Most Improved Player 2015

[bornadog]

Who is your most improved player, a player you didn't think would go to the next level?


Note, the Poll is for Players who at the start of the season had 50 games up.

[bulldogtragic]

Wood.
Grant.
Dahl.
Tory.
Boyd.
Boyd.
Murphy.
Wallis.
Stevens.
Stringer.

One is impossible.

[LostDoggy]

Would definitely include Hunter and JJ in your list. For consistent contribution, very hard to go past Wood with Wallis also right in the mix.

[Dry Rot]

Wood.
Grant.
Dahl.
Tory.
Boyd.
Boyd.
Murphy.
Wallis.
Stevens.
Stringer.

One is impossible.

Why no Picken?

[bornadog]

delete

[always right]

I think there is a standout who isn't even on your list...JJ. Has always had the speed but his disposal has been haphazard. Now one of our best deliverers, not only relieving our defensive pressure but launching attacks. Has taken a massive leap forward this year.

[LostDoggy]

Wood then Wallis then Picken. Heaps more deserve recognition, have we ever seen a team with so many improved players?

[Twodogs]

I found it down the back of the couch.

[always right]

Easton Woos?

[Twodogs]

Actually I just wrote it myself.

[azabob]

Mitch Wallis for mine.

[Ghost Dog]

Easton Wood. But how much of this is the new backline set up is hard to say.

[bornadog]

I think JJ, he has been incredible this season.

[Ghost Dog]

Someone said Jj got 800 metres gained on the weekend. It's not a stat I'm familiar with. What's the average?

[Twodogs]

I voted for Eastin Wood-he's is elite at the moment, no other player is playing that intercepter and play maker role as well as he is-but we are so spoiled for choice. I'd say Picken next with JJ not far behind.

A fortnight ago I would have voted for Dahlhaus but he's been a little quiet tge last two games.

[Mantis]

A fortnight ago I would have voted for Dahlhaus but he's been a little quiet tge last two games.

He has had 29 possessions in each if our last 2 games.. Also had 8 tackles on Sunday.

He has probably been our most consistent performer this year.

[1eyedog]

Who is your most improved player, a player you didn't think would go to the next level?


Note, the Poll is for Players who at the start of the season had 50 games up.






Great tread BAD I'll have to think about this one. Koby should be up there too. I think Wood being in AA form has to be first with Mitch, JJ and Koby not far behind.

[bulldogtragic]

Why no Picken?

Forgot. My bad. Sorry Liam.

[JohnGentStand]

Someone said Jj got 800 metres gained on the weekend. It's not a stat I'm familiar with. What's the average?

Apparently Heppel was at -21 metres....
A great result for Mitch.
How fantastic to see improvement in this many players and struggle to rate them.
1. Wood 2. Wallis 3. the rest
And no mention of Stringer/Macrae/Bont who we expect to improve so don't include...
I'm almost beginning to expect to win each week - feeling strange :)

[Happy Days]

Someone said Jj got 800 metres gained on the weekend. It's not a stat I'm familiar with. What's the average?

800m is a full freak effort. 450m is a very good result, and Seedsman's game on ANZAC Day that everyone lost their minds over got to about 620m.

One of the biggest reasons the Lions suck this year is they don't have Pearce Hanley, the metreage KING, gaining 1k for them each week

[Twodogs]

He has had 29 possessions in each if our last 2 games.. Also had 8 tackles on Sunday.

He has probably been our most consistent performer this year.

I knew someone would point something like that out as I posted. He just didn't seem to have as big an impact on the game. Maybe he's being sat on at contests or the team performance has been better or expectations are higher.

[BulldogBelle]

Someone said Jj got 800 metres gained on the weekend. It's not a stat I'm familiar with. What's the average?

Massive effort

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2015-08-04/jj-gains-more-than-metres

[Go_Dogs]

I went Dahl, could've gone any of them.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

So many deserve special mentions: Dahl has become a very good midfielder which is a huge effort, Wallis has been enormous in covering for Libba and becoming an inside gun himself, JJ has become one of the best HBs in the league as I predicted a few years ago, Roberts as a KPD was fantastic prior to injury.

However, Wood's rise has been incredible. He's now an elite defender - his stats from last year say that he was beaten one-on-one almost more than any other defender in the competition. This year, he's hardly lost a contest AND provided amazing support for his team mates. He's saved us a few games - the one v St. Kilda was ridiculously good - and is so reliable in just about every area of his game now.

[Scraggers]

Tough choice !!!
I went with Mitch who has had to stand up with the loss of Libba jr. He has taken to the new role like a duck to water and absolutely thrived. Next would be Wood. I think he has always been elite, but has lacked support around him.

Apologies to Picken and JJ.

[boydogs]

Easton Wood, gone from the worst 1 on 1 defender in the comp to probable AA

[Doc26]

Wallis for me. Can't believe now that a time not too far back that I was starting to have some doubts on Mitch. With no Griffen, Libba and Boyd in our midfield and the ruck position largely all over the place for the season he really has shown incredible leadership for his years and has lead the way for us in the engine room on many occasions. Could not have hoped for more from him this season.

[Smads57]

Easton Wood for mine and is likely to be the only All Australian from that list (this year at least!)

[always right]

I knew someone would point something like that out as I posted. He just didn't seem to have as big an impact on the game. Maybe he's being sat on at contests or the team performance has been better or expectations are higher.

I suspect it is simply a case of Dahl not standing out as a beacon amongst struggling teammates which has been the situation over the last couple of years. He has found a level of consistency in his game.....performing close to his best each week off a pretty good base. In contrast we are seeing a host of players who have improved markedly, not marginally so he tends to disappear into the background a little more.

[Greystache]

I went Wood. He was a liability last year and this year looks like a more mobile version of Brian Lake at his peak. It's been an incredible upward curve.

Honorable mentions to Wallis, JJ, and Roberts who've been outstanding.

[LostDoggy]

However, Wood's rise has been incredible. He's now an elite defender - his stats from last year say that he was beaten one-on-one almost more than any other defender in the competition. This year, he's hardly lost a contest AND provided amazing support for his team mates. He's saved us a few games - the one v St. Kilda was ridiculously good - and is so reliable in just about every area of his game now.

Not forgetting the high jump goal against Sin City and his sublime one handed pick up in the wet with 5 seconds to go to hold out 3 Swans defenders and dish off to JJ ;)

[Dancin' Douggy]

Gee it's hard to pick. Isn't it?
What I think is truly amazing is the improvement in just about every single player on the list under Beveridge.

If forced to pick I'd say Easton. His improvement is so visible with all those beautiful marks each week he really stands out.

But maybe it's actually Mitch Wallis. It's just that a lot of his work is in heavy congestion.

But he's punching out some real quality performances. AND kicking goals from the midfield.
Pretty much all of his ball use is offensive and constructive and he gets himself to dangerous places in the forward line repeatedly.

[LostDoggy]

Whilst it's not a measure I hold particularly highly, the AFL Player Ratings have just been updated, with Easton Wood surpassing Murph as our top rated player. This is a pretty clear reflection of his incredible improvement, he wasn't in our top 8 at the start of the year. The rankings include previous years data so it's not easy to rise rapidly.

The rankings have our Top 5 as; Wood, Murphy, Boyd, Bontompelli, Dahlhaus. At the start of the year our Top 5 was; Liberatore, Murphy, Minson, Boyd, Dahlhaus.

[Webby]

I'd say our b&f is a toss-up between Picken and Wood, IMO. Followed closely by a bunched field.

[Bulldog Joe]

I'd say our b&f is a toss-up between Picken and Wood, IMO. Followed closely by a bunched field.

I think Mitch Wallis must be right in it as well as Dahlhaus. Macrae's form since his VFL stint has also been superb. Lots of contributors across the season.

[F'scary]

Fletcher Roberts. Before the season, I did not think he was going to be able to hold a spot if he got the odd game. He is now a genuine 1st 18 CHB, solving one of our biggest issues going into the season.

[LostDoggy]

Easton Wood.
Gone from injury prone,no confidence and continually beaten each week he played to one of the most exciting, reliable and confident if not the leagues best backmen.
Could also make a case for at least 12 other Doggies.Talk about spoilt for choices! ;)
What a great headache for the MC to have each week.

[lemmon]

Wood for me, the other guys I could always see turning the corner and had shown glimpses of some some pretty good form, but prior to this year I'd never thought of Wood as more than an athlete trying to learn the game. Has come from no-where

[Rocket Science]

Granted it's a specialised take on the topic but to analyse who's driving our improvement On The Couch this week highlighted increases in the Champion Data rankings of certain players from last season to the current one.

http://i.imgur.com/jeTHdH2.png

That we boast multiple candidates for 'most improved' is the most telling factor but if forced to choose it has be Wallis for mine.

His contested ball ferociousness, his ability to improve strengths and address weaknesses, his capacity to diversify his game and provide more scoring support, and the sheer consistency of contribution this season is remarkable.

That he's achieved this when the club needed it most, ie: with Libba sidelined, makes it doubly so. I spy a captain in waiting.

[merantau]

Mitch Wallis, Easton Wood, JJ, Liam Picken, Koby Stevens.