Everything posted by binman
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All good, wasn't trying to have a shot at you. Apologies if that is how it came across. People are def interested in any conversations posters might have with people from the club. I think every new recruit will be a fantastic pickup for us, but the Colt certainly fills a need and looks like he has an X factor and plenty of upside - two things Taylor clearly places a high priority on. -
No. Mid to late next season is what I've read as best case scenario. But agree he looks in great shape. That said, whilst I'm to orthopedic surgery what Hodge is to commentary I'm surprised how hard he seems to be working that knee in some of the photos of one on one marking contests.
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I think we have become so used to young players coming in and having an impact straight away that we forget that key position players have almost always taken several years to get near their peak and have a real impact. In that context JVRs first season at AFL level was phenomenal - and a tough benchmark. Cadman is much better player to benchmark Jefferson with. Cadman, the best key forward in the 2022 draft, was picked at one by the Giants (Jefferson went at 15). Yes he got run in the seniors in his first season, but as reflected in his numbers (12 games, 6 goals, 6 contested marks and averaged 4.5 disposals and 1.6 marks per game) he was all at sea and clearly miles off. No surprise he didn't get a game in the finals. My view on Jefferson is that he is almost the classic old school young forward. Looks a natural forward, reads the ball in flight super well, uses his body super well in marking contests and has great hands. But is 3-4 years away from nearing his peak. He actually reminds me of a young Tom Hawkins, both in style and the fact that Hawkins took a few years to become a force as a forward. I suspect Jefferson is at least another season away from regular senior selection, and I won't be surprised if he doesn't get a call up in 2024 (though i think they might give him a couple of senior games later in the season in the same way that have with, say Disco and Woey).
I was joking, but that said i'm a tad confused. On a publicly available podcast Taylor said the plan was for the Colt to go through the middle at some stage. He then said the same thing in an interview with a Herald Sun reporter. Are you suggesting Taylor was not being candid on the DL podcast or with the reporter when he said the plan was for the Colt to go through the middle at some stage? But he was being candid with you when in response to your question whether the plan was for the Colt to go through the middle at some stage he replied “yeah, maybe”? Apart from being a little more equivocal, how does that response contradict his public statements? I mean to say the Colt would play as a mid 'at some stage' is basically the same as saying that 'maybe' he will play as a mid at some stage. For what it's worth my view is that of course there's a chance he could run through the middle at times (just as Nibbla did this year) and/or become a permanent mid down the track. At different times the same thing has been suggested about Rivers and McVee (ie they could end up being mid fielders - despite, like the Colt, having limited experience in that role). In my opinion they recruited a player with excellent aerobic capacity who has played all his junior footy as a half forward, with occasional runs on the ball (ie not a specialist mid) to play the high half forward role on the other flank to Nibbla. To me that's clearly the plan, at least for the next few seasons. A good one too because the high half forward role has become critical in footy - as evidenced by the fact clubs are now trading (eg Bedford to the Giants) and drafting (eg the Colt) in players to play the high half forward role. A similar phenomena happened with the wing position - ie players being drafted or traded in specifically to play that role. There was a lag before the footy media and fans understood how critical the winger role had become and i suspect the same thing will happen with the high half forward role. Windsor looks like being a winger and they have been clear the Colt will play as a forward, at least in the early part of his career. Which suggests recruiting a pure mid was not high on their agenda and was not considered a key 'need' at this point in time. Which i think in part reflects a big shift in the game. When Roos came to the dees in 2013 (his first season as coach was 2014 but he was appointed prior to the 2013 draft) the orthodoxy across the league, in large part based on his team set up at the Swans, was teams couldn't have enough mids. Teams basically needed at least 8-10 midfield bulls who could run through the middle and as a result the forward and defensive flankers were often mids. Under Roos we duly loaded up on mids - Gus, Tracc, Oliver, Viney, Dyson, Vandenburg, Bugg, Balic and to a lesser extent Salo (he was a defender as junior but like the Colt there was the suggestion when we drafted him he might become a mid). But in the ten years since Roos joined the dees the game has significantly changed and there is a much, much greater emphasis on transition, all team defence, running, speed and spread. As a result of this change the athletic profile of players is changing. Sure teams still need some midfield bulls, but really no more than 3-4. Characteristics such as fitness, aerobic capacity, ability to cover the ground at speed and ability to do repeat sprints are now much more important attributes than a decade ago. Instead of needing 8-10 midfield bulls, teams now need 8-10 brilliant athletes on their list who can run between the arcs all game. Ideally these players are also excellent kicks. That hasn't always been the case with 'role' players like Nibbla an Cotterill being brilliant athletes but not necessarily highly skilled. I suspect the importance of such 'role' players (historically a pejorative - eg 'he's an athlete first, footballer second') has well and truly filtered down to the junior level and good athlete and good footballer are no longer mutually exclusive terms. In this context, drafting in the Duke and the Colt makes perfect sense. Both are apparently really good athletes who play specialised roles AND have excellent skills.
Said the same thing on the Demonland Podcast too. I like to think of Taylor as a horse trainer. He's not in the business of giving stuff away, particularly to fellas who sidle up looking for intel on the new colt.
Be still my beating heart.
Bloody awesome. Some great shots. A couple of random comments. The shots of players in the kicking stride really revealed technique, particularly in terms of which players guide the ball to the foot well. Related to the above point, i loved the juxtaposition of Bowser having a perfect ball drop and head position and the next shot is Maxy throwing the ball in the air. There's a photo of, I think Steve May, where his technique is crazy good. He frustrates me so much because when he's on the move he is an elite kick - he can dart low 60 metre bullets no problem. And then from a standing start he can miss a free target 20 metres away. There's a shot with i think Spargo being tackled with the Yarra behind him. Beautiful shot. It took me a sec to work out how there could be a river in the photo as i don't think i can recall seeing a photo Goshes with the Yarra in it.
JVR looks to have pretty good skills as a ruck, particularly his tap work. He did a fair bit of relief ruck at Casey in 2022 and was an important back up at times during the 2023 season. It is easy to forget how young JVR is. He's 21 next April, so still 3-4 years away from being at his peak physically. By then he could well be exactly what we were hoping Jackson to be - a good second ruck and excellent key forward.
Is this you?
And our assistant coaches from 1974:
How old? Some of our players from 1973 are very Koltish
The thought of Tmac trying to bite of yet another high risk kick from defence and giving straight back to the oppo gives me cold sweats. For anyone thinking he would be a good option down back please remember the reason he went forward in the first place - it was last chance saloon for him because he was such a turnover merchant down back. Tmac was gonski if he couldn't make it as a forward. Also Tmac has never been quick or super agile. Lack of pace and agility for a key defender is a killer and he ain't got any quicker or agile since 2018. That said a good swing man option.
Please. It's Garry Baker.
That's funny The bloke on the left looks like a photo of me from 1989 has been photoshopped in!
You picked a good time to start listening. The preview of the blues game was the first time Andy (@Demonland) was confident going into a big game. There was even hope his MFCSS was at the very least in remission. Alas, it's all over now baby blue. I fear any confidence I might have about our chances in any future game will wash up on the rocks of Andy's well earned pessimism.
Indeed. And on Clarry, sure the club has said he has some off field issues to sort out, and there might have been some issues in terms of how he rehabbed his hammy, but on field and on the track he has never been accused of being anything less than 100% committed and full throttle (his numbers were nuts after missing nearly 4 months of footy). So why does he need to come back a week early? To prove what to whom? Ooh Clarry has been a bad boy, he should send a message he is a good boy by coming back a week early. There's every chance he has been advised by people providing support that to get his head in a good place and get on top of his demons (metaphorically speaking - literally, he could just go to training) he is better away from the club as long a possible in terms of maximizing his break.
Do we have to give our double chance back? But seriously, the final ladder order is the positions at the end of the home and away season, hence this: https://www.afl.com.au/ladder?Competition=1&Season=52&Round=781 And this: https://www.afl.com.au/ladder?Competition=1&Season=43&Round=610 So we absolutely finished top 4 in 2022 and 2023. You might be confusing the ladder with the draft order. Weirdly, i did quick google but couldn't find much detail on this, but i think I'm right in saying the draft order for the teams that made finals is set post finals.
I do. But only because the club's comms has been woeful for the last 12 months.
Fantastic to see Tmac up and and about. It's worth remembering that this time last year Tmac was still rehabbing his foot injury. In hindsight they made an error, albeit a very understandable one given a premiership was on the table, trying to rush him back at the end of the 2022 home and away season. But that decision stuffed Tmac's 2023 preseason as he struggled with complications for months. It's accepted fact that players who have interrupted preseasons struggle to get back to their best that season. I suspect that was particularly true for Tmac, one because he had a foot injury which would have negatively impacted his aerobic conditioning. And two Tmac has said he needs to a mountain of work to get into peak shape. Tmac ended up having surgery last season (2023). I cant recall the specifics, but given it was foot surgery i assume it was likely related to his 2022 injury. He never got back his full mobility and speed over the ground when he came back in but at least it appears his foot was ok. A full preseason and no further injuries and Tmac still has a big role to play. Similarly, great to see Salo on deck. From memory he had a great pre xmas period last year (and maybe Jan too?) training wise but it all went pear shaped in Feb with his thyroid issue. Another season impacted by an interrupted preseason. A full preseason and no further injuries and salo will be a critical piece of the puzzle next season. We desperately need him to get back to his 2021 form in terms of his ability to make high risk kicks. If he can get back to that level it will massively help our transition game, but perhaps more importantly our ability to retain the ball in our back half and on transition. Turnovers in our opponent's half of the ground back cost us dearly in our home and away and finals losses to the blues and our QF loss to the Pies. An in form Salo also takes some pressure of McVee and Bowey. Ideally both can be get more offensive and take on some high risks kicks too but that's harder if Salo is not at his best.
Great song:
Whilst i would agree Nibbla is not a natural goal kicking forward it's bit of a stretch to say he has 'little forward craft or nous' and is 'just not dangerous in advanced positions'. After all, Nibbla: kicked 19.11 for the season had 14 goal assists - the fifth most behind Tracc, Kozzie, Chandler and Viney (of the permanent forwards only Koz and chandler had more more with 23 and 15) had 112 score involvements - the fourth most behind Tracc, Kozzie and Viney (of the permanent forwards only Koz had more more with 135) It's worth noting that as a high half forward he gets less opportunities to score goals than players like Chandler and Koz who operate closer to goal, so they are pretty good offensive numbers. #nibbla myths
The Red and Blue Öyster Kolt?
