VFL 2024 Rd 14: Carlton vs Richmond at Richmond

[DJC]

Young and S.Durdin struggle vs kids from the burbs in the VFL, Marchbank isnt big enough(I know you think size doesnt matter? ) imo. If I had to make a choice it would be playing/keeping Young as he showed in his first year with us he can play decent football, as I have said many times I would love to know what has gone wrong with him and get it fixed but we cant keep hoping he will turn it around and need to keep moving forward and build depth by adding another KP or two to have some cover.

Weiters and McGovern would struggle with the ball coming in that fast and that often.  Team defence isn't really a feature of our VFL team.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Weiters and McGovern would struggle with the ball coming in that fast and that often.  Team defence isn't really a feature of our VFL team.

Considering we have four experienced players who have played senior AFL footy....ie the Youngs, Marchbank and S Durdin vs the likes of unknowns like Gray, Joel Garner, Steely Greene, Sam Davidson and a dud like Noah Cumberland thats a bit sad they couldnt organise themselves a bit better.
Tigers only had four more I50's and clearances were fairly even too, our best defender was Akuei which is great for his career but probably tells you a story on the others and that experienced backline should be a strength at VFL level and able to cope with a VFL midpack team like Richmond but as we saw vs the lowly Bullants it wasnt much better.

[Thryleon]

Weiters and McGovern would struggle with the ball coming in that fast and that often.  Team defence isn't really a feature of our VFL team.

Not sure about that djc.  They'd have a picnic and probably organise the troops better.  I've seen weiters play vfl once.  Something astonishing like 25 intercept marks vs Frankston was the statistic

Even orazio got leather poisoning at vfl level. It's why it's so frustrating seeing a team full of afl listed players have effectively no idea.

[DJC]

Not sure about that djc.  They'd have a picnic and probably organise the troops better.  I've seen weiters play vfl once.  Something astonishing like 25 intercept marks vs Frankston was the statistic

Even orazio got leather poisoning at vfl level. It's why it's so frustrating seeing a team full of afl listed players have effectively no idea.

Good point Thry, Weiters could probably cope with anything a VFL side could produce.  However, Sam Durdin and Lewis Young would probably play much better with teammates like Saad, Newman, McGovern alongside them.

While our VFL side may have plenty of AFL listed players, only Marchbank, Young, Durdin X 2 and Cuningham have decent AFL experience; Moir, Binns, Lemmey, Lord, Mirkov, Monahan and Akuei have one game between them.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Good point Thry, Weiters could probably cope with anything a VFL side could produce.  However, Sam Durdin and Lewis Young would probably play much better with teammates like Saad, Newman, McGovern alongside them.

While our VFL side may have plenty of AFL listed players, only Marchbank, Young, Durdin X 2 and Cuningham have decent AFL experience; Moir, Binns, Lemmey, Lord, Mirkov, Monahan and Akuei have one game between them.

Lachie Young has 47 senior games, thats a very experienced backline.
Tigers had Cumberland with 20 odd games down forward and the rest of the forwards were kids...

[RiverRat]

Who slipped Aliir Aliir into Dom Akuei's jumper?  He looks a footballer for the first time ever. 

Too true. 

I think the key factor was allowing him to play as a loose man, which enabled him to take quite a few uncontested marks, and/or in the ruck, where he had the spring to out-jump his opponent.

[Sub-Zero]

One of the real problem with Akuei's growth and development has been the fact that he's played back, forward, ruck, even the wing, and not been able to settle into a position. He's a slow burn type of player. He's gone to the back line and ruck for this year, what's his position? Perhaps keep playing him as a second ruck for the rest of the year? Arguably with O'Keeffe out of the side, it may have came out of necessity. But this means he doesn't play permanently as a defender. Still, it looks like he's really showing something there. If he keeps going the way he is in that role, then he's a real chance of becoming a category a rookie next year. Clearly he was going to take time to develop, but the signs are there that as a second ruck, he's showing some promise.

[blueianh]

One of the real problem with Akuei's growth and development has been the fact that he's played back, forward, ruck, even the wing, and not been able to settle into a position. He's a slow burn type of player. He's gone to the back line and ruck for this year, what's his position? Perhaps keep playing him as a second ruck for the rest of the year? Arguably with O'Keeffe out of the side, it may have came out of necessity. But this means he doesn't play permanently as a defender. Still, it looks like he's really showing something there. If he keeps going the way he is in that role, then he's a real chance of becoming a category a rookie next year. Clearly he was going to take time to develop, but the signs are there that as a second ruck, he's showing some promise.

I would love to see Dom show out enough to justify keeping, this game is the first I have seen him doing that.  But is it a outlier or the start of a breakthrough?  Prior to this game I had him out the door, it will take more like this week to save him but I'm rooting for him.