Skills need to improve, does all the hard work as the OP said "knows when to go at the contest and loose ball", runs through the lines and then tends to fluff it all up with poor skills causing turn overs = scoring opportunites for the opposition.

I do enjoy watching him tear through the back half though.

You're suggesting an AFL player runs fast because he's scared of being hurt rather than because it's an important skill of the game???

Ridiculous.

Yes, a small 1st year player who weighs about 75kg is occasionally going to avoid heavy contact because they will more often than not come off 2nd best and be removed from the contest. It's usually far more important for a speed player to stay in the contest than to recklessly create a collision.

Thanks for your input. I would think staying in the contest would mean exactly that. All I am saying is his evasive behaviour at times appears to me to be more about self preservation than anything else.

Bennell make me very nervous.

I’ve found his pre-season games highlighting more of what he can’t do that what he can do.

Maybe I just expect more from him from the glimpses of run and carry he showed us last year.

Maybe I expect more from every player on the list.

Sure, he has speed, and yes he can be evasive, but I find him to be too erratic which causes confusion down the line.

Fair assessment. I worry about his defensive body on body skills.

What I worry about is the amount of posters expressing their concerns about Bennells body on body skills....

He is a second year player FCS and is nowhere near physically mature enough to hold is own against opposition forwards.

From what he showed in the game against Westcoast, he made fantastic spoiling efforts a number of times? Yes I have seen him

a little loose on his opponent on more than one occasion and he will learn from this. But body on body, of course he will be easily shoved aside at times this year.

IMO the message to him from the coaching staff is to use his pace and take the game on. Of course he will get caught at times but I

am extremely pleased with what I have seen so far.

He may well be the most exciting youngster on stage this year.

P.S.

(Posters should be worrying far less about an undeveloped second year player and start concerning yourselves with players like Bate

who is in his fourth or fifth season who I am still having trouble watching after he continues to make the same mistakes)

But body on body, of course he will be easily shoved aside at times this year.

He's not Robinson Crusoe at the MFC in that regard. This was probably the most noticeable thing (for mine) from the Essendon game. The amount of times players made the contest, only to be easily muscled away from the ball. A lot of players just need a little more time to develop.

A lot of players just need a little more time to develop.

As I stated.....

?

Can't tell if you are agreeing or not ? Haha

Definitely in agreeance with you.

What I worry about is the amount of posters expressing their concerns about Bennells body on body skills....

He is a second year player FCS and is nowhere near physically mature enough to hold is own against opposition forwards.

From what he showed in the game against Westcoast, he made fantastic spoiling efforts a number of times? Yes I have seen him

a little loose on his opponent at times but that will come. But body on body, of course he will be easily shoved aside this year.

IMO the message to him from the coaching staff is to use his pace and take the game on. Of course he will get caught at times but I

am extremely pleased with what I have seen so far.

He may well be the most exciting youngster on stage this year.

P.S.

(Posters should be worrying far less about an undeveloped second year player and start concerning yourselves with players like Bate

who is in his fourth or fifth season who I am still having trouble watching after he continues to make the same mistakes)

You worry too much and are too easily pleased.

Body on body work is a state of mind not weight. Its not an issue of being too light to be pushed off the contest. He does not get himself into those contests when he should particularly as a defender.If he is going to take the small forwards he is going to have to be able to man up at the contest. Junior at 75kgs, Wonna at 76kgs and McKenzie at 71 kgs have no trouble committing to the contest.

I think the coaching staff recognise Bates worth by his two years of top 4 B&F placings. Hmmm maybe you missed something.

Posters should be worrying far less about an undeveloped second year player and start concerning yourselves with players like Bate

who is in his fourth or fifth season who I am still having trouble watching after he continues to make the same mistakes

Agree with all Rhino's points. He is correct.

Um, Bate is our best forward and I've seen you get stuck into him before. What mistakes are you referring to? Please tell us.

You worry too much and are too easily pleased.

Body on body work is a state of mind not weight. Its not an issue of being too light to be pushed off the contest. He does not get himself into those contests when he should particularly as a defender.If he is going to take the small forwards he is going to have to be able to man up at the contest. Junior at 75kgs, Wonna at 76kgs and McKenzie at 71 kgs have no trouble committing to the contest.

I think the coaching staff recognise Bates worth by his two years of top 4 B&F placings. Hmmm maybe you missed something.

Oh Rhino..

I hope you have played this great game of ours because from memory, having a big bodied player against a smaller bodied player in a one-on-one contest

generally makes a difference... just slightly.

I agreed that he seems to play a little loose at times. You have confused me a little with what you have said about "getting to the contest" and "committing to the contest"?

Are you expressing that he has trouble finding his man when there is a contest? Or are you saying he has trouble committing to a contest when the ball is there to be won?

Your post is really quite confusing?

In any case, in all sides football sides, within each section of positions, (ie forwards, mids and backs)

there are different players that have different qualities. As a second year player who has no doubt been

told to use his pace, agility and evasiveness may be caught out of position or "not make it to a contest"

on the odd occasion because he has obeyed instructions. The hard part is then doubling back after a mistake

or a turnover has been made upfield and Bennell maybe caught out of position which has happened and

will continue to happen until our side is able to improve keeping possession of the ball. Bennell is clearly

not a shutdown player and I would much rather him display his strengths then just sit on his opponent

all day and never take on the opposition defence.

I suggest you watch more closely at backmen such as McLeod, Gilbee, Heath Shaw. Midfield type backmen

who are renown for their run and carry and pace. Not their ability to make every contest their player has made. (Bartram is for that)

And as for Matthew Bate..

It is my opinion of the player.

Whilst that is true about his top 4 best and fairest placing, I would like to know where he would have stood in let's say, 5 years time?

Best and fairest is very misleading when you have a team that has been struggling for a few years Rhino..

xx

It is just me or does Bate traditionally start the season slowley and then becomes consistent after in the second half of each season. Some of his games in the second half of last year were top notch. He has the tools to become A-grade but needs to work on consistency.

Gary Lyon reckons he's top 50 potential.

I hope you have played this great game of ours because from memory, having a big bodied player against a smaller bodied player in a one-on-one contest

generally makes a difference... just slightly.

You missed the point. Its not a body size issue making a contest

I agreed that he seems to play a little loose at times. You have confused me a little with what you have said about "getting to the contest" and "committing to the contest"?

Are you expressing that he has trouble finding his man when there is a contest? Or are you saying he has trouble committing to a contest when the ball is there to be won?

Its both.

In any case, in all sides football sides, within each section of positions, (ie forwards, mids and backs)

there are different players that have different qualities. As a second year player who has no doubt been

told to use his pace, agility and evasiveness may be caught out of position or "not make it to a contest"

on the odd occasion because he has obeyed instructions. The hard part is then doubling back after a mistake

or a turnover has been made upfield and Bennell maybe caught out of position which has happened and

will continue to happen until our side is able to improve keeping possession of the ball. Bennell is clearly

not a shutdown player and I would much rather him display his strengths then just sit on his opponent

all day and never take on the opposition defence.

As a defender he cant be one directional player. Defenders need to be able to be both. He has the chance to improve over his career. I have already said he may improve and he may not. But I dont think he's exempted from the requirements.

I suggest you watch more closely at backmen such as McLeod, Gilbee, Heath Shaw. Midfield type backmen

who are renown for their run and carry and pace. Not their ability to make every contest their player has made. (Bartram is for that)

They also know how to defend when required. *ping*

And as for Matthew Bate..

It is my opinion of the player.

Whilst that is true about his top 4 best and fairest placing, I would like to know where he would have stood in let's say, 5 years time?

Best and fairest is very misleading when you have a team that has been struggling for a few years Rhino..

xx

Your question about Bate should be applied to Bennell on the same basis.

BTW, I guess Gary Lyon would not know how to rate a player.

Bate makes the same mistakes but so do a lot of quality players (not elite players) who have deficiencies. He does get run down from behind and can make a few shoddy decisions at times. But opposed to that is the fact that he is our best presenting target across half forward and has a booming kick. If Jack Watts becomes a solid bodied tall forward and we eventually become a half decent side then Bate, Petterd and Jurrah would make a pretty amazing mid sized marking combination.

Maybe my expectations are too high after seeing how effective Jack Grimes was off a half back flank in his second year - but it would be nice to see Bennell and or Strauss have seasons in that ball park.