Dawson's game

[Bernard Shakey]

Why did we go in so tall today, when our coach is all about structures?
Dawson in for Kosi does not fit the structures when Pattison has come in for Bakes.
I reckon he was playing a practice game for Zac and Zac blew it with his week effort at the end of the first quarter. I don't know what his stats were, but I would think most of them were in junk time at the end of the quarters.

It's not really about stats for Zac, it's about how many goals his man kicked.

Who was his man and how many did he kick?

[Saint Bev]

Why did we go in so tall today, when our coach is all about structures?
Dawson in for Kosi does not fit the structures when Pattison has come in for Bakes.
I reckon he was playing a practice game for Zac and Zac blew it with his week effort at the end of the first quarter. I don't know what his stats were, but I would think most of them were in junk time at the end of the quarters.

It's not really about stats for Zac, it's about how many goals his man kicked.

Exactly, Max's stats were always low.

[Bernard Shakey]

Why did we go in so tall today, when our coach is all about structures?
Dawson in for Kosi does not fit the structures when Pattison has come in for Bakes.
I reckon he was playing a practice game for Zac and Zac blew it with his week effort at the end of the first quarter. I don't know what his stats were, but I would think most of them were in junk time at the end of the quarters.

It's not really about stats for Zac, it's about how many goals his man kicked.

Exactly, Max's stats were always low.

But Max contested the ball.

[saint tezza]

Took a couple of contested marks .

Made a silly mistake on the goal line with his lack of urgency.

A silly free kick on the half forward flank for melbourne with his interference with a demon forward with the ball coming in.

And a lot of junk posessions.

All in all another ordinary game against extremely ordinary opposition.

There is no doubt the defence looked better last week without him but the whole team looked better last week .

[MC Gusto]

Whenever Zac is in i think it makes our backline look far less menacing and far more vunerable. The kid needs to bulk up big time.

I really dont think there is a place there for him in our best side what with gram, kosi, rooey, baker etc all missing from the weekends game.

best of luck to him but i think he needs more time at sandy

[older saint]

Dawson cannot be judged on stats, that is not how he plays.

We will need him come finals against teams withbigger forward lines - Collingwood now playing with Dawes, Cloke and Jolly. Geelong Mooney , Pods, and Hawkins( Ottens), Hawthorn ( Buddy, Roughhead, ).

Although he looks small he can play on stronger forwards who are tall. This releases Fisher and Gwilt to be more attacking.

He needs games and this provides options latter in the season.

[SainterK]

Still looks well down on confidence IMO

[Thinline]

Thought he was alright. Serviceable.

Better than many are making out.

No doubt, though, he now sit's 7th or even 8th in the race for a place in our best back six.

[saintbob]

No where near being in our best 22, would've to get injuries to 3 or 4 players before being consider again.

Will definitely make way for Kosi and Roo this week, along with Pattison.

[ace]

What did everyone think about his game?

A few ordinary efforts (like letting the goal run through), but he seemed okay overall. If Riewoldt and Kosi are good for next week I'm not sure Dawson has done enough to keep his spot though. Pattison and Dawson seem the likely outs, but it could well be Stanley if RL doesn't want to omit Dawson.

Was ok I thought but to be honest I thought our backline looked its best last week without Dawson in the side. I dont know if its about Dawson himself or the balance and dimension the backline takes with Dawson out of the team.

Personally I like (no particular order) Blake, Fisher, Gilbert, Dempster, Gwilt and Geary then Raph and Baker when available. Unless for a specific matchup I have all of these guys ahead of Dawson.

Dawson is good for depth. If he can find last years form then he's in but otherwise he needs to earn his spot back for mine.

The problem with having to "earn your spot back" is that means Sandringham.
The truth is that Sandringham and the rest of the VFL are so much worse than the AFL that it is hard to put in an AFL performance there.
An outstanding performance in the VFL does not translate to a good AFL performance and equally a bad VFL performances do not mean a player will paly badly in trhe AFL.

It is so hard to fly like an eagle when you are surrouded by turkeys.
By that I mean missing targets and ball butchering.
A good lead is not rewarded because the ball never hits its target.
A player who can hit a target never gets the chance through lack of targets.
In the VFL they have to win their own ball because the team work so often breaks down, then in the AFL you have to play a role for team.

[ace]

Despite all the criticism of Zac's backline play including mine, I still think he would be more effective as a tall forward than any of McEvoy, Stanley or Pattison.
That is not saying he is good, just better than the beginners.

With Riewoldt and Koschitzke out he would be my third choice for the two tall forward positions if he is expelled from the backline.

[noob]

As someone said early we actually do play better without him. Probably because its more attacking defence. In the next couple of weeks we'll definitely see if he has improved against better opposition but also teams with better forward lines.

[SaintTom]

Zac simply doesn't add enough to the team to be a necessary inclusion. It's not that his stats were terrible (although that goal that he let through was lack of effort really) it's that our back line is stronger without him. The strongest back line I've seen was against the Cats, and while the weather helped it, the only other person I'd squeeze in is Raph. Seeing is Bakes is out, I'd say keep Dempster in to play Bakes' role, but bring Raph in (when fit) instead of Dawson. Just adds more to the side, and unfortunately for Dawson, he has been given a lot of this season to get his confidence up and hasn't done so. I don't know how many chances you can be given.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

When recalling how we weren't stretched for height by the Cats, I think it worth remembering that we played the Cats in weather that wasn't exactly conducive to the big marking guys.

Not to belittle the incredible effort and result... but I wouldn't sayf that based on that game we won't be able to get some better results with Dawson than without.

[dcstkfc]

Admittedly we zone a lot but Zac's m,ain opponent was Green who had 26 disposals, 9 marks and 2.0

[bozza1980]

For what it's worth I thought he was ok.

In what is a good sign for our club with a full list, that performance may not be enough for him to retain his spot.

That said, first game back, I don't think he looked as lost as he did prior to his injury. Did a couple of really good things and a couple bad.

Serviceable.

[Stillwaiting]

Thought he was ok, took some good marks but made a few mistakes.
He will be better with games under his belt but not sure if he would be in the team if Bakes was available.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Admittedly we zone a lot but Zac's m,ain opponent was Green who had 26 disposals, 9 marks and 2.0

So you think we selected Zac to cover the midfield? Green had 4 clearances along the way to compliment 3 inside 50s. He also laid 6 tackles. While he lines up at Full Forward at times, so did Nick Dal Santo...

[spert]

Poor old Zac, he is so bad that he gets a game in the team sitting equal top of the ladder. I saw a lot of lazy efforts from some of our better players on Sunday when we should have clobbered Melbourne by double the margin.

[dcstkfc]

Admittedly we zone a lot but Zac's m,ain opponent was Green who had 26 disposals, 9 marks and 2.0

So you think we selected Zac to cover the midfield? Green had 4 clearances along the way to compliment 3 inside 50s. He also laid 6 tackles. While he lines up at Full Forward at times, so did Nick Dal Santo...

OK I'll re-phrase that.

Zac wasn't really on anyone the whole day, just part of our defensive zone.

When Green drifted forward Zac took him and Green kicked 2.0

[stinger]

Was ok I thought but to be honest I thought our backline looked its best last week without Dawson in the side. I dont know if its about Dawson himself or the balance and dimension the backline takes with Dawson out of the team.

Personally I like (no particular order) Blake, Fisher, Gilbert, Dempster, Gwilt and Geary then Raph and Baker when available. Unless for a specific matchup I have all of these guys ahead of Dawson.

Dawson is good for depth. If he can find last years form then he's in but otherwise he needs to earn his spot back for mine.

no spot for grammie???

[St Fidelius]

Was ok I thought but to be honest I thought our backline looked its best last week without Dawson in the side. I dont know if its about Dawson himself or the balance and dimension the backline takes with Dawson out of the team.

Personally I like (no particular order) Blake, Fisher, Gilbert, Dempster, Gwilt and Geary then Raph and Baker when available. Unless for a specific matchup I have all of these guys ahead of Dawson.

Dawson is good for depth. If he can find last years form then he's in but otherwise he needs to earn his spot back for mine.

no spot for grammie???

Mini is on thin ice again IMO

[Bernard Shakey]

The problem with having to "earn your spot back" is that means Sandringham.
The truth is that Sandringham and the rest of the VFL are so much worse than the AFL that it is hard to put in an AFL performance there.
An outstanding performance in the VFL does not translate to a good AFL performance and equally a bad VFL performances do not mean a player will paly badly in trhe AFL.

It is so hard to fly like an eagle when you are surrouded by turkeys.
By that I mean missing targets and ball butchering.
A good lead is not rewarded because the ball never hits its target.
A player who can hit a target never gets the chance through lack of targets.
In the VFL they have to win their own ball because the team work so often breaks down, then in the AFL you have to play a role for team.

I agree wholeheartedly with you. It was the same in the old days of the reserves. Good players go where the ball should go. In the reserves or in crap teams the ball more often than not doesn't go where it should go.

[Bernard Shakey]

Was ok I thought but to be honest I thought our backline looked its best last week without Dawson in the side. I dont know if its about Dawson himself or the balance and dimension the backline takes with Dawson out of the team.

Personally I like (no particular order) Blake, Fisher, Gilbert, Dempster, Gwilt and Geary then Raph and Baker when available. Unless for a specific matchup I have all of these guys ahead of Dawson.

Dawson is good for depth. If he can find last years form then he's in but otherwise he needs to earn his spot back for mine.

no spot for grammie???

Mini is on thin ice again IMO

Mini's been on thin ice for half the season, must be warming Ross' bed.

[Longwayfromhome]

Here we go again.
We all question the likes of Dawson, Geary and Dempster yet we welcome back a questionable entity like Kosi, who we really didn't miss last game.
Bring him back by all means, but let's not write up the normal Kosi is crap post this time next week.
Think about the GF in 2009. The only down side to that team is King (who we won't see again ) and Kosi who has had a very ordinary year despite all the hype on this forum. He has had a s*** year IMO and doesn't deserve his place in this team.
Having said this I believe in the coaching team and if they want this lost cause in the team, for what ever reason , I will bow to their better judgment.
My point?
Stop bagging the likes of Geary, Dempster, Dawson, Stanley, Pattison and others and let Kosi sail through the year on the premise of a player who does little else than bust up the odd pack or two.
Roo at CHF, Stanley at FF and Kosi in the twos' until the passion and intensity comes back.