Blease Vs Bull

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

I loved The way blease played today. His run and carry was great fun to watch and then his finishing was pretty good. What Blease did do though was push the bull up the ground and I think he was drafted as a forward but if all players are fit including Grimes and Bail does the bull stay up forward with Blease running off half back?

[Tatu 416]

Today was the first game i've seen Blease play, WOW i was impressed. He seemed to have everybody out there covered for pace, he made Bennell look slow today.

Who gets the nod if everyone is fit? they both do....

[dee-luded 2,959]

I loved The way blease played today. His run and carry was great fun to watch and then his finishing was pretty good. What Blease did do though was push the bull up the ground and I think he was drafted as a forward but if all players are fit including Grimes and Bail does the bull stay up forward with Blease running off half back?

Mix 'n' match mate, Mix 'n' match, as we'll no doubt do when other running backs come in. It gives our boys a chance to experience other parts of the ground, and Us to see where they're at, in different parts of their games.

Next year will see some more coming through for they're first games, as well as others playing amongst they're first 15 games.

We'll still be very inexperienced and developing next year unless we bring in some experience.

[mfcrox 143]

I keep forgetting that we have the likes of Grimes and Bail to come back into the side. Another big pre-season under the belt and a fit and full list to pick from is a mouth watering prospect.

FB - Grimes Frawley Garland

HB - Blease Rivers Bail

We also have the likes of J. Macdonald and T. McDonald as tall man depth, and Nicholson as short man depth in 2012. I've excluded Warnock because I think he will be traded (not because I don't believe he is good enough). I've also excluded Strauss for obvious reasons, and after today I think they will try evolve Bartram into a tagger in rotation with McKenzie.

That backline is a pretty good unit I believe with some really good depth too.

[deeflog 679]

its simple.....send Tapscott forward where he is a natural, and leave Blease down back where he is a natural.

[mfcrox 143]

its simple.....send Tapscott forward where he is a natural, and leave Blease down back where he is a natural.

Yeah, agreed... That's why I excluded Tapscott too from the backline. Depends how footy evolves though, because we may still need Tapscott as our booming kick to get over a press. Also depends how Blease goes over pre-season, because if he can get a solid pre-season in and build up a good tank, then I could see him used in the midfield quite a bit too. Interesting times ahead.

We keep forgetting that we do have a REALLY TALENTED list. Whoever inherits it as coach is a very lucky man! Mick Malthouse knows that already... just a matter of whether we can get him here or not.

[Little Richard 6,262]

Looks at home on the back flank, and I like the look of Tappy as a forward. Blease is going to be a gun.

[Doggo 32]

Blease should get the nod for a Rising Star nomination this week you'd think?

[baysidedave 246]

Today was the first game i've seen Blease play, WOW i was impressed. He seemed to have everybody out there covered for pace, he made Bennell look slow today.

Who gets the nod if everyone is fit? they both do....

agree totally, Blease is going to be a topline player no doubt

[Adzman 2,154]

Blease and Bail off half back would give us a real counter punch. Tappy's tackling is becoming a feature of his game, along with a cannon boot. Tappy up forward works for me.

[DeezMan 4]

Why does it have to be one or the other???

One offers aggression and a tough body; the other offers pace out of the backline! I want them BOTH in the same side!!!

[DeeSpencer 25,511]

The wing, the centre, the half forward flank. I want both of them fitter and to work on their accountability, after that I don't care where they play.

Blease seems to have the talent to really break lines and be the designated kicker type, but it's still early days and he'll have ups and downs. Tapscott has that booming kick which gets you out of trouble by taking the ball way away from a dangerous area.

Big preseasons are on the menu for both.

It's good to see Scully and Trengove's best mates playing well. But maybe we should have drafted Morton's neighbour when he was growing up - look that one up trivia fans.

[Rogue 585]

Blease and Bail off half back would give us a real counter punch.

I reckon the main knock on Bail is his disposal. More likely to push Bartram out and take a run-with role.

[Winter Dan 449]

Could Tappy evolve into a Sewell type clearence battering ram? (or should I have said a viney type battering ram).

Im not sure about him up forward as he cld be too easy to cover - being short and not the quickest - which I thought I saw bit today.

[Adam The God 30,137]

Blease was fantastic today. As was Col Garland. While JT's endeavour was magnificent.

[drdrake 3,163]

I reckon the main knock on Bail is his disposal. More likely to push Bartram out and take a run-with role.

I agree with this, I think next year we will see Bail and Nicholson become our defensive midfielders and Bartram on the outer. Although if we can get Blease and Grimes down back I can see Bartram returning to the back pocket as a pure defensive back to allow these two to create.

[DemonDave 1,089]

The thing that I was very impressed by with Blease yesterday was his ability to hit targets with both his left and right foot. I think I even called it Leon Cameron-esque. He's only going to get better, you only have to look at how important a role Leon Davis has had in the Pies backline this year, to the extent that Freo started their best tagger on him Friday night, to know that Blease's hopefully continued developement will be an important factor next year.

Tapscott on the other hand was completely lost in yesterdays game. Seems his thinking had been hard wired to that of a backman this year, and he simply didnt understand the strucures enough up forward to know when and where to lead into. He's had a pretty ordinary last month, when he's been in the side, so will no doubt enjoy the end of the season for a hard earned break. My biggest concern is his lack of pace.

[old55 23,435]

Yeah Blease was very exciting back there but. So was Bennell.

Bail is mid-field run with. Grimes has been suggested for the midfield too.

I think Tappy is no sure bet (who killed Bambi?) - someone (Titan?) questioned in the original thread whether he would make it and that could have been prescient. He looked hopeless up forward, is not strong overhead and doesn't have the tricks to be crumber - and we've got a log-jam of medium forwards. He has to find a role down back IMO and it could get tight. Strauss's injury may help him.

[Vipercrunch 2,827]

I would like to be able to squeeze into the backline the line breaking running ability of Blease with the line clearing kicking ability of Tapscott. If the oppisition tries to stop Blease by clogging things up in close, give the ball to Tappy who kicks it over the lines - and vice versa.

The crowd reaction when Blease got the ball yesterday was a lot of fun. Similar to the crowd involvement in the days when Davey was on the prowl doing his run downs.

[McQueen 17,864]

David Parkin gave a him a big wrap on the radio.

Very impressed and could get a Rising Star Nom..

[Rogue 585]

I would like to be able to squeeze into the backline the line breaking running ability of Blease with the line clearing kicking ability of Tapscott. If the oppisition tries to stop Blease by clogging things up in close, give the ball to Tappy who kicks it over the lines - and vice versa.

It's just an issue of whether that leaves us too exposed, defensively. I know old55 is a fan of Tapscott in the backline and I can see the merit, but I'm keen to see what he could do as a half-forward/mid.

[drdrake 3,163]

Would like to see Tapscott on the ball, to me we don't need a man that can kick the footy 60m from the back pocket, we want him kicking the ball 60m from the wing to deep inside forward 50. If we can get a fit Grimes/Blease/Garland/Frawley running the ball out of the back line you will need guys that can deliver it from the wing high HFF into our forward line.

[Watt and Howe? 16]

Any chance of turning him into an inside mid? He has the body, strength and intensity.

[old55 23,435]

I know old55 is a fan of Tapscott in the backline and I can see the merit ...

That might be going too far ...

Let's say I think there ARE others ahead of him in the forward line, he's no crumbing forward as posted regularly we have Jurrah, Green, Sylvia, Howe, Petterd, Bate, Dunn etc as medium sized forwards. Tappy showed nothing overhead yesterday.

I agree with the post above where flexibility in the backline is good, we've got Frawley, Rivers, McDonald and hopefully Davis as talls, we've got Garland as tall or small and his recent run out of defence was fantastic. We've got Blease and Bennell as dashers too and Bennell has been excellent defensively. Strauss was doing very well defensively on the ground and overhead and his kicking was a weapon - his injury is really bad fortune and he'll be a long time getting back. That possibly provides an opening for Tapscott.

[Craig Drinker 179]

Agree with all and sundry re Blease. Has pace to burn and isn't afraid to run and carry.Shows a lot of confidence and seems defensively sound as well.

A few other thoughts:

Does anybody think Morton will make it as a player at the MFC or should we look to trade as we could bluff another club in get something for potential factor? He was ordinary against the GC and some of his spoiling efforts are very sub standard.

Should we trade Colin Sylvia for a Power Forward? I would be against trading Sylvia for young unestablished potential stars but keen for a decent strong marking established forward. Thoughts?

I thought that we delivered the ball terriby to Brad Green yesterday, as though he was 6'5" and 98kg just bombing it up to him.If we are going to play that way we need a big forward.

I loved one of Tapscott's tackles on K.Hunt btw.Karmichael new he had been tackled and got up slowly afterwards.