The Headless Coach

[TheOx05 1]

I wasn't going to post for a while but I have to comment on this game and the coaching. I can't remember how many times I've seen the same game between Melbourne and Hawthorn it's like Ground Hog day. I sit in the same area behind the goals, they kick to the city end, they get a good start to the game and we just watch them kill us, fortunately this year they kicked poorly so the game wasn't over at quarter time.

The game starts we win the tap but they get the clearance and this just goes on and on until the end of the quarter. They play down the AFL Members side of the ground and have 3 or 4 players stationed out on the flanks and wings all unopposed and these players provide the link between the midfielders and the forwards. The forward players all lead out to the AFL members side and our backs trot along several metres behind them allowing them to take an easy chest mark and usually kick a goal.

There is no real need to tape any of these games as they are so predictable and we continue to let them run the ball down the wing unopposed and they continue to slaughter us so just tape one and replay it every year if you feel like you want to punish yourself.

It must get boring for the Hawthorn Coach knowing that he can have the same game plan year after year he can be as predictable year after year and we just aren't smart enough to do anything about it.

To top it off we continue too, predictably, kick the ball out to the MCC members wing where they have usually managed to switch a couple of players to outnumber and out muscle our big men, meaning that the ball comes back quicker than you can say why the bloody hell did they do that. We give the ball to Grimes to kick and he seems to lack the power to even pass the 50mtr line even though he has a 10mtr start so we are behind the 8 ball there too. It never ceases to amaze me when I see players that are under no pressure, unable to perform the most simple of task like passing the ball to a team mate some 30mtrs away.

It never ceases to amaze me when I see the same mistakes made over and over again and nothing done about trying to change the dynamics of the game, like playing man on man for a while, or trying to get a couple of players out on the AFL members wing to try to stop the onslaught when it starts, as t always does. Now that it a big problem and whether it's the coach or the players I'm not sure but it's someone's fault and it's about time someone did something about it.

I had to explain to my Grandson on the way home why we were playing so well and all of a sudden we turned to crap and the Ground Hog game started; I couldn't give him an answer and unfortunately I don't think the coaching panel could have either.

This game is all about speed now and we just don't seem to have enough of it.

Here are a few questions for the defensive department?

Have we no-one who is a designated kicker? It seems that Tapscott was the main kicker for the team..in his second game! Do we have no one that has been there longer than 2 games that can kick the ball in?

Did anyone se the way Sydney kicked in last week? No pressure...this week..no pressure. Who ever is drawing the zone defence at the dees must have a blindfold on

Why don't we go back to using a huddle now and then rather than kicking to a contest 60 meters out on the MCC wing hoping to hell Jamar can take a grab. Mix it up a bit.

Does the football department actually watch what other clubs are doing and how do they get the ball out so easily?

I'm at my wits end.....

[rpfc 27,532]

Gameplan or no gameplan - you don't let a side have 20 scoring shots in a quarter...

I have far more faith in Bailey than I do in the leadership of Green, Davey, Moloney, Rivers, Jones, Sylvia, Dunn, and Jamar.

Our senior players have 'grown up' in teams with dominant leaders where they haven't had to step up (Neitz and McDonald).

They don't inspire confidence in me when we are down, and evidently they don't in themselves or each other, much less the team...

If anyone needs a kick up the arse, it's everyone 23 and older in that side...

But again, we come back to the old chestnut of mine - our talent is 22 and younger. Bailey knew we couldn't get it done with a team based around the aforementioned senior players and set about getting us the talent that you could rely on.

[Guest Thomo]

Can't clear the ball from a kickout, stuggle with clearences and not enough defensive pressure from the forwards.

Three years, about 60 players, one coach, same issues. That's why people are angry.

[Jaded No More 58,312]

Gameplan or no gameplan - you don't let a side have 20 scoring shots in a quarter...

Our problems can best be summarised by concluding that we see far too much ball action down back and not enough in the sweet spot up front. We are pretty much fumbly teenage boys struggling to score. That supposedly improves with age. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[titan_uranus 22,508]

Gameplan or no gameplan - you don't let a side have 20 scoring shots in a quarter...

I have far more faith in Bailey than I do in the leadership of Green, Davey, Moloney, Rivers, Jones, Sylvia, Dunn, and Jamar.

Our senior players have 'grown up' in teams with dominant leaders where they haven't had to step up (Neitz and McDonald).

They don't inspire confidence in me when we are down, and evidently they don't in themselves or each other, much less the team...

If anyone needs a kick up the arse, it's everyone 23 and older in that side...

But again, we come back to the old chestnut of mine - our talent is 22 and younger. Bailey knew we couldn't get it done with a team based around the aforementioned senior players and set about getting us the talent that you could rely on.

The effort level today was appalling. It doesn't matter who was leading or how old we were or how many games we had played. We had players like Maric who just didn't even look like they were trying.

Of course, the leadership issue is a big one. Green has had two shockers so far this year. For some reason he's playing further up the ground, odd after how well he did last year as a predominate forward.

[Demon Disciple 11,035]

Because at 3/4 time he was calm and controlled. After 3 1/2 years the players should know the plan, so why not take the chance to rev them up? Give them a bake? Say something to get their energy and passion up... Didn't happen.

Have to agree with you Stuie. Once, just once, i'd like to see Dean get passionate about something, show some emotion, wear his heart on his sleeve. I don't want to see cool, calm and collected (not after the 2nd half performance). I want to see someone who is furious and won't accept that crap from anybody, even young kids.

[old dee 22,930]

Have to agree with you Stuie. Once, just once, i'd like to see Dean get passionate about something, show some emotion, wear his heart on his sleeve. I don't want to see cool, calm and collected (not after the 2nd half performance). I want to see someone who is furious and won't accept that crap from anybody, even young kids.

DD I would love to see it once just once.

How I hunger for a Malthouse stare

How I hunger for the impression he hates loosing.

Just once DB Please

[Guest Gotzy15]

Have to agree with you Stuie. Once, just once, i'd like to see Dean get passionate about something, show some emotion, wear his heart on his sleeve. I don't want to see cool, calm and collected (not after the 2nd half performance). I want to see someone who is furious and won't accept that crap from anybody, even young kids.

Once again cant agree with you more!!!!! wouldnt mind seeing him make a move and try something a little different either when were getting ass raped. ie grimes into the middle, frawley or garland up forward just something that can give us a spark

[bush demon 1,899]

positives:

1. jack watts marked and goaled under extreme pressure for the first time since joining the club;

2. Tapscott is a gun and stood up to the hawthorn bullies;

3. the crowd size for a sunday night was excellent pity we don't get the money;

4. cameron bruce's departure hasn't harmed our team;

5. we withstood the initial hawk charge -with interest- but not the second or third.

6. Steph Martin has seriously improved from last year.

7. the coffee at longwarry was reasonable.

negs;

1. our game plan is static. watch hawthorn and their dynamic movement, everyone is moving into space for the next link-up like an alien swarm, whilst our build-up is so slow and linear that the forwards end up getting poor delivery, meaning jurrah has to fly for unrealistic grabs.

2. our clearance off the backline is long-winded and a concession of defeat. why not run around the mark occasionally and clear the hawthorn press? a bit of x-factor. we are just giving them the ball.

3. the competition is so even that every game bar brissie bears and carrara will be arm wrestles. we will win some but lose others. we don't have gorilla forwards yet, to play the kind of kamikaze attacking game we saw today.

[Demon Tragic 0]

Bailey didn't have his best day today. A few things I noticed.

1. Rioli was carving us up all day with his speed. Not tagged at all. Bennell showed the speed he was capable of last week and it could have been a great learning experience for the kid to run with Cyril, but no move was made.

2. After 3 years, we are still incapable of bringing the ball in consistently from point kick ins. Where is the plan, why is the message not getting through?

3. When we are under siege, we flood back. Problem being when we get the ball back we have no players forward of centre and are forced to hold up the ball through the centre whilst we wait for players to get forward. This has been happening for 2 years and still no improvement.

4. Trengove played a good portion of today's game in the backline and looked uncomfortable and din't play well either. Obviously out of position but took to long to make the move.

I can't blame DB for today's loss and I'm not silly enough to call for heads to roll after Rd 2, but if these sort of things don't improve, some searching questions need to be asked.

[e25 5]

Fairly inflammatory thread title, for an OP that pretends to plead for more time before we hang Bailey.

We will suffer horrible losses and play some terrible football this year.

We'll also play some fantastic games.

This is something we already know, so why the panic..?

[dee-luded 2,958]

The next two SHOULD be wins for anyone in this comp besides Brisbane and GC.

Bailey does not inspire

That had nothing to do with the coach today. that was a Top 4 former premiership team let off the hook by a young side playing like kinder school kids. No Balls.

There are Too Many under sized & soft physically, playing in our side! We cannot carry that many "skilled players"??????

We need some harder bodied and harder headed Men out there.

We cannot go in with Bennell, Jetta, Maric, Jurrah, Watts, Morton, Dunn,,, all together in the same side. I put to you all that definately not more than 4 of these boys, as they currently are.

Keep Dunn, give Jurrah a rocket, drop Watts (not presenting), Maric, Jetta. And Bennell, earning a poor reputation as not going hard.

It's gotta be said. We need to progress. Time to start getting tough at the selection tables as we are getting talent to be available. Time to earn the Jumper.

[stuie 7,374]

Fairly inflammatory thread title, for an OP that pretends to plead for more time before we hang Bailey.

We will suffer horrible losses and play some terrible football this year.

We'll also play some fantastic games.

This is something we already know, so why the panic..?

So we shouldn't get upset with a loss? We should accept "terrible" football? I know we've been pretty bad, but I still wouldn't consider terrible an improvement...

I think we're all just disappointed with the lack of feeling shown for the second half of this game, there was alot of pats on the back, joking, and smiles coming from the boys at half time, and well they should smile and enjoy their footy after a great quarter, but it just seemed like nothing was going on in the chest after the half time break

[Sir Why You Little 34,614]

positives:

1. jack watts marked and goaled under extreme pressure for the first time since joining the club;

2. Tapscott is a gun and stood up to the hawthorn bullies;

3. the crowd size for a sunday night was excellent pity we don't get the money;

4. cameron bruce's departure hasn't harmed our team;

5. we withstood the initial hawk charge -with interest- but not the second or third.

6. Steph Martin has seriously improved from last year.

7. the coffee at longwarry was reasonable.

negs;

1. our game plan is static. watch hawthorn and their dynamic movement, everyone is moving into space for the next link-up like an alien swarm, whilst our build-up is so slow and linear that the forwards end up getting poor delivery, meaning jurrah has to fly for unrealistic grabs.

2. our clearance off the backline is long-winded and a concession of defeat. why not run around the mark occasionally and clear the hawthorn press? a bit of x-factor. we are just giving them the ball.

3. the competition is so even that every game bar brissie bears and carrara will be arm wrestles. we will win some but lose others. we don't have gorilla forwards yet, to play the kind of kamikaze attacking game we saw today.

Agree with all that Bushy apart from Point 7!!!!

[Longsufferingnomore 1,479]

I couldn't stomach waiting for the team to walk off today but I heard that Bailey kept them on the ground. Could someone describe Bailey's reaction to the group. Was it his usual calm approach or please tell me that he laid into them. How long did he keep them out there.

[dee-eee 231]

How many times in the last quarter on a quick rebound from a Hawthorn turnover would the ball land inside our 50 with a LONE forward opposed by two, three and once even FOUR defenders ! There's the coach standing as usual at ground level seemingly missing the bleeding obvious and not even wearing headphones for an alert from his assistants. Any chance of a little scoreboard respectability down the gurgler !

[Axis of Bob 10,260]

I like threads like this.

They keep the simpletons in an easily identifiable, and avoidable, area.

[stuie 7,374]

I like threads like this.

They keep the simpletons in an easily identifiable, and avoidable, area.

Sooooo the fact you're reading and replying to this thread would mean......

[Ned 156]

Hawthorn were devastating. I am as depressed as the next supporter but they were beating us in the first half -- just couldn't convert -- and then went nuclear to ensure that even if they missed lots they'd still kill us. That team would've beaten Collingwood today. Heads up. We're taken seriously these days and teams don't just cruise through matches against us. The march is going to be long and hard from here on. I rate Bailey.

[Chook 14,592]

Sooooo the fact you're reading and replying to this thread would mean......

That he's smart enough to know where to go when he wants a larf.