Not sure just “beat” is enough when you are 50-1 ahead at their home ground. Pulverised? Ragdolled? Shucked?
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21-year-old Richmond fan from Werribee writes drivel on THE ROAR™. Move along.
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James H - well done:
Roar Guru
February 12th 2019 @ 9:58am
“I’d challenge you to find me stats that show he is an elite midfielder of the competition.”
You mean other than being a 2017 All Australian? Or ranking third for goal assists and 9th for inside 50s (including a whopping 15 inside 50s in GWS’s two finals) in 2018? How about averaging 26 touches (more than Martin, Kennedy, Polec and Bontempelli) and 4.5 clearances (better than Yeo, Brayshaw, Sidebottom and Gaff) in 2018, despite being stuck behind Ward, Coniglio and Kelly in the GWS pecking order? I dunno where you set your personal bar for ‘elite’ but on this occasion it seems like you’ve just stuck it where you needed to in order to make your point.
“It’s factual that Saad and Mckenna were caught more times than they should have been last year.”
Umm… no, that’s an opinion. One with which some may agree, but still an opinion. A fact would be “McKenna and Saad got caught holding the ball on average X times per game in 2018″, which was Y times higher than the season average”. And even then, that doesn’t prove your point.
How many times did they take the game on and try to break the lines? What percentage of times did their actions lead to an EFC scoring opportunity vs being caught holding the ball? Players who take risks will get caught more (and not all of them can stick their palm in a tackler’s throat and get away with it). By the way, Saad averaged less than one free kick against per game in 2018. Clearly he’s not getting caught as often as you think he his.
“Are James Stewart and Shaun McKernan good enough to lead a forward line of a top four team?”
On their own? Probably not, but where did ‘top 4 team’ come from? In any event, you pigeon-holed Stringer as a small forward when he’s a genuine marking target. And you didn’t even mention Mitch Brown, who – while not exactly an elite forward – played an important role in the back half of the season (especially after McKernan went down) and kept Stewart out of the side. Averaging 6.5 marks, 13.5 touches and 1.3 goals per game isn’t half bad for a bloke you either forgot or dismissed.
“Tell me one other time where I didn’t use reasoning when assessing a player?”
_– “However, the lack of depth in that back six is astounding… Marty Gleeson, Conor McKenna and Adam Saad will come undone against the good teams. Saad and McKenna just don’t have a football brain – yes it’s good to take the game on, but the amount of times they got caught running out of defence last season needs urgent attention.” No reasoning in sight (and no mention of one of the most promising young backmen in the comp in Aaron Francis??? Or Ambrose and Hartley, who are at least handy depth?).
_– “Tom Bellchambers isn’t even close to the top five ruckmen, so they won’t be getting first use again either.” While I agree that Belly isn’t a top 5 ruck there is still no actual reasoning here – otherwise you might have learned that the Dons ranked equal third for centre clearances per game in 2018 (level with Richmond and better than WC and Collingwood).
_– “Essendon aren’t, and won’t be, better than any of Richmond, Collingwood, Melbourne and West Coast this year… They simply don’t have the talent or system to do that. Greater Western Sydney have more scope to improve than Essendon, as do Adelaide, who played in a grand final two years ago.” Again, not an actual reason in sight.
And don’t get me started on your bit about Essendon’s core midfield group that apparently doesn’t include Myers or the rapidly improving Langford and Parish. I can only assume you think Myers is, at most, Essendon’s 7th best midfielder heading into 2019. I think most teams would be pretty happy if their 7th best mid was coming off a season averaging 20 touches, 5 clearances, 4 tackles and 4 inside 50s a game.
I have no issue with measured criticism of where the Bombers are at – I don’t think they’re a lock for finals at all (who even does?) – but if you’re going to write an article without any real evidence or analysis to back it up then people will call you out for it. Especially when you put “…and here’s why” in the title.
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I welcome others pouring cold water. It should motivate players further- much better than waiting for the wins that we are owed to come.
Of course there is a limit to criticism. Otherwise the Pretenders Park spooners would be the best-motivated team in the league.
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Can’t see why not!
Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!
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Can’t help but to have that sick feeling that we are going to lose to Carlscum and then we have to put with “its only JLT who cares” crap on here haha
I want us to brutalise them as an early warning not to ■■■■ with us in the season proper.
Beside Nino who else is lid on? And why?
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im on board the 100% slingshot tribute to knighta but done better style of play you’re against.
it may or may not be my most watched game of the last few years.
that was a joy to be hold.
still tempted to bring up that post game thread and go 'IMAGINE GOING INTO 3QTR TIME AND HAVING MORE FREEKICKS THAN POINTS?
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No no. I’m not against it at all, actually I’m quite quite for it. But any good defence needs to also have good lockdown players as well as slingshot types. That’s all I’m saying. We need to work out who they are.
Does Hurley play the role that he did on Franklin every week? Does Dea or Ambrose play? Does Hooker focus more on defending and leave the rebounding to Gleeson and Francis? I don’t know what the answer is but we need to have a plan I think.
Having a back 6 containing only loose checking rebounding slingshot types is real bold strategy Cotton territory
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It’s FRANKLIN!
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Seriously could not give a ■■■■ if they only play under 22s in the JLT and only let them kick with their non preferred foot. No teams go into the real season scared of a side because they belted last seasons wooden spoon in a practice match. I hope they use it as a chance to iron out kinks in their gameplan. The result is 100% irrelevant.
How they play in round 1 against GWS is all that matters.
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I hope they test out Ninos new game plan in the JLT.
It’s complicated but JLT is the perfect testing ground for it.
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The other reason why a few lockdown tight-checking defenders is going to be important this year is the 6 6 6. At least a few times a quarter, defenders may have to actually do some defending one on one rather than the loose men queueing up to take the intercept mark.
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Hooker is a lock down defender who reads the play well, as is Francis (early days for him though) These days, you can’t have the back pocket player who only gets 3 touches a game but keeps his opponent goalless.
I still think Saad is a great lockdown defender, but we see him more as a sling-shot because he gives us so much when he has the ball in hand.
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I found Saads ability to defend absolutely staggering last year. I had no idea he was as good as he is.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he is the best small defender in the competition.
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Daniel Talia an AA lockdown defender averages 12 touches. Ambrose 11.66, Hartley 11, Hooker 16 half of which are marks. None of our tall lockdowns average 3 disposals.
I regard myself as a bit of a lid-onner.
I think we might be going into this season with the 5th-6th best list.
I’m more concerned that our list might not reach any higher in rank in subsequent years…because we will have gone three years without drafting a first rounder, and eventually, that lack of top-notch talent in the pipeline will affect us…I formed this long-term view as soon as the Shiel trade unfolded (I though it was pretty expensive).
I still think we COULD win a premiership with this list…as long as we’re playing in finals, we’re a chance…and I think everyone would agree that unpredictable injuries to key players can have a huge impact either way…but the analytical part of my brain tells me not to get too carried away.
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