Three Things I've Learned - Round 18 Edition

[Eastdog]

Once the Round 18 match against Essendon is completed, let us know the three things you learned after watching the match.

Be constructive but be honest.

[bulldogtragic]

As usual three, 3.

[bulldogtragic]

Our talent is going to be massive, led by Bonts.
Austin and Redpath should not be on the list
Cooney looked lost as the sub

[F'scary]

My learnings this weeks pose questions and I wonder if any who saw the game live would care to answer:

1. Stringer is playing more and more like a key forward but what about his marking? Where is that at?
2. Bontempelli is a genius and can take a contested mark inside the 50 to boot. Today, listening on the radio, he was like Jezza. Could he be a key forward?
3. Another week where it seems that that our younger brigade have taken over. Have we seen the changing of the guard?

[G-Mo77]

Our defensive unit need to do some bonding. Help your mates out when they're getting beat.

Stringer is finding his feet at this level and we have a real nice player there.

Ryder can jump all over Will. Will is not aloud to even make contact with Ryder.

[SlimPickens]

1. Butchering the ball under pressure will always kill you. When it is senior blokes like Boyd and Cooney it effects the entire group.

2. Our young brigade are going to be very good although they did run out of puff today.

3. BONTEMPELLI could be a key forward just an incredibly smart footballer.

[JohnGentStand]

Umps love the bombre cartel.
Gotta get another big defensive option. - please step up Talia!
Our youth is exciting - and another pre-season will get us running to the bell. We ran out of puff today.

[Go_Dogs]

We're slowly mastering our forward press, at times today we locked the ball in, created a turnover through pressure, structure and our focus on the task at hand - very good signs.

We're definitely one good key defender short, and Austin may prove himself capable as a stop gap, but he's never going to be able to hold down a key position role for us.

JJ has his confidence back got to some great spots today and worked hard to influence the game. Whilst the stats show he was efficient, it was my view he turned the ball over quite a bit today - once he neatens up his disposal (consistently), he can be a star for us.

[w3design]

We miss Tommy Williams, no way Carlisle can kick 8.2 on him.
Talia needs to be fast tracked.
Again we are one KPF and KPD away from a scary good team.

[always right]

People love to jump on player's deficiencies but completely ignore their positives. Boyd is a case in point. Some of his efforts were heroic.

Bonts has seriously the best hands in our team.

Will can do the job for three quarters.

[Sedat]

1. Our young group of players coming through together are almost all natural footballers and good decision makers
2. We need another tall defender but we also need to embrace team defence a lot better when the opposition have it
3. The sub should be activated as late as possible when you are in control of a game - double whammy tonight when our only tagging back-up option, Picken, was taken off and Wallis got injured straight after.

[lemmon]

1. Seriously questioned Roughy as a key back tonight, his lack of athleticism and acceleration is telling. Sitting in the pocket right behind him he was lucky to not give away 4 or 5 free kicks because he just grabs and holds onto blokes knowing he can't match them on the lead.

2. Macca has little faith in Austin as key back, he at least deserved a crack at Carlisle at some stage during the carnage.

3. Bontempelli could kick 500 as a key forward, smarts and beautiful hands.

[jeemak]

We need two players of 195+ to fill a spot at each end of the ground, and supplement what we already have. Up forward we might still see Jones make it, I hope Fletch can be that player back

Jake Stringer once he gets stronger and aerobically fitter is going to be one of the most dangerous players in the competition. He's the utility we've been looking for

Luke Dahlhaus is just a little bit of polish away from being A-grade. He is amazing overhead for his height, fantastic at ground level and always able to create opportunities when he's near the ball

[boydogs]

1. Stringer is playing more and more like a key forward but what about his marking? Where is that at?

His marking is good but he doesn't play like a key forward, he'll go for the mark 1 on 1 but in a pack situation he becomes a rover. Got a couple of goals today doing that, peeling off the contest just before the ball arrived like he was doing before we sent him to defense


2. Bontempelli is a genius and can take a contested mark inside the 50 to boot. Today, listening on the radio, he was like Jezza. Could he be a key forward?

He played as a key forward last week and this week and was more effective than Redpath both times


3. Another week where it seems that that our younger brigade have taken over. Have we seen the changing of the guard?

Murphy & Morris were as important today as ever, but we definitely have more youngsters taking central roles


1. Seriously questioned Roughy as a key back tonight, his lack of athleticism and acceleration is telling. Sitting in the pocket right behind him he was lucky to not give away 4 or 5 free kicks because he just grabs and holds onto blokes knowing he can't match them on the lead.

Think it was just a bad game for him. Seemed to have trouble knowing where to position himself and judging the flight of the ball all game

1. Redpath isn't improving quickly enough and has a lot to work on if he is going to make it. 3 games should be enough for us to decide whether to keep him another year, Jones or Campbell have to come in to help us out

2. Austin is considered a 3rd tall by our coaches, staggering he didn't get Carlisle at quarter time

3. Dahlhaus still struggles with his kicking and won't be truly elite unless it improves

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

1. We will continue to struggle by playing one ruckman in Minson.
2. Redpath is still a work in progress and prefer to see Campbell to provide a better option up forward and as the second ruckman.
3. Great to see the continued improvement being shown by Macrae Stringer Hrovat Bontempelli and Hunter.

[Greystache]

1. We're hearing this is no longer the senior players' team, it's the young kids'. This can't happen soon enough, the list has been dominated by Senior players that go to water when the game gets tight. If you need a player late in a game to miss a tackle or a target by foot at a critical moment look no further than Cooney or Boyd.

2. The young group emerging look like they may finally be a group that embraces the big moment, not cowers from it

3. Bonti could just about play any position on the ground.

[LostDoggy]

People love to jump on player's deficiencies but completely ignore their positives. Boyd is a case in point. Some of his efforts were heroic.

Bonts has seriously the best hands in our team.

Will can do the job for three quarters.
It's funny, I never thought I would say this but Boyd is fast becoming my favorite player.
His efforts this year has been as good as I can remember, yes his kicking can let him down but some of his efforts have been fantastic.
He is as hard as they come and has stood up on many occasions when required by a senior player in big moments.
Would be good if Cooney could have shown this when he missed the tackle in the middle, poor effort!

[Mofra]

1. Bonti is an alien and he should probably be genetically tested for human DNA than banned for life from all sporting competition... if AFL was actually interested in equalisation. Luckily, the AFL don't care so we can keep playing him.

2. A decent key forward and we are a finals side.

3. Stringer & Hunter have enough "strut" to piss off the opposition for many years. This makes me happy.

[Ozza]

1. The big 4 from the 2012 draft + Bonti - have some serious footy smarts to go with their high talent.
2. Two Jake's at the game will have humongous futures in the AFL.
3. Minson could represent Australia in giving away ruck infringements whenever he plays on an athletic type.

[Remi Moses]

I'm going by reports so here goes
( on a rip off o/s data plan)
4.great news our kids are leading the way.
3. We need another key back
2. Team defense
1. Time has to arrive when we no longer accept"honourable defeats". I get the improvement side.
Side note. The Adriatic even looks a tad crap when the stinking cult loving peptide lovers win

[LostDoggy]

1. Carlisle is a very exciting player and in the form of his life, was a big test for Roughead. I'll accept the odd bad game but this was a terrible week to put in a bad one, big fella. Thankfully they didn't have Daniher also.
2. Bontempelli would have my blessings to marry my sister. What a bloody gun!
3. Stringer getting a nice little bag of goals, showing some real strut and looking like moving him into defence and sheeting some bad traits home at the start of the year has paid off.

[comrade]

Daniher in may have helped out cause by giving them something else to kick to other than the bloke who was plucking marks out of his arse.

[soupman]

His marking is good but he doesn't play like a key forward, he'll go for the mark 1 on 1 but in a pack situation he becomes a rover. Got a couple of goals today doing that, peeling off the contest just before the ball arrived like he was doing before we sent him to defense


I actually think Stringer has been going for the marks but just hasn't managed to get in the right spot or make them stick just yet. I know its a lower level with smaller bodies but he has shown at VFL level he can be an awesome contested mark. The thing I particularly like about him in marking contests though is that he almost always lands on his feet ready to hunt down the spillage if there is one.

For me the 3 things were:
1. Bontempelli can do anything. When he was drafted I was a little bit sceptical but now I am fully on his bandwagon. I don't think I have ever been this excited about a young player on our list. Even watching him dominate earlier in the year I thought he looked good but I never expected him to be able to do so many freaky things. He has already shown a calmness under pressure, an ability to have an impact in a variety of roles and that we can expect 1-2 goals from him a game. And the thing I was most impressed by at VFL level, his handballing, is still yet to be properly unleashed at AFL level.

2. Hrovat, Hunter and Stringer have the ability and swagger to really pull some awesome moves off and they all want the ball in their hands. They were all very good at various parts yesterday and i particularly liked the pace and willingness to take them on that Hrovat provided.

3. A slightly more negative one but Morris is starting to look human for the first time in his career. I know he was hopelessly outmatched for size yesterday but I've never seen him give away silly frees before as if he knew he was beaten before the ball even reached his opponent before. I like Austin but I think we need to play someone we actually see as a tall instead so that Morris can play on the third tall guys.

[Mantis]

1. Bonti is an alien and he should probably be genetically tested for human DNA than banned for life from all sporting competition... if AFL was actually interested in equalisation. Luckily, the AFL don't care so we can keep playing him.

2. A decent key forward and we are a finals side.

3. Stringer & Hunter have enough "strut" to piss off the opposition for many years. This makes me happy.

I'm more concerned about the other end of the ground.

[westdog54]

1. Jake Stringer has been handled beautifully this year.
2. Lachie Hunter can jump far higher than I thought he could.
3. Essendon is kidding itself if they don't stick with Mark Thompson for the remainder of the year.

[Maddog37]

1. The sooner we get a ruckman that can jump the better. Minno needs support.

2. Boyd is very suspect in marking contests. He has a massive heart though.

3. Hunter makes us look very dangerous when he is involved. Needs to work on his tank.

[F'scary]

In reply to my Q about Stringer's marking...


His marking is good but he doesn't play like a key forward, he'll go for the mark 1 on 1 but in a pack situation he becomes a rover. Got a couple of goals today doing that, peeling off the contest just before the ball arrived like he was doing before we sent him to defense


gogriff, your response indicates to me that it would be great structurally if we had a good pack marking resting ruck playing beside him.

[boydogs]

gogriff, your response indicates to me that it would be great structurally if we had a good pack marking resting ruck playing beside him.

At this stage yes, but I'm expecting him to develop into a far stronger player ala Matthew Pavlich

[Dancin' Douggy]

1. Jake Stringer will kick multiple figure hauls for us.
2. Bontempelli...........the sky's the limit. Wow. just wow. What a great call from the recruiters.
I know we haven't really seen Boyd yet, and man mountain Forwards like that are actually gold bullion currency,
but "The Bontiff" is looking like the standout from that draft.
3. All our young up and comers seem to have big game temperaments. Can't you just see Hunter icing a final? I can.

[JohnGentStand]

"the Bontiff"

All opponents kneel & kiss his ring for He is the pathway to glory

[Twodogs]

"the Bontiff"

All opponents kneel & kiss his ring for He is the pathway to glory


And infallible.

[Dancin' Douggy]

And infallible.

He talks to God. And God talks to him.

[always right]

He talks to God. And God talks to him.

He talks to himself.