Bate has stood up well as a forward for us when we have been mostly losing matches .He doesn't lack heart , strength or the ability to kick a goal .I know many think he's too slow but Bate deserves another go .

He will prove some people wrong when he gets a chance .

He's had enough chances and proven he isn't up to it. Give him the flick

He's had enough chances and proven he isn't up to it. Give him the flick

Wrong.

He has been consistently good at Casey this year and deserves the opportunity he's been given.

If I'm proven wrong then he'll be traded at the end of the year but it would be unfair not to give someone who has dominated at times at VFL level the opportunity to prove himself.

Good post. Bate is a true footballer. He works hard, gets to the right spots and can kick the ball beautifully. He is a tad slow but when this forward line is up and running, I reckon Bate will be really handy across half forward. He's especially useful when our game plan is being challenged because he pushes up to the ball. He needs a few games in a row.

Well he's been named.

I like it as a tactical option, if he can fire. Should stretch the Hawks backline a bit with both him and JW4 running round.

Bate has stood up well as a forward for us when we have been mostly losing matches .He doesn't lack heart , strength or the ability to kick a goal .I know many think he's too slow but Bate deserves another go .

He will prove some people wrong when he gets a chance .

I love your optimism but I live in the real world and have watched him too many times and know otherwise. I just hope GWS or any others see him through the same rose coloured glasses you do.

Im happy Bates in. I have always thought he was a better option than Newton. He leads up well, backs himself and can kick it far and accurate. Im surprised Dunn is in but at least we have some foward options on sunday.

I hope Bate can do well.

He had 6 disposals and got dropped the week after a 96 point win. Hasn't shown anything at AFL level this year. Looking at Dunn, Howe, Jurrah, Bate, Petterd, Green in the same side... that is a lot of similar players, one can assume that Petterd will do more midfield work and Dunn less time up forward.

i remember bate from our greatest ever comeback against fremantle. first half he was rubbish, second half he shone, bate is affected by lack of confidence as is morton.

Both on there day more than capable but looks terrible when they are not confident.

I watch Bate closely when he gets games, always in the hope that things will 'click' for him because like the opening post I have a lot of respect for the honest hardwork that Bate brings.

But he always looks unlucky. Like the ball just bounces the wrong way for him, over and over.

And you just know that he doesn't quite read it right, he doesn't quite get to the right spot, he isn't quite agile enough to react, he doesn't quite think quickly enough to take the initiative.

I think he'd have a lot to contribute and he's very unlucky to have not gotten a game for so much of this season, particularly with Jurrah out of form. But I guess therin lies the difference - Jurrah has everything needed to take the initiative, to eliminate luck and just be the first to react with the best reaction to whatever does happen.

Bate is to the Demon's forward line what Warnock is to the back line, but we have more young options up forward to give a chance, so Bate is more likely to choose to move on.

This is it for Matty....He is being given his chance....Send him good energy on sunday. A couple of early touches and Goals and he could fire. He does have Talent, but can he show it??

What I like about him is that when dropped he takes it in his stride and gives his all at Casey. No dropping the head or laziness - he just gives all he's got. Which unfortunately is sometimes not enough at AFL level. Good luck to him on Sunday!

Watching Bate is like watching that once promising 2 year old colt constantly trail in the field of Saturday races as a 5 year old gelding.

Eventually he goes to back to a midweek races and has a couple of wins and you think he might be back.

So you get all excited and he fails again. He might run down the outside when the race is over one day, or hold on up front for a while, but he can never produce consistent finishes. He simple isn't fast enough anymore.

Eventually you realise the dream is over. You think to yourself, the breeding never really was there, with hindsight you could have come out well infront if you sold him when he had the currency.

Edited July 22, 201114 yr by the master

I watch Bate closely when he gets games, always in the hope that things will 'click' for him because like the opening post I have a lot of respect for the honest hardwork that Bate brings.

But he always looks unlucky. Like the ball just bounces the wrong way for him, over and over.

And you just know that he doesn't quite read it right, he doesn't quite get to the right spot, he isn't quite agile enough to react, he doesn't quite think quickly enough to take the initiative.

I think he'd have a lot to contribute and he's very unlucky to have not gotten a game for so much of this season, particularly with Jurrah out of form. But I guess therin lies the difference - Jurrah has everything needed to take the initiative, to eliminate luck and just be the first to react with the best reaction to whatever does happen.

Bate is to the Demon's forward line what Warnock is to the back line, but we have more young options up forward to give a chance, so Bate is more likely to choose to move on.

That pretty much sums him up; I recall saying to my son on the way home from his first game for the year that he seems unlucky and if a few things went his way he could have had a good game.

My biggest problem with him is that he seems to have traded his hands in for a pair of bricks and he's lost his ability to mark the ball; if he can stick a few I reckon we'll see a much better player and maybe a bit better luck.

That pretty much sums him up; I recall saying to my son on the way home from his first game for the year that he seems unlucky and if a few things went his way he could have had a good game.

My biggest problem with him is that he seems to have traded his hands in for a pair of bricks and he's lost his ability to mark the ball; if he can stick a few I reckon we'll see a much better player and maybe a bit better luck.

Successful people/Players make there own luck.

Wrong.

He has been consistently good at Casey this year and deserves the opportunity he's been given.

If I'm proven wrong then he'll be traded at the end of the year but it would be unfair not to give someone who has dominated at times at VFL level the opportunity to prove himself.

Brad Miller and Michael Newton were consistenly good at Casey too.

Last chance for The Master this weekend.

Cannot believe the selectors have read my thread and made the right decision .Well done Bater .

I would suggest he looks to have had bad hands due to playing on much bigger backs.

Never underestimate a red head-I predict Jamar like form from him (100 games to peak)

Not a shirker.

Good decision on a guy who hasn't spat the dummy when he might have at Casey .

Ten times more reliable than Newton ,and better footballer than Miller(whom Richmond cant win without)

Tough game -tough dude .

Watching Bate is like watching that once promising 2 year old colt constantly trail in the field of Saturday races as a 5 year old gelding.

Eventually he goes to back to a midweek races and has a couple of wins and you think he might be back.

So you get all excited and he fails again. He might run down the outside when the race is over one day, or hold on up front for a while, but he can never produce consistent finishes. He simple isn't fast enough anymore.

Eventually you realise the dream is over. You think to yourself, the breeding never really was there, with hindsight you could have come out well infront if you sold him when he had the currency.

Jamar , Stef Martin ,Phar Lap ,Bates ? Makybe Diva?

" I dont know what you see in that horse Harry"

"He's got Carbine on both sides of his bloodline"

Then one day in 1930 Big Red runs away with the Melbourne Cup

The concern for Bate is that he never learned to kick the ball with his right foot and never fixed his kicking action.

Everything he does is awkward and unfortunately that is what has stopped him from progressing as a player.

"I'm Matthew Bate and this is my Friday night"

He played a great game v Carlton from memory

I think the game may have caught up with him...there are many players that have no left, they're just more talented.

Too slow (acceleration) for AFL level.

Bate has stood up well as a forward for us when we have been mostly losing matches .He doesn't lack heart , strength or the ability to kick a goal .I know many think he's too slow but Bate deserves another go .

He will prove some people wrong when he gets a chance .

Lets face it we don't have many at all that stand up when we are down. I read this constantly about Moloney and Sylvia in the debate about how good they really are. But I struggle to think of many that are capable of standing up consistently when we struggle. I guess most players/teams are like that and if we can change that then we will be well on our way to becoming the premiership side that we all so badly want.

I do agree with you about Bate though, definitely seems to be the opposite, pops up for his couple of goals when we are off but hardly noticed when we are up and running. So maybe when we are playing consistant good footy he doesn't quite cut it, I'm not sure. But I would love to see him stand up week in week out like he does in the twos. Very dangerous small forward for the Scrops.

He had 6 disposals and got dropped the week after a 96 point win. Hasn't shown anything at AFL level this year. Looking at Dunn, Howe, Jurrah, Bate, Petterd, Green in the same side... that is a lot of similar players, one can assume that Petterd will do more midfield work and Dunn less time up forward.

Well lets hope that is true. I watched Ricky play his first full game in the Mids for the scorps a month or two ago and he absolutely dominated. I want to see him pretty much replace Scully and only go forward if we need to mix things up. Eventually I'd love to see Tappy running through the mid kicking goals from 70 too but we may have to wait for that!

Wrong.

He has been consistently good at Casey this year and deserves the opportunity he's been given.

If I'm proven wrong then he'll be traded at the end of the year but it would be unfair not to give someone who has dominated at times at VFL level the opportunity to prove himself.

Not wrong at all champ. He's done zero in a Demons jersey. He could have turned water into wine for Casey, but is yet to do a thing in the AFL. Trade him if anyone is stupid enough to take him

But I would love to see him stand up week in week out like he does in the twos. Very dangerous small forward for the Scrops.

Wow. 192cms is now small.

Going to struggle with speed of game being in VFL so long

tomorrow we find out where he is at with his career at MFC

Needs to play games in a row to prove his worth.