Just got home - today was my first chance to see a full game live ie at the game!

Some player comments (and later some negatives and positives).

Valenti: loved his toughness; twice backed into thundering marking contests - didn't squib - took 1 mark, should have been awarded the other. Looked right at home at this level.

Maric: showed poise and at home at this level - several mistakes but will learn. Several excellent chases.

Sylvia: a big disappointment. If he has anything going for him it is toughness and attack on the ball. I watched him pull out of 2 (admittedly tough) contests - 1 to provide a contest in a mark in 1st quarter in our backline, can't remember circumstances of 2nd. I noticed after that that before a contest, he has a look around. Unimpressed. He could take a few lessons from Valenti. Also, in the 3rd quarter, a lobbed kick to the goal square gave him a perfect sit on a kanga backman (remember the big fly, that put Ferguson in hospital, and probably stuffed his career) - today he didn't even get off the ground.

Morton: looks to have a big motor and can run all day. BUT. Now I know he is very young, and slight, but he avoided (nearly?) every contest, including laying a tackle, and being tackled. I am not sure of the point of playing him at this level, now ie this year, and maybe next. I am not saying he is unskilled etc, to the contrary. But to me he is playing frightened, and I'm just not sure how this is handled, so as not to damage him.

McDonald: sadly, seemed to lack awareness (slow?) and showed poor skills for a senior player. Seemed to be running up and down on the spot a bit.

Backmen: collectively, were excellent. Kept us in the game. I know they made a few stuff ups (eg Buckley's kick in to self), but in general, showed poise and spoiled pretty well.

Negatives: to me the biggest negative is the general inability to put the ball out in front of a leading player. And, quick/early leads were too often not honoured. Also, they telegraph the quick exchanges - kangas picked them off regularly.

Positives: they get a lot of the ball! Don't knock it. 3 Qtr time, we had more contested marks than kangas, don't know about contested possessions. And just as a good side wins games when they are not playing well, we didn't get smashed despite not playing well. Half way through the final qtr, we were a chance! (rough, admittedly) - you would never have guessed it from the general field play.

Finally, a strange one (perhaps) - Bruce (well documented), and I think Morton, have vulnerable kicking styles, but I think Jones style is odd, crude. Worries me.

Valenti

Sylvia

Paul Johnson

Valenti

Chris Johnson

Buckley

Davey

Jones

and we can laugh at Fremantle for winning a meaningless game, hense all but losing their priority pick.

  Mono said:

Sylvia: a big disappointment. If he has anything going for him it is toughness and attack on the ball. I watched him pull out of 2 (admittedly tough) contests - 1 to provide a contest in a mark in 1st quarter in our backline, can't remember circumstances of 2nd. I noticed after that that before a contest, he has a look around. Unimpressed. He could take a few lessons from Valenti. Also, in the 3rd quarter, a lobbed kick to the goal square gave him a perfect sit on a kanga backman (remember the big fly, that put Ferguson in hospital, and probably stuffed his career) - today he didn't even get off the ground.

McDonald: sadly, seemed to lack awareness (slow?) and showed poor skills for a senior player. Seemed to be running up and down on the spot a bit.

Sylvia: there was one stage where Sylvia spoiled another of our players (Valenti maybe): couple that with the Ferguson incident and you see his lack of awareness and sometimes selfish nature.

McDonald: how both the HUN and Age put him in our best is beyond me. He was pretty poor yesterday. His motor is down, his kicking was awful (I think overall efficiency for him was 73% or something). Might have been carrying an injury, but I suspect he is coming to an unfortunate end faster than expected.

  Mono said:

Also, in the 3rd quarter, a lobbed kick to the goal square gave him a perfect sit on a kanga backman (remember the big fly, that put Ferguson in hospital, and probably stuffed his career) - today he didn't even get off the ground.

I think if you watch that again, he timed his leap perfectly, but the Kangaroos bloke side stepped because he was aware of the fly .... hence why Col missed him.

That said, I do get frustrated with Sylvia, he has more talent in his little finger than the whole team combined.

  titan_uranus said:

Sylvia: there was one stage where Sylvia spoiled another of our players (Valenti maybe): couple that with the Ferguson incident and you see his lack of awareness and sometimes selfish nature.

McDonald: how both the HUN and Age put him in our best is beyond me. He was pretty poor yesterday. His motor is down, his kicking was awful (I think overall efficiency for him was 73% or something). Might have been carrying an injury, but I suspect he is coming to an unfortunate end faster than expected.

THis is getting stupid the sylvia bashing!

I thiunk you'll find it was kicked straight to sylvia but chris johnson actually came in from the side and spoiled him.

He went into the game as a full forward but had to work up the ground because we were getting smashed so i thought it wasnt really a poor game from him. I still cant believe people would rather back dunn who just watches a player run around all day, than back a bloke that has a crack. Col goes harder at the ball than anyone else in our side i think.

  Mono said:

Negatives: to me the biggest negative is the general inability to put the ball out in front of a leading player. And, quick/early leads were too often not honoured.

To me the biggest disappointment is still the number of times our players don't contest and the poor tackling and pressure on opponents. They're young but they have to learn that.

As for Junior, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. First game back after several weeks out with a groin injury.

  PeterJames said:

THis is getting stupid the sylvia bashing!

than back a bloke that has a crack. Col goes harder at the ball than anyone else in our side i think.

The thing is he doesn't have a crack, at least not consistently........

He can go hard, but when it doesn't suit him he doesn't, and I'm sorry but that is not good enough and is becoming both annoying and is taking its toll. For me his skill base is not in question, nor is his apparent toughness, but it is his inconsistent form that seems to stem from poor attitude that worries the hell out of me.

Now I was not enraptured with Dunn's game on the weekend, but please don't try to compare the two, you can say that Dunn was ordinary but Sylvia was no better. They were playing vastly different roles and Sylvia did not appear to give or even try to give anything near what he should have on Sunday.

And that is not good enough and it is becoming all too common, unfortunately.

  PeterJames said:

THis is getting stupid the sylvia bashing!

For me at least, it is not Sylvia bashing. I have mixed feelings about him (as do most posters), but a week or so ago I had the feeling he might be a barometer for the team - when he's up, they are etc. Bit like Chapman at the cats, except its more like 'when he plays, the cats play well".

Then on the Sunday I saw him pull out of 2 contests.

Not sure where I go with that. :angry:

  Mono said:

For me at least, it is not Sylvia bashing. I have mixed feelings about him (as do most posters), but a week or so ago I had the feeling he might be a barometer for the team - when he's up, they are etc. Bit like Chapman at the cats, except its more like 'when he plays, the cats play well".

Then on the Sunday I saw him pull out of 2 contests.

Not sure where I go with that. :angry:

You sure that wasn't Valenti? Because there was one occassion where Valenti [censored] himself when the ball was in the air ... he could have gone for it, but in the end was stranded between a rock and a hard place. Not having a crack at Valenti, I like the kid, I just think you might be confused about Col. Truth be told, I actually thought it was Sylvia at first, but on inspection of the reply, saw it was Valenti.

  dees_rule_4eva said:

You sure that wasn't Valenti? Because there was one occassion where Valenti [censored] himself when the ball was in the air ... he could have gone for it, but in the end was stranded between a rock and a hard place. Not having a crack at Valenti, I like the kid, I just think you might be confused about Col. Truth be told, I actually thought it was Sylvia at first, but on inspection of the reply, saw it was Valenti.

Didn't see a replay, so ....... But twice I watched Valenti hold his ground in front of a thundering pack - once to claim mark, 2nd should have got free if not mark. His eyes never wavered.

  Mono said:

Didn't see a replay, so ....... But twice I watched Valenti hold his ground in front of a thundering pack - once to claim mark, 2nd should have got free if not mark. His eyes never wavered.

i'll testify to that.

i dont think he is necessarily strong in the air, but he doesnt shirk the contest.

  deanox said:

Re: Valenti - i'll testify to that.

i dont think he is necessarily strong in the air, but he doesnt shirk the contest.

Similar traits to one Guy Rigoni IMO

  PeterJames said:

Col goes harder at the ball than anyone else in our side i think.

No, Col goes hard at the man with the ball, not the ball itself. Unfortunately.