If if it's for only some brief periods in the midfield in particular some centre bounces. Gives us a different look & some x factor & zip. When was the last time a player excluding Shai bust out of the middle with a centre clearance ?
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Maurice Rioli Jnr
- Thread starter Tigertool
- Start date
For me the thing that stood out yesterday about him wasn't his ball winning, his hunting of the ball, but his ball use. Pretty much since his 1st game, Jnr has always looked rushed with his disposal, at times he's tended to just throw it on the boot. Earlier in the season he was starting to hit his straps in this regard and picking the right option and then he got injured.
Yesterday, he was quickly assessing his options and then choosing the right one and executing. This is what has been the massive step up for him IMO.
If he can continue to do that, then without doubt he will be in our Round 1 starting 22 next year.
Yesterday, he was quickly assessing his options and then choosing the right one and executing. This is what has been the massive step up for him IMO.
If he can continue to do that, then without doubt he will be in our Round 1 starting 22 next year.
He was electric. He made stuff happen and didn’t turn it over. Great game.
Made something out of nothing on multiple occasions by sheer brilliance.
Speed, poise and balance
Speed, poise and balance
Just watched it now. Connected with the Doc 3 times. Best part was as you said, no turnover.
Boy do we need speed through the midfield. Let’s hope he puts in the work over summer.
And Dow .............................................................
...............I'll see myself outThis is definitely an issue. He didn't play a lot of midfield time in the VFL but what he did was terrific. His kicking was really good and I hadn't seen that level of skill much before with him, at least not consistently. VFL is a long way from AFL though. We've seen many of our youngsters as ball magnets in VFL not translate to AFL level.
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Sometimes even the club don’t seem to want to talk him up. There’s a clip on Insta from the game, they’re talking about Cumbo and Davidson for kicking the goals, but no mention that it was MJ’s work that made it possible.
Fwiw, MRJ has been showing these traits in the midfield for a while.
Just lifted his output yesterday.
He's a Midfielder.
Just lifted his output yesterday.
He's a Midfielder.
Just looking at that, he was making space, something we are bad at. Is harder to make space at AFL level but that is very much what we need. I'd put him in the seniors this week and play him in short spurts in the middle. Doesn't really have the fitness to play there the whole game but can rest forward.
How was his work when the ball was rebounding from half back? Something we also lack.
DS
His kicking yesterday was sublime. If he could make that close to his consistent level he'll be special. Def made things happen. In 10 mins he changed the game and put it out of the grasp of the blues.
Here's the thing,
His kicking is ambitious. He tries to hit up the attacking, creative option.
He used to flub a lot of them.
Now he's nailing more of them. But it will still lead to some horrendous turnovers at times. We have to be okay with that.
He also used to take on 3 tacklers. Now he's taking on two. He will still hold the ball too long at times. But in his head, he's his dad. One he's fully figured out his limitations, he will be extremely valuable.
Showed on Sunday that he has good peripheral vision like his dad too, as well as good movement like the great man. He stepped out of traffic a couple of times off either foot, which allowed him to clear the area by finding a better option.
Junior has shown a few times when played there in the VFL that he can play midfield, he should at least be given a good tryout in the guts.
