Big hit

[Hotdog60]

http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20K-O/BigWill246a.jpg
WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson's 56 hit-outs against Collingwood on Sunday is the highest tally since Champion Data started recording statistics in 1999. Not that Minson is getting carried away.

"Hit-outs is one of the most useless statistics in football," he said on Tuesday. "If you win the hit-out but the opposition gets the ball, there's no point."

Minson said a more accurate reflection of effectiveness would be coupling hit-outs with clearances. As far as that aspect is concerned, he believes the Dogs' performance against the Magpies was below par.

He speculates that part of the reason he and the Dogs midfielders struggled to co-ordinate was the fact that it was his first AFL game of the season.

"I probably lacked a bit of mojo with my midfielders to get things right," he said.

The big man gained his chance in the Bulldogs' team after three superb games with VFL affiliate Williamstown. He believes his time in the VFL meant that he was in good nick for the AFL match; VFL players are not as big as their AFL counterparts, so there's less bruising.

MORE (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/112992/default.aspx)

[Mofra]

He comes across as a pretty honest character does big Will. He should only just start hitting his peak from this year forward.

[LostDoggy]

He comes across as a pretty honest character does big Will. He should only just start hitting his peak from this year forward.

Happily subscribe to this theory as long as whatever ideological mountain peak he has been climbing has a very large and long plateau at the top.

[LostDoggy]

How did Will go on the weekend? I was away.
I've seen that he's been playing well for Willi' but was there any of the Big Will brain farts in the Collingwood game??

[always right]

How did Will go on the weekend? I was away.
I've seen that he's been playing well for Willi' but was there any of the Big Will brain farts in the Collingwood game??

My only criticism was that there were times he had jostled his way into a good position to mark and then went the punch. Almost seemed that he was under strict instructions to spoil on all occasions. Other than that he was certainly in our best 5.

[LostDoggy]

My only criticism was that there were times he had jostled his way into a good position to mark and then went the punch. Almost seemed that he was under strict instructions to spoil on all occasions. Other than that he was certainly in our best 5.

No silly free kicks given away?

[Desipura]

My only criticism was that there were times he had jostled his way into a good position to mark and then went the punch. Almost seemed that he was under strict instructions to spoil on all occasions. Other than that he was certainly in our best 5.

Spot on. In one passage of play in front of me, Minson had the sit on Krakouer and did not have the confidence to outmark him, so he opted to punch it out of bounce. I was thinking, if you cannot outmark Krakouer, who can you outmark?

[Ozza]

How did Will go on the weekend? I was away.
I've seen that he's been playing well for Willi' but was there any of the Big Will brain farts in the Collingwood game??

No ,Will played a very very good game without the brain fades. Didn't make any perplexes decisions with the ball either.

[Cyberdoggie]

No ,Will played a very very good game without the brain fades. Didn't make any perplexes decisions with the ball either.

There was only that baffling decision where O'Brian sat on his head and Will was deemed to have tunnelled his run.

I haven't seen the tv replay of this one yet but from the ground view i thought O'Brian took an unrealistic attempt at the mark and interfered with Will. The umpiring review with Derek H-S on SEN last night thought otherwise.

[EasternWest]

There was only that baffling decision where O'Brian sat on his head and Will was deemed to have tunnelled his run.

I haven't seen the tv replay of this one yet but from the ground view i thought O'Brian took an unrealistic attempt at the mark and interfered with Will. The umpiring review with Derek H-S on SEN last night thought otherwise.

Wow. What a surprise.

[LostDoggy]

He pretty much said the same thing to me when I interviewed him last year when he had 42 hit-outs for Williamstown.

[LostDoggy]

Good honest stuff and I was very happy to see him back in the side!:o

[LostDoggy]

No silly free kicks given away?

How about the sheppard on O'Brien? :)
Some players are protected (eg Judd, N Riewoldt, etc) while others seem to be penalised for just looking at the ump. The silly frees are not always his fault.

[Sedat]

How about the sheppard on O'Brien? :)
The umps feel sorry for Harry O because he approaches every aerial marking contest like a near-sighted, 3-legged giraffe

[Hotdog60]

Jeff Gieschen on the AFL site said the umpire got Harry O's free wrong and Will should have received the free.