I will put it out there, despite how hard he trains this year Brock will be tagged week in and week out next year. With no one in the midfield that can really take the attention off him, Brock will really struggle. Discuss.(A result of trading TJ???)

I will put it out there, despite how hard he trains this year Brock will be tagged week in and week out next year. With no one in the midfield that can really take the attention off him, Brock will really struggle. Discuss.(A result of trading TJ???)

He's not the first player in the world to receive a tag every week. Every really good player receives a tag week-in and week-out.

which means Jones may be tagged more and more this year also, they will find themselves through it

Brock will get tagged, no doubt about it. He will have to learn to take it and work through it; something that TJ could never do. I back Brock to do it. Jones will step up and take some of the preasure off him, Junior will keep on keeping on, Moloney needs a big one and the kids have to step up.

TJ is gone; get over it.

The difference between TJ and Brock, is that Brock gets his own ball every single time, so tagging him is going to be more difficult than tagging a guy who is waiting for the ball to come to him. He is also a lot physically stronger than TJ.

If Brock's tagger is an equally great inside midfielder and clearance winner, Brock will have a difficult day no doubt, but just as all good players have to do, he'll need to learn to deal with this part of the game. I trust that Bailey and Co. will prepare him for that.

Besides, you're underestimating Jones.

yeah dont forget he is only 21 and it is good for his development as a player if he gets heavily tagged at a young age, so he can hopefully work through it and above that, ala judd, kerr, hird, buckley etc...i think games like the syndey game last year (where brock struggled to play on bolton in defence) is good for his future development.

TJ is gone; get over it.

I agree

The boys are looking pretty fit and ripped at present.. gotta love the preseason hey.. the wolrd looks good.. , bodies glisten.. we havent dropped a game.. life is good !!

I mention this as this is a common situation year in year out; but there seems something different this year. There seems to be a degree of steel about this lot. On teh training track at least they seemed terrificly focussed, renergised, determined. Whilst the bods are honed its the mindsets that seem to be emerging as the new weapon du force !!

if there was a distinct weakniess at teh MFC it was what was running around in the players minds ( or lack thereof !! )

Whether its the big cleanout, the acknowledgement that places are up for grabs or a new sense of work ethic the team seems keen. leadig wher ehe can is one Brock McLean. Seems to be amongst the leaders at training the house down.

He let the opposition get the beter of him far to often in season 07 but probably what irked him most was he lost his focus as a result, he lost his Mojo, his spark his flair...it all went into cruisy woosy ,it all went south !!

Too early to tell i suppose.. no balls bounced or kicked in anger but I think Brock has much to prove to......Brock. I think he is steeled to show us what he can really do.

I dont think he is going to be too troubled by tags in 08...he'll rellish the challenge

Brock has built a phenomenal fitness base and has a great deal of body strength as well as initiative and quick thinking.

It's only a matter of time before he becomes every taggers most feared assignment.

He's not the first player in the world to receive a tag every week. Every really good player receives a tag week-in and week-out.

Agreed Maurie. And good players learn to overcome a tagger. Its a limp excuse why your "best" players dont perform.

If Brock is good enough (which i believe he is), he'll deal with the tags, and then there's one less opposition midfielder for the rest of our ball-winners to worry about. If player one is tagged, then player two is free, and if all the opposition midfielders are trying to stop players, a Dee should be pushing the ball forwards more often than not.

It's not just the Brockster who has to learn to deal with a tag, it's the whole team. Remember how West Coast helped Kerr, Judd etc by a third or fourth player applying a block, providing fake leads etc? This is a key to freeing top players - a whole team approach.

It's not just the Brockster who has to learn to deal with a tag, it's the whole team. Remember how West Coast helped Kerr, Judd etc by a third or fourth player applying a block, providing fake leads etc? This is a key to freeing top players - a whole team approach.

yeah u make an interesting point...i remember mark riley talking about how it was the teams fault that aaron davey is so heavily tagged and gets upset

It's not just the Brockster who has to learn to deal with a tag, it's the whole team. Remember how West Coast helped Kerr, Judd etc by a third or fourth player applying a block, providing fake leads etc? This is a key to freeing top players - a whole team approach.

Spot on Demonised. However, when teams are losing games and confidence is down, players go into survival mode, and play for themselves.

It's unfortunate that selfless acts such as 'blocking for a teammate' don't show up in the stats column. If it did, a player like TJ and Yze would have a big duck egg next their name every week. Obviously the coaching panel are aware of them, as our most selfless player, James McDonald, has won the past 2 b&fs.