Discussion 2021: Strategy, Team & Player Discussions
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hahaha
will never understand anyone locking in a side/structure weeks and weeks ago without exploring Plan A , B , C , D.
It's funny now that rookies are announced , whether people follow them on their respective lines or not and now people are starting to question their JS before they have even played a game
seriously
I am sure the site will go into major panic/stress in the next 24-48 hours for those that are unprepared.
Let the fun begin
Interesting
Lloyd
Neale , Steele , Oliver , Macrae , Petracca
Gawn , Grundy
Dangerfield
costs $ 5,985,900.00
Add a $ 1 million bench and leaves you about $ 3 million for 14 players.
I don't think I can look at anymore combination of players or teams so just wish Round 1 would start.
Just need to lock in Carlton , Collingwood , Richmond , Western Bulldogs players and then reassess teams again Friday night.
will never understand anyone locking in a side/structure weeks and weeks ago without exploring Plan A , B , C , D.
It's funny now that rookies are announced , whether people follow them on their respective lines or not and now people are starting to question their JS before they have even played a game
seriously
I am sure the site will go into major panic/stress in the next 24-48 hours for those that are unprepared.
Let the fun begin
Interesting
Lloyd
Neale , Steele , Oliver , Macrae , Petracca
Gawn , Grundy
Dangerfield
costs $ 5,985,900.00
Add a $ 1 million bench and leaves you about $ 3 million for 14 players.
I don't think I can look at anymore combination of players or teams so just wish Round 1 would start.
Just need to lock in Carlton , Collingwood , Richmond , Western Bulldogs players and then reassess teams again Friday night.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/li...s/news-story/3f2446f4193086bf8d7634bdda7f1eca
3. The medical sub is going to get a workout
The first medical sub of the year is likely to have plenty of pundits (and coaches) talking, with neither used for a player with concussion. A shoulder injury to Jack Silvagni saw him ruled out at HT, paving the way for recruit Oscar McDonald‘s first AFL outing in navy blue. His impact was felt immediately, with the 25-year-old kicking a goal early in the third and looming large up forward with six touches for the quarter and then a booming goal in the fourth term to keep the Blues alive. “You just wonder whether you’re thinking in the coaches’ box and thinking, the sub is having a big impact, we’ve got no injury, find one,” suggested Melbourne great Garry Lyon on Fox Footy. Late in the third term Nick Vlastuin was ruled out with a knee injury, paving the way for Jack Ross to enter the game. An update at three quarter time on Channel 7 indicated that, while Silvagni had suffered a partial dislocation of the shoulder, Vlastiun copped a knock to the knee that likely wouldn’t keep him out of next week’s clash.
2. Dusty is ... still Dusty
Damien Hardwick mentioned pre-game that Dustin Martin was in elite nick heading into Round 1. While he can sometimes ebb and flow throughout the early rounds before peaking when it matters, Martin looked pristine from the very first bounce, racking up seven touches in the opening term, booting a vintage goal (complete with a trademark fend off) in the second term, another in the final term and a couple of passages where he threatened to seal the deal for Richmond. “He was magnificent in that last 10 minutes - it was like a man playing against boys,” Lions great Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy. A fit, firing and focused Martin so early in the season is ominous for the rest of the competition.
1. The Blues are up to the hype
Even without the second of their star recruits in Zac Williams, the Blues looked ready to take their game to the next level in 2021. A lack of composure up forward at times saw several opportunities go begging, but Carlton were fierce at the footy and blistering with the ball in hand, with several passages seeing Adam Saad open up the corridor for his teammates out of defence. The only problem was their late fadeout - Patrick Cripps “looked out of juice” and reflected the team in the final quarter, according to Jonathan Brown. In the end it was a four-goal loss, but there’s reason to believe in this group going a step further than last year.
3. The medical sub is going to get a workout
The first medical sub of the year is likely to have plenty of pundits (and coaches) talking, with neither used for a player with concussion. A shoulder injury to Jack Silvagni saw him ruled out at HT, paving the way for recruit Oscar McDonald‘s first AFL outing in navy blue. His impact was felt immediately, with the 25-year-old kicking a goal early in the third and looming large up forward with six touches for the quarter and then a booming goal in the fourth term to keep the Blues alive. “You just wonder whether you’re thinking in the coaches’ box and thinking, the sub is having a big impact, we’ve got no injury, find one,” suggested Melbourne great Garry Lyon on Fox Footy. Late in the third term Nick Vlastuin was ruled out with a knee injury, paving the way for Jack Ross to enter the game. An update at three quarter time on Channel 7 indicated that, while Silvagni had suffered a partial dislocation of the shoulder, Vlastiun copped a knock to the knee that likely wouldn’t keep him out of next week’s clash.
2. Dusty is ... still Dusty
Damien Hardwick mentioned pre-game that Dustin Martin was in elite nick heading into Round 1. While he can sometimes ebb and flow throughout the early rounds before peaking when it matters, Martin looked pristine from the very first bounce, racking up seven touches in the opening term, booting a vintage goal (complete with a trademark fend off) in the second term, another in the final term and a couple of passages where he threatened to seal the deal for Richmond. “He was magnificent in that last 10 minutes - it was like a man playing against boys,” Lions great Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy. A fit, firing and focused Martin so early in the season is ominous for the rest of the competition.
1. The Blues are up to the hype
Even without the second of their star recruits in Zac Williams, the Blues looked ready to take their game to the next level in 2021. A lack of composure up forward at times saw several opportunities go begging, but Carlton were fierce at the footy and blistering with the ball in hand, with several passages seeing Adam Saad open up the corridor for his teammates out of defence. The only problem was their late fadeout - Patrick Cripps “looked out of juice” and reflected the team in the final quarter, according to Jonathan Brown. In the end it was a four-goal loss, but there’s reason to believe in this group going a step further than last year.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/li...s/news-story/eef69e116673323954edc1b7458265b7
THE 3-2-1 - What we learned
3. $7M MAN’S PERFECT RESPONSE TO CRITICS
Count out Brodie Grundy at your peril.
When the Magpies needed him, he delivered, with a strong performance helping his side control the midfield battle against the Blues.
The gun ruckman got the chocolates over Carlton’s Marc Pittonet - as he’d be expected to do, but still a great sign given his slump across the 2020 season, as well as a disappointing Round 1 showing against Stefan Martin.
Grundy had 15 hitouts-to-advantage at three-quarter-time. He didn’t quite get his hands on the footy as much as a typical great Grundy game, with 16 disposals and four clearances, though he added seven score involvements.
“I thought he was first class in the ruck,” his captain Scott Pendlebury said post-match.
Grundy ended up as the seventh-highest rated Magpie and 10th-best on the ground, according to the Official AFL Player Ratings; not quite his elite best, but still promising.
Gibbons' career-best goals! | 00:50
2. HAS THE CHANGING GAME HURT CRIPPS MORE THAN MOST?
We know how good Patrick Cripps can be. He’s one of, if not the best, in the AFL at finding the contested ball and extracting it from the contest.
The problem has always been the other elements of his game; he’s not as damaging on the scoreboard as some of the other elite midfielders. If you wanted to be unfair, you’d say he’s a one-note player, but it’s a perfectly played note that soothes the soul.
So what happens when the game changes to remove the part Cripps is so good at?
In Round 1, there were an average of 49.3 stoppages a game; more than 20 per cent fewer than the average from 2016-19.
Then on Thursday night, the game was again a speedy one, with fewer stoppages around the ground and Cripps often unable to affect the play - particularly in the first half, where Collingwood kicked 11 goals.
“I just think the pace of the game in that first half, and the uncontested footy, the ball going end-to-end - he‘s a contested possession player, he’s a clearance player,” Richmond great Matthew Richardson said on Seven.
“Not a lot of stoppages around the ground tonight, and it’s probably just a symptom of the way the game’s being played.”
Essendon champion Jobe Watson added: “It just hasn‘t been the style of game where he’s gonna have a huge influence, where there’s lots of repeat stoppages and contests.
“The ball in that first half was really moving around quickly and it doesn’t suit his style.”
Cripps finished as the 19th-best player on the ground, according to the Official AFL Player Ratings, and the ninth-best Blue.
Feud back on! Ed sick to death of Power | 02:16
1. WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE BLUES’ DEFENCE?
The Blues‘ backs were rock-solid against Richmond. The Magpies blew their house down.
A week after conceding a massive 75 inside 50s, but keeping their side in it by not allowing easy goals, David Teague’s defence looked completely lost at sea - against a forward line that has been seriously underachieving.
They gifted gaping holes for the Magpies‘ forwards to run into, while Lachie Plowman was exploited again and again. Then when trying to counter-attack, you felt like every disposal was a likely turnover.
“Plowman‘s been an issue - he played well last week, but he’s had a lot of goals kicked on him tonight,” Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.
SEN‘s Nic Negrepontis estimated Plowman had six goals kicked on him during the first half alone, while Blues favourite Matthew Lappin tweeted “how far away is (Caleb) Marchbank? Plowman, I’ve seen enough”.
Plowman was strangely sent to Mason Cox to start the second half and didn‘t have as much to do as his Blues controlled the territory and the game slowed down.
In the end Carlton only conceded 48 inside 50s for the match, while recording 60 of their own, yet their pourous defence conceded 16 majors - that’s one in every three entries, a completely unsustainable rate.
Something has to change - the personnel, the structure, or all of it. They’re not winning many games with a backline like they’ve shown so far in 2021.
THE 3-2-1 - What we learned
3. $7M MAN’S PERFECT RESPONSE TO CRITICS
Count out Brodie Grundy at your peril.
When the Magpies needed him, he delivered, with a strong performance helping his side control the midfield battle against the Blues.
The gun ruckman got the chocolates over Carlton’s Marc Pittonet - as he’d be expected to do, but still a great sign given his slump across the 2020 season, as well as a disappointing Round 1 showing against Stefan Martin.
Grundy had 15 hitouts-to-advantage at three-quarter-time. He didn’t quite get his hands on the footy as much as a typical great Grundy game, with 16 disposals and four clearances, though he added seven score involvements.
“I thought he was first class in the ruck,” his captain Scott Pendlebury said post-match.
Grundy ended up as the seventh-highest rated Magpie and 10th-best on the ground, according to the Official AFL Player Ratings; not quite his elite best, but still promising.
Gibbons' career-best goals! | 00:50
2. HAS THE CHANGING GAME HURT CRIPPS MORE THAN MOST?
We know how good Patrick Cripps can be. He’s one of, if not the best, in the AFL at finding the contested ball and extracting it from the contest.
The problem has always been the other elements of his game; he’s not as damaging on the scoreboard as some of the other elite midfielders. If you wanted to be unfair, you’d say he’s a one-note player, but it’s a perfectly played note that soothes the soul.
So what happens when the game changes to remove the part Cripps is so good at?
In Round 1, there were an average of 49.3 stoppages a game; more than 20 per cent fewer than the average from 2016-19.
Then on Thursday night, the game was again a speedy one, with fewer stoppages around the ground and Cripps often unable to affect the play - particularly in the first half, where Collingwood kicked 11 goals.
“I just think the pace of the game in that first half, and the uncontested footy, the ball going end-to-end - he‘s a contested possession player, he’s a clearance player,” Richmond great Matthew Richardson said on Seven.
“Not a lot of stoppages around the ground tonight, and it’s probably just a symptom of the way the game’s being played.”
Essendon champion Jobe Watson added: “It just hasn‘t been the style of game where he’s gonna have a huge influence, where there’s lots of repeat stoppages and contests.
“The ball in that first half was really moving around quickly and it doesn’t suit his style.”
Cripps finished as the 19th-best player on the ground, according to the Official AFL Player Ratings, and the ninth-best Blue.
Feud back on! Ed sick to death of Power | 02:16
1. WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE BLUES’ DEFENCE?
The Blues‘ backs were rock-solid against Richmond. The Magpies blew their house down.
A week after conceding a massive 75 inside 50s, but keeping their side in it by not allowing easy goals, David Teague’s defence looked completely lost at sea - against a forward line that has been seriously underachieving.
They gifted gaping holes for the Magpies‘ forwards to run into, while Lachie Plowman was exploited again and again. Then when trying to counter-attack, you felt like every disposal was a likely turnover.
“Plowman‘s been an issue - he played well last week, but he’s had a lot of goals kicked on him tonight,” Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.
SEN‘s Nic Negrepontis estimated Plowman had six goals kicked on him during the first half alone, while Blues favourite Matthew Lappin tweeted “how far away is (Caleb) Marchbank? Plowman, I’ve seen enough”.
Plowman was strangely sent to Mason Cox to start the second half and didn‘t have as much to do as his Blues controlled the territory and the game slowed down.
In the end Carlton only conceded 48 inside 50s for the match, while recording 60 of their own, yet their pourous defence conceded 16 majors - that’s one in every three entries, a completely unsustainable rate.
Something has to change - the personnel, the structure, or all of it. They’re not winning many games with a backline like they’ve shown so far in 2021.