Scott Pendlebury (Silk)

[Dave The Man]

Okay I'll say this much: I'm sick and tired of the amount of negativity after a loss. Head over to bigfooty and get a load of this sort of shit:

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=443913

However, I do kind of agree with this thread. Pendlebury is close to our best user of the ball, and I wouldn't want anyone else hitting our forwards. He is averaging just under 2 long kicks per game this year (18th at the club), compared to guys like Ablett, Mitchell, C.Cornes, McLeod, Bartel, Burgoyne etc. who all average over 5 long kicks per game. He does have it in him, because I've seen him hit targets around 50m away several times, he just chooses the shorter option more often than not. Hopefully he becomes our number 1 deliverer of the pill inside 50... as opposed to Johnson, R.Shaw, Obree and Swan who are all ahead of him in this regard.

Yeah I have read those Idiots Ideas on BF.

Yeah Pendles should be more Aggresive with his Kicks and Just put in the 50 When he gets it.

I think he feels like he is still young and Player More Senior should do it

[kickit2me]

What I see, in just about every game that he plays, are the backwards and sideways steps he takes when the ball is there to be won. A real worry.

[Zakal]

its called 'evasion'...an ability people in the know actually praise him for.

[kickit2me]

It's called evasion when you have the ball...not when you're going for the ball.

[kickit2me]

people in the know

Sorry if my 15 years of playing experience isn't enough to be "in the know".

[Zakal]

It's called evasion when you have the ball...not when you're going for the ball.

He leads the club in tackles mate, he can't be avoiding too many contests.

Club leading tackler,
Equal 3rd in Contested Possessions,
4th in 1%ers.

[kickit2me]

...and is 1st in baulking and taking a look when the ball is there to be won.

There's a difference between laying tackles when your opposition has the ball, and approaching a contest with trepidation.

I like the bloke...that's why I watch him more intently than any other player....but he needs to remove this weakness from his game if he really wants to become our key midfielder.

[Zakal]

...and is 1st in baulking and taking a look when the ball is there to be won.

...and your evidence for this would be?

There's a difference between laying tackles when your opposition has the ball, and approaching a contest with trepidation.

...which is there the contested possessions and 1%ers come in. He is a club leader in all those areas. The facts support this, even if your impression of his style of play does not. Perhaps your confusing 'approaching a contest with trepidation' with an intelligent reading of the play.

[Magpie_Dan]

Hmmmmm!!!

[kickit2me]

I wouldn't call "approaching a contest with trepidation" intelligent play, especially when possession is gained by the opposition. I would though, classify it as lucky if the balls spills into his path.

The stats on his hard ball gets and 1%ers don't paint the full picture. Sure he'll get a disputed ball when he's not travelling at pace, or in open space (ie: a pack situation)....but when the ball is in some space, and the opposition and Pendles are in a position to win it, he, at times, pulls out.

Evidence is courtesy of the Collingwood torrents.

Since video production/photography is my forte, and my career, I consider myself visually astute...and since I have all the tools needed, and all the games from 2007-08, I might even make a video highlighting this weakness.

[Zakal]

I wouldn't call "approaching a contest with trepidation" intelligent play, especially when possession is gained by the opposition. I would though, classify it as lucky if the balls spills into his path.

No they would be two mutually exclusive viewpoints of the same set of facts...not two points meant to be twisted together to make a marshmellow look like a genius.

The stats on his hard ball gets and 1%ers don't paint the full picture. Sure he'll get a disputed ball when he's not travelling at pace, or in open space (ie: a pack situation)....but when the ball is in some space, and the opposition and Pendles are in a position to win it, he, at times, pulls out.

Im not sure im following what you're actually accusing him of:
- First you said it was taking backwards and sideways steps instead of winning the ball.

- Then when i said he's one of our leading contested ball winners and tacklers, you said he wins plenty of the contested ball...but only when he's not travelling at pace or in a pack situation, not in open space, and then kindly put it down to Luck rather than hard work or skill.

- Now you are criticising him for not winning the ball that is out in space...which is, by definition, a loose ball get or uncontested possession. Pendles is club 4th in those too.

[kickit2me]

I wouldn't call "approaching a contest with trepidation" intelligent play, especially when possession is gained by the opposition. I would though, classify it as lucky if the balls spills into his path.

No they would be two mutually exclusive viewpoints of the same set of facts...not two points meant to be twisted together to make a marshmellow look like a genius.

Try two possibilities. Only one will eventuate. Trepidation will gift the ball to the opposition. Luck will have it fall in his path.

but when the ball is in some space, and the opposition and Pendles are in a position to win it

Now you are criticising him for not winning the ball that is out in space...which is, by definition, a loose ball get or uncontested possession.

Ball in space. Two players, one from each team, go for it. Expect a clash of bodies, with the following results.

1. One player wins possession, either through toughness/skill/lucky bounce.
2. A free (for or against) from a rash tackle.
3. The status quo. A ball up.

This is not a loose ball get or an uncontested possession. It's a ball to be won.

Then when i said he's one of our leading contested ball winners and tacklers, you said he wins plenty of the contested ball...but only when he's not travelling at pace or in a pack situation, not in open space, and then kindly put it down to Luck rather than hard work or skill.

The reference to luck you've skewed in your favour.

If he approaches a contest with trepidation (no skill or hard work involved there) and the ball falls into his hands, what else is it? I never said his possessions in tight were all about luck.

You can bring in all the semantics you like to defend your argument but the fact is, when the ball is there to be won, Pendles sometimes has a look.

[Dave The Man]

\
Since video production/photography is my forte, and my career, I consider myself visually astute...and since I have all the tools needed, and all the games from 2007-08, I might even make a video highlighting this weakness.

Would love to see it because you have lost me

[kickit2me]

Don't despair DTM......We all get lost sometimes.

[ktszyu1]

...and is 1st in baulking and taking a look when the ball is there to be won.

There's a difference between laying tackles when your opposition has the ball, and approaching a contest with trepidation.

I like the bloke...that's why I watch him more intently than any other player....but he needs to remove this weakness from his game if he really wants to become our key midfielder.

I'm of the opinion that it's his basketball tendency. When the ball is there to be won, he attempts to collect the ball and evade his opponent at the same time, rather than barreling into a tackle, which obviously results in a stoppage. If it comes off, he is free, and can hit a forward on the chest. If it fails, he looks soft, and gets drilled for it by the fans. Or alternatively, if he knows his opponent will get to the ball first, he pulls up, and sets himself for the tackle. I'd rather see him try to create a scoring opportunity out of nothing, than see him create a stoppage just to ensure he is perceived by the fans as 'hard'. That's what creative midfielders do. I really don't think he's soft, because he often goes back with the flight to take a contested grab, has a very high tackle count, has a high contested possession count, and came 3rd in hard ball gets last year.

I do recall a couple of instances where he appears to have pulled out of the contest, and lost because the ball didn't bounce his way. That's bad luck, nothing more. Oh well, each to their own, and I won't be convinced otherwise based on what I've seen.