Blues Clues wrote:
bondiblue wrote:
Blues Clues wrote:
jake_h03 wrote:
Really really really want to see Austin play.
I think he could be a very valuable player for us if he develops. At the moment the only other genuine size key defender is Carlos, although we all know Jamo does a damn good job on blokes considerably bigger than him. Still, wouldn't it be nice to have that depth of KP defenders. It would also allow us to be a bit more creative with Waite.
Also keen to see Haddles
Jamo is 193cms, same height as Austin. He is deceptively tall. Waite 194cms.
Jamo is our Scarlett and I would back him to play on the bigger lads EVERY time. He's an elite, they play above their height (e.g. Hunter). Hale kicked plenty on Scarlett (8?), so to see Jamo stitch him up the other night should give all Blues fans a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Agree, would still like to get look at Aussie in this game, but who does he replace?
I don't think Hale was stitched up by Jamo. In fact, the only time I saw the height difference being an advantage to Jamo was in the first Q when the ball hit the ground near the boundary and Jamo ran off (admitedly Jamo had 3 metre head start). The ball movement by North was sub standard in against Carlton in comparison to their display against Geelong. Hale and Scarlett were isolated and the delivery to Hale was always to advantage.
Jamo was too short for Hale. So much so, Jamo couldn't do much more than try and disguise a free kick against. Last year, when Jamo was one on one against Richo and a couple of the big Crows he was out of his weight decision; in fact his fist got no where near where the ball was marked because of the extra cms advantage of his opponent.
Agreed that Jamo is elite, but 7 cms plus extra cms in reach advantage from his opponent is not a fair contest. The rules definetely lean towards the forwards. From all the evidence I've seen, Jamo is seriously disadvatged physically against the gorillas. The only bloke we have on our list who is tall enough and strong enough to compete in a one on one combat with a gorilla (200cm) is Setanta.
AS for Austin, he was drafted at 194 cm; surely he has grown a bit since then. If you look at the training photos and find the ones where Austin and Jamo are next to each other, Austin is the taller of the 2. Austin has definetely grown taller than when first drafted. He's still too skinny for KP.
I also believe Jamo is taller than 193cm.
The great thing is that we are developing depth in the backline, and when Austin gains a bit more strength he will/ should take over Setanta for the big man role in defense.
Anyway, that's how I see it.
Interesting stuff amongst this Bondi, but permit me to add:
1. Got Austin's height as 193 cms from player profiles on CFC site, a height that would most likely have been taken on his arrival at the club. Maybe the CFC tape measure didn't get to 194 cms back then, given he was "always" 194 cms??
Whatever, he would have grown a bit since then so I stand corrected.
2. Jamo height also taken from the CFC site. Doubt he would have grown too much as circa 20-21 years when he came to us as a mature aged rookie.
3. Re Jamo v Hale, I think Hale only got 2 on him. IIRC, Waite coughed up a free kick to him in front of goals.
Jamo generally has a great record against the bigger units - I think back to the job he did on a rampant Reiwoldt at the G last yr - this had a big say in our comeback spurt in the last qtr. Jamo playing with one arm too. I was screaming for our box to make that move, that's why I remember it so well.
An elite, glad we agree on that.
4. Re Aussie, sure he'll continue to grow, but I don't see him as a "last line of defence" backman - his record back there is a little indifferent. His attacking instincts a bit of a worry back there and, unlike Jamo, he doesn't seem to have the smarts to outposition the bigger fellas "one on one". River Rodent and many other Ants watchers regularly highlight his "last line" deficiencies and he has had a few bags kicked on him back there. It was there for all to see in the big time when a spud like Moran outplayed him at AAMI last year.
Far more comfortable seeing Aussie developed as a CHB - I think he has the tools to be a good one, too.
Anyway, that's how I see it.
I knew where you got the profiles BC. We had this debate on TC last year. The point made at the time by a poster is that club profiles on their website are not accurate and there's good reason to avoid updating them for the opposition.
As for their respective heights, the debate last year was that Jamo was reportedly 195cm by Crosisca but listed at 193, and Austin was recruited as a 194 cm player and listed at 193cm. Just from photos and looking at them in the flesh, I would say that the player profiles are not accurate. That's all.
Look I reckon Jamo is one of the keys to our defense/ team structure. He is the KEY.
What I am saying is that when he's up against 200cm players (and Reiwoldt is nowhere near that; 194cms), he lacks the reach to combat them with the high ball.
As for the Hale contest, what I'm looking at is not the number of goals kicked against Jamo, but the number of opportunities Hale had and the ratio of goals from them. Hale looked too tall for Jamo, and it showed in the contest when the high ball was delivered. That's not suggesting Jamo is not a great defender at all. So I agree with you on that.
Lets be realistic though. If he's not tall enough, he's not tall enough. That's a fact of life. I'll exaggerate the point for the argument: Sandilands vs Jamison, can you spot the advantage and disadvantage in a high ball contest?
I can see Jamo as our Scarlett, but the point is that even Scarlett has a height disadvantage against Hale at 200cm. That doesn't make Scarlett and Jamo inferior defenders against big units, they just aren't a fair match up for 200cm forwards.
As for Austin, I think once he develops a bit more strength and fully develops in say 2 years time (end of 2010), he will be a better match for 200cm forwards, and in a better position against the Morans, than Jamo or Scarlett. I think taking the point from River Rodent's observation of the Ants' performances, Austin is a little slow in reacting to fast leading FF's. They are the one's who kicked bags on him last year. That may well be the case. However, I believe he will be our best available against the 200cm forward when Austin takes over from Setanta, based on our current list. I am not saying Austin is the answer though.
I can even see it one day when Hammer may have to match up against the 200cm forwards if Setanta isn't available/ not picked and Austin hasn't quite stepped up for that kind of a challenge.
A mismatch is what all coaches try to create for their advantage over the opposition, and we have to be ready and eqipped to meet the challenge. It's not fair to expect Jamo to compete against a 200cm forward for the high ball because of the difference in height and reach; that's all I'm saying.
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