Jack Grimes - does a lot right, but...

[e25 5]

45 has already responded in the vein I would have on a couple of points, but I wanted to note that I'm pretty sure no one - apart from you - is complaining about his decisions to sometimes kick backwards. Tather than 'lacking discipline' I imagine he is showing discipline when he looks to switch play.

Exactly.

This frustrates me when supporters criticise players and the crowd groans when there is a kick in the backline that goes backwards or sideways to switch play.

This is a perfectly legitimate tactic to move the ball to the fat side, forcing the opposition defense to adjust and move into new positions.

That is when mistakes get made and gaps open up.

If that doesn't work, switch again aiming for a better result.

This exact scenario happened yesterday, with the crowd audibly showing their displeasure.

It was switched away from the members wing to much groaning, then switched back to even more, then we found an opening and scored a goal.

It's similar to exactly what you see in the back half of a soccer match, or even swinging the ball around the perimeter in a basketball match.

Make the opposition move their feet and fight their way around picks and the play opens up.

Some are still living in the 80s, but football is a different game now.

[Rogue 585]

Exactly.

This frustrates me when supporters criticise players and the crowd groans when there is a kick in the backline that goes backwards or sideways to switch play.

I'm with you on this one.

[Sir Why You Little 37,049]

Exactly.

This frustrates me when supporters criticise players and the crowd groans when there is a kick in the backline that goes backwards or sideways to switch play.

This is a perfectly legitimate tactic to move the ball to the fat side, forcing the opposition defense to adjust and move into new positions.

That is when mistakes get made and gaps open up.

If that doesn't work, switch again aiming for a better result.

This exact scenario happened yesterday, with the crowd audibly showing their displeasure.

It was switched away from the members wing to much groaning, then switched back to even more, then we found an opening and scored a goal.

It's similar to exactly what you see in the back half of a soccer match, or even swinging the ball around the perimeter in a basketball match.

Make the opposition move their feet and fight their way around picks and the play opens up.

Some are still living in the 80s, but football is a different game now.

I love the switch...when it works it is truly devastating. Possession waiting for the weakness to open up.

My dad understands it now...took him a few games, but he is onto it now!!! B)

[jayceebee31 761]

And you will continue to be scoffed at for coming up with ridiculous assertions.

Which games has he lost us?

You want to open your eyes a little- he lost the game in my opinion against North last year.

[jayceebee31 761]

45 has already responded in the vein I would have on a couple of points, but I wanted to note that I'm pretty sure no one - apart from you - is complaining about his decisions to sometimes kick backwards. Rather than 'lacking discipline' I imagine he is showing discipline when he looks to switch play.

What absolute rubbish- winning a game of football is kicking the most points.Kicking backwards is just plain ridiculous IMO. But worse is when a player kicks it directly to an opposition player, He has done this several times now.He is either undisciplined, stupid or does not have vision.

[trenlove 0]

Exactly.

This frustrates me when supporters criticise players and the crowd groans when there is a kick in the backline that goes backwards or sideways to switch play.

This is a perfectly legitimate tactic to move the ball to the fat side, forcing the opposition defense to adjust and move into new positions.

That is when mistakes get made and gaps open up.

If that doesn't work, switch again aiming for a better result.

This exact scenario happened yesterday, with the crowd audibly showing their displeasure.

It was switched away from the members wing to much groaning, then switched back to even more, then we found an opening and scored a goal.

It's similar to exactly what you see in the back half of a soccer match, or even swinging the ball around the perimeter in a basketball match.

Make the opposition move their feet and fight their way around picks and the play opens up.

Some are still living in the 80s, but football is a different game now.

this irritates me no end. People just haven't learnt that that is the best way to free up people in the forward line. On a similar note, the Funniest thing I heard yesterday was a supporter screaming at Sylvia for kicking long at goal to a vacant square! What are F..ing doing he yells as the ball sails through for a 60m team lifting goal.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

You want to open your eyes a little- he lost the game in my opinion against North last year.

A sense of irony missing here JCB. Your persistent and erroneous criticisms of Grimes are not reflection of his shortcomings but your own failings in reading and understanding the game.

What absolute rubbish- winning a game of football is kicking the most points.Kicking backwards is just plain ridiculous IMO. But worse is when a player kicks it directly to an opposition player, He has done this several times now.He is either undisciplined, stupid or does not have vision.

If you dont get it JCB you dont get it. And the irony of the last sentence cannot be overlooked B)

[Rogue 585]

What absolute rubbish- winning a game of football is kicking the most points.Kicking backwards is just plain ridiculous IMO. But worse is when a player kicks it directly to an opposition player, He has done this several times now.He is either undisciplined, stupid or does not have vision.

Surely you understand that kicking sideways/backwards can be an effective way of finding a route to goals? You only need to watch a few games to see that all teams do this in order to switch play and find a route to goal, given that defending teams are very good at team defence, blocking space down the line.

By the way, I don't think that kicking directly to an opposition player is either 'undisciplined, stupid or does not have vision' - there are execution mistakes, and all players make this.

[Sir Why You Little 37,049]

By the way, I don't think that kicking directly to an opposition player is either 'undisciplined, stupid or does not have vision' - there are execution mistakes, and all players make this.

A Weird shaped Ball can sometime change its intended direction in a weird way..

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

I agree totally. I even suggested he may need to go to Casey to gain confidence in his kicking last year. I was scoffed at- he will continuer to loose us games if he is allowed to continue his situation of kicking backwards. Some one has to get into his head to give a player UP the ground not a shocking kick to a player backwards.I'm not a Grimes basher, but he needs to learn. Lacks discipline.

How many times are you going to go with this? Are you gonna keep rattling this off EVERY time he has a bad game? Just because you said it once, and he had a rough game disposals wise DOESN'T MAKE YOU RIGHT!

And for the record, his problem when kicking WAS when he looked up the ground. Turnover city. When he switched play, things actually started happening... You're still reading this one ass backwards. Grimes is not an elite kick. He knows it. The coach knows it. So he chooses safer options instead of risking a turnover. Did it occur to you that he may be under instructions to find a loose player at all costs? Consider the opposition. When we went out wide, things started happening. I reckon against Sydney, on that ground, switching up play was the thing that kept us in it in the first 3 quarters.

Jack Grimes lacks discipline.... jesus. Now I've heard it all. He'd be among the most disciplined players at the club. He just hasn't got what it takes by foot.

And hey, we'd all love to see him bomb it long to contests if we had the marking HFs and wingmen we need, in form, and playing the kind of setup that takes advantage of that.... but that's just the thing. We don't. THAT'S why he went sideways!!!

How can you not see it, after all this time? I know people got under your skin, and you got upset, and then clung to your flawed logic so you wouldn't sink, but enough is enough isn't it? Every time he has a bad game you're going to aim this same accusation at him... mistakenly... then when he has good games you'll claim he did exactly what you said...

He's a good, potentially great player who just doesn't have a great kick. It really is that simple.

[e25 5]

I think he is a good kick, just not in the same bracket as guys like Hodge... yet.

He may well be one day; it's worth remembering that he is still young.

And discipline has nothing to do with any of this.

[Disco Demons 92]

I think jack grimes plays best against strong opponents...ie., when he played on Didak last year he did very well.

[Mad_Melbourne 877]

anyone questioning his discipline is well off the mark.

his kicking is a slight issue, but i think its just he rushes himself, and leans away from the ball when he kicks it...

having said that i think some posters here are a tad ridiculous, there is going to be flaws in every player, and especially a player who is below 30 games, its just whether the flaws outweigh the good and for jack they definately do not

[Akum 2,660]

I don't think that kicking directly to an opposition player is either 'undisciplined, stupid or does not have vision' - there are execution mistakes, and all players make this.

This. IMO his decision-making is excellent, but it's his execution that lets him down at times. That will only improve.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

I think he is a good kick, just not in the same bracket as guys like Hodge... yet.

Really? I mean he's a usable kick. Certainly can dump it 50+ metres when he needs to... but he's not much of a chipper, or stabber of the ball. They all do seem to loop a lot, which forces a leading player into a 50/50 contest, turns a 50/50 contest into a 2 on 1... and turns a miskick into a turnover. The only time he excels at kicking downfield regularly seems to be when he kicks to a space where there's someone in red and blue close to running onto it. I think the exception is those lovely times when he's looking like he's been corralled and he takes off on a sprint and gets around his opponent. At pace he kicks better than when he's taken a mark, or is ambling along, or when he loads up. The momentum seems to aid in getting the passes flatter, and more custom-made for his leading wingmen/forwards.

Not to pick holes in him. He's one of my first picked. And he's gonna be a GREAT player... but I think there's gonna be some bad days like Sunday that we'll have to deal with. And I reckon we'll have the same feeling hundreds, maybe THOUSANDS of times looking forward... ie: Ball gets kicked into our defence, marking contest, you see a demon come up with it, Grimes staggers to his feet, looks up the ground... hunches over to breathe... and after the feeling of relief and adulation passes, we will be hoping something happens, rather than expecting it like you would with a Davey, Trengove, even Tapscott type.