AFLX does it prove anything?

[David-Lee]

Well I guess there are three trains of thought.
One says that every practice, training session, aflx or JLT games all serve as insights into individual players conditioning, skills etc but as these formats rarely are the best 22 they don’t reveal a team effort.

The opposing view says all team play reveals something in regards to where the team is as a unit.

The last view is nothing matters except the “real” season.


My personal view for all 3:

#1 If this is true Several players look unfit lacking aerobic and anaerobic fitness necessary to run with the ball. It also showed many players quite poorly handling the ball as well as weak tackling but this view is about individuals not the best 22 as a group
20-man squad
5. Shane Savage - comparable to his second half of last season A-
6. Seb Ross- comparable although a tad light on ball movement B+
7. Luke Dunstan- looks improved A-
8. Blake Acres- not great not too bad - B+
9. Jack Steele- average C
11. Hunter Clark- ok C
13. Jack Lonie- I really liked this lad, at first - not ok D
19. Sam Gilbert- same old C+
21. Ben Long- again some improvement but nothing flash C
25. Koby Stevens- not improved C-
26. Josh Battle- Average thought he would rise up C
28. Tim Membrey- average at times behind the mark but provided a bit in the first game kicking 3 A-
29. Jimmy Webster- not improved as much as I hoped C
30. Ed Phillips- average C
33. Nick Coffield - a glimpse needs time C+
35. Jack Sinclair - missed targets not overly improved B
37. Bailey Rice - shameful C-
40. Ray Connellan- average C+
43. Rowan Marshall- looks ok not mind blowing C+
44. Maverick Weller- more fit still average C


View #2 Our defense was weaker than I thought it would be - an average forward killed us taking Tournament high stats - Shaun McKernan 16 possessions and taking 10 marks. The first 10 players seemed much more cohesive and composed. The second 10 came out firing then collapsed quickly under pressure at the contest.

View#3 None of this matters it’s not the real season....only thing to counter this is that All coaching staff use training sessions, aflx and JLT to help them decide who is match ready so if thesesessions and games aren’t indicative then why do coaches use them so heavily in weighing up a persons game day readiness?

I think we had glimpses and it was ok. I hoped for more improvement and went away a tad disappointed but hopeful as it is a Long season.

[desertsaint]

can't argue with your ratings except you're very kind to stevens and rice.

[oh when the]

Squad one great tackling pressure - good attacking footy.

Squad two disappointed with basic skill errors from experience players.

[takeaway]

Just a runaround the rectangle, keepings off, minimal pressure. Severe dilution of the real game - does not prove a thing. May even harm the AFL brand.

I guess it is some sort of variation to normal training, intraclub. I can't see how it could attract overseas interest.

Delete.

[mightysainters]

Nope it sure doesn’t

[SaintPav]

Doesn't prove much; its just a bit of fun. Last time I checked they don't play aflx for premiership points.

You have to be careful bagging players based on performance in the aflx. It might as well be called pingpong; it’s a completely different game.

[minneapolis]

Doesn't prove much; its just a bit of fun. Last time I checked they don't play aflx for premiership points.

You have to be careful bagging players based on performance in the aflx. It might as well be called pingpong; it’s a completely different game.

Absolute bulldust.

If you teach your kid to drive and then ask them to drive on a backroad and they are dreadful you can't say "Well it wasn't a main road. They will be better on the highway".

It was a game of football against peers. After a complete pre-season. It was a "skill" game. Kicking and handballing and decision making. All tactics required in all forms of the game.

The first squad played pretty well. More positive skill events than poor skill events. And about the expected amount of errors.

The second played so badly in the second half I was very disappointed. ( The opposite of pleasing and positive).

The Hawks showed so much thought and skill all night. I have changed my mind about them.

[Junction Oval]

From a very general perspective, I was very disappointed with the overall skills of our players, especially kicking.

It has been a known serious team problem and I was disappointed with the lack of overall improvement. Not a great picture, looking forward.

[spert]

Headless chicken footy- no leadership

[SaintPav]

Doesn't prove much; its just a bit of fun. Last time I checked they don't play aflx for premiership points.

You have to be careful bagging players based on performance in the aflx. It might as well be called pingpong; it’s a completely different game.

Absolute bulldust.

If you teach your kid to drive and then ask them to drive on a backroad and they are dreadful you can't say "Well it wasn't a main road. They will be better on the highway".

It was a game of football against peers. After a complete pre-season. It was a "skill" game. Kicking and handballing and decision making. All tactics required in all forms of the game.

The first squad played pretty well. More positive skill events than poor skill events. And about the expected amount of errors.

The second played so badly in the second half I was very disappointed. ( The opposite of pleasing and positive).

The Hawks showed so much thought and skill all night. I have changed my mind about them.

Sure, minneapolis. You appear to have a handle on what’s bulldust and what isn’t.

You sound like such a sage.

Hawthorn are now the real deal! Terrific analysis.

Brilliant metaphor by the way.

[The Fireman]

i think it gives a fair indication we maybe in for a tough year

[parkeysainter]

Seriously...said it before. These games were nothing more than pre season training sessions. Saints won the 1st game and dominated the 1st half of the 2nd game and only just lost. But who cares as AFLX is garbage and it will only ever be suited to certain players. It was a good hit out for fitness and skills training and a bit of match simulation...nothing more, nothing less.

The real deal starts in Rd 1 late March.

[congorozides]

Doesn't prove much; its just a bit of fun. Last time I checked they don't play aflx for premiership points.

You have to be careful bagging players based on performance in the aflx. It might as well be called pingpong; it’s a completely different game.

Absolute bulldust.

If you teach your kid to drive and then ask them to drive on a backroad and they are dreadful you can't say "Well it wasn't a main road. They will be better on the highway".

It was a game of football against peers. After a complete pre-season. It was a "skill" game. Kicking and handballing and decision making. All tactics required in all forms of the game.

The first squad played pretty well. More positive skill events than poor skill events. And about the expected amount of errors.

The second played so badly in the second half I was very disappointed. ( The opposite of pleasing and positive).

The Hawks showed so much thought and skill all night. I have changed my mind about them.

Spot on imo.
Its all well and good to say it wasnt best 22 and we werent 'trying'.
But the same can be said for the opposition. It isnt like we can just flick a switch when the real stuff starts.
The other side will also be trying harder and have better players etc.
So pre-season games dont mean everything - but they mean something. You cant just dismiss them entirely. Poor kicking under no pressure is a worry.
Your analogy is spot on. It wont get any easier for your kid moving from the back roads to the big city roads. It will get harder.

[congorozides]

Stevens, Lonie, Pierce, Weller and probably Minch, McKenzie, Rice and Wright are probably all not ever going to make AFL standard.
That is 8 blokes sitting on the list that I have no hope for.

[SaintPav]

We actually won one of the games and were leading by 5 goals in the other; not that you could tell from reading the sourpusses on here, but out come the torches and pitchforks and we haven’t even played one game of JLT.

[stkfc1]

Stevens, Lonie, Pierce, Weller and probably Minch, McKenzie, Rice and Wright are probably all not ever going to make AFL standard.
That is 8 blokes sitting on the list that I have no hope for.

Dont think you can put Stevens, Weller down as not AFL standard. They have both been of very good AFL standard. I would agree though consistency is a problem for both. Jury still out on McKenzie. Peirec and Rice have play ed one game between them. Lonie, Minch and Wright would /should definitely be nervous. Still think Minch has something to offer but time running out for him.

[tony74]

No injuries.
We set out and basically accomplished what we wanted
Do you think Essendon supporters are worried?

P.S. Billings is a very slight strain. Barely being the key word.

[SaintPav]

Stevens, Lonie, Pierce, Weller and probably Minch, McKenzie, Rice and Wright are probably all not ever going to make AFL standard.
That is 8 blokes sitting on the list that I have no hope for.

Dont think you can put Stevens, Weller down as not AFL standard. They have both been of very good AFL standard. I would agree though consistency is a problem for both. Jury still out on McKenzie. Peirec and Rice have play ed one game between them. Lonie, Minch and Wright would /should definitely be nervous. Still think Minch has something to offer but time running out for him.

I think some of the posts aren't up to Saintsaitional standard, this not being one of them.

Sensible post.

[SaintPav]

No injuries.
We set out and basically accomplished what we wanted
Do you think Essendon supporters are worried?

P.S. Billings is a very slight strain. Barely being the key word.

So he’ll be ready to hit the bitumen come round one or will he be stuck on the back dirt roads?

[SaintPav]

Your analogy is spot on. It wont get any easier for your kid moving from the back roads to the big city roads. It will get harder.

I thought it was brilliant as well though I think supermarket car parks works better.

[skeptic]

Boy Stevens stocks have dropped dramatically after one preseason game

[saynta]

We actually won one of the games and were leading by 5 goals in the other; not that you could tell from reading the sourpusses on here, but out come the torches and pitchforks and we haven’t even played one game of JLT.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Bit of luck we could have been playing off for the crappy X trophy.

[The Fireman]

I think it proves we will struggle

[SaintPav]

Boy Stevens stocks have dropped dramatically after one preseason game

Not any old preseason game skep.

It was AFLX!

A series deemed so important that the team was coached by a development coach.

[SaintPav]

I think it proves we will struggle

Yep, we’ll need to go back on our L’s. A few more driving lessons for us for a while until we can hit those dangerous big city roads.