5 rounds in - player performances

[Pies2016]

Anyone noticed our incessant fumbling and lack of ball handling skills that when incurred, immediately results in a clearance to the opposition. Chief offenders of this include:
* McCreery
* Mitchell
* Sidebottom
* Pendles: yes in 2024 he looks like he is handling a cake of soap
* DeGoey
* Crisp
* Lipinski

What do they have in common? 90% are our midfielders. Improvement urgently required.

Josh Daicos NEVER fumbles! Take heed.

It’s a good point and it’s been an epidemic at the club this year. I would also add Hill, Quaynor and even Nick is down on his usual sublime ball craft.
More than anything, it’s our fumbling that’s killing us. We’re so used to peeling off the moment we take the ball, as soon as we fumble, we’re caught out going the wrong way without the ball and easily scored against.
It’s extremely unusual to have so many quality players fumble collectively and the obvious conclusion would be it’s still an area that requires significantly more work to be done.
Personally, I place some blame for the poor skill level on the fixturing. Continual short turnarounds don’t allow for skill work to be honed because the short weeks are spent on rehab, the gym and a bit of kick to kick ( and occasionally travel is also thrown in ) Skills need to be improved under pressure situations and that’s best done during match sim like conditions but that’s difficult to replicate when you’re playing four games in 19 days.
I think there will be a real focus on improving skills under pressure over the next couple weeks to coincide with the extended break and then the bye.
I expect a sharper Collingwood after the bye but it will still stand for little if we also don’t maintain the heat for longer during games.

[Johnno75]

Forget Kruger, he spends more time in the rehab group than anywhere else. He may even hold the AFL record for rehab time in an AFL career.

I’d like to see Richards and Sullivan get reward for effort in the VFL. Hopeful on Eyre and DiMattia when they are fit again.

[The Black and White Lion]

In addition the first list I would say:
Improved
McInnes, Schultz (compared to weeks 0&1), Richards, Begg, Harrison, Sullivan

Steady
Carmichael, Bytel, Dean, Allan, Steene (only because he hasn’t played)

Declined
Johnson

The reality of this list is the cupboard is pretty bare. Let’s enjoy a few more wins while we can as the medium term looks bleak over the next 3-5years

[K]

...
The reality of this list is the cupboard is pretty bare. Let’s enjoy a few more wins while we can as the medium term looks bleak over the next 3-5years

And that's just when Tassie will scoop up all the draft picks (plus one "star" player from each club) ...so rebuilding then will be hard.

[Pies2016]

Highest-ranked pressure game by any Club so far in 2024. Last week against Brisbane was also in the top 5 for the year so far. Not everything is clicking - but they're getting back the key ingredient of their success in 2022/2023.

Just on the above, as I understand it, although Collingwood recorded the highest pressure rating score for any club this year, that score in itself may have only be sustained for an isolated period. If that’s correct, then the problem arises, as it did against Hawthorn, when we can’t sustain anything like those numbers in the second half. I think the numbers went something like from 210 odd down to 170 odd in the second half.
You could argue a team would be better served going at a 185 rating for the entire match, rather than a record breaking burst that simply can’t be maintained for an extended period ( although obviously it’s not that linear )

[RudeBoy]

I agree with most people's assessment of our players performances so far.
I'd just add that my main concern is that we have not really improved our senior squad at all. Obviously, we've added Schultz, but he is only marginally an improvement on Ginni, whom we lost.

Last year our team (which had lost the Prelim by one point the previous season) added Markov, Bobby Hill, Frampton and McStay.

My worry is that, as the performance of elder players inevitably decline in their latter years, every team needs to add new senior players to its squad every season and this year we have not done so. It doesn't bode well.

[Pies2016]

Five weeks is a long time in footy and when you add in the new faces of Sullivan, Richards and Harrison since those first five weeks, suddenly the first couple rounds seem a distant memory.
Where there was once no depth in the VFL ( although not everyone felt that way ) there are now additional options that could help return us to our best as the season rolls on.
Funny game, footy.

[RudeBoy]

Spot on P2016. I was concerned, just a couple of weeks ago, that we had not added any new talent to our team. As you've noted, we've suddenly unearthed several new players from our VFL stocks who look like ready made AFL players. In particular, Harrison, Richards and Sullivan already have a stamp of eliteness about them. The only thing that would make me happier would be to see a key position player, like Begg or Dean, step up and provide senior options for us.

[LaurieHolden]

Return question Laurie - How would you rate the games of Harrison, Sullivan, Richards, and McRae?
I thought Harrison the best of them - he has such quick hands and his disposal decision making seems to be top class.

I'll bang this in here as it drifts from the post-match thread.

Well, the good thing is they've all played a role.
Harrison looks to have the work rate that would indicate a role on the wing or midfield is ahead of him. Watch late in the game when he runs with Naicos after the being involved in the clearance from the D50. It's elite pace and running. He did it last week as well. With pace, sure hands and on evidence to date natural football nous, he's surely marked for >100 games. I think I might have mentioned it in his player thread, appears to be what John Kennedy Snr used to call 'a good mover in heavy traffic'. Will need more TOG to prove he can do it for more than 2 quarters.
Richards is the one at the moment though that I think is going to have the biggest impact this season. He's a one touch player and with his pace hunts the opposition to create further opportunity. I'm genuinely excited by what he's going to bring to the group over coming seasons. Plays with maturity so I don't think his size is going to hold him back. Between he and Hill, it's going to cause serious headaches for opposition coaches.
Sullivan has filled the Mitchell vacancy with aplomb, although you'd have to go with the experience of Mitchell once he returns.
Macrae is doing everything asked of him. He played another solid game on the weekend and looks to be improving incrementally each week, but I really can't say what his point of difference is. What exactly will he bring to this side that we're desperate for? What are his elite traits? While it's perhaps too early to call that aspect out, I'm still unsure if the ceiling is much higher and if we do land the calibre of a McCluggage or Davise-Uniacke, it's going to make it hard for him to force his way into the starting list each week.

Harrison ~ in 4 matches, 40.8% TOG, 8 pressure acts;
Richards ~ 3 matches, 83.0 % TOG, 23.5 pressure acts;
Sullivan ~ 2 matches, 61.30% TOG, 13.0 pressure acts;
McRae ~ 2 matches, 81.50% TOG, 20.0 pressure acts.

[gurugeoff]

very hopeful on Harrison and Richards
less so on the other two, adequate depth players when you need them, which we did, but not enough oomph in may opinion to propel you towards a premiership

[qldmagpie67]

^

Really good summary Laurie.
I think Harrison has the best upside, he seems calm when thinking his way through traffic. He would appear the natural replacement for Sidey on a wing really. His burst speed is noticeable and suits our game style perfectly
Can pinch hit in the middle and slip forward to provide a goal or assist and run back and add pressure to opponent forwards as required.
It’s a small sample size but getting up from an ankle shows he has some grit snout him as well.

I like Richard’s there just something about him. He’s hard at it and does a lot well
Sullivan will be handy when required but looks like a depth player
McRae is going about it ok. He’s not overly good nor bad which at the moment is enough when you have Crisp Nick and Pendles going so well

[duke750]

I am really disappointed in what I have seen of Reef McInnes. He is very slow and sluggish, and tends to fumble (in fact a fumble led directly to his concussion). The alarm bells rang in the Eagles game when he tried to chase a defender - very pedestrian. He may be above VFL standard, but I do not think he is up to AFL. We will not progress far this year if we rely on Reef to be a major focus up forward.

[LaurieHolden]

^For a player blessed with elite speed, I really expected that we'd be clearer on his point of difference.
That to me should be his leading speed in order to get separation from his opponent and that speed also becomes part of his defensive game where he'd put the bit between the teeth and chase defenders down.
He's a better than average set shot and has sound hands when it comes to marking.

As an aside, I look at Jake Waterman (pick #77 in the 2016 draft). Similar physical attributes @ 192cm / 92kg and he's 26. It's taken 93 games for him to arrive. In 6 seasons he hadn't kicked over 20 goals in any season.

For a 21 y/o @ 194cm / 90kg I do think we persevere with Reef. Team dynamics (injuries) are working against him. While Mihocek and McStay are on the sidelines, he's been thrown in the deep end, into a role where he's up against a key defender. (+ he's kicked more goals than Max King this year!...go figure)
I can't help but think he's got a maturing head on his shoulders and in that his innate talent remains coachable. As a result, we're still seeing this kid being moulded into a player that will be key part of our 2025+ forward line.

[Pies2016]

Still reckon McInnes is being asked to do to much in a team without Miochek and / or McStay.
Having said that, he’s still kicked five in his last 2 games and that includes close to half a game on the bench. His season average is currently 1.8 goals per game, so if I’m McInnes, I’m feeling pretty good myself right now (concussion aside)
Max King is averaging 1.3 goals per game this season and 1.9 goals a game over his career ( his brother also has an identical career 1.9 goals per game average) Key forward is a tough gig and sometimes we need to accept McInnes wont win his position every week, especially at only twenty one. Hawkins hasn’t kicked a goal for a month, so there’s a further reminder of the fickleness of the position. I don’t know if he will make it or not but faults aside ( and every player has them) he’s tracking fairly nicely from a goal kicking statistical point of view.

[RudeBoy]

If Reef has elite speed, it's certainly something I've yet to see. To my eye he is somewhat of a plodder.