Now BEVAN is the real liability

[gloveski]

Why not give him a run in the forward line with his crash bang style and fierce tackling he could lead to a few goals due to opposition turnovers. If he has his brain explosions it might not cost us a goal.

Just cringe every time he gets the ball in the backline

[NMWBloods]

Small defenders get a lot of marks and possessions as the ball is worked around half back. Bevan picked up a lot that way.

I've never seen anyone these days get excited about a backman taking six uncontested marks!

[Nico]

You are wrong. Against the Eagles his stats were impressive - 8 kicks, 9 handballs, (17 disposals for a defender for FFS) 6 marks, 4 tackles. On the debit side he had two clangers ( poor option to Dempster and attempted mark with the bonce). Had 2 free kicks against, one which was and one which wasn't. Yo say you have been bagging him for years - did that include 2004 when his peers rated him the second best first year player in the comp. Or did you climb off the bandwagon after he got injured?

For goodness sake, heaps of players have injuries and come back as good as ever. Malceski did his knee in his first year and few people had any idea of his ability. It wasn't until he started burning in the 2's and was made captain of the 2's in 2005 that people stood up and took notice. Arguably he should have played in that GF ahead of Bevan given his blinder in the 2's GF in avery close game. Apparently lifted the team over the line.

Bevan's problem is he did have a good first season but it has been rapidly downhill since.

[TheHood]

It was a shocking decision, though wonder boy Malceski laid off a couple of stinker handballs tonight as well. Strange, given that his decision making is normally so good.

Since his meteoric rise he's started to second guess his instincts at times, such as trying to break a conjested tackle situation and getting busted??

Everyone loves Mal, but he must listen to his instincts and he will be fine.

[Robbo]

He had the third highest number of marks - good for a small defender
He had 17 possessions in a defense that was under pressure all night
He had amongst the highest number of tackles
He ran hard and straight at the ball, put his head over the ball - fearless as usual
He played in a defense that lost its co-captain and fullback before half time and was severely undermanned
Just what part of the statement "strong game" isn't justified. Or do you believe he is a soft fringe player who racks up easy posessions by chipping the ball around at the back? He's gone from kamikaze hack to a fringe dweller in one seamless slide. You do know he wears number 42?

Why haven't you mentioned those CRUCIAL marks he fumbled?

Why haven't you mentioned those free kicks he gave away in the defensive 50?

Why haven't you mentioned his poor decision making when handballing?

You're delusional if you think his game was strong.

[swantastic]

Why haven't you mentioned those CRUCIAL marks he fumbled?

Why haven't you mentioned those free kicks he gave away in the defensive 50?

Why haven't you mentioned his poor decision making when handballing?

You're delusional if you think his game was strong.

Agree Robbo 100%,I just watched the replay of the game on FOX and in the last quarter he dropped some sitters.

[mulfa]

So lets get this straight

Our midfeild is crap the egales is great

Leo barry with a hamstring and no kennely

now did this guy really play that crap for all that pressure..

@@@@en hell this guy had an atom bomb droped on him

[NMWBloods]

After 58 games I'd hope he'd cope with the pressure a little better than that. He's no longer a first year player.

[reigning premier]

No doubt he played a BETTER game than he has on several occassions this year.....

But those clangers were a fair indictment on his performanve for the night. Take away those couple of clangers and dropped marks and we wouldn't be having this conversation....

[Bloody Hell]

But those clangers were a fair indictment on his performanve for the night. Take away those couple of clangers and dropped marks and we wouldn't be having this conversation....

And if he took 22 contested marks and kick 12 goals in the opening quarter we'd be having a different conversation...but he didn't.

[connolly]

Why haven't you mentioned those CRUCIAL marks he fumbled?

Why haven't you mentioned those free kicks he gave away in the defensive 50?

Why haven't you mentioned his poor decision making when handballing?

You're delusional if you think his game was strong.

I did mention two clangers one of which was the hospital to Demster. The whole backline was under enormous pressure all night. The Eagles pumped the ball in to their forwards and our defenders stood up pretty well. Bevo did not let the side down. He gave away 2 (two) free kicks all night. One was there and one wasn't. I did mentioin his attempt to mark with the bonce. However unless you are completely biased and take some perverse pleasure out of rubbishing a courageous young footballer who fearlessly fills the channel with bigger forwards thundering down on him, you just might attempt a balanced assessment. If thats delusional let the dream live.

[connolly]

Small defenders get a lot of marks and possessions as the ball is worked around half back. Bevan picked up a lot that way.

I've never seen anyone these days get excited about a backman taking six uncontested marks!

He took an excellent pack mark against taller opponents. He fills the channel against big leading forwards. Not excited but admire the way he constantly goes back into the channel. Significantly the armchair critics haven't mentioned this important part of his game. Next match just take note of the number of times Bevo is at the front of a pack or in front of a leading forward. Particularly running back into the danger zone. I challenge anyone on this site to point out once where he has shirked this critical role of a defender. Bevo is constantly the second plugging defender into a contest. And yes he is often tackled, sometimes spills the ball under pressure because he is always gouing at the contest. What is it - does he get soft chipping posessions or is he one of the stongest (physical stength in the tackle and putting his body in front of forwards), gutsiest defenders in the comp? Or both? Confused?

[connolly]

The new game plan amongst some successful clubs has now switched to longer play - kick it long or run with it more.

Three coaches most identified with the niineties game plan of loose open midfields and long kicking into a contested forward line to a power forward- Pagan - gone, Sheedy - gone (thank god) and Daniher - gone (rip). Pagan had Carey (coaches get lucky at least once in their career), Sheedy had Lloyd and Daniher had Neitz and they all tried to build a game plan around a power forward. Connolly simply didn't have a clue so I can't claim him as a victim of the obsolete game plan. The long kick into the forward contest gameplan is so easily rebounded and counter punched that it is no longer possible to play it in modern football as a gameplan - despite the attempts of the style police at the AFL and the hopeless nostalgia of Blight and Co.. Clubs are voting with their contracts. Contested football gameplans which run attacks out of defense win grand finals. End of story and of an era.

[NMWBloods]

He took an excellent pack mark against taller opponents. He fills the channel against big leading forwards. Not excited but admire the way he constantly goes back into the channel. Significantly the armchair critics haven't mentioned this important part of his game. Next match just take note of the number of times Bevo is at the front of a pack or in front of a leading forward. Particularly running back into the danger zone. I challenge anyone on this site to point out once where he has shirked this critical role of a defender. Bevo is constantly the second plugging defender into a contest. And yes he is often tackled, sometimes spills the ball under pressure because he is always gouing at the contest. What is it - does he get soft chipping posessions or is he one of the stongest (physical stength in the tackle and putting his body in front of forwards), gutsiest defenders in the comp? Or both? Confused?

No one has questioned his courage. His disposal and decision making ability and recklessness are the issues.

[NMWBloods]

The long kick into the forward contest gameplan is so easily rebounded and counter punched that it is no longer possible to play it in modern football as a gameplan - despite the attempts of the style police at the AFL and the hopeless nostalgia of Blight and Co.. Clubs are voting with their contracts. Contested football gameplans which run attacks out of defense win grand finals. End of story and of an era.

The long game plan is working well for the Kangaroos and Collingwood this year.

A long game plan doesn't exclude contested football or running out of defence. What it does exclude is holding the ball up and chipping the ball around.