Pick Nick! (aka the new mega merged ND thread)

[robbieando]

Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
As others have said, many of Davis' points have been kicked from 50 or beyond, and rarely in front.

But then again, Nick this year has also been missing set shots at goal that he would normally get from 40m's and beyond in 03, 04 and 05. Its not a case of him missing more difficult shots at goal, its a case of him not living up to his normal high standards of goalkicking. In anycase his misses have put him in the same range as Hall, O'Keefe and O'Loughlin (with O'Loughlin missing two sitters that anyone could of/should of kicked)

MOL has the yips someything terrible and is likely to become a liability at this end of the season.

Wasn't it a liability on Grand Final Day last year??? Instead of a four point win we should of had a four goal win if it wasn't for O'Loughlin's goalkicking.

[Big Al]

I have no problem with the initial dropping of Davis. But 3 weeks is enough of a penalty. He is clearly in our best 22 and should be put in against the bummers

[Snowy]

Davis hasn't been kicking as well this year but I think quite a few of those misses were snap shots, some ambitious. The problem I have with MOL is he misses the 'unmissable" and sometimes at crucial times of the match.

[punter257]

Originally posted by Big Al
I have no problem with the initial dropping of Davis. But 3 weeks is enough of a penalty. He is clearly in our best 22 and should be put in against the bummers

bloody oath

[ROK Lobster]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by robbieando
But then again, Nick this year has also been missing set shots at goal that he would normally get from 40m's and beyond in 03, 04 and 05. Its not a case of him missing more difficult shots at goal, its a case of him not living up to his normal high standards of goalkicking. In anycase his misses have put him in the same range as Hall, O'Keefe and O'Loughlin (with O'Loughlin missing two sitters that anyone could of/should of kicked)

I'm not sure that that is right. He has played further up the ground this year and had more shots, I would expect, from 40m and further out. Regardless, I think that any argument that his dropping could be even partly attributed to a fall in form in kicking is pretty weak. I think he is still a better kick that Hall, MO'L or RO'K, from either a set shot or on the run.

Originally posted by robbieando

Wasn't it a liability on Grand Final Day last year??? Instead of a four point win we should of had a four goal win if it wasn't for O'Loughlin's goalkicking.

So because the team got away with it once it will happen every time? MO'L's yips could have cost the club a grand final. We are all glad that they did not. I do not think that that is an argument for not trying to address the problem. I am sure that the club and Mick have both gone to great lengths to do that. What ever they have done clearly has not worked. A week in the 2's might well be the tonic. At the moment it would be no great loss from the seniors and better to address the problem now that wonder what could have been in September when he chokes at the top of the goal square in the final minutes of a final.

[hammo]

Davo must come back and I'd be happy seeing O'Loughlin in the reserves. He needs to regain some confidence.

[robbieando]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
I'm not sure that that is right. He has played further up the ground this year and had more shots, I would expect, from 40m and further out.

He may well have, but in the past he still has put those shots though, where this year he hasn't. Whether that is because of weight of numbers in the amount of shots he is having from 40m's or beyond or because his kicking for goal has become worse for some unknown reason is a question mark. Personally I think his kicking is off and even if he was having the normal amount of shots for the 40m mark his conversion rate would be down.

Regardless, I think that any argument that his dropping could be even partly attributed to a fall in form in kicking is pretty weak.

I would think so to. Regardless of how he is kicking the ball, the fact remained at the time of his axing his was still our 2nd leading goalkicker after Barry Hall. I think goalkicking was the last thing to do with his axing. If anything form wise it would be with things like running after his opposite number, 1%ers and things like that which fans like us really don't take into account when assessing a players form.

I think he is still a better kick that Hall, MO'L or RO'K, from either a set shot or on the run.

Same here. I would still want him to have the ball in his hands if the game was on the line. Still it worries me that he has gone form a 70%-80% chance everytime he has the ball to basically a 50-50 chance. Hopefully its a slight dip in confidence that will be corrected, because regardless of his stats, he still is a very good kick at goal.

So because the team got away with it once it will happen every time? MO'L's yips could have cost the club a grand final. We are all glad that they did not.

No and that's not what I was saying. We have known Micky has had the yips for a while yet he still is in the side and still is having the yips. I nearly backfired on us last year but we somehow got away with it. Last year his yips cost us a bigger win in the end and could of if not for Bucky and Hall cost us the game - That's a liabilty.

I do not think that that is an argument for not trying to address the problem. I am sure that the club and Mick have both gone to great lengths to do that. What ever they have done clearly has not worked.

I'm sure going back to 2000 when Micky first become a Full Forward after the retirement of Lockett that he had problems with his kicking for goal and the club had to get Lockett in a few times to work with him on his kicking, maybe thats an idea going forward (though not Lockett to work with him). But another thing to take into account is that his knee is screwed and he really can't kick the ball well over 35m's anymore and I sure it bothers him rest of the time as well.

A week in the 2's might well be the tonic. At the moment it would be no great loss from the seniors and better to address the problem now that wonder what could have been in September when he chokes at the top of the goal square in the final minutes of a final.

To be honest, what will he learn kicking at goal in the seconds that he won't learn doing the same either in the seniors or in training??? Dropping him because he is missing shots at goal is just a kneejerk reaction to something that can't be solved via the reserves.

[ROK Lobster]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by robbieando
To be honest, what will he learn kicking at goal in the seconds that he won't learn doing the same either in the seniors or in training??? Dropping him because he is missing shots at goal is just a kneejerk reaction to something that can't be solved via the reserves.

This is something I have given a bit of thought. As I said elsewhere, this thread or another (I'm not sure where) I'm not a real fan of the drop Mick idea but the idea has a little merit. I think that his dodgey knee aside most of his problems are in his head. In a reserves game there would be no real pressure but it is still different to potting away at training. To kick a bag in a game situation may give a shot of confidence that helps. FWIW for me it is not a Mick or Nick thing. I think that MO'L gives us plenty and has the abilities to often create something out of nothing, or at least turn a tiny chance into something concrete. However, given that he is playing as a forward his goal kicking does really need to improve.

With regards to Nick's goal kicking, I thought it has been down a bit, especially on the longer kicks, since his hamstring injury this season. I have wondered too if a lack of confidence in it has inhibited other areas of his game, and perhaps even training. From the sounds of it, keeping injuries from the medical staff in an effort to get out and do it for the bloods has become part of the culture at the club. Even if Nick does not embrace or embody that culture, the peer pressure would still be very strong, and given the problems he had with injuries in 2004 it would not surprise me if he was loathe to bring them up, or, ironically, keep him off the training track completely. Just a thought.

[DST]

Originally posted by hammo
Davo must come back and I'd be happy seeing O'Loughlin in the reserves. He needs to regain some confidence.

I don't have an issue with your first statement, if Roos thinks Davis is ready physically and mentally then yes he comes back into the side this week.

But really, drop O'Loughlin.

O'Loughlin takes the second best defender from the opposition each week and for first time in a long time he is moving well, getting to contests and generally causing havoc to opposition coaches.

Putting him back into the reserves acheives nothing other than de-stablise our team when it may finally about to turn it on.

DST

[NMWBloods]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
With regards to Nick's goal kicking, I thought it has been down a bit, especially on the longer kicks, since his hamstring injury this season.

I noted in his first couple of games back that he wasn't get quite the distance he was previously. Someone else observed that the hamstrings may be an issue. This could have had an affect on his kicking.

[ScottH]

Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by stellation
Hopefully he will be brought back in now, Grundy and Phillips combined for a total of 7 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles and 0 scoring shots; in Nick's last game prior to being dropped for poor form he had 9 disposals, 7 marks, 1 tackle and 2 scoring shots (1.1).

How many to nick kick on the weekend?? Hey???

[stellation]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by NMWBloods
I noted in his first couple of games back that he wasn't get quite the distance he was previously. Someone else observed that the hamstrings may be an issue. This could have had an affect on his kicking.

I believe (as is quite often the way with hamstrings) that he may also have had a lower back problem that would contribute to the poor kicking also.

[stellation]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by ScottH
How many to nick kick on the weekend?? Hey???

I have no idea what you are trying to ask/say. I understand the individual words, but the way you have put them together makes little sense.

[ScottH]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

LOL, those typing lessons were a waste of time!!

How many did nick kick on the weekend?? Hey???

[RogueSwan]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pick Nick!

Originally posted by stellation
I believe (as is quite often the way with hamstrings) that he may also have had a lower back problem that would contribute to the poor kicking also.

Could explain Bazza's misses as well.