7 hours ago, rpfc said:

Yeah, a few things:

Tom is the better player.

Oscar is a promising kid who is developing at a normal rate.

Oscar is not best 22 in 2017.

He is progressing well and the fact that he is 'making so many mistakes with the he footy' as 21 year old with 26 games is a good sign. The hardest thing in footy is getting the footy.

But his brother and Frost are ahead of him in the backline for talls and they are more dynamic and versatile. Hibberd, Jetta, Salem, and Hunt are starting 18 backs and will make it hard for us to play the big three down back.

This post has aged well...

Seriously, though, can we fit Gawn, Pedersen, Watts, Tom Mac, Oscar Mac, and Frost?

Good thing we don't have a hulking gun forward to fit back in...

6 minutes ago, rpfc said:

This post has aged well...

Seriously, though, can we fit Gawn, Pedersen, Watts, Tom Mac, Oscar Mac, and Frost?

Good thing we don't have a hulking gun forward to fit back in...

I think on current form, you'd have to play them all and wait until it becomes apparent which one doesn't fit in.  You'd think Pedersen and OMac were still the most vulnerable, but I can't see how you'd justify dropping either of them.

Anyway, I'm nearly in a good enough mood to stop stomping on@picket fence's fingers and let him on the bandwagon.

1 minute ago, rpfc said:

This post has aged well...

Seriously, though, can we fit Gawn, Pedersen, Watts, Tom Mac, Oscar Mac, and Frost?

Good thing we don't have a hulking gun forward to fit back in...

I don't think we really count Frost like you would a normal tall. He's not much much different to Hunt and Hibberd (athletically), only he has the benefit of being able to play on a tall. 

He burns off 99% of other players in the league and is starting to run all day. 

To fit Gawn in I'd say Pedo stays forward and Bugg unfortunately makes way. Pedo marks most of what Bugg has been flying for, and/or smashes someone. 

12 marks, 8 R50s, 9 spoils...

Wow. Shame his bro will steal all of those next week. lol

Very good today, good on him cos I thought we would be dropped a few weeks ago. Glad to be wrong on that and see a young player succeed.

Some of his marks today were great and his kicking was good too. It looks like he is getting the confidence to back himself.

One thing I would like to ask him tho is last week when he kicked to Harmes who then kicked to Watts for the clincher... if he actually meant that, The Titanic music should have started around ten seconds earlier

11 minutes ago, Deestroy All said:

I don't think we really count Frost like you would a normal tall. He's not much much different to Hunt and Hibberd (athletically), only he has the benefit of being able to play on a tall. 

He burns off 99% of other players in the league and is starting to run all day. 

To fit Gawn in I'd say Pedo stays forward and Bugg unfortunately makes way. Pedo marks most of what Bugg has been flying for, and/or smashes someone. 

On Subiaco?

Just now, rpfc said:

On Subiaco?

Eagles go pretty tall at Subi.

Just now, Deestroy All said:

Eagles go pretty tall at Subi.

Yeah, I just think we have an opportunity to run on Subi.

Hard to pressure in packs on a bigger ground like we did today. More room, more 1on1s. I would go with a team with enough run. Don't know whether Bugg out and Gawn in changes the ratio...

12 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Yeah, I just think we have an opportunity to run on Subi.

Hard to pressure in packs on a bigger ground like we did today. More room, more 1on1s. I would go with a team with enough run. Don't know whether Bugg out and Gawn in changes the ratio...

Could be right. Bit of a conundrum. I'm not sure which is the right way to go.

Oscar, credit where due , played a pearler. He had a lot of company also as it was a commensurate team effort today.

He certainly contributed.

Keep going. 

One swallow does not a summer make, neither two a swoop but ...

Definitely maintaining an improvement.

Next game awaits 

I have been saying OMAC has been playing well for weeks, he has stopping most of the Forwards he has played on. now he is starting to hit more targets and turning over the ball less,

Watched him closely today. Everyone they bombed it in, he seemed to be the one launching from the back with the spoil. 

Well done Oscar! Keep it up. 

I'll give him credit where it's due. He played a great second half last week and played well again today. The change is purely in his intensity. In the past, while he has always read the ball well and made it to contests, he would fly and not put the required aggression into it and often give a limp attempt at spoil. This past 1.5 games when he flies he has been spoiling with authority, or more surprisingly, marking with authority! He has obviously grown in confidence and hopefully he continues on with it.
His kicking has always been better than his brothers and was never an issue IMO. It's his confidence and intensity in aerial contests that has changed remarkably. Keep it up Oscar!

I'll take my whack.  Didnt see what the coaches did, completely proved wrong.

I even sometimes mistook him for a fully grown footballer from the far end.

Good work Oscar, improved kicking, good marking and tactically safe decision making.

Solid work, go Dees

3 hours ago, rpfc said:

Yeah, I just think we have an opportunity to run on Subi.

Hard to pressure in packs on a bigger ground like we did today. More room, more 1on1s. I would go with a team with enough run. Don't know whether Bugg out and Gawn in changes the ratio...

I think I disagree. Ice got a theory that our defensive zone works better at Ethihad as it is narrower than the G, where the extra width opens it up allowing teams to find a gap. 

 

Subiaco is 15 m longer, but narrower than ethihad again. "Bigger" in this case doesn't affect modern defensive.

 

I'm really interested to see how it works for us. 

2 hours ago, beelzebub said:

Oscar, credit where due , played a pearler. He had a lot of company also as it was a commensurate team effort today.

He certainly contributed.

Keep going. 

One swallow does not a summer make, neither two a swoop but ...

Definitely maintaining an improvement.

Next game awaits 

Is this a haiku?

I think we have seen enough of the footy club over the last 2 seasons to have FAITH in what they are doing and avoid hasty and premature judgment. We should celebrate Oscars game and acknowledge that we may have been hasty to judge a young kid in his second year.  When Ron Barassi started his career he was regarded as a dud by many because he could not play in a key position, wing or flank. He was incapable of minding his opponent and became unpopular with his team mates by crashing into them because of his desperation to get the ball.  He was dropped by selectors and only established himself in the team when Norm Smith invented a new role just for Barass. The role of Ruck Rover. This both saved his career and established the legend that was Barassi the player.  

I've never been an Oscar hater like some here, but in fairness, I haven't repeditively jumped to his defense either (pardon the pun).  When you look at it though I think he has done a pretty reasonable job for someone of his experience all year and the claims he won't make it are hugely over the top.  One thing which I think goes against defenders is that any error has potential to quickly end up as an opposition goal.  When the side plays poorly and it's the backmans job which becomes so much harder.   Nor does Oscar have the reputation to gloss over mistakes.  Lewis kicked clanger of the year a few weeks back straight down the throat of Tom Lynch which resulted in a goal and at times Lewis can be a bit of a clanger king, but it doesn't get bleated about like Oscar.

One thing which must also be helping Oscar at the moment is the presence of Hibbard and Frost (whom is becoming a great defender in his own right - did a great job on Tom Lynch a few weeks back, who is one of the best power forwards in the game).  In fact our whole back six/eight is looking pretty tight at the moment and the continuity of personal must be doing wonders.  But look back to the start oF the season and it's pretty much just T Mac and an O Mac with 14 or so games under his belt - I recon he actually did ok back then in the circumstances and the other question that begs is "What would we have done without him back then?"

Edited June 18, 20178 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

He looks a completely different player when he back himself in, as opposed to when he plays timid and looks like a bunny in the headlights.

and let's not forget the kid is only 21 and only played 27 games

I'm sure Hibberd organising the backline has been huge for OMac. Didn't put a foot wrong yesterday. Great game.

On 15/06/2017 at 11:47 AM, binman said:

For example #Omacmyths he had a poor first half against the Pies, a myth repeated by no less a DL luminary as Demonland himself on the DL podcast (which by the has led me to lose a bit of faith in his football analysis skills - i mean even if his bias affected his judgement during the game i have to assume by Wednesday he had watched the replay, but perhaps not) and not challenged by Grapeviney.

 

I called his first half (against the Pies) how I saw it. He made a couple of crucial errors which have been a big part of his game since he came in. I gave credit where credit was dues when I applauded his second half. It wasn't that he was outstanding, he simply did not fuck it up.

I did not watch the first half replay as I am not a sadist so my analysis was based on the emotions of the game. I never claimed to be an expert and if you would like to contribute to the program please call in. We would love to hear different views from different supporters. We are fans not experts.

Omac was excellent against the Dogs.

1 minute ago, chook fowler said:

I'm sure Hibberd organising the backline has been huge for OMac. Didn't put a foot wrong yesterday. Great game.

yep. can't believe hibbo has been so good for us. every game has been excellent. pity he missed those early games or we'd be right up the top 

13 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

and let's not forget the kid is only 21 and only played 27 games

That's the context that all those dissing Oscar have failed to apply. He's going to be huge for this club, as he showed yesterday. Consistency comes with age and experience, particularly for a KPP. Too many of us just fail to allow for the bumps and imperfections along development road, thus having to make an about face when those players start reaching their potential. We do it to so many young players, but never learn it seems. 

16 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I called his first half (against the Pies) how I saw it. He made a couple of crucial errors which have been a big part of his game since he came in. I gave credit where credit was dues when I applauded his second half. It wasn't that he was outstanding, he simply did not [censored] it up.

I did not watch the first half replay as I am not a sadist so my analysis was based on the emotions of the game. I never claimed to be an expert and if you would like to contribute to the program please call in. We would love to hear different views from different supporters. We are fans not experts.

Omac was excellent against the Dogs.

He made one crucial  in the error, the one that lead to a pies goal. The other one was standard clearing kick from the backline. And in my opinion he was outstanding in the second half against the pies.Critical to our victory in fact.

But those comments aside apologies for the criticism. it was supposed to be in jest and riffing on the #OMacmyth idea but i could see how it could come across as a dig. 

I enjoy the show by the way and i will take up the invitation to call in at some point (i have thought about it but only listened live a couple of times).