03-04-2017, 09:47 AM
Look, don't throw the baby out with the bath water. We were ordinary today (something of an understatement), but we were missing most of our primary drivers. We were blooding young kids and it showed.
I was disappointed by some of the more senior players, but there were SOME good signs:
[1] Tom Williamson:
This kid is the youngest player on an AFL list at the moment. He had limited game time and looked good. I was impressed by his run and his ability with both feet.
He has a LONG way to go, he is only a kid, but he showed that he has a future.
[2] Harrison MacReadie:
This lad is still pretty raw, but he showed plenty. he has a nice mark and a nice kick. He looked like the guy I saw in 2015, the one filled with potential.
[3] Caleb Marchbank:
We made a good decision to get this guy. He will play a lot of games for us.
[4] Cameron Polson:
He was a boy sent out to do a man's job, and you could tell. But he wasn't that bad: everything he completed hit a target.
[5] Zac Fisher:
Look at the pace and the endeavour. He will be a player.
[6] Matt Korchek:
Particularly early in the game, he rucked pretty well. It was not his fault our midfield was getting smashed. he got his hand on the ball more often that a MUCH higher ranked opponent and did not allow him to have ANY influence around the ground.
This may not sound like much, but our other 'ruckman' was Sam Rowe, who should have been at FB. Rowe tried his guts out, but Longer had it all over him athletically at the centre bounce. Korchek did well in this area.
As for the rest:
Kerridge tried hard, but fumbles too much.
Ed Curnow got a bit of the ball, but was as ineffective as I have seen him.
Weitering looks to be warming up. He took 9 marks and did some nice things.
Plowman was OK, but not up to last year's form yet.
Armfield tried his guts out and did some nice things.
Smedts did better than I thought he would. He survived and will only get better.
Palmer needs some work, but was about as good as any of us got.
Buckley got injured early.
Boekhorst did a couple of nice things, but he doesn't do enough. I do not expect t see him on our list in 2018.
Nick Graham was not our worst, but he did struggle to have an impact.
Jed Lamb serious underperformed. He needs to do a LOT more to retain his spot.
Charlie Curnow: what was the lad doing? He did some really good things, then he tried to be Kouta, was caught and penalized. His kicking was woeful.
Simon White: for much of the day, he was one of our better players. However, he made more mistakes than usual, mostly just before he got injured.
Sam Rowe: exposed as a ruckman, he needs to play in a spot. Like FB.
Patrick Cripps: really off the pace and needed the run. He will be better for it.
Liam Jones tried hard, but we moved the ball so poorly that he had no chance. Even after he took mark of the day. He ended up in the ruck and struggled on Longer.
Harry McKay: get him on the kicking program now.
I was disappointed by some of the more senior players, but there were SOME good signs:
[1] Tom Williamson:
This kid is the youngest player on an AFL list at the moment. He had limited game time and looked good. I was impressed by his run and his ability with both feet.
He has a LONG way to go, he is only a kid, but he showed that he has a future.
[2] Harrison MacReadie:
This lad is still pretty raw, but he showed plenty. he has a nice mark and a nice kick. He looked like the guy I saw in 2015, the one filled with potential.
[3] Caleb Marchbank:
We made a good decision to get this guy. He will play a lot of games for us.
[4] Cameron Polson:
He was a boy sent out to do a man's job, and you could tell. But he wasn't that bad: everything he completed hit a target.
[5] Zac Fisher:
Look at the pace and the endeavour. He will be a player.
[6] Matt Korchek:
Particularly early in the game, he rucked pretty well. It was not his fault our midfield was getting smashed. he got his hand on the ball more often that a MUCH higher ranked opponent and did not allow him to have ANY influence around the ground.
This may not sound like much, but our other 'ruckman' was Sam Rowe, who should have been at FB. Rowe tried his guts out, but Longer had it all over him athletically at the centre bounce. Korchek did well in this area.
As for the rest:
Kerridge tried hard, but fumbles too much.
Ed Curnow got a bit of the ball, but was as ineffective as I have seen him.
Weitering looks to be warming up. He took 9 marks and did some nice things.
Plowman was OK, but not up to last year's form yet.
Armfield tried his guts out and did some nice things.
Smedts did better than I thought he would. He survived and will only get better.
Palmer needs some work, but was about as good as any of us got.
Buckley got injured early.
Boekhorst did a couple of nice things, but he doesn't do enough. I do not expect t see him on our list in 2018.
Nick Graham was not our worst, but he did struggle to have an impact.
Jed Lamb serious underperformed. He needs to do a LOT more to retain his spot.
Charlie Curnow: what was the lad doing? He did some really good things, then he tried to be Kouta, was caught and penalized. His kicking was woeful.
Simon White: for much of the day, he was one of our better players. However, he made more mistakes than usual, mostly just before he got injured.
Sam Rowe: exposed as a ruckman, he needs to play in a spot. Like FB.
Patrick Cripps: really off the pace and needed the run. He will be better for it.
Liam Jones tried hard, but we moved the ball so poorly that he had no chance. Even after he took mark of the day. He ended up in the ruck and struggled on Longer.
Harry McKay: get him on the kicking program now.
Live Long and Prosper!