VFL - Round 1 vs Franga @ Franga, 2pm Saturday 7 April 2018 — NO FRANGA!

I’ve got a few VFL favs, but this we really need

‘We never bury teams we should belt’

Buries Team

‘You can’t take too much out of a game like that can you?’

:grin: :ok_hand:

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Good win. Franga were very competitive for a half but fell away badly.
I didn’t see anything much from our young/untried players to inspire. It was a scrambly game without much clean ball movement for the first half, and then when it opened up, we used it better and scored freely.
Best were McKernan, Merrett and Lav.
Langford not bad without really doing a lot.
Clarke the same (kicking was fine - he only tried short kicks and all hit the target).
Guelfi ok without doing a lot.
Redman was almost unsighted to half time, but had a good last half and kicked a very good goal late when we were really dominating.
Draper was good in the ruck contests but didn’t take a mark that I can remember, despite getting his hands on a few I thought he should have held. Smack on the other hand just marks everything at VFL level. His best is really too good for vfl.
Zork is skinny and also ran under a few marks. Played ok without being outstanding.
Ridley in the end got a bit of the ball but I thought he was a bit underwhelming.
Mutch was a bit ordinary at times, but it was his first game for the year so probably to be expected. I keep hearing people on here talking of him being an onballer, but he seems to be a wingman exclusively in the vfl, and he plays it a bit like an old fashioned winger, staying out wide.
Houlihan was pretty quiet.
Lav was outstanding, and got better as the game went on. He stiff armed his way out of congestions twice (a la Stringer) and played in a way that looked like he was closer to being a strong bodied onballer than Langford IMO.
Have I missed anyone?
Sorry if this seems a bit bland after 102pt win, but as I say, I didn’t see anyone pushing up for senior selection except Lav.

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Geez. My summary might be slightly more individually positive. Slightly.

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He’s he VFL Pres.

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I was listening to the radio stream. Names that stood out to me were McKernan, Younan and Zerk-Thatcher (but that might be because it still makes me giggle like a 12 year old when I hear it).

Lol at the commentators calling Guelfi “Goofy”

Lol, … it was Garloofey, … and fk I laughed, … every time.

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I was also. Dozed off three times it was so boring.

Essendon 7.5.47 9.7.61 13.10.88 21.17.143
Frankson 3.1.19 6.4.40   6.4.40    6.5.41

The score tells much of the story, hence me taking the time to put it above. For once the Franga wind was not a factor (very slightly to us in the first and third quarters). At one point the resurrected Frankston led 13-1 and were winning all of the clearances, before we knuckled down ten minutes in and consequently kicked a string of 7.4.46. Only a red time goal for them gave them any hope at all.

In the second quarter they honestly controlled perhaps 25 of the 30 minutes. But there just wasn’t much threat in their forward line and hence they still trailed by 21 at half time.

It was 12.10.82 to 0.1.1 in the second half. Foot on jugular, LIKE.

Did not play: Baguley, Hartley, Long, Begley, Fantasia, Myers, Berry, Strachan

Redman — not a boring player! First three quarters back, aggro is good most of the time but a free he gave away really kicked off the Franga comeback in the second quarter. Went forward in the last quarter (which hasn’t happened for a very long time) and was good, including one goal where he got to the fall of a very high ball, roved and snapped a nice goal. If you could combine the characteristics of him and Merrett you’d have a hell of a player.

Guelfi — mostly on the wing. Still needs to get more, but I feel pretty confident when he does have it.

Ridley — didn’t notice much. That partially reflects on Franga’s (lack of) attack, but intercept player he was not, especially compared to several I’ll mention later.

Mutch — very rusty. Took some characteristic brave marks backing into trouble at half-back, but his disposal and decision-making was pretty awful.

Hocking — back and midfield. Has a personal focus this year on really being the on-field general, getting a winning structure out of his mix of team mates. You can’t argue with a one-point half.

Merrett — kicked five goals, many by knowing the exact right moment to go. Contrarily, he still had some frustrating moments (e.g. broken tackles) that really were not what you expect from a senior player.

Langford — after a flat start, our midfield as a group got the job done, with individuals popping up in turn. Really liked his third quarter: clearances and composed disposals.

Draper — both he and Leuenberger need to be first ruck, unlike McKernan. It’s frustrating.

Laverde — muscles on muscles, and some real class moments. Mostly a deep but roving forward. If only he converted his many chances to goal…

Leuenberger — was the primary ruck. I give some credit to Franga’s primary ruck, Lewis Pierce; big boy at 203 and 104 but Looney cleaned him up after the bounces were done. He’s such a clutz but so great at the second efforts and ground scrambles (as was Draper, except for the clutz bit).

McKernan — just a casual 3 goals, primarily forward. We all know he can dominate this level.

Clarke — this could be real. Four games this year, and if you didn’t know from last year you would not pick up his kicking was an issue.

Boyse — OK. Two goals.

Terence Trent “Big Red” Darby — modest first half but in the second half he was excellent as a rebounding key defender. 194cm but not a liability when the ball hits the ground. Promising pre-season is continuing.

Dixon — nondescript, especially compared to very decent pre-season efforts

HepA — mostly back, did those things he needed to do when he needed to do them

Hind — got a bit too keen today with running through packs (he’s surprisingly strong given his whippet shape), but he’s both an impact and steadily contributing player

Houlahan — forward. Barely noticed him

Marklew — usually used as an undersized KPP, but spent time on the wing today. It was a day of contrast for him, with a few brain fades.

Mynott — mostly noticed him in the last quarter when the game was already won

Younan — five goals, kick-to-balls speccy, a clunk mark on a fast lead like a 2000 Lloyd. I was very under-impressed by him last year when he transferred from Coburg with a big reputation, but today was quality. There were hints in the practice matches that his new normal will be markedly better than last year.

B. Zerk-Thatcher — really really really liked his game today. Defender intercept marks till the early morning.

Sheahan — the 23rd player in his debut for us at 20yo. 182cm, played half-back but was often involved up on the wing. Got conned with a call-out in the second quarter, but was very decent in the second half; his second efforts were excellent.

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Whereas Collingwood supporters are use to numbers on the front…

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Now watch us try about 12 other guys at FB before we debut Zerk in round 23 and drop him straight away, so we can keep Brown and Dea in

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Very happy to hear the progress of D.Clarke. If I’m honest, I had written him off as a player in my head - but if he does come on as an AFL level inside midfielder, it would be an enormous boost for the club and their list strategy.

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Clarke’n’Zerk sound like good prospects so far in 2018, keep it up and a run in the second half of the season might happen.

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I recall Jackets saying the coaches believed they could fix Clarkes kicking action after he had slipped way down on the earlier top 20 draft rating he had as an inside mid in his draft year. You would have to say it looked so bad a times last year, that it was a lost cause. Now its a matter of whether his decision making is good enough at AFL level, becuase they might just have fixed his kicking action enough to play in the AFL.

Jackets wasn’t wearing any today, but given we got Clarke out of the bargain bin he’d have liked today.

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Detailed Bazooka update please DJR… is he our Rance for the next 10 years?

I love how every time we pump the opposition by 10+ goals in the VFL, the match reviews are always “no one really stood out”.

Lol. Ive been reading VFL reviews on here for 10 years and it’s always the same!

Excellent all-round wrap-up, as usual. Quality plus.

In a big win, I’d see that as a good thing, generally speaking.

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