Nick Davis bandwagon - seats freeing up?

[ROK Lobster]

Roaming the boards since Sat night I have noticed that the post Geelong SF Nick Davis bandwagon is losing some passengers. I have read highly enlightened comments such as put him in the 2's to send him a message, he seems disinterested, he has no heart, he needs to work harder and that he needs to get to the bottom of the packs. It is the last comment that is the most riduculous but before I opine on that let's ponder why he seems disinterested. I'd reckon because he is. He is probably sick to death of playing Barry (can I have laser surgery on my hands too) Hall's decoy, of creating space for others by leading to where the ball wont go. Club Roos seem to be able to follow one aspect of the game plan - don't kick to the bloke wearing number 2 ("he aint blue collar, he's not really one of us"). As for the get in and get dirty mentality - we all know that that just isn't Nick and that it would be a waste of time. Why does anyone want Davis on the bottom of a pack? That is the doamin of skill-less - ie Brett (25m parabola kick) Kirk - and the can't-hit-a-targets - ie Jude (throw it on the boot) Bolton, Noggy, Fossie and co. If Nick is to play in the middle it has to be as an outside midfielder, where he has the split second extra to balance and drill the pass. That said, his real value is as a goal kicker and he needs to spend more time a kick or less from goal. He is quite a good mark one-on-one, and Saturday night's single effort aside, one of the best kicks in the game. As the Geelong semi showed, his value to the side is as a goal kicker, a natural talent in and around the 50m arc. He is not the bloke that should go and get it. He is the bloke that the go and get its should go and get it for. The side has enough "spirit of the bloods - what I lack in talent I'll make up for diving on the ball - tagging, scragging, blue collar defensive can't take the game by the balls and win it - show some ticker" types. Davis is a talent - Roos needs to exploit it more. The last thing Davis needs is to be dropped. All he needs is for someone to kick it to him.

[stellation]

I'm certainly still on the bandwagon.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by stellation
I'm certainly still on the bandwagon.

I know, we've organised personalised plates for your birthday.

[stellation]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
I know, we've organised personalised plates for your birthday.

I'll be posting out the "4 goals in a quarter shows more value than a speech or a floating mark in front of a pack you ungrateful bastards" bumper stickers soon.

[hammo]

There is no doubt his talent is being wasted. I was hoping he'd get more game time as an on-baller this year but I am still waiting.

[NMWBloods]

He is being wasted.

How hard would it be for them to run a play such that they free him up for a mark at 50m about 3-4 times a game. Easily kick a couple of goals out of that.

I wonder if the other players don't particularly like him. I think back to Kirk's comment about Davis owing them one in the Geelong SF when his opponent kicked a goal. Does Kirk go up to every player when their opponent kicks a goal and says that?

[liz]

I partly agree with your comments and partly not.

He is certainly one of the most naturally talented in the team and it would certainly be a waste to confine him to the bottom of the packs.

I'm not sure about him being a pretty good mark. Occasionally he takes a memorable mark one-on-one. None of us will forget the one he took from an O'Keefe torpedo against Geelong.

But any self-respecting quality AFL forward should be able to do this now and then, especially one who proclaimed himself to be "Brownlow" material not four months ago. He doesn't do it often enough for my liking though, and seems to need lots of space to do it in. I don't think he is as good a mark as, say, Nicks was in his prime. I've chosen Nicks because he's a better comparison, size-wise, than Hall, O'Loughlin or even O'Keefe.

I also think that when he doesn't take the mark, his second efforts can leave something to be desired. There was one prime example on Saturday when he should have taken the mark but when he didn't, it became an easy, uncontested clearance by his opponent and he made scant effort to chase. When Hall drops a mark, he is far more likely to recover quickly, even though he's bigger, and create a scoring shot for himself or someone else.

I think these two factors contribute to the fact that, given the choice between Davis or one of the other key forwards, they will frequently kick towards another. I'm not suggesting they should always do this, and on Saturday night, in particular, they seemed very Hall-conscious. But there are reasons why they do it.

I am one of those who, in the heat of the annoyance on Saturday night might have suggested his place in the senior team shouldn't be taken for granted. While I wasn't seriously suggesting that he should be dropped as punishment, I do wonder if he is one of those who hasn't been training recently because his work rate sometimes (not always but certainly sometimes) suggests he can't chase and harass as much in the forward line as he possibly should.

For me, his best value comes around the ground where his take, fend-off and quick acceleration have become a trade-mark. But again, we're lucky to see this once a game at the moment.

His prodigious kicking means he doesn't have to be close to goals to be of value as a goal kicker. Indeed, you'd rather have O'Loughlin taking the contested marks 30m out because he's some chance of kicking them from there. Davis is by far the better option around the 50m line and tight in the pockets.

All in all, I don't think it is unreasonable to mark Davis harder than some others because he is naturally more talented. Kirk, O'Keefe and Buchanan (to name just three) are probably operating very close to their maximum ability and do it pretty consistently. Does anyone think we have seen Davis operate even close to his maximum ability for sustained periods?

I've not traditionally been a Davis-knocker. Nor have I been driving the bandwagon. If some of these comments sound a bit harsh, so be it. But if we want improvement to come - and come quickly - it needs to come from the likes of Davis, far moreso than the Moores and Schmidts of this world.

And if he wants to see how a highly talented medium sized forward can cope when he's competing with two bigger targets, he need look no further than Didak. Davis has produced in the past performances at the level of Didak's on Saturday night. The difference is that Didak has been producing those 2 games out of every 3 this season and Davis hasn't.

[ROK Lobster]

Originally posted by liz
I partly agree with your comments and partly not.

I'm pretty happy with that.

He is certainly one of the most naturally talented in the team and it would certainly be a waste to confine him to the bottom of the packs.

I'm not sure about him being a pretty good mark. Occasionally he takes a memorable mark one-on-one. None of us will forget the one he took from an O'Keefe torpedo against Geelong.

But any self-respecting quality AFL forward should be able to do this now and then, [...] I don't think he is as good a mark as, say, Nicks was in his prime. I've chosen Nicks because he's a better comparison, size-wise, than Hall, O'Loughlin or even O'Keefe.

Nicks is a good example, and a good comparison. I think that you are right, his ability is not outstanding but it is at an AFL standard.

Rather than quote the rest, I too wonder if his second efforts, his acceleration and his use as a decoy are related to his hamstrings. I think that he is still working hard - he ran the length of the field a few times on Sat night - but is not getting off the mark quickly. He is a prodigous kick, and does not need to be within 30m to kick a goal, but he has the ability to kick goals on the impossible angle, off balance etc and we need that sort of input as well as goals from marks imo.

[The Big Cat]

I backed him at 150 to 1 for the Brownlow. Better be a big second half!

[Sanecow]

I'm pretty sure he's not 100%.

[Xie Shan]

Originally posted by stellation
I'll be posting out the "4 goals in a quarter shows more value than a speech or a floating mark in front of a pack you ungrateful bastards" bumper stickers soon.

I hope it doesn't cover up your "I shed a tear for Andrew Schauble every time Leo gives away a free kick" bumper sticker...

[Nolie]

Agree with Rok Lobster. The whole team are Hall-centric. I said so in a post last year. They did the same in the QF against West Coast at Subi last year. Hall was droping everything including chest marks. I was screaming 'kick it to Davis".

Hall gets a kick at 50 and wants to short pass all the time - more often with disastrous results.

I would like to see Davis bulk up a la Brendon Fevola. He could be unstoppable.

[Zlatorog]

I was never on his bandwagon and I'm still waiting for him to impress me, consistently. He did a marvelous job last year against Geelong, but when is that going to wear off thorugh his semi-achievments so far. I totally agree with liz on this one.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by stellation
I'm certainly still on the bandwagon.

You should try goning on the wagon.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by Nolie
I would like to see Davis bulk up a la Brendon Fevola. He could be unstoppable.

Yep, without the KFC, and don't duck your head.