CLEARANCES

[Captain Jack Jordan 32]

It seemed to me like we didn't even have a chance to win them unless by luck .Their players ringed the ball and didn't let us near it .Gysberts seems ineffectual in the cliches ,Jordie gets pushed out of posi .Scull well tagged .What to do ?

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

Get in the gym.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,175]

Get in the gym.

Correct. It is not suprising that Boyd, Cross, Cooney and Griffen outbodied Scully, Gysberts, Trengove and McKenzie.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

Get in the gym.

At least 2 pre-seasons away from being able to match it with any team on these small tight grounds (ie., Etihad, SCG & Launceston) IF we build the rookies from men into boys in the gym. Only time will tell.

But it was also the intensity and manner in which we played the game. very reactive and most players were "watchers/waiters/sitters", instead of playing in front. We watched what our opponents where going to do. We waited and reacted to see what they would do, which was mostly attack. And we sat on them hoping to try and pressure them for turn overs. Instead they just got in front all night, took the initiative away from us and ran us off our legs.

We've learned nothing from the North game and apparently taken a step backwards on this ground now.

Almost as if we've talked ourselves into believing we can't win when we come here so lets just limit the severity of the loss, which unfortunately didn't work this evening. That's a worry as this is surely the coach's job to sell a believable story to the boys that they'll run with?

Davey in an interview on MMM tonight said himself, "we're an MCG team, we seem to stand tall when we walk out on the ground there, and feel smaller at other grounds".

This must be addressed going forward or we're in deep do do. Scully or no Scully.

It's time to start blooding players who will never shirk a contest, run all day, offer 2nd / 3rd efforts (Sylvia..WTF was that!!!) and never give in (a la Wighty!!), in preference to those who appear to offer/show flashy periods of promise.

For a start we have to bring Bartram in for Morton/Bennell/Strauss etc on these grounds. Bartram isn't the long term answer either but at least he has a red hot dip and can force a turnover to match his own turnovers lol.

Tappy to me is an obvious other option. I can't think of too many others or know of many at Casey to offer any others at this point. Maybe Evans. Maybe we just don't have enough of these types at this stage.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Rusty Nails

[Captain Jack Jordan 32]

There was literally a ring of Dogs around the ball and I think some of the issue is strength but alot is simple positioning .AND Fighting for that position .When you can't get hands on it you always look reactive .Bad move keeping Trengrove out of it at the start. The Jordies are too small to play together for now .(In the middle).

[mrtwister 652]

Correct. It is not suprising that Boyd, Cross, Cooney and Griffen outbodied Scully, Gysberts, Trengove and McKenzie.

If this was really the issue why not make the change? Would they outbody Moloney, Jones and Sylvia?

Rusty knows the deal. We were at least 2 steps behind all night. They dictated the game and took whatever they wanted. We were lucky the Bulldogs aren't what they used to be.

And by the way, is it my imagination or a more and more of our players attempting to run under the ball in an attempt to turn and run onto the ball towards an open goal. IT'S NOT WORKING!!!! TAKE A MARK!!!!!

[Guest 36DD]

Wouldn't the easiest thing to do would be to call for Scott West to be sacked??? Midfield coach and our midfield were smashed surely its his fault???

Supporters seem to think rationally when assistant coaches are involved, Bailey is not afforded that luxury for some reason. Of course it simply comes down to the fact that their midfield is made up of experienced, match hardened men, former All Australians and Brownlow medalists. We will compete with the likes of Richmond, GCS, Adel, Port, Brisbane and Ess because they are at similar stages of development.

Teams like Coll, Gee, Haw, Carlton, WB and West Coast will tear us a new A-Hole until we get bigger and stronger, its Football 101.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,175]

Wouldn't the easiest thing to do would be to call for Scott West to be sacked??? Midfield coach and our midfield were smashed surely its his fault???

Supporters seem to think rationally when assistant coaches are involved, Bailey is not afforded that luxury for some reason. Of course it simply comes down to the fact that their midfield is made up of experienced, match hardened men, former All Australians and Brownlow medalists. We will compete with the likes of Richmond, GCS, Adel, Port, Brisbane and Ess because they are at similar stages of development.

Teams like Coll, Gee, Haw, Carlton, WB and West Coast will tear us a new A-Hole until we get bigger and stronger, its Football 101.

Logic has no place here. Leave immediately.

[jnrmac 20,060]

We didn't want the pill. SImple.

Look at a replay and see how many dogs were attacking the footy. Then look whee our blokes were.

Very poor effort.

Another schizen Friday night. No wonder the AFL doesn't like playing us on TV.

[Guest 36DD]

Logic has no place here. Leave immediately.

980 pages of Scully posts says your right.

[H_T 3,043]

Get in the gym.

Yep. Following up by what BRFE said. We need much stronger core bodies. It was that obvious. Martin & Jamar (without knowing the stats off by hand) were ineffecive mostly by Hudson who played quite well, used his strength well and out positioned his counterparts. Tend to agree with another poster - we were out positioned at stoppages which resulted in second to the ball after the tap. Their senior core players were far more damaging and effective at the stoppages. Too fluent and slick it appeared.

I didn't like the free flowing game early. The Dogs score heavily on that ground with that tempo/style.

edit: Another thing. Leadership. When we are 4-5 goals behind. The coaches and LG reps need to realise when they have tha ball outside 50 looking for a target, even if we have a zone set up, half hearted concentration will not do. Jones gave his opponent (he was the closest) too much room and got caught flat footed. Pi55e5 me off.

[Trisul 664]

We didn't want the pill. SImple.

2nd (at BEST) to the ball ALL night. Front runners.

[DeeSpencer 25,687]

1. Hit in harder to win first possession

2. Better balance between players at a stoppage. Too many running in similar directions (including forward).

Disappointed with the efforts of Scott West in this regard. We are at best an average clearance team and that disappoints me. Jamar - Moloney seems the only trick.

Next time we are having a big win I'd like to see Moloney play forward pocket and have a few of the younger guys get into the middle.

[Dockett 32 1,239]

Just home and bitterly disappointed like everyone else.

So Eade watches how Collingwood smashed us and emulates. Surely we must have expected this and our tactical response was?

When we so deperately needed leadership from experienced players in a 'clutch game' Jamar 2 kicks 4 hanballs and one mark? Their big bloke totally pantsed ,embarrassed and threw him around like a rag doll. Extremely disappointed with his effort tonight. Felt their rucks were mean and nasty like they should be and just dominated us winning it from the stoppages.

Greeny no influence whatsoever.

Gysberts, Silvia, Jamar,Jurrah fail to run the game out? Where they fit?( A couple of them did not appear right to me.)

Frequent Nicholson and Morton basic skill error stuff ups were very costly and just shouldn't happen.

What are our football department thinking?

Losing games like that is a good way to 'cook your own goose'

[Captain Jack Jordan 32]

Love the two Jordies but we need our mids from

Trengrove ,Scully ,Maloney ,Tapscott ,Jones

Jordies to the wings .

Against bigger teams -which is nearly everyone .

[titan_uranus 25,016]

Far too simplistic (and incorrect) to say 'get in the gym'. Clearly it's a factor. But there was more at play last night.

Lack of effort was one. Lack of hunger was another. They wanted it more. They worked harder.

Jamar getting out-rucked didn't help us at all.