Axis of Bob

If the number 1 key forward in the game at the moment doesn't crash packs, then I don't see it as a major issue if Jack Watts doesn't crash packs. Buddy and Watts are different players, but that's the point. Watts is different to Buddy, and Cloke, and Brown, and Kennedy etc etc. Watts doesn't need to crash packs to be influential, nor does he need to smash bodies, nor does he need to get into a punch on. Much in the same way that Buddy doesn't need high level decision making, a calm head or silky skills. Nor does Josh Kennedy need ground level skills, agility or awareness in traffic. It's not their style. It doesn't stop them being influential. Scott Pendlebury has 'tiptoed' his way around to a Norm Smith. The difference is that we are all judging him against different criteria. You are judging him against the mythical key forward you imagine in your head. Others are judging him against other images. Some are just comparing him with Jack Watts.

Do you know another KPF that doesn't crash packs? Buddy Franklin. He roams around the ground using his pace and gets his situations one on one, rather than from packs. He's actually more likely to be roving the pack than competing for a mark in it. The pack crashers in that forward line are Roughead and Hale. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

I was there yesterday and I'm a bit confused about some of the reports coming from the game. Tom McDonald played up forward for most of the game with short runs in the ruck. He certainly presents quite well and is very strong overhead, and shows some really good game awareness. I think that, as a defender, he could play some really meaningful AFL footy this year. But the coaches seem to have decided that it will be as a forward that he'll be a long term player. As a forward, he'll need time to become physically strong enough to dominate overhead. He took some good marks, but it's only his second year and he'll need time to become a monster. Gysberts was very good and seemed to be much better defensively than he has been in past years. He was excellent in the clearances last night. Tapscott did one or two nice things, but wasn't particularly involved. Much better in the first half and only seemed to play limited minutes. Needs a lot more game time, though it was good to see that his touch, in patches, was there. Grimes did what he needed to do. Played at half back and got through the game with a minimum of fuss. Didn't play the full game as he was rested later. Watts was clearly the best player on the ground. Started on the wing in both halves but then went forward later in each half. When he went forward he turned the game twice - late in the first half when he turned a deficit into a lead with about 3 goal assists, and then in the last quarter. The queries about his marking are interesting, because there are two aspects to his marking. He isn't a pack crasher, which is what disappoints many who expect Jonno Brown, but he's actually very good one on one. He dropped a couple of contested marks after he'd already done the hard work to work his opponent out of it. I think we just need him to win more of the footy around the ground than he did in preseason because every touch he has turns into gold. He was clearly BOG last night. Morton was not his best last night. He kicked a goal, but conceded a few goals to Panos early due to body size. Better in the second half, but he has a lot more in him than what he showed last night. Strauss did some good things although he didn't get heaps of the footy. He was good defensively, I thought, where he used his speed and power to win and neutralise contests against small, agile opponents. Copped a high elbow at one point and took time to get off the ground. Hopefully he's OK, because he's a player that needs to play lots of match footy to develop. Fitzpatrick was a major, major positive for mine. He took a lot of good marks across half forward and competed really hard to bring the ball to ground. He used his pace well to create opportunities and was genuinely competitive overhead. What he needs to do is just get bigger. He is much bigger than the ecto-twig that first arrived at the club, so we know it's coming, but we just need to be patient. The major thing I noticed was the amount of pressure we placed on Willy. Our midfield applied great pressure, especially early, and it certainly looked like we had a very good press going and we spent a lot of time in our forward line. A good start against a strong club, but it'll probably be one of the best Casey teams we'll see this year.

That just isn't true. Watts is a developing player. We are impatient, but there is significant recent history to suggest that key position players take a long time. Especially skinny ones like Jack. People here are saying that being pick 1 doesn't mean he's going to turn into a top quality player. That's true, but what is also true is that his many talents should see him become a top quality player. He has pace, agility, awareness, sublime skills, great hands, size and a bit of X factor that should get him to the top of the game. Many, many players take time to get there (like Goddard). He still plays the game like basketball a bit, but the game has moved away from that. I think he will be a very good key forward, but I also think he could be an absolute star midfielder. Pendlebury played the game like basketball, but that has now turned to his advantage. \ Once Jack starts flying for big marks we will see him become an absolute menace. He has it in him - he just hasn't yet worked out how. I'm not worried, just impatient like everyone else. I want to see the future today!

From what I hear of Taggert I am heartened, but he'll take some work. He does have power and size, but he has some other aspects that he really has to work on. But I'll wait until I actually see him play live in a few matches before I get excited. Bartel is a really good player, but he is definitely taggable. Ablett is untaggable, but Bartel is just really good. That's how I think of Trengove. He would be a top quality Robin, but he's not Batman. He doesn't have the speed to be untaggable, but if you give him some space then he'll kill you.

I think you make some very good observations in the OP, Thomo. Personally, I have been in the WIMP (Watts In Midfield Proponents) camp during the summer. We don't have many players in the midfield who can really end up being that elite 'untaggable' style of midfielder. He has speed, he has class, he can actually win contested style midfield ball. Plus he can float forward to mark and be really damaging. What we lack in our midfielders is real power. Not just strength, but strength with speed. Sylvia has it, but he hasn't been able to put anything together in a midfield sense. The only midfield type player we have that has a real blend of speed, power and endurance is Grimes. He has an ability to break lines and packs with his raw power, and do it for extended periods. People talking about Moloney don't quite understand the level we are looking for. Moloney is a good player, but nowhere near the top class. McKenzie is the same, as he will be a really good player and really important to our side, but he'll only ever be able to achieve a level below that. We need to look at players that are untaggable. Gysberts could well be if he gets bigger and improves his endurance, because he has the unbelievable Simon Black knack of being able of ghost through stoppages untouched and getting the handball out despite the bodies around him. I see Trengove as being taggable, despite being really, really good. From what I've seen of Viney, he has a knack of finding clean footy in contests - it just depends on whether it's an elite Sam Mitchell knack or a solid Brent Moloney knack. The dark horse is Jeremy Howe. His running is sensational and he has the ability burst run. That is, long efforts at top speed. He has the skills, he has the size and he has the X-factor. This is especially so if he adds strength to his speed and endurance. I think it's imperative to find a midfield star. We don't have many options that scream out that they could be it, which is why Scully is a loss. I think that Grimes, Watts and Howe are our best options.

Ha! This is going to be a funny year on Demonland. Get used to watching games like that. Everyone was so keen to get a defensive coach, but as soon as they see us playing defensively they are gobsmacked. We will hug the boundary, focus on stoppages and strangle the opposition. Honest players will play before silky players and we will have low possession numbers and low mark numbers because of our style. Get used to it.

That is really exciting news about Blease. He is the sort of player that, if he clicks, could be exceptional. Getting a full preseason will help him more than most.

Prediction - Watts Smokey - Gysberts.

Cheers for the updates, Jack. Great for those of us who couldn't get there.

I all for anything that stops every thread becoming an excuse to slag off whipping boys. Some people need whipping boys to justify their own warped views of the game, but I find it very tiresome to watch. How do we do it? I don't care. A 'locker room', cleansing threads, cleansing posters .... I don't care.

Exactly, UTAH. There is no way you would pick Howe, who plays pretty much the same role as Darling, and Darling in the same draft. As an interesting exercise (that may or may not be of any importance) would everyone rather have Cook + Howe, or Darling + another player between pick 34 and 50?

Why would our premiership window involve our veterans? If they were good enough to win a flag then we wouldn't have needed such a massive rebuild. Look at the timeframes of the top clubs with their rebuilds. Specifically, look at Geelong. They started their rebuild in 1998.

Exactly. I just loved Sehwag justifying being pounded by Australia (could have been 3 innings defeats) by saying that India beat Australia 2-0 in India 18 months ago. Wow. Two tight tests (India won by 1 wicket after a huge 9th wicket partnership, and needed to chase over 200 in the other Test) that they won at home 18 months ago, versus 4-0 with three absolute drubbings. "We are driving back the infidels!!"

There is a young Victoria leggie I saw playing a game of two for Adelaide in the T20 who looked very promising - Muirhead. Only a baby at the moment, though. Also, have India been sending the Iraqi information minister to do their press conferences? It is hilariously ridiculous.

I am not casting judgement either way. I was only talking about 'unconditional support'. Not specifically to you (as I understand what you mean) but there are many who are viewing any discussion on the issue as being blasphemous. I'm not saying we should get rid of him, or keep him, but people can (and should) ask the question. I certainly agree with your point that boards are hard to judge. Especially from afar. Which is why I tend not to get involved in that sort of stuff,

Macca, my point is that no support should be unconditional. It is our responsibility to question everything, even if it means we occasionally end up metaphorically shooting Bambi. Ha! Yeah, maybe not a ridiculous enough example!

I would say the fact that it is 'unconditional'. Like, say, the unconditional faith that the christians had when they went on the crusades. Or the unconditional support the Nazis had from the SS. Or the unconditional support that Jim Jones received at Jonestown. I could go on. Would you have unconditional support for the country if it invaded New Zealand and said that they'd exterminate the entire population? No support should be unconditional.

Ron, what evidence do you have that we should pick key position players with later picks? Name some players that have become A grade KPPs picked after pick 30. If you make a point then be prepared to back it up. (I'll give you a hint as to why oldd55 asked you to name A grade KPPs picked late in the draft ....... it's because there aren't many at all)

But they're only doing it at just over 4 runs an over. Wasting valuable 5th day golf time. C'mon boys, get on with it!! Go the tonk!!

..... Matthew Scarlett (although he was F/S), David Hale, Hamish McIntosh, Max Bailey, Tom Williams, Darren Glass (to an extent), Farren Ray, Kepler Bradley, Jarrad McVeigh, Jay Schulz, Andrew Mackie, Brent Reilly, Daniel Motlop, Luke McPharlin ...... They are there. It's patience which is absent.

What Strauss does have going for him, in terms of defensive ability, is his power. He is really strong one on one and it looks like he has added strength over the summer so far. That could be a real asset for him. And he is a beautiful kick. Not just a good kick, but a level well above that. What he does that is so important these days is his kicks cover the ground really quickly. That's where he's like Davey, in that he can hit targets and clear congestion before defenders have time to get into position. I was very worried about his awareness during his first few years, but a switch really seemed to go off in his head last year and he looked far more composed under pressure. There were a few games where he was actually very impressive in this regard. I think he is someone who will thrive on a set role within the team and being made to play a rigid structure. As he has gained in confidence he has looked far more comfortable on the field. It may take him some games to get him completely comfortable at AFL level, but his unique gifts make him worth the persistence.

We'd have to make 700. ...... he might have it by tea!

I assume that we all agree that Dhoni isn't the world's best captain, but from what I'm seeing here he's the best that India have. As a club cricketer, I'd be disappointed to get out to Sehwag. So I don't know how he considers himself the most dangerous bowler to start after tea to two top international players approaching their centuries.

Clarke is a prototypical number 5. Excellent player of spin, but can be a little susceptible to the new ball early in his innings. Moving Clarke to number 3 would mean that you'd create two problems instead of one. I think Khawaja could be there in the long term. Former opener who can play long innings and play the new ball.