When is Kirk due back

[ROK Lobster]

Obviously carrying a heart injury.

In all seriousness Kirk's value to the team comes from his courage and hard work. He seems unable to get back into that zone so far this season and although I think he is trying, and I do not think that he is shirking, or has lost his courage, something just has not clicked for him yet. Even on Sat night when most of the others seemed to have blown out the cobwebs, Kirk still seemed off the pace. I expect that he will come back, but how long will it take? He needs to know that the afterglow of a TLM will only burn for so long...

[Rizzo]

I'd have to disagree. Kirky put his head over the ball more than a few time on Saturday night and was smashed for his troubles. His tackle count wasn't the hhighest but I thought it was a pretty even performance from the midfielders with Bolton and Williams the highlight.

[elroy67]

Re: When is Kirk due back

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
Obviously carrying a heart injury.

This is a bit harsh.

I do get the sense though, that he is waiting for something to happen, rather than making something happen as we are more accostomed to him doing.

He is not alone in this. Goodsey is possibly a worse offender in letting the ball come to him, rather than making an impact on his own terms.

There were others including Ablett and Crouch who I would have put in the same basket, but who seemed to lift their rating last saturday with better defensive pressure.

[Agent 86]

Brett Shirk? He won't like that. But I've noticed he's not as desparate as what we're used to (but then again, who is?).

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by Rizzo
I'd have to disagree. Kirky put his head over the ball more than a few time on Saturday night and was smashed for his troubles. His tackle count wasn't the hhighest but I thought it was a pretty even performance from the midfielders with Bolton and Williams the highlight.

What exactly are you disagreeing with?

[Gary]

I share the view that Brett is off the (his) pace & noted same in post game thread. I think he had a reasonable number of possessions but are lot were real mongrel 3 to 5 yard efforts from the middle (do they count those?).
Perhaps more than any of the other "bloods" his super human output over the last 3 years is hard to keep up in the post premiership glow.
My gut feel is that "Kokoda" will come through soon.

[NMWBloods]

His shot at goal from about 40m out was a shocker.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
His shot at goal from about 40m out was a shocker.

Most of his kicks are.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
His shot at goal from about 40m out was a shocker.

What's shocking is how predictable it was. To be fair to him, he kicked from about 48m and made the distance (by about 2 centimetres). But it's a fact that his kicks lack penetration, and they lack accuracy when he tries to push for distance (which is why he so rarely does). And at his age, that ain't about to change; with Captain, we have to accept the good with the bad.

On the more general topic: there have been plenty of incidents in the first 5 rounds to indicate that Kirk's desperation and commitment are still there. It's just his form that's gone south a bit; but given his exemplary attitude, it'll be back.

And while we're having a whinge:

Originally posted by elroy67
Goodsey is possibly a worse offender in letting the ball come to him, rather than making an impact on his own terms.

While Goodesie played an excellent game on Saturday, and has for my money been in very good form this year, he makes me absolutely wild with his staunch refusal to bend his back/legs and get down to the ball on the ground, rather than expecting it to come up to him. Although the biggest offender in this respect on Sat night was LRT, who seemed interested in stopping G. Ablett's miracle grubber goal only if doing so didn't require him to get down to the level of the ball.

[liz]

Originally posted by SimonH

And while we're having a whinge:
While Goodesie played an excellent game on Saturday, and has for my money been in very good form this year, he makes me absolutely wild with his staunch refusal to bend his back/legs and get down to the ball on the ground, rather than expecting it to come up to him. Although the biggest offender in this respect on Sat night was LRT, who seemed interested in stopping G. Ablett's miracle grubber goal only if doing so didn't require him to get down to the level of the ball.

I have a suspicion that Goodes is pretty sore at the moment. I was watching him quite a bit, especially in the second quarter, where he did a few things in the pocket / wing area immediately down from where I was sitting. His second efforts were generally not there, but from the way he moved I got the impression this was because he couldn't, rather than because he wouldn't.

[ROK Lobster]

It seems from the above that it is now ok to be critical of Kirk's crappy kicking ability. Was there an announcement that I missed?

[hammo]

Kirk is off the boil. I'm sure he'll get back to his best but he appears to be among the last of the Gf 22 to recapture their best form. Interestingly (or maybe of concern) another co-captain, Leo, is another.

Watching Pavlich yesterday its frustrating that Goodesy can't be like that every week, rather than in short bursts. Both players are similar size and athletic ability yet who expects Goodes to ever kick 6 goals (admittedly Pav plays different role for Freo, but even if Goodes held down CHF I doubt he'd do it).

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by SimonH
What's shocking is how predictable it was. To be fair to him, he kicked from about 48m and made the distance (by about 2 centimetres).

True, but I wasn't referring to that one after the siren, but the one at the other end on the run.

While Goodesie played an excellent game on Saturday

I have to strongly disagree that he played an excellent game.

[woo]

I think Kirk did alright sat night..def much better than previous weeks ..his heart is starting to tick to his old beat again.

as for goodes..he did the odd thing but I am still as critical as ever of him. No Fire at all...there was one thing which he did which typicallised his play at the moment...he was handballed and had room to run and make something of the space, instead he handballed to another player and they had to get out of a completely messy situation, he just doesn't seem to want to do anything himself...and yes I do remember that one goal he did which was good, but my dad who loves goodes even mentioned during the game how the crowd doesn't seem to get behind him anymore.

[SimonH]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I have to strongly disagree that he played an excellent game.

While stats can never establish a case in isolation (you can have 40 possessions and no impact on a game), coming equal second to Hall in marks (7) and kicking a couple of goals is a good start. Equal third in tackle count (5) behind Crouch and JBolt as well, which you don't necessarily associate Goodes with.

Because he's as mobile as the opposition midfielders, but stronger than them, he excels in one-on-one contests in space. I thought he made space nicely on Sat night. A good example was on the HFF in the 3rd quarter when, more or less standing still next to his opponent (but well away from any third player), he called for it, effectively asking the man with the ball to trust that he could outmuscle his opponent and mark the ball... which he then did. It's that kind of thing that makes him such an asset. A lesser player also would not have so easily taken the mark and scored the goal that sealed the win.