How Low? So Low, Barlow

[liz]

Is it simply to stop threads disintegrated into name calling slanging matches or is there some other issue that I have failed to pick up?

Partly that. But more generally because we want people to participate, especially those who are fairly new to the world of internet boards. Not everyone has a thick skin and/or will take personally directed abuse on the chin.

And let's face it, it shouldn't be hard to engage in debate over opinions and ideas without resorting to petty name calling and abuse.

(Sorry for taking this thread off tack momentarily but thought it a good opportunity to remind people that our forum rules aren't random and arbitrary but have deliberate thought behind them.)

[dimelb]

Rubbish thread.....

Played a good game, set up a couple of goals, too many people heaping to much bs on the young fella.

In the immortal word of Obelix: "Zigackly!"

[RogueSwan]

In the immortal word of Obelix: "Zigackly!"

ferpectly right

[Nico]

Some Ed Barlow stats from last night;

12 Kicks and 4 handpasses. 75%efficiency, 5 contested possessions, 4 inside 50, 2 clangers, 0 clearances, 2 tackles, 0 assists, 1 goal 2 points (my point about his finishing in the game thread) 92% game time so he was given plenty of time to show his wares.

The big stat is metres gained; he was 4th best on the ground with 530 metres and ROK being 1st with 790 metres. He had 16 possessions and ROK 41!!!!!

From that I gleaned that he got many possessions in the clear and was able to deliver long. Is the key to him being set up as a link man running to space that might quicken up the movement by our mob. Is his value away from contested possession? When he burst onto the scene he played exactly this style.

We have so many run with/negating players that if we develop him in this linkman role mould it might just give us some variety in our game.

[Nico]

I also thought it was the best game Barlow has played for us, so close to having a couple more goals which would of made his game look so much better.

His first game was by far his best. Maybe they should have just kept playing him then rather than stick with some of the olds and bolds.

[ROK Lobster]

And let's face it, it shouldn't be hard to engage in debate over opinions and ideas without resorting to petty name calling and abuse.

As should discussion about players.

[stellation]

We have so many run with/negating players that if we develop him in this linkman role mould it might just give us some variety in our game.

You got it in one, you astounding genius you! My dream- a marking target on the wing who can run all day and is a good kick inside 50.

I don't know that anyone really ever plays on the wing anymore for the Swans, we just seem to view it as "centre line- must be a follower!" (I appreciate the whole competition may have gone that way).

[Nico]

You got it in one, you astounding genius you! My dream- a marking target on the wing who can run all day and is a good kick inside 50.

I don't know that anyone really ever plays on the wing anymore for the Swans, we just seem to view it as "centre line- must be a follower!" (I appreciate the whole competition may have gone that way).

Thanks for the accolades.

[Robbo]

He was fine last night. Actually one of our better players.

[connolly]

Some Ed Barlow stats from last night;

12 Kicks and 4 handpasses. 75%efficiency, 5 contested possessions, 4 inside 50, 2 clangers, 0 clearances, 2 tackles, 0 assists, 1 goal 2 points (my point about his finishing in the game thread) 92% game time so he was given plenty of time to show his wares.

The big stat is metres gained; he was 4th best on the ground with 530 metres and ROK being 1st with 790 metres. He had 16 possessions and ROK 41!!!!!

From that I gleaned that he got many possessions in the clear and was able to deliver long. Is the key to him being set up as a link man running to space that might quicken up the movement by our mob. Is his value away from contested possession? When he burst onto the scene he played exactly this style.

We have so many run with/negating players that if we develop him in this linkman role mould it might just give us some variety in our game.

He is our best run and kick long man since Willo. The fact that he hasn't been persevered with is an indictment of the selection room. Malceski kept him out for about half a season. We have played players injured (Kennelly) , disabled (Malceski) or infirm (Crouch) or incompetent (Ablett). In most other clubs Barlow would have been given a season to mature in the seniors. We have wasted a season of rebuilding the team basically in regard to Barlow, Smith and Thornton.

[BSA5]

He is our best run and kick long man since Willo. The fact that he hasn't been persevered with is an indictment of the selection room. Malceski kept him out for about half a season. We have played players injured (Kennelly) , disabled (Malceski) or infirm (Crouch) or incompetent (Ablett). In most other clubs Barlow would have been given a season to mature in the seniors. We have wasted a season of rebuilding the team basically in regard to Barlow, Smith and Thornton.

I would disagree with that. He has struggled recently with injury, so he wasn't able to be selected regularly. Barlow until recently has also been genuinely soft. Skilled, athletic, but soft. Probably not afraid of physicality so-to-speak but unsure of his decision making in regards to committing himself. I would say he was given a very firm talking to before the Pies match and told to just go out and chase everything. And he did. At first, he was still a bit unsure of himself, but he had a bit of extra intention about his game. I think it was late in the first quarter, he found himself chasing an opponent hard, got there, affected the kick, and got some congratulations from his teammates. From that point on, he just backed himself to do the hard thing time and again. I'm really hoping this is a turning point for him.

One thing though, he REALLY needs to work on his upper body strength. He cannot take a contested mark overhead. He has the frame, but he needs to build up his shoulders and arms, and probably work on his core strength a bit as well. He's a bit of a ruler at the moment, straight up and down. We need him to be a golf tee, triangle up the top (shoulder to shoulder to waist) straight from there down. In my opinion, he should be played as a leading forward for the rest of the year, variously as a flanker moving up to the wing, and a full forward. Hopefully with another preseason under his belt, he can develop the sort of body that will see him able to really exert a physical influence up forward.

[ScottH]

16 games over 3 seasons.

Give the kid a break.

[2005]

We again tracked this bloke last night and found that he is............
soft,very soft
is a reciever
doesn't know how to tackle,help his mates or get enthusiastically involved
stands back off packs and lets someone else do the hard work
has no clues on estimating where the pill will go
No,No for Barlow

You obviously didnt track him properly last night he was OK

[573v30]

Though he has the tendency to crumble under pressure, he played pretty well and better than a lot of other players in our side. It would've been great if he sucessfully converted those 2 behinds to goals.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Others have already said what I've been thinking - that he played well.

But no one has mentioned anything about his last shot of goal. I thought he was trying to 'play the hero' by getting the last goal that wins us the game, instead of passing to a player in a better positon. (And i thought did the same thing maybe five minutes before from the boundary?)

Did anyone else think that?