it's time to go...... PAUL BEVAN

[connolly]

The reason I felt Bevan is more to blame for the loss than other players is the nature of his mistakes. A forward lining up for goal has his best shot and if he misses, well there's really nothing more he could do on the night. It's not a poor decision, it's just a limitation to their skills. Similarly a defender who is outmarked by an opponent; if he was in the contest and got beaten, what else could he do? To improve in these areas requires a lot of hours of work and may not even be possible (see: Dunkley's kicking).

But to give away a free off the ball that results in a goal or to try to sidestep and fail are errors of judgement that can be fixed without a second of training; it is just out-and-out undisciplined. And that is why I was @#$%ed off with Bevan's game far more than with any of the other players.

I didn't see what led to the free kick so I can't comment. He has sidestepped a few over the previous weeks and delivered good passes to a forward. He was trying to get some run out of the backline when the game was static. Far from being undisciplined he was trying to implement the gameplan. But his mistake(s) have to be put in perspective - his opponent got one (unassisted) kick and half a dozen panicked handpasses. His opponent is one of Brisbanes stars.

[barry]

Merrett was hardly the spare man in defence. He was playing on Barry Hall. I think you are refering to the commentators' comments that the Swans didn't mind conceding the first kick from a Brisbane kick-out to Merrett - not the same thing.

I'd have to go back and watch the game again but my recollection isn't of Brennan playing as a loose man in defence. It was a bit hard to tell because, beyond Bevan guarding Brennan for most of the game, the main aim of most of the defenders seemed to be to leave their man whenever possible to help out Bolton on Brown. But most of the game seemed to be man-on-man, suggesting we couldn't have had a spare man in defence.

I didnt say loose or spare, but I should have qualified it as the "free man in defense when we had possession".

[Sanecow]

But his mistake(s) have to be put in perspective

Four frees against, zero frees for. Undisciplined.

[573v30]

Four frees against, zero frees for. Undisciplined.

3 against according to the stats, his free kick record for the year is 6-17. Anyone know his clanger count?

[connolly]

3 against according to the stats, his free kick record for the year is 6-17. Anyone know his clanger count?

Thats well below adam goodes stats of frees against. But if you want to know Bevo's clanger stats this is surely the place to get it. Some people posting here see nothing else when we play.

[573v30]

Adam Goodes is around the ball often, not too sure about Bevan.

[Gary]

I have been a constant critic of Bevan, or should I say of selectors who pick him...but he had played a couple of reasonable games until Saturday night. I think it is amazing thaT we almost (should have) won with Bevan, Brennan, Richards & Malceski (no idea how to guard near a pack or handball in traffic) on the backline.
Having said that my biggest disappointment was how our 2 rucks let the young bloke chew them up. Also the lazy side of Goodes...his first 2 handballs were a costly disgrace.

[NMWBloods]

I didn't see what led to the free kick so I can't comment. He has sidestepped a few over the previous weeks and delivered good passes to a forward.

He has been sidestepping against weak teams - it's different. I can't recall good passes to forwards.

He was trying to get some run out of the backline when the game was static. Far from being undisciplined he was trying to implement the gameplan. But his mistake(s) have to be put in perspective - his opponent got one (unassisted) kick

If your opponent infringes and gives away a free kick, you don't discount those kicks.

[NMWBloods]

Thats well below adam goodes stats of frees against.

So you're comparing him to Goodes now...?

And you're obsessed with the number of marks Bevan takes, which is a useless statistic as they're essentially all taken as a free man from a short chip kick.

[Bas]

The only place Roos darling will be going is the forward pocket.

[connolly]

So you're comparing him to Goodes now...?

And you're obsessed with the number of marks Bevan takes, which is a useless statistic as they're essentially all taken as a free man from a short chip kick.

I thought it was legitimate to compare Bevan's free kick against count with Goodsey because they play in the same team??? For the record Goodsey has infringed almost twice as much as Bevan - 33 to 17. For those who think that Bevan isn't in the play as much and therefore the comparison is invalid the other defenders counts are interesting. Malceski has given away 22, Leo 16 and Teddy Richards 19 and Craig Bolton 19. So Bevan gives away about the average number of free kicks for a Bloods defender. Of course the free kick against king is Big Beamish Barry Hall who heads the AFL count on 37.
Bevan played on a player who is 9 cm taller and 11 kilos heavier who averages one third of all his possessions from marks and kicks to handpasses normally at an average of three to one. Playing on Bevan he took one mark and got 5 kicks (four frees) and gave off six handpasses. I'd say that Bevan as a defender neutralised him very successfully. Job well done given that Brennan has been in sparkling form recently and is the Lions No. 2 forward.
Also does it not seem likely that some free kicks might be paid against a much smaller defender playing on a strong tall marking forward in a year of the most technical interpretations against defenders in the history of the game?
Bevan proved something against the Lions. He is now a versatile defender who can play tall and small and can take the leading forwards and beat them.
Teddy, Bevo and Luke Brennan as our second tier defenders did a very good job against the Lions. They helped hold them to a losing score. We drew because we couldn't kick a winning score. For scapegoats perhaps look further up the field.

[NMWBloods]

I thought it was legitimate to compare Bevan's free kick against count with Goodsey because they play in the same team??? For the record Goodsey has infringed almost twice as much as Bevan - 33 to 17.

It's not comparable because they do very different things in the team.

[Nico]

I thought it was legitimate to compare Bevan's free kick against count with Goodsey because they play in the same team??? For the record Goodsey has infringed almost twice as much as Bevan - 33 to 17. For those who think that Bevan isn't in the play as much and therefore the comparison is invalid the other defenders counts are interesting. Malceski has given away 22, Leo 16 and Teddy Richards 19 and Craig Bolton 19. So Bevan gives away about the average number of free kicks for a Bloods defender. Of course the free kick against king is Big Beamish Barry Hall who heads the AFL count on 37.
Bevan played on a player who is 9 cm taller and 11 kilos heavier who averages one third of all his possessions from marks and kicks to handpasses normally at an average of three to one. Playing on Bevan he took one mark and got 5 kicks (four frees) and gave off six handpasses. I'd say that Bevan as a defender neutralised him very successfully. Job well done given that Brennan has been in sparkling form recently and is the Lions No. 2 forward.
Also does it not seem likely that some free kicks might be paid against a much smaller defender playing on a strong tall marking forward in a year of the most technical interpretations against defenders in the history of the game?
Bevan proved something against the Lions. He is now a versatile defender who can play tall and small and can take the leading forwards and beat them.
Teddy, Bevo and Luke Brennan as our second tier defenders did a very good job against the Lions. They helped hold them to a losing score. We drew because we couldn't kick a winning score. For scapegoats perhaps look further up the field.

Yep we kept them to 9 goals. It appears our game plan and/or inability to move it on quickly from half back and midfield is our achilles heel along with the lack of clean centre breaks. Would be just nice every now and then for some one to boot it long and clean from a centre bounce. I live in hope.

Of our smaller midfielders Fosdike is the only one who consistently runs to space to create. Not the worlds greatest kick but gets it in open spaces a heck of a lot. Luke Ablett who always plays a negating role is a reliable kick from a standing start but is horrible if moving or has to think a bit about what to do with the pill. Judes still kicking in the back yard.

[connolly]

Yep we kept them to 9 goals. It appears our game plan and/or inability to move it on quickly from half back and midfield is our achilles heel along with the lack of clean centre breaks. Would be just nice every now and then for some one to boot it long and clean from a centre bounce. I live in hope.

Of our smaller midfielders Fosdike is the only one who consistently runs to space to create. Not the worlds greatest kick but gets it in open spaces a heck of a lot. Luke Ablett who always plays a negating role is a reliable kick from a standing start but is horrible if moving or has to think a bit about what to do with the pill. Judes still kicking in the back yard.

It really is true that without the Irishman we just lack that polish and finish with the breaks out of the backline. Maybe Leo (if he's fit) should be played on the half back line with B2 and Teddy taking the maggie monsters Rocca and Cloke. Perhaps Leo should play on Medhurst with Bevo taking the Hells Angel? Leo using his evasive skills and his (not too bad) footskills might relieve a lot of the pressure that is being directed at Melcho by opposing forwards. We have to do something to break the lines and creatively finish when teams flood our half forward line like the Lions did last Saturday night. Probably Ablett will get Bucks and the Tribunal Johnstone. Our midfield should at least break even with the magpie cortinas and hopefully Spider and Jolly can wreak a bit of havoc against their backline by drifting forward and receiving the odd bomb or two.

[ScottH]

3 against according to the stats, his free kick record for the year is 6-17. Anyone know his clanger count?

Bevans total clangers 27 (Avg 1.9)

Goodes 66 (3.3)

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