11 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

SF aside from Salem / Melk at times and Fritsch probably more consistently, can you name me a player or more (especially another who runs through mid field) who is capable of hitting targets fairly often? Or at least kick it to their favoured / fat side?

Some of our entries and work inside 50 by foot was abysmal on Friday night.  I think Big M was about the only one i can recall, aside from Jones to Gus (which should have bee  paid), who managed to show some poise and foot skills coming inside 50 when he found Smith.

Contrast this with T-Mac's set shot goal accuracy.

We need our mids to start kicking a few goals also.  This bombing business just plays into our opponent's hands and makes us too predictable / easy to defend.

Separation of key forwards would help also as we were doing when T-Mac first returned.  What the hec happened to the fluidity up forward we were having after the Bulldogs game?

I can't name another player, I think Salems kicking has gone backwards or he takes the safe option chip like Lewis. It has been a problem for years, we recruit meat & potatoes, but not match winners. Our captains are two terrible kicks, how inspirational.

Edited June 25, 20186 yr by SFebey

While this team is being constantly reminded that they are just a team, and members thereof, and that everything works together and there is going to be ups and downs, then in my opinion there are a heap of improvements.

We are getting to the business end and the big boys are laying out their territory. No matter what the maggots did we finished off a game well even though we lost. I reckon that loss hurt a lot.We knew at the start of the season the games were not under the belt yet, but we hoped we had super talent, and it would prevail, we have, but it didn't. So far....

I personally, being an optimist put Trac in the Croswell, Kekovich and Watson category, and Tim knows it. Also i have seen all these blokes play up close. He is an untapped quantity, but never tell the "B"

11 minutes ago, willmoy said:

While this team is being constantly reminded that they are just a team, and members thereof, and that everything works together and there is going to be ups and downs, then in my opinion there are a heap of improvements.

We are getting to the business end and the big boys are laying out their territory. No matter what the maggots did we finished off a game WELL  even though we lost. I reckon that loss hurt a lot.We knew at the start of the season the games were not under the belt yet, but we hoped we had super talent, and it would prevail, we have, but it didn't. So far....

I personally, being an optimist put Trac in the Croswell, Kekovich and Watson category, and Tim knows it. Also i have seen all these blokes play up close. He is an untapped quantity, but never tell the "B"

I mentioned in another thread.. we were goalless in last qtr..

That's not really finishing it off too well...is it ?

47 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Sylvia and Watts both had pretty good seasons as young players. They became Sylvia and Watts because the club had no standards and didn't develop them to reach their potential. If Petracca is giving his all at training and off field to be the best he can be then he will get better. And his first quarter on the weekend was indicative of a guy who knew he had more to give. If he's not quite getting it done at training and/or the coaches think an easy kill at Casey would get him some more touch then he should be dropped.

In the stats that matter for a guy playing half forward this year compared to (last year)

Disposals: 20.3  (18.8)
Goals: 0.8  (1.2)
Tackles: 2.7 (2.5)
Score Involvements: 6.2  (5.7)
Clangers: 3.8  (2.9)
Disposal efficiency: 66.5  (66.8)

Those numbers - and the eye test especially when he goes in to the midfield  - tell me that he hasn't improved his work rate and he hasn't improved his skill execution. 

Doesn't look like he's in a rut though...he's ok and doing enough to hold his spot in the side.

As I say, just not the superstar everyone expects yet. 

When did Watts have a better (or pretty good) season as a young player by the way?

36 minutes ago, SFebey said:

I can't name another player, I think Salems kicking has gone backwards or he takes the safe option chip like Lewis. It has been a problem for years, we recruit meat & potatoes, but not match winners. Our captains are two terrible kicks, how inspirational.

Now this is a very interesting point , I'd love a hodge as a captain

I hope he lives up to his potential,  but I am concerned that what recruiters considered elite, he now seems to struggle with. We need him to be an A grader because we just can't afford another lost high draft pic One on one he should dominate but struggles to find the space.

12 minutes ago, rjay said:

Doesn't look like he's in a rut though...he's ok and doing enough to hold his spot in the side.

As I say, just not the superstar everyone expects yet. 

When did Watts have a better (or pretty good) season as a young player by the way?

In 2011 in his 3rd year as a 20 year old he played every game averaged 16 disposals, 5.5 marks and a goal a game.

He played as the floating taller flanker with good skills and was looking promising. We all know what happened next and it took 5 years for his mind, body and talent to get it together in 2016

46 minutes ago, rjay said:

Doesn't look like he's in a rut though...he's ok and doing enough to hold his spot in the side.

As I say, just not the superstar everyone expects yet. 

When did Watts have a better (or pretty good) season as a young player by the way?

Spot on rjay and I doubt he ever will be a champion however a player in the 50- 100 range will do nicely. 

3 hours ago, rjay said:

Petracca is not being gifted games, he's not in a rut...his stats hold up pretty well for someone who mainly plays half forward with the one exception. He could hit the scoreboard a bit more.

His biggest problem is expectation...

Everyone else's.

He's expected to be a superstar and he's not, he may never be but he's still contributing pretty well in my mind and will get a lot better.

Nothing is to be gained by playing him at Casey as he's not Sylvia or Watts mark 2.

Get over it everyone.

Petracca is in a rut. He had one good quarter against Port to mask his poor season thus far.

The kid was pick 2 and highly rated due to his ‘freakish’ abilities.

He’s in a rut relative to his development phase.

I think we should all raise our expectations of Petracca.

On 6/23/2018 at 2:07 AM, Dr.D said:

man i mentioned petracca months ago. why are demonlanders so late to the party with things? 

 

Never changes his bathwater.   he believes in being efficient.  plus, loves it's flavour.

1 hour ago, McQueen said:

Petracca is in a rut. He had one good quarter against Port to mask his poor season thus far.

The kid was pick 2 and highly rated due to his ‘freakish’ abilities.

He’s in a rut relative to his development phase.

I think we should all raise our expectations of Petracca.

Lots of early picks don't make it Steve. While I don't think he is a wash out he is far from a match winner and IMO I doubt he will be. From my view he is not fit enough seldom sees out a game is usually nacked in the last quarter. I don't think he has yet realised that talent is not all you need at the top level. Lets hope he improves his fitness level for 2019.

9 hours ago, old dee said:

Lots of early picks don't make it Steve. While I don't think he is a wash out he is far from a match winner and IMO I doubt he will be. From my view he is not fit enough seldom sees out a game is usually nacked in the last quarter. I don't think he has yet realised that talent is not all you need at the top level. Lets hope he improves his fitness level for 2019.

Why hasn't this been addressed by the coaching staff OD?

Beyond belief. Not fit enough what the hell does he do all week?ohhhh that's right preening must take considerable time.

If only Trac were more  Flower and less Dorian Gray.... we'd have a bottler. All fizz at present.

No point dropping Trac.  We need our best talent on the park over the next three weeks vs three average teams.

Must win all 3 or its goodbye finals.

 

Edited June 25, 20186 yr by Petraccattack

19 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

No point dropping Trac.  We need our best talent on the park over the next three weeks vs three average teams.

Must win all 3 or its goodbye finals.

 

No...we need the best 'efforts' on the park.

Its abit like the dif between a team of champions.. and a champion team.

Better a B grader trying /playing flat out....than a supposed A giving 25% return on a game and going missing.

Drop him... make a statement.  Make it LOUD 

I vaguely remember a game in his first year, I reckon it was v WCE in Perth in the wet, he stood out out that days as having the best skills, one touch disposals, he was streets ahead of anyone on the ground in that department that day. At that moment I thought awesome, he's going to be a star, but has disappointed since. Does anyone remember that game? Maybe it wasn't v WCE?

3 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

No point dropping Trac.  We need our best talent on the park over the next three weeks vs three average teams.

Must win all 3 or its goodbye finals.

 

And its the teams, and Trac's, chance to re-build  any loss in confidence since 2 losses through absolutely hammering poor opposition. 

2 goals wins, and in Trac's case , average contributions, won't cut it  from either % build or Trac's later 2018 contributions.

Trac will be a champion player. Power/burst players take longer to develop. as opposed to endurance midfield types.  look at Dusty, took him 6-7 seasons to perform at a high level each week and run out games. Shopped himself around after 5 seasons and noone wanted him!

we will need to be patient with Trac

Article on AFL site about Trac.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-27/im-not-the-player-i-want-to-be-says-dee-petracca

The following stood out. 

 

All I want to focus on at the moment is just doing what Simon tells me to do, playing my role as that half-forward by putting a lot of pressure on. It's stuff that probably doesn't get recognised, but it does get recognised inside the four walls."

4 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Article on AFL site about Trac.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-27/im-not-the-player-i-want-to-be-says-dee-petracca

The following stood out. 

 

All I want to focus on at the moment is just doing what Simon tells me to do, playing my role as that half-forward by putting a lot of pressure on. It's stuff that probably doesn't get recognised, but it does get recognised inside the four walls."

He’s making all the right noises. Time to leave him alone.

I wonder how we'd go playing off half back, replacing Vince. 

His field kicking is a lot better than his goal kicking, that's for sure. 

I'm not sure this article will appease some punters.

Naturally I don't know what his role is but these stats I find damning:

Only laid 6 tackles inside 50 all year (12 games), including 7 games of 0 and 2 tackles i50 in his last 5 games including 4 weeks of 0.

He's also only laid 3 tackles i50 in the last 8 weeks with 6 games of 0.

Averages 2.6 tackles per game

Only 32 tackles so far this season

 - That's not applying pressure IMO and simply unacceptable.

As a forward he's returned 9 goals in 12 games, not good enough.

He looks sluggish and unfit, not to mention fumbly and not much composure like his first year. His stats are only slightly better than last year, which isn't too much more than his first year.

I think he has finally had the wake up call and light bulb moment that AFL footy isnt as easy as he thought, I expect a big pre-season coming this year.

Petracca and Garlett have been the busts of the year for me along with Hunt.

 

Edited June 27, 20186 yr by SFebey

 

4 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

There's the understatement of the week.

21 hours ago, DubDee said:

Trac will be a champion player. Power/burst players take longer to develop. as opposed to endurance midfield types.  look at Dusty, took him 6-7 seasons to perform at a high level each week and run out games. Shopped himself around after 5 seasons and noone wanted him!

we will need to be patient with Trac

Very very true words, be patient with a guy who's only just ticked over the 50 game mark. His stats (I know they can be misleading sometimes) are very similar to Dusty's at around the same stage of their career, and way ahead of Dangerfield's. Robbie Gray is another similar type player who's first 50 odd games a similarish to Trac's (he played more as a pure forward than the mid/fwd role he plays now). I mentioned them as they are the power/burst players who he reminds me of, won't get the 35+ an Oliver will get but can turn a game sometimes with only 15 touches.