(10-12-2021, 12:43 PM)ElwoodBlues1 date Wrote:Caleb Daniel was a mid at U18 level and twice the player Fisher is but he has to live on a half back flank and never goes through the middle.
I think of Daniels when I read about Gibbons plight, Gibbons is just a shade less accomplished using the ball, has a bit less pace than Daniels, and is slightly less agile. Yet our fans think Gibbons has been hard done by not getting a midfield run, I suspect the reality is like for like Daniels was a step up from Gibbons in the midfield, but is still off the pace for an AFL midfield rotation.
Like Daniels I think Gibbons is good for a few minutes here and there while other players get reshuffled or spelled, but a fulltime midfield rotation would just put them both to the sword. Fisher is no different!
I know we want the story to be different, but I have to think like an opposition coach in this matter, and I'd be telling guys like Oliver, Petracca, Vlastuin, Cotchin, Liberatore, Selwood, Viney or Dangerfield, some of whom do not need to be told, to bump and dump players like Fisher, Daniels and Gibbons at every opportunity. You can imagine what Cotchin, Selwood or Dangerfield would do to these guys if they were getting too busy, it would be Hodge like! Unlike Robbo, if Fisher has a collision with Dusty it's not going to be Dusty limping off!
Fans don't get that when that happens it hurts the teams chances, they think coaches should barrel players for not sacrificing themselves on the alter, but it's counterproductive for players who are likely to be on the losing side of that contest to do so! You need a trick that hurts the opposition in some other circumstance, Fisher might have some, Daniel does, Gibbons I'm not sure about!
Nice guys do not win AFL games, it a lesson we have never really learned.
