NEAFL discussion thread

[Blood Fever]

Yes, while I suspect that NT aren't all that fit, I also really enjoyed how the toppies kept on applying a large amount of pressure, when it seemed likely that they would fade in the humidity. While I can't really proclaim that any of them will be a star, none of them looked out of place. Which I think is a testament to the training that they're receiving.
Cameron was excellent. I think he is a bit like Sinclair, in that he's thrived on the extra responsibility. I'm also looking forward to seeing what Amartey is capable of next year, with another pre-season under his belt. He seems to have a large skill set, which will only improve; if he can add a couple of kilos of muscle and a metre or two of pace.
AJ was good again: with his current form suggesting that he'll still be a Swan next year. While I think that Brown's recent efforts should earn him another contract. And maybe Foote is doing enough to save his career?

Foote still a chance. Knocking on door a couple of years ago before injuries struck. Never got a real run at it. Hard as nails and not the worst.

[Ludwig]

That was a complete performance by a team with lots of top ups. Cameron, Foote and Amartey were probably the stand-outs but I was really impressed by the efforts of the top-ups, right across the board. I thought they might tire as the game went on, given the conditions they're not acclimatised to, but the whole team ran out the game very strongly.

Dawson looked a little out of sorts, judging him against the standard he needs to play to push for a senior game. But it was one of the better games I've seen from Brown. He seemed to handle the greasy ball more cleanly than most, and his kicking has definitely improved as the season has progressed. Bell drifted in an out of the game, but he has a few tricks in his bag. It would just be good to see him stay involved for longer periods.

I agree with nearly all of this, especially the 3 standouts. I thought Foote started the season much improved, but his injury cut short his opportunity to prove it early on, but now he looks to have picked up where he's left off. I'd put him ahead a lot of others right now, including Towers and Robinson.

Dawson is not up to last year's level yet, but is building nicely. He doesn't quite have his work rate up to last year, but I feel it's only a matter of time.

Amartey is looking better every week. With the way he and Cameron are playing we could have the strongest ruck division in the league next year, even without Naismith.

Despite the commentators praising Towers, I thought he was pretty ordinary, except for some good moments.

I'm finding Maibaum's slow progress a bit of a worry. I'm hoping he finds that 'Melican Moment' where he has a breakout game and shows he's capable of playing AFL football. Still early days.

[ugg]

Best Players: J. Foote, D. Towers, J. Dawson, J. Maibaum, J. Bell, J. Amartey

[liz]

Despite the commentators praising Towers, I thought he was pretty ordinary, except for some good moments.

I'm finding Maibaum's slow progress a bit of a worry. I'm hoping he finds that 'Melican Moment' where he has a breakout game and shows he's capable of playing AFL football. Still early days.

I'm with you on Towers. He had a few lovely movements, especially in the final term, but he should be one of the most dominant players given he accounts for close to all the senior AFL experience that was in the Swans team.

I really enjoyed the Maibaum Ewing contest. Ewing is a wily competitor but there were a couple of one-on-one contests where Maibaum outsmarted him. I think Maibaum's had a pretty good season and has definitely progressed over the 18 months or so. He's had more dominant games than yesterday but he was still OK. I think the problem in imagining him in the senior team is that he doesn't have the speed or agility to play a third tall role. Full back looks to be his position, but it takes time to develop the physical strength and defensive smarts to play this role at AFL level. Almost no-one comes straight in to play that role.

Best Players: J. Foote, D. Towers, J. Dawson, J. Maibaum, J. Bell, J. Amartey

It's hard to take a best player list seriously that doesn't include Cameron.

[wolftone57]

I agree with nearly all of this, especially the 3 standouts. I thought Foote started the season much improved, but his injury cut short his opportunity to prove it early on, but now he looks to have picked up where he's left off. I'd put him ahead a lot of others right now, including Towers and Robinson.

Dawson is not up to last year's level yet, but is building nicely. He doesn't quite have his work rate up to last year, but I feel it's only a matter of time.

Amartey is looking better every week. With the way he and Cameron are playing we could have the strongest ruck division in the league next year, even without Naismith.

Despite the commentators praising Towers, I thought he was pretty ordinary, except for some good moments.

I'm finding Maibaum's slow progress a bit of a worry. I'm hoping he finds that 'Melican Moment' where he has a breakout game and shows he's capable of playing AFL football. Still early days.

I wouldn't be worried about Maibaum. He hasn't been beaten in any game as yet. He's a quiet achiever. Not the flashy type. Darren Ewing is the hardest player in the NEAFL to play on. He is incredibly strong, he would be with all that weight. He is also the leading goal kicker in the NEAFL most years since it's inception. so don't underestimate the job Maibaum was doing. Sometimes we underestimate players just because they have never been on an AFL list. Some players just don't have the training ethos and body shape that AFL clubs want and Ewing is one of those. He's a lazy trainer by his own words. Due to his body shape and lazy attitude to training AFL clubs would have passed him over even if he was in a draft, which he wasn't I don't think.

[707]

The clubs Best Players list rarely matches the eyes of RWO'ers. Sometimes it appears to be an Encouragement Award. I know which I take more seriously.

Got to feel for Cameron, would have debuted by now on almost any other list.

[wolftone57]

I'm with you on Towers. He had a few lovely movements, especially in the final term, but he should be one of the most dominant players given he accounts for close to all the senior AFL experience that was in the Swans team.

I really enjoyed the Maibaum Ewing contest. Ewing is a wily competitor but there were a couple of one-on-one contests where Maibaum outsmarted him. I think Maibaum's had a pretty good season and has definitely progressed over the 18 months or so. He's had more dominant games than yesterday but he was still OK. I think the problem in imagining him in the senior team is that he doesn't have the speed or agility to play a third tall role. Full back looks to be his position, but it takes time to develop the physical strength and defensive smarts to play this role at AFL level. Almost no-one comes straight in to play that role.



It's hard to take a best player list seriously that doesn't include Cameron.

I agree totally. How could they leave Cameron out.

Again you are right about Deano. He flashed in and out but he should be far more consistent at this level. I also enjoyed the Ewing/Maibaum contest. Darren Ewing has been the leading goal kicker in the NEAFL for a long time. As I pointed out in another post, he is a lazy trainer, by his own admission, and his body type is deceiving. he is quite agile for a bloke with a little extra weight and he is hellishly strong. Just because he has never been on an AFL list doesn't mean he can't play. He's wily, creative and very skillful. He didn't become the competition's leading goal kicker for nothing. Every battle Maibaum has with opponents like Ewing improves him. He has had some really top players to play against with Day, Patton and the Brisbane lads all playing against him. He has won all battles so far. I think he is progressing very well as the eventual Reg replacement.

[Ludwig]

I wouldn't be worried about Maibaum. He hasn't been beaten in any game as yet. He's a quiet achiever. Not the flashy type. Darren Ewing is the hardest player in the NEAFL to play on. He is incredibly strong, he would be with all that weight. He is also the leading goal kicker in the NEAFL most years since it's inception. so don't underestimate the job Maibaum was doing. Sometimes we underestimate players just because they have never been on an AFL list. Some players just don't have the training ethos and body shape that AFL clubs want and Ewing is one of those. He's a lazy trainer by his own words. Due to his body shape and lazy attitude to training AFL clubs would have passed him over even if he was in a draft, which he wasn't I don't think.

Maybe I'm marking Maibaum too harshly because he hasn't been hampered by injury so I expected him to be further along than he is. I'm also considering that he was one of the more highly rated defenders in his draft year.

He seems to do well getting into the coaches' bests, so they must be pleased enough. Maybe they just want him to nail down the defensive stuff at this stage, but I would like to seem him do more in transition.

I don't underestimate Darren Ewing. He could be the second best goal kicker of all time. He might be like Bartolo Colon,



who's still going strong at 45. He didn't look much different at 25. But baseball is one place where a player can carry 'a bit' of extra weight and get by, or even be star. I don't know how Ewing does it, or why Maibaum didn't try running off him in transition. Maibaum is not slow by any measure, but doesn't put it on display much.

I shouldn't make too much of it. As I said, he's tracking okay, it's early days, but is behind my personal expectations of where I thought he would be.

[ugg]

Just finished watching replay and have to concur with everyone's puzzlement here about Darcy Cameron missing out on the best players list. Not only did Cameron deserve to be named in the best players he had strong claims to be our best on ground, in a close contest with Jordan Foote. His work in 3 different areas - the ruck, around the ground and also up forward (great tackle for his 3rd goal) was very impressive. I hope he gets a game soon as a reward for his good form and Sinclair could do with a rest, even if it's just for a part of a game. I believe he almost rucked the whole game today, just a few contests from Aliir at the end of the 2nd quarter.

Foote was back to his 2016 best, and it was very encouraging to see him moving unimpeded. I know he struggled with injury for most of last year and that might have damaged some fans' views of his ability but I think he can offer us something in the seniors. His ball use was a mixed bag - some really accurate kicks interspersed with some awful turnovers.

Not Dawson's best game for the NEAFL team but still good overall. Definitely our best contested player last night, Pleased that Amartey was rewarded with a 3 goal haul last night, as he had gone goalless in his previous 4 matches which wasn't a fair reflection of his efforts and the role he plays for the team. Besides his athleticism and high leaps, he also offers a lot with his pressure and his tackling.

I wasn't so down on Towers as some others, his first quarter was a tad quiet but after that I was impressed with the way he ran out the game - his workrate was excellent.

Encouraged by AJ's movement, slowly starting to get back to full fitness I think, but I just can't see him getting a call up any time soon. He has a lot of football to catch up on first.

Bell's 2 goals were both eye-catching and he also did some nice little plays elsewhere but needs to get more involved at this level.

Maibaum had an intriguing battle with Ewing, was far from disgraced and I'm sure will have learnt a hell of a lot from playing on someone on Ewing who reads the flight of the ball so well and is a master of positioning.

Pink very quiet game up forward but just his 2nd game back so can be forgiven a little.

Topups were all excellent - the standouts for me though were two that have impressed in the past Bailey Stewart and Josh Stern. Neither looked out of place playing across half forward and are very comfortable with their roles in this team, and both can hit the scoreboard.

[ugg]

The stats are in from the @NTThunderFC game.|

Darcy Cameron had a massive game 28 disposals 10 marks 5 tackles 7 clearances 43 hitouts and 3 goals.
Jordan Foote his best game this year 32 disposals 10 marks 7 tackles 5 clearances 3 goals

— Swans Reserves (@swansreserves) July 15, 2018

Jordan Dawson 27 disposals 5 marks 10 tackles 7 clearances 1 goal
Joel Amartey 19 dispsoals 6 marks 4 tackles 3 clearances 8 hitouts 3 goals
Dean Towers 30 disposals 5 marks 3 clearances 1 goal
Jake Brown 23 disposals 4 marks 4 tackles 6 clearances 1 goal

— Swans Reserves (@swansreserves) July 15, 2018

[Nico]

Best Players: J. Foote, D. Towers, J. Dawson, J. Maibaum, J. Bell, J. Amartey

They can't be serious. Cameron and Foote were easily the best 2 afield.

Bell had a few moments but hardly in the best. Maybe they were giving out McDonalds encouragement award certificates, which includes a Happy Meal.

[Scottee]

Just finished watching replay and have to concur with everyone's puzzlement here about Darcy Cameron missing out on the best players list. Not only did Cameron deserve to be named in the best players he had strong claims to be our best on ground, in a close contest with Jordan Foote. His work in 3 different areas - the ruck, around the ground and also up forward (great tackle for his 3rd goal) was very impressive. I hope he gets a game soon as a reward for his good form and Sinclair could do with a rest, even if it's just for a part of a game. I believe he almost rucked the whole game today, just a few contests from Aliir at the end of the 2nd quarter.

Foote was back to his 2016 best, and it was very encouraging to see him moving unimpeded. I know he struggled with injury for most of last year and that might have damaged some fans' views of his ability but I think he can offer us something in the seniors. His ball use was a mixed bag - some really accurate kicks interspersed with some awful turnovers.

Not Dawson's best game for the NEAFL team but still good overall. Definitely our best contested player last night, Pleased that Amartey was rewarded with a 3 goal haul last night, as he had gone goalless in his previous 4 matches which wasn't a fair reflection of his efforts and the role he plays for the team. Besides his athleticism and high leaps, he also offers a lot with his pressure and his tackling.

I wasn't so down on Towers as some others, his first quarter was a tad quiet but after that I was impressed with the way he ran out the game - his workrate was excellent.

Encouraged by AJ's movement, slowly starting to get back to full fitness I think, but I just can't see him getting a call up any time soon. He has a lot of football to catch up on first.

Bell's 2 goals were both eye-catching and he also did some nice little plays elsewhere but needs to get more involved at this level.

Maibaum had an intriguing battle with Ewing, was far from disgraced and I'm sure will have learnt a hell of a lot from playing on someone on Ewing who reads the flight of the ball so well and is a master of positioning.

Pink very quiet game up forward but just his 2nd game back so can be forgiven a little.

Topups were all excellent - the standouts for me though were two that have impressed in the past Bailey Stewart and Josh Stern. Neither looked out of place playing across half forward and are very comfortable with their roles in this team, and both can hit the scoreboard.

Hi Ugg, pretty well agree with everything you said there. I found myself thinking that Foote was showing improved skills worthy of a senior recall. Have never thought that about him before.

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