NAB Challenge Pride Match - Sydney v Freo

[wolftone57]

Brandon Jack has every chance of making it due to his tackling pressure. Seven tackles playing in open field in incredible. Longmire loves tackles and loves defensive pressure. The offensive side of his game will come. His teammates must love the opportunity he creates for them with his pressure.

I don?t think Shaw or Laidler will make the round one team. I think versatile players like Cunningham, Towers, Rohan, Jetta, McVeigh, Heeney and Kieran Jack will rotate through the defensive, midfield and forward lines. Longmire loves versatility almost as much tackling and Shaw and Laidler are not as versatile as these other guys.

Very easy on Drumoyne Oval to apply tackling pressure as it is only 150m long and about 100 wide. It is an egg shape which means it is narrower at one end, the Southern end. It is still good to get 7 tackles but he did little else. Sorry he is not in my best 22 for the opener so far. towers & Heeney are way ahead. As to Laids and Shaw they were both exposed for lack of pace yesterday.

[wolftone57]

Please elaborate. It's hard to see on the TV/

The idea of leaving all our players on one side of the stoppage expecting to get the ball out that side, the defensive side generally, is gone. Players now set up in a more circular pattern around the stoppage. This is a more classical set up but where we differ is we have outriders on the defensive side and offensive side ready to run and carry. Other sides do this but now we are actually setting up this way the strength of our mids is more noticeable and they are now blocking and shepherding. This allows one or two players to free up and get the clearance.

Previously we left opposition players free and this destroyed us in the GF. We don't do that anymore.

[goods78]

Thanks Wolf for the great summary.

I agree that BJ needs some confidence and I would extend the same assessment to Garry and Jett's.

I think the commentator mentioned in the 3rd QTR that BJ had only one possession for the match at that stage. Matt80 mentions his first rate tackling, but needs to have more impact than that to be considered in my top team.

Garry & Jetta are natural wingmen learning new positions and both tend to drop their heads when they make a clanger. Unfortunately, they play in tough roles where it happens more than most. I just hope they can accept the mistake and move on when it happens at crucial times.

[707]

I think Laidler is only a depth player and not a best 22.

If Heeney is good enough he should play R1, no point just making him wait because he's a first year player. If he is better than the player at number 23 he must play.

Good to hear encouraging reports about Towers, he has a lot of positive physical attributes, just need him to step up to the level.

Still worried about our depth, a few of the young guys must step up or we'll be in trouble with just a few injuries.

Anyone know if Jones is injured, I don't think he's played yet? Hewitt, what's the go with him too?

[Matt80]

Brandon Jack has every chance of making it due to his tackling pressure. Seven tackles playing in open field in incredible. Longmire loves tackles and loves defensive pressure. The offensive side of his game will come. His teammates must love the opportunity he creates for them with his pressure.

I don?t think Shaw or Laidler will make the round one team. I think versatile players like Cunningham, Towers, Rohan, Jetta, McVeigh, Heeney and Kieran Jack will rotate through the defensive, midfield and forward lines. Longmire loves versatility almost as much tackling and Shaw and Laidler are not as versatile as these other guys.

[aguy]

Towers. He had 10 to half time. He was very good gave off 2 goal assists.

Yep. Towers was very good I agree

[Meg]

Agree with all the positive comments here about Heeney. He not only displays stacks of skill and game sense, he is also remarkably mature for such a young man. At one point Ballantyne (predictably) was having lots of niggles at him and Heeney simply shrugged him off with the aplomb of a 100 game player.

[Ampersand]

So I'm finally dry after staying until the end (thank god for ponchos!).

Pretty much agree with wolftone's analysis.

Was disturbed to see the same old floating kicks to 2-on-1 contests with Buddy. He was lucky to end up with the one goal he got. Noticed they brought him up to CHF in the second half but by then the skies opened up and it turned into an ugly scrap.

Laidler looked half-dead out there fitness wise, though was happy to see him bust a gut to make up for an error.

Saw Hanners go for his hammy after a kick in the second but it might have just been cramping.

[The Big Cat]

I like the new stoppages and clearance strategies.

Please elaborate. It's hard to see on the TV/

[Meg]

Re Goodes not being able to chase. I was standing on the fence and at one stage he thundered past me chasing to run down a Freo player near the boundary just as the player was kicking. Adam looked great to me.

[graemed]

Towers. He had 10 to half time. He was very good gave off 2 goal assists.

He was very damaging in the first half while Franklin was on the field and competitive as they were double teaming him so that left Towers free to roam and be a target. After half time he was shut down more as Franklin became less influential. Towers really looked good in patches but felt that Heeney seems better suited to the role as a high half forward when all the talls are available.

[wolftone57]

Oh and goodes looked good. Even his side step was working.

I actually thought he looked very rusty. Had very little impact. On moving forward with the ball he was his usual wonderful self. But on defensive as a forward they ran off him and he was unable to chase. Towers, Heeney, BJ & Robbo all had to mop up. I thought all the young boys were very hard at the ball, led by one Luke Parker. The tackling was fearful and at one stage someone hit Fyfe and I thought he would have to be removed from the turf by an earthmover.

Some points;

Naismith was very good in the ruck but needs to do more around the ground and while resting forward. I don't know who did the stats but Naismith certainly had more HO than 7. I would suggest more like 20. He had three in a row just near us and four centre taps in the first. Stats are @@@@e if the people taking them are no bloody good.

Heeney was very good. He tackles like he is trying to kill you. He is also a very good mark and kick. Looked very comfortable at this level.

Towers; Looked good, 15 disp and 2 goal assists. good day for Deano. Has now settled into senior footy I think.

Rooster; He ran off the back flank well. needs to learn how to play players like Fyfe and Gunstoin though, got caught out a few times by Fyfe. Other than that really good.

Jetts; A lot of criticism here of Jetts but he was ok trying to fit into a new position is never easy. Especially when it is defence. his kick outs were super.

BJ; Boy I don't know what is wrong with this kid but he needs to get some confidence. On several occasions he had the chance to take the ball and stuffed up and then when he did get it he gave a useless HB instead of kicking. Needs to play Twos to get confidence.

Xav; was ok when he came on. Gave a wonderful pass to Heeney in the last. Very tight on his player and kept him quiet when they were rampaging.

Harry; He was ok. Kicked 1.1 could have easily been 2 and 1 goal assist. A little too much HB because his greatest weapon is his long kicking.

Tommy; He was really good in and under he extracted well and was on top of it. Will do far better than this.

Dan; He did some really good things. His mark on the wing was super. A very strong mark in between two opponents. I knew he would mark it as soon as the ball was kicked. There is a look a player gets when he is determined to do something and he had it and nobody was getting between him and the ball. Had 14 but needs to impact the scoreboard.

Toby; Came on and provided a presence. Pity our delivery was so poor in the last. He could have picked up several marks if he wasn't made third in line due to poor length on delivery. Broke a few packs and thought he was going to break Silvagni's ribs in the last he hit him so hard.

Lloydy; didn't look like he was getting much of the ball but picked up a quiet 18. Nice. Delivery really good. He is the quiet achiever and this ground definitely didn't suit him as it was too narrow. Getting into space is his forte and it is very hard to do on Drumoyne Oval because there isn't much. But still a good game. Can't see him being left out of round one as is being suggested by some.

Of the older more seasoned players; Teddy, Joey, Birdie, Parks, Reg, Hannas, Ramps ( a few clangers), Smithy (a few clangers) were all good.

Buddy just had a run. First for the season . He didn't play Intra.

Rhyce got caught a lot early so he changed his tack and stopped taking them on. Not sure if he has the pace to play the role they expect from him anymore. Was a bit sus last season and his two hit outs so far have not convinced me.

I like the new stoppages and clearance strategies. They didn't quite work last week but this week they worked for the most part. Helps if you get first use of the ball from good tap outs not gut crunchers.

[wolftone57]

I was extremely impressed by Heeney in the few quarters I saw, primarily with where I saw him running to/away from- he seemed to be constantly creating space for himself and for his teammates. Who else do we have competing for a small forward spot (apart from rotating midfielders!)? At a minimum he looked like he could be a starter there and play a valuable role.

Towers. He had 10 to half time. He was very good gave off 2 goal assists.

[Doctor J.]

It's not really been settled yet- on one hand a lot of people don't like the polo, on the other hand Meg is adamant that it's not that bad. This could go on all seaosn!

Now this is what the off season is all about.

Very good.

[chalbilto]

The only reason Essendon exists AFTER THE DRUG SCANDAL is becasue they have a very stupid yet well off loyal membership base which brings in a lot of money to the league and whoever plays against them. So poorer clubs wants to play an away game with them as much as possible, the same as the pies.

They are the AFLs cash cow as much as Eddie thinks its the pies. Its the reason why this whole drug saga has lasted so long with the AFL slapping the bombers with a limp wet lettuce all the time. I dont think any other team would have lasted the whole drug saga.

What about Hawthorn & Collingwood?