kelly
St Kilda - Dal Santo, Milne
WC - Judd, Kerr, Cousins
Sydney - ??

We lack any real ability here. A number of players may exhibit the trait fleetingly - Goodes, Crouch, Bevan, Schneider, Davis, MOL. But none of them seem to me to have a true talent with it, and we need two in any given game, so a supremo at it is essential. I think also that Maxfield in his best games was capable of it, and so was Willo, but age has wearied them.

What do people think? Who can we target from other teams? Bartel, Akermanis, someone else?

[hammo]

Ablett has potential as shown by his steal from Archer in round 21.

Once given a full attacking license I think he'll prove to be the player we're looking for.

[ugg]

I reckon Buchanan is excellent in getting the ball out of packs.

[Snowy]

Are you talking impact player or line-breaker? For what it's worth I think Bartel is more of an accumulator than a smash and grab type. And I don't ever see Bevan fitting the bill here either.

[cruiser]

Kirk did a bloody good smash and grab on Friday night. I thought it was one of the match highlights.

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by Snowy
Are you talking impact player or line-breaker? For what it's worth I think Bartel is more of an accumulator than a smash and grab type. And I don't ever see Bevan fitting the bill here either.

Neither. I wouldn't call Judd a "line-breaker", although he can do it if needed. He is out and out an "evasive" player, who will dodge, weave and burst off the line to get into space.

Luke Ablett is a potential line-breaker. Bevan is one too, although his lack of strength currently means he often fails to get away from the tackler and gets pinged for HTB.

Crouch is the closest we come to it: a player who has heaps of speed and is adept at evading tackles. Often its only a last gasp effort that lays any contact, and these are easily brushed aside. MOL is the other one with this ability, but is obviously too injury prone to do it regularly. Goodes can do it too, but I dont think he has enough true speed to be regularly effective, preferring instead to find a player in space with a quick disposal once in a little bit of space.

But even watching Dal on Sat night, he would regularly pick up a ball from amonhst four Crows players, and weave out of a few tackles into space.

Maybe Leo can do it, but often its with a lot less pressure on him (ie not in the midfield).

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by cruiser
Kirk did a bloody good smash and grab on Friday night. I thought it was one of the match highlights.

Yes but its more of a steam-roller effort. Like Ablett's effort on Archer.

[ScottH]

It appears in the 3rd qtr (?? they were going to the left of screen) that Ablett did rip the ball out of someones arms and run away with it.

[TheHood]

Originally posted by ScottH
It appears in the 3rd qtr (?? they were going to the left of screen) that Ablett did rip the ball out of someones arms and run away with it.

Shrugged the Kerr tackle.

[liz]

Ablett is the closest we have to a bash and crash player - in the Voss mould. I reckon we've still only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he can produce.

Buchanan isn't bad at extracting the ball from packs and getting clear in a few strides. He's no Judd but still handy at it.

Explosive leg speed helps in this department, but clean hands and self-confidence are just as critical.

[originalswan]

Agree with Liz, Ablett is the closest we have to "smash & grab" and the reason I chose him in an earlier thread as potentially most important ion the team. I can see Moore becoming a similar type of player within 2 years as he seems more progressed than Ablett was at the same age.

[NMWBloods]

Carlton had one of these, but no one was keen to recruite Larry...

[dimelb]

I wonder if Tadhg could do this off a wing - not so much a bash and crash, wrong physique, like Judd's, but for sheer pace over the first ten metres or so, which is where Judd is about the best atm.

[Benevolent Ert]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Carlton had one of these, but no one was keen to recruite Larry...

Beat me to it

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

"Smash & Grab".

Is that like the sequel to "Crash & Burn" or something.

We have a "grab & miskick" kind of player in our team.

(HINT-he has a head like a mixture between Barbie & a porcupine and kinda sounds like a Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich)

JF