He has an unbelievable tank. Would like to see him become an inside midfielder but for the time being gut running defensive forward.
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What a player too! I loved that opposition coaches and players never really gave Barnard much respect and he just continued to punish them for it.
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Sincere apologies.
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This guy is such a natural footballer. I have really big expectations for him. Can’t remember what game it was last year but i remember him inside 50 pulling the ball out of a pack, jumping over somebody and then sending it straight onto Goddard’s chest directly in front of goal. Fair to say i was pretty aroused.
He has that rare combo of sublime skills and genuine farking carnt-ness
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Team started playing better after he went down with injury.
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Understatement
He is the best disposal by foot at the club.
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Are you suggesting we start a tradition where we maim him at the beginning of every season to appease the Football Gods??
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I’ve done better.
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I wouldn’t think so.
Didn’t see him miss a single kick in the second half of 2018.
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He’s kicking is very good, but I’m not sure it’s best at club good.
He’s definitely up there though.
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Agree.
I rate him very highly and think he can be a star but having midsize players like him and Laverde in the forward 50 that have minimal impact through the middle is bad for our structure.
Might as well have genuine smalls who can apply lots of pressure or at least a mid who rests forward.
How about going the Langford route and train them both up to be high impact midfielders who can go forward and make an impact there too. Fridge has the stamina and strength and enough speed to be useful as a defensive forward as well, with Lav also having potential for this.
I love the idea that we have the ability for our whole forward line and most of our mids having the ability to be effective both in the midfield and forward, counting the ruck and forward abilities of Joe, Smack and Belly. I’m also curious at how much we consider rotating some of our backs into the midfield and vice a versa (Saad, McGrath, McKenna, Francis, Ridley, Heppell, Redman, Guelfi).
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I would like to see both Laverde and Begley smashing it at VFL level in the midfield before bringing them back in.
Begley is still inexperienced so I can understand why he has so little influence in the middle but Laverde really needs to make an impression on the ground this year in my opinion.
I still can’t see the player he will be and he’s not exactly young anymore.
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Stick him in the middle, he will not disappoint.
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Well, 22, with a string of injuries behind him.
I’m not sure how much more he could have shown given the circumstances.
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Mate he’s 22, he’s not old.
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When you consider Langford’s journey and Lav’s relative unavailability over the same time period, you can give him at least this year to begin to show something, even if that turns out being that he is Gumby II.
I don’t think he will make it.
Has nothing to do with injuries.
For some reason they develop some players too long in the VFL and then others like Laverde effectively get rushed straight back into the ones coming back from injury where he just rots away on a forward flank.
He has shown glimpses at VFL level but relatively little at AFL level.
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