22 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

You would be happy enough as the opposition with any of them excluding Hurley getting the ball as they are all average kicks and you're every chance of getting it right back.

I still would like to see Lever play on a decent opponent and beat them. It seems like as a result of having Lever in the team, we will also need Oscar so I will judge Lever quite harshly because of this. Had a couple of good patches in the pre season, however his skills are still average. I was also a bit critical of his judgement in the Hawthorn game, he went for chest marks on a couple of occasions and the balls got spoiled as a result.

Will be interested to see how our backline stacks up once we play a team with dangerous forwards, Round 1 will be a big test for Lever if he is trying to peel off Waterman and assist with Kennedy and Darling.

Edited March 10, 20205 yr by Watts the matter

Would have been nice if someone had intercepted Brandon Zerk-Thatcher's parents en route to the birth registration office.  

8 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

5th in total intercepts across two games is ok impressive. Loses all credibility though when a random called Brandon Zerk-Thatcher is #1. 

 Reminds me of when a girl beat all the the boys in a wrestling comp in the Stayes recently 

 

9 hours ago, Watts the matter said:

You would be happy enough as the opposition with any of them excluding Hurley getting the ball as they are all average kicks and you're every chance of getting it right back.

I still would like to see Lever play on a decent opponent and beat them. It seems like as a result of having Lever in the team, we will also need Oscar so I will judge Lever quite harshly because of this. Had a couple of good patches in the pre season, however his skills are still average. I was also a bit critical of his judgement in the Hawthorn game, he went for chest marks on a couple of occasions and the balls got spoiled as a result.

Will be interested to see how our backline stacks up once we play a team with dangerous forwards, Round 1 will be a big test for Lever if he is trying to peel off Waterman and assist with Kennedy and Darling.

It's always been fairly well known that Lever's role is as the third tall to peel off and intercept,  so I don't think we should start having expectations of him becoming a lock down type defender.  We did try him as a lock down for half a dozen games at the start of 2018 and it did benefit anyone, so I don't think we should waste our time with that anymore.  My personal view is also that Lever is only an average kick himself though, so not sure that logic stacks up.  On the positive, although it's only a small sample of preseason games, I'm encouraged that Levers intercept numbers are up their - pretty hard to get hurt by his loose man or the oppo's small forwards if we have control of the ball.

I saw some encouraging signs against Hawthorn that O Mac is starting to find his mojo again, so I reasonably comfortable for him to lock down the key forward and release lever.  Otherwise, perhaps we need to send Petty back there again once fit or perhaps it's even an oppertunity to give Weid or T Mac a run in defense - if they struggles find form up forward, perhaps a run down back could actually help them find the leather again.

Overall though, key lockdown defenders are probably where we should be looking to stock-up and develop at the next draft, somehow trade for or prefferably poach as a FA as May won't last that much longer in the scheme of things.

Edited March 10, 20205 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

1 hour ago, FarNorthernD said:

5th in total intercepts across two games is ok impressive. Loses all credibility though when a random called Brandon Zerk-Thatcher is #1. 

 Reminds me of when a girl beat all the the boys in a wrestling comp in the Stayes recently 

 

Maybe she was just a very good wrestler?

15 minutes ago, Luther said:

Maybe she was just a very good wrestler?

Yes she was the best.

11 hours ago, Watts the matter said:

You would be happy enough as the opposition with any of them excluding Hurley getting the ball as they are all average kicks and you're every chance of getting it right back.

I still would like to see Lever play on a decent opponent and beat them. It seems like as a result of having Lever in the team, we will also need Oscar so I will judge Lever quite harshly because of this. Had a couple of good patches in the pre season, however his skills are still average. I was also a bit critical of his judgement in the Hawthorn game, he went for chest marks on a couple of occasions and the balls got spoiled as a result.

Will be interested to see how our backline stacks up once we play a team with dangerous forwards, Round 1 will be a big test for Lever if he is trying to peel off Waterman and assist with Kennedy and Darling.

Why? It's not his job.

25 minutes ago, Undeeterred said:

Why? It's not his job.

with the money he is on, i'd expect it to be

Edited March 11, 20205 yr by Demon Disciple

20 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

with the money he is on, i'd expect it to be

Which is why you are not the coach. Players have roles, his may be intercept defender, which he appears to do well. 

12 hours ago, Watts the matter said:

You would be happy enough as the opposition with any of them excluding Hurley getting the ball as they are all average kicks and you're every chance of getting it right back.

I still would like to see Lever play on a decent opponent and beat them. It seems like as a result of having Lever in the team, we will also need Oscar so I will judge Lever quite harshly because of this. Had a couple of good patches in the pre season, however his skills are still average. I was also a bit critical of his judgement in the Hawthorn game, he went for chest marks on a couple of occasions and the balls got spoiled as a result.

Will be interested to see how our backline stacks up once we play a team with dangerous forwards, Round 1 will be a big test for Lever if he is trying to peel off Waterman and assist with Kennedy and Darling.

I know this is just another shot at OMac, but really May is the one who benefits the most from having OMac in the team, and why IMO they were happier to move Frost on. May has said he plays best knowing there is someone behind him allowing him to play more aggressively (he loved having Thompson in that role at the GC), OMac for all his faults will stick and do what his job is, he won't get caught ball chasing. Really Lever's best role is the floating intercepting defender (or 3rd tall as people like to call it), but that can only happen with a guy like May if you've also got the backstop holding their position. 

56 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

with the money he is on, i'd expect it to be

I agree DD

Players have more than one role & to think otherwise is just rediculous. Lever's skill level needs improving, that's obvious, but once he builds consistency & strings a few more games together then I suspect this will improve.

He has the added pressure of $800k per year so 2020 needs to be a good one for 'Tickets'....

 

The Eagles are likely to have Kennedy, Darling and a second ruck in round 1.

Oscar will take the resting ruck, which means Lever will get Darling for a decent chunk of the game and is going to have to win or halve a number of contests. 

He doesn’t have to be an imposing stopper and the zone system should provide help to him inside 50 but he has to be stronger and more confident when one on one. 

3 hours ago, Undeeterred said:

Why? It's not his job.

 

2 hours ago, ManDee said:

Which is why you are not the coach. Players have roles, his may be intercept defender, which he appears to do well. 

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think opposition coaches won't have exploiting Lever as their number 1 avenue to victory against Melbourne this year. He will be dragged back to the goal square at every opportunity and teams will play through his opponent as much as possible. He simply has to get better in this respect.

The alternative is that May or McDonald has to beat their own man and Lever's as well.

19 minutes ago, poita said:

 

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think opposition coaches won't have exploiting Lever as their number 1 avenue to victory against Melbourne this year. He will be dragged back to the goal square at every opportunity and teams will play through his opponent as much as possible. He simply has to get better in this respect.

The alternative is that May or McDonald has to beat their own man and Lever's as well.

Teams will try. But The alternative is they swap opponents in play. We keep our defenders in place and they’ve got forwards in the wrong positions. 

28 minutes ago, poita said:

 

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think opposition coaches won't have exploiting Lever as their number 1 avenue to victory against Melbourne this year. He will be dragged back to the goal square at every opportunity and teams will play through his opponent as much as possible. He simply has to get better in this respect.

The alternative is that May or McDonald has to beat their own man and Lever's as well.

Keyboard coaches! Kick it long, straight up the middle, stop messing around with it, don't kick across goal, man up, tackle don't coral, man on man, you do realise the game evolves? Floods, zones, press, clusters, paddocks, slingshots, handball at all costs are styles of play that challenge the old 18 players in position play. Lever is an intercepting defender, he is good at it, it is a roll that our coaches seem to like. I doubt that you have coached at AFL level so I choose to not value your opinion as much as our coaches. Do you know how zones work?

 

On 3/11/2020 at 11:28 AM, Demon Disciple said:

with the money he is on, i'd expect it to be

Stupidest thing I've ever heard. Gawn is on heaps, why don't you get him to do it?

12 hours ago, Undeeterred said:

Stupidest thing I've ever heard. Gawn is on heaps, why don't you get him to do it?

Ummm.............. he already does.

Gawn is a premier ruckman who plays on (and more often than not beats) the oppositions ruckman. However, he has shown on numerous occasions his ability in taking numerous contested pack marks in both the forward and back line. Uncontested marking is a cake-walk compared to the stuff Gawn does.

With the money Max is on, he should be doing it (and continually is). Subsequently so should Lever.

But if that's seriously the stupidest thing you've ever heard Undeeterred, then i am wasting my time even trying to justify it to you.

Edited March 17, 20205 yr by Demon Disciple

On 3/17/2020 at 12:53 PM, Demon Disciple said:

Ummm.............. he already does.

Gawn is a premier ruckman who plays on (and more often than not beats) the oppositions ruckman. However, he has shown on numerous occasions his ability in taking numerous contested pack marks in both the forward and back line. Uncontested marking is a cake-walk compared to the stuff Gawn does.

With the money Max is on, he should be doing it (and continually is). Subsequently so should Lever.

But if that's seriously the stupidest thing you've ever heard Undeeterred, then i am wasting my time even trying to justify it to you.

I said Lever shouldn't be expected to play as a 1 on 1 key defender, in response to others saying he should be able to because he's paid a lot.

My point is that being paid a lot is completely irrelevant if it isn't what you're being paid to do. 

On 3/17/2020 at 12:53 PM, Demon Disciple said:

Ummm.............. he already does.

Gawn is a premier ruckman who plays on (and more often than not beats) the oppositions ruckman. However, he has shown on numerous occasions his ability in taking numerous contested pack marks in both the forward and back line. Uncontested marking is a cake-walk compared to the stuff Gawn does.

With the money Max is on, he should be doing it (and continually is). Subsequently so should Lever.

But if that's seriously the stupidest thing you've ever heard Undeeterred, then i am wasting my time even trying to justify it to you.

I could equally have said 'why don't you get Pickett to do it'. Same point being made.