Two things after Round 2

[Lods]

Two things after Round 2.
What are two things that have stood out for you after Round 2?

They can be really general things (like I'm about to do) or very specific things relating to an individual player or team aspect.
They can be positive or negative (hopefully more positive as the season progresses.)
(I think we'll struggle a bit when it's 22 things after Round 22, so we'll stop when it gets a bit difficult)

The danger with a thread like this is that a few weeks down the track early perceptions and predictions can come back to bite you on the bum, but we'll give it a go and 'live and die' by any early comments.

I'll start with some really general thoughts...specifically on our drafting trading strategy.

1) The addition and impact of players like Martin, Williams and Saad are an indication that you don't have to go down drastic rebuilds if you target specific needs and be smart with your drafting/trading.

2) The performance of the list management team during the Silvagni years was average at best. I stress the word 'team' because Silvagni would have been relying on the opinions of others with respect to talent identification. Silvagni was very good at acquiring extra picks or better picks...it's what happened with those picks that's the issue.
It seems we found a number of 'good average' players that fitted a role and the thinking was...."OK, We've got that position covered we don't need to worry about that!" rather than looking for better options.
I'm not sure they were out there...it just seems a lot of our positions are filled by B and C players who show a bit from time to time but never really kick it up a level.

[LP]

1; The general inability of our talls to take advantage of the front position especially in one out contested marking.

2; This new fast game style under the current rules won't persist, it can't persist for two reasons. Firstly, it's chaotic and as such antithetical to the AFL coaching mantra. Secondly, teams will be full of walking wounded by mid-season.

[ElwoodBlues1]

1. Our midfield isn't as good as we thought.
2. Ruck division is now fully dependent on an injury prone kid with Pittonet handy but unable to compete vs decent rucks for the 2nd time this season and Casboult being next to useless as backup.

[LP]

Assuming I can post here more than once, I've already posted two negatives so now for two positives;

1; Martin is better than I thought, and the new rules suit him, he is good overhead and he's getting one on one contests that he wins.

2; Our proper smalls like Gibbons and Fogarty are doing better than I had expected, particularly I thought Gibbons might have struggled in very open game styles but his work ethic sees him thriving.

[flyboy77]

1. Murphy's either a mid or he's not in the 22.

2. Our Captains need to lead.

[capcom]

1.  Woeful choices of recruits who choose to spectate, never create.

2.  The massive reduction in club runners activity which (of course) inhibits all coaches to some degree, but appears to penalise the weaker outfits ... I don't like that rule.   

[cookie2]

Despite the addition of our new talent

1. We don't look any better so far, either defensively or going forward (too many mistakes).

2. We still can't control the tempo of games to our own advantage for 4Qs. We are very much an also-ran team still.

[Thryleon]

1.  The stand rule is a joke.  When you cannot adjudicate a clean vs dirty disposal what hope does this rule have to achieve anything good.  I noted last night the umpires waved us to play on very quickly (again) and barely called stand when we took a mark.  We are not leveraging this new rule at all.

2.  Levi casboult after 9 years on our the list and a relative lifetime playing footy is being outperformed by an American athlete who is nothing but a tall beanpole and picked up a footy 6 years ago.

Sort out number 2, and we'll unlock why we can't develop players.  Its a joke and it makes us look like a second rate footy club where players improve in spite of us not because of us.

[Professer E]

1.  Not having a junior ruck project player was a massive list fail.  I wonder where Henry Walsh is at?
2.  Williams aside,  continue to be bitterly disappointed in the ex GWS recruits - they are a significant chunk of the list and contributing F all.
3.  Coaching and development staff remain clueless. I think this is close to our biggest issue.

[Thryleon]

Just on rucks.  No playing list wants a projrct ruckman with current list sizes.  They take years to come on, and then get massive contracts.  The kids can't compete against mature agers properly, and all that leads to is players leaving as free agents after development.

Better off trading in a specialist who's got a couple years left and is being superceded by a younger better version, or moneyballing a state leaguer who's 25 and battle hardened just needs another shot.