Matthew Laidlaw

[TheGrimReaper]

SO when I do his profile at RWOwiki, what should I class him as?

A Tall Defender or....

Medium Defender?

Technically he is a medium defender being only 184cm but plays tall.

[liz]

Adding onto 2005's comments...

Barry went back to defence at the start of 2001, I think it was. Dunkley was our fullback at that time, with Schauble mostly playing at CHB. When Dunks retired at the end of 2002, Schauble moved back a line and, injury permitting, was the closest thing we had to a fullback for 2003 and 2004. He didn't play much at all in 2005 and it was then that Leo really took over the mantle as full-time FB. Up to that point, he'd been an occasional fill-in when Schaubs was injured but had been predominantly played as a half-back flanker / come third "tall" defender.

Even while he's nominally been our FB, he's being playing a hybrid flanker / KPP role. If you just judged him on his ability to stop the much bigger, taller key forwards he'd barely be judged adequate, let alone have won himself AA honours. But his ability to perform adequately as a defender while imposing his advantage when the ball hits the deck and is being rebounded from defence is what has turned him into a very effective player. I don't see any reason why he can't revert to something more like a HBF'er role if someone else emerges to play as a key back man.

[2005]

People keep bringing up Leo as a HB flanker. He is a full back, fullstop. He was a miserable failure as a forward and anywhere else they wanted to put him.

He had no idea as a forward of how to read the ball coming into the forward line or where to position himself, and he appears only to be able to play from the narrow area around full back and take the handpass to run off. His run out of the backline fools people into thinking that if he moves up the ground 40-50 metres the same will happen. It wont because he needs to worry about too many other factors. I bet if you asked his wife if he could remember more than one item he had to get from the supermarket without a list, she would say, no way.

Leave him where he is until he gives it away, where he only has one player on his mind. He is in the last year or 2 of his career and you cant teach old dogs new tricks.

Totally disagree Nico.
Leo is far smarter than you give him credit for .
Wasnt a forward and made himself into a creditable & courageous Full Back playing against far stronger bigger opponents . Still a handy at best Full Back though would make a handy HBF no worries as he is able to create and run , yeah sure frightens the @@@ out you when he is baulking and bouncing though he can give us that different aspect coming out of defence .Backs himself to kick a running goal and has the endurance to play in that position
All the same factors apply when playing down back

[Nico]

Mattner played in the Midfield/Centre with the Crows until Craig wanted him to play defensive HB role. His role in the Crows defense was very structured as opposed to the running offensive role he would play in our defense.

In saying that he could easily play on a wing or in the midfield, this would allow us to slot Cheese onto a HBF.

Laidlaw should be given a chance this year and injuries could decide the oppourtunities, as I cant see Roo's leaving out Mathews Bolton McVeigh or Bevan.

Throw in Crouch and there doesnt appear to be too many places for new faces.

Cheers

Waz

That's a worry Wazza, you would hope we might introduce some pace and skill into the side and replace some of those very slow players who really let us down last year. I have just developed a bad case of the shakes after reading your post.

[Nico]

People keep bringing up Leo as a HB flanker. He is a full back, fullstop. He was a miserable failure as a forward and anywhere else they wanted to put him.

He had no idea as a forward of how to read the ball coming into the forward line or where to position himself, and he appears only to be able to play from the narrow area around full back and take the handpass to run off. His run out of the backline fools people into thinking that if he moves up the ground 40-50 metres the same will happen. It wont because he needs to worry about too many other factors. I bet if you asked his wife if he could remember more than one item he had to get from the supermarket without a list, she would say, no way.

Leave him where he is until he gives it away, where he only has one player on his mind. He is in the last year or 2 of his career and you cant teach old dogs new tricks.

[Wazza]

Mattner played in the Midfield/Centre with the Crows until Craig wanted him to play defensive HB role. His role in the Crows defense was very structured as opposed to the running offensive role he would play in our defense.

In saying that he could easily play on a wing or in the midfield, this would allow us to slot Cheese onto a HBF.

Laidlaw should be given a chance this year and injuries could decide the oppourtunities, as I cant see Roo's leaving out Mathews Bolton McVeigh or Bevan.

Throw in Crouch and there doesnt appear to be too many places for new faces.

Cheers

Waz

[2005]

Think that we have to settle a little on Matthew ODwyer.
The kid was delisted at the end of 2007 then re drafted.

Sure played well against the Hawks and did some nice things on Saturday though the real stuff is yet to start.
The great thing though to get excited about is that there is pressure now coming to those in the ones. Jude , Ben Matthews , Paul Bevan and the like will have to perform otherwise guys like ODwyer ,Bird ,Laidlaw, Moore will be pushing for selection and look capable of playing senior footy.
As the majority have stated NAB games and practice matches mean very little
and we never remenmber them. Whats good though is to see kids like Matty getting game time with the big boys and looking on what to improve on

[swantastic]

You're judging Laidlaw based on one game in the pouring rain.

If you compare what he and O'Dwyer delivered over last year in the twos, you wouldn't be mentioning them in the same breath. Sure, there is scope for someone to have suddenly improved but I am not convinced that O'Dwyer is anywhere close to "knocking on the door" quite yet.

Do you agree Liz that players can look hot in the ressies but when they hit the big time they fold?

Well it might be the reverse with O'Dwyer he might be good in the ressies but he might learn quicker from the seniors and come along a lot quicker, than say a Laidlaw.

Your right tho you cant judge Laidlaw on one @@@@ty geelong game(weather) even tho he did miss an easy shot after the commentators gave him big raps.

[Robbie]

Matthew Laidlaw played against Geelong at Skilled Stadium mate. In his one and only game last year.

I started to write a bit about Laidlaw and got it mixed up with a piece about Barlow. Hit the submit button before I corrected it.

Entry should read: "I saw Barlow at the Gabba last year ...".

[swantastic]

Leo Barry (now we have LRT back and Grundy as another possibility to play on semi-tall forwards) is one option.

Barlow's another. I agree with NMW's comment from a week or so ago that it would be good to see Barlow be given a proper position to play to help him develop. Playing the roaming tall midfielder is probably harder than it looks - players have to know where to run as well as being able to do it. It's taken Goodes many many years to learn to play his current role, and along the way he's played as a ruckman, key forward, key defender and in a more structured midfield role along the wing. And of course, with Goodes one of the best current proponents of that role, it's not something the team really needs young Ed to be doing right now.

I reckon HBF is structured enough to give someone like Barlow a definite role to play but still with enough flexibility to allow him to try and be a bit creative.

Thornton also has a lot of the attributes that, for a week, might have had him pencilled in as as possible replacement for Malceski.

Why not learn the ropes from the best in the business,and have two players in that role.

Goodsey and a Mini-Goodsey i wouldnt say no to that and i'm positive that 90%+ of supporters wouldnt say no.

[TheGrimReaper]

I saw Laidlaw last year at the Gabba in his first game in Seniors.

The "Cheese" was fast and showed that he was a "thinking" player. I was really impressed, and hope he continues to show that promise.

Matthew Laidlaw played against Geelong at Skilled Stadium mate. In his one and only game last year.

[Robbie]

I saw Laidlaw last year at the Gabba in his first game in Seniors.

The "Cheese" was fast and showed that he was a "thinking" player. I was really impressed, and hope he continues to show that promise.

[BSA5]

J Bolton or Ablett - Mattner uses the ball better than either of them and will get it more too. Goodes should start in the centre. Fosdike plays on the wing, but off the bench. Buchanan is not really a winger. Barlow unlikely to become a midfielder. Bird hasn't played a senior game yet so we'll see what he can do.

One of the problems with the midfield is we lacked speed - bringing in Mattner and moving Malceski up to the midfield were meant to alleviate that. Losing Malceski and leaving Mattner at half back won't solve our problems.

Ablett? Bolton? Are you saying they should be dropped? Bolton, perhaps arguably, but I'd stick with him. There's nothing wrong with Ablett at all. I never said Buchanan is a winger, but I think Barlow could be a winger. There's no reason Fosdike has to play off the bench anymore, as he develops.

I agree, leaving Mattner won't solve our problems, but at least it won't cause problems. We'll be putting a guy who isn't used to playing in the midfield, in the midfield, just so we can create a nice hole in our backline which can be filled by a guy who isn't our best player outside of our best 22. If you ask me, Bird and O'Dwyer have a stronger claim to getting a game than Laidlaw. Let THEM be the ones to give us speed, and play Mattner where he is comfortable.

[satchmopugdog]

Laidlaw is fast..supposedly. I have never seen him play live so I don't know how testing results translate to on-field speed.

Though speed is relative. As I remember it ...it is always easier to run fast into attack rather than ran fast back into defence. It's always uphill.

[smasher]

We won't really know how best the players can perform until we are into the proper season.We have only played Hawthorn who were,like us,topped up with younger,inexperienced players and a Port Adelaide team who seemed to find it a bother just to turn up.I am looking forward to seeing some of these younger players who are doing well up against the big strong bodies that they will cop week in,week out.That will sort the men from the boys.