nutbean

The MRP have me scratching my head. I believe that all the MFC suspensions have been warranted if they were looked at in isolation. Then you overlay other decisions (non decisions) and are left with -WTF ??? How on earth can Shuey run past the contest and take out Dangerfield and get a fine ? How on earth can Selwood elbow Mitchell in the head whilst he is face down on the ground and get a fine ? WTF ?

okay...so I was interested and went along to see The Tiger Lillies on Sunday night. They have been doing their act for 27 years ! Truly bizarre and truly brilliant. (most of the night I was thinking - "what the hell am I watching?")

Dom Tyson does need to clean up his disposal - spot on. However Dom Tyson is more inside that out..

Agree - Tmac is a good reader of the footy coming in. (elite is bandied about a little too much for my liking - Alex Rance is an elite reader of the play ) He can be diabolic by foot but can also make poor decisions when he overthinks things. However his pluses very much outweigh his negatives. I think Jack Fitzpatrick went ruck , forward and back ( and then out !) but that's an argument for another day.... It is purely a subjective argument but I would not list being a smart footballer as one of TMac's key attributes. That doesn't mean that he isn't one of the first picked every week.

I didn't say Tmac was a dumb footballer so you are correct - you misquoted me. I said he is not the smartest footballer. Do I think he is was the general in the backline when he playing there ? Didn't look like it to me. And that's ok - not everyone is a general. I like Tmac - I just think I am aware of his limitations.

I will digress - our recruitment has been magnificent but part of the reason for this is we are bringing players into a culture and environment where they can succeed as opposed to the cesspit that was our club.

He had a poor game against the Pies. But he was worst performing player for us yesterday ? Really ?

Read the context in which i wrote it ( well I did clarify it) . It doesn't matter what past experience you have unless you can do something positive with that experience going forward. Lumumba (All Australian, high finisher in B&F's, premiership player) and Dawes did not provide what we required. Lewis has been good on field and ( by all reports) is providing exactly what we expected in terms of leadership.

I have listened and read interviews/stories from the players about what Lewis brings to the table as you are right - we can't rightly judge from over the fence. It is one thing to be experienced and it is another to be able to impart this experience and knowledge to others. But I do think I can judge a smart footballers. I judge each footballer on their worth to the team. I am a fan of Tyson but am not blind to his less than perfect disposal skills. I am fan of Frost but his penchant for running off irrespective of the circumstances can be both brave and effective but also costly. I am a fan of TMac but his decision making at times is questionable. Let me compare him to Hibberd ( albeit I am working on limited exposure) - Hibberd knows when to punch and when to try and mark. Hibberd knows when to tighten up and when to peel off. Hibberd knows when to kick long and can also pick out the short kick. Hibberd knows when to play on and when to go back and take a kick. Hibberd is a smart footballer - can you give all these attributes to TMac ?

I shouldn't have really separated them - the comment was borne of being burned by our club with past recruits who offered similar to Lewis. We have brought in players in the past who were meant to "bring experience" and that just hasn't happened - premiership players (Lumumba, Dawes to name but two) who haven't offered enough in terms of experience. In fairness to Dawes he was apparently offering plenty at training and working with our younger KPP but couldn't do it on the field. Cross was an absolute gem - not only leading by example but also by his direction. To me Lewis is the same. He is playing good football ( without being spectacular) and his is providing experience and leadership.

The reality is that the players have made comment themselves on Lewis's on-field and off-field leadership where I can't recall any of the others save Jones getting a mention. Viney is new at the game ( he leads by example not necessarily by positioning or direction) , McDonald (IMO) can point and direct all he likes - he is not the smartest footballer going around. Watts is an incredibly smart footballer but he has only graduated in the last year to someone who can concentrate on anything bar his own game. Jones is a true leader and to a less extent so are Jetta and Bernie. The reality is this year Lewis has played solid football with one poor game but offers a lot more than purely ball in hand.

It doesn't matter that he WAS a 4 times premiership player or a B&F winner. That was in the past. It's what he was going to bring to the club now and in the future that matters. I loved that we did the deal. I could see that he was aging and slowing but I believed that he had some miles in the legs. What I was hoping for is the leadership that we have long been crying out for. He did let us down with his suspension and last week he did play poorly. He knows where to run and how to fill holes. What he has done week in and week out is offer coaching/structure/leadership on the field. He is close to giving himself whiplash because he is moving his head around so much on the field to make sure everyone is where they should be. He is constantly barking direction. This sort of stuff is invaluable.

Forgetting the very subjective formulation of this stat, the position played ( forward/back) and the role/style ( inside/outside, loose/floating/tight manning) will have a huge impact. This is the one area where your eyes absolutely tell you the truth - You want the ball in the hands of Salem/Watts. Of your mids, you would prefer the ball in the hands of Oliver/Jones than Viney/Tyson. Out of the back half Jetta/Hibberd use the ball better than the Mac's.

I just re-watched the last 5 minutes against the pies and you could not get a more valuable coaching and teaching lesson than Lewis's actions in the Tom Phillips goal. 5:18 to go. When the ball is turned over , Lewis gut runs and chases from our half forward line - not quick enough to tackle. As the ball moves wider to our half back flank Lewis has run ahead of the play to where he thinks the ball may go filling the hole 40 metres ahead of the Collingwood kicker. The ball does come in and Lewis looks back and sees that Moore will mark unopposed, backs into Darcy Moore at full back to at least create body pressure and a contest (not sure where the tall backs were). The ball spilled loose due to Lewis's body pressure ( albeit Moore should have marked over Lewis) - Phillips gathers and goals. Whilst they still kicked a goal from beating our press, Lewis, whilst not earning a stat and the team getting a negative result, showed what 250 games plus of experience brings to the table. He is past his best but is valuable none the less.

Also a stat that shouldn't be too heavily relied on. Defenders usually have a better DE% than inside mids as they chip the ball around sidewards in the backline. Hand balling will usually bring your % up as well. Most of Tysons disposals are in the "heat". The best way to gauge a players disposal efficiency is using the eyes. Salem and Watts use the ball well. Bugg and Harmes not so much. I think Jones disposal is a step up on Tyson's. Viney can miss targets as much as any in the team. Tyson's disposal could absolutely use some tidying up however I am in the camp of "it ain't as bad as some make out". I think he adds a different dimension to the team and adds value.

Couldn't agree more. Hunt and JJ have only one thing in common - pace. Hunt is hard as all hard - happy to take the ball and run and just as happy to bash into a contest. JJ is pretty much outside.

There was another piece of play in the third quarter when the ball came long into the Pies forward line. I have no idea where Omac and Frost but it left Moore on the edge of the square poised to mark. Lewis who gave away 13cm backed his body into Moore and the ball spilled. Moore should have marked it but the physical presence made him drop the pill .( they got a goal anyways - not the point). Little things go unnoticed. His value to us reminds me of the value Daniel Cross gave to us. Is his best behind him ? Probably. Does he add value ? Absolutely.

He has been great and I love his desperation. Even when he knows he is too far behind to spoil in a marking contest he will still rush up and create pressure. (something both Mac's need to do more). The tackle count is mystifying to me as well. I shout at players to tackle instead of corralling the opposition It is my pet hate - I would prefer to be burned on the odd occasion by over-committing rather than corralling the opposition and let them waltz untouched one end of the ground to the other. If you know that a player won't put physical pressure on you already have the players measure. Having said that I can't recall Hibberd doing excessive corralling as opposed to tackling.

Because you base playing future on one game. I reckon his very best is behind him as he has lost a yard but he is a very smart footballer and you would not write him off based on one bad game.

I would call Hannan quiet rather than "wasn't good". The few things he did impacted the game. He made the first two goals, kicked one and should have had another and pressured all day. Add the huge hit on Dunn to the list. Bugg competed hard all day - he is iffy by foot but earned his pay on Monday.

I see honest as high praise. He will never be a world beater but since his return to the side this year he has left nothing in the shed. He was spanked yesterday yet did not drop his head and was a good contributor. Makes a contest against opposing ruckman giving away height ( 8 cm to Grundy). He has more than earned his place each week.

Young KPP take time and I do believe that he has been given games due to our lack of depth of tall backs. He played well in the second half. One part of his game I would like him to improve in - and there is no better player to watch and learn from than Hibberd. Even when beaten on the lead or second to the ball, Hibberd will put body pressure on the opposition and make his opponent earn a mark - more often than not bringing him to ground. It is a fine line between body pressure and coming in late but OMac too often slows down to the contest once he is convinced his opponent will mark the ball and go into "corral mode" too quickly. You need to make an opponent sweat a bit. He will learn.

He reminds me of Leigh Brown in Collingwood's premiership year - honest.

Showing my age but any listening of anything Beatles is just magnificent

I think "concentrating" is a stretch. But absolutely the media picks up on his nuances and oddities as he is a truly bizarre individual. Asking why the media keep picking up on things like Trumps handshakes, holding hands etc is like a clown at circus failing to understand why everyone is laughing at him.