Bankers and Anchors - Round 23

[GVGjr]

This is the round 23 and final edition of the Weekly Bankers and Anchors Thread for 2013.

At the conclusion of the game please post your nominations for:

The Bankers = 3 players that we banked on to do the right thing during the game

The Anchors = 3 players that weighed us down by their errors or poor play

Please limit it to no more than three of each, but feel free to make honourable/dishonourable mentions. As usual try to make it constructive criticism.

The thread is named in honour of a popular WOOF Contributor, The Banker, who passed away on 22/04/2012 after a six month battle with cancer.

[comrade]

Bankers:

- Libba is just a genius in close and should be in the AA team. Loved his running goal after getting crunched.

- Hunter is so nimble and whip smart. With another pre-season and a better fitness base, he's going to be handful running through the middle and resting up forward.

- I thought Dahl's contested work was A grade today, highlighted by his little handball give after winning a hard ball that resulted in a Gia goal.

Anchors:

- Tory Dickson's reluctance to do the tough things and pressure the defence is a concern and is a side of his game that must improve. His goal kicking ability is great but he needs to become more team oriented.

- Stevens has a long way to go to be a good AFL footballer. Clumsy and struggles to make good decisions under pressure. Hopefully he can look at someone like Cross as an example of learning to play within your limitations and still be able to contribute.

- Jones couldn't get into the game despite plenty of ball going into our forward 50. He needs to make the game easier for him by running to the right spots and timing his leads. Every kick to him becomes a 50/50 contest and he just doesn't get enough uncontested marks. Great mark and clutch goal at the end though.

[bulldogtragic]

Bankers:

- Libba is just a genius in close and should be in the AA team. Loved his running goal after getting crunched.

- Hunter is so nimble and whip smart. With another pre-season and a better fitness base, he's going to be handful running through the middle and resting up forward.

- I thought Dahl's contested work was A grade today, highlighted by his little handball give after winning a hard ball that resulted in a Gia goal.

Anchors:

- Tory Dickson's reluctance to do the tough things and pressure the defence is a concern and is a side of his game that must improve. His goal kicking ability is great but he needs to become more team oriented.

- Stevens has a long way to go to be a good AFL footballer. Clumsy and struggles to make good decisions under pressure. Hopefully he can look at someone like Cross as an example of learning to play within your limitations and still be able to contribute.

- Jones couldn't get into the game despite plenty of ball going into our forward 50. He needs to make the game easier for him by running to the right spots and timing his leads. Every kick to him becomes a 50/50 contest and he just doesn't get enough uncontested marks. Great mark and clutch goal at the end though.
This!

Oh, and Grants goal is my favourite for the year. Just ahead of Gia's 'alley oop'.

[LostDoggy]

Bankers

Libba just a machine
Boydy found some form at the end of the season
Wilbur-hot hot hot
Crossy, dead set legend
Hunter- smart footballer


Anchors - Koby cant play as a sub
Jones - needs to lead more
Umps - crap for both teams really, over umpired.

[always right]

B:
Hunter....this kid oozes class. Great footy smarts and vision.
Crossy...did all the things we've loved him for
Boyd...his disposal has improved out of sight sunce he returned to the side. Now lowers his eyes every time.

A:
Stevens....I like him but he had zero impact as sub today. He tries to bust tackles every time and needs to pick his moments better.
Our defensive set up was really poor today. Once they got the ball over the top we were in trouble.
Cooney kicked a coupe of goals but he and Grifen gave us very little today.

[Remi Moses]

Bankers - Libba ( just outstanding, particularly 1st half)
Boyd ( thought he was excellent)
Minson ( destroyed their rucks)
Hunter ( faded late, but what a super young smart footballer)
Murphy ( slow start, but finished well)
Anchors.
The defensive effort of our forwards( in the first, third ) one word Deplorable
Poor from our backs also early. They got caught out at the back far to often.
Jones( needs altitude training, and a second, third effort)

[LostDoggy]

A:
Cooney kicked a coupe of goals but he and Grifen gave us very little today.

in a weird kind of way, you could put his down as a positive that the team doesn't need a blinder from one of these two to get a win.

[LostDoggy]

Bankers

1. Hunter - Was probably just about best on at halftime, I can see why some people thought he was bad kick and some people though he was a good kick as a junior, average kick with fantastic decision making and vision I reckon.

2. Crossy - Such a typical Cross game and one of his best for the year, great for him to finish on a high with us and the fans gave him a standing ovation in the last quarter.

3. Libba - Just a monster inside the contest, and even kicked a goal bursting away from the stoppage.

Anchors

1. Stevens - just didn't work as sub, I like having a really smart player like a Hunter or Gia as an impact sub.

2. Jones - Struggled to get into the game, altitude training and on to next year - still showed his pace and contested marking potential.

3. Second half was really lack luster and a bit bruise free

[bornadog]

Bankers

* Loved some of Campbell's marks, great to see a big bloke in the goal square taking solid one grab marks.

* Murphy - the way he dances around players, he is so eloquent in his movements. Still looks like he is 25 years old.

* Dahl - Gee he must have covered 25 klms today chasing down opponents.

Anchors

* The team - a lacklustre second half, so boring - three goals, not good enough.

Not much else this week.

Special Banker

To Cross for being such a hard working club man, he will be missed.

[LostDoggy]

Anchors first:

1. Whomever let the travel agent into the rooms at half time needs to be dismissed.
2. Melbourne supporters booing the umpires. Save the boos for your team's shitty effort and lack of heart. Umps didn't lose you the game, though they were poor.
3. Melbourne for even existing. Professional losers.

Bankers:

1. Libba. Immense. Massive. Powerful. Inspirational.
2. Grant's goal.
3. The melee and subsequent reaction, both on field and in the stands.

[Eastdog]

Bankers

Passion of the crowd - loved it especially when Cross got the ball at the members end.

Tom Campbell - going to be a quality player

Luke Dahlhaus - put in the hard yards today. One of his better games this year.

Anchors

Umpires - they were shocking

Jones - good mark but kicking at goal is the killer for him

1st, 3rd and 4th - dissapointing - did not attack like we did in the 2nd

[soupman]

Bankers

1. Daniel Cross: Showed some of his trademark moves yesterday, including running with the flight into a pack to take the mark, cutting off leads and the old pick up the ball and handpass to a better positioned player as you are airbourne diving past a players legs. Really hope he ends up playing for Footscray next season as I think he is truly a club great.

2. Matthew Boyd: This forum has gone a bit quiet on the Boyd problem this last month and thats because Boyd is clearly embracing a smarter way to play. He's starting to develop a hurt factor again after ironically playing more within his limitations and instead of going for ambitious passes he is playing smart football where he lowers his eyes, uses the easy option and almost always puts the ball to advantage. I was very happy with his match yesterday.

3. Lachie Hunter: Is going to be our Steve Johnson type player. Just that player that does stuff most other p;layers never thought was even a possibility.

Special mention to Jeremy Howe who can really take a mark.

Anchors

1. Jones: I am a fan but he needs to get much more involved.

2. Griffen and Cooney: Were both too quiet for too long yesterday for the star players they are

3. Our entire second half. Ridiculously unsatisfying and uninspiring.

[LostDoggy]

Thinking about Stevens it was probably harsh to list him as an anchor.
He got his head smashed into the turf after being on the ground for a few minutes wouldn't surprise me if he was playing concussed after that.

[always right]

Thinking about Stevens it was probably harsh to list him as an anchor.
He got his head smashed into the turf after being on the ground for a few minutes wouldn't surprise me if he was playing concussed after that.

That would explain why he insisted on crashing through packs instead of offloading handballs to players in better positions. I hope it's true.

[westdog54]

Bankers:

Hunter, bargain of the draft. Just so composed.
Libba. An absolute machine.
Cross. Say no more.

Anchors

Stevens. Almost the complete opposite of Hunter. Terrible decision making.
Griffen. Minimal impact yesterday.
Melbourne, for immersing talented footballers like Jack Watts and Jeremy Howe in their culture.

[LostDoggy]

Bankers:

Hunter, bargain of the draft. Just so composed.
Libba. An absolute machine.
Cross. Say no more.

Anchors

Stevens. Almost the complete opposite of Hunter. Terrible decision making.
Griffen. Minimal impact yesterday.
Melbourne, for immersing talented footballers like Jack Watts and Jeremy Howe in their culture.

I had to have a little chuckle when Stevens came on, within 10 seconds of being on the ground he handballs to someone who has 2 blokes basically sitting in his pockets.