Birss - Niche Role

[Quixote]

I would like to see Birss (who I rate highly as a backup midfielder) adapted to play a Powell/Peckett type role within the team.

That is, use his body in close to check, shepherd and harass opposing midfielders - enabling our quicker, more skillful onballers first clean use.

Several posters have made mention of how important Frankie and Powell were in 04, 05 in enabling our midfield to run free. To the point where we were warned off the practice by the AFL , only for Geelong to use it again to great effect in 07 !

Birss is tough as nails (has come back from multiple injuries, including having his eyeball knocked out), and attacks the ball and the man fearlessly.

I can see him doing really well for himself and the team in this role.



Thoughts.

[Eastern]

I would like to see Birss (who I rate highly as a backup midfielder) adapted to play a Powell/Peckett type role within the team.

That is, use his body in close to check, shepherd and harass opposing midfielders - enabling our quicker, more skillful onballers first clean use.

Several posters have made mention of how important Frankie and Powell were in 04, 05 in enabling our midfield to run free. To the point where we were warned off the practice by the AFL , only for Geelong to use it again to great effect in 07 !

Birss is tough as nails (has come back from multiple injuries, including having his eyeball knocked out), and attacks the ball and the man fearlessly.

I can see him doing really well for himself and the team in this role.



Thoughts.

It would be quite easy to mount an arguement that Shane Birss has already been doing what you are calling for. Lets hope he can keep it up/step it up in 2008 so that ppl notice his value to the side !!

[Quixote]

To a degree, maybe...

But the way I see it is that Birss was used more as a backup, ball-winning midfielder - say, when Lenny or Dal was off - rather than a tough-body around the packs, when all of our premium mids are on.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

he doesnt seem the physical type though

powell was...he couldnt kick to sae himself but he had a niche and he was used because of it...he was a whipping boy but he was superb at close checking physicality that made us so successful in 04/05

we miss that and need to develop similar players who sacrifice their own games for the team...although powell's game is much worth sacrificing as there wasnt much to him to start with

birss i doubt will ever get physical...

[esaint66]

powell always seemed a more skillful player than birrsy but both in my opinion like to play it hard.

[saintsRrising]

I would like to see Birss (who I rate highly as a backup midfielder) adapted to play a Powell/Peckett type role within the team.

.

While I understand your comparison with Powell...I cannot understand why you have lumped Powell and Pecket together as both played quite differently.

Frankie was a superb runner, a master of finding space with the right timing. That is knowing when to run into space to create damage. ...and running into the "right" space. Harvey is also very good at this.

He was a superb running player. More an outside than an inside player.

Early in his career out of the back pocket his disposal was often quite dreadful, though he steadily improved to become competent with his disposal.

Powell was more your hard at in tough nut with good in and under work. Very capable of playing a good tag and niggling his opponent and winning his own ball.

[Eastern]

On Powelly. There are many who claim that "pound for pound" he was the best "Fighter" in the AFL, many even said he was the equal of Denis Banks. Even if they are only 1/2 correct then the boy can go a bit. Also, he went to school with the Scott twins. How would you like to have been coming up against St Kevs in those days? !!

[Oh When the Saints]

Spot on saintsRrising.

I think whereas Powell did a lot of the scragging and protecting work in '04 and '05 with the Saints, Frankie took pressure off our younger on-ballers with his smart running and work through the midfield.

They were totally different players, and in some ways Birss is a combination of the two ... Birss is quite smart at offensive running but is a strong in-and-under player too.

[aussiejones]

Birss ......Was a good pick up

[Eastern]

Birss ......Was a good pick up

And adds to that bloody invasion of Gippslanders at the club !!

[saintly]

some of the people where i sit at the game think ishe is a lousy player.

you must see something different to others that sit around me.
what is your opinion?

[woooosaints]

i think birss is a quality player and worth his weight in gold (he only weighs 80kgs)

[evertonfc]

i think birss is a quality player and worth his weight in gold (he only weighs 80kgs)

http://goldprice.org/gold-price-australia.html

We could refurbish the Moorabbin grandstand into a top class facility if we sold him...