21 hours ago, ProDee said:

Glenn Luff was saying the same thing on SEN last Thursday.  Apparently he's plus 60 odd % for his position, but gets hammered by Dees supporters for a couple of errant kicks per game 

This is based on champion data stats - I've been working through this years AFL Prospectus and what this means is he is performing 60% than all key defenders his age since 2010.

Others who had notable "relative ratings" (ie ratings relative to players in their position at the same age) were Gawn at 74% and Oliver at 31% (as a comparison I think Parish was around 20%). 

OMac also had a good rating but I can't remember what it was off the top of my head

Edited February 19, 20178 yr by Dr. Gonzo

Starting to watch the replay now.
I am aware that using the period from 2008-2013 as a yardstick could be perceived as navel gazing but...

The run and spread is sooo much better than what we have been used to post Daniher. When we have spoken about lack of leadership at the club, part of that was the inability of players to actually take the initiative. Some of us thought it was that we didn't have someone in the playing group or in the coaching staff who could 'motivate' (i.e. scream at) the players into taking action.

These days instead of whether your teammate will get you the ball in the way you 'think' it should be delivered, it's also up to you to get into the right spot. You are also required to then get on your bike and do something productive with it yourself.

 I am getting a little homesick watching the match from the Whitten Oval. Living in Williamstown back in the day, I used to love the diversity of Footscray. Plus, the locals are refusing to let the suburb be taken over by hipsters and other various knobs who have turned up over the last few years. It's getting me all nostalgic!

13 minutes ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Starting to watch the replay now.
I am aware that using the period from 2008-2013 as a yardstick could be perceived as navel gazing but...

The run and spread is sooo much better than what we have been used to post Daniher. When we have spoken about lack of leadership at the club, part of that was the inability of players to actually take the initiative. Some of us thought it was that we didn't have someone in the playing group or in the coaching staff who could 'motivate' (i.e. scream at) the players into taking action.

These days instead of whether your teammate will get you the ball in the way you 'think' it should be delivered, it's also up to you to get into the right spot. You are also required to then get on your bike and do something productive with it yourself.

 I am getting a little homesick watching the match from the Whitten Oval. Living in Williamstown back in the day, I used to love the diversity of Footscray. Plus, the locals are refusing to let the suburb be taken over by hipsters and other various knobs who have turned up over the last few years. It's getting me all nostalgic!

I hope it is 64 nostaglic CBF

1 minute ago, old dee said:

I hope it is 64 nostaglic CBF

Sadly od, I am still in my thirties! More personal nostalgia if anything.

Great win against the dogs. They had a few out but so did we, and they are the 2016 premiers. 

I know it has been mentioned on many occasions, but the game just highlighted to me how much depth we now have and the potential we have in the playing list.

We have competition for spots, the first time in a long time, and now have the talent and the depth to cover the inevitable injuries that will occur during the season. Sure we have a few guns we do not want to lose through injury but that is no different from any AFL side. 

I was keeping a lid on my own expectations, but after Saturdays game I am excited for the first time for many years. 

1 hour ago, daisycutter said:

dogs throw the ball a LOT

I think there was a comment made by the learned commentators that the Umpires were aware of the "special" way the doggies handball however it didn't seem to make any difference to their rulings on Saturday. The Doggies wont have it all their way this year as all the Clubs will be following their lead. We showed on Saturday by continual pressure their handball system will fail. This was one of the most glaring improvements and not just by a few but all of them were continually giving second and third efforts.  I hope that our leadership group take it upon themselves in the final 5 minutes of each quarter to instil "no fade outs".

1 hour ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Sadly od, I am still in my thirties! More personal nostalgia if anything.

Don't be sad CBF it will go past fast enough it seems like no time that I was thirty and I am now well past that.

 

3 hours ago, Nasher said:

It sounded like a campaign from post one. And you can bet he gets aggressive and snarky the more people call him out on it. I've seen this movie before.

What was the movie? i thought the assertiveness (L36) was delightful.....

1 hour ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Starting to watch the replay now.
I am aware that using the period from 2008-2013 as a yardstick could be perceived as navel gazing but...

The run and spread is sooo much better than what we have been used to post Daniher. When we have spoken about lack of leadership at the club, part of that was the inability of players to actually take the initiative. Some of us thought it was that we didn't have someone in the playing group or in the coaching staff who could 'motivate' (i.e. scream at) the players into taking action.

These days instead of whether your teammate will get you the ball in the way you 'think' it should be delivered, it's also up to you to get into the right spot. You are also required to then get on your bike and do something productive with it yourself.

 I am getting a little homesick watching the match from the Whitten Oval. Living in Williamstown back in the day, I used to love the diversity of Footscray. Plus, the locals are refusing to let the suburb be taken over by hipsters and other various knobs who have turned up over the last few years. It's getting me all nostalgic!

Yep, parking by the river

Hardly a revolutionary thought, but after seeing Smith on the weekend I can quite easily see him playing that third tall in the backline. He is so much better suited to the modern game than the likes of Garland.

As others have said, it sounds as if Frost and Oscar will be competing for the second kp spot.

Probably a little too early to call, but going in against the Saints who will have quite a tall forward-line I'd like to see both Smith and Hibberd in the same team given they can both spoil really well as a third man up.

This would sit well with me:

B        Jetta        O-Mac        Hibberd

HB      Hunt         T-Mac        Smith

 

Or do posters think Smith and Hibberd will be competing for a spot?

Seems like Vince, Jones and Lewis will spend a fair bit of time at HB which is a little at odds with that backline ^

Having Hunt and Smith start on the half-backline at the G could set some [censored] alight though.

Good problems.

 

5 hours ago, Roger Mellie said:

Very happy about Salem and Brayshaw.

Salem isn't soft and never has been. Polished is the word you're looking for 

I asked Christian about his extra agression, joked it's taking out the frustration of Arsenal's form in Europe

He really enjoyed the game and being in midfield

Still can't figure out why some don't have Garlett in for Rd 1

Edited February 20, 20178 yr by Satyriconhome

4 hours ago, It's Time said:

Unlike many I have to say I was a bit disappointed at the way we played.

I know the stats say we did well in clearances but it was clear being there how much better their structure is setting up for clearances compared to us. They don't get too many sucked in to the contest and have a ring of players outside ready to distribute it around to then clear it with an attacking kick to space. Hopefully we'll learn from seeing this. I thought we would be doing it by now so a bit disappointed to see we aren't doing this setup and have too many too close to the contest. 

We are going to be competitive with any team at contested ball. 

While it's no doubt a work in progress, outnumbering the opposition at the contest is very much part of Goodwin/McCartney's game-plan.  Once the ball is won they try and spread in multiple directions and if there's a turnover the aim is to get back in as quickly as possible.

There's no doubt that while they're mastering the new style players will get caught out of position or not get back into the contest quickly enough, but they were able to noticeably outnumber the Dogs at contests on numerous occasions. 

If we didn't have enough sweepers I'm sure it's something they'll address in their reviews.

The Dogs game-plan is now second nature, while we're working towards that.

1 hour ago, stevethemanjordan said:

This would sit well with me:

B        Jetta        O-Mac        Hibberd

HB      Hunt         T-Mac        Smith

 

Or do posters think Smith and Hibberd will be competing for a spot?

 

I think Smith would be competing with Melksham and Frost. Whilst they are two vastly different types Frost could play third tall and Smith at stages was playing that role and also could play small as Melksham could. Melksham is his most prominent competition as I think he would be first to make way ahead of Jetta and Hunt

16 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

 

While he's no means a round 1 lock, Garlett still seems the most likely contender to be our small forward. Kicked an important goal and was involved in about four others. Looked back in 2015 form.

 

I'd say he is a lock.

Kent won't be ready.

Kennedy is injured as is much worse a player.

JKH is much worse a player.

Garlett will be there round 1, provided he doesn't get injured or suspended.

Garlett is important for us and adds the much needed x factor when in form. We look much better balanced when he is playing.

However, the x factor is very much dependent on consistency.

I would prefer a few goals each match than a bag and then nothing. A consistent Garlett makes for a very potent forward line and a very dangerous side.

I also have no faith in getting a full season from Kent given the nature of his game and his injury history. 

21 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Garlett is important for us and adds the much needed x factor when in form. We look much better balanced when he is playing.

However, the x factor is very much dependent on consistency.

I would prefer a few goals each match than a bag and then nothing. A consistent Garlett makes for a very potent forward line and a very dangerous side.

I also have no faith in getting a full season from Kent given the nature of his game and his injury history. 

Could not have put it any better than that Ernest.

Garlett is the obvious one but he has to play well every week not one in three.

 

1 hour ago, old dee said:

Could not have put it any better than that Ernest.

Garlett is the obvious one but he has to play well every week not one in three.

 

He could have had at least 3 on Saturday, but he gave a couple away, because on top of everything else, he is a team man, why he gets picked

6 hours ago, hemingway said:

Great win against the dogs. They had a few out but so did we, and they are the 2016 premiers. 

I know it has been mentioned on many occasions, but the game just highlighted to me how much depth we now have and the potential we have in the playing list.

We have competition for spots, the first time in a long time, and now have the talent and the depth to cover the inevitable injuries that will occur during the season. Sure we have a few guns we do not want to lose through injury but that is no different from any AFL side. 

I was keeping a lid on my own expectations, but after Saturdays game I am excited for the first time for many years. 

Didn't we win this same match last year Ernest?

I never place any importance on these matches except maybe a fast start to the season proper if your team is showing very solid winning form throughout this series.

How tall is Smith? I'ld more say challenging O-Mac for a spot?

39 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

He could have had at least 3 on Saturday, but he gave a couple away, because on top of everything else, he is a team man, why he gets picked

When he has bad games is not because he gives away goals or because of team play.

He just has a lot of poor games. 

He is either hot or cold, the main problem is there is little in between.

41 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Didn't we win this same match last year Ernest?

I never place any importance on these matches except maybe a fast start to the season proper if your team is showing very solid winning form throughout this series.

Last year we (just) beat the Dogs reserves.

Without exaggeration they had 15 of their best team out.

Chalk and cheese compared to their lineup this year.

17 minutes ago, old dee said:

When he has bad games is not because he gives away goals or because of team play.

He just has a lot of poor games. 

He is either hot or cold, the main problem is there is little in between.

We will agree to disagree, the amount of work he does off the ball is never noticed, he doesn't have to kick a lot of goals to have an impact, why do you think he gets picked

11 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Huh? I've always seen Salem as a hard nut 

At times last year Salem looked a little lost in his positioning at half-back, and was either standing back from the scrum as an outlet or was too slow to effect body-contact in a feigned spoil when an opposition forward worked our zone to create a gap. I suspect this has created an illusion of softness for the poster. That, or his face.

41 minutes ago, 3Dee said:

How tall is Smith? I'ld more say challenging O-Mac for a spot?

he's only 191cm

25 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

We will agree to disagree, the amount of work he does off the ball is never noticed, he doesn't have to kick a lot of goals to have an impact, why do you think he gets picked

Just as he got dropped a few times last year?  You must watch a different team.

And for the record, I'm a Garlett fan, but he has had his fair share of very quiet games where he has had minimal impact.  His best is sensational, his worst is very poor.