And I have the feeling (this might sound bizarre) that he might be more handy than he has been this year as he slows down a bit, … IF he can accept that he’s not the “Go To” guy anymore, and can settle into playing a role like Kelly does atm.
geez that’s a HUGE if when it comes to BJ. I also don’t think he’ll accept that his skills have dropped and he can’t pass 50m bullets threading the needle in the corridor. He just doesn’t seem the type to accept he’s not he alpha male or being told “you can’t …”
I think he and Jobe are also the sort of guys who can’t afford to lose what little agility/pace they have. The sort of game they play means that they can’t reinvent themselves or continue to play the same game at a slightly lower level - losing 5-10% of their zip makes them 30-40% less effective.
Yep he’ll be playing the Kelly role next year. I actually think he’s still one of our stronger contributors and cops a bit unfairly on here. I could see him playing for another 2 seasons.
My only worry is he’s not as smart as Kelly, tries to take on a bit more that what he should and overestimates himself. Kelly had that ability to always way the situation up and make the right decision.
Interesting, because I reckon Goddard already has reinvented himself somewhat. He lost his ‘elite’ ability and a good percentage of zip two years ago, yet he’s still managed to find a way to contribute week in, week out.
He still backs his kicking in tight spots a bit more than he should, and still thinks he can take hangers, but I reckon he knows where he’s at, and plays accordingly.
Love the guy’s passion.
But I hope he doesn’t play backline next year.
Too many costly brain fades.
When kicking across goal, you should be kicking darts not looping kicks. If he hasn’t learnt that in his years of experience, then he’s not going to suddenly learn it now.
The worst thing about that kick across goal was what he did next - nothing.
We still had the ball in hand, under pressure, but looking to kick back to where he was, and he just stood still, rather than make a simple 10m lead into the pocket to provide an option. There was enough room if he just provided a short lead. He just stood still instead.
Most player will make a mistake through games, it is not the mistakes that people should be focusing on but rather what he does off the ball. His positioning is awesome, he gets to most contests and helps out the defenders as much as possible. Turnovers from others often hurt him because he doesn’t have the speed to get back and cover and it leaves the backmen exposed.
I can excuse one or two mistakes for all the other good he does.