+1Originally Posted by ScottH
+1
I think you could make exactly the same comment about Carlton, Essendon,Melbourne and Fremantle ( leaving Horse out of it). The Pies and Geelong are scary now!
What it will come down to will be the level to which these talented individuals can play as one united team.
This will involve belief ,football ability and ability to execute instructions and set plays. Some drilling on kick ins ,stoppages, flooding, zoning etc. All of the above depends on good coaching,good game plans and selecting the right players for the job.That is Horse's challenge. I believe his selection policy has been good and I defer judgement on all else until more water has gone under the bridge.
Johnston played all of last year in the forwardline. He was played in the backline in order to improve his defensive game and add another string to his bow; his forward instincts weren't questioned. He was always going to come into the team as a forward.
Personally, I quite like the idea of him as a third-tall defender, but we have enough of those. In any case, the way Johnston has been developed this season is not the product of poor planning, and is quite the opposite. It's a pretty standard move, actually.
Officially on the Reid and Sumner bandwagon!
Who is it who called for the "head of the coach" ? The post you where responding to did no such thing, not even close....
Irishswanperth simply said in his opinion "Horse has been an average coach and the team is lucky to be in the 8".
You don't have to agree but when you start making these inaccurate statements Big Cat, your the one talking rubbish with "NO basis or valid data".
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect... MT
I suspect Big Cat was referring to the first response in the thread, rather than to the opening post which seemed to be inviting a more optimistic appraisal of where the team is currently at than the other recent thread about Horse produced. Sadly it seems to have failed.
White's output has been on a similar level to last season. Jetta, by his own admission in his most recent blog, is still a kid (in experience if not exactly in age) trying to get to grips wth the requirements of playing senior AFL. Most players who have a break-out season very early in their careers, as Hanners has had, then take a season or two to consolidate before they go on to develop further. Often their contributions are judged more harshly than they should be because supporters expect them to keep improving on the same exponential curve and even a plateauing of performance is seen as going backwards. No reason to get worried that Hanners is following this trajectory given how many other players also follow it.
FWIW:-
Despite winning the NRS in his second season on the list, Goodes then spent several seasons floundering round as an inconsistent, flashy player before his true break out season of 2003, his sixth season on the list.
ROK's breakout season came in 2004, his 5th season on the list
Barry Hall was in his middish 20s before he really put it all together and became a consistent, dangerous forward
I don't need to retell the Kirk story
McVeigh's breakout season happened in 2008, his 6th on the list
Craig Bolton's career took off onto a different level when he was in his mid-20s. So did Leo Barry's and Andrew Dunkleys. Reg only became a convincing senior player late in 2009 and then into 2010, four and a half years into his career.
I could go on, but you get the drift. Most Swans we would consider to have been the most important to the Swans over the past decade or so took several year on the list before they really became convincing top liners. It is unreasonable to expect most 2nd and 3rd year players to become great players so early in their careers. The Chris Judds and Joel Selwoods of this world are very much the exception, not the rule.
You're right, Liz. I was referring to the first response to this thread. I guess I saw it falling into the negative coach-bashing orgy that occurred under an earlier thread termed "Longmire - good or bad?" or something to that effect. I have absolutely no problems with people debating game styles, player performances or selection policies on ROW. What makes me angry is when these debates degenerate into ill-informed attacks on the coaching staff, particularly when we are currently in a terrific position on the ladder, having lost our best defender and our best forward, have played without our current club champion for three weeks, and have played a stack of kids. We are a very inexperienced team now days and I think while Longmire may also understandingly be feeling his way, he does not deserve some of the flak he is getting and pleas by some to recruit Mlathouse. All I am saying is play the ball - not the man. I think this is what Jim main was alluding to last year.
Those who have the greatest power to hurt us are those we love.
Watching the Kangaroos game on TV last night after being at the game I was taken by the effort if not the skill errors (from the seniors - Goodes, ROK, McV).
But it was a halftime table that really caught my attention. We have played so many more kids than any other team in the eight. I think the Saints are the next team to have played 5 or more, too. Play kids and you'll lose games so we're doing alright. I'm waiting for the team to gel but when it does things will be very bright indeed.
And perhaps the need to play the kids is also the reason that Horse is being tough headmaster after Roos' kind housemaster. Tough love. I'll reserve judgement for a while - on everything except for Goodes lack of tackling and inability to hold a mark (has he borrowed Baz' eyes?) and McVeigh dropping the ball at the critical moment, again.
Depth is what I see we are building. A team with options to replace the older brigade without bottoming out.. An alternative plan to only playing a player in one spot. Every member of the team needs to be multi tasking at either end of the field..
and yes I was trying to be optimistic!
Rod_
Pretty much correct!!
Even young Hanners who shoulders a huge resposibility is only very young still. 37 games.
Nick Smith (38 games)
Mumford (50 games)
Kennedy (46 games)
Bird (48 games)
Reid (10 games)
Last edited by ScottH; 2nd June 2011 at 08:58 AM. Reason: left off reid
See....I told you so......
It wasn't what you would call a masterstroke but playing LRT deep on Merrett had a numbing effect on the Lions attack. Longmire can take some pride from the match plan and showed that he has some savvy when it comes to footy strategy. A good all round effort against the Lions with nearly all players performing. Sometimes it's a strategic decision made by the Coach that can make the difference. A good sign for the future.
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