Welsh quits the Crows

[Blue Boy]

Bock needs to play CHB - that is where he plays his best footy !!!

[Rik E Boy]

I believe R E B the crows are ordinary & yes 9-12,but they won't finish above the bombers.
We may be a couple of years away from finals action at Essendon & i know your not a Knights fan,but i'd be surprised if the crows finished above us.

I'd be surprised if Essendon finished ahead of anyone next season.

regards,

REB

[Blue Boy]

I believe R E B the crows are ordinary & yes 9-12,but they won't finish above the bombers.
We may be a couple of years away from finals action at Essendon & i know your not a Knights fan,but i'd be surprised if the crows finished above us.

I'd be surprised if Essendon finished ahead of anyone next season.

regards,

REB

Very true REB !!!

[Felch]

Where will the crows finish, here is my side for Round 1 (If Fit), not considering draftt selections

F Tippett Gill Proplyzia
HF Burton Bock Edwards
C Goodwin Thompson Knights
HB Symes Moran Macca
B Bassett Rutten Stevens
R Griffen Van Berlo Shirley
Int Maric Johncock Rielley Douglas
Emer from McGregor Hentchel Massie Gallman

Still not a bad side, where Adelaide will finish, after the minor round, my head says anywhere between 5 - 10, however Collingwood and your mob showed this year anything is achievable.

I still fail to see why craig would persist with bock at chf when he is as good a chb as there is around at the moment. it's his natural position and he plays it a lot better than chf - sure he'll kick some goals but to me, his value at chb is much higher.
i'd expect gill to play lead up forward role with hentschel to be eased in to ff several sanfl games. I expect burton to play ff as a leading forward then change when hentschel returns - or mcgregor to start at ff.
Later hentschel to go to chf.
I think griffen, moran or tippett to play chf with maric rucking.
Adelaide will challenge for the lower echelons of the 8 but realistically 9-12th would be their ballpark.
Then bye bye can be said to doughty, shirley, massie, biglands and edwards. unfortunately tyson is slowing down, still got plenty of the ball but got caught many many times more than in the past. I expect him to play almost solely as a hff this year.

Edwards still a class act, still gets alot of 'inside' ball. I reckon he has a bit left in the tank.
Agree on Doughty, and Shirley and Massie to a lesser extent. Bigland still has a huge role to play.
I am not convinced with Griffen. I reckon he is grossly overated. Maric, IMO, is a better player in the making. He has more of a physical presence, and is naturally more aggressive.
I also agree on Bock at CHB, could become an All-Australian at that position IMO.
Someone mentioned earlier that they rated Pearce better than Van Berlo...Pffft!!! VB has more courage in his little finger than Pearce possesses in his whole body. Another grossly overated player,only IMO of course

[Rik E Boy]

LMAO @ REB.....you seem to have an extra "spring" in your keyboard skills since late September!!!

Not too sure about that Dutchy. My bitterness used to drive my better posts but I aint so bitter anymore. Something else has changed as well...for some reason I don't hate Port the most in the league. I reckon it might be because I've moved away from SA but for some reason I actually hate the Crows more than Port! Sacriledge I know. Maybe that Grand Final gift sealed the deal.

regards,

REB

[overloaded]

If the Crows finish anywhere above 12th next year it will exceed my expectations

[Rik E Boy]

I'll put my hand up regarding Pearce Felcher. Agreed that Pearce isn't the toughest player I have seen but he is a lot more skillful than VB will ever be. If I had to choose which player I could lure to Geelong (out of the players I mentioned earlier) it would be Pearce. Van Berlo is the very definition of the word 'overrated'. Pearce has a rising star medal in the cupboard for a start.

regards,

REB

[rogernumber10]

I believe R E B the crows are ordinary & yes 9-12,but they won't finish above the bombers.
We may be a couple of years away from finals action at Essendon & i know your not a Knights fan,but i'd be surprised if the crows finished above us.

I'd be surprised if Essendon finished ahead of anyone next season.

regards,

REB

Essendon has bottom three written all over them. BEst and fairest retires and the two other blokes in the top three from this year in Fletcher and Lucas are past 30 and their captain is 30 and has played his best footy. Horrible signs.

However, I would happily take Chris Knights at the Cattery. Kid just seems to keep finding the ball. I'd play him high rotation midfield from now.

[Felch]

I'll put my hand up regarding Pearce Felcher. Agreed that Pearce isn't the toughest player I have seen but he is a lot more skillful than VB will ever be. If I had to choose which player I could lure to Geelong (out of the players I mentioned earlier) it would be Pearce. Van Berlo is the very definition of the word 'overrated'. Pearce has a rising star medal in the cupboard for a start.

regards,

REB

We will have to agree to disagree on that one then REB. I agree on the skillful part. Skills can be taught though, courage cannot.
Pearce - good skill, little courage
Van Berlo - ok skill, GREAT courage
I will take the latter everytime.

[GWW]

Bock needs to play CHB - that is where he plays his best footy !!!

I'd agree with that, i dont rate Bock as a CHF, hes played some reasonable games at CHB but i think overall hes over rated as a footballer.

[Rik E Boy]

I'll put my hand up regarding Pearce Felcher. Agreed that Pearce isn't the toughest player I have seen but he is a lot more skillful than VB will ever be. If I had to choose which player I could lure to Geelong (out of the players I mentioned earlier) it would be Pearce. Van Berlo is the very definition of the word 'overrated'. Pearce has a rising star medal in the cupboard for a start.

regards,

REB

We will have to agree to disagree on that one then REB. I agree on the skillful part. Skills can be taught though, courage cannot.
Pearce - good skill, little courage
Van Berlo - ok skill, GREAT courage
I will take the latter everytime.

While Pearce doesn't go in for the hard nut that often I don't actually recall him skirting a contest. Maybe you do, but I can't recall an instance where the lad heard footsteps. Being an outside midfielder doesn't necessarily mean you lack courage. Pearce can get stronger but VB will still miss targets. If Pearce was clearly chickenshit I'd agree with you about taking the latter but in my humble I'd say VB's defienciences are quite clear to see and that Pearce's are merely percieved. Can you actually teach skill by this stage of a player's career?

regards,

REB

[JK]

I'd have to agree with REB on that one too Felch, as I'd swap VB for Pearce ... VB, IMHO, is severely overrated at present - a useful player don't get me wrong with good scope for improvement, but I reakon too many people are over valuing him as of right here, right now.

[Felch]

I'll put my hand up regarding Pearce Felcher. Agreed that Pearce isn't the toughest player I have seen but he is a lot more skillful than VB will ever be. If I had to choose which player I could lure to Geelong (out of the players I mentioned earlier) it would be Pearce. Van Berlo is the very definition of the word 'overrated'. Pearce has a rising star medal in the cupboard for a start.

regards,

REB

We will have to agree to disagree on that one then REB. I agree on the skillful part. Skills can be taught though, courage cannot.
Pearce - good skill, little courage
Van Berlo - ok skill, GREAT courage
I will take the latter everytime.

While Pearce doesn't go in for the hard nut that often I don't actually recall him skirting a contest. Maybe you do, but I can't recall an instance where the lad heard footsteps. Being an outside midfielder doesn't necessarily mean you lack courage. Pearce can get stronger but VB will still miss targets. If Pearce was clearly chickenshit I'd agree with you about taking the latter but in my humble I'd say VB's defienciences are quite clear to see and that Pearce's are merely percieved. Can you actually teach skill by this stage of a player's career?

regards,

REB

Skill level can be improved at any stage, i would think. That wasnt really my point though. Example, you can teach someone to kick and handball, but you cant teach someone to keep their noggin over the ball, when they know a hit is coming.
Like i said mate, agree to disagree. Ive watched both alot, i know who i would rather have.
I do agree that Pearce would probably fit well into the current Geelong side, as you already have a few quality 'inside' players. Port, at the moment, do not. Adelaide stock's are also wearing thin.

[rogernumber10]

[/quote]

While Pearce doesn't go in for the hard nut that often I don't actually recall him skirting a contest. Maybe you do, but I can't recall an instance where the lad heard footsteps. Being an outside midfielder doesn't necessarily mean you lack courage. Pearce can get stronger but VB will still miss targets. If Pearce was clearly chickenshit I'd agree with you about taking the latter but in my humble I'd say VB's defienciences are quite clear to see and that Pearce's are merely percieved. Can you actually teach skill by this stage of a player's career?

regards,

REB[/quote]

As a sidebar on the Port man, it was Pearce, as just about the smallest, skinniest bloke in the 06 International Rules Tour party, that laid the tackle on the Irish hardman Graham Geraghty that knocked him out cold. (Geraghty had belted Gilbee in the first test, inciting a war of words, but didn't brace himself in the Pearce tackle and his head hit the ground and the lights went out). Whole of Ireland went silly on that incident, along with a few others, and no sign yet of any love coming this way from the GAA.

[Felch]

While Pearce doesn't go in for the hard nut that often I don't actually recall him skirting a contest. Maybe you do, but I can't recall an instance where the lad heard footsteps. Being an outside midfielder doesn't necessarily mean you lack courage. Pearce can get stronger but VB will still miss targets. If Pearce was clearly chickenshit I'd agree with you about taking the latter but in my humble I'd say VB's defienciences are quite clear to see and that Pearce's are merely percieved. Can you actually teach skill by this stage of a player's career?

regards,

REB[/quote]

As a sidebar on the Port man, it was Pearce, as just about the smallest, skinniest bloke in the 06 International Rules Tour party, that laid the tackle on the Irish hardman Graham Geraghty that knocked him out cold. (Geraghty had belted Gilbee in the first test, inciting a war of words, but didn't brace himself in the Pearce tackle and his head hit the ground and the lights went out). Whole of Ireland went silly on that incident, along with a few others, and no sign yet of any love coming this way from the GAA.[/quote]

Tackling and hurting a bloke who is neither ready for it or used to it does not equal courage.

[rogernumber10]

It doesn't take courage to hurt a bloke, agree entirely, but it does take some level of courage to go and tackle a much bigger body that's coming at you at full pace.

The only times I've seen Pearce close up, on that tour, he didn't shirk anything once.

The bloke got hurt because he didn't know what to do when the little bloke actually had him in a tackle and took him down, but Pearce didn't lay a cheap shot at any stage.

[MatteeG]

Skill level can be improved at any stage, i would think.

If that was the case Gill and Tredrea would be montys everytime they lined up for goal....

[NFC]

Moran at CHB? Please have mercy.

[Felch]

Skill level can be improved at any stage, i would think.

If that was the case Gill and Tredrea would be montys everytime they lined up for goal....

I did say IMPROVED, imagine if they both didnt get any tuition ?

[Felch]

Moran at CHB? Please have mercy.

Yeah, i did think that was a bit of stretch too.