Spot on!

Sometimes, all young players need is some faith from the coaching staff and a bit of confidence that they belong.

He was made to battle through his form slump, and it payed off.

I hope CJ is offered the same treatment soon enough.

Is it that he's played himself into form through support alone, or maybe players returning from injury & the threat of being dropped onto the emergency list has given him a wakeup call, 50/50...

correct, but you cannot deny the kid has serious potential...he can kick it 60m with accuracy, he can mark. he can wion his own footy. he can run- both fast and all day. he has the hair to catch the umpires eyes...

he is out of form. he isnt kicking well. he is looking up instead of picking the ball up cleanly.

today with a bit of confidence he started grabbing everything and kicked a couple...he will be a player. a star? im not sure, but he will play a few games no worries.

He played much better today but needs to work on improving taking the ball cleaner.

And today he showed why he plays AFL and you don't know jack.

Bate is an improving player, he is still very raw.

He has a good sized body, and a massive kick two great attributes for AFL.

Im sure he will be good player in the coming years.

Yep bate was very very good.... Enjoyed watching him 2day.. Played a different position which was good to c...

MB was a shining light today, no doubt, but small consolation after losing a game we should have won, we HAD to win !

Is it that he's played himself into form through support alone, or maybe players returning from injury & the threat of being dropped onto the emergency list has given him a wakeup call, 50/50...

Young players fighting for a spot in the team don't need wake up calls. His endavour and desire to win the ball has never been in question over the last month. It was his disposal and decision making which left him wanting, and he has improved slowly.

It is only fair that we give our young inexperienced players time to work through their form slumps and find their feet, in the same way we afford guys like TJ, Davey and so on time to find their touch again.

I thought TJ's last quarter was excellent by the way. A real improvement on 2007 thus far.

Gee! Matty Bate had a good game. What a surprise. A top draft pick at under-age. Get off his case you morons who expect a blinder from him every time he steps onto the field. He's a genuine talent. Keep in mind:

He's young, he's learning the game and he's getting used to playing against more experienced and mature bodies.

We start dissing our young after a few poor games and we'll go backwards fast.

the reason people were having a go at him was because he was shying away from contests, not because of his football ability, and I think the people that had a go at him, and I was one of them, had every right. He was good today, but he still took his eye off the ball a couple of times. Once he starts hitting contests 100% all the time, he will be a good well-rounded player for us.

I can't believe some of the posts here. Bate had a bloody good game today. he presented and the footy stuck in his hands every time. Was no where near our worst. Going on what he did today, i'd be sending Frosty back to Sandy........... sorry Zeb's.

I'd be sending Bruce to Sandy before Bate.

waas great to see him take the game on and do well,

the thing that sticks out for me is after the siren he was bent over with his hands over his head and seemed to show genuine hurt that we lost, was pleasing to see a player show that sort of emotion

So what was Neitz like when he was playing at 19-20 years of age....that's what you gotta think about. How good will Bate be when he gets to Neitz's age and experience.....a big threat I would imagine.

Putrid example Nuffy - Neitz was a state of origin rep in 1994 at 19, kicked six in a game in 1993 as an 18yo and was 2nd b+f and all-australian in 1995 at age 20

the reason people were having a go at him was because he was shying away from contests, not because of his football ability, and I think the people that had a go at him, and I was one of them, had every right. He was good today, but he still took his eye off the ball a couple of times. Once he starts hitting contests 100% all the time, he will be a good well-rounded player for us.

God that is such rubbish. I remember him dropping his head ONCE in his entire career thus far.

He is a kid, and he goes in a lot harder and with a lot more determination than some of our senior players.

I love how we can all sit behind our computer screens and take shots at 19 year olds for not going in hard enough. Pathetic.

Putrid example Nuffy - Neitz was a state of origin rep in 1994 at 19, kicked six in a game in 1993 as an 18yo and was 2nd b+f and all-australian in 1995 at age 20

Oooops.... well I am female and I was sorta trying to make the point that Bate is young and alot can happen in the next 13 years until Bate gets to 32 (Neitz's age).

Oooops.... well I am female

And?? <_< <_<

Oooops.... well I am female ...

im not sure what that has to do with anything, but thanks for the heads up...

beat me too it jaded...sounds better coming from you.

be careful everyone, every chance we will get a bagging from germain greer now for something...

i thought master was great. his output was terrific and his presentation perfect.

we need dunn and miller to also present in the same fashion, and i reckon we'd take a lot more marks in and around the 50 m line.

Its amazing how people can be so quick to shoot down a young player.

Sydneys Brett Kirk was delisted by them and returned to the bush and play in the Ovens & Murray league, then got a second chance as a rookie at 23 from memory. And Rodney Eade was going to sack him again until Paul Roos took over and showed faith in his abiltiy as a result he is now one of the AFL's elite players

Oooops.... well I am female and I was sorta trying to make the point that Bate is young and alot can happen in the next 13 years until Bate gets to 32 (Neitz's age).

Apologies if I have offended any females okay i admit it I didn't know Neitz's history of when he was 19-20, this was ignorance regardless of sex.

calm down jaded

Well Jaded, the crucial mark he dropped in the third quarter was the result of him dropping his head and he did it again in that quarter. Watch the replay and come back to me on that one. He's a good kid but he needs to improve his contesting aerially and at ground level, that's part of his learning process. The other parts of his game clicked today which was great, but when they didn't (ala the previous month), he was pretty poor. FWIW I played a good game once when I knew there was a $100 bonus to any opposition player who put me on a stretcher, so if you want to have a go at my credentials to comment thats up to you to decide, but there are much tougher footballers than me and Bate who post on this board

Young players fighting for a spot in the team don't need wake up calls. His endavour and desire to win the ball has never been in question over the last month.

His attack on the contest prior to the Sydney game was attrocious & would not wrap his hands on an opponent to takle.

It was his disposal and decision making which left him wanting, and he has improved slowly.

It is only fair that we give our young inexperienced players time to work through their form slumps and find their feet, in the same way we afford guys like TJ, Davey and so on time to find their touch again.

I'm happy to say it may have worked this time but if he stops doing the hard things again then he should go back to Sandy & have to fight to get a spot back, otherwise it's Yze all over again.

I thought TJ's last quarter was excellent by the way. A real improvement on 2007 thus far.

God that is such rubbish. I remember him dropping his head ONCE in his entire career thus far.

He is a kid, and he goes in a lot harder and with a lot more determination than some of our senior players.

I love how we can all sit behind our computer screens and take shots at 19 year olds for not going in hard enough. Pathetic.

Jaded, thats saying absolutely nothing, we are one of the softest sides in the AFL. Most of our 25 to 30 year olds are as soft as velvet & have been allowed to get away with it since they started & now it's haunting us & is a real nuisance to eradicate this attitude from a culture. It took Barassi 5 or 6 years to get rid of it in the eighties. We certainly don't need Bate & others youngster's taking the lead from bruce & co.

Breed 'em tough, not soft.