Dreadful to throw away a game like this. Some of those misses were schoolyard stuff.

However the overall performance augurs well for the future for us, and badly for those show ponies from Geelong. (Don't get me started on Menzels ' carry on after kicking a goal uncontested).

We outplayed them for 60% of the game and did everything necessary to bury them with incredible pressure. A setback, sure, but we're going places and they I think are going backwards. This time next year Danger will be wanting to return to Adelaide.

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

 

-I thought Gawn's discipline was poor.  He gave away 3 silly free kicks in their forward half which became immediate goals.  I think there was another in the middle which became a goal after a bit of fumbling by Geelong. 

Settle down. Max was growing frustrated but perhaps because the last of those frees (which gifted them a goal) came from Selwood running past the ball head down (surprise). Selwood actually ran into Gawn's arm. Should have been play on but Selwood has cheated like that all his career and has the eyebrows of a heavyweight boxer to prove it.

At first i was "proud of the effort" given what we've seen in passed years and what circumstances we had to deal with in the second half... then I remembered we kicked 19 BEHINDS!!!

11 hours ago, waynewussell said:

We've been riding for a fall by not having a decent back up for Max, and I don't mean an automatic Spencer inclusion. Pederson is the one who is being shafted by our passion for owning 'the youngest 22' tag. Not only is he a better ruckman than Jack, he is a better key forward than Weiderman (at this stage). I am particularly disappointed in Weiderman. He has been given an opportunity, and 'belief' by the coaching panel, but he hasn't grabbed it with both (even one!) hand. First gamer, Smith, was better than him today. 5 good touches in three games is not enough!

I reckon the backups are there now, its just a matter of recognising when they are needed and keeping all the squad ready to go.

younger players like Weed need to be introduced to the higher pace and intensity of the game while more mature bodies may need to be rested.

Players should be able to play at their maximum and know if they are injured,suspended or just not at peak they can be released and freshen up in the reserves to fight their way back 

Its the squad that has the answer and we seem to be improving the depth with Plapp and his team.

9 minutes ago, low flying Robbo said:

At first i was "proud of the effort" given what we've seen in passed years and what circumstances we had to deal with in the second half... then I remembered we kicked 19 BEHINDS!!!

I hope Goodwin kicks 19 behinds this week. 

They kicked 2 or 3 goals from their own lack of discipline.  I remember at least twice where Motlop and Menzel gave up chasing a Dees player, and just sat back and spectated.  Problem was that we either turned the next kick over, or it was kicked to a contest and they won it, resulting in those players being on their own, and that's exactly where the ball went back to.

They were very, very lucky, and we were very, very unlucky (a lot of it from our own undoing).

And those potting Viney - he slaughtered Selwood in the first half.  As soon as Gawn went off and they got on top in the rucks, that's when Selwood and Dangerfield stamped themselves.

The last 2 goals for geelong at the end of the 3rd probably lost us the game I would say. clearly we needed to slow the game down and chip it around until the siren went. Momentum is everything and had we have gone into the last qtr 15 points up, we would have won.

I thought it was poor footy IQ by all players and coaches as we did have the ball during that time. 

Anyway, as others have pointed out a: a fwd line of Hannan, smith and weideman was completely non-threatening. is Pedersen injured at the moment? 

we live in a stats world and players often get judged sometimes by how much ball they get and fantasy points etc. but viney and Oliver didn't have influences on the game. As inside players they still need to spread and be accountable defensively.

I'm not all negative though. Jones,Hunt and jetta were our clear top 3 players. Great games.

 

I didn't get to watch last night, was checking updates and was gutted to see Max off injured.  Just watching the replay now.   The umps were crap, goal kicking was crap and Watts was outstanding.  I come away from this thinking we are actually a top 8 side - weird to come off a loss thinking that - but there it is.

Too many posters sinking the boots into players and expecting players with less than 30 games to be play well every week! Sure not up for honourable losses and our kicking was terrible and cost us, but want be the 1st or last team that has a bad kicking for goal game either!

1 hour ago, pitmaster said:

Settle down. Max was growing frustrated but perhaps because the last of those frees (which gifted them a goal) came from Selwood running past the ball head down (surprise). Selwood actually ran into Gawn's arm. Should have been play on but Selwood has cheated like that all his career and has the eyebrows of a heavyweight boxer to prove it.

Agree Max had every right to be frustrated. Hard to remember a game where the umpiring favoured one side more. There should be an official complaint.

Being an inexperience side,a 30 odd pt loss is not a bad loss,if you take Dangerfield out of their side we may have won or been much closer. I think our biggest loss apart from Gawn is probably Joel Smith who is going to be a great player for us. Somehow i think Spencil will stand up and may surprise.

13 hours ago, Skuit said:

I don't commonly comment on the umpires. We obviously didn't get the rub today. But that Jones 'advantage' and holding the ball seriously hurt at the start of the final qtr. in quelling any potential momentum.

The commentators commented often on the random and [censored] calls - that is not something they do often.

Have the umpires been directed to not pay incorrect disposal this year? That 1st quarter was a disgrace. Probably cost us 3 goals or more than likely, 3 points.

1 hour ago, Freak said:

The last 2 goals for geelong at the end of the 3rd probably lost us the game I would say. clearly we needed to slow the game down and chip it around until the siren went. Momentum is everything and had we have gone into the last qtr 15 points up, we would have won.

I thought it was poor footy IQ by all players and coaches as we did have the ball during that time. 

Anyway, as others have pointed out a: a fwd line of Hannan, smith and weideman was completely non-threatening. is Pedersen injured at the moment? 

we live in a stats world and players often get judged sometimes by how much ball they get and fantasy points etc. but viney and Oliver didn't have influences on the game. As inside players they still need to spread and be accountable defensively.

I'm not all negative though. Jones,Hunt and jetta were our clear top 3 players. Great games.

 

Those junk time goals hurt a lot.

Had we gone into the last ahead ...who knows. They had momentum unfortunately.

14 hours ago, praha said:

That was a young team's loss. You win some, you lose some. They'll be filthy. Not sure Lewis and Hogan would have made much difference.

As in Hogan also would have missed easy shots?

If Gawn had not done his hammy, Watt would have stayed in the forward 50 and Melbourne win. Sure the kicking for goal was poor but cut them some slack. Also a lot of those point sailed over the top of the goal post. 

 

1 hour ago, Freak said:

The last 2 goals for geelong at the end of the 3rd probably lost us the game I would say. clearly we needed to slow the game down and chip it around until the siren went. Momentum is everything and had we have gone into the last qtr 15 points up, we would have won.

I thought it was poor footy IQ by all players and coaches as we did have the ball during that time. 

Anyway, as others have pointed out a: a fwd line of Hannan, smith and weideman was completely non-threatening. is Pedersen injured at the moment? 

we live in a stats world and players often get judged sometimes by how much ball they get and fantasy points etc. but viney and Oliver didn't have influences on the game. As inside players they still need to spread and be accountable defensively.

I'm not all negative though. Jones,Hunt and jetta were our clear top 3 players. Great games.

 

Spot on, Freak.  As a younger side we need to learn how to kill off quarters and not allow the goals we did.  Menzel did pull one out of his backside at the end of that quarter which won't happen every week, but it's another good learning experience for our side.  You could argue, in that situation, that someone like Lewis across half back might be able to direct traffic and help us to keep a little calmer in the situation.

15 hours ago, bing181 said:

Forward line of Weideman, Smith and Hannan was always going to struggle. Not even sure what changes to make, or who could come in.

Well that is dead right! I really think the failure to pick Pedersen was a mistake. Sometimes the ball HAS to be kicked long into the forward line--we didn't have anyone with experience to hold it in, especially when Watts was rucking. And we were also too short in defence

Interesting that the general view is tinged with possibility - what could have happened.

it is interesting that the team wills itself back into games this year, and is starting to understand tempo ( work in progress, though) rather than simply being at the mercy of opposition.

i thought several players were down on output, and others made stupid mistakes.  Going to happen.  

However, for the first time in a long time, even in a loss I can see the possibilities of future success.  We may not win them all, but we are developing something here.

 

I'm not about excuses because we have ourselves to blame but when was the last time a side kicked 12 goals straight in a game? 

That combined with our poor kicking meant that they turned 3 points down - not 30. They could do no wrong in front of goal, and we were bloody awful.

I will say I think Goodwin handled it perfectly in the Presser. No need to dwell on it too much and turn it into an 'actual' psychological issue, and not just a perceived one.

If we play like that every round of the year we will make top 4, we did so much right but our kicking let us down, that won't happen consistently

nathan jones very rarely missed a shot st goal, yesterday he missed 3

11 hours ago, DominatrixTyson said:

How bad was ANB's last quarter 30m backward pass to the Cats goal square when he had Jetta clear to the side of him and it resulted in a goal? Worst play of the year so far. But anyway. 

One bad mistake! Look at his game overall. Look at his tackles. He played a great game , his best since Kardinia Park 2 seasons ago

17 minutes ago, Mr Steve said:

Sure the kicking for goal was poor but cut them some slack. Also a lot of those point sailed over the top of the goal post. 

Mr Steve, there is a saying. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but the nineteenth time is BAD [censored] GOAL KICKNG.

12 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

That's good to hear.  I've got no problem with Jake filling in for Max over the next 3-4 weeks - he will have a dip, especially around the stoppages and he has the tank to run all day.  He just doesn't work with Max in the same side.  Hopefully he can carry that form across for the next month or so.

On what basis do you say that?

We beat the Cats at KP 2 seasons ago, when two big blokes took the Cars apart. Then, Spencer didn't get a single game in 2016

Just now, Farmer said:

On what basis do you say that?

We beat the Cats at KP 2 seasons ago, when two big blokes took the Cars apart. Then, Spencer didn't get a single game in 2016

We did it in one game.  Not much of a sample size, and it was also a game where Hogan didn't play which therefore meant we weren't too tall in the forward line.

Watch the game again from yesterday and see how important forward pressure is.  There were many times yesterday when the ball hit the deck and our manic pressure forced turnovers and allowed us to pepper the goals for extended lengths of time.  If you take a small out for a tall then it stands to reason that we lose that pressure and teams are able to run the ball out with greater confidence and ease.

As I said, I'm happy for Spencer to fill the void - he is big, strong, decent with his hit outs and will have a real crack.  But we aren't a better side with both of them in the same team/