Changes v Essendon

[demoniac 1,337]

The recycled players we picked played horribly. All worse than what they previously dished out at their old clubs. It is the coaches job to get the most out of his players. Now if these players are worse now then fair to say neeld isn't performing well. If the recycled payers don't improve on today I'd say that would suggest neeld Can't coach.

or that Rodan is cooked and Gillies is VFL key defender. Byrnes and Pederson showed glimpses and may yet prosper.

[DeeSpencer 26,273]

Frawley and Tom McDonald the 2 key defenders for mine with Pederson to cover when required. Dunn plays as the third tall edging out Garland due to his superior kicking. Watts stays and is joined by Terlich and both are encouraged to run and carry when they can. Nicholson stays as small running defender. And thats it. 2 Key Defenders, 1 Third Tall 3 and 3 running defenders.

The game today is pretty much 1 Ruck, 1 'Leigh Brown Position', 4 Key Position Players and everyone else has to be able to run and carry. We were a couple of runners short today.

So today we had jamar, sellar, 4 - gillies, frawley, pedersen, Clark and everyone else was a runner besides garland who we use as a back pocket. A lot of teams use more defensive back pockets. Structure is a cop out in terms of players. If Dunn and watts can't run the ball it's not structure but talent. Of course the game plan is a problem is well. We need guys who can attack and defend and it's either their talent or their work rate more than their height which is the problem.

[machine11 142]

Yeah. He was smothered today. We need someone else, not just him, who can set up from back there.

Terlich or Strauss?

Would have prefered to see Jetta out there rather than nicholson or mckenzie.

[Buzzy 992]

Why is no one calling for Watts to be dropped?

Out - Gilles, Watts, Pederson, Tapscott, Nicholson

In - McDonald, Terlich, Jetta, Dawes, Davey

Watts was BOG last time against Essendon. We might need him.

Replace Watts with Sellar. No chance he will be BOG.

[stuie 7,374]

Changes for mine:

Gillies out for McDonald

Nicho out for Jetta

Byrnes out for Davey

Pedo out for Dawes

Tappy out for Terlich

McKenzie out for Trengove

Dunn out for MacDonald

(Seriously, can any of those guys be much worse?!)

Watts, Rodan, Sellar get another chance.... just.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,289]

Stuffed if we do - stuffed if we don't. Seven changes is always unlikely to win a game. Yet, based on today's gutless effort - seven is not enough.

[P-man 13,366]

Dunn was desperately disappointing. I was really conned into thinking he'd turned a corner.

In: T Mac, Trengove, Dawes, Davey, Jetta, Kent, Terlich

Out: Gillies, Dunn, Sellar, Tapscott, Nicholson, Toumpas, Byrnes

[Bitter but optimistic 22,289]

Dunn was desperately disappointing. I was really conned into thinking he'd turned a corner.

In: T Mac, Trengove, Dawes, Davey, Jetta, Kent, Terlich

Out: Gillies, Dunn, Sellar, Tapscott, Nicholson, Toumpas, Byrnes

Dunn was comic - i couldn't believe it. I would give Toumpas another go - you can hardly blame the kid for putting in a shocker given the example of some of his senior teamates.

[P-man 13,366]

Dunn was comic - i couldn't believe it. I would give Toumpas another go - you can hardly blame the kid for putting in a shocker given the example of some of his senior teamates.

Absolutely no blight on Toumpas. It was his first game. But he looked lost out there and right now should not be a starter. He needs to ply his trade in the magoos, at least for a few weeks.

[Demon17 5,227]

it would do toumpas no good to be dropped after 1 game

And at least he has good disposal.

Sylvia's effort into an open goal was nothing short of abysmal. - Times up Colin, no futurr there,

[CBDees 3,167]

OUT: Nicholson, Seller, Gillies, Jamar, Toumpas ( few VFL games will do him good )

IN: Terlich, Magner, Spencer, Tom Macdonald, Blease (4 F'ing quarters)

LUCKY: Frawley, Watts, Dunn, Mackenzie

Deestar Magner is not listed [he is a rookie]! Haven't you been paying attention?

[robbiefrom13 894]

Watts hung around near full back whenever we were kicking out (unless he did the kicking) - he must have been under instructions to occupy this pointless position, or else the runner would certainly have been out to tell him to make himself useful - "get out there, and present!" Not having an effective centre half back left Watts in no-man's-land most of the game. Plus, didn't he miss the final training session? Maybe he was not 100%, too. In any case, if he can be usefully deployed next week, he's definitely a first 18 for mine. (But, for all his faults, I shake my head at how MFC have used him, ever since he arrived, and certainly again today.)

We played negative, not defensive, once we were losing. It's different - negative is to go slow, look for the boundary, go backwards, act like you are scared of being told off for transgressing a team rule about "defence" [read negativity], rather than trying to achieve something good that might turn things around. Viney, Toumpas, Blease the exceptions. Too young or new to have gotten on the programme, I suppose. Defence of course has always begun with manning up and denying them easy possessions. I can't get away from thinking the coach is at least part of this....

It is the uncontested/unhurried possessions we give the opposition that plays them, one team after another, into confidence, and arrogance - and with no Melbourne runner going out to demand accountability, I can only conclude the coach is not upset by this absurd tactic of "guarding empty space" (Wake up Mark, it's not soccer: they just kick it over our heads...). Watts wasted his day guarding empty space - is that his choice, I wonder?

There will always be somebody lacking confidence, but when about 18 out of 22 play without confidence, why wouldn't questions be asked about the way they are being coached?

Edited March 31, 2013 by robbiefrom13

[CBDees 3,167]

Changes for mine:

Gillies out for McDonald

Nicho out for Jetta

Byrnes out for Davey

Pedo out for Dawes

Tappy out for Terlich

McKenzie out for Trengove

Dunn out for MacDonald

(Seriously, can any of those guys be much worse?!)

Watts, Rodan, Sellar get another chance.... just.

Why give Sellar another chance after those two dropped marks [in front of goals] in the first half? Also, is Trengove worthy quite yet? I would rather give Dunn another chance.

[stuie 7,374]

Why give Sellar another chance after those two dropped marks [in front of goals] in the first half? Also, is Trengove worthy quite yet? I would rather give Dunn another chance.

I know, I don't rate Sellar, but would rather him be back up ruck than Clark or Dawes, at least for now.

Trenners is still probably underdone, but we can't carry a tagger again even though it is against Goddard.

Dunn was horrible today. Horrible. At least MacDonald will provide effort, spirit, and NO ACTING FOR FREES!

[DeeZee 7,445]

Outs : Sellar, Dunn,Nicholson,Tapscott,Rodan,Gillies,Jamar,Garland.

Ins : Spencer,Jetta,Terlich,Davey,Mcdonald,Trengove,Dawes,Kent.

[w00dy 146]

Most are laying blame on watts, Nicholson, Gilles, and while yes they had poor games, the problem was that no-one up the ground was running to give the defense options to kick the ball to...

The problem wasn't the backline, but the midfield. we got smashed in the clearances, especially in the centre, and our frontal pressure was virtually non existent...

In: Jetta, Kent, Trengove, T. McDonald, Dawes, Evans, Terlich

Out: Toumpas, Clark (inj), Gilles, Tapscott, Watts, Nicholson, McKenzie

Jetta, kent, Trengove, Evans all play as midfielders, apply defensive pressure and spread hard to get on the end of it... sellar goes if Clark stays fit.

[CBDees 3,167]

OUT:

Pedersen. I have said it all preseason - he is a spud and not AFL standard.

Gillies - is it possible to recruit this poorly?

Nicho - Can. Not. Kick.

Tappy. I have been gunning for his inclusion all preseason. He was atrocious today.

Watts. The easiest position on the ground to play and accumulate free possessions, and he gets two kicks. I have been a strong and stalwart defender of Jack, but his intensity, heart and focus were embarrassing - for him and the jumper. He must be dropped. The playing staff cannot tolerate this soft, passionless footy.

Midfield coaches. How bad are we?

VERY LUCKY:

Sellar. In certain situations, we probably need him

McKenzie. We have no-one else who can stifle Watson

Sylvia.

IN:

Dawes

Terlich

Jetta. Cannot believe his exclusion for round 1

Davey

Tom McDonald

Until Sellar can hold a mark we don't need him.

[Harrisonrules 273]

Out Neeld

In Craig

[Deecisive 1,709]

Dunn needs to do long torps when kicking out as far as he can. Get is away from goal, stop this short kick in the kick back to the other side, get the ball moving. Players need to present they need to keep on the move. Everytime you looked up melbourne players were standing still with port players standing next to them. Soon as a port player got the ball he could look up and find 2 or 3 port players by themselves. who could kick it to 2 or 3 other port players by themselves.

Whatever our game plan is it needs to be looked at, it is either too hard, or too stupid to follow. I believe port is a bottom of the ladder side and if they can slam us so easily think what others will do to us, I would hate to think what the score would have been if we had been playing Geelong or another top side today, it would have given our 186 loss a run for its money.

While I have liked a lot of the things Neeld has done, i have to ask is he taking us in the right direction, last year was woeful, so we clean out a lot of players and lo and behold we are even more woeful. Footy is a game where the coach needs to engage the players bodies, minds, hearts and guts, I dont think we are wining on any of these levels from what I have seen so far.

[Deecisive 1,709]

We must consider the fact that we may not have mich for next weeks game, so which bunny goes to full forward?

[Biffen 12,949]

Jack Watts.

Tom MC to CHB

[Deecisive 1,709]

Jack Watts.

Tom MC to CHB

hmmm you maybe right biff, maybe it is time to give him a shot at ff to see if he can do something there, we have nothing to loose by it..

[titan_uranus 25,174]

To be fair to the defence, there was no pressure on the Port Adelaide ball carriers, meaning they were delivering the ball at will to their forwards. Very hard to defend when the forwards get perfect delivery.

The real issue, as it's been for 6 years, is our midfield. They are slow, they don't work hard enough (whether it be spreading from stoppages, zoning, manning up, linking up in play, chasing ball carriers, or generally looking like they give a f**k), and they're not particularly skilled. Viney showed everyone what a true midfielder looks like.

We can change our defenders as much as we want. When the ball is delivered inside 50 with such ease as today, they won't stand a change against GWS' forward line, let alone Port Adelaide's.

I shudder to think of what Jobe Watson and Brent Stanton are going to do with us next week.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

If Tom McDonald and Neville Jetta are not in our backline next week I'm not going.

A half done McDonald would have been better than Gilles. Seriously WTF was he doing in the VFL? Couldn't have been more underdone than Clark.

Speaking of which, if I see the great man barely able to walk next week I will spew. He is far too important to risk. If he isn't fit, do not [censored] with him because he is the type to push himself to his death. How did they even let him go back out there?

Also Pederson is terrible. North must be pissing themselves.

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

In: A guilty finding from ASADA.