But Wright is, quite literally, in the air competing for a mark or a tap and often out of the contest when the ball falls to the ground and is in dispute… when many of those defensive acts are being carried out by others.
Hooker kicking for goal or taking an uncontested mark doesn’t explain why he isn’t involved in pressure acts when the ball is in dispute.
? Wha?
Yeah, I don’t really follow your logic there.
Keeping in mind Wright played 3? games as a pure ruck, and most of the rest he’s rotated through the ruck: it’s not entirely surprising he’s getting more tackles not in the 50.
Hooker only leaves the 50 to change ends.
I think his defensive effort is OK, he’s just 7 foot 15 and built like a twig, his problem is more actually bringing guys down when he gets there. He’s like a giant Ham, the effort’s there, the physical impact is not.
Or perhaps Rance.
Pressure acts in f50 is corralling, chasing, closing etc. (the AFL’s wording) when the ball is in dispute in the f50 or when the opposition has the ball. When they get the ball it’s usually moved out of the area pretty quickly, so most of your pressure acts are going to happen straight after a contest.
The ball is in dispute in f50 most often straight after a contested marking or rucking contest, which Wright is presumably, based on the stats, doing more of than Hooker. It’s a bit much to expect Wright to be competing in the air more than Hooker, and on the ground when it falls.
My take on it… I could very well be reading it wrong
Are those figures poor for key position players?
Harry McKay - 1.4 tackles, 6.8 pressure acts
Daniher - 1.2 tackles, 7.4 pressure acts
Naughton - 1.2 tackles, 8.9 pressure acts
Certainly below the standard of
Tom McDonald - 2.2 tackles, 12 pressure acts!
Charlie Dixon - 2.1 tackles, 11.8 pressure acts
Buddy - 2.5 tackles, 8.4 pressure acts
That’s a good question, actually. I wont do everyone in the league, but here’s a random sample for pressure acts specifically;
Jack Darling 12.7
Tom McDonald 12
Charlie dixon 11.8
Jack Riewoldt 10.4
Aaron Naughton 8.9
Tom Hawkins 8.3
Jeremy Cameron 7.8
Joe Daniher 7.4
Josh Kennedy 7.3
Harry McKay 6.8
Matt Taberner 5.7
So, mid table really.
EDIT: Oh, you already did it while I was typing, and did it better. Cheers!
I think that’s a pretty generous take.
And yes, agree on the tackles inside 50 number, that’s why I chucked the overall tackles in there too.
But I was specifically addressing the idea of how easily the ball leaves our forward line, and that being something to ping largely on Hooker. It’s not. He is part of the problem, clearly, but we have multiple points of deficiency on that front.
The problem, as you say, isn’t that we have one guy with low defensive out put it’s that we have 3. We dropped Waterman right? Will be in interesting to see what a difference that makes (though we shouldn’t have omitted guelfi, zaka would want to tackle, pressure and smoother with commitment today)
Something that doesn’t show up in the stats is that all the defensive effort Wright and hooker supply is inside the contest. They can’t close down anyone outside the contest. I can’t think of another kpf (let alone 2) in the top 8 that chase as ineffectually as those 2
Ok, I get you now.
I don’t think 2MP’s contested marking numbers suggest he is competing for more marks inside 50 than Hooker, just that he’s much better at holding them. (Much)
I’m trying to find the stat on Forward 50 target numbers (i.e, who we kick to the most), but I’d be staggered if Hooker wasn’t our clear number 1 by a fair margin.
Daniher and Hipwood?
They are lucky, because they also have McStay who is particulary good at it, and covers their weakness.
Joe Dan says hi. He is not only worse than Hooker or Wright, he is the worst l have ever seen, he becomes the ultimate observer/non participant. Evidence? Look no further than last night. He put exactly zero pressure on once the ball hit the ground, no scrounging, no harassing, no tackling, zilch, nada.
Call it the Fagin effect, or the Lions influence, call it anything you like, he wasn’t this bad at Essendon.
All good. Based on games I’ve watched, so not a great measure, Id be surprised if Wright wasn’t involved in more contested marking and rucking situations combined, than Hooker.
Yeah that’s a fair call. Though I would say both have a good top speed and if they decide to chase it’s a decent chase.
JD was actually quite good at chasing and applying pressure pre groins
Especially if he could see a cheap goal in it.
Inconsistent, more than bad.
When he was properly switched on, he was terrific.
When he wasn’t…
Hooker’s the slowest, the one who spends most time inside 50, has the least upside, and that makes him the most obvious fix.
There comes a point when the lack of pace/agility from the old blokes goes from being an annoyance, to a real problem. Happened to Hurley, to Bellcho, to Jobey. Time waits for no man.
I think the motto is “nobody does it better”.
Daniher’s pressure acts are when he’s dived and the ump has to decide what the fark actually happened