#AFL Round 18 Dockers v Swans Sat 20-Jul at Optus Stadium #AFLDockersSwans @sydneyswans

[gazza]

I felt mclean was manful,tried hard. keep all the youngans in the team,2020 looks promising. BUT we lost scoring chances with short loopy high kicks, they can get your teammate injured. somebody teach them how to kick lower passes

[waswan]

Repeat, youngest team we've fielded since 1997.

Semantics
If any one of Mcveigh/Jack/Buddy played the ave age would have been nowhere near youngest.

We get hung up in that stat, Horse must go out of his way to look at it every week

Who cares replace an 18yr old with a 30 yr old and we are 6 minths older

[Meg]

Semantics
If any one of Mcveigh/Jack/Buddy played the ave age would have been nowhere near youngest.

We get hung up in that stat, Horse must go out of his way to look at it every week

Who cares replace an 18yr old with a 30 yr old and we are 6 minths older

And if we had Buddy and McVeigh playing on Saturday we would have comfortably won the match. The stat regarding average age is a proxy for AFL experience. And experience = on-the-job learning.

Only a very few, exceptional players are at peak performance in their first two to three years of AFL.

[goswannies]

Young players in that team included Heuskes who left for Port.Adelside, Seymour who was often injured, Garlivk.who left to Bulldogs and Grant who went to North in a swap for Schwass. We started to develop young players in the late 90s. Bolton, Fosdike, Matthews, Okeefe, Goodes, Barry, etc. We hung on to them. Crouch was another. Happy if our young lot today turn out as good.

Don’t forget one of our emergencies who went out during the warm-up ... he turned out to be fairly at stinking Collingwood!

[Ludwig]

I watched the replay, keeping in mind to pay attention to Jake Lloyd. I thought he had a great game and was one of our best. Then I checked the stats. He had 42 disposals, not only most in the game, but most for Round 18. He also gained 706 metres, not only the most in the game, but also most for the round. So the bad stuff he did must have just been awful.

Lloyd works so hard getting himself in the best position to get the ball moving out of defence. He's involved in so much of our play. Obviously, if you're getting the ball as often as Jake, then you're likely to have a higher number of chances when something can go wrong. Next game, note how often Lloyd is in a critical position where a mistake will likely lead to a goal, but he makes the right play, and we get out of danger. Of course, it doesn't come off every time, but I suspect he's as good, or better than anyone in our side at making good decisions in tough situations, except perhaps Rampe.

I would prefer to move Lloyd to the midfield (wing) because I don't think he's a good enough defender, and would prefer someone. like Stoddart, with more pace and penetration on the kick. But he does that sweeper role well and it won't be easy to get Horse to take him out of defence, but that's something for next year.

I thought everyone played well, except McCartin. Stoddart didn't get much of the ball, but he showed a few times that he's going to be fine at AFL level. I really liked the play when he made a perfect kick to Fox on the lead, who kicked the goal. I also liked Fox's game. He did something special in a lot of areas. Made a couple of perfect tackles, took a great mark and split the posts when he had to kick a goal. I wonder if he were given a specific role every week, how well he would do.

I thought we played well and should have won, but missed easy chances. Lose by a point, win by a point, it really doesn't matter, except that if Jake Lloyd had kicked that goal and we won, everyone would be raving about just what a star he is.

[MattW]

I watched the replay, keeping in mind to pay attention to Jake Lloyd. I thought he had a great game and was one of our best. Then I checked the stats. He had 42 disposals, not only most in the game, but most for Round 18. He also gained 706 metres, not only the most in the game, but also most for the round. So the bad stuff he did must have just been awful.

Lloyd works so hard getting himself in the best position to get the ball moving out of defence. He's involved in so much of our play. Obviously, if you're getting the ball as often as Jake, then you're likely to have a higher number of chances when something can go wrong. Next game, note how often Lloyd is in a critical position where a mistake will likely lead to a goal, but he makes the right play, and we get out of danger. Of course, it doesn't come off every time, but I suspect he's as good, or better than anyone in our side at making good decisions in tough situations, except perhaps Rampe.

I would prefer to move Lloyd to the midfield (wing) because I don't think he's a good enough defender, and would prefer someone. like Stoddart, with more pace and penetration on the kick. But he does that sweeper role well and it won't be easy to get Horse to take him out of defence, but that's something for next year.

I thought everyone played well, except McCartin. Stoddart didn't get much of the ball, but he showed a few times that he's going to be fine at AFL level. I really liked the play when he made a perfect kick to Fox on the lead, who kicked the goal. I also liked Fox's game. He did something special in a lot of areas. Made a couple of perfect tackles, took a great mark and split the posts when he had to kick a goal. I wonder if he were given a specific role every week, how well he would do.

I thought we played well and should have won, but missed easy chances. Lose by a point, win by a point, it really doesn't matter, except that if Jake Lloyd had kicked that goal and we won, everyone would be raving about just what a star he is.

Good one, I agree with all of that except the last bit: if he kicked that goal he'd still have detractors. But generally, I don't get the criticism. As you say, he is one of our hardest workers and provides really important run.

[Agent 86]

Finally we are awaking to his poor play. Contrast him with Lewis Jetta - far fewer disposals but creative and highly effective

I disagree. He works hard & is a major reason why most of our forward thrusts originate from our defensive area. The problem with this is things break down due to the time it takes to move the ball from end to end - defence has time to structure - so end up kicking to a contest, (or we’ve been flooding & there is no one home = same result).

Jetta played in a totally different team (& is a totally different player) - a more penetrating kick, mind, but not a meaningful comparison.

We have problems, but Lloyd isn’t one of them. When we get a quick clearance, we usually score - but few & far between.

[Agent 86]

I watched the replay, keeping in mind to pay attention to Jake Lloyd. I thought he had a great game and was one of our best. Then I checked the stats. He had 42 disposals, not only most in the game, but most for Round 18. He also gained 706 metres, not only the most in the game, but also most for the round. So the bad stuff he did must have just been awful.

Lloyd works so hard getting himself in the best position to get the ball moving out of defence. He's involved in so much of our play. Obviously, if you're getting the ball as often as Jake, then you're likely to have a higher number of chances when something can go wrong. Next game, note how often Lloyd is in a critical position where a mistake will likely lead to a goal, but he makes the right play, and we get out of danger. Of course, it doesn't come off every time, but I suspect he's as good, or better than anyone in our side at making good decisions in tough situations, except perhaps Rampe.

I would prefer to move Lloyd to the midfield (wing) because I don't think he's a good enough defender, and would prefer someone. like Stoddart, with more pace and penetration on the kick. But he does that sweeper role well and it won't be easy to get Horse to take him out of defence, but that's something for next year.

I thought everyone played well, except McCartin. Stoddart didn't get much of the ball, but he showed a few times that he's going to be fine at AFL level. I really liked the play when he made a perfect kick to Fox on the lead, who kicked the goal. I also liked Fox's game. He did something special in a lot of areas. Made a couple of perfect tackles, took a great mark and split the posts when he had to kick a goal. I wonder if he were given a specific role every week, how well he would do.

I thought we played well and should have won, but missed easy chances. Lose by a point, win by a point, it really doesn't matter, except that if Jake Lloyd had kicked that goal and we won, everyone would be raving about just what a star he is.

Yes! I would encourage everyone here to check the replay with JL in mind. A few dodgy kicks in dewy conditions does not a dud make.

[Legs Akimbo]

Yes! I would encourage everyone here to check the replay with JL in mind. A few dodgy kicks in dewy conditions does not a dud make.

Actually, dodgy kick ins wasn't what I was referring to and wasn't suggesting he's a dud.

[707]

For some strange reason posters want a whipping boy and for many it's Lloyd. I often watch the replay concentrating on Lloyd after he's copped a pasting on here and cannot see the "errors" in his game that others are hounding him about. Works hard and within his capabilities every week, would be a lock at every other team as well.

Clarke's poor disposal is another myth to me, watch the replay and he does very well most times, his poor disposal is grossly overstated.

Fake news, mob following and bandwagon jumping, watch replays closely folks and you won't fire bullets at undeserving targets.

[Legs Akimbo]

For some strange reason posters want a whipping boy and for many it's Lloyd. I often watch the replay concentrating on Lloyd after he's copped a pasting on here and cannot see the "errors" in his game that others are hounding him about. Works hard and within his capabilities every week, would be a lock at every other team as well.

Clarke's poor disposal is another myth to me, watch the replay and he does very well most times, his poor disposal is grossly overstated.

Fake news, mob following and bandwagon jumping, watch replays closely folks and you won't fire bullets at undeserving targets.

Here is a thought experiment for you. Would you prefer Jake Lloyd in the team get 42 possessions or Nick Melceski with 20. Why?

I don't dislike Lloyd. I think is disposal is ok (not great). I think he needs to be more decisive and creative with his run from defense. As someone else said, there is a reason opposition teams don't tag him.

[Markwebbos]

Here is a thought experiment for you. Would you prefer Jake Lloyd in the team get 42 possessions or Nick Melceski with 20. Why?

I don't dislike Lloyd. I think is disposal is ok (not great). I think he needs to be more decisive and creative with his run from defense. As someone else said, there is a reason opposition teams don't tag him.

Opposition teams do tag him

[Mr Magoo]

Agree with watching replays. Its amazing if you watch a replay how much your opinion of who did what changes.

With the emotion taken out its often a very different view of the world. I suspect if you did this for things like Brownlow voting, the voting would quite measurably change.

[AnnieH]

Oh my. One point hurts... just ask any Essenscum supporter.
Maybe next week.
Oh. Wait.

[Ralph Dawg]

I'm not sure which KPD you are referring to? Or do you mean that we need to trade for one? We are short in the KP department at both ends of the ground and in the ruck. The ruck one is due to injuries. Other than Buddy, no one missing up forward or down back.

Reg and Maibaum both would've been part of our campaign this year - how effective I'm not sure but Reg traditionally took one of the bigger forwards.

- - - Updated - - -

And yes, definitely need to trade for one