Dawes played a handful of good games last year without being outstanding. I want to see a higher output from this guy on game day, however I am not filled with confidence he is going to produce.

He has been around long enough and at an age where he should be at the top of his game. Perhaps he looked good in a premiership team with better mids around!!!!

Jury still out on this monster who needs to lift and be consistent.

His no better then brad miller, but miller had strong hands good mark,dames is like miller, where the number one forward made him look good.

He brings a contest and forward pressure, but he is a number 2 forward. IMO he doesn't have the speed or hands to be a number 1.

Unfortunately we're asking and paying for him to be our no.1.

We needed a forward a few years back and he was the only one we could get at the time. He has been serviceable but hopefully will be overtaken in the coming years which is generally the case with any side. At this point in time, as much as it sucks, he is probably our 2nd best tall forward. Says more about our drafting over the last 5 years than anything else.

There are three main flaws with Dawes:

1. He is a forward who seems to spend most of his time wandering around the wing / half back flank.

2. He couldn't take a contested mark if his life depended on it.

3. He doesn't kick anywhere near enough goals - 32 in 31 games for the MFC.

I don't think he is capable of playing the role that we ask of him, so I'm not convinced he is in our best 22 at present.

You could never question his workrate or intensity, although he is becoming increasingly ill disciplined.

Ultimately B&F finishes of 19th and 16th are utterly unacceptable for a player who is presumably in the top 3 highest paid players at the club.

I actually don't care about the hands/marking.

What i need to see from him is smart football. Leading patterns that work with Hogan.

Even if Dawes is not an AFL star, through his work rate and effort he can be extremely important.

If they keep getting in each others way and get close enough to allow their defenders to peel off and spoil then Dawes needs to lift his game.

There are three main flaws with Dawes:

Chris Flaws?

I think we're too harsh on him. Ultimately he was drafted as a 2nd forward next to Clark. Clark and Dawes in the forward line would have been like Dawes and Cloak: Dawes could have presented further up the ground, created a contest, and allowed us to win more contested and stoppage footy around the ground. Ultimately that never eventuated and for 90% of Dawes' career at the club, he has been the No.1 target. Even with Hogan now who is still learning the game, Dawes is still often the No.1 target.

He is an important player simply because of his work effort and capacity to get to and demand the contest. The delivery is not great, and our stoppage work is horrendous. Expecting him to kick bags is futile. He is at best a 2nd forward, but he is mostly there as a big body and nothing more.

ladies and gentlemen....I present ...the new whipping boy.....Chris Dawes !!!

I'm not that worried about our forward line. In my view, Dawes adds value/some balance to it.

What I want to see is more midfield intensity/speed/skill/class/hardness - put simply, the recruiting of Shiel, Aish and one other really effective mid.

And a really decent back up ruck/part time forward, eg, Ryder or, face palm, Stef Martin.

Dawes form has always been patchy since he joined us and even at Collingwood. He will play some good games as well as some bad. Last week he looked badly out of touch. A few games barring injury or suspension is needed. Becoming a consistent player is what his season is all about.

ladies and gentlemen....I present ...the new whipping boy.....Chris Dawes !!!

Sick of the term BB. He's on massive coin and currently giving us donuts. If he doesn't perform this week he can join Grimes in the VFL and prove why he's worthy of a game.

Dawes is too slow to get separation on his man, has terrible hands and is poor once the ball hits the deck. Other than that he is ok.

Sick of the term BB. He's on massive coin and currently giving us donuts. If he doesn't perform this week he can join Grimes in the VFL and prove why he's worthy of a game.

I wouldnt say donuts Al. There was actually some good work from Chris in that game, alas like most wasnt sustained and his arena dried up somewhat when we 'capitulated"

Unlike some he doesnt stop and mooch. he's not always as effective as we'd probably all like but the masses seem to want to paint him as cause raison !!

Sick of the term BB. He's on massive coin and currently giving us donuts. If he doesn't perform this week he can join Grimes in the VFL and prove why he's worthy of a game.

Agreed. Most of our 'whipping boys' have demonstrated substantially why they tend to get 'whipped'.

I'm not that worried about our forward line. In my view, Dawes adds value/some balance to it.

What I want to see is more midfield intensity/speed/skill/class/hardness - put simply, the recruiting of Shiel, Aish and one other really effective mid.

And a really decent back up ruck/part time forward, eg, Ryder or, face palm, Stef Martin.

eg Ryder?? Not sure how you can draw a comparison between Dawes and Ryder besides playing the same position.

Edited April 15, 201510 yr by Al's Demons

Who in the comp at the moment has two big forwards working well together.....Clark & Hawkins ......Cloke & Jessie smith......tippet & franklin.......even Roughead & Gunston ( though gunston not really a big) ....one is generally doing ok but not both ....however you would be a brave person to say that it won't eventually click & then become effective. Dawes has had one game with hogan.....hogan has had two afl games .....why do we have to make such damming statements so early in the season. I for one remember the many games last season where Dawes was our only forward & rag dolled & harrassed opponents with often 3 hanging of him. Can't we at least wait till rnds 5 or 6 onwards to make such definitive statements!!

That's demonland for you Deestar- never do anything in halves!

I wouldnt say donuts Al. There was actually some good work from Chris in that game, alas like most wasnt sustained and his arena dried up somewhat when we 'capitulated"

Unlike some he doesnt stop and mooch. he's not always as effective as we'd probably all like but the masses seem to want to paint him as cause raison !!

No, but he does get frustrated and cost the team.

Some players are whipping boys and often unfairly portrayed. Dawes has had a bit of grace but after a few years with us he does need to give more. For all the talk, he provides little forward pressure and doesn't kick goals the ultimate forward pressure.

I would think his position maybe safe this season (unless Pedersen steps up) but we should be looking for a good forward/ruck to replace him next season. I would see our forward structure as Hogan and Watts with a forward/ruck and no room for another tall.

He brings a contest and forward pressure, but he is a number 2 forward. IMO he doesn't have the speed or hands to be a number 1.

Unfortunately we're asking and paying for him to be our no.1.

Not entirely correct... he was "acquired" as a #2 forward at a time when we still had Clark who was always going to be the #1 forward. Unfortunately Clark never got back on the park (for us) and so Dawes became our defacto #1 forward. Now that we have the likes of Garlett and JKH (and even Kent) to pick up the crumbs around the packs and the loose balls in the forward half, and now that Watts is attracting probably the third defender, we probably rely less on Dawes as a classic goal kicking forward, but more on him busting packs to feed those crumbers... let Hogan take the strong contested marks and kick the goals..

The most important thing Dawes is to us is a big bodied leader. That's all we need him to be to not let Hogan get crushed under AFL pressure.

No, but he does get frustrated and cost the team.

Some players are whipping boys and often unfairly portrayed. Dawes has had a bit of grace but after a few years with us he does need to give more. For all the talk, he provides little forward pressure and doesn't kick goals the ultimate forward pressure.

I would think his position maybe safe this season (unless Pedersen steps up) but we should be looking for a good forward/ruck to replace him next season. I would see our forward structure as Hogan and Watts with a forward/ruck and no room for another tall.

definitely elements in what you say.. especially the likes of Pedo being his direct competition.

He was putrid against GWS. Some of his efforts caused mass face palms in the pub where I watched it. He wasn't alone, but certainly typified the day for us.

The most important thing Dawes is to us is a big bodied leader. That's all we need him to be to not let Hogan get crushed under AFL pressure.

Hogan won't be crushed and we need a lot more from Dawes.

I don't get the argument of someone being dropped because they're on big coin.

Let him string more than one game in a row this season before calling for him to be dropped.