Kepler, kepler man...

[jimmyc1985]

First time i've watched a full game involving Kepler all year. Happily stand by my opinion he's rubbish.

Bomberfan hit the nail on the head in the first reply to this thread. At least 5 times during the match, Keps managed to put a teammate under serious pressure, usually by handballing to them when they had an opponent on their hammer - and this was in a game where players weren't paying much attention to their opponents. His kicks still loop more than a ripping Shane Warne leg break, and his recovery time after contesting a mark or ruck dual is extremely slow.

Anyone who doubts that he's lost his ability to be an accidental comedian must see the goal he missed today. A teammate looped a handball to him about 10 metres in front of Freo's goal, Kep took a couple steps, miraculously dodged a Port tackler, took a few more steps into a wide open goal and............................................got tackled from behind, holding the ball. Laughed my head off.

[tom9779]

This is a question I would like to ask Kevin Sheedy.

[F111]

I've always been of the opinion that Bradleys mind was rogered by playing on the Brown/Tredrea/Hall type chf's when he was a tall and slight 18 year old. I think a couple of the hits he took in his first season would've done that to many a kid.

He was unfortunate he landed at the EFC when we were devoid of a chb. Henneman was always injured, and suffered accordingly, so Bradley got the gig under the guise of "learning". Not the best way to learn to play in the AFL. If he'd've spent 1-2 seasons in the 2's getting prepared like most big young blokes then who knows how he may have developed?

I don't believe I'll ever have a firm opinion on Bradley. If you go purely on form and ignore his difficult early positional roles then he deserves some of the vitriol, but he's never done anything to cause me to hate him. That's unfair. He tried, he had a go, he just wasn't good enough under very difficult circumstances for a young bloke. Shane Harvey on the other hand was a squib with an over inflated opinion of himself and deserved anything that came his way.

[Windy_Hill]

he's obviously helping Freo reach great heights!!!!

[BenDoolan]

I've always been of the opinion that Bradleys mind was rogered by playing on the Brown/Tredrea/Hall type chf's when he was a tall and slight 18 year old. I think a couple of the hits he took in his first season would've done that to many a kid.

He was unfortunate he landed at the EFC when we were devoid of a chb. Henneman was always injured, and suffered accordingly, so Bradley got the gig under the guise of "learning". Not the best way to learn to play in the AFL. If he'd've spent 1-2 seasons in the 2's getting prepared like most big young blokes then who knows how he may have developed?

I don't believe I'll ever have a firm opinion on Bradley. If you go purely on form and ignore his difficult early positional roles then he deserves some of the vitriol, but he's never done anything to cause me to hate him. That's unfair. He tried, he had a go, he just wasn't good enough under very difficult circumstances for a young bloke. Shane Harvey on the other hand was a squib with an over inflated opinion of himself and deserved anything that came his way.

Yet a 17 year old Fletcher had to play on Kernahan, Ablett, Loewe, S. Rocca, Modra, Sumich...

[onzman]

22 possessions, 91% efficiency, 5 clearances, 8 marks.

Can everyone please respond to this thread with either "I wanted to keep him because he was a 21 year old KPP" or "I thought he was rubbish".

For mine:

"I wanted to keep him because he was a 21 year old KPP"

"I thought he was rubbish".

[F111]

I've always been of the opinion that Bradleys mind was rogered by playing on the Brown/Tredrea/Hall type chf's when he was a tall and slight 18 year old. I think a couple of the hits he took in his first season would've done that to many a kid.

He was unfortunate he landed at the EFC when we were devoid of a chb. Henneman was always injured, and suffered accordingly, so Bradley got the gig under the guise of "learning". Not the best way to learn to play in the AFL. If he'd've spent 1-2 seasons in the 2's getting prepared like most big young blokes then who knows how he may have developed?

I don't believe I'll ever have a firm opinion on Bradley. If you go purely on form and ignore his difficult early positional roles then he deserves some of the vitriol, but he's never done anything to cause me to hate him. That's unfair. He tried, he had a go, he just wasn't good enough under very difficult circumstances for a young bloke. Shane Harvey on the other hand was a squib with an over inflated opinion of himself and deserved anything that came his way.

Yet a 17 year old Fletcher had to play on Kernahan, Ablett, Loewe, S. Rocca, Modra, Sumich...

You're slippng BD...what about plugger?
Your comment says more about Fletcher than Bradley. Bradley took 2 very big hits that precluded him from returning by plane with the team in one season. Hard to deal with for a young fella I think. Fletcher is incomparable in matters such as these and it would do anyone a disservice to do so. One out of the box, and thank goodness we have him.

[BenDoolan]

I've always been of the opinion that Bradleys mind was rogered by playing on the Brown/Tredrea/Hall type chf's when he was a tall and slight 18 year old. I think a couple of the hits he took in his first season would've done that to many a kid.

He was unfortunate he landed at the EFC when we were devoid of a chb. Henneman was always injured, and suffered accordingly, so Bradley got the gig under the guise of "learning". Not the best way to learn to play in the AFL. If he'd've spent 1-2 seasons in the 2's getting prepared like most big young blokes then who knows how he may have developed?

I don't believe I'll ever have a firm opinion on Bradley. If you go purely on form and ignore his difficult early positional roles then he deserves some of the vitriol, but he's never done anything to cause me to hate him. That's unfair. He tried, he had a go, he just wasn't good enough under very difficult circumstances for a young bloke. Shane Harvey on the other hand was a squib with an over inflated opinion of himself and deserved anything that came his way.

Yet a 17 year old Fletcher had to play on Kernahan, Ablett, Loewe, S. Rocca, Modra, Sumich...

You're slippng BD...what about plugger?
Your comment says more about Fletcher than Bradley. Bradley took 2 very big hits that precluded him from returning by plane with the team in one season. Hard to deal with for a young fella I think. Fletcher is incomparable in matters such as these and it would do anyone a disservice to do so. One out of the box, and thank goodness we have him.

I don't recall Fletcher playing on Plugger in '93. Anyways, the point is, he was a 17 year old school kid who did cop his whacks and who did get goals kicked on him. The difference was that Fletcher looked like a footballer and competed very well despite his pretzel like existence. Bradley (over the 4 seasons) looked completely at sea.

[F111]

As mentioned, I still believe it says more about Fletch than Bradley. Under those circumstances, out of 10 similar players you'd get one Fletch, and 9 Bradleys. Poor Bradley was compared to Fletch even before he got to us, with his posture being similar.
Don't get me wrong here, as I do think Bradley needed to leave. Neagle and Daniher signalled that for me, and Bradleys inability to show anything useful on the backline. He needed to show something to stay, but it's not his forte. I blame Henneman 'because if he did well then Bradleys first 2 seasons would've been very different.
If Bradley had the slower introduction to senior footy that Neagle has had f'instance, maybe his development would have been better Maybe he would've been a better, more self assured player. He isn't however. I see it as a shame, because it shows a wasted high pick. It's the exception that high picks slot straight into a team, not the rule. Off the top of my head, the exceptions are the smaller types like Selwood and Pendlebury.

[Stocksy]

he's obviously helping Freo reach great heights!!!!

Yeah he has them single handedly sitting where they are Windy...

I still have a lot of time for Kep's. But I am biased, I'd rather freo didint play him at all so we had him back at West Perth...

Sheeds drafted him thinking he could mould him, thinking he could turn a wing/forward player into a KPP backman. There were games (and yeah I know there were plenty of dirty days) where I thought he played well, but he never looked comfortable. As a forward I think Freo will get some service from him, and although I was of the opinion he should have been given another year, I can understand the reason to cut him. To stay he would have needed to cement a spot down back, and he will never do that, not for us, not for Freo, and not for West Perth.

[BenDoolan]

he's obviously helping Freo reach great heights!!!!

Yeah he has them single handedly sitting where they are Windy...

I still have a lot of time for Kep's. But I am biased, I'd rather freo didint play him at all so we had him back at West Perth...

Sheeds drafted him thinking he could mould him, thinking he could turn a wing/forward player into a KPP backman. There were games (and yeah I know there were plenty of dirty days) where I thought he played well, but he never looked comfortable. As a forward I think Freo will get some service from him, and although I was of the opinion he should have been given another year, I can understand the reason to cut him. To stay he would have needed to cement a spot down back, and he will never do that, not for us, not for Freo, and not for West Perth.

Did we cut him or did he want to go? I was under the impression he told Essendon he wanted out.

[Crazyman]

he's obviously helping Freo reach great heights!!!!

Yeah he has them single handedly sitting where they are Windy...

I still have a lot of time for Kep's. But I am biased, I'd rather freo didint play him at all so we had him back at West Perth...

Sheeds drafted him thinking he could mould him, thinking he could turn a wing/forward player into a KPP backman. There were games (and yeah I know there were plenty of dirty days) where I thought he played well, but he never looked comfortable. As a forward I think Freo will get some service from him, and although I was of the opinion he should have been given another year, I can understand the reason to cut him. To stay he would have needed to cement a spot down back, and he will never do that, not for us, not for Freo, and not for West Perth.

Did we cut him or did he want to go? I was under the impression he told Essendon he wanted out.

Either way, I am glad he left. Good luck to him in Freeo, but IMO he is not AFL quality...

[Stocksy]

You could be right Ben...

I doubt though he would have been there this year in either case. Knights had plenty to do with him last year when he was playing under him, if he saw there was a future for him at Essendon playing League footy I'm sure he would have convinced him to stay.

[jimmyc1985]

7 touches, none in the second half, 3 critical errors in yesterday's game.

Whoever came up with the saying that "a week is a long time in (insert relevant discipline here)" is a genius.

[robbie67]

7 touches, none in the second half, 3 critical errors in yesterday's game.

Whoever came up with the saying that "a week is a long time in (insert relevant discipline here)" is a genius.

I'm surprised AndrewB hasnt found a way to blame Matthew Knights for this.

[Rossoneri]

7 touches, none in the second half, 3 critical errors in yesterday's game.

So he is playing better at Freo. Got a new lease on life perhaps?

[bomberdonnie]

7 touches, none in the second half, 3 critical errors in yesterday's game.

So he is playing better at Freo. Got a new lease on life perhaps?

Kepler gives rubbish a bad name...

[j-mac31]

1. I could have sworn his scouting reports said he was "mobile and athletic". If they meant "slow and stupid" I think they were spot on.

2. How come plenty of you seem to think we should have kept him because he was a young KPP, yet Cartledge, a younger ruckman (which take even longer to develop) should have gone straight away? Forget the talent (or lack thereof) of either player, you can't have it both ways.

[andrewb]

Pisser. He's had one bad game out of four (named in the best two of three before this week).

[bomberdonnie]

Pisser. He's had one bad game out of four (named in the best two of three before this week).

He is pure trash... You will one day realise this andrewb