Marty Hore is clearly the biggest surprise packet. Who's your biggest disappointment of 2019? TMac is surely up there. Anyone else? You can't list the whole team.

Have been really please with the resurgence of Jayden Hunt. Quality player. 

Can't go past Petracca for most disappointing. No.2 draft pick in his fourth season averaging just 16 touches and barely a goal a game. 

11 minutes ago, Matsuo Basho said:

Have been really please with the resurgence of Jayden Hunt. Quality player. 

Can't go past Petracca for most disappointing. No.2 draft pick in his fourth season averaging just 16 touches and barely a goal a game. 

TMac is averaging almost 5 possessions less a game and hasn't had half the impact Tracca has at various times. Couldn't disagree with this more. 

8 minutes ago, Matsuo Basho said:

Have been really please with the resurgence of Jayden Hunt. Quality player. 

Can't go past Petracca for most disappointing. No.2 draft pick in his fourth season averaging just 16 touches and barely a goal a game. 

Can see where your coming from in regards to Trac, However I think we need to lower our expectations of him. 

Having a knee reco at a young age wouldn't of helped his development and unfortunately we've now discovered he doesn't have the tank to play in the middle. This will effect his disposal numbers. He hasn't been his best this year no doubt, but he's doing some really key things in our forward line which stacks up well against the comp.

- Leading the comp for ground ball gets inside fwd 50, something we really lack from other players.

- 6th in the comp for goal assists.

- 14th for tackles inside fwd 50 (highest demon)

Hopefully he can clean up his goal kicking and have a big second half of year.

 

15 minutes ago, Matsuo Basho said:

Have been really please with the resurgence of Jayden Hunt. Quality player. 

Can't go past Petracca for most disappointing. No.2 draft pick in his fourth season averaging just 16 touches and barely a goal a game. 

Agree with Hunt but can't agree with Petracca as most disappointing. I think there are aspects of his game that are disappointing particularly his set shot goal kicking from inside 30 and his fading in and out of games but he is far from the most disappointing.

3 minutes ago, Smokey said:

TMac is averaging almost 5 possessions less a game and hasn't had half the impact Tracca has at various times. Couldn't disagree with this more. 

You could raffle ‘most disappointing’ among a bunch of them. Petracca, McDonald, Brayshaw, Oscar, Weideman, feel like Steven May needs a special mention as well despite barely playing. 

An opinion was asked for. I gave mine.

29 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

Marty Hore is clearly the biggest surprise packet. Who's your biggest disappointment of 2019? TMac is surely up there. Anyone else? You can't list the whole team.

That is bound to bring out all haters for their favourite whipping boy.

For me it is TomMc.  Lack of preseason fitness should have been overcome by now.  The odd poor game is understandable but he has played one good game in 11 (vs GCS).  We needed him to stand up this year but he has been ineffective in virtually every aspect of a tall fwd play.

Edited June 5, 20195 yr by Lucifer's Hero

Maybe a bit early to call, but I think Baker is going to be a Star in the back end of the season. Go Ginger Ninja!

Just now, Matsuo Basho said:

You could raffle ‘most disappointing’ among a bunch of them. Petracca, McDonald, Brayshaw, Oscar, Weideman, feel like Steven May needs a special mention as well despite barely playing. 

An opinion was asked for. I gave mine.

Don't get precious on me now, your opinions are not immune to scrutiny. 

Just now, Smokey said:

Don't get precious on me now, your opinions are not immune to scrutiny. 

I'll leave this post up as a public warning for baiting. People complained about @Matsuo Basho yesterday and he was warned. It's only fair that you don't bait him. Enough. General warning to everyone.

TMac is a common theme here. I think we underestimated The influence Hogan had on TMac in that Hogan often took the best defender or was double teamed, leaving TMac with a lesser opponent.

Just now, —coach— said:

TMac is a common theme here. I think we underestimated The influence Hogan had on TMac in that Hogan often took the best defender or was double teamed, leaving TMac with a lesser opponent.

Agree with this. Also highlights how little influence the Weid has had in playing the TMac 2018 role and also the ineffectiveness of a third tall forward (when we had one in the team).

Just now, —coach— said:

TMac is a common theme here. I think we underestimated The influence Hogan had on TMac in that Hogan often took the best defender or was double teamed, leaving TMac with a lesser opponent.

Tend to agree, although Tmac more than held his own when Hogan was injured for extended periods. I think last year he was under-rated, and is now getting the defensive attention he deserves. 

Actually I believe that coaching and selection (unseparated) have been the biggest disappointment, leading to limited skills depth in a young brigade that should be full of running and a threshold of performance standards.

The greatest upside of the season for me is the stabilisation of Frosty and the presence of Hore to assist in the backline intercepts.

7 minutes ago, Smokey said:

Don't get precious on me now, your opinions are not immune to scrutiny. 

To clarify I take more of a ‘pound for pound’ view of this type of question. I focus on the talent level of the players in question and factor that in. It has not surprised me that TMac has come back to earth this season. I think his 2018 was an anomaly for a guy who is not a natural forward. That said he’s been awful no doubt.

Petracca as a blue chip investment should be playing at a level 30% better than this at this stage of his career. Another season stuttering along like this and he’ll be trade bait.

14 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I'll leave this post up as a public warning for baiting. People complained about @Matsuo Basho yesterday and he was warned. It's only fair that you don't bait him. Enough. General warning to everyone.

I'll add that it's ok to argue a point just don't make it personal with personal attacks or take the fights to other threads. If you can't stand a poster then ignore their posts, put them on ignore or use the report function if it's a genuine reportable offence. Just because someone's opinions differ from your own doesn't necessarily make it a reportable offence.

Don't bait and don't rise to the bait. Play nice.

TMac has played some of his best games when Hogan was not in the team even tho he got the best defender.  Hogan injury in 2017 was the reason Tom went forward.  His support in 2017 (iirc) was Pederson as Watts was also injured.  Weid was his support last year when Hogan was absent.

imv the absence of an experienced side kick doesn't explain Tom's alarming half season long form slump.

If Tom is injured he should be rested.  If not we should play him and Sam for the rest of the season so they get experience playing together.  They both need to be up and about for our 2020 campaign.

Edited June 5, 20195 yr by Lucifer's Hero

Biggest disappointment of 2019

Jeelong being back on top, with the Bald Bible a protected angry little [censored], whilst we again are languishing in the bowels of the competition again. 

Just a sick nightmare really. 

Big clean out at years end. Never have i seen such consistently bad kicking for goal, that is not improving. 

59 minutes ago, Matsuo Basho said:

To clarify I take more of a ‘pound for pound’ view of this type of question. I focus on the talent level of the players in question and factor that in. It has not surprised me that TMac has come back to earth this season. I think his 2018 was an anomaly for a guy who is not a natural forward. That said he’s been awful no doubt.

Petracca as a blue chip investment should be playing at a level 30% better than this at this stage of his career. Another season stuttering along like this and he’ll be trade bait.

Can't argue with much of that, except I will say that even though Petracca hasn't hit consistent output yet, this is still his best season to date (which I guess is pretty uninspiring in itself at this stage of his career). But from my view his improvement over the last few years appears to be linear if you look at it holistically. His trouble is he is still prone to going missing for entire games, which is incredibly frustrating given his abilities and potential. And of course his set shot kicking.

On the positive side, he is asserting himself more in the contest, using his strong body to his advantage and has set up many scoring opportunities this year. 

Tmac on the other hand I agree getting a bit exposed this year. Whilst he has shown patches of dominance over the last few years up forward, even when Hogan was injured and he was #1 target, he has proven himself to not be such a natural forward this year. Whether that's because he is carrying an injury remains to be seen, I certainly hope that's the case or else we are in desperate need of an established key forward over the trade period. 

Edited June 5, 20195 yr by Smokey

One thing MFC does not lack the season, is choices for "disappointment of the year".

Biggest onet for me is a toss up between May ( because he has played practically no part in our season thus far, and i had high hopes for his impact ) and our coaching group. Both have enough time to redeem themselves, but probably not enough to help the team make finals. May obviously didnt exect our fitness standards to be as high as the were, and he was found out. The Coaching group didnt implement a plan B early enough (mainly due to not being prepared for our huge injury toll), and were also found out. The ultra-high press should have been changed much earlier in the season than it was. TMac also gets a very special mention. 

I find myself not being disappointed in Trac, because my hopes were not overly high to begin with. His ceiling is nowhere near the hype imo. If i read "Melbourne's midfield bull" one more time...............

Surprises for me are Hore and Frosty. Hore has slotted in beautifully and deserves his spot even when we have a full list to choose from. Frosty, because he has been one of the very few players on our list who has actually improved this year. He still has chook-with-his-head-cut-off moments, but you cant deny his improvement under exceptional circumstances.

1 hour ago, Matsuo Basho said:

 It has not surprised me that TMac has come back to earth this season. I think his 2018 was an anomaly for a guy who is not a natural forward. That said he’s been awful no doubt.

I agree with your sentiments in this thread generally. I think TMc is battling a number of things.

I think he's playing physically hindered.   And also the coaches have wrecked his early season form, by  playing him deep.

 

TMc is not a No 1 tall forward...  he's a tall flanker,  who has a big engine, and loves the freedom to run and run, and hit packs, coming in unannounced.   His best work is outside F50,  and also when he has the opportunity to storm back into F50,  with the play going on around.

TMc should be playing Most of his game,  in between the Arcs...  where his Marking and gut-run is a weapon, for Us.

 

Weide is the closest thing we have to a natural Full-Forward...  but needs cover in the form of Preuss,  to shelter the young man.  With Hunt bedside these two, deep... or on the flank.

Hunt is not a midfielder.  He needs to be looking at the ball coming toward him,  and push up to it,  and with the freedom of not sticking as much to a defences structure.  He's enjoying being liberated from  'to tight' a structure,  and associated responsibilities, IMO.  He needs to hunt the ball.

 

2 hours ago, Matsuo Basho said:

Can't go past Petracca for most disappointing. No.2 draft pick in his fourth season averaging just 16 touches and barely a goal a game.

Agree..  Tracca has been allowed to just be a sheep,  and not lead the term in any way, over his seasons with us. 

He has been given plenty of freedom,  and little responsibility,  IMO.  Gifted games. 

He has been sheltered,  with not enough appearances at Casey.  I am concerned,  he will turn out to be soft mentally,  and just play as a front-runner.

 

Apprenticeship well and truly over Trac...  to to get that digit extracted,  and pull your weight.

Surprise packet : Marty Hore/Oskar Baker/Harmes's attitude.

Disappointment : Kick for goal/kicking into fifty/lack of pace/composure.

if Tmac is injured/unfit, it is kind of an indictment on the selection committee is it not, to not send him to Casey/rest?

Heroes: Hore and Hunt

Disappointment: May (redemption awaits!)

I have been a big fan of Marty since meeting him at the Family Day and so happy he has played so well. A very pleasant surprise!

Disappointment? Not being able to see May show us what he can do on the field this year. Hope he can play soon.

4 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Lack of preseason fitness should have been overcome by now.

No, just no. You can never make up for a lack of pre-season loading while you're playing games each week. Nor can you make up for the lack of time spent training *together*.

There's a reason teams start pre-season early November.