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I'm not sure if I really want to see Kizza spending more time up forward, since the thing that impressed me most about him last year, especially the latter half of the season, was his gut running. This was particularly impressive, when he was breaking from the back half of the field to make himself an attacking option.
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Interesting that nobody invited Mitch Brown or Michael Hartley to train with them...could be clubs not wanting to give away how keen they are because surely they'll both be picked up in either the PSD or rookie drafts.Twitter @cmdil
Instagram @conordillonComment
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Looks like Talia and Sinclair are gunna be roommates in Sydney. Two new young faces in the team. I`m excited for 2016. Talia touches down - sydneyswans.com.auEven Santa follows the Swannies.Comment
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Off topic posts have been moved to a separate thread in the general sports forum.Comment
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Watching many of the replays of games I can agree with some of what you say about execution of skills. But what concerned me was the lack of intensity at crucial times in games, games we actually won. there was more intensity toward the end of the year but less skill but before the break we had the skill levels up for a half and down for a half but it was the intensity level that caused the skill level to lower. It's as though our players play one quarter then stop and have a Kit Kat. I think it was the fitness level. We started later than all the other clubs at preseason, including Hawthorn. this year we are latest again and don't start until two weeks after the majority and a week after the GF sides. What is that about? You'd think after a lot of injuries and suspect fitness levels last year we might be able to start a little earlier. I'm pretty sure the group wouldn't mind.
I think for Reid to have a good year his role has to be defined. He can no longer be in limbo. I think Buddy has to play as a FP or flanker and Reid CHF. Bud can take FF when Tip is in the ruck and Sinclair can either be pocket or bench. Tip will also get more of a chance to rest as well. Towers started to show just what he brings to the table and I'm really looking forward to him stepping up again in 2016. His latter part of the year was pretty good and if he can do that every week we have found a really good player. We need to be careful with Benny, he has proven to be a bit injury prone as he gets older. I'm a bit worried about his role this year. I like Heeney in the forward line. He will be a huge mid for us but he could provide the X factor next year on the HFF. Rooster is a forward or winger. Can kick very long goals and if he gets hid kicking right will be massive in 2016. I think the forward line has the makings of a high scoring unit. Add the resting mids, especially Parks, and you have very high scoring capacity. I think Parks could kick 30-40 if he played more forward. With the options we now have in the forward line it is going to be very hard to keep our boys down...depending on mids delivery.
Teddy is getting to the end, it was obvious last year, that is why we recruited Talia instead of waiting for a youngster to develop. Who replaces Shaw, the natural choice would be Jones. So how many does Talia play as we develop him from a 30 gamer to 50 gamer? Because he certainly will play. Smithy and Teddy had pretty ordinary seasons for them and Smithy can get better, not so sure about Teddy though. Rampe was pretty good but needs to clean up his brain-fades. Macca will always give his heart and soul (he is not playing for frees and putting hands in air any more). Reg was wonderful last season and was the lynchpin in the backline. He controlled everything.
The mids need to be better on delivery. They must put more time into their skills to get them up to elite AFL level. This is the fault of the coaches I believe. They don't do enough elite skills drills to develop skill levels to the highest standard. Mitchell, Jack, Hannas, Benny & Joey all get plenty of ball but give it up more than 40% on the clearances. In fact I think the figure is closer to 50%. Parks is much better. So is Macca when in the mids. Love to see a bit of Heeney and possibly Mills and Hewett in the mix. Mills is s deliverer and so is Hewett. Don't be surprised to see Big Sammy Naismith get a few games as the Sub is no longer there I think clubs will play the extra big guy every now and then.
Players to look out for in 2016; Talia, Abaina Davis ( this kid player mids all year in the twos, he can also ruck and play KPP. At 192 he is a big mid), Aliir Aliir (started to hit some really exciting form after returning from injury, still a bit of developing to do but exciting), Naismith, Hewett, Mills, Rose. We know what Zac Jones can do so am not going to make him one to look out for.
Oh by the way the other bloke to look out for is Kirkie. I think a few of our players will get a few lessons on how to back into packs and walk away without even flinching. That Kirkie hardness and maniacal love of the Bloods will rub off on all of them. You watch, he is pervasive (in an omnipresence), you can't get away from him and he infects everyone around him, in a good way of course.Last edited by wolftone57; 10 November 2015, 04:47 PM.Comment
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That would be Josh Francou. his father, Maurice and uncle, Ken both played for North Adelaide. I think they may haver played in the 1973 thriller when beaten in the last 3 minutes bty Glenelg champ Graeme Cornes taking an absolute screamer. Tigers went on to win by 7 points due to an after the siren goal by Sandilands (ex North). Josh comes from a fine tradition of South Australian football. The 1972 north side was Australian champion beating Carlton & Subiaco.
Francou has always been an advocate of the small forward and as a player ages it is good for them to spend more time in the forward line. I think the other problem is Kizza's delivery from the mids is not particularly good but his goalkicking and delivery inside forward 50 is really good.Comment
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Most of our players have their flaws (or rather, opportunities for improvement) - as do most in the competition. But I reckon you'd be hard pushed to name many for whom reluctance to back into packs is an issue. Parker was voted the most courageous in the competition in 2015 by his peers. Hanners never fails to go when it's his turn. Rohan and Heeney are probably too kamikaze for their own good (and sometimes the good of their team mates too). And pretty much every other regular senior player isn't far behind these four in terms of their toughness at the contest. The now-departed Jetts used to maybe pick and choose his moments (but we already miss his other wonderful attributes, all the same), and a couple of the younger players are still finding their way but I doubt you'd call any of them soft.
I am sure most of our players will learn a huge amount from Kirk and his perspectives on football and life. I just find it odd that you've picked out the one particular trait in which the overwhelming majority of our players need absolutely no schooling.Comment
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Now Liz I was referring to technique not the inference our players don't do it. I never inferred that. But I do infer that our players technique in this area could improve. We have sustained many injuries because our players are just too brave. That is my point. Kirkie had a knack of backing into a pack without getting hurt. Maybe Rohan, Hannas, Parks, Smithy & co can learn from the master and forgo the injuries. I disagree entirely with your perspective about not needing schooling. They need great schooling otherwise they would not be getting pole-axed. Technique is everything.Comment
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And how often do our guys get injured, relative to how often they back back? In the game Parker broke his ankle, he had been poleaxed in the air but just bounced back up again. Not unlike when Kirk was poleaxed by Pickett in the 2003 QF and just got back up. Kirk a brave player who always went when it was his turn, but marking over his head wasn't really his thing. He wouldn't often have been in the position that Parker, Rohan, Heeney and Hanners frequently put themselves in.Comment
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Don't agree at all. Parker was concussed going stupidly, yes I said stupidly Liz, into a pack with Buddy coming the other way. He should not have flown, there was no need for him to even contest. It is about decision making Liz. The kid is too @@@@ing brave but sometimes stupidly. There is a difference between bravery and stupidity and if you can't see that then you are a fool and I don't think you a fool. Kirkie was always able to judge whether he needed to go or not. That is the difference Liz. It's all good to throw yourself at the pack and get the plaudits for bravery but sometimes you really have to say 'Who else is in this contest?' If it turns out your KPP are there then stay the hell out. That is a bloody unwritten law of footy Liz which you may not know about. Small men down when the big men fly.
I'm not saying Parker should never fly or take big marks. What I am saying though is if he is spoiling the big guys or putting himself in needless danger then he should back out. Kirkie used to judge the contest really well. that is my pointt. He was fearless and in most cases he got it right. I don't want to lose a Rohan, Parks, Hannas etc because they banged into Buddy or Tip.Comment
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While there have been a couple of instances a smaller player should have shown better judgement, I think these instances are in the minority. On the whole, players are showing the courage that the competition demands they show (and if they don't, they ridicule the players for shirking a contest). Either way, I doubt they are going to learn a huge amount on this specific point from Kirk. He wasn't an aerialist on the whole, which is why he rarely flew for a contested ball.
Your starting assertion was that, indicating our current crop of players was not as hard as Kirk. I still contend that this is not really the case.That Kirkie hardness and maniacal love of the Bloods will rub off on all of themComment
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