Braithy wrote:
The list of improvers this season under MM is astonishing. It's something we rarely witnessed under ratten, and I was a pro-ratts guy too.
Rowe, Casboult, Yarran, Gibbs, Murphy, at times warnock, etc etc the inclusion of everitt and docherty. The plusses for MM far outweigh the negatives from a list improvement perspective. imo
Hardly "astonishing" Braithy. Young players improve. Yes Levi has improved but it has been steady over a number of years, and with the tools he has you would expect him to improve. Rowe has done really well in defence. Murphy is at about the level he was a few years back. Gibbs was average early in the year but has been excellent recently and should win the b and f Yarran was at a very high level several years back and you would expect a player that talented to improve as he gets older. I wasn't a Ratts fan but I thought Yarran played very well at half back for Ratten. I'd add Curnow to the improvers. Warnock has shown why you don't give up a second rounder in a very strong draft to add a 4th ruckman to your list who can't do anything but tap the ball to congestion. He has taken 3 contested marks for the year. He hasn't improved. Balanced against improvements are players going backwards. Armfield, Waite, Garlett, all in career worst form. Walker has been up and down, Simmo is currently struggling. We are near the bottom of the ladder, having our worst year since about 2007 when we really did have a crap side, so it's hard to argue that we have made great strides forward.