The NEAFL app has now got great stats and I saw that O'R had 20 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles and kicked a goal. Not bad for an AFL newbie.
The NEAFL app has now got great stats and I saw that O'R had 20 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles and kicked a goal. Not bad for an AFL newbie.
He's doing very well based on where he's come from but I don't think I'd have him best on ground. How Towers doesn't get amongst the six best players is probably the bigger issue for me.
Having said that the Giants best list didn't have Steele in it
Based on the tried and true handicap system - players not judged on absolute terms but relative to their stage of development.
Rose was clearly our best IMHO, but Towers was pretty good too. With Jack also dangerous around goals (and generally playing more to his strengths, rather than getting sucked into too many packs on the ground), that's three decent mid-sized options we have to come into the senior forward line if we encounter injuries amongst the current incumbents.
I thought Rose was clearly the best on ground. He did well in the centre bounces in the last quarter, and was relentless in the front of goals. I suppose he is 3rd in line after Papley and (now) McGlynn, but he was terrific all day.
Allir has an incredible leap, and his timing for spoils seemed to avoid penalties for arm chops. Particularly in the first quarter he kept the Swans in the game defending the bombs coming in to 2 tall forwards in Stewart and Tomlinson, both of whom are well experienced at senior level.
Derickx was, I thought, better than Nankervis on the day; the latter seems to have lost any leap at centre bounces, and looked flat footed and immobile.
I agree that Towers has that X factor and at the lower level has real impact. I didn't notice Jack most of the day except that he was the most 'interchanged" player in the last quarter - not sure whether he was injured or exhausted.
Blacktown is a nice venue to watch at, and 10.30 start suited me to arrive, and then to get on to the SCG in good time.
Jack was definitely injured in the last quarter. Finished on the bench.
Some highlights
TubeChop - Chop YouTube Videos - coast to coast Hebron goal
TubeChop - Chop YouTube Videos - Rose intercept mark for his fourth and the sealer
Went through the replay. It was an entertaining and competitive game for the NEAFL, especially compared to last week v Brisbane. There's a real advantage having your own reserves side, especially one that includes potential future players from the academy. We were able to play Towers and Dawson in the midfield for large parts of the game. I think it will benefit Towers with his tackling. He could make a good midfielder with his ability to burst from the contest at centre bounces.
If Towers would throw himself into the contests like Rose does, he'd be a star. I think Rose is perhaps a better choice than Towers atm for senior selection. He competes hard in both the marking contests and at ground level. He also has a natural goal sense. He spent a fair bit of time in the midfield, particularly during our 4th qtr surge.
I thought Colin O'Riordan actually was our second best player. He was very impressive. He has a physical presence, reads the play well, good pace and a Buddy type kicking action. I know he can kick left footed because I viewed some of his Gaelic football where he did it regularly.
I wish the commentators would just call Aliir 'Aliir' instead of always having to call him 'Aliir Allir'. For every other player it seems that one name is enough, so it seems even more ridiculous to have the one exception be for a player with the same first and last names. Besides that, I thought Aliir was very good. He's got a lot of talent. It's difficult to know sometimes if he's playing his role or he's just winging it. He often looked to be playing loose man in defence, but maybe that's just he way he covers his man. There were times I thought he could have shown more urgency chasing the man with the ball. He seemed to take control of the defensive coverage at times, which I also wondered whether it was a coaching instruction or something he took upon himself, as it would seem more natural that the role would go to Richards who has more experience.
We didn't see much of Melican last year so he's like a new player on the list. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fill out to a Rance type body. They're both listed at 194cm. Maybe the rest will follow. He shows some promise. Did some nice things, but made some mistakes as well, as young players do. He has some good pace too. I'm looking forward to see his development over the coming weeks.
We have a good stock of medium forwards and defenders running around. We just need a couple of KPPs to come through.
Thanks ugg and others for your comments. I'm sorry we weren't able to see this as a curtain riser for the seniors, but I think it was a fair call to have the women's game instead. They are going to be a much more prominent feature of the AFL landscape in a short time.
It is exciting to hear - and see by replay - the form of our youngsters. The depth issue seems like much less of a problem than it was at the end of last year. Roll on the twos!
He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)
Can anyone please give a detailed appraisal on Dawson, from the last two weeks, at all? I'm fantasising about him becoming our Jake Stringer.
As a side note, I find it crazy that a 190cm player, these days, is considered a medium forward, when the likes of Dunstall, at 188cm, in yesteryear, was considered a key forward. My other fantasy is for Heeney, wearing the correct number, is our Gary Ablett Sr..![]()
C'mon Chels!
Another good game from Jake Veale (judging from the stats at least).
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