I still think there’s a spot for baguley as it stands but he often gets torched by quick, agile guys. He’s not as quick and athletic as he used to be
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The time will come no doubt. But Bags is yet to display it. And you can’t include the start of the year because that was him returning from a serious knee injury. He overcame that and performed just as well as he has his whole career for the rest of the season IMO.
It’s also worth noting that the last 2 years Baguley hasn’t had Fletcher, Hibbard, Hooker nor a game plan to support him. He’s had to do all the hard defending by himself bar McGrath.
With Adelaide rivalling us having the best forward line then I for one would be making Baguley a lock for round 1. McNeice will do a gradual apprenticeship getting games here and there playing on the oppositions 2nd/3rd best medium small, not Betts.
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This is nice to hear. Definitely have some options for Eddie with Saad, Baguley and McGrath.
Got absolutely torched in Adelaide last year?
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And the key weapon that Baggers has that McNiece hasn’t shown yet is that ability to just keep hunting the ball and hassling the player, willing himself to the contest, getting that desperate hand in, making that last effort tackle to hold the ball up or break up the play.
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Big fan of the way Bags plays but he really struggled defensively last year. This is what is written about him in the AFL Prospectus 2018:
‘Baguley concended 40 goals from direct opponents, the 5th most of any player across the H&A rounds. He averaged career lows for disposals and metres gained. Baguley isn’t great in one-on-ones, losing 33% - ranked 42nd of the top-50 defenders to be involved in a one-on-one’
I think he will definitely start round 1, but if these numbers repeat, I suspect McNiece will be brought in at some point.
Betts kicked 3.1 in an 11 goal win. Hardly called that “torched”
From memory wasn’t that in the first half before McGrath got moved onto him?
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And he kicked 6.2
I reckon the 1st half of the year, where he basically had to get his fitness right back up to speed, he looked sluggish.
2nd half of the year, he was heaps better.
Needs that 2nd half of 2017 form to be a lock.
Are you taking about Saad vs Betts?
Agree, but Bags is better in the air…and has a huge amount of experience over him. I rate McNiece pretty highly, and I’m sure he’ll get there soon.
McNiece is quicker and has an impressive left peg.
But as a body on body defender, the courage to stand under the high ball and actually take the mark and to put his body on line in general to affect a contest Bags still has him covered.
May not be suited to Betts anymore, but many an opposition small defender got done over by him throughout the year.
If Bags plays a more HBF role and is responsible for the dangerous HFF/mid type player as well as staying defensive side of stoppages and dropping back into the hole at CHF I’m all for it.
McNiece is a great proposition however and will certainly be a part of senior side in the future.
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If that happens, then McNeice could play back pocket yeah?
Saad will take the slippery small fwds
McNeice/Bags/Gleeson/McKenna/Saad.
Good mix and depth there.
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Sorry I thought we were talking about Baguley. Happy to hear that Saad matches up well.
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As long as he is kept well away from Elliott on Anzac Day I am happy.
That doesn’t sound good. However, given that we had around 300 goals kicked against us in 2017 if the 6 defenders collectively were held responsible for all goals, that would be 50 each on average.
Arguable, I reckon.
There is an understandable tendency to imagine older players as ‘slower’.