The trials and tribulations of lewis roberts-thomson

[AnnieH]

Are you blaming LRT for the loss? He was just about our best player IMO. IF u want to haul him over the coals at least wait until he has a bad game.

Yeah.

[aardvark]

Yeah x 2

[Melbournehammer]

i think one of the most impressive parts of the season has been the work of lrt and grundy as a combo down back. He is no superstar but he is a solid defender doing a good job under pressure.

No * 1 - this is the best description of LRT by a mile. He is a limited player who grundy has passed by. But so what. There are lots of limited players who have others pass them by - lots of journeymen types at every club. LRT is ordinary, but he's our ordinary.

[goswannie14]

I had him as our best yesterday.

[caj23]

Lewis also has a remarkable yet unfortunate record of being the most stats of turning the ball over and creating opposition score in the afl over the last decade.

Opposition teams are happy to leave lrt free when the swans try to clear the ball from defence as he clearly becomes a liability according to champion data analysis.

What is this stat that you speak of? I actually think despite his ungainly style that his disposal out of the backline is generally pretty good.

I'm not sure about opposition deliberately leaving him free either. Basically he takes the oppositions key forward each week who in most cases doesn't have the same defensive capabilities as a smaller faster forward would.

God, I'd hate to think how we'd go down back if he got injured

[Ken Oath]

I had him as our best yesterday.

And there lies our problem

[Go Swannies]

most people even in the media now acknowledge that LRT has become a very good centre half back, there arent too many in the afl better (arent many CHB really) .

I watched the game at a friend's place and she is perpetually down on LRT. So whenever a goal is scored against us, that's LRT's fault. I started pointing each time he took the saving mark (very sure hands these days) and she said "ok, that's once for the whole game" then twice and three times, four times, etc until she finally had to declare "ok he's playing well today but he's usually rubbish". I think a lot of "fans" have very large LRT blinkers that will never go away no matter what he does.

Without B2 I think it'd be a very grim season if he wasn't playing as well as he does - and if Reg hadn't matured as he has. They certainly aren't being helped by our soft midfield (excluding Jude) and our supposed squad of running defenders (excluding Shaw).

[Primmy]

And there lies our problem

Rubbish.

The guy is not Dunks, nor is he Bolton, but he is a very good backline player, who has created a niche for himself when many of us doubted he could. He is not brilliant, he is LRT, and he is a consistently good player for us.

[ernie koala]

I agree with the general sentiment on here. He was definitely one our best on the weekend, and has been good all year. I don't know the details of the stats, about his turnovers, but IMO his disposal over the last couple of seasons has been pretty good. His long kicking accuracy has definately improved and is now pretty good. He contests really well with high energy....He's simply the wrong guy to be singling out.
Our problems lie more in a disfunctional forward line, 3 soft tackling halfbacks (Shaw, Malceski and Kennelly), an overall slow one paced midfield and an out of date predictable gameplan. And of course, a stubborn coach who stayed a year or 2 too long. (Didn't listen to his own advise)

[Jewels]

I watched the game at a friend's place and she is perpetually down on LRT. So whenever a goal is scored against us, that's LRT's fault. I started pointing each time he took the saving mark (very sure hands these days) and she said "ok, that's once for the whole game" then twice and three times, four times, etc until she finally had to declare "ok he's playing well today but he's usually rubbish". I think a lot of "fans" have very large LRT blinkers that will never go away no matter what he does.

Without B2 I think it'd be a very grim season if he wasn't playing as well as he does - and if Reg hadn't matured as he has. They certainly aren't being helped by our soft midfield (excluding Jude) and our supposed squad of running defenders (excluding Shaw).

Bingo!
I have a daughter who thinks like your friend and we spend most of our time at games arguing LRTs merits or lack thereof.
Nothing I say or point out changes her opinion.
Heaven help us if he went down with injury, he's been a rock down back since we lost Bolts.

[Bloody Hell]

LRT is under rated and over criticised. Played very well yesterday.

Over rated and under criticised.

LRT could have 20 goals kicked on him and the same people would say - Oh, that's just LRT. He's OK.

That said - did his job well yesterday. (Except when on Reiwolt....but that's just LRT.)

[Flossie]

Are you blaming LRT for the loss? He was just about our best player IMO. IF u want to haul him over the coals at least wait until he has a bad game.

I totally agree with this. LRT gets given a hard time by a lot of people on here but he certainly wasn't the reason we lost yesterday. He's brave, he takes great catches at times, and yes sometimes he has a brain snap and turns if over. Well so what. He's not the only one and IMHO he's the bestwe've got in the backline without Craig being there.

[Ken Oath]

sometimes!!!??

Let's be serious for a second. He's got to be the most awkward, uncoordinated footballer to ever grace the MCG.

Yes he tries hard, more than Kennelly and the rest of them, but he's still got the skills of a donkey.

[Melbournehammer]

Over rated and under criticised.

LRT could have 20 goals kicked on him and the same people would say - Oh, that's just LRT. He's OK.

That said - did his job well yesterday. (Except when on Reiwolt....but that's just LRT.)

I am an LRT hater - but the blinkers go on on this website for LRT in the same way that they go on against players. he is important to our structure because we often need two tall defenders. So of course heaven help us if he goes down. But don't turn it into he is a great defender. he isn't. he tries really hard and puts his body on the line - and there is no doubt that he has improved. And he does rely on our midfield - which have been letting him down - but the absence of bolton, richards and barry have left our one-out defenders looking second rate.

A selection of the last few weeks -
Jolly beats him on the lead - ohh thats just great delivery.
Riewoldt beats him in the goal square - ohhh thats just riewoldt - he's a gun. What do you expect when all that ball is coming down there.
beaten by hall - but hall was too quick for him
beaten by jpod - but then who hasn't been ?

in those few games where our midfield has been ahead he has won his share of contests - roughhead definitely - maybe fev. The port forwards (but who doesn't beat them ??)

And i guess this is the point - its easy to be a backman in a good side. We are not a good side at present and that often shows his limitations. he's not the reason we lose games - but lets not pretend he is some sort of undervalued star. There simply wouldn't be too many teams who would say - LRT lets trade for him - he'll win us the next flag.

[Jesse Richards]

sometimes!!!??

Let's be serious for a second. He's got to be the most awkward, uncoordinated footballer to ever grace the MCG.

Yes he tries hard, more than Kennelly and the rest of them, but he's still got the skills of a donkey.

Look at yesterday's stats. 6 contested marks - next was Pyke with 2. He may look awkward but even my donkey could only manage 3 kicks yesterday morning when I went out to feed him and he missed all of them. Seriously.