Bigman’s Training Reports

[AFC979810]

I'll also admit for those wanting to argue it is just injuries, that I was the bloke who after 11 games started a thread worrying about him. Feel like my vibe compared to CC has held up.



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Thought you changed your tune a little in 2018 when he had a very good season.

Milera is going to be bloody amazing in 2019

 

[Eric The Red]

He's said in interviews when asked where he thinks he should play.

Nicks was also asked years ago where Milera should play and his responce was "if you ask Wayne, half back"

Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t play another position if asked. Just a preference, every player would have one.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

If that is so, you’d think Crouch would be able to play half back?

You picked Crouch because he's slow and his kicking isn't reliable. Half back is suitable place to recycle mids but you still have to pick the right one.

You aren't seriously suggesting HBF is as difficult as inside mid though are you? Crouch has to be able to work inside a phone box, never gets any easy ball, rarely gets to kick the thing without someone hanging off of him.

 

[moogerfooger]

I'll also admit for those wanting to argue it is just injuries, that I was the bloke who after 11 games started a thread worrying about him. Feel like my vibe compared to CC has held up.



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The thing that sets Milera apart - and has all his career - is his evasiveness and willingness to take on the opposition. There aren't many better at getting out of a jam.

There also aren't many better at being injured all the time.

 

[Betts are off]

The thing that sets Milera apart - and has all his career - is his evasiveness and willingness to take on the opposition. There aren't many better at getting out of a jam.

There also aren't many better at being injured all the time.

I love that about Wayne's game. I also love the low darting trajectory of his kick and his wicket sidestep.

Theoretically he should be one of the most fun Crows players to watch given his traits. But I don't know what version of Wayne we are getting this year. His best season was 2018, which was 7 years and 3 season ending injuries ago.

My instinct tells me that 2018 season was his ceiling, and we'll only see flashes of it from now on.

 

[Flip Side]

You picked Crouch because he's slow and his kicking isn't reliable. Half back is suitable place to recycle mids but you still have to pick the right one.

You aren't seriously suggesting HBF is as difficult as inside mid though are you? Crouch has to be able to work inside a phone box, never gets any easy ball, rarely gets to kick the thing without someone hanging off of him.

So what your saying is - is that Laird is fast and a reliable kick ?

 

[Betts are off]

Hey Bigman,

If you wouldn't mind I'd love to hear a bit more of Thilthorpe's offseason from your perspective. As in which defenders he's dominated, who'se holding their own against him. Which line he's playing most (CHF or FF), how he's moving with the added size etc.

I feel like our shift up the ladder to a finals team will be massively reliant on him reaching that level where he's almost unstoppable by a single opponent. Which I genuinely feel like could be this season

 

[Mutineer]

You picked Crouch because he's slow and his kicking isn't reliable. Half back is suitable place to recycle mids but you still have to pick the right one.

You aren't seriously suggesting HBF is as difficult as inside mid though are you? Crouch has to be able to work inside a phone box, never gets any easy ball, rarely gets to kick the thing without someone hanging off of him.

As far as inside mids go Matt Crouch's kicking is perfectly fine.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

So what your saying is - is that Laird is fast and a reliable kick ?

I wouldn't say he's either but he's at least mobile enough to play that role.

 

[skittlebrew]

I'll also admit for those wanting to argue it is just injuries, that I was the bloke who after 11 games started a thread worrying about him. Feel like my vibe compared to CC has held up.



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Completely agree. I'm not asking him to dominate a game start to finish but where are/were the flashes? A side step here and there sure but show me the passages of play materially influencing the game or dominating a position? Never a saw it from him before he had 2 shot knees so not expecting it from him now. Given his body hasn't proven it's able to handle the rigours of footy at the top level (just like Pedlar) I think we should seriously consider alternatives (Nank).

 

[Jeffcrowe]

No weapons you say, one of the most gifted athletically to walk through the door at the AFC.

2018 AFL Draft Combine Test Results

All Australian U18's midfielder in his draft year.

Under 18 All-Australian team announced: Including Izak Rankine, Jack Lukosius and Sam Walsh

Pocket profiles of every U18 All-Australian team member

www.foxsports.com.au

MIDFIELDERS

Luke English (Western Australia): The in and under midfield racked up the numbers during the Under 18 Championships, averaging 23.3 disposals. Running around in his blue helmet, the 180cm midfielder wins the ball around the stoppages and get hit up targets going inside 50.

Bailey Smith (Vic Metro): The Vic Metro MVP was outstanding throughout the carnival and did the smoky for the No.1 picks chances no harm. Smith runs hard all day and didn’t drop below 21 disposals in his four games in the carnival. Smith averaged 24.8 disposals, 6.5 tackles and 5.3 clearances as a mainstay in the Metro midfield. Smith also showed his forward ability, booting three goals on the MCG against Vic Country.


Luke Valente (South Australia): The South Australian captain was named as the vice-captain of the All-Australian and the midfielder certainly led by example throughout the carnival. Valente averaged 22.5 disposals, 5.5 tackles and 5.5 clearances throughout the Under 18 Championships, with the midfielder winning a good chunk of the contested ball. Valente’s defensive efforts were own show against Vic Country, where he laid 14 tackles.

Sam Walsh (Vic Country): The Geelong Falcons midfielder had a standout carnival and not only was named as the Vic Country MVP, but took out the Larke Medal for the best player in the entire Under 18 Championships. The midfielder averaged 29 disposals and 6.8 tackles during the carnival, only dropping below 28 disposals on one occasion. He was the standout on the MCG in the Carlton v Collingwood curtain raiser and may have given the Blues the first glimpse at their future star.

Chayce Jones (Allies): The Tasmanian is one of the best draft prospects to come out of the Apple Isle, and has done his first round chances no harm. Jones was an important player through the midfield, racking up plenty of the ball – including a big 27 disposals, seven tackles, five inside 50s and two goals performance against Vic Country in Round 1 of the carnival.

Chayce has every trait you want in a footballer other than the mental side

He lacks confidence , composure and overthinks things

Physically he’s pretty much got everything you need

 

[skittlebrew]

Chayce has every trait you want in a footballer other than the mental side

He lacks confidence , composure and overthinks things

Physically he’s pretty much got everything you need

Always felt like he lacked body strength to me. I know most would disagree and show photos of him being ripped and muscular. But felt he lacked ability to physically assert himself as a mid, albeit not through a lack of trying.

 

[Slime Roy]

Hey Bigman,

If you wouldn't mind I'd love to hear a bit more of Thilthorpe's offseason from your perspective. As in which defenders he's dominated, who'se holding their own against him. Which line he's playing most (CHF or FF), how he's moving with the added size etc.

I feel like our shift up the ladder to a finals team will be massively reliant on him reaching that level where he's almost unstoppable by a single opponent. Which I genuinely feel like could be this season

Completely agree. Regardless though, it seems he's looking like the safer pick from his draft year, what with the way JUH is currently trending.

 

[FR0GGY]

Chayce has every trait you want in a footballer other than the mental side

He lacks confidence , composure and overthinks things

Physically he’s pretty much got everything you need

And the most important in footy smarts.
Hes as footy “dumb” as they come

 

[Mutineer]

Chayce has every trait you want in a footballer other than the mental side

He lacks confidence , composure and overthinks things

Physically he’s pretty much got everything you need

Unfortunately IMO a lot of that should be slated home to the AFC's handling of Chayce's development, not one of their better efforts by a long shot.

 

[StickerMan]

Completely agree. Regardless though, it seems he's looking like the safer pick from his draft year, what with the way JUH is currently trending.

Sounds like JUH may have benefited from moving away from VIC.

 

[Betts are off]

Unfortunately IMO a lot of that should be slated home to the AFC's handling of Chayce's development, not one of their better efforts by a long shot.

Will never forget that sequence of games between his last game as a Rookie where he had a great performance against the dogs (18 touches, 2 goals and a speccy). Then all offseason looked like he was gonna be the bursting mid out of stoppages that we were crying for.

Then when the season started he was so over instructed to develop his defensive game that he would line up at centre bounces with his back to the ruckman, and facing his opponent. And ended up with multiple games with single digit disposals as a midfielder. Completely nullifying all his natural game and emphasising all his insecurities.

I think that offseason set him back 3 years.

 

[jenny61_99]

And the most important in footy smarts.
Hes as footy “dumb” as they come

And yet the ONLY player to pick the the mistake in yesterday's brain teaser....

 

[Gtowncrow]

I love that about Wayne's game. I also love the low darting trajectory of his kick and his wicket sidestep.

Theoretically he should be one of the most fun Crows players to watch given his traits. But I don't know what version of Wayne we are getting this year. His best season was 2018, which was 7 years and 3 season ending injuries ago.

My instinct tells me that 2018 season was his ceiling, and we'll only see flashes of it from now on.

Agree we might have seen the high water mark with Milera.

But if I were Wayne, I'd be studying Pendlebury. They have similar "in traffic" traits and although beyond his best years, contributes to his team with the weapons he has. I'd love to see Milera train as the second possession guy.... who then gets the ball to the outside. (Selwood Ablett... Bickley McLeod... Ashcroft Neal... Viney Petracca etc)

We have some classy third possession types in Dawson, Rankine, etc whom can win their own ball but are more dangerous with ball in hand than needing to burrow in and win it themselves.

Milera has proven to no be our best defender. Nor our toughest player. But the kid can dance with light feet. Any mid who can manufacture just 1 extra second is a gift in modern footy. Milera might not work out in a role like this, and plenty here cry out for bigger and bigger bulls in our midfield. But Scott Pendlebury proves there's room for a guy who can sidestep his way to finding that extra second.
The sidestep in traffic, as we probably all agree, is Wayne's greatest asset.

 

[FR0GGY]

And yet the ONLY player to pick the the mistake in yesterday's brain teaser....

what?

 

[jenny61_99]

what?

Watch the socials from yesterday... it was fair dinkum embarrassing...

 

[1990crow]

Looks like training was at West Lakes today

 

[Scorpus]

I love that about Wayne's game. I also love the low darting trajectory of his kick and his wicket sidestep.

Theoretically he should be one of the most fun Crows players to watch given his traits. But I don't know what version of Wayne we are getting this year. His best season was 2018, which was 7 years and 3 season ending injuries ago.

My instinct tells me that 2018 season was his ceiling, and we'll only see flashes of it from now on.

Milera reminds be a bit of David Mackay. Peaked quite early (2009 for Mackay, third season) then had a couple of niggles, his 2011 season nearly entirely wiped out due to injury and all downhill from there. Obviously not as many injuries as Milera and played more games than Milera will, but Dmac was a genuinely exciting player in those early years. I can't see the output of Milera surpassing the output of Mackay in their respective back halves of their careers

 

[FR0GGY]

Watch the socials from yesterday... it was fair dinkum embarrassing...

So nothing to do with footy?

 

[1970crow]

You picked Crouch because he's slow and his kicking isn't reliable. Half back is suitable place to recycle mids but you still have to pick the right one.

You aren't seriously suggesting HBF is as difficult as inside mid though are you? Crouch has to be able to work inside a phone box, never gets any easy ball, rarely gets to kick the thing without someone hanging off of him.

I know there's a fair bit of poetic license being used above and you don't believe that he never gets an easy ball, but just to put it into perspective, 42.6% of Matt's possessions are contested. Which places him 42nd (>10 games) for highest contested ratio for midfielders league wide. Matt Rowel is the highest at 59% with our leaders being Sam Berry at 52%, Peatling (GWS) 51% and Soligo 43.3%. Matt is 16th in that stat for our players in 2024. The (not really) surprising one is how low Laird is considering he was a full time stoppage mid for a fair part of the year.