103 games

Mooksy · Post: # 556727Post **Mooksy** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:05pm

The number of games X Clarke has played.

What. Has. He. Done.?

Someone please tell me.

Mooksy · Post: # 556741Post **Mooksy** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:12pm

Well?

saint66au · Post: # 556744Post **saint66au** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:15pm

Coldnt wait more than 7 minutes for someone to reply before bumping up your own post???

Heres a clue...hes had more possessions than you ever will

Here.endeth.discussion.

Mooksy · Post: # 556749Post **Mooksy** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:17pm

saint66au wrote:Coldnt wait more than 7 minutes for someone to reply before bumping up your own post???

Heres a clue...hes had more possessions than you ever will

Here.endeth.discussion.

Oh what a ridiculous response. I'll take that as an answer for exacvtly what I'm thinking. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Little Dozer · Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:18pm

X has been ok, there is still hope for him. On the other hand blokes like Blake and Fiora, god knows how they are on our list.

SaintWal · Post: # 556752Post **SaintWal** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:21pm

X at his best is very good player that can play back, forward or if needed in the midfield. He is lacking confidence at present along with three quarters of the side.

Mooksy · Post: # 556754Post **Mooksy** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:22pm

SaintWal wrote:X at his best is very good player that can play back, forward or if needed in the midfield. He is lacking confidence at present along with three quarters of the side.

This has been the same excuse for years now. I'd go as far to say he is the worst current day player in the competition to play 100 games or more.

Buckets · Post: # 556760Post **Buckets** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:23pm

SaintWal wrote:X at his best is very good player that can play back, forward or if needed in the midfield. He is lacking confidence at present along with three quarters of the side.

Not only is he lacking confidence he seems afraid that if he tries to do something flashy that he will face the wrath of Lyon.
That and someone really needs to teach him how to tackle!

Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:24pm

do you mean besides failing to keep his feet in a contest, being unable to execute a tackle requiring body on body strength, or perhaps running along side play rather than gut running into a receive to advantage position or does flying high for a huge mark and only managing to miss the ball completely or does one of his magical runs that involve him running into trouble and disposing of it with the accuracy of the third worst player in the under 12s constitute "doing something"? He has done alot in 102 games. But the only thing meaningful has been his charity work. He has never been in my best 22 - I simply do not rate him at all.

and dont get me started on his brother!

SaintWal · Post: # 556762Post **SaintWal** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:24pm

Wow, hasn't Fiora played a 100 Games?

Mooksy · Post: # 556769Post **Mooksy** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:31pm

SaintWal wrote:Wow, hasn't Fiora played a 100 Games?

I reckon Fiora has had a better 100 games.

Mooksy · Post: # 556771Post **Mooksy** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:32pm

BackFromUSA wrote:do you mean besides failing to keep his feet in a contest, being unable to execute a tackle requiring body on body strength, or perhaps running along side play rather than gut running into a receive to advantage position or does flying high for a huge mark and only managing to miss the ball completely or does one of his magical runs that involve him running into trouble and disposing of it with the accuracy of the third worst player in the under 12s constitute "doing something"? He has done alot in 102 games. But the only thing meaningful has been his charity work. He has never been in my best 22 - I simply do not rate him at all.

and dont get me started on his brother!

You and I are kindred souls. I was even going to ene my original post with "and don't get me started on his brother".

vacuous space · Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:43pm

103 games, 7 times over 20 disposals. He's never really improved on what he was when he came into the league. He was supposed to be a dominant mid-forward, but it's never really happened. He's hardly the worst player in our 22, but he's a long way from the best, especially considering where we got him and in what draft.

saintsRrising · Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:20pm

Games Kicks Handballs Disposals Marks Goals Behinds Tackles Hitouts Frees For Frees Ag. Brownlow

Fiora

134 7.3 4.1 11.4 4.0 0.4 0.5 1.4 0.3 0.6 0.6

X

103 7.1 4.6 11.8 3.7 0.5 0.5 2.1 0 0.6 0.6 0.05

Not really a lot of difference stats wise.....

nathan000 · Post: # 556881Post **nathan000** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:24pm

xavier has had a lot of bad luck through injury, he is still a very young player and when on song i think he's one of our elite midfielders, he is also good enough to play up forward to which is very valuable for us when milne isn't on song. xavier has alot of courage which seems to of only developed over the last couple of years which i think means he's found confidence in himself and he feels like he belongs in afl football. there is still another 16 rounds left this year and i think he'll make the most of them, at least i hope he does.

mad saint guy · Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:30pm

nathan000 wrote:xavier has had a lot of bad luck through injury, he is still a very young player and when on song i think he's one of our elite midfielders

Now I am a fan of X, but he is no longer a young player and he is miles off being considered elite. Right now he's an ok, but inconsistent midfielder/half forward who is unsure of his role in the side.

Some weeks he seems to think he's a pure midfielder, sometimes he's a defensive half forward, sometimes he's a wide receiver, sometimes he's a crumbing forward and occasionally he is a marking target.

Spinner · Post: # 556891Post **Spinner** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:33pm

Is it just me or is Xavier's attack on the ball pre-season always different t that of a real game?

Its like he chooses pre-game whether he will go in hard or not.

bergsone · Post: # 556896Post **bergsone** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:37pm

every time i look at x ,i think he is close to taking the next step ,but hasnt happened yet .wasted talent ,time will tell .hope it doesnt take too long

nathan000 · Post: # 556898Post **nathan000** » Mon 28 Apr 2008 11:41pm

i more so ment that xavier can be one of our elite midfielders when he is playing his very best football, thats my thoughts.

ROLS-LEE · Post: # 557028Post **ROLS-LEE** » Tue 29 Apr 2008 4:32am

both fiora and x are finishers that dont finish. same as gram and dal when going for goal. If these players kick goals from around the arc it would stop midfield players filling the arc.

Also from a centre bounce, when have we ran out of the square and kick a goal from fifty last????

bozza1980 · Post: # 557119Post **bozza1980** » Tue 29 Apr 2008 11:43am

It's an interesting question.

A few times he has looked like he was about to grab AFL footy by the scruff of the neck and hasn't quite done so.

He looked good at different times on Saturday night but other respondents are right, he needs to improve his physicallity or he will be a liability.

The Peanut · Tue 29 Apr 2008 12:18pm

bozza1980 wrote:It's an interesting question.

A few times he has looked like he was about to grab AFL footy by the scruff of the neck and hasn't quite done so.

He looked good at different times on Saturday night but other respondents are right, he needs to improve his physicallity or he will be a liability.

Sheesh ... when the Saints look bad it appears that either X or Raph get a spanking - sure, neither of them have fullfilled their potential but they are not Robinson Crusoe ... without pointing fingers at any other players in particular.

Interesting stats sRs but they do not demonstrate what I believe to be X's strengths - head over the ball - hard ball gets - usually an excellent kick (except when going for goal

). And I rate Fiora as a pretty good outside player who has the legs to compete for four quarters and quite handy to have up our sleave when needed.

A game of footy is a balance of many things and the confidence of the 'team' appears 'very low' at the moment and supporters dwelling on individaul players performances will not help matters. I just hope the players have a computer ban on footy sites.

BAM! (shhhh) · Tue 29 Apr 2008 12:48pm

X is averaging about 14 disposals a game (4 contested possessions per), with an efficiency of around 75%. He's averaging 3 tackles a game. He's taken 24 marks (1 contested) and kicked 5.2.

He's also 2nd on the team in goal assists, 3rd in iside 50s, and 8th in rebound 50s to boot. So his possessions have been valuable, which just increases the need for there to be more of them.

I've thought he's looked mroe comfortable this year, but it hasn't translated as he's continued to do pretty much what he's always done. He'll flash up for 5 minutes as in the Port game, but he'll fail to really impact the game as his speed and talent would suggest he can. Things like the missed tackles Saturday night are not what you'd like from a good 100 game player in the mid/forward role.

For now, he's unfortunately indicative of where the Saints seem to be at. He's comfortably in the best 22, but doesn't look like he's about to take the next step (20 poss per game, above goal a game scoring, high pressure via his speed forcing turnovers reflected in high tackle count and demanding of more time in the middle). Given the i50 and GA stats, more possessions for X would be a big win for the Saints.

What's he done in 100 games? Been a passable AFL player.