A flash of brilliance

[Hulett Packard III 166]

How does he do it and why isn't he doing it more often this year?

[Jarka 767]

His form has been dissappointing this year, and he's started to develop a habit of giving away stupid free kicks. Hopefully next year he'll get his mind right and return to his best.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,246]

Although his form has been disappointing this year, he has actually played some ripping matches this year. The round 7 Bulldogs game was the best of his career where he picked up about 28 touches and 3 goals.

Seems to be playing 1 good game, 1 bad game, 1 good game etc. As someone mentioned here, he may have been distracted by his brother's serious injury. His head needs to be clear for him to play a decent match. Houlihan was excellent on him last week.

[Yze_Magic 3]

both Davey and Brock are learning to shake a very tight tag

This season could be the most important of their careers, development wise

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Although his form has been disappointing this year, he has actually played some ripping matches this year. The round 7 Bulldogs game was the best of his career where he picked up about 28 touches and 3 goals.

Seems to be playing 1 good game, 1 bad game, 1 good game etc. As someone mentioned here, he may have been distracted by his brother's serious injury. His head needs to be clear for him to play a decent match. Houlihan was excellent on him last week.

Davey has been a significant let down this year with his form. His game against the Bulldogs this year was good but thats been about it. he has really struggled to win the ball

If he gets distracted by his brother's injury it only re inforces the mental fragility that was exposed in the elimination final last year.

I have always been concerned about Davey in heavy traffic and the contested ball. I wonder if he has the strenght of mind to take the next step.

He was terrible against Carlton bar his goal snap. Completely invisible. Its should be embarrassing to a player and indicative of the poor form to have a normally unaccountable front runner like Ryan Houlihan tag you out of a game.

[kryton 0]

Davey has been a significant let down this year with his form. His game against the Bulldogs this year was good but thats been about it. he has really struggled to win the ball

If he gets distracted by his brother's injury it only re inforces the mental fragility that was exposed in the elimination final last year.

I have always been concerned about Davey in heavy traffic and the contested ball. I wonder if he has the strenght of mind to take the next step.

He was terrible against Carlton bar his goal snap. Completely invisible. Its should be embarrassing to a player and indicative of the poor form to have a normally unaccountable front runner like Ryan Houlihan tag you out of a game.

Has he lost speed from injuries?

[Jarka 767]

Davey has been a significant let down this year with his form. His game against the Bulldogs this year was good but thats been about it. he has really struggled to win the ball

If he gets distracted by his brother's injury it only re inforces the mental fragility that was exposed in the elimination final last year.

I have always been concerned about Davey in heavy traffic and the contested ball. I wonder if he has the strenght of mind to take the next step.

He was terrible against Carlton bar his goal snap. Completely invisible. Its should be embarrassing to a player and indicative of the poor form to have a normally unaccountable front runner like Ryan Houlihan tag you out of a game.

I'm really concerned about Davey's ability to play at a high level in finals football pressure, I'm sure there has been games in the past that will prove me wrong but I it still concerns me. If he could get that right then he could be anything

[Pates 9,537]

both Davey and Brock are learning to shake a very tight tag

This season could be the most important of their careers, development wise

That could just about be the smartest thing you've ever said on this site YM!

I also think that when things arn't looking good for Davey, he should be right at the feet of the forwards to be there for the crumbs. Too often the ball goes to ground and no one's there to recieve it at ground level, this clip shows what Flash does best and it should be utilised more.

Awesome goal Flash!

[deanox 8,642]

I also think that when things arn't looking good for Davey, he should be right at the feet of the forwards to be there for the crumbs.

exactly right. the best thing he could be doing to break a tag and find form is to crumb off the forwards. he only needs to slip through one gap to kick a goal which could fire up the day. when he is struggling it would be worth leaving him at the foot of the tall forwards and then dragging him into the centre for one centre bounce before taking him back forward, just to shake up the opposition line up. see if the tagger follows or not. it might be a win for us for the opposition small backman to be tagging in the centre.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

He did not do it against Carlton. Good players get tagged and work around it and still perform.

[davey_magik 1]

He has to play as a small forward for the majority of the time. Around the ground he can be tagged out of the game easily because I love him but he can't win a hard ball to save himself as he's so small.

In the F50 if he's crumbing he won't be caught over a 40-50m run so he just has to time his run around the packs.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

If he can get tagged around the ground he will get tagged up forward. No side will willing give him the latitude up there. They know what he can do and they will get someone to tag him.

He can just as easily run 40-50 metres around the ground as he could up forward.

He just does not win the ball. He has to do more than feed off and capitalise of other players hard work. If he is going to establish himself as something more than his nickname he has to consistently win the ball not get the easy feeds.

[Jaded No More 58,136]

I can understand when he struggles on someone like Campbell Brown, but he was playing on Ryan Houlihan... Ryan Houlihan!

Even I could make him cry by stealing his hair straightener.

Davey should have got more aggressive with him. The thing that really worries me, is the fact that he has completely stopped chasing.

If he was still applying his usual pressure up forward, and only kicking 1 goal and getting a handful of touches, he could be excused. But he's playing lazy footy at the moment.

For his sake, I hope he's injured.

[davey_magik 1]

If he can get tagged around the ground he will get tagged up forward. No side will willing give him the latitude up there. They know what he can do and they will get someone to tag him.

He can just as easily run 40-50 metres around the ground as he could up forward.

He just does not win the ball. He has to do more than feed off and capitalise of other players hard work. If he is going to establish himself as something more than his nickname he has to consistently win the ball not get the easy feeds.

But that's the point. He's not going to win much of his own hard ball because he is so small. Give him a loose ball to chase and he'll get it 10/10 times, but he doesn't have the strength to win the hard ball.

Around the ground he has to run all day long and naturally wouldn't be as quick as he normally would because he'd have to develop a bigger tank and would lose some pace as a result. Up forward he could have less of a tank but retain his pace.

I think he can play well in big games but he won't win the clearance that gets the ball down there nor will he win the hard ball. Soft he could be called, but he's just not that type of player.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I am not talking about hard ball possessions that characterise a Scott West or Sam Mitchell. That in itself is an issue.

Its more just the contested ball. He does not win it. He struggles if closely checked and has shown himself fragile if closely checked. He also cant and wont tackle front on which is another issue on the defensive side of things. He's got some great attributes but they do not hide his shortcomings. He'll have his days in the sun and he is great to watch on the fly but its all too infrequent. As a total package I am concerned that he has a limited upside to him.

In modern football, players dont run all day and are interchanged regularly to prevent fatigue. Your tank issue has no substance. Are you saying he is not fit? Davey has to develop more skills than just being quick. Every side knows he is quick and given the opportunity will do everything to stifle him. Its working so far. Its not enough and he is learning some hard but hopefully valuable lessons.

I am yet to see him produce in big games (finals or against sides that physically pressure you).

I am puzzled why some posters were so keen to get his brother (in preference to Petterd). Its more of the same. At best we can only afford to have one of him in the side and if his performance does not lift this comment might be an extravagance.

I hope he proves me wrong. I just doubt it from what I have seen in the past two years.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,246]

I hope he proves me wrong. I just doubt it from what I have seen in the past two years.

Are you advocating a trade?

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Are you advocating a trade?

Its a good question but no

But if the right deal comes along...........

Its a hard one BBP. I think a player like Davey has huge appeal in the general supporting base and any decision like that would have to be carefully assessed.

I would prefer if he proved me wrong. This year he has not done so. I hope he does in 2008.

[Rampaging Demons 1]

Mark Riley on SEN this morning raised some good points in relation to flash and also brock....

i had forgotten how the skirt houlihan had ripped us a new one last year - how he continued to run on his own and deliver pin point passes and even sneak a couple of goals.. flash's instructions were to stand on the goal post and play as a deep forward, therefore being dangerous when the ball came in and on the rebound... meaning that the sleaze houlihan could not provide his normal run out of defence because he had to play on the flash...

in regards to brock, he mentioned that brock was battling a little at the moment with the heavy tag and that sometimes he has to remember that he is part of a team - the loose checking of carrazzo on the weekend was an example of this... he said that it was part of a learning curve and that brock is only young.. that sometimes he will play on a back flank, 15 minutes on the weekend, to break a tag or to get him into the game...

at the end of the day, these two players are loved by the supporter group but more importantly respected across the whole football community!!

flash has a massive upside!! he is young, his body is still maturing and i think that he probably is mentally....

[Gouga 508]

Why would we trade Aaron Davey RR? Even if it was a good deal?

Aaron Davey's value extends way beyond his statistics. First of all, he is probably the first bloke at our club that the opposition plan for. RD comment about Davey's role on the weekend is a brilliant example. I, for one, would prefer Davey kick one goal and take a dangerous opponent out of the game then kick a few and let his opponent run off unchecked.

I won't even start on Davey's marketing value etc. etc.

It is common for the Aboriginal players to be a bit up and down. I can't think of one who is truely consistent? We just have to accept it, the times Davey is on, will well outweigh the times he is a little off. We can't expect Brad Johnson type consistency from Davey, but we can expect consistent flashes of brilliance, and that sits well with me.

[Deelusioned 0]

It is common for the Aboriginal players to be a bit up and down. I can't think of one who is truely consistent? We just have to accept it, the times Davey is on, will well outweigh the times he is a little off. We can't expect Brad Johnson type consistency from Davey, but we can expect consistent flashes of brilliance, and that sits well with me.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Why would we trade Aaron Davey RR? Even if it was a good deal?

Aaron Davey's value extends way beyond his statistics. First of all, he is probably the first bloke at our club that the opposition plan for. RD comment about Davey's role on the weekend is a brilliant example. I, for one, would prefer Davey kick one goal and take a dangerous opponent out of the game then kick a few and let his opponent run off unchecked.

I won't even start on Davey's marketing value etc. etc.

It is common for the Aboriginal players to be a bit up and down. I can't think of one who is truely consistent? We just have to accept it, the times Davey is on, will well outweigh the times he is a little off. We can't expect Brad Johnson type consistency from Davey, but we can expect consistent flashes of brilliance, and that sits well with me.

Gouga,

I would hope Davey's value does extend beyond his statistics. He isnt getting many of those. I disagree on your assessment of his importance. Your description of his supposed role on Sunday only emphasises this. He seemingly cant play the midfield. He is unlikely to win the hard ball and has limited defensive attributes and according to one supporter does not have the tank for AFL. He aint going to be No 1 at MFC.

Being tagged out of a game by Ryan Houlihan is akin to being punched up by Roland Roccocelli. Fair dinkum, his game on the weekend was poor. Davey only takes one person out of the play and that's himself. A skilled player like Davey should have done more in an ordinary unaccountable game of football like the match on Sunday than 5 lousy possessions.

Your stereotyping of Aboriginal footballers is unnnecessary and distasteful. Its a common trait of all footballers. Its not just an Aboriginal thing.

[mauriesy 6,813]

Being tagged out of a game by Ryan Houlihan is akin to being punched up by Roland Roccocelli. Fair dinkum, his game on the weekend was poor. Davey only takes one person out of the play and that's himself. A skilled player like Davey should have done more in an ordinary unaccountable game of football like the match on Sunday than 5 lousy possessions.

I heard the SEN interview with Riley. He specifically put forward the proposition that he left Davey deep in the forward line to drag Houlihan out of the game ... said that last year Houlihan got a lot of inside 50s running out of defence and he was happy to see Davey get few possessions if Houlihan didn't end up having that influence on the game.

Might have been an effective strategy, or might have been spin to cover Davey's lack of possessions. Certainly a novel idea to sacrifice Davey as a playmaker for a result like that.