17 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

I’d love to know who we are supposed to be replacing these 2 with that are going to be better than them in 2021?

No VFL to evaluate the ready made players, and no TAC cup to bring in the future. Hore got a one year deal because we know what he can do, versus an unknown older player whose just missed a year. Spargo got 2 years because he’s 21, and deserves a shot to become something we desperately need. 

It’s not just about the stats, it’s about what you’d be replacing them with, and this year is the biggest recruiting dog’s breakfast since the AFL became a professional comp.

I believe other states have been playing junior footy 

Watch this space . Sorry but again poor list management. Come back and see if Im wrong this time next year 2 years Fmd

 

 

5 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

If Caleb Daniel can make an AA team then Spargo can be a regular player. Sure it would be easier at his size if he was lightning quick but he's a smart footballer, he can build endurance and strength to get to more contest and stick tackles as a high half forward. He took a step forward late this year.

Just because they're both short doesn't mean there is any reason to draw a comparison between them

With a two year investment, I hope I'm proven wrong, but I've really not enjoyed watching Spargo in our team. Sure, he's had a few good games and been a part of some good passages of play. But he's more often been completely ineffective and as you call out needs to:

  -  build endurance and strength 

  -  get to more contests 

  -  stick more tackles

Questionable "to-do list" for a 3 year player being extended for 2 years (and quite surprisingly to be frank)

Concerns me that we've signed Spargo and not Jayden Hunt, and rumours of trading ANB, both of whom have established endurance and strength, and get to contests. Demonstrated clearly in the latter part of this season.

4 hours ago, old dee said:

He is bog ordinary.

This!

4 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Just because they're both short doesn't mean there is any reason to draw a comparison between them

With a two year investment, I hope I'm proven wrong, but I've really not enjoyed watching Spargo in our team. Sure, he's had a few good games and been a part of some good passages of play. But he's more often been completely ineffective and as you call out needs to:

  -  build endurance and strength 

  -  get to more contests 

  -  stick more tackles

Questionable "to-do list" for a 3 year player being extended for 2 years (and quite surprisingly to be frank)

Concerns me that we've signed Spargo and not Jayden Hunt, and rumours of trading ANB, both of whom have established endurance and strength, and get to contests. Demonstrated clearly in the latter part of this season.

Spargo's 20, he can and (presuming he puts in the work) will get stronger and fitter as he goes from a boy to man.

Hunt just doesn't get the ball. He isn't a great endurance runner either. And his biggest deficiency is he's just not a smart player.

The same thing goes for ANB. Who did take some strides this year with his ball use but mostly has stopped improving his weaknesses which mostly stem from not being a smart player.

13 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Hunt just doesn't get the ball. He isn't a great endurance runner either. And his biggest deficiency is he's just not a smart player

Watch the R18 Essendon game. And more specifically watch specifically the highlights of the R17 GWS game (2nd Qrt with 5:38 remaining) - Hunt and Picket start a chain of play deep in defensive 50 and 18 seconds later Hunt palms off a tap in the forwars goalsquare for Pickett to goal. Speed endurance and getting the ball 

I'm not trying to hide the fact Hunt has being missing for a good part of last 2 years (mostly due to selection)

And ANB started to imapct this year, MRP aside (ffs), coincidentally same age a Tracc who had a breakout year

But those two have Spargo covered twice over each.

I'm concerned were not backing the existing speed/endurance that actually had us showing some level of competitiveness late in this season...

Look forward to seeing Marty float across a pack effortlessly taking nice marks. Will put pressure on Lever. 

a natural footballer. Very solid

2 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Look forward to seeing Marty float across a pack effortlessly taking nice marks. Will put pressure on Lever. 

a natural footballer. Very solid

Yeah, in the VFL

 

7 hours ago, Pollyanna said:

Spargo improved his tackling and kicking depth this year. He's got further scope for improvement.

The agressive, compeditive nature of Spargo was one of the things which attracted us to him in the first place and the main thing which kept getting him selected in his first season in 2018.  I'd argue his good kicking (particularly for goal) has also been a past feature of his best attributes.

My assessment is that this year he brought himself back to the standard he set for himself to start with after a bad case of second tear blues last year.

Supporters these days are so impatient and unforgiving, it's like one bad season or if you aren't dominating by your second you are out of here.  Look how long it took players like Trac and Max to deliver.

Edited October 29, 20204 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

11 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Watch the R18 Essendon game. And more specifically watch specifically the highlights of the R17 GWS game (2nd Qrt with 5:38 remaining) - Hunt and Picket start a chain of play deep in defensive 50 and 18 seconds later Hunt palms off a tap in the forwars goalsquare for Pickett to goal. Speed endurance and getting the ball 

I'm not trying to hide the fact Hunt has being missing for a good part of last 2 years (mostly due to selection)

And ANB started to imapct this year, MRP aside (ffs), coincidentally same age a Tracc who had a breakout year

But those two have Spargo covered twice over each.

I'm concerned were not backing the existing speed/endurance that actually had us showing some level of competitiveness late in this season...

Hunt has many impressive chains of play but the numbers are pretty clear cut, he doesn't find a lot of the ball even though he's in his prime and his forward pressure for a guy of his pace is dreadful. I'm ok with keeping him on for one last go but that has nothing to do with Spargo deserving 2 more years.

Trac has been a good played for a long time, he found the fitness to go to another level. ANB's had top fitness for a long time but wasn't getting better, he had a few good games that are cause to reassess a little but I still feel he just doesn't have the smarts.

I don't think you should read too much in to the GWS and Essendon wins. GWS were poor for a lot of the season. Essendon had 1 win in their last 10 games. 

16 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

The agressive, compeditive nature of Spargo was one of the things which attracted us to him in the first place and the main thing which kept getting him selected in his first season in 2018.  I'd argue his good kicking (particularly for goal) has also been a past feature of his beat attributes.

My assessment is that this year he brought himself back to the standard he set for himself to start with after a bad case of second tear blues last year.

Supporters these days are so impatient and unforgiving, it's like one bad season or if you aren't dominating by your second you are out of here.  Look how long it took players like Trac and Max to deliver.

Spargo is soft in my opinion 

Not every player on the list can be an A grader. Spargo is 20 and has played 34 games, his career average goals per game is the same as Jack Higgins. Calm down. 

Edited October 29, 20204 yr by Ethan Tremblay

4 hours ago, picket fence said:

Hibberd .. Slowing down , Cooked

He finished 9th in our B&F, so I hardly think he's 'cooked'.  Don't think you were watching the same games as the rest of us.  That said, Hibberd is getting on in years and I don't see a ready made replacement to step straight into his shoes.

To me it makes total sense that the MFC would keep on all of Smith, Hore and Rivers in the hope that one of these guys will fill the big hole left by Hibberd in the next couple of years.  While Rivers certainly looks the most likely, I still think we need to hedge our bets a bit and perhaps in time we might also want to use Rivers in other spots on the ground like wing or half forward.

6 hours ago, deanox said:

This year he had 27 SIs from 65 disposals. In the 8 games we played we had 145 scores (inc rushed behinds), so he was involved in >19% of our scores.

24 from 90 in 2019. Poor year for him and the team.

A whopping 93 from 219 in 2018. We had 446 scores (inc rushed behinds) in his 18 games, so he was involved in >21% of our scores.

 

Shorter games and season, but only 17 players in the comp had more then 93 this year. 

I thought that I had observed that he had a lot of score involvements, but those numbers are even better than I could have dreamed, (even given that numbers ain't everything).

6 hours ago, old dee said:

One good and the other less some. I did expect he [Spargo] would get at least another year he has been the coach’s favourite since day one in spite ordinary form at Casey.

There was actually no opportunity to impress, or otherwise, at Casey this year.

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Spargo's 20, he can and (presuming he puts in the work) will get stronger and fitter as he goes from a boy to man.

Hunt just doesn't get the ball. He isn't a great endurance runner either. And his biggest deficiency is he's just not a smart player.

The same thing goes for ANB. Who did take some strides this year with his ball use but mostly has stopped improving his weaknesses which mostly stem from not being a smart player.

Of the three, Spargo certainly seems to have the best "footy smarts".  

Marty is worth  a contract. Played 14 games in 2019 and really looked at ease for his first season. A good insurance  mainly on the backline and similar to Joel smith in size. Marty just has  better skill and a footy brain.  Injury ruined his season in 2020. 

Charlie 2 year contract is worth the punt he is worth persevering with and only 2i  next season . He is getting stronger and showed some good form in his limited appearances has upside and expect him to improve.. The ability is there.

Edited October 29, 20204 yr by nosoupforme

2 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Totally agree with giving Hore another year. I'm not sure we needed to keep Smith if we've now kept both Hibberd and Hore, but so be it.

I'm less sure about Spargo at all, let alone for two.

Whether it was one or two years, if we're re-contracting Spargo and we're considering players like Higgins and Hind, that must spell trouble for both Hunt and ANB.

If we're only keeping one of Spargo, Hunt and ANB, I'm not convinced Spargo is the better pick over Hunt.

I would be totally FLABBERGASTED if Hunt goes and Spargo stays! This surely would be madness!!!!

19 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Not every player on the list can be an A grader. Spargo is 20 and has played 34 games, his career average goals per game is the same as Jack Higgins. Calm down. 

Jack Higgins played around half the games this year and last, a drop off from his 2018 performance, and missed both the GF teams

He's reported to be leaving Richmond this year...

I see the parallel you draw ET

1 hour ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

I'm not trying to hide the fact Hunt has being missing for a good part of last 2 years (mostly due to selection)

Despite his lack of selection, Hunt has been one of our best forwards over the past two seasons.  Without being sure of the actual stats, I'd say he would actually be in our top 3 - 5 goal kickers for the past two seasons combined...and neither were really a good season to be a forward at the MFC.

Really hope Hunt is one of the next signed for 2021/22.

3 hours ago, Elegt said:

I believe other states have been playing junior footy 

So what you think there is value to be had in the players from other states that in any other normal year wouldn't have made the cut?

Even if they did make it, knowing our luck, they'd want to puss off back home to WA or Adelaide anyway.

Edited October 29, 20204 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

22 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Despite his lack of selection, Hunt has been one of our best forwards over the past two seasons.  Without being sure of the actual stats, I'd say he would actually be in our top 3 - 5 goal kickers for the past two seasons combined...and neither were really a good season to be a forward at the MFC.

Really hope Hunt is one of the next signed for 2021/22.

Doing the sums, I actually have Hunt as our 3rd highest goal kicker over the past two seasons on 31.  Behind only Trac and Fristch, just ahead of Weid and Melksham.

Marty Hore, hope he is fit next season. We were one defender short and Harmes didn't fill the gap. Neither did Jones for that matter. 

Leave Charlie alone. I like him, and I hope he proves all you doubters wrong. He has a good football brain and the work he put in showed last season.

7 hours ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Just because they're both short doesn't mean there is any reason to draw a comparison between them

With a two year investment, I hope I'm proven wrong, but I've really not enjoyed watching Spargo in our team. Sure, he's had a few good games and been a part of some good passages of play. But he's more often been completely ineffective and as you call out needs to:

  -  build endurance and strength 

  -  get to more contests 

  -  stick more tackles

Questionable "to-do list" for a 3 year player being extended for 2 years (and quite surprisingly to be frank)

Concerns me that we've signed Spargo and not Jayden Hunt, and rumours of trading ANB, both of whom have established endurance and strength, and get to contests. Demonstrated clearly in the latter part of this season.

Difference Mullet fir all Charlie's flaws ( and he ironed out a couple this year) he is a SMART footballer who only needs a dozen disposals to have an influence on a game.

TB fair Hunt is like that but does not fit in team wise ( he plays more individual style footy) although we must keep him fir his skills TOO. 

Both would play even better if we can improve our connection and solve a game plan dilemma that suits us on both good  and bad days.
 

4 hours ago, Youngwilliam said:

Marty Hore, hope he is fit next season. We were one defender short and Harmes didn't fill the gap. Neither did Jones for that matter. 

Leave Charlie alone. I like him, and I hope he proves all you doubters wrong. He has a good football brain and the work he put in showed last season.

YW the man short in our defence this year was NOT Marty Hore. It was a genuine third tall ( Oscar couldn't do the job) and Smith was and Tomlinson also entrusted in the latter games of 2020.

Smith on Cameron ( 2020 version remember ) was heartening and became a team player and now had 2 years and Tommo also much maligned did a solid blocking role in lieu of our wing poddies he is not suitable for. He's an honest footballer but versatile also is Tommo and defence attack or ruck and an occasional period on the wing is very handy on a team that Lacks changeability.

The ideal third defender ( or third tall) is Petty but we need him in attack far more I believe.

Yes Marty has his intercept skills but IMO he is not quick enough fir smalls and is not tall or robust ( strong) enough to mind the third tall forwards.

He is  the only Replacement for Jake as an interceptor but msybe could become more expansive and take the game on like he did with that memorable Assist winning effort Goal vs Suns in 2019!

Completely  agree with you re Charlie Who might just be Oscars replacement as Whipping boy No 1 if he doesn't deliver consistently.

Ok, bold prediction: I reckon young Spargo will be one of our undisputed best players by the tail end of next season/first half of 2022. Barring injury, of course.

8 minutes ago, Spargonicus said:

Ok, bold prediction: I reckon young Spargo will be one of our undisputed best players by the tail end of next season/first half of 2022. Barring injury, of course.

I hope you're right, if only for the reaction from Picket Fence.