Just interested in getting some thoughts on stef aka 'the hoff'. Honestly did not see such a big contribution coming this early in the season and will he maintain this form and improvement in the coming weeks??

Steff was great on Sunday. I am not sure exactly, i think it was two years ago my friend, i sit with at the footy and i saw Steff start to show how he can play, we both made the comment at the time. I think as he has more games he will only keep on improving.

Remember how (very) ordinary Jamar used to be??? Funny things happen when ruckmen reach 25-26 years of age

Martin has plenty of time and it looks like we're just starting to see what we all expected hime to have - a big upside. Watch this space.

Remember how (very) ordinary Jamar used to be??? Funny things happen when ruckmen reach 25-26 years of age

Martin has plenty of time and it looks like we're just starting to see what we all expected hime to have - a big upside. Watch this space.

yeh youre absolutely spot on- great call

In the past you got the sense Stef would go where instructed, kick and handball to plan but was not intuitive about the essentials when in the middle of game play. He could spoil and defend a space adequately.

Glimpses throughout the NAB cup/challenge series, and then dramtically on Sunday, Stef demonstrated important steps in his development:

An awareness of team mates using his peripheral vision in anticiaption of what to do when he got the ball

Sidestepping around opponents to dispose of the ball with the best option not only the first option

Strong, deliberate marking both contested and uncontested(this really highlighted Paul Johnson's inability to do this)

General football awareness.

He is quickly stepping out from being another athlete who can play footy a bit, into being a genuine footballer. He still has a bit of work to do, and if he ever has to stand an aopponent like Goodes, Franklin, either of the 2 Riewoldts, it will clearly show he has more improvement to make, but he has genuinely surprised me and I can't wait to see what he brings to the Dees across the 22 hone and away games.

Two points:

Hard work at training can make a big difference

Our coaching staff are real teacher and educators. Maybe we don't give them enough credo and they deserve more.

.

In the past you got the sense Stef would go where instructed, kick and handball to plan but was not intuitive about the essentials when in the middle of game play. He could spoil and defend a space adequately.

Glimpses throughout the NAB cup/challenge series, and then dramtically on Sunday, Stef demonstrated important steps in his development:

An awareness of team mates using his peripheral vision in anticiaption of what to do when he got the ball

Sidestepping around opponents to dispose of the ball with the best option not only the first option

Strong, deliberate marking both contested and uncontested(this really highlighted Paul Johnson's inability to do this)

General football awareness.

He is quickly stepping out from being another athlete who can play footy a bit, into being a genuine footballer. He still has a bit of work to do, and if he ever has to stand an aopponent like Goodes, Franklin, either of the 2 Riewoldts, it will clearly show he has more improvement to make, but he has genuinely surprised me and I can't wait to see what he brings to the Dees across the 22 hone and away games.

Two points:

Hard work at training can make a big difference

Our coaching staff are real teacher and educators. Maybe we don't give them enough credo and they deserve more.

.

True. But really most haven't given Martin the credo He deserves. He hasn't thrown in the towel, he's kept at it with his highs & lows, and the personal season from Hell, last year.

He's the one who deserves the 'Well dones'... He played really well in 2009, and showed where he could go.

I think people have been a little harsh on Steph. He is a latecomer to footy and is being asked to be a real utility. Learning to play in the ruck as well as forward and back is a mighty big ask.

Structure wise I think he's one of our most important players. If he can become a useful second ruck and find his feet in the forward line he could be a real weapon for us. Fwiw I think he's already a decent backman. His form will probably be a bit up and down this year as he's still learning. I missed last week as I was in NSW but I think he rested down in the backline, the real test will be how he goes in the forward line, he's struggled there in the past.

If the guy had stayed as a key back he would have a big rep by now.

We need him to be more than that, and to his credit he looks like he's going to be able to achieve that.

It's only one game, but if he can build on it he could be an absolute weapon for us over the next decade.

If the guy had stayed as a key back he would have a big rep by now.

We need him to be more than that, and to his credit he looks like he's going to be able to achieve that.

It's only one game, but if he can build on it he could be an absolute weapon for us over the next decade.

Still think this is rubbish! I have called for the past 2 seasons for Stef to be our big bodied full forward, and now with the sub rule in place, having Stef play 70% at Full Forward and 30% in the Ruck, with Jamar vice versa, it is a potent combination.

Stef is happy to crash packs, is quick on a lead, and has a good kicking style, could easily see him slotting 30+ in a season.

Other thing too is how many tall defenders can we put in a team? Frawley and Garland are auto's, depending on match ups we can use Rivers or Macdonald, how many teams have more tall forwards that we need to match up on?

I had a conversation with BP about 18 months ago and I told him the same thing, with which he agreed 100% with me (take that for whatever it's worth!). I'm not saying I told him how our players should play, I just got the impression that the FD have the same image for Stef.

the hoff just needs to get his confidence up.. he's got a tonne of ability.. almost similar to taylor walker IMO.. with the basketball background. Maybe ex basketballers just take a little longer to develop.. aka.. Watts.?

I will say this much. He's looking and moving the fittest we've seen him.

He also needs to learn to not give a crappy little handball to idiot mids running past asking for the pill.

And he should also learn the "why did you ask for it?!" bake...

Just interested in getting some thoughts on stef aka 'the hoff'. Honestly did not see such a big contribution coming this early in the season and will he maintain this form and improvement in the coming weeks??

Read the existing thread for thoughts on Martin: