PREGAME: Rd 01 vs GWS

[DistrACTION Jackson 10,728]

8 minutes ago, picket fence said:

If Billings had of kicked 3 we would all be singing his praises. Give the guy a break...FINDS the footy and is a very good player!

In the side this week easily!

Great perspective PF. Billings will play an important role as a connector on the wing and we will all just have to accept he will miss some shots at goal.

[At the break of Gawn 4,512]

1 hour ago, dees189227 said:

Anyone see goody on 360 tonight? Gee I reckon McClure & morris are dying to know what what was said on that camp in bright. 

Sounds like a lot was gotten off  peoples chests

After watching Goody tonight on 360, I'm actually feeling less confident now. I reckon there's a fair chance we could see some of these teething issues with the new game plan he spoke about early on in the season. Perhaps we'll do the opposite of the last few years and come home with a wet sail and storm into the finals instead of starting hot and fading late.

[Demonstone 23,573]

15 minutes ago, picket fence said:

If Billings had of kicked 3 we would all be singing his praises.

If your Aunty had wheels, she'd be a bicycle.

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,823]

12 hours ago, Dee Viney Intervention said:

I think AJ will be that guy. I reckon Melbourne supporters will love him and opposition supporters hate him. He gives me Nathan Carroll vibes and I like it.

I'm a fan of AJ already after watching one practice game.

The lad just loves the contest.

[nextskipclaz 2]

Just now, picket fence said:

If Billings had of kicked 3 we would all be singing his praises. Give the guy a break...FINDS the footy and is a very good player!

In the side this week easily!

But that's just the point, you WOULD have been, and I WOULDNT have, because I know kicking uncontested goals is not what it's about.

My question to you is, did you see his defensive efforts against Freo - a couple of goals were kicked by them from a play in which Billings made himself obsolete where he could have impacted the contest. 

I understand this kind of thinking is not what youre used to and you are looking for glamour, but I'm getting to the root, and that is a gift to you becasue we all want the ultimate success, not just to see some goals kicked at the weekend of footy... or am I wrong to assume that's what you want from your team

[DeeSpencer 26,675]

2 hours ago, nextskipclaz said:

1. remember what makes a good team these days: insistent pressure, putting 1 percenters first, sacrifical play, and then the 'space' opens up on the offence as a by-product of doing that well. Does anyone watch Billings in those aspects or are folks on this thread just concerned with who gets a kick?? Football is about what fills the negative spaces if you know what I mean. 

 

I would never have recruited Billings because I do somewhat agree that every player in a good side should have pressure and physicality. But hard runners on the wing present options for your backline to clear the ball quickly and avoid the negative outcomes that come when your backline are dump kicking or indecisive. 

2 hours ago, nextskipclaz said:

...and yes you do need speed (windsor) on the wing too, windsor held his own completely last year, with no significant endurance issues.

 

Windsor had some excellent games mixed with very quiet games where he looked tired. Battled through for nearly the whole year which was a great effort. But you don't have a plan for speed off half back if he's not back there. And we need that to break down zones and create attacking opportunities.

2 hours ago, nextskipclaz said:

2. ANYONE can kick a goal, or get on the end of one, or find space... ANYONE. And i would rather see trac kick a goal when he is in range rather than pass it off to Billings just because the little guy 'found some space'. Trac kicking goals is infinitely better of the trajectory of this teams success (not least because he is a barometer of the teams energetics - Billings has zero influence on galvanising team energy.

 

This is nonsense. Nothing beats unselfish team footy. There's moments for superstars to step up and do special things but passing inside 50 has been a really poor part of our game in recent years and it's well and truly time we see more players dish it off to guys in better spots. Billings will be on the wing if he's in the side, it will be rare that he'll be the one receiving these passes.

2 hours ago, nextskipclaz said:

3. Billings, along with Taj and perhaps others exhibit a different intent as AFL footballers - it is not something they are dying to do, it is not their raison d'etre like an Angus Brayshaw, a Bailey Fritsch or even a Charlie Spargo. And my desperation is founded on this contention: the more players in a team you have who don't really live and breathe footy (and I would go as far as to say if you have even 1 or 2 players in that state of mind - sort of content just to 'get a run'), the closer you are to failure as a group - no matter how good your top tier players are. 

 ---- This is also why Charlie Spargo is the better option than Chandler, because he is not 'goal happy', and he doesn't fake-play a role of team play which often chandler does very demonstratively. Charlie just gets down to business and shuts his mouth, but boy is he intent, and boy is his heart and gut RIGHT IN IT.

 

Bayley Fritsch - known competitive beast. That's a new one. If you don't like Billings' intensity wait til you watch Fritsch play when there's not a goal on offer.

Spargo cooks his team mates more than anyone inside 40 and spits the dummy when he isn't used when open (which I actually don't mind). Complete nonsense if you think he's not goal happy and shuts his mouth. No idea what Chandler did to get this criticism. If nothing else he's excellent at the role player aspects of his position.

[Oxdee 537]

1 hour ago, At the break of Gawn said:

After watching Goody tonight on 360, I'm actually feeling less confident now. I reckon there's a fair chance we could see some of these teething issues with the new game plan he spoke about early on in the season. Perhaps we'll do the opposite of the last few years and come home with a wet sail and storm into the finals instead of starting hot and fading late.

@binman mentioned on the podcast that we have trained this new method last off season and changed back to the more conservative style mid season. It might not be as big of a change as suggested