AFL 2006 - Round 6

[meltiger]

well lets look at the total amount of errors from last round games (thanks to pro-stats.com.au)

Rich 53 Carl 57
Melb 72 North 60
Crows 60 Dogs 57
WCE 54 Bris 50
Syd 56 Geel 50
STK 59 Freo 55
Coll 35 PTA 58
Hawks 45 Ess 48

Saw this on PRE too, you beat me too the much mate.


Great stats as it proves people look solely to the scoreboard to decide how skillful a game was.


Thought I'd say though, given the weather on the day, that is a sensational stat for Hawthorn & Essendon.

 

[meltiger]

*edit*

hmmm decided against picking a fight with Kev


lol

 

[lockyno1]

Oh come on tiger, you know you want to! By the way congrats on the win. I was there and it was a great day. Big weekend for me. Went to the ANZAC TEST and the Bombers game! Great to have frequent-flyer points!

 

[CyberKev]

Well, I'm back on deck after an Internet-free weekend.

Some musings:

1) Good result for the Tigers, with Essendon again going down in a thriller. I'd need to look back over the records, but I'm sure it would show that Richmond's record in close matches is second to none over recent years. I remember them going down by a point to West Coast last year, but I can also recall another 7-8 instances where they have won games by single figure margins.

2) Excellent debut by "The Shirt", and the AFL will be hard pressed not to give him the nomination this weekend, although his effort was similar to young Rosa's debut effort for West Coast in round 2, and I believe the young fellow remains unnominated. Elsewhere, Jobe Watson must surely be pushing for the most improved player award.

3) Kosi... He certainly is doing it hard and was ridiculously unlucky to come out of that contest with such a nasty injury. It was a good hard and fair hit by Giansiracusa, and the resulting head clash was just one of those unfortunate things. Kosi's woes are bad for the Saints and bad for football, nonetheless.

4) Akermanis... Its all good and fine to be making the poncey gestures and to be mouthing-off when things are running your way, but he is failing to impress anybody during Brisbane's downtime. Publicly bagging the coach is one thing, but his petulance yesterday was beyond belief, and he'll want to thing long and hard about his role at the club during the holiday he gets midweek.

5) Thompson... Responded strongly to overworked aspersions about his ticker with a career best performance on the weekend. I predicted that he would kick 8 goals in a four-goal Kangaroos win, and such foresight brings me no joy.

6) Dawson... Cost the Hawks a second game for 2006 by allowing another strong forward a career best 8-goal performance. Its hard on the lad, who has played well in other games, but I'm making the call that he is not up to it. Will watch Stephen Gilham's progress at Box Hill with interest.

7) Geelong... Essentially were prematurely celebrating a premiership win after round 2, but not only lack "go up", but are also being found out for their usual stock standard hard at it consistency.

8) Sydney... Perhaps more of a premiership threat in this competition than they were last season.

9) Special mention to Freo for what was a huge win for them in any context.

 

[lockyno1]

Kev, I don't agree with Sydney. You are forgetting the fact that their ruck department is very limited. Ball will be too big a loss for back to back flags.

 

[CyberKev]

Kev, I don't agree with Sydney. You are forgetting the fact that their ruck department is very limited. Ball will be too big a loss for back to back flags.

Meh.

Every team in the comp is carrying a clear weakness (or weaknesses) of some description.

 

[lockyno1]

Meh.

Every team in the comp is carrying a clear weakness (or weaknesses) of some description.

Yes, but a ruck weakness is massive. Look at the real contenders:

WC- Cox
Bulldogs- Skipper
Adelaide- They have plenty of good ruck'rs
etc.

Sydney have 2 average ruckmen! They will be there around finals time, no doubt but will not win the flag. Yes teams have weknesses but most of them you can adopt your game around. If you have aglaring ruck problem your midfield is getting very difficult ball to play with.

 

[CyberKev]

Yes, but a ruck weakness is massive. Look at the real contenders:

WC- Cox
Bulldogs- Skipper
Adelaide- They have plenty of good ruck'rs
etc.

Sydney have 2 average ruckmen! They will be there around finals time, no doubt but will not win the flag. Yes teams have weknesses but most of them you can adopt your game around. If you have aglaring ruck problem your midfield is getting very difficult ball to play with.

Cox is fab, but Skipper isn't brilliant and the Adelaide rucks are solid rather than spectacular.

These days, you can shark plenty of ball, even if your own ruckman isn't winning centre bounces.

The Swans ruck situation is less of a weakness than the Eagles forward deficiencies, and the Crows minimal forward power for that matter. The Swans ruck situation is also far less of a burden than the Bulldogs lack of KPP options.

 

[lockyno1]

Cox is fab, but Skipper isn't brilliant and the Adelaide rucks are solid rather than spectacular.

These days, you can shark plenty of ball, even if your own ruckman isn't winning centre bounces.

The Swans ruck situation is less of a weakness than the Eagles forward deficiencies, and the Crows minimal forward power for that matter. The Swans ruck situation is also far less of a burden than the Bulldogs lack of KPP options.

The Eagles would be ok up forward if Adam Hunter played CHF every week. I just don't think WC need it as tehy can get around it by their midfield and ruck thrashing everyone. Look the Swans were hardly convincing yesterday considering most sides are giving Brisbane a good old fashioned hiding. Thie ruck will be exposed.

 

[CyberKev]

The Eagles would be ok up forward if Adam Hunter played CHF every week.

Hunter is a flanking player who could only hold down a key post in short bursts.

I just don't think WC need it as tehy can get around it by their midfield and ruck thrashing everyone.

The Eagles rarely thrash anyone, and when they do, you can bet it'll be on the confines of Fortress Subi when they can run wide and into the spaces to override their lack of forward marking strength.

Look the Swans were hardly convincing yesterday considering most sides are giving Brisbane a good old fashioned hiding. Thie ruck will be exposed.

West Coast in Perth and Geelong at Geelong (in the form they were in then) would trouble anybody, and they haven't been "thrashed" outside of those games. Sydney was well on top of Brisbane at the Gabba yesterday, and played well within itself. For them, the form of Goodes would have been worth more than the 4 points received for the win.

At this point, Sydney are as much of a chance as anyone, particularly if they can have another blessed injury run.

 

[meltiger]

1) Good result for the Tigers, with Essendon again going down in a thriller. I'd need to look back over the records, but I'm sure it would show that Richmond's record in close matches is second to none over recent years. I remember them going down by a point to West Coast last year, but I can also recall another 7-8 instances where they have won games by single figure margins.

Spot on, we are winning most close games. The West Coast cheating episode being one of the few exceptions, although it was a 2 point margin from memory.


Unhappily, goal kicking accuracy is still clearly a weakness looking at the last 2 weeks.


Looking back to last year, this sort of sh*t conversion rate almost cost us the r21 game against Hawthorn, and almost certainly did cost us the game against Nth Melbourne (6 goal loss after kicking 10.20 under the roof)


For us to be any kind of threat to any half decent outfit (Which we have been lucky enough not to have played in the last 2 weeks) we need to improve on this facet of the game.


We kick 13.19 against the Swans on Sat Arvo under the roof and we'll lose.

 

[CyberKev]

We kick 13.19 against the Swans on Sat Arvo under the roof and we'll lose.

Not if they kick 13.18 ;-)

 

[CyberKev]

At least you broke the mould on your 'lock of the round' run :lol:

I'm sizzling like the proverbial sausage...

back-to-back on the lock front.

Looking forward to going back-to-back-to-back this weekend.

 

[CyberKev]

i am also shocked at all the outrage being expressed of Chris Judd's so called 'shabby treatment' by Fremantle fans yesterday.


if it was any player other than Judd, would the media be so hysterical?

Where's the outrage about him continually going home with other people's awards?

First the Brownlow, then the Norm Smith (worst injustice of all), then the goal of the year (no, hang on, maybe this was the worst injustice) then yesterday's meaningless home derby trophy...

Has lifted well over the past fortnight though, I must say.

 

[lockyno1]

Where's the outrage about him continually going home with other people's awards?

First the Brownlow, then the Norm Smith (worst injustice of all), then the goal of the year (no, hang on, maybe this was the worst injustice) then yesterday's meaningless home derby trophy...

Has lifted well over the past fortnight though, I must say.

Come on Kev, the Brownlow was all his- he was the best that year and by a fair margin as well. The Norm Smith was always going to go to him as Sydney was a "team effort" rather than a individual performance. Not the only time a losing team has won the Norm Smith. Goal of the year awards are very subjective, brad johnson should have won it that year though. This weeks medal, I may have given it to haselby but I had no dramas as to judd getting it. He is a superstar.

 

[CyberKev]

Come on Kev, the Brownlow was all his- he was the best that year and by a fair margin as well.

He was not.

Reiwoldt was the best player that season with Tredrea not far behind.

Judd was among a clump of midfielders, several of whom had better statistical seasons and more impact in a genuine sense. I rated him about the 9th best player in the comp.

Worse players than Judd have won the Brownlow, but no player has ever had the media backing that Judd has, and it was certainly worth a good many extra votes that season.

The Norm Smith was always going to go to him as Sydney was a "team effort" rather than a individual performance.

I'm not against players winning the Norm Smith from a losing side, but when there are several better performers on the winning side, and when the player concerned continually sprays possession all over the shop, then it makes a mockery of the medal.

Goal of the year awards are very subjective, brad johnson should have won it that year though. This weeks medal, I may have given it to haselby but I had no dramas as to judd getting it.

Johnson was just one of many better options. Unfortunately for Johnson & co, they don't carry the same media clout as Judd does.

He is a superstar.

No, he is a fine player, not a superstar.

A player like Leigh Matthews was a superstar. On a bad day he could get more of the ball than Judd can on average, and he'd commonly cause more havoc with it to boot. He averaged almost 3 goals a game, despite playing the vast majority of his career as a rover.

Carey was also a class above a player like Judd. Give Carey the ball twenty times during a match and he'd cause far more damage than Judd with 40 possessions.

Judd is strong, fast and can get the ball, which makes him a player worth having, but to be a superstar he needs to:

a) improve his ordinary marking ability
b) improve his disposal skills, and
c) work harder defensively

The superstar label is definitely bandied about far too liberally these days.

 

[lockyno1]

Kev, honestly who would you have given the Norm Smith to then? Judd was BOG easily. Roberts-Thomson was Sydney's best but I would not have given it to him.

 

[camsmith]

Come on Kev.. Judd is only getting better. If he isn't a superstar yet.. he will be in a couple of years once he has one another brownlow medal.


(...like Deledio ;-) )

 

[meltiger]

I agree with Kev...

 

[CyberKev]

Kev, honestly who would you have given the Norm Smith to then? Judd was BOG easily. Roberts-Thomson was Sydney's best but I would not have given it to him.

Adam Goodes, Amon Buchanan & Lewis Roberts-Thomson all had better games that day than Judd, and while Michael O'Loughlin got less possession than Judd and missed a few kicks on goal, in real terms he had more impact on the match as well.

So no, Judd was not BOG and given the nature of his wayward disposal that day, he was actually one of the better players for the Swans.

But, as usual, he made a few gallops on the day, and the pandering masses gave the usual "Ooh, ahh, Glenn McGrath!" sighs.

By far the weakest performance to have ever received a Norm Smith medal.