2 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain. 

- Dropping marks he'd normally swallow

- Continued bewilderment at ruck infringements

- The misjudging of flight. The Doggies game especially. 

- He's smiling/carefree attitude towards his mistakes. Dogs game again.

I accept it's early but the early signs from Max this year aren't great. Is the rise of Jackson affecting his game? 

Lets hope he has a blinder this week and gets some of his aerial confidence back. 

 

I think Max has been traditionally a slow starter and I have no concerns about his output.   The big fella is like a fine wine.  
Long live the King! 

Edited March 29, 20223 yr by Demons11

3 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain. 

- Dropping marks he'd normally swallow

- Continued bewilderment at ruck infringements

- The misjudging of flight. The Doggies game especially. 

- He's smiling/carefree attitude towards his mistakes. Dogs game again.

I accept it's early but the early signs from Max this year aren't great. Is the rise of Jackson affecting his game? 

Lets hope he has a blinder this week and gets some of his aerial confidence back. 

 

Interesting comments Steamin. Personally, I’m a big picture guy and sometimes detailed analysis leaves me cold.

However, in this case, there is something else.

It’s Max.

I’m sorry Steamin but I just can’t in any way, shape or form criticise or find fault with Max. It’s almost sacrilegious. 

If he has had a few off moments, after all his superhuman efforts over the past few years, in particular, last year, he has, well, almost earn’t them. He has more credits in the bank than anyone I can think of. 

No, I have had a good hard think about your comments, and I  can’t come up with anything but praise, adulation, indeed love for our Premiership Captain one of the most remarkable individuals ever to don the red and blue. He is in lofty company with other Club legends and is getting closer to the sanctity of the Clubs spirit soul, the immortal Robbie Flower.  

And now I think about it, together  with Robbie, a Yarra Park sculpture would be most fitting, a place of homage after his retirement. 

3 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain. 

- Dropping marks he'd normally swallow

- Continued bewilderment at ruck infringements

- The misjudging of flight. The Doggies game especially. 

- He's smiling/carefree attitude towards his mistakes. Dogs game again.

I accept it's early but the early signs from Max this year aren't great. Is the rise of Jackson affecting his game? 

Lets hope he has a blinder this week and gets some of his aerial confidence back. 

 

I didn't notice missing his roars of encouragement and intent in his pretalks to the team. 

I did however notice the increased interference in the centre and the marking contests.

14 minutes ago, willmoy said:

I did however notice the increased interference in the centre and the marking contests.

Thats because he cant jump (high) - he is a grappler not a leaper (like Luke) and has been for some seasons.

Is he off to a slow start, I havent got a clue, am i worried, not really.

54 minutes ago, hemingway said:

And now I think about it, together  with Robbie, a Yarra Park sculpture would be most fitting, a place of homage after his retirement. 

The giant bronze beard would be a great addition to Yarra Park.  Could situate it somewhere on the periphery of the paths they park the food vans next to, of which I'm sure Max would approve. 

Come to think if it, perhaps the statue could be of him with pizza in one hand and a durry in the other, with a huge grin from ear to ear.

4 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

Good one. Can the Captain not be critiqued? 

Absolutely, the Captain should be critiqued, in fact he is exactly the person who would demand that. I'm just not sure your observations have any validity. I've noticed you have given your "Location" as Earth but I'm thinking you are probably from Mars.

I prefer to listen to someone like Goody. He said in his latest presser that Jackson was being incredibly well mentored by Max. Now that's not a comment on Max's current on field performance (or maybe it is) but it is an insight that goes beyond a few dropped marks.

In reviewing my reply I went back to your original post and the premise and potential motives behind it. I won't re-post the entire comment but the opening statement "Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain" says a lot more about you than Max.

Really? 2 games in! We are 2-0 and you have concerns about our Captain? What are you suggesting? The sky is falling, he needs to be replaced, we are in trouble , we need to keep a watch on this? My read is; you are a would be influencer with no credibility, you're not Tom Morris are you?

 

Even a Ferrari needs a tune-up

I laugh at anyone who thinks our first Premiership Captain in 57 years is struggling.

The ball was slippery when we played the Gold Coast last week 

Okay bat him at 4 instead of 3.

1 hour ago, dworship said:

Absolutely, the Captain should be critiqued, in fact he is exactly the person who would demand that. I'm just not sure your observations have any validity. I've noticed you have given your "Location" as Earth but I'm thinking you are probably from Mars.

I prefer to listen to someone like Goody. He said in his latest presser that Jackson was being incredibly well mentored by Max. Now that's not a comment on Max's current on field performance (or maybe it is) but it is an insight that goes beyond a few dropped marks.

In reviewing my reply I went back to your original post and the premise and potential motives behind it. I won't re-post the entire comment but the opening statement "Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain" says a lot more about you than Max.

Really? 2 games in! We are 2-0 and you have concerns about our Captain? What are you suggesting? The sky is falling, he needs to be replaced, we are in trouble , we need to keep a watch on this? My read is; you are a would be influencer with no credibility, you're not Tom Morris are you?

 

OP was not disrespectful and made an observation that many Demonlanders have mentioned in other posts. Insulting people is not the way to discuss topics raised.

9 hours ago, dworship said:

Absolutely, the Captain should be critiqued, in fact he is exactly the person who would demand that. I'm just not sure your observations have any validity. I've noticed you have given your "Location" as Earth but I'm thinking you are probably from Mars.

I prefer to listen to someone like Goody. He said in his latest presser that Jackson was being incredibly well mentored by Max. Now that's not a comment on Max's current on field performance (or maybe it is) but it is an insight that goes beyond a few dropped marks.

In reviewing my reply I went back to your original post and the premise and potential motives behind it. I won't re-post the entire comment but the opening statement "Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain" says a lot more about you than Max.

Really? 2 games in! We are 2-0 and you have concerns about our Captain? What are you suggesting? The sky is falling, he needs to be replaced, we are in trouble , we need to keep a watch on this? My read is; you are a would be influencer with no credibility, you're not Tom Morris are you?

 

Take a breath mate, you're going to hurt yourself. I suggested nothing, I merely posted my observations. 

I think that opposition coaches, over the last 2 or 3 years, have put so much effort into nullifying Max’s dominant ruck craft, that we rarely see his “silver service” taps to our mids any more - that once was so commonplace. Max has changed  the way the game is now played, and despite this change, Max is still the premier ruckman, and has still won AA honours during this period. As such, I have no worries about Max playing some quieter games, and while SD’s observations may be accurate reflections of what he saw, I’m not concerned about Max at all. 

16 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

I accept it's early but the early signs from Max this year aren't great. Is the rise of Jackson affecting his game?  

 

Umm... no. If anything, the rise of Jackson actually improved Gawn's game last year. It allowed him to become far more damaging up forward. The PF against Geelong was a great example of that. 

Fritsch, Tmac, Sparrow and Hunt aren't in great form. That being said, I'm not worried about those four players either given that it's only round 2.

Edited March 30, 20223 yr by Hopeful Demon

17 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain. 

- Dropping marks he'd normally swallow

- Continued bewilderment at ruck infringements

- The misjudging of flight. The Doggies game especially. 

- He's smiling/carefree attitude towards his mistakes. Dogs game again.

I accept it's early but the early signs from Max this year aren't great. Is the rise of Jackson affecting his game? 

Lets hope he has a blinder this week and gets some of his aerial confidence back. 

 

Max is fine, he's in ripping shape and absolutely dominated particularly when it counted last season. It is a good thing that our senior players are not the focal point of our team week in week out.

12 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

The giant bronze beard would be a great addition to Yarra Park.  Could situate it somewhere on the periphery of the paths they park the food vans next to, of which I'm sure Max would approve. 

Come to think if it, perhaps the statue could be of him with pizza in one hand and a durry in the other, with a huge grin from ear to ear.

A life-size statue including beard may require too much bronze to be affordable. Might have to settle for a hologram in the Sports Museum instead.

These days i get excited when Jacko does the centre bounces rather than Max.

17 hours ago, Steamin Demon said:

Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain. 

- Dropping marks he'd normally swallow

 

that is an insightful and generally accurate analysis of Max's first two games plus the Carlton hit out .Max has been dropping his marks but even at his best he does not clunk them like,say Stephen May .Even THAT mark in rd 23 was a two biter .He has not been getting many of the 50/50 decisions at boundary throw ins and seems to be not unreasonably frustrated .He does however work tirelessly around the ground to create an extra man at contests in the midfield ,forward line and defence and this part of his game is immense.

Another thing related to this topic.

I have noticed also that not a game that i see each week is free of where the players on both sides are completely unaware of where a decision is going to go to. Is this a good healthy sign?   Now, by the way there is also no dispute permitted or questioned....

We are the most studied team in the AFL this year. Everyone knows where Max is going and what he’s trying to do next. He still gets to where he needs to be, but he’s being guarded closely.

I also think he’s being used forward of the ball more, which makes it tougher in terms of marking. He’s being deployed that way because we have less certainty behind the ball with Lever out - so Max forward means opponents need to have a very big guy in defence to man him (and not in their forward 50 trying to mark it).

And the other thing to note is that the effort and work that goes into hindering Max is what allows Jackson to have a clearer run at it. 

So essentially he’s doing everything for the team, and making us a better side. 

As has been intimated here, I think it’s time we view our ruck performance and effectiveness as a combination (of Max and Luke), not as individuals. They are different yet complementary, and their roles and positioning change as required, now in-game and even at the behest of our fearless leader, in order for us to swing momentum and win games. 

Our ruck division - so multi-faceted, adaptable and powerful - is the best in the comp by a long way, and is getting better. It is simply formidable, putting paid to ridiculous media commentary over the years that rucks are not important in winning premierships in the modern era.

Not concerned in the slightest with Big Max. In fact, quite the opposite. I wouldn’t be surprised if both Max and Luke were named in the same AA team - that would be a first!

Gold Coast were very good at creating marking contests around the ground ensuring Max didn't have any easy marking opportunity. Of course he has taken strong contested marks before but credit to Gold Coast for negating easy opportunities. Dewy ball as well.

No need at all to think his slow start might be indicative of a decline. He has 5 AA's. He'll be right

17 hours ago, Demons11 said:

I think Max has been traditionally a slow starter and I have no concerns about his output.   The big fella is like a fine wine.  
Long live the King! 

Last year he went off like a rocket in rounds 3-5 as he picked up 7 Brownlow votes.

There might be a masterpiece just around the corner.

Didn’t he kick five in a prelim four games ago? 

Gone way too early… almost disrespectful of our great Premiership winning Captain…

He is getting underneath a few, and he isn't quite clunking them.  He will get it going again.

Max gave away 6 frees against the Bulldogs and mis-timed some of his marks but he was otherwise ok, including his long 55m goal when we really needed it.

He dropped a large number of marks against the Suns and looked exhausted in the third quarter on Saturday. Not his best game, but Witts is a tough opponent for him because he is just as tall and heavier than Max.

I reckon he has been pinged twice unfairly this year for shepherding when he caught the ball in the ruck on the way down. The adjudication on this rule has been strange in some other games I have watched.

I think it is premature to worry because he is covering the ground well and marking form can turnaround quickly.