18 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

It's quite obvious some posters on here think/opine ANB is no good

The fact that he gets a game irks them coz they think they know better than the coaching staff in all footy matters

So they will fill a thread trying to hammer others of a different opinion, until everybody falls into line with their way of thinking

Of course they could go the whole hog and embarrass themselves in a public forum

I think, even with the flaws in his game, which he is working on, when on, ANB is an important cog in the team structure

Yes I do think he's not AFL standard and like @Stretch Johnson said that's not a crime.  ANB doesn't run in a straight line at the ball, he is the master of the second tackler in, and fails to convert straightforward goal scoring opportunities.  I'm not vilifying him with this description, AFL football is very hard, and I would be far, far worse in all those areas myself.  The fact that he gets selected on a regular basis is a reflection of shortcomings in our list that will hopefully be overcome from 2020 forward.

12 hours ago, Cards13 said:

 

I stub my toe... badly!!! And roll around on the floor for 5 mins swearing...finally able to get up, that is my face with my wife watching on.

Moloney looking on in disgust,..

1 hour ago, Mgdee said:

I am not a great fan o f ANB but Cherry-picking stats from a year in which a team came near to last as against the premiers  is a bit disingenuous  

Try comparing their 2018 stats or their career stats which you can find from the site you have sourced. You maybe surprised. 

Stats are only a small part. 
 

The facts are one player gets a game in a premiership outfit whilst the other floats between the seniors and reserves in a bottom two team that was decimated by injury. 
 

When people try to align players based upon stats alone it is quite ludicrous- I accept that, but I wasn’t e one who started that train of analyses. 

If some people firmly believe ANB could seamlessly fit into the Richmond line up as a best 22 and be a valued contributor then they’re clearly on some very, very good drugs. 

Edited December 7, 20195 yr by McQueen

39 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Moloney looking on in disgust,..

Gysberts cops plenty for that pic because of the relatively light weight but it does depend on how many sets and reps he's done.

14 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Question i have in regards to Jackson is where do you think he will line up position wise come round 1?

I haven't seen enough of him Dazzle to know what the club might have in mind.  I'd be stunned if he played midfield early and I think if he plays early it will be as third forward with ruck relief for Gawn.

What I do think is this kid has some pretty unique talents. Someone call him a unicorn.  Develop him properly, don't rush him and play him when he's earned it and is ready in a role that doesn't demand too much of him.

ANB:  my take on ANB is that he's a fair player in a good team but one who will struggle in a bad team (like last year).  He's got skills that can prosper when there are good players around him but he can't make the play at AFL level.  It's why he struggled last year.

Gisberts:  I don't understand why people continue to pot this bloke.  It wasn't his fault he was picked early by an incompetent national recruiting manager and joined a disfunctional club.  He won two rising stars, he earned Brownlow votes.  He was an MFC player who after the arrival of Mark Neeld may well have suffered some mental illness issues. So how about we just get off the kids back, in another environment he may well have thrived, he could certainly play.

We all have player favourites, and player not-so-favourites, but really I don't care which player gets selected in our team, as long as they are playing well enough to hold their spot, and playing better than an alternative from Casey. If that includes ANB and OMac, then good for them, but more importantly, good for the MFC.

Baring injuries, I think competition for spots will be red hot this year, and, unlike last year, if you play poorly, I don't think you will get too many more chances before having to prove yourself again at Casey.

3 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Yeah nah, to think otherwise is laughable, the wider football community and Richmond supporters would laugh at this. I

Castagna is by far a much dynamic and complete footballer then ANB. 

Just remember also that during the year ANB  was dropped by the 2nd worst AFL club in the competition. Even at VFL level he was quite ordinary and didn't exactly bang the door down for selection.

The sooner Pickett and Bedford come on the better, as that would mean ANB is back playing 2s football where he belongs.

Castagna is the worst kick in the AFL

Thank you to @Demon Jack, @Baghdad Bob, @george_on_the_outer, @Deespicable, @Satyriconhome, @DeeSpencer and anyone else who I missed for their training reports this week. 

 The desk-bound/interstates/overseas supporters thank you. 

I look forward to your reports & observations leading up to Christmas and into the new year. 

18 hours ago, Skuit said:

Not certain it was from Monday, but I recall someone mentioning he walked off the track 'grumpy'. 

Called getting old

1 hour ago, godees said:

Castagna is the worst kick in the AFL

Wow

That settles that then.

20 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Dropped by for an hour, and gossiped with BB for most of that time...and everything he has reported on is spot on.

Viney was just in everything.  Previous concerns about his footwear/feet couldn't be justified given his outrageous attack on the ball and his running all over the ground.

Vanders, as others have noted, can't be all that far away from joining the main group. 

The interesting thing about the match simulation is that this year we can actually DO match simulation.  We can put 36 players ( and more if needed) on the oval. 

I wanted to see what all the hype was about Jackson, and now I understand.  The kid has the vision of Clarry and the agility and ability to find space that is the trademark of the top echelon of players.  Will he play ruck? Will he play forward?  With his capabilities he might finish up playing midfield.  There has a tendency for increasing height in the mids ( Fyfe, Cripps) and this could be the next step.

There was one beautiful piece executed between him and Clarry when I first got there.  Jackson took possession in the pack, danced past a couple without being touched, and fired off a handball to Clarry who did exactly the same.  All the others were flat-footed as the ball sailed down the other end, without them laying a hand on either.

Keep an eye on Harry Petty.  The glimpses we saw briefly last year point to a real gem.  His hands are first class in the air, and poor Brayden Preuss found that out when Petty outjumped him, to take the grab in a marking contest.  No mean feat.

I love hearing this about Petty, his pre-draft footage gave me the impretion he has a cool footy head. a bit like Sean Wellman in his prime.

Can anyone answer my questions about Harmes? Solely training defence or do we think he will play 50/50 def mid?

I felt like last year he was our 2nd best mid

52 minutes ago, tappysquads said:

Can anyone answer my questions about Harmes? Solely training defence or do we think he will play 50/50 def mid?

I felt like last year he was our 2nd best mid

Lines up at half back in the match sim

15 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

Lines up at half back in the match sim

running through the midfield as a sweeper, or as a rebounding HBF?

1 hour ago, tappysquads said:

Can anyone answer my questions about Harmes? Solely training defence or do we think he will play 50/50 def mid?

I felt like last year he was our 2nd best mid

Solely with the backline. Think they need the run and ball winning back there. 

Usually coaches pick the 7 defenders for a game and keep the rotations simple, I can't see him rotating mid and back. 

Viney probably takes responsibility for the sub 185cm gun mids. Not sure what the plan will be for the Dusty/Fyfe/Bont/Danger types. 

anb's 2018 was vastly superior to castagna's 2018 across all statistical levels; across the course of their career thus far - both with around that 75-game mark - they're remarkably similar

my tiggas mate LOATHES george; i personally like what he brings to their side's make-up, much as i like what anb gives us

are there better players in the side? of course! but i like that both never stop trying

I think what ANB does do is get to the ball quickly, turns on a dime and in traffic either slots an unlikely goal or hits up someone in front of goal. Maybe he misses some set shots but generally to my mind he puts them through. He doesnt tackle hard and he does have some bad games but his positive abilities make him worth it. He seems to play well when the team is going well.

 

On 12/6/2019 at 9:56 AM, Demonland said:

Jackson was wearing #17 the other day but according to his Instagram he may be #6. Rivers' Instagram has #24 but he was wearing #20 the other day. Stay tuned ...

Probably belongs in that other thread and I hope I don't jynx the young guy, but it's about time #17 got a good custodian.  That bloke Sam what's his name was starting to establish some good tenure in the number, but then he [censored] off to the wees and poos.

Number 17 hasn't really reestablished it's self as a well respected playing number since old Brett Lovett back in my day.

Edited December 7, 20195 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

14 minutes ago, Damo said:

I think what ANB does do is get to the ball quickly, turns on a dime and in traffic either slots an unlikely goal or hits up someone in front of goal. Maybe he misses some set shots but generally to my mind he puts them through. He doesnt tackle hard and he does have some bad games but his positive abilities make him worth it. He seems to play well when the team is going well.

 

Amazing how people can look at the same player and see such utterly different things. 

I’ll never forget that break out game at the Cats lair when at a critical stage he out ran his opponents and bobbed up in the forward line and kicked two match winning goals. That was good ANB. 

Unfortunately he’s become my most frustrating player. He has a technique for picking up loose balls especially in the forward line where he slides in and falls over and gets caught every time. 
 

If he doesn’t do that and snaps on goal he almost inevitably misses usually after ignoring someone in a better position. Or he passes in general play and turns it over. 
 

Oh for the original ANB. In 2018 he improved his kicking. This year it was back to its worst. Unfortunately he has not come on. He’s gone backwards badly. Personally as much as I hope he turns it around I can’t see it happening. How many years do you give him living in hope.  

I actually think ANB gets the best out of his skill set most weeks.

The problem is that still isn't quite good enough.  I can't fault his endeavor and commitment to the side, but if he lines up for us come Round 1, then I'll be disappointed that others haven't improved enough to take his place.  That won't be ANB's fault.

6 hours ago, McQueen said:

Stats are only a small part. 
 

The facts are one player gets a game in a premiership outfit whilst the other floats between the seniors and reserves in a bottom two team that was decimated by injury. 
 

When people try to align players based upon stats alone it is quite ludicrous- I accept that, but I wasn’t e one who started that train of analyses. 

If some people firmly believe ANB could seamlessly fit into the Richmond line up as a best 22 and be a valued contributor then they’re clearly on some very, very good drugs. 

I don’t believe stats tell the whole story either. You were the one who posted the link as evidence for your point. 
I just don’t agree with people using cherry-picked stats that “prove” their assertions. 
 

I remember watching us play the Suns at the (Gabba!) in 2018.. one of the few live matches I’ve seen in the last few years. I had not been an ANB fan but on that day I got to see how Goody used him and what his value/role was... creating stoppages.. all day he was the second or third in and held it up for a ball up in the 50... he wasn’t getting any stats for these but it was damn effective...and we killed them on the scoreboard... as an aside the guy who was bog that day surprised me.. Harmes 

15 hours ago, 58er said:

Will never forget Johnnos game in the Elimination Final At Waverly In 1988.

Really dragged us across the line from the back pocket. Great winger also.

Such run snd carry. And disposal.

If Jay Lockhart can be half  as good as AJ we should be pleased.

We need Hunt style running with accurate disposal by hand and foot from  defenders 

People  forget that run generally starts from the backline (see where Tigers start it at half back)

That will alter all our plan with Langdon AVB and Maybe ANB And Kossie.feeding off team play with speed.,

AJ got a perfect score at The B&F for that Final in 1988

A very underrated player outside of The MFC was Alan Johnson

6 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

We all have player favourites, and player not-so-favourites, but really I don't care which player gets selected in our team, as long as they are playing well enough to hold their spot, and playing better than an alternative from Casey. If that includes ANB and OMac, then good for them, but more importantly, good for the MFC.

Baring injuries, I think competition for spots will be red hot this year, and, unlike last year, if you play poorly, I don't think you will get too many more chances before having to prove yourself again at Casey.

It is likely to be so, NC, all is in the performance and contribution.

5 hours ago, Demonland said:

Thank you to @Demon Jack, @Baghdad Bob, @george_on_the_outer, @Deespicable, @Satyriconhome, @DeeSpencer and anyone else who I missed for their training reports this week. 

 The desk-bound/interstates/overseas supporters thank you. 

I look forward to your reports & observations leading up to Christmas and into the new year. 

I'll second that!!