#47,#11 Jarryd Blair

[AN_Inkling]

Both Malthouse and Buckley in turn have rated Blair in our best 22 and continued to pick him week-in, week-out. If he is the coach's pet, then he's had two very different owners, both of them very seasoned in what it takes to succeed. The boy must be doing a lot right for that to be the case.

What Tannin said above is also right. Blair, with Sidebottom, was instrumental in several early goals. He then continued to contribute in a slightly more low-key way for the rest of the evening. Dropped one sitter of a mark, as all players do from time to time. Even Pendlebury, a few weeks ago, dropped one. The Blair haters don't watch the game, they just look for failings, real or imagined, with which to beat one of our most dedicated players.

I will say that I am very much in the Blair fan side of this debate (which is probably the most divisive issue we have discussed this year).

I agree he was good in the first quarter and he has obvious and valuable skills that help a team (but might not win a person a brownlow).

I will say though, there were more than a handful of occasions where Blair attacked the ball on Friday night and after we lost possession of the ball, or never got possession of the ball, I was left wondering what would have happened if it wasn't Blair in that situation. In my mind it was an off night for him.

I put him in the same boat as Sinclair though. He might not be good enough to retain a spot in our next premiership, but he is very likely to keep getting 10-15 games a year for the next couple of years because you never can get a best 22 on the park for long stretches and his work ethic and ability to make the most of his talent makes him a positive influence on a list, especially a young and talented list.

And thats the thing for me; Blair works so hard without the ball, that sometimes it seems he is our only go-to target because he is the only one presenting....

Which is all well and good, but it doesn't make him taller or quicker, so when they kick it to him, unless the kick is perfect, we are pushing shit uphill to retain possession.

Happened a few times early in the 1st quarter.

The ideal solution would be to have more players working harder to present an option, Cloke is a champ at this aspect, but if he is out, Blair shouldn't be playing his role.

But none of this is Blairs fault really, is it? Can't blame a man for working hard.

I just think his weaknesses are sometimes exposed by his hard work, ironically enough

If it was someone other than Blair here's what would have been likely to have happened: the player would not have been there because they don't work hard enough (Karnezis) or they are a tall and don't have the running power to get there (Witts), or they are just as small and would have presented in the same way (Kennedy).

There's no problem with playing a small forward, every team has them. There is an argument that with Blair, Elliott and Fasolo we have one too many and I think this is one reason why Blair's actually been dropped once or twice this year. Over most of the year though he has still provided enough value to the team to hold his spot. So far, those looking to break in ahead of him have not.

[neil]

When Ben Ken does enough to force him out and then Ben gets enough possessions and kicks enough goals each week to keep Blair out.
Or PK does it
Or they play Freeman up forward and he does it
Or Abbott gets played next year and does it.
Or someone else

However until someone grabs Blairs position by force of quality performance Blair will play
Same as every other player who gets selected

[RudeBoy]

When Ben Ken does enough to force him out and then Ben gets enough possessions and kicks enough goals each week to keep Blair out.
Or PK does it
Or they play Freeman up forward and he does it
Or Abbott gets played next year and does it.
Or someone else

However until someone grabs Blairs position by force of quality performance Blair will play
Same as every other player who gets selected

Next year with Broomhead and hopefully Freeman up and about, it will become much harder to justify a spot for the little man. But this year, he has certainly earned his spot.

[HAL]

Who?

[AN_Inkling]

If Blair can't hold his spot next year, does this mean we are officially better, or at least deeper, than in 2010?

For those who do want Blair out, just remember that he was not gifted games to replace Medhurst and Lockyer, he earned them and then held his spot through performance. The same is required of any player wanting to break into the team.

[RudeBoy]

If Blair can't hold his spot next year, does this mean we are officially better, or at least deeper, than in 2010?

For those who do want Blair out, just remember that he was not gifted games to replace Medhurst and Lockyer, he earned them and then held his spot through performance. The same is required of any player wanting to break into the team.

I suspect Blair, Macaffer, Toovey and Goldsack may all struggle to maintain their spots next year. So I guess that would make us a much, much, much better team than 2010.

[inxs88]

When Ben Ken does enough to force him out and then Ben gets enough possessions and kicks enough goals each week to keep Blair out.
Or PK does it
Or they play Freeman up forward and he does it
Or Abbott gets played next year and does it.
Or someone else

However until someone grabs Blairs position by force of quality performance Blair will play
Same as every other player who gets selected

What could Kennedy and Karnezis do more in the Magoos to force Blair out??

[RudeBoy]

When Ben Ken does enough to force him out and then Ben gets enough possessions and kicks enough goals each week to keep Blair out.
Or PK does it
Or they play Freeman up forward and he does it
Or Abbott gets played next year and does it.
Or someone else

However until someone grabs Blairs position by force of quality performance Blair will play
Same as every other player who gets selected

What could Kennedy and Karnezis do more in the Magoos to force Blair out??

They each could have done a lot, lot more in the seniors when they were given a chance. Kennedy might yet still make it, but I suspect we've seen the last of Karnezis.

[E]

If Blair can't hold his spot next year, does this mean we are officially better, or at least deeper, than in 2010?

For those who do want Blair out, just remember that he was not gifted games to replace Medhurst and Lockyer, he earned them and then held his spot through performance. The same is required of any player wanting to break into the team.

what he was good at was much more important in 2010 than it is now. His ability to apply that manic pressure was certainly enough at the time since that alone won us games and others werent doing it.

Now defensive forward pressure is pretty much in every players DNA.
They now need to do that AND more!

i dont think it tells us anytihing other than the fact that someone is keeping Blair out of his specialized role.

It doesnt enable you to say our backline or midfield is better than in 2010 (or, importantly, our Cloke).

[neil]

When Ben Ken does enough to force him out and then Ben gets enough possessions and kicks enough goals each week to keep Blair out.
Or PK does it
Or they play Freeman up forward and he does it
Or Abbott gets played next year and does it.
Or someone else

However until someone grabs Blairs position by force of quality performance Blair will play
Same as every other player who gets selected

What could Kennedy and Karnezis do more in the Magoos to force Blair out??

Nothing in the VFL a shitload more in the seniors they both played senior football this year and were underwelming

[qldmagpie67]

Respect were its deserved playing 100 games at AFL level is a great achievement.
He does a lot of 1% stuff I think the coaches love plus he gives everything he has each and every week.
His best is ok he ain't a Pendles or Sidey
If we had our total list in absolute best form would he be in our best 22 no way.
He and a couple others are depth players going forward who the coach can call on when injury or poor form occurs.
He frustates me as much as anyone else but I still see the little attempted smothers, the hard chases that cause a pressure kick and turnover, the tackle that leads to a goal he mightn't be pretty but he tries his heart out and that's all you can ask of a player each week

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

And thats the thing for me; Blair works so hard without the ball, that sometimes it seems he is our only go-to target because he is the only one presenting....

Which is all well and good, but it doesn't make him taller or quicker, so when they kick it to him, unless the kick is perfect, we are pushing shit uphill to retain possession.

Happened a few times early in the 1st quarter.

The ideal solution would be to have more players working harder to present an option, Cloke is a champ at this aspect, but if he is out, Blair shouldn't be playing his role.

But none of this is Blairs fault really, is it? Can't blame a man for working hard.

I just think his weaknesses are sometimes exposed by his hard work, ironically enough

That's a really good summation. It's just so frustrating to see a promising f50 entry thwarted by Blair getting swamped by bigger and more athletic opponents. Something's gone awry when one of your your main lead up targets is the smallest bloke on the field.

[John Wren]

just watched the replay and there wasn't too much wrong with blair's game. played his role as you'd want him to. elliot's game was more of a concern. he just doesn't seem right.

[Tannin]

Elliott is crook, no two ways about it. He is playing through an injury, no question of that. Look at the way he pulls up after a passage of play. Once the ball has left his boot, even if it's a goal or a pin-point pass, he just .... stops. He tries not to show it but he is playing through a lot of pain. If a racehorse looked like that you'd be screaming for the stewards to suspend the trainer.

Good on Elliott. He's playing through the back half of the year on guts and painkillers and not saying anything. That's courage.

(I am assuming that he'll go for whatever treatment he needs over the break and be right for the pre-season. Hope so.)

[Dangles]

Maybe we should run a poll about who the most maligned person is at Collingwood out of: Jesse White, Jarryd Blair, Nathan Buckley, Eddie McGuire and Travis Cloke.