2024 VFL thread

[dejavoodoo44]

Team for the match against the Giants, that kicks off at 11.05am tomorrow at Blacktown. Fox and Roberts are listed to play, while the C McCartin listed is the brother of Tom and Paddy. McLennan is a pacy and quite skilful, former academy player.

B: M. Roberts (34), W. Edwards (28), W. Green (45)
HB: P. Snell (41), J. Hamling (29), R. Fox (42)
C: Cor. Warner (37), C. Vickery (25), T. Hanily (40)
HF: J. Magor (32), L. McAndrew (46), C. Mitchell (35)
F: J. Konstanty (18), A. Francis (10), J. Lugsdin (67)
R: P. Ladhams (19), I. Kirk (31), B. Edwards (50)
INT: J. Bartholomaeus (53), M. Geddes (61), M. Lloyd (54), C. McCartin (47)*, C. McLennan (63)
EMG: J. Tidemann (65), P. Moi Moi (56), B. Laws (64), B. Ashley-Cooper (51)

IN: R. Fox, C. McCartin, C. McLennan, M. Roberts
OUT: C. Cleary (AFL), L. Cabor, P. Moi Moi, Ham. Morrison

[dejavoodoo44]

Coaches votes for the game against Footscray. I'm a bit surprised that Mitchell and Ben Edwards were the leading vote getters, as I thought Francis was BOG. Still, well done to Edwards, who must be starting to push for a promotion to the rookie list. Personally, I think he probably needs to improve his disposal skills, but he is a tough competitor.

7 Ben Edwards (SYD)
7 Caleb Mitchell (SYD)
6 Aaron Francis (SYD)
4 Cooper Craig-Peters (FOO)
3 Oskar Baker (FOO)
3 Joel Hamling (SYD)

[rickmat]

Did anyone watch the VFL side play against the Giants? It appears Ladhams was either injured early in the game or was just hopeless as his numbers both in the ruck and general kicks were non existent!!! Looks like Will Green is coming along well and has heaps of potential in the ruck and around the ground.

[dejavoodoo44]

Did anyone watch the VFL side play against the Giants? It appears Ladhams was either injured early in the game or was just hopeless as his numbers both in the ruck and general kicks were non existent!!! Looks like Will Green is coming along well and has heaps of potential in the ruck and around the ground.

He certainly didn't play the last quarter and I vaguely remember thinking halfway through the third, that I hadn't seen him for a while. Didn't see him get injured or hear the commentators say anything about him being held over: so I don't know what happened? Maybe he was playing ill or injured, because he was having one of those days, where almost every involvement that he had, was advantageous to the opposition. Dropped chest marks, kicks and handballs going astray, being beaten in the ruck by their academy player, Logan Smith.

Of the players that did well, I thought Corey Warner was probably our best. Looked quite dynamic at times and kicked three goals. Although he was only influential in patches. McAndrew was pretty good in the ruck. He topped the tackle count and took a couple of strong marks, but still looks a bit unsure of himself at times. Snell and Edwards continued their good form in defence, with Snell looking particularly classy when the ball came his way. And I really enjoyed some of Konstanty's chase down pressure.

[rojo]

I was a bit disappointed in that we could have won the game in that last quarter but for fumbles and a lack of footy smarts! Three or four times someone took a mark just around the 50 metre arc and each time decided to kick for goal with McAndrew in the goal square surrounded by opposition players. McAndrew couldn't hold on to any of the marks and the ball was very quickly cleared and taken with speed down the other end where our players were caught out each time. All the good work undone in a flash!

Hambling seemed to be being very closely checked up forward and perhaps unable to be the usual spearhead. Both Francis and Ladhams as more mature players make awful decisions at times.

[mcs]

I was a bit disappointed in that we could have won the game in that last quarter but for fumbles and a lack of footy smarts! Three or four times someone took a mark just around the 50 metre arc and each time decided to kick for goal with McAndrew in the goal square surrounded by opposition players. McAndrew couldn't hold on to any of the marks and the ball was very quickly cleared and taken with speed down the other end where our players were caught out each time. All the good work undone in a flash!

Hambling seemed to be being very closely checked up forward and perhaps unable to be the usual spearhead. Both Francis and Ladhams as more mature players make awful decisions at times.

It is going to be interesting the trajectory for Ladhams career from here. I had high hopes he would really knuckle down with the arrival of Grundy, and find a way to develop into that quality ruckman that he has always had the potential to be. There is still plenty of time for that to happen.

But I feel like he has gone a bit backwards this season, and I haven't been overly impressed by his form. It must be hard of course with a big name recruit in your position coming to the club, that is a clear no 1 pick.

But he has more than enough talent and skill to play as a 2nd ruckman/tall forward target. I think McLean is a terrific toiler and is ever improving, but Ladhams at his best should (given their relative points in their careers) be able to offer just as much, if not a fair bit more. But I do wonder if it will ever quite 'click' for him, at least at Sydney anyway.

There is still time of course - and who knows, he may have a pivotal role to play in our season yet. But it could be very interesting to see what decisions are made at the end of next season (when I believe he is out of contract), if Will Green continues to progress well, Gundy is still doing well and not looking likely to slow up soon, and McAndrew again finds an upwards trajectory in his development.

[dejavoodoo44]

Team for the match against Werribee, that's scheduled for noon on Sunday at Tramway. The big news is that Sam Reid is back, after it appeared that he might have one of his non-playing seasons. Unfortunately it seems that Warner hasn't come up for the game, after being the only Swans to poll votes in last week's game. Also unfortunate is that Ladhams is out, after suffering a concussion.

B: M. Roberts (34), W. Edwards (28), W. Green (45)
HB: J. Magor (32), J. Hamling (29), P. Snell (41)
C: R. Fox (42), C. Vickery (25), T. Hanily (40)
HF: B. Ashley-Cooper (51), S. Reid (20), C. Mitchell (35)
F: J. Konstanty (18), A. Francis (10), J. Lugsdin (67)
R: L. McAndrew (46), I. Kirk (31), B. Edwards (50)
INT: M. Geddes (61), J. Bartholomaeus (53), M. Lloyd (54), C. McCartin (47), C. McLennan (63)*
EMG: P. Moi Moi (56), B. Laws (64), Ham. Morrison (62), J. Tidemann (65)

IN: B. Ashley-Cooper, S. Reid
OUT: P. Ladhams (concussion), C. Warner (managed)

[dejavoodoo44]

Cleary is playing after being a sub yesterday. Will Edwards is a late out. The commentator didn't say why.

[dejavoodoo44]

Behind 14-8 at quarter time in wet and windy conditions. Managed to lay 33 tackles in a scrappy affair. Werribee had the advantage of a strong southerly, so it should even up in the second. I don't think Reid has been on yet, so perhaps he's just playing the second half?

[Dow]

Scrappy early, Roberts has been busy and Hamling has looked dangerous

[dejavoodoo44]

Reid is on now.
It looked like the camera operator took a tumble in the first quarter and I'm guessing it's been decided that their elevated perch is too dangerous in the wind. So we've now got a strange, almost ground level camera angle.

[dejavoodoo44]

It does irritate me, when the umpire gives an opposition small forward a charity goal for a Ginnivan special.

[Dow]

Not making most of the wind,
The camera angle is annoying

[dejavoodoo44]

Quite an uninspiring quarter. Missing targets when going inside 50 and then missing shots when we managed to get possession.

[liz]

Not making most of the wind,
The camera angle is annoying

The camera work certainly makes it hard to watch. We're used to the trees getting in the way, but not normally the interchange tents. I guess the windy conditions have caused them to lower the height of the cherry picker they use for the broadcast cameras.