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Neeld: the Gaps in our List

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tonatopia - the poster that came on here after the Geelong game and blamed Dees fans for that fateful result...

We are not a very good team.

Sure we have a heap of young talent and potential, but let's not kid ourselves - we are hardly 'hole-less'...

I don't disagree rpfc, but I think that maybe the point of his post is that if all those palyers can learn/be taught to play to their abilities, then we have no major holes. For instance, Bennell is a player who cops alot of shite from supporters, and rightly so because he has bucketloads of talent, but it is the most frustrating thing on earth watching him squander it. So looking at our list, he is a black hole, but if he plays to his potential he is best 22 in a premiership side. I may be wrong, but that is how I took tonatopias post. And I too love the "mummies [censored]". I actually did LOL.

 

I don't disagree rpfc, but I think that maybe the point of his post is that if all those palyers can learn/be taught to play to their abilities, then we have no major holes. For instance, Bennell is a player who cops alot of shite from supporters, and rightly so because he has bucketloads of talent, but it is the most frustrating thing on earth watching him squander it. So looking at our list, he is a black hole, but if he plays to his potential he is best 22 in a premiership side. I may be wrong, but that is how I took tonatopias post. And I too love the "mummies [censored]". I actually did LOL.

See my sig. And who are you calling a black hole? Careful now... :P

Edited by SloonieMcFloonieloone

 

See my sig. And who are you calling a black hole? Careful now... :P

Best sig ever! And I just thought the black hole fit well :)

Looks like we've found your level.

I think we always knew his level Bob, haha


Looks like we've found your level.

How is Patrick going?

I don't disagree rpfc, but I think that maybe the point of his post is that if all those palyers can learn/be taught to play to their abilities, then we have no major holes. For instance, Bennell is a player who cops alot of shite from supporters, and rightly so because he has bucketloads of talent, but it is the most frustrating thing on earth watching him squander it. So looking at our list, he is a black hole, but if he plays to his potential he is best 22 in a premiership side. I may be wrong, but that is how I took tonatopias post. And I too love the "mummies [censored]". I actually did LOL.

I think you hit it on the head Kento,

And this is basically what i am hoping and every other supporter hear is hoping, and that is more than anything that Mark Neeld can bring a solid structure,gameplan and mentality to our football club, because this is what we have lacked for so long.

This would make the Buckleys/bartrams ect on our list look far better than they currently do, and in effect reduce or remove the gaps in our list

I think you hit it on the head Kento,

And this is basically what i am hoping and every other supporter hear is hoping, and that is more than anything that Mark Neeld can bring a solid structure,gameplan and mentality to our football club, because this is what we have lacked for so long.

This would make the Buckleys/bartrams ect on our list look far better than they currently do, and in effect reduce or remove the gaps in our list

That's right Jordie. I mean, if you go throught the list you will come across so many players with assloads of talent, but they just don't hit the ceiling. And I only singled out Bennell because he is one who gets very harshly judged. But he is not alone. Jetta, Rivers, Jurrah, Wonna, Dunne, Maric, Morton and even Sylvia all have sh1tloads of talent, but for some reason or other have not let it all hang loose yet. These players are not holes in the list, they are dents. Some may be able to be repaired, others may need a replacement panel.

 

Couldn't agree more.

Addressing our midfield issues has to be the first priority, particularly the efficency (or lack of) of our clearances. A good midfield will assist the backline because the opposition is not delivering it as well and help the forward line with superior service allowing the them to the dictate terms.

Forget key forwards or backs. Look at how we went against the top teams this year and we never got remotely close because our midfield was so far off the pace

for whatever reason but some quality clearance specialists with speed to break out would be a godsend.

Having said that, with the exception of Cyril Rioli and possibly Burgoyne, Hawthorn are exceptional at clearance work with a bunch of one paced inside mids

Except they have Sam Mitchell, who with Chris Judd is the best 'one touch' user of the ball in the AFL.

  • Author

This is where I really feel for Dean Bailey. For 3 years, a majority of his players weren't required to play roles (the type that Neeld will be asking), as he placed higher importance on development and games played together. Sadly in 2011 when his players were asked to play roles, they basically had no bloody idea what to do.

Wow. Not sure where you got that from. My view after listening to the pre-game speech on a number of occasions is that most players had specific 'roles'.

Bailey didn't tell the players to play like they played against Geelong and others. It's simply they weren't capable of playing the way he wanted them to and that his game 'plan' was severely flawed. The Pies on the other hand have a game plan they have been honing for 6 years. And they have found players who can follow instructions.


That's right Jordie. I mean, if you go throught the list you will come across so many players with assloads of talent, but they just don't hit the ceiling. And I only singled out Bennell because he is one who gets very harshly judged. But he is not alone. Jetta, Rivers, Jurrah, Wonna, Dunne, Maric, Morton and even Sylvia all have sh1tloads of talent, but for some reason or other have not let it all hang loose yet. These players are not holes in the list, they are dents. Some may be able to be repaired, others may need a replacement panel.

You really think the players I have highlighted are squandering their talent. All four of them have major physical deficiencies that they are overcoming to even look like being AFL players.

Rivers is slow / lacks height and upper body strength which are pretty damning deficiencies to have in a back man. I think he does exceptionally well.

Jetta is slow but might make it... Maric is slow, small, weak and probably won't make it but the fact he got close is impressive.

Morton is an interesting one seems to lack acceleration and has other issues going on in his head. however, If you compare him one on one physically with most other players in the AFL he fails dismally.

You really think the players I have highlighted are squandering their talent. All four of them have major physical deficiencies that they are overcoming to even look like being AFL players.

Rivers is slow / lacks height and upper body strength which are pretty damning deficiencies to have in a back man. I think he does exceptionally well.

Jetta is slow but might make it... Maric is slow, small, weak and probably won't make it but the fact he got close is impressive.

Morton is an interesting one seems to lack acceleration and has other issues going on in his head. however, If you compare him one on one physically with most other players in the AFL he fails dismally.

Rivers is 192, Frawley is 193, so I don't really understand the lacks height bit. Either that or so too does Frawley. Upper body strength can be worked upon, I suspect this is part of David Missons mission. This year he was also a fantastic spoiler, saving our arse at the last line of defence regularly. So yes he might be a bit slow and not strong enough, but he has some real strengths. And to be clear, I am not and have never been a fan particularly, but he does have talent that I don't believe has been fully realised. Rising star awards don't go to kids without talent.

Jetta is a bit slow, but with a solid gameplan could be an absolute weapon with his tackling pressure.

Maric has talent, it hasn't been realised. That is pretty obvious. He showed it at a few times earlier this year. As to why he can't seem to put it together, I don't claim to know. But this does not mean that he has no talent and can't make it.

Morton, well he is a one off that boy. He is the same height as Rivers and can be very quick. He has also shown at times through his career that he could be a very dangerous player in time. The issues are in his head. He is a ridiculously fussy eater, which is one of the issues the club has to face to try and get him to bulk up. He may still get there, but it will require massive shift in attitude.

So as I said, at the moment these players are holes in our list (Rivers not so much, he's more here because he has more potential than has been realised), but they are not if Mark Neeld thinks that he can find a way to get the best out of them.

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