Aaron Davey - wasted space

[Cranky Franky 2,089]

Can someone explain the rationale of having Aaron Davey running around the backline racking up posessions with 15 metres chips that generally went around in circles ?

This is the same sort of junk that Travis Johnstone used to do on occasions.

Aaron needs to either play forward & kick goals or else be an on the ball where we were badly beaten after half time yesterday.

[45HG 1,559]

What's with the one metre handballs he kept receiving before taking two steps to pass it 20m? Why couldn't the original ball carrier simply pass the ball and Davey provide a target?

[rpfc 28,733]

Can someone explain the rationale of having Aaron Davey running around the backline racking up posessions with 15 metres chips that generally went around in circles ?

This is the same sort of junk that Travis Johnstone used to do on occasions.

Aaron needs to either play forward & kick goals or else be an on the ball where we were badly beaten after half time yesterday.

Sure, I'll explain.

After the first 45 mins, half our backline and all of our midfield tensed up after the Magpies won all the clearances and gave no run off half back.

Davey provided that run and sparked us on many occasions, it fell down after that but that isn't his fault. He worked bloody hard and those in the MCC saw him come off knackered every time.

Finally, their not cheap if you do something with them.

[The Emblem 1]

Can someone explain the rationale of having Aaron Davey running around the backline racking up posessions with 15 metres chips that generally went around in circles ?

This is the same sort of junk that Travis Johnstone used to do on occasions.

Aaron needs to either play forward & kick goals or else be an on the ball where we were badly beaten after half time yesterday.

Behind me sat two Collingwood fans, one a true gentleman and his son, pleasant enough whilst being a stereotypically cycloptic pie supporter.

"Cyclops" observed that whilst Davey was racking up a tonne of possessions - few of them were "hurting" the Pies, partially correct.

So why play Flash there? At this stage of our clubs development I think its a fine idea. The more interchangeability / flexibility that our small forwards and midfielders have, the better. Small forwards can be swung into the game to gain possessions and more confidence, midfielders can rest up forward as well as on the bench - increasing our ability to run out a game.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

When played in the forward line close to goal, Davey can get half the number of possessions and yet be three times as damaging.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Can someone explain the rationale of having Aaron Davey running around the backline racking up posessions with 15 metres chips that generally went around in circles ?

This is the same sort of junk that Travis Johnstone used to do on occasions.

Aaron needs to either play forward & kick goals or else be an on the ball where we were badly beaten after half time yesterday.

I think he's trying to learn to link the backs through midfield, the role that Grimes & Strauss may well play, that Davey would probably be on the recieving end from.

[Eastie Boyz 0]

When played in the forward line close to goal, Davey can get half the number of possessions and yet be three times as damaging.

You could make that argument for every player in the league though

[45HG 1,559]

Not Travis Cloke though

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Davey is possibly the only player capable of playing the role he played yesterday. Had he not played the result would have been much worse. He did hurt the pies with his possessions and many of our forward thrusts were as a result of a spot up through the guts or switch which he originate. Davey can't be made responisible for the skill errors by his team-mates up the ground.

It was good to see Davey work as hard as he did and get his hands on the footy as often as he did. Hope we see it every week.

[w00dy 146]

terrible thread... Davey did a fantastic job yesterday... He got us running from the backline... He had the pace, confidence and skill to play on in the backline, hit a target and get us moving... If he wasn't there doing that we would've been a lot more stagnant coming from the backline.. And the most important thing, he hit a target pretty much every time, didn't waste the footy at all...

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

terrible thread... Davey did a fantastic job yesterday... He got us running from the backline... He had the pace, confidence and skill to play on in the backline, hit a target and get us moving... If he wasn't there doing that we would've been a lot more stagnant coming from the backline.. And the most important thing, he hit a target pretty much every time, didn't waste the footy at all...

Completly agree. You just knew he was going to hit the target every time he had the ball. If he was playing that role with a better foward line the score would have been a lot different.

[Little Goffy 14,636]

31 disposals, 5 tackles.

Unfortunately, one (1) of those disposals didn't hit a team-mate.

Stats obviously don't tell a whole story and there certainly was a bit of chipping, but it supports my initial impression that Davey was routinely in the right place at the right time, positioning himself to recieve and then effectively getting it to another player. Several times he managed some quite beautiful pieces of play.

Among our best.

[Yze_Magic 3]

He was given a role by Bailey, and executed it to perfection.

Has some great chase and tackles, which he hasnt done in a while.

Was a great return to form, but yes Id rather see him in the attacking half.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,233]

Can someone watch the replay and provide the passages of play (time in the qtr would be great) where Davey generated positive run. My account was his disposal was great but our attempts to give him the ball whilst he stood sideways, backwards or next to the player with it and then chip it 15 metres were a hindrance rather than a benefit.

Interesting how differently people view one players game.

[Little Goffy 14,636]

He was given a role by Bailey, and executed it to perfection.

Has some great chase and tackles, which he hasnt done in a while.

Was a great return to form, but yes Id rather see him in the attacking half.

Yeah, what he said.

I though Davey had a good game, I still would like to see him more in the forward line, but also recognise that we need to have a range of players who can run through the midfield and that developing that capability in Davey is a worthwhile goal.

[e25 5]

Can someone watch the replay and provide the passages of play (time in the qtr would be great) where Davey generated positive run. My account was his disposal was great but our attempts to give him the ball whilst he stood sideways, backwards or next to the player with it and then chip it 15 metres were a hindrance rather than a benefit.

Interesting how differently people view one players game.

Being at the game, Davey was always there as a get-out-of-jail-free card. When it became stagnant up ahead (which was quite often) the ball would get to him & he would still display the vision to find someone he could get the ball to and the skill to execute the pin-point kick. Without him there would have been a lot more horrible turnovers.

I'd question his teammates who he got it to and their lack of ability to carry on with the advantage he had given to them (albeit slight at times).

In my eyes he earned a vote yesterday.

[mo64 5,880]

Can someone watch the replay and provide the passages of play (time in the qtr would be great) where Davey generated positive run. My account was his disposal was great but our attempts to give him the ball whilst he stood sideways, backwards or next to the player with it and then chip it 15 metres were a hindrance rather than a benefit.

Interesting how differently people view one players game.

If it wasn't Davey on the end of a backwards or sideways pass, it would have been someone else. And the subsequent 15 metre chip is in accordance with our gameplan.

Davey played his given role to perfection.

BTW, you are 100% correct. Davey wasn't an influential player.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Run and carry gameplan is preferred to a bomb and turnover gameplan which we often revert to when we are playing at our worst. Usually it results in an opposition score. Those people looking for us to turn to a long kick to a contest are advocating a gameplan that will lead to constant thrashings. Far better to own the corridor with run and skill as we did for a short period yesterday.

And yes we do need to win more stoppages.

I will try and watch a rerun of the game this week, and will post times and results of Davey's possessions.

[rusty_kingswood 0]

terrible thread... Davey did a fantastic job yesterday... He got us running from the backline... He had the pace, confidence and skill to play on in the backline, hit a target and get us moving... If he wasn't there doing that we would've been a lot more stagnant coming from the backline.. And the most important thing, he hit a target pretty much every time, didn't waste the footy at all...

Spot on! You people cant be serious?

Davey provided soo much run off the HBL, which in turn for the first half at least- was winning us the game.

Cheap? I dont think so.

I would like to see him play there a little more actually, whilst if needs be, being able to go up forward.

Stupid thread!

[titan_uranus 25,042]

He was given a role by Bailey, and executed it to perfection.

Has some great chase and tackles, which he hasnt done in a while.

Was a great return to form, but yes Id rather see him in the attacking half.

Sums up my thoughts.

Once Maric and Wonaeamirri return, though, hopefully we won't be complaining about not playing Davey forward.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,233]

I am not advocating Davey playing only forward. More than happy if he can learn to play as an attacking half back. He should watch those that are best at it ie: Mcloud and Burgoyne. They take the ball and run it forward drawing players to them and then deliver it to a more offensive position. They do not stand next to someone stationary to take the ball then run in circles and chip it 15 metres.

[w00dy 146]

Sums up my thoughts.

Once Maric and Wonaeamirri return, though, hopefully we won't be complaining about not playing Davey forward.

good call, long term the plan is to have flash up the ground, with Aussie and Maric playing closer to goal...

[Guest Petjudhome]

In the first half it wasn't Davey providing the drive, it was the much maligned Cam Bruce who had an excellent game, but nobody wants to mention that, I am slowly getting over Daey, yes yesterday he got a lot of the ball but it did not result in anything meaningful......he is not the player he was...............he could be our Leon Davis............unless he is playing to instructions, but that didn't seem to be the case, who would instruct you to hover behind get a handpass and then chip kick, cheap possessions.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Davey is possibly the only player capable of playing the role he played yesterday. Had he not played the result would have been much worse. He did hurt the pies with his possessions and many of our forward thrusts were as a result of a spot up through the guts or switch which he originate. Davey can't be made responisible for the skill errors by his team-mates up the ground.

It was good to see Davey work as hard as he did and get his hands on the footy as often as he did. Hope we see it every week.

Yes, 'dandeeman', this is exactly what I called for last week after our loss. His switch of play with great kicking, helped us break the zone & set up goals directly.

I'd like to see him run & carry a little more when the switch isn't on to break opposition lines.

Also happy with Morton yesterday after a poor performance the week before. I wasn't a big wrap for Morton prior to yesterday as he appeared way too much a wide outside player but yesterday showed another string to his bow doing nice evasive stuff in traffic carrying the ball & giving it effectively. Encouraging.

[timD 994]

If it wasn't Davey on the end of a backwards or sideways pass, it would have been someone else. And the subsequent 15 metre chip is in accordance with our gameplan.

Davey played his given role to perfection.

BTW, you are 100% correct. Davey wasn't an influential player.

Mo! it is not like you to snipe at Bailey or the gameplan! What's gotten into you?

I presume then that every kick over 15 metres is not following the gameplan. So Morton's passing yesterday should have seen him dragged?