5 hours ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

I like learning from experienced players that have played in premierships and been part of a rebuild.  Players that have seen the whole journey up the ladder.  And I particularly like listening to Luke Hodge.  He talks sense and is straight to the point.

Very recently he said that the difference between being a good team and becoming a flag team is recruiting role players.  Obviously, the stars are already in place, but a handful of stars aren't enough if you don't surround them with players who can help complete the task.  Think Hale, Poppy, Guerra etc. at Hawthorn.  You really need 22 players performing their role to a high degree.  21 or 20 will leave you short and cost games.  Richmond are a perfect example of how lesser lights who perform their role to a high level make an enormous difference.

You only need to look at the top 20 of our B&F.  There was a chasm between the top 12 and the performances of the rest.  In reality, to win more games than we lost shows how good our better players performed, because they weren't being supported.  I blame the lack of quality role players, but also the coaching panel, game structures, etc. 

I think we've got the core group of stars or very good players already on our list, but we're lacking quality role players to take us forward.  A great core group, but not great/quality depth. 

Not every player we're looking at recruiting this trade period needs to be a star.  They'll ALL have deficiencies that Deespencer can pick apart, but if we choose wisely we might just bring in players that can have a significant difference to our overall fortunes.

Yep, this. Completely agree. Great post.

Smith and Polec could well have a revolutionary impact on our game style. A bit like Port's forward dynamism at the top of 2019 having brought in the players they did in the 2018 draft. Geelong changed their forward make up too leading into 2019 with similar results.

If the likes of Oliver and Petracca are teaming with ball users like Smith and Polec, we'll look a very different team. 

We definitely need to exploit our midfield dominance more and hopefully Yze plays a big role here, but as for the rest of the field, my big concern is the forward half.

As I've said previously, Brown will make Weideman a much better player. I also think we need to use Viney, Harmes and Petracca through the forward half like Richmond use Martin, Caddy, Prestia, Edwards etc. 

The other variable that recruiting Smith and Polec could bring is enabling Salem to become a more damaging player. It makes us more unpredictable from half back too.

I'm liking where all this is going though. A backline of May, Lever, Tomlinson, Rivers, Salem, Smith, Hibberd is a good one. Lots of decent kickers in that mix too. We know we have midfield stars and in time, there's no reason why Petracca couldn't be as dominant in big games as Martin has become over the last few years.

If we can keep this list together, improve the systems to maximise the talent we have and compliment all of this by improving the bottom 6-8 players with decent role players as you say, I think we can win the big one. And soon.

24 minutes ago, Dr evil said:

All looking good. Expect him to nominate  melbourne any time now. Both parties are seemingly very excited. 
 

 

Dr evil are you goody?

1 hour ago, Grr-owl said:

The proove is in the pudding.

Use your loaf, man.   The proof of the pudding is in the eating.   

Edited October 25, 20204 yr by demonstone
.

I just watched the youtube of his 61 goals (some of it at high speed).  As I posted earlier on about one of his hightlight videos I don't know why people say he is a one-trick pong/leadup forward.  Does quite well from long bombs into the forward line.  He does get a lot of goals from frees where his opponents grab him or interefere in some way as they panic about his reach.  I only saw one where I didn't think he deserved the free.

For years we have had a weakness forward compared to other teams when it comes to real height in our KPP's

Brown and Jackson both at 200cm (ish) gives me cause for hope with our kick and hope forward 50 entries.

 

Our footy department obviously thinks we are in premiership mode by chasing Polec and Smith also. They must believe we can win one in the next couple of years......lets hope we are not overrating our list the way North did.

24 minutes ago, Tarax Club said:

Dr evil are you goody?

Nah mate, I can coach ;) 

2 minutes ago, Dr evil said:

Nah mate, I can coach ;) 

 

5 minutes ago, Dr evil said:

Nah mate, I can coach ;) 

9 minutes ago, sue said:

I just watched the youtube of his 61 goals (some of it at high speed).  As I posted earlier on about one of his hightlight videos I don't know why people say he is a one-trick pong/leadup forward.  Does quite well from long bombs into the forward line.  He does get a lot of goals from frees where his opponents grab him or interefere in some way as they panic about his reach.  I only saw one where I didn't think he deserved the free.

To highlight his versatility as a forward, I just did a quick cheat-sheet for his early purple patch in 2018, where he kicked consecutive bags of 6, 4, 5, 4 and 4 (with just the single behind in each match). How often do we have players kick six goals in a game, let alone just four? 

Nth v StKilda
Out the back on a long run.
Roved and snapped inside-out off a marking pack.
Free in the goal-square for a receive. 
Free-kick for a one-on-one holding 15m out. 
Contested mark on the goal-line
Lead-up mark with pressure and goal from outside 50. 

Nth v MFC
Holding against Omac and goal from 50ish out.
Soft ruck push-out vs. Max and goal from 45m out. 
Easily shoves Omac out of the contest and marks 15m out. 
Down-the-ground free. Slots it on the 45 degree angle. 

Nth v Blues
Breaks out the back. Outside of the boot on tight angle. 
Handball in tight and quick inside-out under heavy pressure. 
Easy one-on-one mark with extended arms 20m out.
Gets in behind the pack in pocket. Banana from tight angle.
Holding call in run towards a pack. 

Nth v Hawks
Well-positioned one-on-one, 20m out. 
Behind the contest in the tight pocket again. Perfect banana.
Miles of space on the lead and goal from 45m.
Even more space on the lead and another from 45m. 

Nth v Port
Holding the man and yet another arrow from around 45m.
Soft high/push-out in a pack and straight in front. 
Extended arms in crowded forward line, straight in front.  
Juggling one-on-one mark. 45M out straight in front. 

1 hour ago, Dr evil said:

All looking good. Expect him to nominate  melbourne any time now. Both parties are seemingly very excited. 
 

 

Great to hear!

1 hour ago, Tarax Club said:

Dr evil are you goody?

 

42 minutes ago, Dr evil said:

Nah mate, I can coach ;) 

Adem Yze?

25 minutes ago, TRIGON said:

 

Adem Yze?

Clarko perhaps

9 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Clarko perhaps

Didn't know THAT has been made public yet!

(and yes, I'm kidding)

2 hours ago, Dr evil said:

All looking good. Expect him to nominate  melbourne any time now. Both parties are seemingly very excited. 
 

 

Big bad bustling Benny Brown tearing up the G.

7 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

Our medicos have already given him the once over, so you would assume that if there were any long term concerns we would either pull out of the race or offer North something significantly less than, say, a second round pick.

And of all the clubs interested (that we know of), we have the most upside.  We are well and truly in the hunt and his club of choice if the rumours are true.

agree although the docs don't always get it right which is my concern ... KK for instance ... worth a go 100% though

11 minutes ago, Demons1858 said:

agree although the docs don't always get it right which is my concern ... KK for instance ... worth a go 100% though

KK wasn't about getting it wrong - I have no doubt he was a gamble and, when you think about it, we got him as a 'steak knives' addition to the May trade.

I think the club well and truly understood that we may never be able to get him right, and that for this price, it was worth the risk.

Just now, Wiseblood said:

KK wasn't about getting it wrong - I have no doubt he was a gamble and, when you think about it, we got him as a 'steak knives' addition to the May trade.

I think the club well and truly understood that we may never be able to get him right, and that for this price, it was worth the risk.

Didn’t KK cop another head knock or two with us? Definitely got one in a game and possibly another in training, or a scratch match as I recall.

3 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Didn’t KK cop another head knock or two with us? Definitely got one in a game and possibly another in training, or a scratch match as I recall.

Yep, he did, but all players with concussion issues get a slight or hard knock and subsequently have further issues

Edited October 25, 20204 yr by Demons1858

6 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

KK wasn't about getting it wrong - I have no doubt he was a gamble and, when you think about it, we got him as a 'steak knives' addition to the May trade.

I think the club well and truly understood that we may never be able to get him right, and that for this price, it was worth the risk.

We didn’t need to give 3 years though. 

54 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

Big bad bustling Benny Brown tearing up the G.

Ben Brown has only played 10 games out of 130 at the MCG with a win loss record of 6-4 and a return of 21 goals 13 behinds.

He has played 8 more games in Tasmania for a win loss record of 14-4 and a return of 35 goals 22 behinds which should help us when we have to play our yearly game there.

Even more worrying is that he was held goalless in his only appearance in Cairns.

Incidentally 4 of his 10 games at the G were against the Dees for a win loss record of 3-1 and a return of 12 goals 5 behinds.

9 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

We didn’t need to give 3 years though. 

True, although perhaps it was a show of faith for him - you've got 3 years to get things right and you can take your time.

It obviously hasn't worked out as we had hoped which is a shame.

8 hours ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

I like learning from experienced players that have played in premierships and been part of a rebuild.  Players that have seen the whole journey up the ladder.  And I particularly like listening to Luke Hodge.  He talks sense and is straight to the point.

Very recently he said that the difference between being a good team and becoming a flag team is recruiting role players.  Obviously, the stars are already in place, but a handful of stars aren't enough if you don't surround them with players who can help complete the task.  Think Hale, Poppy, Guerra etc. at Hawthorn.  You really need 22 players performing their role to a high degree.  21 or 20 will leave you short and cost games.  Richmond are a perfect example of how lesser lights who perform their role to a high level make an enormous difference.

You only need to look at the top 20 of our B&F.  There was a chasm between the top 12 and the performances of the rest.  In reality, to win more games than we lost shows how good our better players performed, because they weren't being supported.  I blame the lack of quality role players, but also the coaching panel, game structures, etc. 

I think we've got the core group of stars or very good players already on our list, but we're lacking quality role players to take us forward.  A great core group, but not great/quality depth. 

Not every player we're looking at recruiting this trade period needs to be a star.  They'll ALL have deficiencies that Deespencer can pick apart, but if we choose wisely we might just bring in players that can have a significant difference to our overall fortunes.

You’re seeing the ball like a planet at the moment.

 

17 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Ben Brown has only played 10 games out of 130 at the MCG with a win loss record of 6-4 and a return of 21 goals 13 behinds.

He has played 8 more games in Tasmania for a win loss record of 14-4 and a return of 35 goals 22 behinds which should help us when we have to play our yearly game there.

Even more worrying is that he was held goalless in his only appearance in Cairns.

Well...I was excited for a little while at least. 

18 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Ben Brown has only played 10 games out of 130 at the MCG with a win loss record of 6-4 and a return of 21 goals 13 behinds.

He has played 8 more games in Tasmania for a win loss record of 14-4 and a return of 35 goals 22 behinds which should help us when we have to play our yearly game there.

Even more worrying is that he was held goalless in his only appearance in Cairns.

Yes but we should point blank refuse to play another game in Cairns. We’ve done our duty to the AFL there at great cost to the management.

3 hours ago, Skuit said:

Now that it has been suggested it's a done deal, I urge the reluctants to go back and watch some highlights and get excited. It will be far more enjoyable than hoping for failure so that you can be proven right. I think the 2019 and 2018 highlights have been posted before, so here's 2016: 

 

 

The DL head of recruiting tries to prove his case for excitementfor Brown  by showing highlights from 5 seasons ago.