Bankers & Anchors: Rnd 8, 2021 vs Carlton

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

This is the round 8, 2021 edition of the weekly Bankers and Anchors thread. Once the game against Carlton is concluded post your nominations for:

The Bankers = 3 guys/aspects of the game that we banked on to do the right thing during the game
The Anchors = 3 guys/aspects of the game that weighed us down by their errors or poor play

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

Try and restrict it to individual players rather than aspects of the overall match - I will allow more freedom now as the thread seems to be going down more of the aspects of the game path so you can have 3 for each made up of aspects of the game and individual players.

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.

[bulldogtragic]

B

Bruce - 6.1 according to the goal umpires
Keath - our best tall defender
Sam Power - for getting both and keeping the pick used on Weightman


A

Cordy - just not quality for the role he’s being assigned
Smith - Looks a mile off when I last saw him in 2019
ARC - Disgusting that in a professional sport they are guessing things when the goal umpire was confident

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Bankers

Bont- brilliance that lifted the team into action
Libba - a clearance monster all game
Caleb - negated Saad, and then in the last was pivotal offensively for us

Anchors
Bailey Dale's kicking stank for most of the game. He's been wonderful this year, his first disappointing game
Bailey Smith... first two rounds of the year he had looked to go to another level. He's struggled since then to maintain consistency.
Hannan - I think he should've had to work longer in the VFL before winning selection. Just not sure what he adds, based on the two games he's played.

[Dry Rot]

Bankers

Keath- arguably our most important player
Bruce - clunking them, and then kicking accurately
Libba - terrific all game, even when the Blues were on top

Anchors

Crozier - has declined this year, NB disposals
JJ- still can't see why he is the team
Hannan - see above

[Webby]

Sweet was poor today. But the kid lifted in the last. Fair play.

[comrade]

Sweet was poor today. But the kid lifted in the last. Fair play.

The way I look at a young ruckman is through the lens of 'has the opposition ruck had a massive influence, or have we at least neutralised the position'. I thought Sweet at least neutralised it, and being the primary ruck for most of the game, it felt like a good performance.

[Mofra]

Bankers -

Wood & Crozier - late in the 3rd they started to impact the game, which turned around the momentum
Bont - Oh captain my captain
Keath & Bruce - how we got both, in the same year, without using a first rounder is a mystery


Anchors -
JJ - labouring. Lesser role players may be better for the team
Hunter - had a few execution issues he'd like back
Lipinski - until he can stick a tackle and kill a 50/50 ball he needs to learn how to do it at VFL level

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Bont. He is a Monster, just needs a little support from time to time. How does he not poll more Brownlow votes
Libba. What a beast. We need him more then anybody
Keith. Solid and I think he is a simple fullback. Just compete and the repeat

Anchors
Cordy. I think it’s just time to invest into others that will be around long term.
JJ. He is just not a forward. It’s play behind the ball or nothing.
West. For stuffing up last week. We need a lock in forward. It’s West or McClean for mine.

[bulldogtragic]

The way I look at a young ruckman is through the lens of 'has the opposition ruck had a massive influence, or have we at least neutralised the position'. I thought Sweet at least neutralised it, and being the primary ruck for most of the game, it felt like a good performance.

A good learning lesson too. In his debut against North he was rucking the ghost of Brent Harvey. So the test for all was to see how he’d go against an experienced ruckman. Like you say, the best case for him was a nil all draw having half the hit outs and possessions. But I’ll give him that and he registered 5 tackles which is higher than many others on the field. He is also got some good footy IQ with his taps along the ground the our mids. He was also jumped into and man handled all day by a big bloke and looked just fine at the end of the game. He gets better from today, without being a banker or anchor in my mind.

Edit: I just checked. Of the 45 players to play today, only Bonts & Treloar had more tackles than Sweet. Carlton’s two best mids could only equal Sweet’s tackle tally.

[comrade]

A good learning lesson too. In his debut against North he was rucking the ghost of Brent Harvey. So the test for all was to see how he’d go against an experienced ruckman. Like you say, the best case for him was a nil all draw having half the hit outs and possessions. But I’ll give him that and he registered 5 tackles which is higher than many others on the field. He is also got some good footy IQ with his taps along the ground the our mids. He was also jumped into and man handled all day by a big bloke and looked just fine at the end of the game. He gets better from today, without being a banker or anchor in my mind.

Yep, Pittonet had no real influence on the game and was really trying to wrestle and out body Sweet all night. He copped it and kept going, even lifting in the last and getting his hands on it a bit.

Plenty to work with and I'm keen to see the Sweet/English combo next week. Don't disappoint us Bevo!

[1eyedog]

Yep, Pittonet had no real influence on the game and was really trying to wrestle and out body Sweet all night. He copped it and kept going, even lifting in the last and getting his hands on it a bit.

Plenty to work with and I'm keen to see the Sweet/English combo next week. Don't disappoint us Bevo!

Agreed. I was hanging it on Sweet after his first game but he rucked really well today. Solid contribution.

[bulldogtragic]

Yep, Pittonet had no real influence on the game and was really trying to wrestle and out body Sweet all night. He copped it and kept going, even lifting in the last and getting his hands on it a bit.

Plenty to work with and I'm keen to see the Sweet/English combo next week. Don't disappoint us Bevo!

I’m not sure about it as it’s a night game, but I’m not anti it. Those extra tackles and being able to generate a clearance or two a quarter by tapping it out to a mid in advantage (not taking possession and causing another stoppage) are the things I see Bevo looking at more than hit outs or maybe even disposals.

[Ghost Dog]

Banker Khamis: for arriving after a very long road.

[merantau]

Bankers
1. The COLLECTIVE effort to get us a fine from behind win.
2. Caleb Daniel - so clean and creative when we really needed it
3. The Bont. Very influential when it mattered most.
4 Josh Bruce - 4 quarter effort was crucial to our win

Anchors
1. Early misses - Smith, Hannan, JJ, Hunter
2. Some mysterious umpiring decisions.
3. Why does the Channel 7 commentary team love Carlton?

[FrediKanoute]

Bankers:

Bruce - kept us in the game by kicking straight
Bont - with his force of will at the contest he turned the tide of the game our way
Khamis - nice debut. Will learn a lot and there is something to work with

Anchors:

Kicking for goal - JJ/McNeil/Smith missing gettable goals to hand momentum to Carlton
The 1st half - just weak
Hannan - just not enough from a senior player - Wallis would provide more threat and more presure

[bornadog]

Bankers

1. Treloar's goal was a ripper
2. Libba's handballing from the bottom of packs
3. Bruce - 11 marks to go with his 5 goals - what an effort.

Anchors

1. Hannan - not good enough
2. Naughton poster in last, he seems to do that alot.

[whythelongface]

Bankers
Bont for lifting the team
Bruce played a blinder and led the way
Dale whilst not having is best game produced three sublime kicks that (I think) led to goals - one in the first; the one to Treloar and the one to Hannan (led to Bont’s goal in the last)

Anchors
Letting Carlton kick 9 goals to 3 from early in the 2nd to midway through the 3rd. Got away with it tonight but won’t next week
Lippa- I have high hopes for you but just don’t get involved enough. You need to step up
Not staying on feet - we seemed to slip over more which led to turnovers or not getting our hands on the ball

[kruder]

Bankers -

Wood & Crozier - late in the 3rd they started to impact the game, which turned around the momentum
Bont - Oh captain my captain
Keath & Bruce - how we got both, in the same year, without using a first rounder is a mystery


Anchors -
JJ - labouring. Lesser role players may be better for the team
Hunter - had a few execution issues he'd like back
Lipinski - until he can stick a tackle and kill a 50/50 ball he needs to learn how to do it at VFL level

Yeah you don't need to go behind closed doors to understand why Lippa is in and out of the side....

[Ozza]

Bankers;

Bruce - huge game. Big influence forward, and held his own in the ruck when he had to.
Bont - Influential throughout - and when we were going ordinary was the most prepared of our midfielders to work defensively.
Hunter - played most of the game with a broken hand, and had 2 goals and 8 score involvements from his 14 touches mostly at half forward, but some great moments in the last on a wing. Hope whatever they need to do to his hand gets him back out there for a crucial match next week.

Anchors:

Not sure I'm ready for Anchors.

All of Lippa, Scott, McNeil and JJ were absent in Q2 and Q3 when we were going poorly - but all ended up with an influence when we turned the tables, which might be equally worrying and encouraging. JJ's game....6 touches, but 5 of them score involvements (with a goal and 2 goal assists). Scott similar - does a fair bit of nothing in chunks of the game, but gets a goal in first and last quarters. Those two plus McNeil give us pace in the front half....so maybe we are better balanced with them in.

Hannan I think makes way for English. Was deep forward most of the day and struggled to get involved until 2 good moments in the last quarter. Think I prefer Wallis, but its a moot point, as English will slot back in and both may miss.

The main anchor is how easily they moved the ball from backline to forward line - and the biggest worry is what our mids do without the ball while Dunkley is not there. We need to cover his absence better.

Anchors:

[westbulldog]

Bankers
Josh Bruce, effective, hard at it with 11 marks and 5 goals.
Bontempelli, the complete captain's game.
Keath, Sweet and Khamis, they each seem to have the "I hate losing" look in their eyes....good signs.

Anchors
Cordy, sorry not a fan.
Lipinski, needs to be harder at the contest.
Down on form JJ, Wood, Hannan

[SonofScray]

B

Bruce: real spearhead effort.
Bont: Atlas levels.
Hunter: tough, organised.

A

Hannan: not giving us enough across half forward, a difficult role.
Baz: not awful, but would like to see him find another level without the ball.
JJ: score involvement stats soften my critique, but I think he is really struggling.

[ratsmac]

B

Bruce: real spearhead effort.
Bont: Atlas levels.
Hunter: tough, organised.

A

Hannan: not giving us enough across half forward, a difficult role.
Baz: not awful, but would like to see him find another level without the ball.
JJ: score involvement stats soften my critique, but I think he is really struggling.

Yeah half forward can be the hardest role on the ground to find the ball imo. It's often kicked over your head to leading forwards and getting to the contest for the crumbs is an art in itself. The coaches would surely be looking at the pressure acts as a idea whether a player is still working hard enough in that position.

In saying that I'd still like to see more from Hannan and JJ at half forward otherwise give someone like Weightman another crack at it.

[Ozza]

Yeah half forward can be the hardest role on the ground to find the ball imo. It's often kicked over your head to leading forwards and getting to the contest for the crumbs is an art in itself. The coaches would surely be looking at the pressure acts as a idea whether a player is still working hard enough in that position.

In saying that I'd still like to see more from Hannan and JJ at half forward otherwise give someone like Weightman another crack at it.

Jones, Weitering, Bruce and Naughton took 36 marks between them yesterday.....which certainly goes a way to cutting small forward supply.