Tommy Langdon and The Defenders. See them live next week.

[swoop42]

For the first time I'm having doubts over Langdon.

Looks to have stagnated as a player over the last 12 months and seemingly not providing the same level of intercept marking and rebound he was excellent at in his debut season.

Got run down to many times last year also and going by the hairstyle he appears to be one of the new breed of party boys at the club.

Get your finger out Tommy.

Overall coming into the season our defence looked the weakest area of the ground and we just don't have many quality users of the ball outside of Reid who can't stay out on the park, perhaps Ramsay though he's still an unknown quality and Varcoe who was drafted to play centre forward.

When it's comes to running rebound we also aren't well served with the aforementioned Langdon looking slow of mind and body all to often of late while Sinclair and Williams who is our best in this area are still to inconsistent and neither are in the same class of Heath Shaw.

Last night wasn't a fair reflection on there abilities due to the whole side being bloody horrible and potentially many can be dour defenders but don't expect much creativity.

[yin-YANG]

I agree Langdon seems to have gone backwards re his attack on the footy and awareness.

We need to look at other options - Oxley has a good kick and can play a sweeper role. Marsh has pace and offers more potential than a sinclair for pace. Reid needs to get fit and help out… I am not sure if both Ramsay and Maynard can play or if either one of them is better than Tooves yet? Maybe Aish has the skills required down back when moving the ball out of defence. Our current team lacks imagination and the skills to move the ball quickly and effectively - but we have depth and others with more skill IMO.

Alternative back line - with a whole new shiny half back line… with a lot more class!

Williams Brown Toovey
Oxley Reid Aish

With Marsh on the bench… and rotating into back 6.

[simon tonna]

tom langdon should be dropped. he's kicking is just as poor as is williams and maynard. the fact that langdon is in he's third year and is still as slow in the mind and in the body from when he arrived what hope is there for someone like him.

[think positive]

But you noticed him because he got some of the ball last night, where others didn't. He was always a back up dancer, but now he doesn't have the lead singers to pull him along. He's playing his role, but we need something else in the spotlight.

Has anyone else noticed the decline since our fumbling captain is no longer roaming across the back line? We need a new General. Maybe cutting heater, instead of trying a bit harder to tame him, and yes while I was shattered, I thought it was t he right move. I was wrong. We should have tried harder. The back line is shot. Frosty, Langdon and Williams give it their all, but they need someone to lead the way.

[Pies4shaw]

Frost and Williams are not AFL-standard, though neither can be faulted for endeavour. Maynard seems to me to have been gifted his AFL games so far - I don't doubt that he has some talent but I am yet to see any real evidence of it at senior level. Sinclair still seems to me to be too slight for one-on-one contests in the backline. Langdon had a very late start to the pre-season and should be cut some slack. His real problem last night was that because he reads the game so well, he kept getting to contests where the situation was hopeless and that will always make a player look bad.

[Johnno75]

Surprised Oxley didn't play yesterday. Apart from Reid he is our best intercept mark. At the outside chance Reid is ready to play AFL anytime soon our defence looks more stable with these two.

[think positive]

[jdpie1970]

Langdon is in trouble as a defender. He is good at the interception but lags off his man too much. When a side is good at lowering vision when going forward his player always gets hit and he does not have closing speed. He is a defender that is dependant on up field pressure impacting on the forward 50 entry. He is also quiet and does not communicate to his defensive partners and last night there was no "instructor" in the back 6. Our two most vocal defenders are Reid and Marsh. They need to be in the 6 for this reason alone.

[swoop42]

[Pies4shaw]

You're not alone, by any means, in having a higher opinion of Williams than I do and I'm mindful of the possibility that I might be being too hard on him. I should stress that I love his effort but I just think he's too one-sided and predictable in his movements to ever make the grade against really good opposition. Just a view - and I remain open to being persuaded to the contrary.

FWIW, only Brown and Langdon of last night's back six are, in my opinion, good enough to perform well in the final two weeks of any season.

[Cakewalk]

Plays the easiest role on the field, however isn't a particularly smart ball user, is not quick, is a poor to average kick and doesn't defend well.

You really want your intercept player off half back to be a dynamic, smart counter attacker, but we have decided to put a tub of home brand vanilla ice cream in that position.

[pietillidie]

I'm with you on that last sentence. Sweep game into bin. Try again, this time with head and legs on planet earth. Reassess players.

Those shite, didn't-turn-up games happen. This next game will give us much more insight, short turnaround or not.

[Dave The Man]

He needs a Haircut

[RudeBoy]

[slangman]

Maynard, Ramsey, Sinclair and Witts are depth players at best. Some a couple of them might improve but I don't see much to be optimistic about their future.
All this talk about Witts having a very good pre season??? I didn't see it. Smashed against Geelong and only started to have an impact after Campbell went down for the Bulldogs. He should never be picked ahead of grundy.