I thought he did some good things today. It seemed like he got the rough end of the pineapple from the maggots a couple of times, especially in the last quarter.
2 Likes
He is a funny one. He was a complete cat last year and was undroppable. Now he looks like he has added a bit of an edge and he canāt get a look in.
1 Like
He seems to be getting more confident by the week persist
1 Like
Maybe he turned the photos over to Brad.
Sometimes with brad itās better to play like absolute ā ā ā ā and he backs you in, then when you find some form youāll wollow away in the twoās for eternity and get sent packing.
His best mate George Stevens debuting for the Cats - two young men from South Warnambool living the dream
23 Likes
I was surprised at his pace, itās genuine speed when he goes.
1 Like
The way he covers the ground reminds me of a certain number 43. Seems to have genuine pace.
3 Likes
A VFL game in general lacks speed because of the lower skill level and the greater reliance on contest work. Letās face it, itās a pretty amateurish competition and Iād say SANFL and WAFL are far better to watch because thereās only a few aligned teams who are there just for a glorified weekend run in the park. Itās a harsh comment, but half of the league barely trains together as a group. The AFL listed players train with the AFL team and the VFL team train in isolation. Itās tough to get teams playing like a team in that environment. Someone like Manaugh looked okay the majority of time at VFL and did buzz around quite a bit. Then he had a great month and that was enough to get noticed. But at AFL level, in the right system that suits his skills, heās far better. Stick him on the current Richmond team and heāll look like a headless chook running around with no idea what to do. Especially in a forward line that barely gets supply. The fit and role are just as important as the skillset.
Lualās speed was more noticeable in the few training / match sim sessions I watched earlier this year. He got to decent spots, he defended well. But he barely got the ball because he was on the seconds team that generally got smashed by the firsts. So all he could work on was his running, his timing (when to defend, when to attack) and tackling. I actually donāt mind players focussing on that. That should be the backbone of what every player gets drilled into them as soon as they get to the club. Not everyone has to be a Zach Merrett and try and pin point kicks. But I expected his kicking to be pretty poor to average at best (especially given what most on this forum were saying about him). At AFL level, itās been neat without being damaging. Having said that, I think heās playing within his limits so heās yet to be tested to take greater gambles which is where weāll see what heās made of.
8 Likes
He covers the ground so beautifully. He had a couple of long 3/4 ground chases and pressure.
Must persist
9 Likes
Heās the surprise packet for me. I didnāt see it in the VFL, he looks a different player at AFL level. Something to work with for sure.
Something to be said for guys playing in a better system, then thrive.
6 Likes
He should be played small forward and just told to tackle like a maniac
1 Like
He reminds me of Kurt Aylett as well, good call.
17 Likes
VFL is a sluggish, mostly contested game, with long kicks to a contest.
Itās not a game for outside players, or players who struggle in the contest (either in the air or on the ground).
This is why I think we need to be trialling guys in the AFL for a week or two before making a decision on their future. Lual is a good example of a outside player who never took to VFL.
Do we think Nic Martin would be the player he is, if he came threw the VFL?
2 Likes
Doubt Brad would have given him a shot if we didnāt have the injuries and still have no faith that he will continue to be played which he absolutely should.
1 Like
I loved the two marking contests that he won using his body.
6 Likes
I was really hoping we picked big George in the 23 draft. Pick 58 is a real bargain.
1 Like
Same i was a big Stevens fan, heās a massive unit. I think the knock on him was that he was slow and big bodied mids arenāt fashionable at the moment. I always thought his agility was good though so covered for any leg speed concerns. He was a really good basketballer as a junior which helped with that.
1 Like
I donāt think he tested well for agility or pace. His hands in tight spaces are super quick though, and he always had elite kicking skillsā¦ as well as being a massive manbeast.
1 Like
Dunno about his testing but to the eye i thought his agility for a big guy was good in close. I watched heaps of gwv rebels games that year actually, canāt remember why.