I watched Hurley closely at the game tonight. Seemed to pre-empt a long high ball into the def 50 and consistently sat off Kennedy, giving him too much space. With the eagles mids lowering their eyes and managing to hit their targets; even the 1-2m is too much to make up. You get burnt once, fair enough but Hurley consistently made this error and did not learn or alter his game. Expected more, had a mare.
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Modern defence. They love a so called “zone”, which is code for sitting off your opponent and trying to anticipate where the ball might be kicked better than he does. The trouble is Kennedy is a very good user of the space he is given. I watched him a couple of years ago, when I was trying to work out how he got free in space so often. He is not easily “corralled”. You need to play him more like Ambrose does, and not give him space.
Hurley has become very poor as a man on man defender over the years. He only does well at the modern zoning game.
PS if I was a coach at Essendon, I would get a guy like Gown to look at tapes (and live games) of Kennedy playing, and learn from how he uses the space. He isn’t quick but he still gets to the right spot first a helluva lot.
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Credit to the eagles mids, the kick inside50 is often to where they want Kennedy to lead rather than kicking to Kennedy on the lead. There’s a really good understanding between them and with that in mind, combined with their efficient inside50 disposal, most defenders will struggle. Those that zone (Hurley) even more-so.
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Outclassed by Kennedy tonight but it happens to all players.
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Easily the most overrated player in the comp.
So poor by foot and gets beaten when he plays on quality opponents
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Wow. A lot of posters so quick to turn on him. I shouldn’t be surprised, this is Blitz!
Has been brilliant most of the year. What a surprise a key defender gets found out when the opposition midfield gets the chance to run the ball through with zero pressure, leaving time and space for a key forward to work in.
Colour me shocked!
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He didn’t just get “found out” though.
He was smashed. Eviscerated. Embarrassed.
On the rare occasion he was anywhere near the contest he had absolutely zero impact on it. At least convert those marks inside 50 to “contested”.
Too easily lost in traffic (or absolutely no traffic), absolutely shocking positioning, complete absence of spoiling, and trailling a player who isn’t quick by 5 metres on leads without any blocks or impediment from opposition forwards.
He stank.
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No, not a great performance as a KPD, but the reality is, he is no longer a KPD. He is a 3rd tall defender even a half back flanker, and was mismatched on the best KPF at West Coast.
A complaint often made on Blitz is that he always kicks long down the line. He needs to give the ball by hand or foot short to Redman, McKenna or Saad, far more often. IMO.
Taking all emotion out of it,he still has 1st round trade value for a side that has young and inexperienced talls down back.
Ridley,Zerk,Francis…all need a slot to fill.
Not having a 1st round in this year’s draft,we need to do something out of the box to get one.
Or Hooker.
Was at the game last night. Hurley was pathetic. He gave Kennedy far to much space yet every time Kennedy took a mark he would throw his arms in the air then start looking at the scoreboard. One of the early goals West Coast got was due to him not bending down low enough to touch the ball which he should have done quite easily.
When Worsfold finally takes him off Kennedy he goes to Darling and he kicks a goal straight away. 3 goals on him in about 7mins of play.
I think he’s been average since returning from the suspension of 2016. Was pretty fortunate to be AA in 2017. The whole saga has definitely sucked the enthusiasm of playing footy out of him. If we can get a pick for him in the 15-20 range I’d take it. Any higher would be a bonus. Plenty in the football world still rate him very highly.
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Midfield did defence no favours but that didn’t stop Hurls being belted.
He should have just taken front position and backed his instincts regarding the footy & cut off the leads. Everytime he went looking for the man Kennedy burnt him.
Honestly looked like was a deer in head lights at times last night
It was a bad game by Hurls, no doubt, but the repeat inside 50’s were no help to him at all.
Current Standing in the Nobby:
He had a bad game, but ■■■■■■ hell this place swings like crazy when it comes to Hurley.
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Second week in a row where he had a chance to save a goal and he let it go through because he did throw himself at the ball.
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Hurley was constantly 4-5m behind Kennedy. West Coast mids did dominate but Kennedy would have been amazed with how easy he had it last night. Would also be really disappointed he didn’t kick straight too. Hurley deserved 7 goals kicked on him the way he played before he was taken off Kennedy.
I can handle players being beaten by better opponents on the day (definitely happened to Fletch a few times) but to let that go through is inexcusable.
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and Langford
and Parish
and McGrath
and Guelfi
and Clarke
He’s had good games, he’s had bad games. Against West Coast he had a bad game.
Maybe it’s Hurley’s form that’s swinging like crazy rather than Blitz.
Can anyone think of a worse performance in his career? He was awful
Not Hooker that is a totally ridiculous thing to say. The game has changed for Hurley. He has problems with his wrists and marking. However he is still a good player but needs more assistance in that area by others around him. He is not the player he was and that comes to everyone playing the game some sooner some later but always eventually.