I think this thread has merrit
Collating who we think has improved and who hasn’t this year?
Top of the list of improvers for me is Cale Hooker.
Obviously AA FB this year. Rarely beaten. Can run too.
I also think Heppel has improved a lot. His contested ball winning and use has come a long way!
On the other end of the scale:
Melksham.
Did some good things last night, I hope it’s just confidence . He was terrific late last year. Please return to that player.
Hooker. Bags. Hepp. Colyer. Ryder. JD. Carlisle (fwd). Hurley. IKnfuriating there are so many
Zaka
Most improved for me is Trav, Hooker and Bags.
Heppel is just a deadset gun
Hurley and Paddy havnt improved much but have been more consistant.
Stanton and Jackson have gone backwards this year IMO
Hooker has not improved much at all IMO. He was ■■■■■■■ great last year to
Melksham he just has too.
Myers and Howlett must also go another step
I think the biggest improver will be Hurley next season, Fletch likely to retire and Hurley into his first season down back will be a big game player next season
Hurley
Colyer- I thought he was done 2 years ago. Amazing that he has turned around his kicking to such a degree. Well done Travis
Heppell- pretty much an elite player now
Myers- really has become that clearance machine we need. Still has more levels to go to though
Bags- has improved again defensively and also with his kicking
Hooker- his kicking and decision making has improved
Ryder- the most complete season i have seen from him so far in his career.
Jury out:
*Zaka had a great 6 week period. But a terrible start to the year. Would need to finish really strong imo to say he has improved
*Carlisle- wretched start to the season. Had a really good month of footy. Needs to finish strong
* up and down year as you would expect from a kid- does some great things, and some things that make you want to cover your eyes. Coming along just fine though.
Trav was very good first couple of games back and I think this was exacerbated by how poor we'd all imagined him in our heads. Sorta similar to the saying "the older you are, the better you were", well in our minds he just got ■■■■■■■ and ■■■■■■■ and a bigger and bigger waste the longer he was out of the side. My point is that now the last 3 weeks IMO he has just slowed a tad and now is where he should have been earlier in the year/last year - solid and slowly improving, in the same bracket as Myers. This is not detracting from his reward for hard work and there is no doubting we miss/need what he brings to the side.
Amazing to think he is is 2009 draft. Melksham, Carlisle, Colyer, Long. Aren't they hugely different players who took hugely different paths to get to hugely different spots at this point in time.
Honestly, who has improved this year?
Hooker and Heps are matchnign previous seasons, but perhaps shading.
Hurley, nah he is simply on the park.
Bags, initially yes, but more recently has struggled.
Ryder - yes, but then is this just 2009 form. Hard to tell.
Otherwise, not sure. Just another mid table year from us. Rinse and FARKING repeat.
Honestly, who has improved this year?
Hooker and Heps are matchnign previous seasons, but perhaps shading.
Hurley, nah he is simply on the park.
Bags, initially yes, but more recently has struggled.
Ryder - yes, but then is this just 2009 form. Hard to tell.
Otherwise, not sure. Just another mid table year from us. Rinse and FARKING repeat.
righto guv.
Ryder has had his best season ever. For mine, he is our most improved and taken his game to the next level
Alright - had a crack at going through the list - I feel like I've been a little generous in a few cases, but for the most part - this is what I reckon. Disagree if you want. Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one. Apart from that one guy I knew... he had two.
Big Improvers
1. Michael Hibberd
12. Mark Baguley
26. Cale Hooker
30. Patrick Ryder
Improver
6. Joe Daniher
8. Jason Winderlich
14. Jason Ashby
18. Michael Hurley
21. Dyson Heppell
22. Jake Carlisle
23. David Myers
29. Cory Dell'Olio
31. Dustin Fletcher
32. Travis Colyer
35. Martin Gleeson
Same/Unknown
4. Jobe Watson
5. Brent Stanton
9. Brendan Goddard
10. Nick O'Brien
11. David Zaharakis
16. Tayte Pears
17. Jake Melksham
20. Jackson Merrett
25. Ariel Steinberg
33. Dylan Van Unen
36. Lauchlan Dalgleish
37. Sean Gregory
39. Heath Hocking
40. Ben Howlett
41. Will Hams
Decline
2. Tom Bellchambers
7. Leroy Jetta
15. Courtenay Dempsey
28. Elliot Kavanagh
34. Kyle Hardingham
Big Decline
-
New
3. Paul Chapman
19. Shaun Edwards
27. Zac Merrett
43. Kurt Aylett
44. Fraser Thurlow
45. Johnny Rayner
46. Orazio Fantasia
47. Patrick Ambrose
Injured
24, Alex Browne
38. Nick Kommer
Heppell is an elite player who gets ball to boot quicker than anybody else in afl and uses it to great effect to compliment his super awareness has really lifted in jobes absence.
The next essendon superstar and will be a great of our famous club..
Brem06
A bit of heart over head on Fletcher......he started the season on par with last year but has declined second half.
However what's standing out there which is accurate as to why our season hasn't improved is our midfield brigade, either same or unknown.
Our book ends especially backline aren't the problem, our midfield are our achillies heel.......goal kickers lacking, defensive pressure lacking, forward line pressure lacking.
50mtr entries are good but what quality is the ball coming in to the forwards? This is the area that needs improving and also Carlisle needs to work harder and JD just more experience.
Hooker is now an elite defender.
Baguley has become very good.
Heppell a truly elite midfielder.
Brem06
A bit of heart over head on Fletcher......he started the season on par with last year but has declined second half.
However what's standing out there which is accurate as to why our season hasn't improved is our midfield brigade, either same or unknown.
Our book ends especially backline aren't the problem, our midfield are our achillies heel.......goal kickers lacking, defensive pressure lacking, forward line pressure lacking.
50mtr entries are good but what quality is the ball coming in to the forwards? This is the area that needs improving and also Carlisle needs to work harder and JD just more experience.
He was one of the ones I was generous with. :) I actually don't think he's been as bad as is being made out to be by some. But maybe my glasses are a smidgen rose coloured...
I like your list Brem06 but would say Demps hadn't declined, just missed through injury/suspension but is really playing good footy now.
And Goddard is having a better season than 2013.
I reckon Hocking and Melksham have declined.
Zaka and O'Brien have improved significantly if you compare their 2014 season with last season.
Those were the others I was generous on. :)
And yep - may have been a touch harsh on Demps. I reckon probably because I thought he was putrid for 3 quarters against Tigers. He's been pretty good this season though, and I may have forgotten that in the wake of Friday night.
Haven't seen enough VFL to comment on O'Brien - hence in the unknown category.
And if Zaka has a big 3 or 4 weeks, I would happily bump him up a level.
Goddard was pretty ■■■■■■ good last year, and has been same again. Not sure he has been better - agree to disagree on that one?
You'd have Bellcho Dalgliesh and Hams under "injured" I would have thought.
And for me I'd separate the "Same/Unknown" into "Steady" and "Stagnated." And it would look like this
Steady
4. Jobe Watson
5. Brent Stanton (Just)
9. Brendan Goddard
11. David Zaharakis (Saved himself last 6-8 rds)
25. Ariel Steinberg (Improving... but in the 2s and hasn't played a senior game)
33. Dylan Van Unen (See Stein, though he did debut)
37. Sean Gregory (Unknown. Who knows?)
Stagnated
10. Nick O'Brien
28. Elliot Kavanagh
16. Tayte Pears (Probably should be injured group in fairness)
17. Jake Melksham
20. Jackson Merrett
Slight Drop Off
39. Heath Hocking
40. Ben Howlett
Kav and NOB I am only going off other reports so happy to be corrected. All those boys in the stagnated group were all expected/hopeful to take another step this year and haven't done so.
You'd have Bellcho Dalgliesh and Hams under "injured" I would have thought.
And for me I'd separate the "Same/Unknown" into "Steady" and "Stagnated." And it would look like this
Steady
4. Jobe Watson
5. Brent Stanton (Just)
9. Brendan Goddard
11. David Zaharakis (Saved himself last 6-8 rds)
25. Ariel Steinberg (Improving... but in the 2s and hasn't played a senior game)
33. Dylan Van Unen (See Stein, though he did debut)
37. Sean Gregory (Unknown. Who knows?)
Stagnated
10. Nick O'Brien
28. Elliot Kavanagh
16. Tayte Pears (Probably should be injured group in fairness)
17. Jake Melksham
20. Jackson Merrett
Slight Drop Off
39. Heath Hocking
40. Ben Howlett
Kav and NOB I am only going off other reports so happy to be corrected. All those boys in the stagnated group were all expected/hopeful to take another step this year and haven't done so.
Yeah, good call on Bellcho. I was probably rough on him.
Again - haven't seen enough of Dalgliesh and Hams to make a call.
Probably should have had a "NFI" category for some of the VFL guys...
Like the Steady/Stagnated idea too.
None of us have seen enough of Hams Dalgliesh to make a call. A few have seen some more in the VFL. But he and Kommer have been out all season so he's definitely in the injured category. Dalgliesh is really the same other than a few "he's good now" moments before breaking down again (I think)
I seriously forgot dalgliesh was on the list