We got absolutely smashed in the stoppages. One thing that annoyed me was that the stats in terms of Hitouts werent as obscure as I orginally thought. melb has something like 25 hit outs to Freo's 28. However our positioning from stoppages was awful. Thoughts?

agree - we were awful out of the middle tonight. we just couldn't get our hands on it at all.

We got absolutely smashed in the stoppages. One thing that annoyed me was that the stats in terms of Hitouts werent as obscure as I orginally thought. melb has something like 25 hit outs to Freo's 28. However our positioning from stoppages was awful. Thoughts?

Same as last year, we got first hands on it as much as a they did but often failed to get the footy out to advantage. Not enough numbers around the footy. Not quick or sure enough by hand, not enough options. Not just at stoppages, same goes for breaking at half back or through the guts.

Not enough confidence to break the lines, not enough confidence in our skills to take the game on with run and handball. This will destroy any game plan but can change pretty quickly.

Intensity and spirit was also not consistent throughout the team. We have a couple of players who consistently fail to put thier head over the footy which is concerning.

Confidence, intensity and time for the chemistry to happen. The club will identify this and work on it.

Edited February 21, 201015 yr by dandeeman

We got absolutely smashed in the stoppages. One thing that annoyed me was that the stats in terms of Hitouts werent as obscure as I orginally thought. melb has something like 25 hit outs to Freo's 28. However our positioning from stoppages was awful. Thoughts?

Nail .. head !!

We were spanked in this area. They won all the contested ball around stoppages, and constantly had more men in the right places whenever contested situations of any kind resulted in the ball going to ground. We really need to improve this facet before the serious stuff starts.

im not trying to bash martin, but i dont think he is a great ruckman, much better suited front or back. But i do understand he was out only option tonight. On another note, until he got injured (or a corkie) i thought spencer did alright on sandilands.

Fremantle got 30 centre clearances to Melb 21.

Mundy and Jones with equal highest with 5 a piece. Despite only getting 18 possies and 4 tackles I though Jones was clearly our best midfielder tonight.

im not trying to bash martin, but i dont think he is a great ruckman, much better suited front or back. But i do understand he was out only option tonight. On another note, until he got injured (or a corkie) i thought spencer did alright on sandilands.

I agree. I thought Martin worked very hard. And was good below his knees when in dispute and was able to get hands on it and get it out through handball. I thought Spencer when pitted against Sandilands in the ruck positioned himself well on occassions around the ground, but clearly is currently out of his depth competing against him at the centre bounce, although it was a great experience for him. Spencer can use his height well. He should never kick the ball I might add.

I know it was the first hit out, but at the stoppages it is apparent that more work and planning needs to be done for the players in positioning against their opponents. The boys were smashed. There is no better description than that, too many times the opposition ran away with it un-opposed.

I know it was the first hit out, but at the stoppages it is apparent that more work and planning needs to be done for the players in positioning against their opponents.

I keep thinking back to the Hawthorn game last year. I went and watched it and wondered why we were getting killed in the centre. Then when I watched the taped game later that night I saw the interview with Bailey where he explained that the Hawks liked to use a V to gain space and he had instructed the mids to guard the area. Did it happen? Maybe once or twice out of 20 or so times.

It's pretty hard to coach a team that either doesn't have the skill or concentration to carry out a plan.

Simple: we don't surround the stoppages. While the ruck struggled a little, you can still win the clearance if you surround the bloody thing.

Melbourne got rid of their best stoppages player (not McLean).

Melbourne got rid of their best stoppages player (not McLean).

?

Buckley??

He's talking about Valenti. And he's wrong.

He's talking about Valenti. And he's wrong.

hahaha so wrong that I couldn't even guess it!

Wow. Valenti..?

Really??

We've been smashed out of the stoppages since Round 1, 2007.

Not only did it look like they had 5 extra players around the contest, it was also about what happened when the first player received the ball.

If we got it, it was a quick boot forward, hoping to go near a target. When they got it, they had 2/3 options to handpass it to.

It really looked like junior players playing against grown men at times, not only the bodies, but the mindset and skill.

Melbourne got rid of their best stoppages player (not McLean).

The one who is now at Sandringham ?

The one who is now at Sandringham ?

Who's at Sandringham?