2017 improvers

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Saint wagga
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2017 improvers

Post: # 1664009Post Saint wagga »

1/4 of the season is just about done and here are the guys i reckon have gone up a notch. Unfortunately, it's not that many; we haven't had any 2-4 year players really explode into the start of the season and perhaps this has been the most dissapointing aspect over the first 5 rounds. Early days yet and still plenty of time for young guys to find their groove and build a season. I mean Membrey only got his start in rd5 last year wasn't it ?!?! Guys like Wite, Rice, McCartin, McKenzie could all still come in and have an impact.

Acres, BIllings, Dunstan, Gresham, Membrey, Bruce, Newnes etc ...these guys could all have a big jump in output if it clicks...

Seb Ross - I reckon he's now A grader
Jimmy Webster - been very good since coming back in. Not getting beaten much, getting about 20 posi's a game, disposal efficiency good.
Roberton - Getting plenty of footy and benfiting from carlisle and brown getting the best forwards. He's been excellent.
Billings - this is a tough one, but I figure even though he's still inconsistent, he's only had one very quiet game. For mine he's looking more at home at AFL level, hopefully just keeps building as the year goes on.

What do other people think?


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664010Post mr six o'clock »

I agree with your Roberton assessment .
But I don't believe any other player has improved on last year .
Hopefully by round 12 my opinion will have changed .


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664015Post Playon »

I've said all along were slow to start the season with our skills level, predicting around at round 5 is when we'll come good, going by past seasons. Seems there maybe an issue here as opposed to other clubs where were working on fitness, fitness and fitness in the preseason and not enough on the skills department.
Even if it was only a third of the team it's enough to cause our losses. (how many points to date?)

Roberton has gone to another level, been fantastic
Billings will find his way if given time, when he looses the haunted look.
Membrey's goal kicking has been terrible compared to his usual output, although he's looked good on occasions playing up the ground. but then the only forward that's looked good is Roo, Expecting Membrey to slot some soon, 2 last week was a start.
Dunstan not convinced he's at afl level atm.
Steele great addition to the club
Acres more games for more improvement.

Rather than do a player by player analysis, I think we'll start to see the boys come good, unless were struck down by injuries


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664019Post Impatient Sainter »

Our backline is a huge step forward on last year and most are all playing well - Carlisle, Brown, Roberton, Webster & Geary. Gilbert is the only defender who still looks a bit lost with the new setups.

Jack Steel is a major pluss.
Seb Ross gone to levels I never thought were possible.
Longer fighting his way back to A grade.
Minchington looks fitter and sharper than ever.

Apart from that the remainder have been static or gone backwards eg Dunstan.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664026Post saintsRrising »

Impatient Sainter wrote: Longer fighting his way back to A grade.

.

A Grade?

Has only played one game and it was not that of an A-Grade Ruckman. Not even close.

I agree though with your other comments except that Dylan Roberton is having a very good season.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664029Post saintsRrising »

Saint wagga wrote: Seb Ross - I reckon he's now A grader
I think he plays some A Grade Games and is almost an A Grader but not quite.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664031Post Impatient Sainter »

saintsRrising wrote:
Impatient Sainter wrote: Longer fighting his way back to A grade.

.

A Grade?

Has only played one game and it was not that of an A-Grade Ruckman. Not even close.

I agree though with your other comments except that Dylan Roberton is having a very good season.
You know I meant AFL...


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664033Post WellardSaint »

mr six o'clock wrote:I agree with your Roberton assessment .
But I don't believe any other player has improved on last year .
Hopefully by round 12 my opinion will have changed .
Robbo is definitely feeling the effects of Carlisle and Brown, freeing him up to play the role of intercept sweeper.
He has only 'improved' because of a change in environment, like a person who is still exercising the same but has made a huge change in their diet.

We need Billings to step up. Tony74 told this forum last year, that JB was "working through some challenges" when he was with the Zebs.
It's time.
Bruce has to find his rhythm, he is missing something important, not sure what, but he needs some soul-searching.
Membrey exactly the same.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664043Post saintsRrising »

Impatient Sainter wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:
Impatient Sainter wrote: Longer fighting his way back to A grade.

.

A Grade?

Has only played one game and it was not that of an A-Grade Ruckman. Not even close.

I agree though with your other comments except that Dylan Roberton is having a very good season.
You know I meant AFL...

No. Why would I ? In AFL "A Grade" is not used to describe the Firsts, or Senior Team.

It is used as in the OP: "Seb Ross - I reckon he's now A grader" ...as in players of a high standard at senior level.


But yes now I know what you meant, I still disagree.
Ruckman need to impact around the ground. He has little impact and his marking is poor.
He wins more taps than Hickey, but does not direct it well.
He still lacks a tank.
But yes he is still young for a ruckman.

But compared to last year when he "disappeared" he is looking much better.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664047Post White Winmar »

I think this thread nails what our problem is this year. We finished last year full of running, with a number of younger players showing great promise. I anticipated that we'd see further improvement, with a couple being pleasant surprises. So far, our recruits, Brown, Steele and Carlisle have been good, but apart from Ross and Webster, we seem to be treading water. If Billy Longer is the best we can throw up if Hickey goes down, we are in real trouble. White, McKenzie, Sinclair, Peirce and Rice have yet to appear. McCartin has had no impact. That is a real worry. Your number one pick is playing VFL after being dropped for poor form. In his third year. At least there's plenty of time left this year, but those who predicted this would be a year where we tread water and further develop young talent, appear to be correct. Now, over to AR to provide opportunities.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664049Post WellardSaint »

White Winmar wrote:I think this thread nails what our problem is this year. We finished last year full of running, with a number of younger players showing great promise. I anticipated that we'd see further improvement, with a couple being pleasant surprises. So far, our recruits, Brown, Steele and Carlisle have been good, but apart from Ross and Webster, we seem to be treading water. If Billy Longer is the best we can throw up if Hickey goes down, we are in real trouble. White, McKenzie, Sinclair, Peirce and Rice have yet to appear. McCartin has had no impact. That is a real worry. Your number one pick is playing VFL after being dropped for poor form. In his third year. At least there's plenty of time left this year, but those who predicted this would be a year where we tread water and further develop young talent, appear to be correct. Now, over to AR to provide opportunities.
I recall in High School Economics, the "rule of diminishing returns" which says that you get to a point with improvements where the increases are very small. Like putting a turbo on a 4-cylinder gives a big increase in horsepower, % and actual. Put a turbo on a V8, and it might be a smaller % increase- diminishing returns.
Ross and Webster have improved marginally over last year, and they might be close to their peak now.

I am worried that AR intends to stick firmly to his plan, and his favourites (my whipping boys are a matter of public record, so won't repeat)
This year won't be better than 2016, and in fact we may win fewer, due to the tougher draw (which you mentioned re Champion Data)
2018 they really need to be careful with that Hawks pic and the Free Agent.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664051Post Stephen Theodore »

White Winmar wrote:I think this thread nails what our problem is this year. We finished last year full of running, with a number of younger players showing great promise. I anticipated that we'd see further improvement, with a couple being pleasant surprises. So far, our recruits, Brown, Steele and Carlisle have been good, but apart from Ross and Webster, we seem to be treading water. If Billy Longer is the best we can throw up if Hickey goes down, we are in real trouble. White, McKenzie, Sinclair, Peirce and Rice have yet to appear. McCartin has had no impact. That is a real worry. Your number one pick is playing VFL after being dropped for poor form. In his third year. At least there's plenty of time left this year, but those who predicted this would be a year where we tread water and further develop young talent, appear to be correct. Now, over to AR to provide opportunities.
Yep, on the ball with the above I reckon.

Seb Ross has been fantastic so far this season, but I'd be loath to say he's an A Grader yet, yes he's been around elite standard so far this season, lets see where he is at end of season, if he's still performing at present level, then I agree.

Our backline is a positive in my books so far this season. I think Carlisle & Brown have been good, Brown is a consistently good AFL standard footballer, whilst Carlisle is about ready to go whack, maybe even a multi goal effort forward in a first/second half of a game.

Stating the obvious when I say we're two really good midfielders short, plenty has been spoken on here about what we need to recruit in midfield so I'll leave that alone.

Forward line has been disappointing in my opinion, they've had opportunities and a lot of them, wayward kicking doesn't improve confidence either, but fair to say Membrey, McCartin, Bruce and the smaller forwards have been disappointing, with the exception of Gresham who's been reasonably good.

In my opinion finals are highly unlikely in 2017, unless some sort of major turnaround, which is ok to be honest, we're no where near the top teams, but recruiting a gun mid and the (hopefully) improvement of key forwards should have us getting a bit more excited in 2018, not to mention the FIXture, let's face it, the perennial ninethers have a dream draw and we now have the likes of Kevin Bartlett talking about a 22-0 season, me thinks Kev just had a little look at the Tiges draw, it does play a part, never used to but does now, big time.
Last edited by Stephen Theodore on Thu 27 Apr 2017 10:05am, edited 2 times in total.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664065Post saintsRrising »

Stephen Theodore wrote:, wayward kicking doesn't improve confidence either,
.
2017
For: 62 G 79 B Total 141 Scoring Shots
Against: 73 G 55 B Total 128 Scoring Shots

In cricket they say catches win matches. Well in AFL accuracy can too!

We are not making the most of our opportunities.


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Re: 2017 improvers

Post: # 1664180Post Scollop »

From what I saw ffrom our first away game...i'd say we have an improver in Alan Richardson

Sure, he is a long way off proving himself because we are still far from being a contender, but imo his graph is in uptrend


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