Our problems start and finish in the midfield although our backline gifted them 3 goals through basic errors. That said until we can dominate the mid field we will struggle no matter who is up forward. But dominate the midfield and every other area gets easier.

Very much so hood but it's also our woeful kicking skills and we don't spread/lead up over and over or barely enough to offer targets up the field. Not that we would be capable of hitting loose targets if we did. Our kicking disposal is easily the worst in the competition

Won back a little bit of respect but still we were bad.

Salem and Mcdonald were clearly our best on ground. Mcdonald is such a beast and Salem deserves special mention for playing like that after a knock last week.

Also good on Dom Tyson for playing out the last qtr after i nearly had a heart attack after the way he grabbed his knee..

Lumumba tried to take the game on and i like that. Made some errors but i felt along with salem he just tried to move it on quicly.

Stretch started off well but ran out of puff. Didn't have a disposal at all in the 2nd half.

Hogan was great again. Presented all night with 8 marks and 2 goals.

How good was Garlett in the midfield?

Don't know what game some were watching i thought Toumpas was ok. Did plenty of gut run and went in harder then usual. Needs a good stretch of games to continue to gain confidence.

Won back a little bit of respect but still we were bad.

Salem and Mcdonald were clearly our best on ground. Mcdonald is such a beast and Salem deserves special mention for playing like that after a knock last week.

Also good on Dom Tyson for playing out the last qtr after i nearly had a heart attack after the way he grabbed his knee..

Lumumba tried to take the game on and i like that. Made some errors but i felt along with salem he just tried to move it on quicly.

Stretch started off well but ran out of puff. Didn't have a disposal at all in the 2nd half.

Hogan was great again. Presented all night with 8 marks and 2 goals.

How good was Garlett in the midfield?

Don't know what game some were watching i thought Toumpas was ok. Did plenty of gut run and went in harder then usual. Needs a good stretch of games to continue to gain confidence.

Yeah I'd give Toumpas another shot. I'd like to re watch the game and try and look forward of the ball a bit, just try to work out what exactly is breaking down and who is responsible.

We need more offensive focus.

Our defence first mantra is easily planned for and easy to defend.

Come on Roosy, they know how to defend.

Introduce some chaotic attack FFS.

The whole team was deplorable in the first half. Anyone bagging Toumpas watch the game. He was tagging McVeigh on the first half. Once he was put around the ball in the second half he actually got a bit of it.

Hogan, Salem, MacDonald.

If that doesn't cheer you up a bit you need to be medicated.

Why would that cheer me up? We're not going to win games with 3 players, and with FA we'll just end up losing anyone who looks decent.

Another week where our midfield is just so far behind the opposition, another week where our movement from the backline to the forwardline was appalling. Not a coincidence. It's certain to happen again next week too.

We continue to do about as well as we can defending, we continue to have stand out performances in the back half (McDonald has won his position, what, 5 times out of 6? 6 even? Salem tonight was also a highlight) but we cannot win games of football without being able to get the ball from the back half to the forward half, and we can't do that with substandard midfielders.

I know this goes against what most think but we are in desperate need of a quality ruckman to give us first use of the ball and contribute as a mid around the ground.

Not at all actually - we all know how bad our midfield is, part of that has to be because we don't have a decent ruckman. Spencer was terrible tonight, the sad thing is that this was the result of his 'banging down the door' at VFL level. Wasn't like we picked him out of the blue or anything. He just isn't a footballer. Sadder than that is the fact that Gawn is supposedly worse than he is.

Have to agree with one comment earlier about our inability to deal with the bigger bodes. It's not just at the stoppage, it's also the 1 on 1 contests as we come out of the D50. If we can't find a contest then you kick out and hope that well at least halve the contest or close enough anyway, but we just don't have the strength or talent I compete on most occasions and it just comes back in.

It's little consolation, but in previous years we would have been smacked. We have better players and we work better as a side, but as others have mentioned when the pressure is on and our space and time are taken away we REALLY struggle. You can see the turnovers happening as a player goes to kick it or handball it. Against the top sides they will make you pay.

Some good positives from the kids tonight, although you could argue Brayshaw and Stretch started really well and faded in the 2nd half which is to be expected.

I've also noticed that we seemingly don't have a plan B at the stoppages - we either win the clearance, which doesn't happen enough, or we completely lose it and the opposition lays off a couple of handballs and they are away. We need to learn how to clamp down better and not allow them an easy transition out of a stoppage. We get killed around there.

Someone also had a go at Dunn - he didn't have a great night, true, but he was asked to play on someone quite a bit taller and bigger than him in Tippett. It was always going to happen.

JKH...back to the magoos...bring in Matt Jones.

At least we showed some heart and some run in the last quarter. Jesse Hogan = elite.

Yeah spencer got owned tonight. He'll struggle every time against the athletic ruckman.

He'll struggle against anyone. Period. Bloke is a statue. Terrible footballer

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by JV7

JKH...back to the magoos...bring in Matt Jones.

I really do think JKH tries, but if we was playing that half forward role tonight then I tend to agree, we really do miss kent because he would give us that overlap and tackling pressure.

We need more offensive focus.

Our defence first mantra is easily planned for and easy to defend.

Come on Roosy, they know how to defend.

Introduce some chaotic attack FFS.

The sad thing is, we've seen them attack. Especially in round 1. I struggle to believe that they're under instructions not to attack. The ball use was *horrendously* slow in the first half; by the time they disposed of the ball, Sydney had completely shut down every option. I don't consider myself much of a footy analyst but the TV cameras were favourable, and even I could see the options closing down in front of my eyes, while our player just held on to the ball. On the odd occasion we moved the ball with a bit of speed, we looked dangerous. We've got at least two genuine, serious scoreboard threats in Hogan and Garlett, we are just incapable of getting the ball down there quickly enough.

I don't know what the answer is. It's bloody frustrating.

JKH...back to the magoos...bring in Matt Jones.

This is part of the problem. JKH isn't up to it but bringing back Matt Jones - who also isn't up to it - won't solve anything.

The problem I had with Toumpas' game tonight was the amount of times he missed the target by foot. I can handle him being outside and slow but he needs to be a good kick if he's going to make it.

More outclassed than outworked. The style of ball movement brought back unwelcome memories of Neeldball, but with a drop in skills comes a drop in confidence which means safe, predictable footy. Good to bring back some shred of respectability on the scoreboard but they weren't really hard earned scoring opportunities. The game was over early and the Swans coasted through the second half.

The thing keeping me going is that we have Viney, Petracca and ANB to come into this side and provide some hope for the future. A familiar tune with hope being invested in players yet to debut, but what else is there when you see the putrid skills on display. We are seeing the players we'll be building a competitive force around and they are ALREADY standouts.

Salem is a huge, huge positive. Class, toughness, good in the air and on the ground. The kid has it all. Probably our best today.

As for big Spencer, Pyke looked like a superstar by comparison. He isn't the answer to the ruck problem going forward, and it is now a definite problem.

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by P-man

Yeah spencer got owned tonight. He'll struggle every time against the athletic ruckman.

It's not athleticism that's the problem, IMO, it's the complete opposite. It's football smarts. Spencer's an athlete (he's really developed his body well) but he has no idea how to play football.

He's just generally useless around the ground. Every time he takes a mark or gets a free he immediately turns around to face the wrong way and looks for a handpass. Hallmark of good ruckmen these days is (amongst other things) that they are capable of getting involved in the play. Spencer is not. That is one crucial reason why he just isn't good enough. He's not a footballer, he's an athlete.

This is part of the problem. JKH isn't up to it but bringing back Matt Jones - who also isn't up to it - won't solve anything.

The problem I had with Toumpas' game tonight was the amount of times he missed the target by foot. I can handle him being outside and slow but he needs to be a good kick if he's going to make it.[/quote

He wasn't the problem though, he'll give you effort. I think Howe, garland and Dunn were a big part of the problem tonight because they don't provide any run out of the back. It shouldn't be down to our key back to provide that all day. Salem started to do it more and when he did we went forward. If we're not finding any targets on the arc as we come out then the responsibility must fall to those players to be more creative or create space with shorter passes.

Yeah spencer got owned tonight. He'll struggle every time against the athletic ruckman.

Spencer should be delisted. We desperately need a ruck man to replace Jamar when he retires at the end of this year.

This is part of the problem. JKH isn't up to it but bringing back Matt Jones - who also isn't up to it - won't solve anything.

The problem I had with Toumpas' game tonight was the amount of times he missed the target by foot. I can handle him being outside and slow but he needs to be a good kick if he's going to make it.

Not saying Matt Jones is the answer....but he belted the door down at Casey today and must be rewarded

My membership lanyard feels like a noose...

It's not athleticism that's the problem, IMO, it's the complete opposite. It's football smarts. Spencer's an athlete (he's really developed his body well) but he has no idea how to play football.

He's just generally useless around the ground. Every time he takes a mark or gets a free he immediately turns around to face the wrong way and looks for a handpass. Hallmark of good ruckmen these days is (amongst other things) that they are capable of getting involved in the play. Spencer is not. That is one crucial reason why he just isn't good enough. He's not a footballer, he's an athlete.

I was more focusing on his work at he stoppage today and he seemed to be second to the drop of the ball all day, looked slow and decidedly unathletic to me.

As for big Spencer, Pyke looked like a superstar by comparison. He isn't the answer to the ruck problem going forward, and it is now a definite problem.

And thankfully it's a problem that I think we can solve. If we play our cards right I think we can land a ruckman via trade over the off season who will be an instant upgrade on what we have.

I still like to think Gawn can turn into that player somewhat, but his time is running out.

I'd like to see some of our mids play in front for a change. Tyson needs a spell, he's obviously carrying something, bring in Pig Dog to cut sick in the middle. I'd chuck Vanders in there more often too. Love Bernie, but christ i'm sick of him grabbing it and slamming it on the boot to nobody. Why is that we seem to be the only AFL club that can't spread from a congested situation through precise handball. Every other team does it with ease.

Oh, and Foxtel Go sucks big time. Will be cashing it in before my 2 week free trial ends.

Those giving Spencer stick should calm down...1st game back. ...He will be fine...Let him get the nerves out.

I still remember seeing Spencer play full foward in round 1 years ago. He didnt look like a football player then and nothing has changed.

Gawn at least has some presence and can provide something up forward.

Spencer has neither.