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1 hour ago, JV7 said:

Same people calling him to be delisted are probably the same people crying we traded out Kent & Tyson and we now have "no depth" takes a squad of 40 odd to build a club. Only 22 can play each week & ANB at his best in in that 18-25 range, he proved more than that last year. He is not alone on output this year.

Ironic isn’t it Kent was injured more than he played for us and goes to the saints and plays every game or close to it. Typical. 

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1 hour ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Haha. What a classic stereotypical happy-go-lucky Melbourne supporter comment. 

People love to hate him because he plays a team role? Intriguing. 

He is fairly criticised when he butchers the ball, fumbles the ball and has very little to no impact at the contest. His performances this year have displayed those weakness areas and his demotions from the team are evidence. 

It doesn't matter if you're as fit as Craig Motram and can run up and down the ground all day if you're constantly making errors with the ball or not impacting when near it.

This.

He has one attribute:  tackling.  Has no particular football skill.  In 5 years has not added more strings to his bow. 

We can't afford such a one dimensional player and we have plenty of his 'vanilla' type.  Better to get a fwd who can kick goals then teach him to tackle.  Or develop one from recruits of the last two years. 

He isn't going to improve and will end up keeping another player out of the team (teacher's pet syndrome) or playing at Casey.

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1 hour ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

i'm presuming cos we didn't have the capacity / desire to match a significant three-year deal for a player who was so injury-prone and regularly failed to perform to a required level

Yet kicked the goal that took us into the finals for the first time since 2006. Don’t disagree he was injury prone but they were physical contact injuries mostly rather than a body that couldn’t sustain the workload. Offered an X factor (which our forward line clearly lack) that other club clearly rated hence his three year contract offer. Instead we keep signing JKH; ANB, Garlett etc none of who would rate any significant offer from other clubs.

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6 minutes ago, Deesprate said:

Yet kicked the goal that took us into the finals for the first time since 2006. Don’t disagree he was injury prone but they were physical contact injuries mostly rather than a body that couldn’t sustain the workload. Offered an X factor (which our forward line clearly lack) that other club clearly rated hence his three year contract offer. Instead we keep signing JKH; ANB, Garlett etc none of who would rate any significant offer from other clubs.

I would've kept Kent and delisted any combination if the 3. JKH & Garlett don't like contact & ANB can run but poorly skilled.

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24 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

This.

He has one attribute:  tackling.  Has no particular football skill.  In 5 years has not added more strings to his bow. 

We can't afford such a one dimensional player and we have plenty of his 'vanilla' type.  Better to get a fwd who can kick goals then teach him to tackle.  Or develop one from recruits of the last two years. 

He isn't going to improve and will end up keeping another player out of the team (teacher's pet syndrome) or playing at Casey.

In 2018 he averaged:

16.9 disposals
3.1 marks
1.1 goals
4.7 tackles
1.2 tackles inside 50
5.9 score involvements

"He's not going to improve" is a staggering statement about a player who has already improved considerably during his career. What exactly do you base that on? Up until this year he has steadily improved year on year.

"One dimensional player"? Gee we could do with some goals, tackles inside 50 and some score involvements about now couldn't we?

I agree his foot skills are average at best, but our co-captain this year leads the entire league in turnovers going inside 50, Oliver and Brayshaw are not far behind, so maybe there's more to it than just potting one player you happen to dislike?

People keep wondering why our forward line is so dysfunctional this year while at the same time thinking it's no big deal we traded Kent and Hogan and ANB has struggled with injury and thereby consistency. It's not a mystery.

 

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1 hour ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Haha. What a classic stereotypical happy-go-lucky Melbourne supporter comment. 

People love to hate him because he plays a team role? Intriguing. 

He is fairly criticised when he butchers the ball, fumbles the ball and has very little to no impact at the contest. His performances this year have displayed those weakness areas and his demotions from the team are evidence. 

It doesn't matter if you're as fit as Craig Motram and can run up and down the ground all day if you're constantly making errors with the ball or not impacting when near it. 

 

You don't see his upside ? It is your opinion

In the meantime look for something that will interest you apart from being a frustrated Melbourne supporter.

Have you ever had anything good to say about  ANB ?  Chew them up spit them out type supporter,  they are around. 

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19 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

In 2018 he averaged:

16.9 disposals
3.1 marks
1.1 goals
4.7 tackles
1.2 tackles inside 50
5.9 score involvements

"He's not going to improve" is a staggering statement about a player who has already improved considerably during his career. What exactly do you base that on? Up until this year he has steadily improved year on year.

"One dimensional player"? Gee we could do with some goals, tackles inside 50 and some score involvements about now couldn't we?

I agree his foot skills are average at best, but our co-captain this year leads the entire league in turnovers going inside 50, Oliver and Brayshaw are not far behind, so maybe there's more to it than just potting one player you happen to dislike?

People keep wondering why our forward line is so dysfunctional this year while at the same time thinking it's no big deal we traded Kent and Hogan and ANB has struggled with injury and thereby consistency. It's not a mystery.

I don't dislike Alex at all and not trying to pot him.  He has improved in his careeer but that doesn't mean it will continue.  He has had one good year in five and in my view has plateaued/reached his peak. 

Haven't said/implied Alex is responsible for our dysfunctional fwd line nor commented on Kent/AVB/Hogan.

If we are going to improve, some players with poor skills/turnover merchants should not be in the best 22.  From your list is it Jones, Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw that is left out?  We just can't carry them all.

L. Nev, we will just have to agree to disagree on Alex.

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1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

I don't dislike Alex at all and not trying to pot him.  He has improved in his careeer but that doesn't mean it will continue.  He has had one good year in five and in my view has plateaued/reached his peak. 

Haven't said/implied Alex is responsible for our dysfunctional fwd line nor commented on Kent/AVB/Hogan.

If we are going to improve, some players with poor skills/turnover merchants should not be in the best 22.  From your list is it Jones, Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw that is left out?  We just can't carry them all.

L. Nev, we will just have to agree to disagree on Alex.

If he has improved throughout his career then you would say it's more likely that will continue than just flat out stop though right? No one can predict the future of course, but based on available information that's what the natural progression would be.

I didn't say you had blamed ANB for our dysfunctional forward line, apologies if I made it sound that way, was more just a general comment in regards to our forward half problems this year. IMO Kent, Hogan and (an in-form) ANB were very important cogs, in different ways, in making our forward line function better. We are missing what they all individually brought in a big way this year.

I don't put the blame solely on players as far as the skills/structures go. I think we have a strategy and structure that works when everyone is in form and fit and our best players are all available, but anything less and it falls apart. There is a massive disconnect between the coaches and the players IMO. Going by Goody's public comments he wants them to do one thing yet they are doing the complete opposite, lead by our co-captain in Viney. That connection and message needs to start to align or else I have serious concerns about us going forward.

I'm not saying ANB is a star, or even a very good player, but I think when he is fit and in form he brings valuable things to our forward line that we are currently missing and his role impacts how the machine all works.

I just get frustrated sometimes with some posters views that every player is either an absolute gun or they should be delisted, it's just not how the complexity of a 40+ list of players with a salary cap works. (Not saying that's your outlook btw).

 

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1 year deal with a club option would make more sense than a 2 year deal.

Who are we negotiating with? 

He runs damn hard which opens space for others but skill wise he isn't at the level and he doesn't have the athleticism of game sense to really create space. When Lockhart gets the ball at half forward something happens - good or bad, when ANB gets the ball it's often a fumble, smothered handball, or looped nothing disposal. You're relying on the bounce of a ball or a fumble going the right way to get the results with ANB.

Literally you roll a dice when he gets near the ball and hope it pans out.

He might improve and we need the runners but I just don't see why we'd commit 2 years. If Spargo, Hunt, Hannan, Lockhart even Chandler yet alone recruits or picks all go passed him next year we'd be stuck with him for 2021.

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1 minute ago, demonstone said:

Literally?   You don't know what that means, do you?

There's a phenomenon where improper English spreads through the community and is then repeated, especially when you've been at the footy all day and aren't really focusing on writing correctly.

Well done on being the grammar nazi on a footy forum though. 

In the meantime I'll be consulting with Merrian-Webster and hanging out with my old mate F. Scott.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/misuse-of-literally

Quote

F. Scott Fitzgerald did it (“He literally glowed”). So did James Joyce (“Lily, the caretaker’s daughter, was literally run off her feet”), W. M. Thackeray (“I literally blazed with wit”), Charlotte Brontë (“she took me to herself, and proceeded literally to suffocate me with her unrestrained spirits”) and others of their ilk.

 

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8 hours ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Haha. What a classic stereotypical happy-go-lucky Melbourne supporter comment. 

People love to hate him because he plays a team role? Intriguing. 

He is fairly criticised when he butchers the ball, fumbles the ball and has very little to no impact at the contest. His performances this year have displayed those weakness areas and his demotions from the team are evidence. 

It doesn't matter if you're as fit as Craig Motram and can run up and down the ground all day if you're constantly making errors with the ball or not impacting when near it. 

 

Yep exactly like today for example!

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Had a poor day.  Had easy ball with just 3 of 15 possessions contested.  Gave up the chase a few times.  5 tackles but some were 'stacks on the mill' rather than causing turnovers.

Can't see him cementing a regular spot in 22.  Will be out as soon as Melksham is available.  Lockhart has already gone past him.  Will be signed up as a depth player.

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I would be happier if the news was about the imminent  re-signing of Frost tbh.

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These are the opportunities to better your stocks...hanging onto nqr mediocre fair weather B graders is not the way forward...for success.

Therefore its exactly what MFC will do

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10 hours ago, ding said:

Solid foot soldier who is not alone in having a poor year to date.

This is an important point. Poor form has spread throughout the entire side, but when it strikes a player on the fringes of the best 22 the criticism is always harsher.

I’m on board the Nibbler train. Will provide decent depth over the next few years.

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11 hours ago, JV7 said:

Same people calling him to be delisted are probably the same people crying we traded out Kent & Tyson and we now have "no depth" takes a squad of 40 odd to build a club. Only 22 can play each week & ANB at his best in in that 18-25 range, he proved more than that last year. He is not alone on output this year.

Yea after hitting a few likes on those posts for delist I realise you are correct. Not a star but we cant have 12 new blokes.

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i'm no big fan of ANB, fumbly hands and misses too many targets with his disposal for my liking,  but he will be needed as depth. we had a clearout of players last year and depth has proved to be relatively thin this year. so unless some other team thinks he is worth a trade (I think unlikely) I say we keep him as a fringe player and pay him accordingly.

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38 minutes ago, TheoX said:

Happy with that, hes not in the total dud basket like JKH who should've been delisted years ago. 

JKH is a better footballer than ANB. While no star, he can mark, handball and kick, which ANB can't.

I am stunned he is being given a 2 year deal. Lockhart and Corey Wagner are now ahead of him IMO.

 

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