IMO: Where I rate our players.

[Plugger46]

This is my personal Opinion of where our players rate in the side.

Elite:

O'loughlin
Goodes
Maxfield
Williams

Core:

Hall
Davis
C.Bolton
Cresswell
Fosdike
Kennelly
Saddington
Nicks
J.Bolton
Schauble
Ball
Kirk
Warfe

Players who we need back:

Fixter
O'Keefe
Seymour
Doyle
Buchannan

On the fringe:

Barry
Crouch
McPherson
Matthews


Up and Comers:

McVeigh
Schneider
Powell
Meiklejohn
Ablett


Thoughts?????

[TheHood]

I'm not sure why you don't like Crouch? He is one of the most efficient and respected taggers in the comp. He does it well without scragging.

Leo is fine.

Warfe is perplexing. I mean the guys is very very average as well as Seymour. He's a hard nut without skills. He has the mongrel of Dunks but can't take a mark like Dunks.

[Frosty_13]

Good comments mate but unfortunately you are a horrible man.

[desredandwhite]

I'd have Nicks and Warfe on the fringe (both struggling with form and injury - need some good solid gametime in the ressies), with Crouch easily in the core. He's one player I never worry about each week because I know that even though he is not one of the flashy noticeable players, he will usually get his job done.

Frosty_13, could you please stick to arguing the issues and not personally attacking others.

[TheHood]

Good comments mate but unfortunately you are a horrible man.

Are you referring to me Frosty?

[TheMase]

Elite:

O'loughlin
Goodes
Maxfield
Williams

Core:

Hall
Davis
C.Bolton
Cresswell
Fosdike
Kennelly
Saddington
J.Bolton
Schauble
Ball
Kirk
Barry
Crouch
Fixter
Doyle


Need to show improvement:

Warfe
McPherson
Matthews
Nicks
Seymour
Buchanan
O'Keefe
Ablett

Up and Comers:

McVeigh
Schneider
Powell
Meiklejohn
LRT
Thewlis
Malceski

[Charlie]

Sticking to the established classifications... but with the condition that by a players' third year they are no longer 'up and comers' but must be in either 'core' or 'fringe'.

Elite

Williams
Goodes

Core

Hall
Davis
Mathews
C.Bolton
Cresswell
Fixter
Maxfield
Fosdike
Doyle
Kennelly
O'Loughlin
Barry
Saddington
J.Bolton
Schauble
Ball
Crouch
Kirk
Schneider

Fringe: which can really be either a good or bad thing depending on the player...

O'Keefe
Seymour
McPherson
Stevens
Ablett
Nicks
Powell
Buchanan
Warfe
Sundqvist

Up and comers

McVeigh
Dempster
Roberts-Thompson
Hunt
Thewlis
Malceski
Meiklejohn

[scurrilous]

I read Frosty's comments as tongue in cheek. ie having a go at Plugger for putting his namesake in the fringe.

Oh well, have always said MY sense of humour was warped

edit: boy I love the people on this site

[Mark]

Cannot believe people include Nicks in the core group he is the biggest underperformer at the club. He only seems to play when we are on top against sides like the saints etc. Players like Nicks are why we consistently lose games we should win

It is beyond me how Nicks is core yet Crouch and Barry are not ?

Crouch consistently does a good and often unrewarding job

Barry whilst heart in your mouth sometimes is the sort of running defender every top side needs. Without a quick and often unorthodox release from the back todays defences will bottle the forward line and choke you out of the game.

I sometimes wonder if i watch different games to some people !!!!

[pippa]

I think I agree with Charlies summary more than some of the others except I would rate Williams Goode and Maxfield as Elite.

These 3 players are consistent and are matchwinners. They always give everything they've got to the game.

The rest are in the areas they should be.

[Charlie]

Pippa - I put Maxi into the core group because of my definition of elite... to me, elite denotes top 10% of the competition... roughly, the top 60 odd players... in my mind, only Goodes and Willo would be in that group... although Maxi would be one of the next best in our team at the moment. Barry Hall hasn't taken the next step yet... either 3rd or 4th at the moment I think.

[Steve]

Barry Hall has really impressed me so far this season.

Despite the frustration of:
a) being double and triple-teamed
b) at times very poor delivery (eg. Hawthorn game in particular, but also periods of the Adelaide, Freo and Melbourne matches
c) his own wastefulness (he's kicked 14.10)

... he still hasn't whacked anyone. ;)

But in all seriousness it's a very good sign that despite those frsutrations he's still remained focussed and been contributing. I have no major concerns about how Hall is going.

If we could just somehow get guys like Schneider, Kennelly and Powell to impart some of that 'spunk'/confidence that they have to the likes of Ablett and Stevens, they really would be very different players.

IMO there is a very good player bottled up inside Luke Ablett.

[Nico]

Steve,

I feel a bit the same on Ablett. Just think he needs to be sneaked into the side somehow and given heaps of ground time to see if we can uncork the genie.

He looks to have good skills, but when he gets the odd chance with little ground time, he doesn't get the chance to show off his wares and appears "rusty".

[NMWBloods]

Same here on Ablett. I watch him and think he really looks like a footballer. I wish he'd come good before we dump him and someone else picks him up and he becomes a star!

[Steve]

It's just a confidence issue with Ablett.

He appears to be racked with self-doubt - just really apprehensive about his ability to play at the highest level.

Maybe he needs the challenge to play on some really good players - have them take him to the ball and get him involved in the action.

It's a hard one, but good clubs and coaches work through these sort of hurdles and help players fulfil their potential.

[Alison]

Here is mine

Elite:
Goodes
Williams

Borderline of Elite/Core:
Cresswell

Core:

O'loughlin
Hall
Maxfield
C.Bolton
Fosdike
Kennelly
Saddington
J.Bolton
Ball
Kirk
Barry
Mathews
Crouch
Fixter
Doyle
Davis

Need to show improvement:

Schauble (don't think he has shown much this year)
Stevens
Warfe
McPherson
Nicks
Seymour
Buchanan
O'Keefe
Ablett

Up and Comers:

McVeigh
Schneider
Powell
Meiklejohn
LRT
Thewlis
Malceski
Hunt

I too think that at times I am watching a different game to others but everyone's perception is different.

[Rizzo]

It won't be too long before Micky O returns to the ranks of Elite the way he is regaining form at the moment and if Schneider can perform consistently he'll be Core before the end of the year.

Nicksy needs to fine a new role in the team and warfe needs some good performances.

Barry is alright by me.

[barry]

Originally posted by Alison
Here is mine

Need to show improvement:

Schauble (don't think he has shown much this year)


Schauble is core no matter how he plays until we find at least two other key position defenders.
So in effect, he's safe for a few years yet. I think he's done ok this year. He'd a great second defender, just having a bit of trouble with the key forward.

[penga]

in the australian today, it stated that lynch will probably play, i really think we need to play meiklejohn on him and schauble loose to come over the top when meiklejohn and lynch are wrestling... we need to sacrifice someone to wrestle and someone over the top to stop him, one and one with anyone in the club will not work unless its BBB, that wouldnt be woth the sacrifice IMO

[scurrilous]

Originally posted by Steve
Barry Hall has really impressed me so far this season.


IMO there is a very good player bottled up inside Luke Ablett.

/nods in agreeance

/nods and mumbles in agreeance

now if only someone would rub that bottle a little bit

edit: damn Nico beat me to the pun again

[Plugger46]

Originally posted by penga
in the australian today, it stated that lynch will probably play, i really think we need to play meiklejohn on him and schauble loose to come over the top when meiklejohn and lynch are wrestling... we need to sacrifice someone to wrestle and someone over the top to stop him, one and one with anyone in the club will not work unless its BBB, that wouldnt be woth the sacrifice IMO

penga,

In my opinion, Lynch will be underdone anyway as he has hardly played any footy this year, so the impact he will have on the game may not be as big as you are thinking. I think playing meiklejohn on him would be really rough on the kid, besides i doubt he would have the strength to go with Lynch.

Let's continue to educate Meiklejohn as a ruckman and persevere with him.

[desredandwhite]

If Lynch plays, you would think Schauble would be our only specialist backman big enough to go with him - he would need help though... Have to force the 2-on-1 contests or run him to the flanks as much as possible. One on one, he will have a day out.

[pippa]

Originally posted by Charlie
Pippa - I put Maxi into the core group because of my definition of elite... to me, elite denotes top 10% of the competition... roughly, the top 60 odd players... in my mind, only Goodes and Willo would be in that group... although Maxi would be one of the next best in our team at the moment. Barry Hall hasn't taken the next step yet... either 3rd or 4th at the moment I think.

I think the word elite should mean just that and I have to say I think Stu Maxfield fits that category. The perception that he doesnt enter this group may come from the fact that other sides dont see him as they do Williams and Goode and while both will now always be tagged, Stu is generally left alone.

But he is always a danger to other sides though and his explosive speed can often turn a game around. In my book he remains an elite. I agree with you on Barry Hall who would have to move up a notch or two, his skill level precludes him from this group.

Pip

[sharp9]

Originally posted by pippa
I agree with you on Barry Hall who would have to move up a notch or two, his skill level precludes him from this group.


I agree with you but am more optimistic in that the only area of BBB's game not up to scrath at the moment is actually hanging on to the footy in a contested mark situation when he gets first hands to the ball. His set shots haven't been up to his usual standard either but I reckon both of these things related....the old confidence thingymabob. Everything else about his game, aggression, finding space, disposal and shots from general play, have been anywhere from good to sensational.

Hopefully they have been working on his only weakness over the last week and he is absolutely set to have a blinder. He really is due.

I'd have in the elite. How so? Every team in the comp would name him in the 18 if they had a chance. Same for Goodes and Williams.

That'd be my definition of an elite player.

[pippa]

Originally posted by sharp9
I agree with you but am more optimistic in that the only area of BBB's game not up to scrath at the moment is actually hanging on to the footy in a contested mark situation when he gets first hands to the ball. His set shots haven't been up to his usual standard either but I reckon both of these things related....the old confidence thingymabob. Everything else about his game, aggression, finding space, disposal and shots from general play, have been anywhere from good to sensational.



Good point, every time I see him I am reminded of Pluggers brute strength but he doesnt have the same pair of hands, once Plugger got his hands on it, that was it.

This will come in time and he will be awesome when he does.