On 7/17/2018 at 11:34 AM, John Demonic said:

Does anyone see us in need of a second tall defender alongside Omac to free up Lever as a 3rd tall? Or is it a matter of going with what we had pre-ACL and having Frost & Keilty as depth and Petty developing, next year? 

This is an area of great interest and focus. Strange that we have to prop-up our full back, so often. Does things once in a while, cannot do these things a week later. Gets drawn too far out of deep defence. Yet skills are developing after a 3-year apprenticeship.

Onfield behaviours have not.

It is easier, cheaper, more potently obvious to work on Frosty and Keilty and Petty for as long as it takes in deep defensive roles, ironing out limitations and weaknesses and error behaviours onfield.

I'd estimate that this would be less than a 2-year apprenticeship for all three - and Frosty is further down the track than all of them. Plus, each will benefit from gaining experience from which true aptitude develops.

Other sides would kill for this resource down back - and in reality, there is not too far to go with any of these three given their ages and stages. Concurrently, we can sit back and watch the capabilities and footballing credibility of Lever on return, of Hibberd on return, of Jetta once fit again, of Jones on a flank down back, of Hunt on return, of Salem by hand and foot, of OMac two years on once the discipline is automated, etc., etc. We have it all but we just do not complete the work. at the coaching level.

We need a key defender. We can't rely on Oscar Mcdonald and Frost to keep us competitive when lever is out for a year. That means May or someone else but I think that will be high on the agenda. Otherwise, any outside mids with leg speed and accountability. That rules out Gaff. 

On 7/18/2018 at 4:40 AM, M_9 said:

I just finished a swim trip with Ed Langdon's mum. Ed is contracted until the end of 2019.

So a trade would need to be done?  He tells them he intends to come home, and they might start to think of offers?

I would love to get another Hunt, but with better disposal and maybe an Eddie/Jeffy type, who can get a goal from nothing and also have the pace to apply real defensive pressure.

4 minutes ago, Redleg said:

I would love to get another Hunt, but with better disposal and maybe an Eddie/Jeffy type, who can get a goal from nothing and also have the pace to apply real defensive pressure.

Don't you mean a Cyril type. 

When has eddie of jeffy ever 'brought down' a big dog ?

 

2 are inferred stars, the other is the real deal.

1 minute ago, DV8 said:

Don't you mean a Cyril type. 

When has eddie of jeffy ever 'brought down' a big dog ?

 

2 are inferred stars, the other is the real deal.

Well yes but Cyril was a generational player. They don’t grow on trees. Unrealistic draft aim,  especially with no first round pick. 

10 minutes ago, Redleg said:

I would love to get another Hunt, but with better disposal and maybe an Eddie/Jeffy type, who can get a goal from nothing and also have the pace to apply real defensive pressure.

Interesting concept. I was thinking while watching the Bulldogs game that the concept of a line breaker has changed greatly in recent years. We used to think of it as a player who would run and carry for at least 20-30 metres. Now because of the hard press a player need only run 10 metres before he can effectively break the press or the line as it used to be called. Equally delivery has become even more important than before when the line breaker could usually rely on his target having some open space.

Watched Hunt several times at VFL level earlier in the year and he was completely ineffective at any appreciable form of run and carry. I suspect that the press has effectively ended Hunt's former style of play. Not sure if he is able to adapt.

Edited July 19, 20187 yr by Diamond_Jim

1 minute ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Interesting concept. I was thinking while watching the Bulldogs game that the concept of a line breaker has changed greatly in recent years. We used to think of it as a player who would run and carry for at least 20-30 metres. Now because of the hard press a player need only run 10 metres before he can effectively break the press or the line as it used to be called. Equally delivery has become even more important than before when the line breaker could usually rely on his target having some open space.

Watched Hunt several times at VFL level earlier in the year and he was completely ineffective at any appreciable form of run and carry. I suspect that the press has effectively ended Hunt's former style of play. Not sure if he is able to adapt.

Put Hunt on the wing and it is no issue. 

We just need to get another Robbie. One man, covers the whole ground, kicks 40 goals a season whilst just running ribbons around any opponent, reads the play and then re-creates the play, baffles opponents. Holds the whole team up in those dire moments when things cannot get any worse ... just one more Robbie. 

Heard that Jeff Farmer's (The Wizz) son is shaping up particularly nicely and will be a Demon according to his dad. The son likes his local Freo at the moment but dad said '...no way...'  - so folks, just another 6 years until he is old enough to spread the Marmite. Same for Jeff White's son up north. Source: Robbo last Saturday.

1 minute ago, Redleg said:

Put Hunt on the wing and it is no issue. 

Is there such a place as the wing these days. It seems to me that there is only the player with the ball surrounded by a moving phalanx of 35 players

4 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Put Hunt on the wing and it is no issue. 

Hunt and Fritsch on both wings excites me no end. 

2 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Is there such a place as the wing these days. It seems to me that there is only the player with the ball surrounded by a moving phalanx of 35 players

We all know that it is now considered an outside mid but that depends on so much else, these days, amongst the quagmire of that moving phalanx to which you refer. That can be exploited where ' wingers' do what Alves and Stretch Snr used to do: run like the wind in both directions all game, moving midline-forward into the spatial void so created for some more run, footpassing and opportune shots at goal if moderately deep. 

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Is there such a place as the wing these days. It seems to me that there is only the player with the ball surrounded by a moving phalanx of 35 players

Phalanx

‘Land never fails

??

Could effective long kicks cover the same position need as the speedy outsider?

Noticed that a couple of our inside mids have found some power off their boot that was a bit unexpected (see for example Brayshaw's clearance that also cleared the pack and found Oliver). Vandenberg has a solid boot on him too. Any others currently out but who might be able to add to that unpredictibility?

'Long kick' doesn't seem to be something that gets covered much in draft talk, but maybe it is one of the tricks that this year's Jason Taylor specials will have? Who's got an eye on the draft this year?

1 hour ago, radar said:

Phalanx

‘Land never fails

??

obviously I've been reading two many novels about ancient Rome recently ?

5 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Could effective long kicks cover the same position need as the speedy outsider?

Noticed that a couple of our inside mids have found some power off their boot that was a bit unexpected (see for example Brayshaw's clearance that also cleared the pack and found Oliver). Vandenberg has a solid boot on him too. Any others currently out but who might be able to add to that unpredictibility?

'Long kick' doesn't seem to be something that gets covered much in draft talk, but maybe it is one of the tricks that this year's Jason Taylor specials will have? Who's got an eye on the draft this year?

we talked a little about this last year. The general idea as I understand it is that the zone is set 60-70 metres around the ball carrier. You would need to be a very powerful kick to break the zone but if you can run 15 and then kick 50 ...perhaps.

Far easier with two quick precision kicks to achieve the same result.

Remember the chaos ball of 2016 that the Dogs perfected. Not sure if it is still in vogue.

A genuine and reliable goal kicker from 55 metre on the run would be a powerful weapon. Imagine if the defensive outriders had such a player amongst them.

3 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Is there such a place as the wing these days. It seems to me that there is only the player with the ball surrounded by a moving phalanx of 35 players

Not at the start of quarters or after goals there isn’t. 

3 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

 

Heard that Jeff Farmer's (The Wizz) son is shaping up particularly nicely and will be a Demon according to his dad. The son likes his local Freo at the moment but dad said '...no way...'  - so folks, just another 6 years until he is old enough to spread the Marmite. Same for Jeff White's son up north. Source: Robbo last Saturday.

Would be awesome if he chose us, obviously.

I thought he was 15 though, if we are talking about Kobe farmer.  If so not sure why Robbo said 6 years.

4 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

We just need to get another Robbie. One man, covers the whole ground, kicks 40 goals a season whilst just running ribbons around any opponent, reads the play and then re-creates the play, baffles opponents. Holds the whole team up in those dire moments when things cannot get any worse ... just one more Robbie. 

Heard that Jeff Farmer's (The Wizz) son is shaping up particularly nicely and will be a Demon according to his dad. The son likes his local Freo at the moment but dad said '...no way...'  - so folks, just another 6 years until he is old enough to spread the Marmite. Same for Jeff White's son up north. Source: Robbo last Saturday.

Said this in another, but look out for Jeff Whites kid Kalani in a few years. Only 12 years old but has been upgraded to under 14a footy and dominating! Pretty tall for a 12 years old also! Future ruckman hopefully!

Edited July 19, 20187 yr by dazzledavey36

We got Weideman so what"s to stop us from taking Eddie's new best friend Richards. About time we started playing hardball with these pretenders..................

6 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Interesting concept. I was thinking while watching the Bulldogs game that the concept of a line breaker has changed greatly in recent years. We used to think of it as a player who would run and carry for at least 20-30 metres. Now because of the hard press a player need only run 10 metres before he can effectively break the press or the line as it used to be called. Equally delivery has become even more important than before when the line breaker could usually rely on his target having some open space.

Watched Hunt several times at VFL level earlier in the year and he was completely ineffective at any appreciable form of run and carry. I suspect that the press has effectively ended Hunt's former style of play. Not sure if he is able to adapt.

He'll be able to adapt, but it will take him time to learn new habits. the good thing is change is apon us after this end of season and open spaces will happen more often in next few seasons.

So Hunty is a keeper IMO, for this reason. 

And while we're waiting for the rule changes, he must continue to learn to lower his eyes at Casey,,, for his running, and then his kicking.

Aaron hall from the suns has good speed and ball use, he’s very much an outside player but I think he’d be a good fit who could use his weapons with more support. And wouldn’t cost the world to get. 

I think gaff would be an amazing get, not sure where that sits but I think we need a couple of this kind of player. 

 

15 hours ago, Patches O’houlihan said:

Aaron hall from the suns has good speed and ball use, he’s very much an outside player but I think he’d be a good fit who could use his weapons with more support. And wouldn’t cost the world to get. 

I think gaff would be an amazing get, not sure where that sits but I think we need a couple of this kind of player. 

 

Hall would be a decent addition wouldn’t cost much. Fasolo if he can get his body right would be a good pick in the forward line

SUNS a rabble - even if articles arent true.

I'd have a crack at May, unsure about Swallow.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/07/20/don't-rule-out-both-suns-captains-leaving-this-year-mcclure/

 

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/07/20/report-contracted-gold-coast-star-weighing-up-future/

4 minutes ago, MSFebey said:

SUNS a rabble - even if articles arent true.

I'd have a crack at May, unsure about Swallow.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/07/20/don't-rule-out-both-suns-captains-leaving-this-year-mcclure/

 

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/07/20/report-contracted-gold-coast-star-weighing-up-future/

Jeez, I thought Swallow was a lot older than 25. If his body is right, he'd be a handy pick up for Freo, especially for a 2nd rounder