Do people think Dempster has improved this year?

[sfan]

Watching a lot of games this year and for someone who has played 50 games I have not seen any real improvement this year over last few years. Looks one dimensional, good kick when on run by himself but seems to struggle looking after good forwards. Not sure if he will step up to be a dominating defender. Maybe trade bait?

[timthefish]

Watching a lot of games this year and for someone who has played 50 games I have not seen any real improvement this year over last few years. Looks one dimensional, good kick when on run by himself but seems to struggle looking after good forwards. Not sure if he will step up to be a dominating defender. Maybe trade bait?

has a textbook-copy kicking action but can't kick effectively when not in the clear and travelling in the direction he's kicking. doesn't appear to be able to make quick decisions or read the play that well.

no great improvement this year, but he's only young may become a very good player for us in a couple of years.

[NMWBloods]

has a textbook-copy kicking action but can't kick effectively when not in the clear and travelling in the direction he's kicking. doesn't appear to be able to make quick decisions or read the play that well.

no great improvement this year, but he's only young may become a very good player for us in a couple of years.
Yeah, that's pretty much my read of it too.

[ernie koala]

He's got a lot more potentual to improve, given his running ability and his kick, than plenty of others on the list. Keep him I say.

[satchmopugdog]

I can see an improvement. It is gradual.gradual.gradual but each week there is a bit more poise and confidence.

[liz]

I thought he was pretty solid at times yesterday - especially early. Put himself in the right position to receive the ball and was useful in getting it out of a highly pressured backline. Maybe his best game yet.

I think self-belief that he belongs at that level is still the key. He needs to look at players of similar shape and size, like Sam Fisher at the Saints and Andrew Mackie at Geelong - both of whom have come on really well this year - and try to emulate what they give to their respective sides.

[smasher]

No,he has less awareness of where his opposition are.

[Nico]

I think he has suffered a bit with LRT and Kennelly out. He has only played 50 games and with a full backline in it gives him structure to work around his inexperience.

I thought last night he played pretty well, but agree on the awareness thing, or is just lack of talking by his team mates as The Mase has been on about recently. Fortunately many times he gots on his own he is in plenty of space, which is a positive because he gets himself in the right place.

While Bevo is still in the team Dempster is a certainty to keep his spot. He and Benny must sleep very well at night with this comforting thought.

[TheMase]

I think he has suffered a bit with LRT and Kennelly out. He has only played 50 games and with a full backline in it gives him structure to work around his inexperience.

I thought last night he played pretty well, but agree on the awareness thing, or is just lack of talking by his team mates as The Mase has been on about recently. Fortunately many times he gots on his own he is in plenty of space, which is a positive because he gets himself in the right place.

While Bevo is still in the team Dempster is a certainty to keep his spot. He and Benny must sleep very well at night with this comforting thought.

I thought it was probably his best game for us last night. There are a number of problems with the Swans.

One is definitely communication (ie two players diving on the ball, or going up for marking contests and nobody staying out for the loose ball).

Another is the one percenters such as after handballing to a player, you shepherd out the player running through. We don't do this, and that is why we often get chased down rather than a lack of judgement on behalf of the receiving player.

We give far too many 'hospital' hand passes, without following through to protect the player.

At times we seem to handball for the sake of it, rather than realising the bloke you're about to give it to is in no better position than you are, and you're better off either finding a better option or kicking long.

We are now being exposed. These have always been problems, but the intensity of opposition teams and the aging of some of our players, and weakness they have always had, have been found out.

[ScottH]

I liked that he showed a bit of mongrel, by Dumpstering Kerr, last night. Unfortunately it wasn't subtle enough.

But When he streams up field with his head down, he looks good. Got plenty of it last night too.

As Nico said with a full back line, it takes a bit of pressure of him.

[Nico]

Mase, I agree on the midfield handballing disaster. When we do a quick kick under pressure into the forward line it catches out the defence. Because a quick kick in can be unpredicatable, particularly if it hits the ground, it gives our forwards much more of a chance than giving up possession in the midfield either from a HTB decision or turnover.

Schmidt did it once last night when he was clear, but looked to get a call from behind and fell for it. He kicks long and well, someone should tell him to just move forward when clear.

[reigning premier]

Dempster's only problem is he's to @@@@ing slow off the mark....

Yeah he goes alright when he eventually gets up to speed, it just takes him about twenty minutes to wind up!! Once underway, no doubt he carries the ball well and kicks beautifully from on the run. Trouble is, he needs a whole lot of space before he gets into full flight. He makes Leo Barry look "fleet footed".....

He needs to get quicker off the mark (Almost impossible), or get a bit more awareness of what's going on around him before he attempts to run (Experience).

He will come good, it's just painful to watch him getting hunted down like a wounded gazelle every week....

[NMWBloods]

We are now being exposed. These have always been problems, but the intensity of opposition teams and the aging of some of our players, and weakness they have always had, have been found out.
Yep - I think this is a big thing - as I said somewhere else, perhaps we only had a couple of top years in us.

[Plugger46]

No he hasn't.

He's the new Saddo as far as I'm concerned. Gives us nothing.

[Lucky Knickers]

What he suffers from is confidence in his own ability. Too often you see him hesitate looking for the handpass or short kick as he's drilled to do - I'd really like to see him back himself - as when he does something he generally creates a positive attacking move.