And then there was Crouch....(retiring at end of season)

[Lohengrin]

What is it the Ablett gives us again? Occasionally he does a really good defensive job, but more often it's just average at best. Doesn't set the world on fire with his tackling. He doesn't get a lot of the ball and when he does he's only 50/50 to do something useful with it. Much of the time he grabs the ball and either gives away a free kick for holding the ball or forces a ball up. Too often he is the third player up in the ruck and hits it to the opposition. Doesn't kick many goals and his accuracy is poor.

[UglyDuckling]

What is it the Ablett gives us again? Occasionally he does a really good defensive job, but more often it's just average at best. Doesn't set the world on fire with his tackling. He doesn't get a lot of the ball and when he does he's only 50/50 to do something useful with it. Much of the time he grabs the ball and either gives away a free kick for holding the ball or forces a ball up. Too often he is the third player up in the ruck and hits it to the opposition. Doesn't kick many goals and his accuracy is poor.

Totally agree! He is rubbish no doubt about it. He had a poor season and maybe you could put that down to dengue fever but wat about his poor 2008 put that one down to malaria?
There are no more excuses i think a change of club would do both us and him some good.

[ernie koala]

What is it the Ablett gives us again? Occasionally he does a really good defensive job, but more often it's just average at best. Doesn't set the world on fire with his tackling. He doesn't get a lot of the ball and when he does he's only 50/50 to do something useful with it. Much of the time he grabs the ball and either gives away a free kick for holding the ball or forces a ball up. Too often he is the third player up in the ruck and hits it to the opposition. Doesn't kick many goals and his accuracy is poor.

And now for his bad points......Only joking!
Although I basically agree with your view of him, I also agree with others that he should be cut some slack, given his illness and no preseason last year. He is a strong hard body to help out in the engine room with Jude and Kirky. With a good preseason he should be a vastly better contributor next year. I'd definately be keeping Monty as well. What I don't understand is why they are bothering to play him week in week out this year, give him a rest and lets look at some more youngsters.

[RogueSwan]

What is it the Ablett gives us again? ...

Not much. As you said he sometimes does a good defensive job but that is about it. I grimace every time he gets his hands on the ball. He then normally meets my low expectation.
Monty has a lot more upside than NOG. Even when fit and firing (excuse my giggles) I can't remember NOG have a great game. Maybe very early in his career he seemed to promise something, but that has long since passed.

[floppinab]

Can't believe too many are suggesting Crouch should go on. Has looked painfully slow and devoid of any decision making on the rare occasions he's had the footy in his hands this year. You simply can't afford to carry a one dimensional stopper any more. The game has well and truely passed him by.

[UglyDuckling]

Can't believe too many are suggesting Crouch should go on. Has looked painfully slow and devoid of any decision making on the rare occasions he's had the footy in his hands this year. You simply can't afford to carry a one dimensional stopper any more. The game has well and truely passed him by.

Exactly right!
He has also been constantly injured over the passed 2 years his body just aint what it used to be.

[Lucky Knickers]

I wish everyone would go and re-watch the last 4 games of football we have played and direct your attention specifically to Ablett.
Then come back and tell me he adds nothing.
I cannot believe people are dissing his games against STK, Dees, Richmond and the Cats.
Particularly the Cats, the guys body is completely smashed and he somehow got himself to the contest half dead on the F50, got the ball clear for goal at a very critical moment.
We need him on the list. This is a big mature body capable of taking quite a bit of punishment in and under to move the ball forward and to our advantage.
Who on the list is going to come in and do this for us.
All I hear from the successful coaches (Bomber, Lyon, Roos, Malthouse, Eade) is that you have to win the contested ball. How are we meant to do that if we don't have players like Ablett, Jude and Kirky willing to get smashed and clear it out?

[caj23]

yeah, he had dengue fever earlier in the year, so he deserves to be cut a little slack.
dengue fever is pretty brutal - before the US dismantled their biological weapons program, it was something they were researching for use in warfare!

So how do you excuse the rubbish he served up in the seasons prior to 2009?

[Go Swannies]

So how do you excuse the rubbish he served up in the seasons prior to 2009?

Of course he did win us the 2005 semi against the Cats. The ball was going out of bounds until he punched it towards our goal when Baz kicked it to the goal square where it stayed until the ball up, tap, goal, win, Premiership.


Incidentally, there's about as much chance of Luke being traded as Jude or LRT. Last year when he was being ridiculed here Roos singled Luke out as a player doing exactly what he was asked to do - and doing it very well. This year he's lifted with the team (like Goodes?) despite his illness and shoulder.

[Lohengrin]

I wish everyone would go and re-watch the last 4 games of football we have played and direct your attention specifically to Ablett.
Then come back and tell me he adds nothing.
I cannot believe people are dissing his games against STK, Dees, Richmond and the Cats.
Particularly the Cats, the guys body is completely smashed and he somehow got himself to the contest half dead on the F50, got the ball clear for goal at a very critical moment.
We need him on the list. This is a big mature body capable of taking quite a bit of punishment in and under to move the ball forward and to our advantage.
Who on the list is going to come in and do this for us.
All I hear from the successful coaches (Bomber, Lyon, Roos, Malthouse, Eade) is that you have to win the contested ball. How are we meant to do that if we don't have players like Ablett, Jude and Kirky willing to get smashed and clear it out?

Ablett had 3 effective possessions and zero clearances and 2 tackles against Geelong.

Compare J Bolton - 16 effective possessions and 4 clearances and 11 tackles.

Kirk - 14 effective possessions and 3 clearances and 7 tackles.


Ablett against Richmond, 8 effective possessions and 2 clearances and 2 tackles.

Against StKilda, 8 effective possessions and 2 clearances and 3 tackles.

Against Melbourne, 6 effective possessions and 1 clearance and 2 tackles.

Doesn't seem that we couldn't replace that quite easily with a young player with potential, and there seem to be plenty knockin on the door.

[Lohengrin]

Of course he did win us the 2005 semi against the Cats. The ball was going out of bounds until he punched it towards our goal when Baz kicked it to the goal square where it stayed until the ball up, tap, goal, win, Premiership.

LOL One hopes that really is tongue in cheek!

[stellation]

Ablett had 3 effective possessions and zero clearances and 2 tackles against Geelong.

Would Davo have offered us more as a half forward if kept on? I think he might have.

[Lucky Knickers]

Thanks for the stats.
Please go and watch the game and tell me he hasn't added anything.
Please give me the list of young players with potential, fit and ready go, against the opposition we have had in our last chance race for the finals that would have come in and done the job?
Brab - riiiiggggghttttt
DOK - riiiiiggggggttttt
Vesz - injured
I can't think of anyone else in the ressies that we could have bought in.
I'm sticking up for him because there aren't other options and the Abletts of this world are useful to have on the list. I have every faith that Roos et all would have played someone else if we had them.
His last 4 games have been very handy.
A head to head comparison on stats for Kirk and Bolts doesn't make sense as they have played completely different roles. I used the comparison in terms of their hardness and willingness for the contest.
And thanks to Go Swannies above. We wouldn't have won that semi without Ablett doing his Wayne Harmes on the boundary.

[Lucky Knickers]

Would Davo have offered us more as a half forward if kept on? I think he might have.

That goes without saying.

I think we should keep Crouch just for Aker and Milne. You know it makes sense.

[Go Swannies]

LOL One hopes that really is tongue in cheek!

No it wasn't. You must know the footage by heart by now too. Luke and a Cat in a tussle while the ball bounces towards the boundary. Luke gives it a mighty swat forward where Baz and Scarlett (?) are battling but baz still manages to get boot to ball. It stays in so ROK almost gets free of the mob but it stays in until the bounce. That whole movement starts with some desperation from Luke and Baz.