Page 17 of 29 FirstFirst ... 713141516171819202127 ... LastLast
Results 193 to 204 of 338

Thread: Pre-season begins

  1. #193
    Veterans List
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Castlemaine, Vic.
    Posts
    8,177
    An injury free season for Isaac would be great for him and the team.

    Heeney: We have plenty of hunger - YouTube

  2. #194
    Veterans List wolftone57's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Lilyfield
    Posts
    5,788
    Quote Originally Posted by MattW View Post
    Agreed. Impressive attitude shown in the snippet too.
    Yes. I think from what I have seen he is going to be a champion forward. He has beautiful leading and surging patterns. His ball drop is perfection when kicking at goal. On kicking at goal his preperation is also perfect. I think he will kick far more goals than points. I hope no kicking coach stuffs this up.

    In a forward line of him, Buddy, Ladhams/Hickey with an Amartey or McLean resting on the bench this could be massive. All of those players have proven they can kick goals. Amartey is incredibly agile and had an enormous leap. McLean has proven he can take the big pack grab. We all know what Bud can do. Mcdonald gives us that player who is a true full forward. Bud is not that. His running patterns show he is better running back to goal. Even though he can lead up he is more a CHF or pocket player. Ladhams is the unknown here. He had a tendency to take some big grabs at Port but was seen as a bit of a disadvantage to the team when the ball hit the turf. I think with agility training at the Swans he can improve agility 10 fold. Hickey sure did.

    In the ruck we have a combination of Hickey and Ladhams. Both are very good Ruckman and Ladhams will only get better under Coxy. Coxy knew Hickey from the West Coast and I believe he identified the talent that was there. It was sitting just below the surface waiting to be ignited. He brought the best out of Tom Hickey. I think he can do the same with Ladhams. The Ball/Jolly of this era. When Jason Ball came to the Swans everyone said he was past his best. He proved them wrong. Darren Jolly was third string in an ordinary Melbourne team. He was a good Ruckman but lacked aggression. He improved no end at the Swans. This was due to great ruck coaching. The ruck whisperer and Coxy are peas in a pod. We have the best midfield/ruck coach on the country.

    The mids. This is where it gets tricky. It is about combinations and expectations. Heens training with the mids means he will probably play on a wing with some time in the inside mids. Roberts the same. He is a bull of a player. He also gets free. He is not super fast but super smart. Kennedy, as much as many here do not want to believe, is compiling to the end. So there needs to be a progression into a group of inside mids combinations that does not rely too heavily on his grunt work. Maybe we need to move away from the Kennedy grunt style to the Petracca burst style. We have seen some evidence of this from Paps, Warner, Mills and Heens. The get and give.​ The players who will be a part of this are: Mills, Parker, Heeney, Papley, Warner, Ollie, Roberts, Gulden, Campbell, Rowbottom, McInerney with maybe Sheldrick, Sheather, Stephens, Corey Warner as back up in the inside mids. Not forgetting Kennedy. He will still be there but not as the most important cog, as an equal member in centre bounces and around the ground. Just not as much time in there.

    Now the the most contentious part of the playing group. The backline.​ I think one of the biggest problems in the last few years, since Reg & Teddy, has been continuity. The backline is not settled. This has been caused by several different problems. The two pillars leaving. Not being able to draft or trade in good defenders. But also injury to key players who are there. Melican has had a horror couple of years. He was not drafted to be a KPP. He was drafted as a tall flanker, 3rd tall defender. But he has had to alter his game to play on the likes of Hawkins. This is definitely not natural for Lewis. His game is third tall, get loose, intercept, run the ball out of defence. The million $$$ question still waiting to be answered is: Do we take Paddy? If we don't I think it would be foolish. We have some very recognisable gaps in our backs. The greatest being an extra tall defender to take on the big guys. Rampe can no longer fulfil that role. That was obvious last season. The new interpretations of some of the rules around scragging and holding have stuffed him up completely. He got many free kicks against him last season. I see him as a flanker, the way he started. Fox is far too small to take huge guys, especially players like Darling who are so good above their heads. Tom McCartin is a very good developing player who I think will go to even greater heights this season. He would be far better with his brother by his side. The small backs are all good. All top players. Lloyd is a gem, Harry I also love back there. I think Rampe will take the other flank. If Paddy gets the call. If not our defence is vulnerable due to lack of height.

    We have the players. Just need to get the defence sorted. Then we could go to great heights. I wonder if Horse is going to hand the senior coaching position to Coxy in the next couple of years. I mean, he is not getting any younger and if he wins one more I think he will retire. If Longmire wins another premiership he will be the only Sydney/ South Melbourne coach to win 2 premierships in the VFL/AFL. Quite an achievement.



    Sent from my JAT-L29 using Tapatalk

  3. #195
    Senior Player
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,567
    Quote Originally Posted by stevoswan View Post
    An injury free season for Isaac would be great for him and the team.

    Heeney: We have plenty of hunger - YouTube
    At the beginning of the video there is a tall slim looking kid wearing the number 61. Does anyone know who he is?
    We have them where we want them, everything is going according to plan!

  4. #196
    Veterans List dejavoodoo44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Posts
    7,329
    Quote Originally Posted by Scottee View Post
    At the beginning of the video there is a tall slim looking kid wearing the number 61. Does anyone know who he is?
    Max Geddes, I think. Academy kid who played some VFL last year. Probably a bit like Riley Stoddardt: a half back flanker with pace and ball skills, but may not fill out enough, to be considered a top AFL prospect.

  5. #197
    Veterans List dejavoodoo44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Posts
    7,329
    And I did enjoy reading the extended post by Wolftone, above. Generally agree with it all, but I'll just add a few things.

    With the tall forwards, I'll be interested to see who out of group of Ladhams, McLean and Amartey, firmly establishes themselves in the team. While I see the point in signing Ladhams as a long term replacement for Hickey, I'm not entirely convinced of the need to play two rucks at once. I think our major strength last year, was running sides off their feet, with fast and skilful ball movement. So perhaps Amartey might be a better option? Especially if we're playing McDonald next to Buddy, which I would like to see.

    In regards to mids, I think we've now got such a deep rotation of speed, skill and toughness, that I'm very confident that we'll give a beating to most opposition midfields.

    Key position defenders may be a little problematic, but I'm still pretty confident. All I think really needs to happen, is for the group of McCartin, McCartin, Melican, Gould, O'Connor and Reid, to provide two reliable KPDs each match. Unless we get shafted by injuries, that seems perfectly achievable. That would also free up Rampe, to take medium sized forwards, and perhaps become the ideal replacement for the guy who went to Adelaide (Jeremy? Joshua? Something like that), perhaps he's not as good as kicking long, but he has an excellent short pass, is faster and plays on more instinctively. So, that could be fun to watch.

  6. #198
    Senior Player
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,567
    Quote Originally Posted by dejavoodoo44 View Post
    Max Geddes, I think. Academy kid who played some VFL last year. Probably a bit like Riley Stoddardt: a half back flanker with pace and ball skills, but may not fill out enough, to be considered a top AFL prospect.
    Thanks dejavoodoo44

    Sent from my SM-T865 using Tapatalk
    We have them where we want them, everything is going according to plan!

  7. #199
    Veterans List
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Sydney East
    Posts
    4,683
    Quote Originally Posted by Auntie.Gerald View Post
    Logan McDonald: I've got unfinished business - YouTube

    Macca has really slimmed down.

    Logan's face looks like all the puppy fat of teenage years has fallen off.

    Can wait to watch his opportunities this year. To have Bud running around taking on of the key defenders tends to allow an emerging player like Logan to find some one on one's and sneaky goals.
    Looked great didn't he? And last year's uncertainty seems to have been replaced with a real air of confidence.

  8. #200
    Veterans List wolftone57's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Lilyfield
    Posts
    5,788
    Quote Originally Posted by giant View Post
    Looked great didn't he? And last year's uncertainty seems to have been replaced with a real air of confidence.
    Hang around Errol long enough and the confidence rubs off lol

    Sent from my JAT-L29 using Tapatalk

  9. #201
    Quote Originally Posted by dejavoodoo44 View Post
    And I did enjoy reading the extended post by Wolftone, above. Generally agree with it all, but I'll just add a few things.

    With the tall forwards, I'll be interested to see who out of group of Ladhams, McLean and Amartey, firmly establishes themselves in the team. While I see the point in signing Ladhams as a long term replacement for Hickey, I'm not entirely convinced of the need to play two rucks at once. I think our major strength last year, was running sides off their feet, with fast and skilful ball movement. So perhaps Amartey might be a better option? Especially if we're playing McDonald next to Buddy, which I would like to see.

    In regards to mids, I think we've now got such a deep rotation of speed, skill and toughness, that I'm very confident that we'll give a beating to most opposition midfields.

    Key position defenders may be a little problematic, but I'm still pretty confident. All I think really needs to happen, is for the group of McCartin, McCartin, Melican, Gould, O'Connor and Reid, to provide two reliable KPDs each match. Unless we get shafted by injuries, that seems perfectly achievable. That would also free up Rampe, to take medium sized forwards, and perhaps become the ideal replacement for the guy who went to Adelaide (Jeremy? Joshua? Something like that), perhaps he's not as good as kicking long, but he has an excellent short pass, is faster and plays on more instinctively. So, that could be fun to watch.
    Great posts Deja and Wolf.
    McLean has shown a bit up front, but I’ve been thinking he may be worth trying down back, like we have with Tom. Not sure what’s happening with Paddy- why haven’t we had an announcement yet?

  10. #202
    Giant

    totally agree

    mate to be honest I really didnt think we would change our game in attack as much as we did in 2021........ which suited our very sharp kickers ie Gulden, Campbell, Dawso, JMac etc

    we have changed our style of attack to really suiting our squad and it just looks like a perfect adjustment to helping our squad be much more dangerous week in week out.

    We have some lethal players by foot and the rapid development of Warner, JMac, Errol, BJ, Wicks has been absolutely above my expectation

    Under pressure this attack also worked against the best teams in the comp

    The utility of McLean and Amartey was such a bonus in the absence of reid not firing and McDonald only 1st year as a KPP

    The addition of Hickey was such a game changer

    Mills into the midfield

    The rise and rise of Tommy Mac

    Yes..........there is a lot to get excited about for 2022......and teh depth of our squad looks like we may be able to negate the impacts of covid19 better than most teams
    "be tough, only when it gets tough"


  11. #203
    Quote Originally Posted by wolftone57 View Post
    Ladhams is the unknown here. He had a tendency to take some big grabs at Port but was seen as a bit of a disadvantage to the team when the ball hit the turf. I think with agility training at the Swans he can improve agility 10 fold. Hickey sure did.

    Melican has had a horror couple of years. He was not drafted to be a KPP. He was drafted as a tall flanker, 3rd tall defender. But he has had to alter his game to play on the likes of Hawkins. This is definitely not natural for Lewis. His game is third tall, get loose, intercept, run the ball out of defence.
    Quote Originally Posted by dejavoodoo44 View Post
    And I did enjoy reading the extended post by Wolftone, above. Generally agree with it all, but I'll just add a few things.

    With the tall forwards, I'll be interested to see who out of group of Ladhams, McLean and Amartey, firmly establishes themselves in the team. While I see the point in signing Ladhams as a long term replacement for Hickey, I'm not entirely convinced of the need to play two rucks at once. I think our major strength last year, was running sides off their feet, with fast and skilful ball movement. So perhaps Amartey might be a better option? Especially if we're playing McDonald next to Buddy, which I would like to see.

    In regards to mids, I think we've now got such a deep rotation of speed, skill and toughness, that I'm very confident that we'll give a beating to most opposition midfields.

    Key position defenders may be a little problematic, but I'm still pretty confident. All I think really needs to happen, is for the group of McCartin, McCartin, Melican, Gould, O'Connor and Reid, to provide two reliable KPDs each match. Unless we get shafted by injuries, that seems perfectly achievable. That would also free up Rampe, to take medium sized forwards, and perhaps become the ideal replacement for the guy who went to Adelaide (Jeremy? Joshua? Something like that), perhaps he's not as good as kicking long, but he has an excellent short pass, is faster and plays on more instinctively. So, that could be fun to watch.

    Great posts, wolfie and deja.

    Don't quite agree with a couple of your player assessments though wolf:

    * From the reports I have read from Port Adelaide fans Ladhams' greatest weakness is his marking ability. By contrast his agility is good, especially for a man of his size.

    * I don't agree Melican is not a KPP and that he is instead more suited to an intercepting and rebounding role.

    Deja, I like your comments about forwards and backs - except that you can lock in T. McCartin and then we just need one of the others to fill the second KPP role. I don't know whether Gould could be this guy or not - quite apart from the question of whether he'll make it at all there is the question of whether he is best suited to locking down on a KPF. Clearly his rebound is one of his great strengths - more often seen in the 3rd tall defender but not sure whether he is a strong enough interceptor to do that role. Interesting to see how that unfolds.

    As regards the mids I agree we have the speed and skill are improving but the coaches have identified the need to improve our contested ball winning as the key to improvement. Obviously the football department is looking to do this through both recruiting (Sheldrick, Roberts) and coaching. Hopefully the coaching and the maturation of the young mids (Warner, Stephens, Campbell etc) will help in this regard because I would expect there to be a bit of a time lag with the new recruits being ready to strengthen our ball winning as promising as they may be.
    All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)

  12. #204
    Veterans List
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Crowland :-(
    Posts
    6,096
    Ladhams was known to have concrete hands at Port, has untapped ruck potential (like Hickey did), and has good agility for a bloke his size.

    Whilst there's no guarantees in this game, I doubt we recruited him to play in the Two's. Think we'll use both Hickey and Ladhams in the ruck with Ladhams also doing a bit forward.

    Under the tutoring of Cox, Hickey was a revelation so fingers crossed Cox can work that magic twice :-)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO