Post match discussion

[Forest Demon 4,681]

I love Nathan Jones. He, Dawes and a small handful of others are the ones who will set the example to lead this club back to competitiveness.

[praha 11,240]

Bunch of idiots here spewing the same old rhetoric about Watts and his lack of 'hardness'.

It shows your ignorance more than anything else. For some reason you think he's capable of attacking the footy like Jones/Viney, yet still want him to have the skills of a player like Pendlebury.

You get one or the other in the majority of players. There aren't many out there with both skillsets except for players like Ablett. He's an outside player.

Pull your heads in. He had one bad game and you're calling for him to be delisted. Pathetic.

Nah.

You don't need the attack of a Jones or Viney to win a simple one-on-one contest. He gets man-handeld by guys smaller or even than him. It's not that it's ever an even contest: he is pushed off the contest like a ragdoll, gets tackled too frequently, and simply cannot break through a tackle. You do not need to be "hard" to do those things. You just need a bit of urgency. Pendlebury is rarely manhandled the way Watts is. Watts tries to use his smarts to out-position the opponent, but he fails to consolidate that with brute force to control the ball. He has the strength, he just doesn't use it, and doesn't seem driven to. He rarely seems likely to win a contest, because he rarely out-muscles the opponent. And it's not that he tries and fails: he is pushed aside like someone that has a complete disregard and lack of respect for the opponent. This is what it looks like from the stands. If you can't see that you're blind.

[Pipefitter 2,163]

Georgio is a depth full back but I love his tackling. He tackles to hurt. Some of our players need to learn this.

[Adam The God 30,403]

Oh yeah. And the obvious one is Watts' lack of intensity at the contest. He did try to lay a few tackles, but they weren't particularly effective. I guess you could say that's an improvement, but it is still not acceptable.

JKH started off like a headless chook (see last week too), but slowly worked himself into the game. It started with a nice tackle in our forward fifty and then he was in front moments later, and then kicked truly from 30m.

[jackaub 1,402]

I think Jack Watts needs to take a long hard look at himself.

Jack was pathetic today

[titan_uranus 25,042]

In the first half we didn't move the ball quickly enough. Our scoring opportunities came from clearances, but we didn't really take the game on enough.

In the second half we moved Howe forward and he was able to use his athleticism to give us an option coming out of defence. His pace is something we have really lacked. I dare say that this was (in part) some of the reason behind Tyson's substitution.

We are a slow team. At least we started drafting some pace last year, which should help. But Gold Coast is quick and they showed us up at times. We won three of the four quarters today, but the scars of our recent past we evident in the second quarter where we were under siege and stopped taking the game on, instead camping in defence.

But we improved and looked the better team in the second half. We had chances but didn't take enough of them. At least we now have the nucleus of a decent team.

The speed is a killer. Matera, Hall, Ablett of course, Harbrow, just ripped us up through the middle.

Not sure where the speed injections are going to come from though - Salem is one, but who else?

[DeeSpencer 26,070]

Oh yeah. And the obvious one is Watts' lack of intensity at the contest. He did try to lay a few tackles, but they weren't particularly effective. I guess you could say that's an improvement, but it is still not acceptable.

JKH started off like a headless chook (see last week too), but slowly worked himself into the game. It started with a nice tackle in our forward fifty and then he was in front moments later, and then kicked truly from 30m.

No surprise that quicker and better entry to the forward line results in better play by JKH. Think he's worth another week.

He's a sitting duck leading up to the wings in slow ball movement.

[jackaub 1,402]

Hey Seraph were you at the game did you watch him jog around all afternoon If you were not there then you cannot possibly comment

[Undeeterred 3,124]

Watts does not understand the non negotiables of football. Prime example when he wandered across half forward between three players in the third quarter when Dawes worked his butt off from 40m behind him to then run 20m passed him to put on pressure. He has beautiful skills but its not even close enough to make up for his defensive deficiencies.

Good example - yeah, we can't have that. I'm prepared to accept Watts not tackling as hard etc, because that's how he is and the trade off we get in return outweighs that deficiency.

But you have to chase the ball.

[jackaub 1,402]

A lack of run all game killed Melbourne.

You could hear the frustration in the stands as players looked up with the ball and saw 17 flat-footed teammates.

There was no movement, none.

This contributed heavily to Melbourne taking so long to dispose of the ball.

We are the slowest team in the league to move the ball on It costs us big time Have to improve in this area

[What 18,810]

This team might actually be pretty good with Garland, Hogan and Salem in it and any 3 spuds out

[norwood_demon 196]

Agreed - it's not usually the backline that's the problem, but it was today. Haven't seen TMac get soundly beaten in a long time, but that happened today. Georgiou played his worst game for the year, whilst Dunn and Terlich continued to turn it over coming out.

You will see from my username that I am biased but from where does all of this angst about Georgiou's game come? Outsized all day with perfect F50 deliveries for his opponent but tried. Has not put a foot wrong all season until today. Mature-age rookie with no skills and all heart. We have a #1 draft pick with all of the skills and no heart. Guess who I'd want "in the trenches" with me? Guess who Roos prefers?

Edited April 20, 2014 by norwood_demon

[jackaub 1,402]

Didn't get to see the game, as overseas. What exactly was it about Watts' game which makes about half the posts on here about how he should be taken out the back and shot?

Did he do something spectacularly awful?

He doesnt try Do ypou get that?

[Earl Hood 6,101]

Correct me if I am wrong.. But since round 1 Vince have been average.. Poor disposal..

I thought Dawes was Good.. Had he kicked 4.2 instead of 2.4 would of been best on easily!

Dawes should have kicked 5.1. He missed two sitters from inside 30 on no angle down the city end, then missed a snap up the Punt Rd end when he had oddles of time to straighten up. Kick those 3 plus convert a couple of misses from Howe and Frawley and we win, but it would have been a steal. All we had to do was kick the shots we should nail on our own home ground in perfect conditions every day of the week.

Watching today I have no problem with our forward setup. The few times we delivered the ball quickly into the forward line we were able to take advantage. I really like Frawley up forward, I think he can develop into a D Neitz mark II. When he is making the play he has leg speed, good hands and strength in the contest. Ditto Dawes.

But we are just too slow to move the ball through the middle. The Suns killed us around the ground and their delivery into their forward line gave our backs no chance. We just don't have leg speed to match these sides.

[DeeSpencer 26,070]

The speed is a killer. Matera, Hall, Ablett of course, Harbrow, just ripped us up through the middle.

Not sure where the speed injections are going to come from though - Salem is one, but who else?

They didn't do it nearly as often when we pressured. Salem and Kent are two. Defensively I don't think we were killed by their speed, more our lack of smart pressure and the lack of speed and skill of our own ball movement.We need more run from half back.Jetta and Terlich turn it up. And then we need more pace through the midfield and that has to be Vince and Watts running the ball. Jones, M. Jones and Viney try. McKenzie, Cross and Tyson wont be speedy but that's ok. If Watts can't do it then time for Evans to have a go.

[Wilson7 2,688]

You have got to be joking, wouldnt even be close to getting a game at Hawthorn. Ive never seen a player whos second efforts are as pathetic as Watts.

On the tram Was at the game . . . Watts is criticised often . He tried just wasnt his day . Team stats- wins -plus for hitouts . Watts would be a superstar in a hawks jumper .

Team . . .

Suns were too quick , and too big in attack . We need Garlo but we need someone bigger for a a defensive matchup .

Go dees

[titan_uranus 25,042]

You will see from my username that I am biased but from where does all of this angst about Georgiou's game come? Outsized all day with perfect F50 deliveries for his opponent but tried. Has not put a foot wrong all season until today. Mature-age rookie with no skills and all heart. We have a #1 draft pick with all of the skills and no heart. Guess who I'd want "in the trenches" with me. Guess who Roos prefers?

I'm not dissing Georgiou, I love him. But today he was down on his previous form. Got beaten on the lead a few times and shown up for fitness. To be expected though! As we were saying, it was unfortunate that on the same day he was down, McDonald was down too.

Your bias towards Georgiou isn't your only bias though; the relevance of Watts' poor game is non-existent when we're discussing whether Georgiou was good or not.

[jackaub 1,402]

I generally agree that people are far too harsh on Watts and often see what they want to see with him. Many fail to recognise his good work, his running and positioning, his frequent leads that are not honoured, and his clean disposal.

However, today there were a number of incidents in which Watts just didn't go hard enough. You do not need to be Nathan Jones or Daniel Cross to be able to go hard for a tackle or throw your body on the ball, and too many times today Watts didn't appear to want the ball enough. It's a consistent problem with him, one that I believe he's moving away from. Today was a regression in that regard.

PI$% him off please

[Undeeterred 3,124]

He doesnt try Do ypou get that?

Try for once answering a sensible question without being a d!ckhead and see how much happier your life becomes.

[Wilson7 2,688]

People still making excuses for his pathetic performances, unbelievable

Game was there to be won, but GC (with a little help from the umpires) did enough to take the wind out of our sales. There were some frustrations and there were positives. No doubt there is improvement but we went into our shell way too much and at times there was not enough hard running. Watts had a bad game today but I can understand why at times he doesn't do hard leads, because even when he does they don't honour it enough.

Too many players drifted in and out of the game, and unfortunately we collectively switched off in the 2nd quarter. That was the difference in the end.

8 points flatters us but probably more a sign that we weren't going to pack it in and that alone is a good positive to take away.

[DemonOX 8,800]

Very very frustrating game to watch.

Negatives

Dawes and howes kicking for goal. Come on guys they are afl standard goals (I know GC missed one too but I don't care about them)

We lost

Pedersen up forward and Dunn down back to start the match. WHY????

Tyson subbed off not a good sign

Positives

JKH looks to be settling in and getting used to AFL level

Last season we would have lost by 50+

We r getting better but slowly

All in all very disappointing but at least this season (apart from wce) we r in matches for longer.

This is the first step for this season next to win consistently.

One last thing the umpires can KISS MY BIG FAT HAIRY CABOOSE. Absolutely disgusting.

Ablett is obviously a protected species.

Edited April 20, 2014 by DemonOX

[jackaub 1,402]

Try for once answering a sensible question without being a d!ckhead and see how much happier your life become.

Personal abuse doest help your case!

[Coup Cooper 610]

He has been OK but a little disappointing for mine. Seems to baulk and kick flat-footed too often.

Agree.. All the run he showed in the pre season has gone missing!!

[chook fowler 19,519]

Despite winning the tap outs surely it is not too much to expect our ruck man to have more than 3 possessions and to take no contested marks week after week. As for Bail as well as keep his opponent down he needs to create with his possesions - saw none of that. Maybe I'm expecting too much.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Terlich and Jetta add nothing to the side.

Clisby and Strauss would have to be better, or Kent in if fit.