Improvement 2. Within

[Twodogs]

When are you going to do this other thread TD? I wanna talk about DFA some more!:D


I cant let down my public so here goes with part the second two of the improvement series;

Improvement from whithin the team.


1/ Cal Ward. I think that Cal has the biggest upside of the younger brigade. As his body gets bigger he will hold more marks and as his fitness increased he'll get to (and win) more contests. I expect him to pick up possies by the bucketload. I remember saying to Sockeye the firast time I saw him "He's like Scott West with a better kick" Nothing I've seen since has changed my mind. I'm hoping 2010 will be a blinder for Cal

2/ Shaun Higgins. He could be the best player in the AFL, it's as simple as that. If he can improve his field kicking and get onto the park more often Missy could have a beakout year and catapult us further up the ladder.

3/ Josh Hill. Great hands and the arrival of BBB might just see Josh moved to position where his creativity and great hands might be best suited-onto the wing/HBF. Most of the AFL still doesnt know who Josh is the freedom of playing further up the ground might change that perception.

4/ Ryan Griffin. We all love him but hands up who thinks his consistant performances matches his reputation? Injuries have affected him at vital times ( I can remember Rocco Jones yelling "He's back" as Griff sailed around a few Lion players and kicked a goal-the problem was he hurt his ankle in that very play and missed the rest of the year) and he seems to not realise how good he could be. A fit Griff is the key

5/ Liam Picken. Fair dinkum I wondered why we'd bothered rookieing him the first couple of times I saw him. Wasnt I wrong? (and never been happier about it! Liam had a great debut year but he also needs to develop. I'd like to see him get more of the ball in a position where he could either use his hands to get it out to a teammate or use that sweet left foot to have a shot. Call me crazy but if I were Liam I would be casting a glance at Mitch Hahn's spot in the team and thinking "I might have that"

Who are the other kids in the team who could take that next step?

[LostDoggy]

Agree with everything you've said. Plus, there should be a heap of natural improvement left in:

Will Minson - he's already developed into a brute of a ruckman, but last year his tapwork went up a notch, and there's scope for improvement again. Could develop into an elite ruckman in his own right.

Tom Williams - who doesn't think that the great white hope can do better than he already has? The most athletically gifted backman in the league, a natural match-up for your Riewoldts and Buddys, if he can get fit, play a full season, learn to defend, learn to kick etc. etc.

[boydogs]

Agree with the OP. Gilbee and Griffen I expect will have better years than last year given their troubled circumstances, both were great in finals. Hall (if that counts) and those around him such as Hahn, Hill and even Minson should have a better year. Cross, Higgins and Murphy should be better after injury trouble last year.

BTW Twodogs, Griffen has an 'e' in it and Picken I am pretty sure kicks with the right ;)

[LostDoggy]

Reading about all the improvements i am getting goosebumps and excited.

If Cooney, Higgins, Griffin, Murphy, Gia etc stays injury free and firing and the other young guns
fire up, like Williams, Ward, Reid, Picken, Hill, Minson Everitt we will be unbeatable.

Just can not wait, bring on 2010,

[GVGjr]

If we are ever to see Griffen start to reach his potential then 2010 would be a good time. Simply speaking he's capable of playing a lot better than he has shown us. I'm not convinced that Griffen is a true 'in the guts' player and I believe he will be better value for us across half back or on a wing. We need him to perform better than he did this year.

Higgins just needs to string a full season together and stay injury free. He's one of the more impressive players when he's fit. He can easily slot into a midfield role or be a goal kicking half forward and that type of genuine versatility is critical for us.

Because I rate the ruck position as an important one we would really benefit if Minson was to become a more consistent player. I think the Minson as a key forward experiment will scaled right back now that Hall has arrived so we now just need quality ruck work from him and hopefully his marking around the ground will improve as well.

With the trade period well behind him Everitt now has his best chance to reach him potential. He has the ability but it's really up to him to reach it.
He's one of the more easily covered players when he's not firing and that's why it's easy for the selectors to drop him but if he does the hard work and he lifts his intensity he will add a lot of class to the side.

I'm not expecting much more from Harbrow, Ward and Hill because they all had terrific seasons and further improvement will come but we do need someone like Stack, Reid or Wood to step into that emerging group.

[Twodogs]

BTW Twodogs, Griffen has an 'e' in it and Picken I am pretty sure kicks with the right ;)



He's as sweet a left foot as you could find. Us lefties keep an eye out for each other-it's like a club.:p

[robb]

Stats show that the final 22 from the previous year will change by at least 15% - 20% the following year. Hence 3 - 4 players minimun.

The changes occur due to injury or younger players coming through.

We have one certain change (Hall for Welsh).

I wonder what the other changes will be?

[AndrewP6]

I'm not expecting much more from Harbrow, Ward and Hill because they all had terrific seasons and further improvement will come but we do need someone like Stack, Reid or Wood to step into that emerging group.

Didn't think Hill was terrific in '09.

[GVGjr]

Didn't think Hill was terrific in '09.

I think when you consider that he was played out of position for the majority of the season he did actually have a great year. With a bigger body alongside of him in Hall lets see how he goes.

As far as I an concerned he's not necessarily one of the players that has to step up a whole lot like Grant does.

[dog town]

I certainly dont think we have seen the best and most consistent performances Adam Cooney will have to offer. While we certainly couldn't be dissapointed with his output he still has certain aspects he can improve. He wasn't smashed by Ling and Jones in 2 finals but he probably only broke even with them. I dont think his effort was wanting but with no pre season and a relatively small frame for an elite inside midfielder I just dont think he had many tools to really be able to shake these guys. He threw himself into the contest but he couldn't really out run either of them and they are both a bit bigger in the body than him. I would like to see him get a bit stronger and also rediscover the ability to go forward at times. His forward work probably dropped off a touch this season. He is getting to that age now where we should start seeing him really develop the size he needs to monster some opponents.

Griffen is the obvious one and some of the stuff he did late in the finals really showed just how elite he could be. He is already one of our more important players but he could give us a whole new look if he can continue his form from the prelim final. We know how important he is to our midfield because his attack on the ball and physical strength in the contest draws players and takes heat off Cooney, Cross, Boyd etc. We need him to do more of what he did in those finals and draw the ball around the ground and really make himself dangerous. His work rate playing as a defensive forward early in that prelim is the benchmark he needs to aim for most weeks. To top off that work rate we need to see him take more care with the footy and really finish his work. Can be a bit lazy with his kicks especially after weaving around a few guys. I dont see that as a permanent weakness and is definetly something he could work on.

[boydogs]

He's as sweet a left foot as you could find. Us lefties keep an eye out for each other-it's like a club.:p

Well he has a pretty sweet right foot too then

OcTu0syEIb0

[BulldogBelle]

Agree that Cal Ward could be anything. He is a fantastic all round player still learning, and I think he learned a great lesson this year when he went back to Willy mid season, and then came back. Brendon Stack, had to punch above his weight when he was in the ones - I remember the debarcle vs WCE when he was playings as our inside 50 key forward, giving away 4-5 inches. Tough ask for a second gamer. Ryan Griffin, if played of half back. That is where he has played his best football for the Dogs, so why not put him back there? He's covered in the midfield.

[LostDoggy]

I have really enjoyed reading these two threads (improvement 1 and 2) - quedos to the OP.

Many insightful comments on here, but I think that Minson needs to improve, we don't know how much longer we will have Hudson, and Rocket has already said that Roughy will be blooded this year.

[Go_Dogs]

If we are ever to see Griffen start to reach his potential then 2010 would be a good time. Simply speaking he's capable of playing a lot better than he has shown us. I'm not convinced that Griffen is a true 'in the guts' player and I believe he will be better value for us across half back or on a wing. We need him to perform better than he did this year.

Griffen is a very interesting one. I'm obviously very biased :D but I thought he had a pretty good year, and his inside/contested work, as well as his defensive efforts were very good. His work in the finals was sensational, and just his ability to maneuver through congestion is what makes him a 'must' for our on-ball brigade. He offers something different to the rest of our mix, and with Harbrow playing well in the backline I'm not sure Griff is needed down there perhaps as much as he was at the start of the season.

I do agree that we are yet to see his best, but he's very close and with his now, well-rounded game, is (hopefully) going to be a very big problem next year for opposition sides.



Giansiracusa, Gilbee and Murphy are three of our more senior guys, who if they have very good years, will go a long way to securing us a premiership cup.

[Sedat]

I certainly dont think we have seen the best and most consistent performances Adam Cooney will have to offer. While we certainly couldn't be dissapointed with his output he still has certain aspects he can improve. He wasn't smashed by Ling and Jones in 2 finals but he probably only broke even with them. I dont think his effort was wanting but with no pre season and a relatively small frame for an elite inside midfielder I just dont think he had many tools to really be able to shake these guys. He threw himself into the contest but he couldn't really out run either of them and they are both a bit bigger in the body than him. I would like to see him get a bit stronger and also rediscover the ability to go forward at times. His forward work probably dropped off a touch this season. He is getting to that age now where we should start seeing him really develop the size he needs to monster some opponents.

Griffen is the obvious one and some of the stuff he did late in the finals really showed just how elite he could be. He is already one of our more important players but he could give us a whole new look if he can continue his form from the prelim final. We know how important he is to our midfield because his attack on the ball and physical strength in the contest draws players and takes heat off Cooney, Cross, Boyd etc. We need him to do more of what he did in those finals and draw the ball around the ground and really make himself dangerous. His work rate playing as a defensive forward early in that prelim is the benchmark he needs to aim for most weeks. To top off that work rate we need to see him take more care with the footy and really finish his work. Can be a bit lazy with his kicks especially after weaving around a few guys. I dont see that as a permanent weakness and is definetly something he could work on.
Great summary DT. We all saw the benefits of Cooney having an unrestricted pre-season in 2008 when he burst our of the blocks and ended up winning the Brownlow - his first 12 weeks in 2008 were Ablett-esque and he was nigh on unstoppable during this period. Unfortunately for Coons, when his body lets him down it robs one of his greatest strengths, his explosive pace off tha mark, and makes him quite vulnerable to a hard tag.

The emergence of Ward and Picken in 2009 has given our already strong midfield rotations even more flexibility and depth, which will only benefit the likes of Cooney and Griffen from the close attention they are going to get for the rest of their careers. Hopefully Reid can overcome his significant groin surgery and add to this depth - Picken and Reid can really perform a protecting role for the faster movers in the midfield, a bit like Geelong's foot soldiers in the middle do by clearing a path for Ablett.

I'd love to see Coons and Griff tail Cross and Picken all pre-season so that they can increase their engines, so that they can more effectivelty burn off the hard tags that they will be copping for the rest of their careers.