Dean Polo - 2010 expectations?

[Francois Jackson]

Well folks this is one player as you will know that I don't believe can make it at AFL level, although I would love to see him get there he just lacks something IMO to make the transition from VFL to AFL.

Now leading into this game I was advocating Connors over Polo and IMO on Saturday Connors played 10 fold to the way Polo played. I have read many posts since the game on Saturday night and I think Polo has gotten off very lightly from posters that would rather crucify Deledio.

What are our thoughts on Polo now, I mean after one game if players like Hislop, Deledio, Tambling, Polak and the rest that accumulated more possessions and played better than Polo can be bagged then surley Polo needs looking at.

If Polo is a defender then i am Nelson Mandella.

He shoud not be anywhere near that area.

I mean FFS he can kick goals, well at least has in a few games, so why not play him up forward. But its RFC so lets just play him in about 4 or 5 different positions and then in his last year play him forward.

[WilliamPowell]

Well folks this is one player as you will know that I don't believe can make it at AFL level, although I would love to see him get there he just lacks something IMO to make the transition from VFL to AFL.

Now leading into this game I was advocating Connors over Polo and IMO on Saturday Connors played 10 fold to the way Polo played. I have read many posts since the game on Saturday night and I think Polo has gotten off very lightly from posters that would rather crucify Deledio.

What are our thoughts on Polo now, I mean after one game if players like Hislop, Deledio, Tambling, Polak and the rest that accumulated more possessions and played better than Polo can be bagged then surley Polo needs looking at.

You give me one forward player from Saturday night who played well for the entire game. And don't say Nahas & Riewoldt because take out the last qtr and they were very poor as well.

As usually WAT you seem to base a players worth on their statistics... do things that don't get picked up on the TV (and yes I've watched the replay) count in your book?

Did he play well NO but he wasn't alone.

And if you think Connors played well then you are seduced by statistics because his disposal was very ordinary indeed. And BTW being there I can tell you that there were a couple of times he should have chased HARD and he didn't ....

[WA Tiger]

Well he was played forward as well during the game but could not get involved so I am wondering where he fits in to our structure??

[Smokey]

I wasn't at the game WP but he appeared to spend very little time up forward, especially early in the game.  Was this correct?

[WA Tiger]

Well folks this is one player as you will know that I don't believe can make it at AFL level, although I would love to see him get there he just lacks something IMO to make the transition from VFL to AFL.

Now leading into this game I was advocating Connors over Polo and IMO on Saturday Connors played 10 fold to the way Polo played. I have read many posts since the game on Saturday night and I think Polo has gotten off very lightly from posters that would rather crucify Deledio.

What are our thoughts on Polo now, I mean after one game if players like Hislop, Deledio, Tambling, Polak and the rest that accumulated more possessions and played better than Polo can be bagged then surley Polo needs looking at.

You give me one forward player from Saturday night who played well for the entire game. And don't say Nahas & Riewoldt because take out the last qtr and they were very poor as well.

As usually WAT you seem to base a players worth on their statistics... do things that don't get picked up on the TV (and yes I've watched the replay) count in your book?

Did he play well NO but he wasn't alone.

And if you think Connors played well then you are seduced by statistics because his disposal was very ordinary indeed. And BTW being there I can tell you that there were a couple of times he should have chased HARD and he didn't ....

Thats right WP none of the forwards played well including Polo but he seems to have come out of this game unscathed from the expert critics yet agin while the rest of the players that played crap have copped it.

Why in a previous post on Polo did you list his stats from the last few years?? Who is being seduced by statistics??? I didn't notice Polo doing very much Saturday let alone chasing HARD!!

[Ox]

lmao

I don't even bother commenting on some players.

[Stripes]

It has been one practice game and already people are keen to change everything we have spent all summer training for. Hardwick has a definite long term plan which at the moment includes Polo in the forwardline. Polo spent most of the game in the backline and then played in a supply starved forwardline after that. All of our forwards struggled early on as Hawthorn was just too strong defensively and pressured our midfielders relentlessly. They had 100 more possessions than us yet even when we did kick it into our forwardline it was a bomb which meant leads were nigh on useless. Players such as Polak and Morton suffered because of this in particular.

Lets just see how the NAB Challenge series unfolds against other opposition (lets hope we don't play Geelong next  ) and see how the forwardline goes when our midfield has more time to deliver to leading targets.

Stripes

[torch]

Polo was played as a backman on Saturday Night.

i think Campbell was in charge and played Polo down back.

i think he should be played on the half forward line.

 

[WA Tiger]

It has been one practice game and already people are keen to change everything we have spent all summer training for.
Stripes

That is part of my point, after one game just about every player is being hung except Polo, so lynch him as well people or...........leave the others alone.

[WilliamPowell]

I wasn't at the game WP but he appeared to spend very little time up forward, especially early in the game.  Was this correct?

from where I was sitting he played mainly up forward smokey. Although on a couple of occasions he followed his opponent as he (Hawks player) tried to create a running option off the backline. This resulted in him appearing on the HBF a few times. He did have a couple of short stints at HB but that seemed to have more to do with his opponent,; well at least that;s how it looked.

He was also rotated through a lot. I must say I was generally surprised with how often Polo and Morton in particular were rotated off the ground

Thats right WP none of the forwards played well including Polo but he seems to have come out of this game unscathed from the expert critics yet agin while the rest of the players that played crap have copped it.

Why in a previous post on Polo did you list his stats from the last few years?? Who is being seduced by statistics??? I didn't notice Polo doing very much Saturday let alone chasing HARD!!

1/ I didn’t quote statistics – I highlighted the number of games he has played over the last 3 season. You said Polo had the ball “given to him” and then mentioned Tucks stats regarding clearances – I responded to the stats you presented.  I said you’d be surprised at how many hardball gets Polo actually has. For mine hard ball gets are of greater importance in some cases than kicks & handballs. But hey that’s a personal view

2/ Re: chasing HARD my point was this (and I have said this many times): On TV you cannot see what a player 10-15 off the ball is doing, it simply isn’t shown. At the game you can see what blokes are doing off the ball and how hard they are working. I can tell you that were a couple of occasions on Saturday night when Connors should have gone to chase and he didn’t go hard enough. How would you know if Polo or anyone else chased if it wasn’t shown on TV? As I mentioned above he followed his opponent (actually ran 70 odd metres) from the HF line to the HB line to ensure his opponent didn’t get the ball and become the option. Having watched the replay I can assure you this wasn’t seen on the TV and was not highlighted.

[bojangles17]

pretty ordinary sat night...he has a tenuous hold on a spot, read same for white and richie

[WA Tiger]

Thats fine WP you have your opinion and I have mine, actually I even think Tuck played a better game than him on Saturday. I just don't think he has got what it takes to play AFL and will more than likely be gone at the end of the year with Tuck.

He can follow his oponent all he likes for 1000 metres around the ground but he still didn't get the ball, or do anything to hurt the opposition. At least Tuck and Connors tried to run and carry, Polo did little for mine.

[jackstar is back again]

.

And if you think Connors played well then you are seduced by statistics because his disposal was very ordinary indeed. And BTW being there I can tell you that there were a couple of times he should have chased HARD and he didn't ....

Connors first 5 kicks either missed targets or went straight to the opposition.
he is NOT UP TO IT PEOPLE !



Edited to correct quote

[WilliamPowell]

Thats fine WP you have your opinion and I have mine, actually I even think Tuck played a better game than him on Saturday. I just don't think he has got what it takes to play AFL and will more than likely be gone at the end of the year with Tuck.

He can follow his oponent all he likes for 1000 metres around the ground but he still didn't get the ball, or do anything to hurt the opposition. At least Tuck and Connors tried to run and carry, Polo did little for mine.

Actually felt for Tucky - he seemed a bit lost in the sense he didn't quite know what his role was.

I got very frustrated with his short kicks - would rather see him kick it longer, rather than those short "dinky" nothing passes that float to the opposition

And BTW you are missing a very important point regarding Connors and Tuck too now you've mentioned it - they didn't hurt the opposition they hurt the Tigers with their kicking turnovers. 

[jackstar is back again]

Football is a game of possesion.
Most of our players fail in this area.
Connors is top of the class I am afraid