I think we’ve stuffed Battle

[Teflon]

Over 50 games should be entering his prime soon as an AFL player
Been thrown all over the field , failed attempts to make him a wingman ....guy is a forward or defender...pick one and **** leave him there it aint hard???
That’s on you Ratten
I expect he’ll depart at seasons end but he’s the type that could end up playing good footy elsewhere...
Just disgusting player development by the worst club in the league at it
Coffields next....highly rated pick heading for mediocrity..

[The_Dud]

Yep, doesn’t have a spot on the field.

[The Barometer]

Was going to start a similar post. Confusing and feel for him. Showed most as a backman but drafted as a forward?

[Teflon]

Was going to start a similar post. Confusing and feel for him. Showed most as a backman but drafted as a forward?

I’m just gobsmacked .....all that time into him....50 games ...and we try pretend he’s a winger???
I’m starting to think there is really something going on at this club....we urgently need a full football department review and a new CEO with a spine ...
We have grown soft with people comfy in their jobs

[The Barometer]

Teflon, where would you play him?

[The Barometer]

Teflon, where would you play him?

[bangaulegend]

Has been ordinary this year but hey apart from Steele Crouch Wilke Sinclair Byrnes & Ryder IMO who hasn't gone backwards just so disappointing

[Teflon]

Teflon, where would you play him?

Well...,tonight ...no Membrey....I’d have given him a go up forward left Coffield where he knows how to play down back ...
I wouldn’t have picked Lonie at all although at least he touched the ball....Butler to busy playing with his hair...
Hunter is a clear liability
Battle is either a forward OR you leave him down at CHB but he runs on train lines and ain’t no zippy winger....don’t think you need to be a footy genius to work that out..

[The Barometer]

Teflon, where would you play him?

Well...,tonight ...no Membrey....I’d have given him a go up forward left Coffield where he knows how to play down back ...
I wouldn’t have picked Lonie at all although at least he touched the ball....Butler to busy playing with his hair...
Hunter is a clear liability
Battle is either a forward OR you leave him down at CHB but he runs on train lines and ain’t no zippy winger....don’t think you need to be a footy genius to work that out..

Agree, either let him settle as a key back or forward. I feel for any forward coming into our side though as our lack of attacking strategy and structure it would be hard for any young key forward to thrive.

[jonesy]

We've stuffed everyone. worst player development in the league.

[Impatient Sainter]

Over 50 games should be entering his prime soon as an AFL player
Been thrown all over the field , failed attempts to make him a wingman ....guy is a forward or defender...pick one and **** leave him there it aint hard???
That’s on you Ratten
I expect he’ll depart at seasons end but he’s the type that could end up playing good footy elsewhere...
Just disgusting player development by the worst club in the league at it
Coffields next....highly rated pick heading for mediocrity..

The thing with throwing him all over the place is he is not a smart enough player to cover any of the roles. He perhaps looked the best when he played at CHB but we have that many tweeners playing down back Battle is used else where. You are right though Ratten has destroyed the kids game!

[Wayne42]

It's interesting that player development is still a huge issue even after we got rid of Richo, he copped a lot of flak for it, he's gone but the issue hasn't.

Maybe it wasn't Richo at all ?

Maybe he was just another scapegoat who, by the way, would be loving his football this year. He'd say 2021 is very pleasing so far.

[Banger9798]

Put him at CHB....we don't have one, and he was the best he has been when he covered that position 2 years ago.

Battle, Wilkie and Howard as KPP

Sinclair, Coffield and Webster as small/ mediums

(Paton will be welcomed back with open arms when he is right)

[Teflon]

Teflon, where would you play him?

Well...,tonight ...no Membrey....I’d have given him a go up forward left Coffield where he knows how to play down back ...
I wouldn’t have picked Lonie at all although at least he touched the ball....Butler to busy playing with his hair...
Hunter is a clear liability
Battle is either a forward OR you leave him down at CHB but he runs on train lines and ain’t no zippy winger....don’t think you need to be a footy genius to work that out..

Agree, either let him settle as a key back or forward. I feel for any forward coming into our side though as our lack of attacking strategy and structure it would be hard for any young key forward to thrive.

It’s why I truly worry about King
He could be a superstar it’s obvious - he’s very smart ground level too
He looked good tonight but geez the haphazard way /strategy we use to bring the ball into forward 50 I’m like you...would hate to be a young forward learning their craft at our club ...
Big issues in coaching and development
IMO Ratten has this off-season to change things, show the club he’s tough enough not to accept mediocrity
Lade, Hamil , Skrobolack ?? Need to go
I’d like to see Sexton moved on also
We’ve become stale - some of these guys have been here 10 years....we simply have to get new IP in

[B.M]

I blame Richo

Should be all better now he’s gone?!

[skeptic]

I blame Richo

Should be all better now he’s gone?!

You’re right BM... Richo was a great coach and it was idiotic for any of us to complain about his tenure and his great decision making that saw us play no finals, pump development into Newnes, Weller and Longer and keep Marshall in the reserves until he was the last ruckman standing

By all means... keep bring it up every third post because secretly we all think Ratten’s performance to date including beating the Bulldogs in a final pales in comparison to everything Richo achieved.

Criticism for Richo may have been harsh and overwhelming by the end but the guy was a terrible freaking coach who failed dismally at the club over a long period and our performance improved markedly straight after he left. And I’ll point out that this season is at least on par with most of what was produced under his tenure

Stop yelling at nothing with your comments to no one

[carn_sainter]

Ratten loves the idea that all players need to be able to play in more than one position/role. Hence he has thrown Battle around everywhere.

Problem is that he has half learned 3 positions without fully learning any of them.

If you went from the accounting to the sales to the marketing department, then back to sales week after week you probably wouldn't ever get good at any of them.

Natural talent Battle and still quite young.

Membrey is a good comparison. Got to play HFF for a few years, now he is about 25 years old or something and is a real gun. Battle could be the same.

[Yorkeys]

No, all his own work. 193cm / 90+ kg and plays like its touch footy and he is Lonie's size. Grow some big fella, you used to be better than that. If you can't catch and can't pick up a ground ball and can't judge ball flight then at least tackle/hurt the opposition. What a lump. We stuffed him? be real. Lucky to be re-contracted the way he is trancing around the field. Only so many places to try to hide him and it seems he doesn't like any of them. Try VFL.

[skeptic]

Personally, I’d play him in the backline

Looks ok there and we are down a key back.

[Vazelos]

Agree he should play backline he played his best footy there in 2019.

[magnifisaint]

Battle is useless. A slow and dumb footballer

[Teflon]

No, all his own work. 193cm / 90+ kg and plays like its touch footy and he is Lonie's size. Grow some big fella, you used to be better than that. If you can't catch and can't pick up a ground ball and can't judge ball flight then at least tackle/hurt the opposition. What a lump. We stuffed him? be real. Lucky to be re-contracted the way he is trancing around the field. Only so many places to try to hide him and it seems he doesn't like any of them. Try VFL.

Used to be better than that? So he’s just decided to be shyte? Or maybe being used wrong??
Last week Highmore was a forward .....tonight showed he isn’t WTF are these coaches doing ?? Trying to confuse themselves or the opposition or maybe just the players ??

[realdeal]

Battle is useless. A slow and dumb footballer

Unfortunately Battle has one of the lowest footy IQs ive seen... he looks like a forward but has no idea.. did we see his failed chest mark as we moved forward? Coach killer...

Looks like its backline or bust for battle..

[B.M]

He’s just slow with no agility

[freely]

What battle had that we all - or mostly all - loved when he first showed up was terrific energy and drive, hunger for the ball. My recollection is that he was a good contested mark and a confident kick for goal.

So yeah we've stuffed him. I can't think of a single player on the list now with hunger for the ball. Oh yeah! Byrnes. But don't worry, we'll soon knock that out of him.