Player Watch #35: Matt "The Swingman" Whitlock! - set to debut R4 vs Swans

Remove this Banner Ad

roos_fanatic08 said:
Don’t think he that bad, had a few howlers but generally looked composed with ball in hand.

He has been fantastic in the first few weeks of the VFL but I think it was unnecessary to debut him so early. Should’ve just continued on taking them up and building confidence in the twos.
Click to expand...
I suspect they knew FOS was going to be a late out and wanted some composure down back. It didn’t work out that way, but I get it.
 
10 more possessions than Larkey on debut. Work in progress, but I was encouraged enough to know we have a player here. I think he may well be worthy of us giving up our first round pick especially as we dont need another midfielder next year. Time will tell. I would be happy to give him another game next week to build on this one. Its not like we are going to win anytime soon.
 
Hope he's not too beat up by how shit it all went. For a tall lanky kid on debut in round 4 of his first season, I thought he showed some serious signs. Going into the game though I was pretty concerned about bringing all of him, Logue and Hardeman into the side at the same time. Was just too much change for mine.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

roo blitz said:
10 more possessions than Larkey on debut. Work in progress, but I was encouraged enough to know we have a player here. I think he may well be worthy of us giving up our first round pick especially as we dont need another midfielder next year. Time will tell. I would be happy to give him another game next week to build on this one. Its not like we are going to win anytime soon.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure we don’t need another midfielder. Our much vaunted midfield has been soundly beaten 3 out of 4 weeks
 
Luke72 said:
I’m not sure we don’t need another midfielder. Our much vaunted midfield has been soundly beaten 3 out of 4 weeks
Click to expand...
Its hard to make a proper assessment of where our midfields at with Wardlaw still out, given the missing ingredient seems to have been a great defensive midfielder.
 
Passmore said:
Yeah it was probably too early to debut him I guess, but who else has even looked like it in the 2's?
Click to expand...

But that's just the thing right?
Whitlock didn't exactly earn himself a call up from VFL level either. He exclusively plays a loose defender type role in the VFL which clearly wasn't going to translate at the AFL level with his body size and speed.
 
If we are getting thrashed why sub the guy off. Send a message to the other players and sub of someone of experience who isnt playing well...
 
Makeshift Park said:
Its hard to make a proper assessment of where our midfields at with Wardlaw still out, given the missing ingredient seems to have been a great defensive midfielder.
Click to expand...
It's not that hard. You can't have a midfield based around the availability of one player that chases and tackles. If it's not good enough without Wardlaw it's not good enough to challenge for finals.
 
He'll be a player, but not physically ready for AFL footy yet.
Barring an injury crisis to our KPD, play Pink and Kal ahead of him and let him play out the year in the VFL. Need him and Shotgun to play and build an understanding together.

Set him a goal of making the VFL team of the year, given his first couple of games it's achievable.
 
Luke72 said:
I’m not sure we don’t need another midfielder. Our much vaunted midfield has been soundly beaten 3 out of 4 weeks
Click to expand...
If all the current midfielders cant get the job done between them recruiting another one wont either whilst we neglect the rest of the positions on the field especially our tall timber which is a major issue. Thats why the Whitlock selection does make sense. I doubt there will be a tall selected in the first four picks next draft which is where we would be had we not traded it out. Risky yes, but it was a risk worth taking me thinks in hindsight.
 
Anyone notice his brother Jack, a Pooort player, wearning NMFC gear in the stands while he tried to pretend he wasn't there wearing NMFC gear while being a Poorta player?

Kind of funny.

He's gonna cop it now, which I like. If its the sort of ruthless play the club may have made to pry him out of Port.
 
Passmore said:
Yeah it was probably too early to debut him I guess, but who else has even looked like it in the 2's?

Sent from my SM-A908B using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
If you forget the future potential factor, there is always Kal Dawson who is AFL ready
 

Log in to remove this ad.

shintemaster said:
It's not that hard. You can't have a midfield based around the availability of one player that chases and tackles. If it's not good enough without Wardlaw it's not good enough to challenge for finals.
Click to expand...
Ours just hasn't clicked yet, but one can argue the personnel is largely there. If that's the case, Wardlaw can inspire a few others and it can click. I was hoping the Melbourne game kinda gave them a glimpse of what the pressure can do to a side and that could have given them the taste to produce that week in week out. That clearly hasn't happened, or even had the opposite effect where some of them may have thought they are better than they really are.

But we are still potentially just a one solid win away from it clicking. Don't forget Hawthorn was 0:5 looking crap this time last year.
 
ferball said:
Anyone notice his brother Jack, a Pooort player, wearning NMFC gear in the stands while he tried to pretend he wasn't there wearing NMFC gear while being a Poorta player?

Kind of funny.

He's gonna cop it now, which I like. If its the sort of ruthless play the club may have made to pry him out of Port.
Click to expand...
That was the youngest brother. Don't think we saw Jack on the telecast?


1744178080439.png
 
ferball said:
Anyone notice his brother Jack, a Pooort player, wearning NMFC gear in the stands while he tried to pretend he wasn't there wearing NMFC gear while being a Poorta player?

Kind of funny.

He's gonna cop it now, which I like. If its the sort of ruthless play the club may have made to pry him out of Port.
Click to expand...
Jack was there with his Port backpack, wasn't wearing any North gear.
 
chubbspeterson said:
Would help if teammates stop giving loopy handballs to players.
Gives the oppo time to close space quicker.
Click to expand...
Its always someone elses fault on this board. From everyone else lets Jy down, to its others looping handballs. This joint is cooked.

He wasn’t ready to play AFL. Thats it. No diversion of blame. Thats it. Wasn’t ready and it showed. 5 turnovers in ten disposals. Thats it.
 
DuckYeah said:
Its always someone elses fault on this board. From everyone else lets Jy down, to its others looping handballs. This joint is cooked.

He wasn’t ready to play AFL. Thats it. No diversion of blame. Thats it. Wasn’t ready and it showed. 5 turnovers in ten disposals. Thats it.
Click to expand...
I never said he was ready. I wouldn't have played him, too early. Just saying we don't do our teammates any favours with slow loopy handballs or handballs at their feet. Happens too often and invites pressure.
 
chubbspeterson said:
I never said he was ready. I wouldn't have played him, too early. Just saying we don't do our teammates any favours with slow loopy handballs or handballs at their feet. Happens too often and invites pressure.
Click to expand...
Well the contrary can be said. A loopy handball shouldn’t matter for a gun. But whatever, still someone else’s fault around here
 
l didn't mind him playing but it did make it hard for him when the players put in a performance like they did. The one thing Matt would have got out of it is the experience he received playing at the level required to compete in the AFL...
 

Player Watch #35: Matt "The Swingman" Whitlock! - set to debut R4 vs Swans


Write your reply...
Back
Top