If he can do what he did in those last 2 games across a season, he’d be the best defender in the comp by a country mile. They were superb. I think our expectations need to be lowered a little because it’d be hard to follow those games up. But you never know.
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It has been stated occasionally around here that he can have off games.
Will be an interesting season.
Hahaha good old Hale and Pace
HYPE HYPE HYPE
Its certainly possible for all players to appear to have off games, with a number of contributing factors; better opponent, better opposing team, illness, injury, failure to pull up ok after previous game. Its also possible to simply lose form, or to be given a different role by the coaches. The important issue with younger players is to respond well to any of these issues, not to get emotional about it, not to worry about it but take wise counsel and work through it.
From the Blitz point of view, its probably unfair to call for a player to be delisted after a poor game ( as often happens.)
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Teams will put work into him. They will find his weaknesses an exploit them. It’s going to be a tough period to push through.
Weakness??? HAHHAHAHAHAAAAAA…
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That is very hard to do with smart footballers. Sam Mitchell has a many weaknesses none that’s seemed to matter. Even when teams tried to tag him it only worked sporadically.
Francis is a very smart player, I have no doubt if they try to do things like expose his fitness trying to run him around or force him into poor decision options he will adjust easily.
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Thing is, he hasn’t dealt with a researched team strategy aimed solely at him. I have no doubt that he has the talent to work through it, but it is going to be a significant challenge for him in 2019. Same as how teams started to Counteract Saad and Tippa. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.
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It’s a team game, and recognition of that tends to come with confidence about your spot in the side.
Apart from which, by the time the opposition has implemented individual defensive plans for Francis, Saad, Hurley, Hooker, and McKenna, they don’t have much of a forward line left.
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Frank will be fine. Breakout year coming up. Forget all the second rate analysis, just sit back and enjoy the ride
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Just let the kid start to compile a body of work. The over-analysis is now reaching fantastical horizons with visions of opposition coaches with furrowed brows wondering how to stop the colossal 10 game menace that is A.Francis.
As above - let’s enjoy this ride which will no doubt still have peaks and troughs (and plenty of Blitz-penned scripture to accompany it).
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If they work out a way to expose him in the backline, we can always send him forward for a stint and let them try to control him in the forward line.
It’d look nice if they had his opponent kick a couple then he moved forward and kicked 8.
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What is scripture without prophecy???
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Who knew “Moses and the burning bush” was actually about flaming ginger pubes?
I think Boot is firmly on the Francis bandwagon, and it looks like he will put some work into anyone posting 2nd rate analysis. So posters are gunna have to lift their games !
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Put work into and target him at your own peril. 2 AA’s sitting in the wings at fullback and Chb. Plus there’s 2 speedsters just waiting for that metre of space.
I think the same goes across the ground too, multiple mids and forwards that can own a game and exploit if given the chance.
Not sure what teams will come at us with but I can see a weakness in defending marking chains through the arcs. Also that run and chain coming out of our fwd half. 2-3 pressure fwds is pushing it.
We can counter that with a high defence. Give up a few out the back but for mostly keep it in our fwd half.
Back to Francis if they target him i think they’ll target his immaturity and entice him into the dangerous high risk high reward kick switch or back into the corridor. Having such lovely execution is a risk for them too.
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Let’s also acknowledge that the opposition will be giving him a lot of attention.
That, in it self is a huge test.
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When Francis is fully AFL ready he will be very difficult to target/stop.
What he has in his favour is his competitiveness as well as a great ability to win contested ball whether in the air or at ground level.
He has a very high ceiling.
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Who has higher ceiling:
A. Francis
B. Daniher
C. McKenna
D. Mozzie