3 hours ago, america de cali said:

Freo know better how to finish off close games. They way they set up in the final minute to beat us and also Richmond is master class stuff. If we were more clued up we could have easily had two more wins and be 5th or higher. Cue in onfield leaders.

Despite their form last year, Freo are a well drilled team. Minor premiership 2015, Runners up 2013, perennial finalists/top 4 for the last few years.

6 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

He took a few strong marks on the weekend. He hasn't played 10 league games yet remember.

Potential there to be the "animal" i want him to be, which only comes, sadly, with experience, hits to the head, a smattering of Martial Arts and street fighting. Anyone want to buy a copy of my book......

2 hours ago, loges said:

Don't have to, 3 times right in front of where I was sitting actually looked to see who would go up for Melbourne so he wouldn't have to

Okay

Did you see the other mistakes in the match? Or you're a myopic, bleating Watts basher?

47 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

Okay

Did you see the other mistakes in the match? Or you're a myopic, bleating Watts basher?

OMG

5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

It's hardly been mentioned but what a dog act by Higgins when he was abusing Vince as he lay prostrate on the ground...

It was front page news when Mark Murphy did that to Carlisle

 

Yes not one radio station has even touched on that at all, but if was the other way around it would front page.

I was listing to SEN this after noon and just caught the conversation of some on the station saying how did Melbourne beat the Crows? It made me

16 hours ago, Akum said:

On reflection, Goldstein was damaging, but I don't think he was the difference.

It was our old nemesis, the spare man in defence.

They had Thompson, Tarrant, Hansen and Mullett against Watts, Weideman and Hannan.

I think Goody's game plan is to bomb it to within about 20m of goal, and bring the ball to ground and lock it into our forward 50 until we score. It's worked well this year, we've got a lot of goals that way. It's not the initial f50 entry, it's the subsequent play that gets the goal. That's why Hogan isn't leading in the games he's played this year, that's why Watts isn't presenting a long way down the ground like he used to and is being told to fly for pack marks in the forward line. 

This works well only if we get it in fast and deep. If the buildup is slowed down by too many handballs, or if it's too shallow and we only bomb it to 40-50m, it makes it far too easy for an organised defence, especially if they have a spare man, to block our forwards from getting to the fall of the ball and allow their spare man to take an uncontested mark. Hansen did hardly anything all day except stop Watts contesting - holding him back or blocking him, and if necessary blatantly charging him in the back. 

My point is that -once again and again and again - if they're playing a spare man back, bombing it in just plays into their hands. We need to change something - do what most other teams do and man up their spare (who is usually the sort of player who hates one-on-one contests) and increase the chances of "chaos goals" in the forward line, or run it up the ground (of course, when we did that, we got run down from behind more than I've ever seen, because of lack of talking).

We're playing a very naive game at the moment. Looks great when it comes off, but cunning teams who plan well can find ways to pick us off. And we are too often too naive to do anything about it. A developing team with a developing coach.

Best post I've seen in the thread

On 21/05/2017 at 8:19 PM, Jaded said:

He got punched in the stomach and went off vomiting. In the outside world that's assault. 

No matter which way you look at it, it's a free kick and a suspension. 

His sham acting was not leadership.

Crying wolf lesson there.

51 minutes ago, dino rover said:

His sham acting was not leadership.

Crying wolf lesson there.

Where does she mention anything about leadership??

Try again mate..

When they walked off at half-time, Vince and Higgins had that distinct look as if they'd been in a bar-fight. Bernie shocked and smarting by the injustice of being hit, and Higgins like he knew he'd stepped over, but that he'd been provoked and thought the other bloke deserved it. Did anyone see the incident which left Bernie rubbing his jaw, and if it was looked at by the MRP?

6 minutes ago, Skuit said:

When they walked off at half-time, Vince and Higgins had that distinct look as if they'd been in a bar-fight. Bernie shocked and smarting by the injustice of being hit, and Higgins like he knew he'd stepped over, but that he'd been provoked and thought the other bloke deserved it. Did anyone see the incident which left Bernie rubbing his jaw, and if it was looked at by the MRP?

He definitely clocked him, but it was very minimal contact. Pretty sure he got a free kick for it and probably all it deserved other than maybe a fine. With the changes they are going to make, he`d likely cop a week next week though!

2 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

He definitely clocked him, but it was very minimal contact. Pretty sure he got a free kick for it and probably all it deserved other than maybe a fine. With the changes they are going to make, he`d likely cop a week next week though!

There was the hit in the centre with about 5mins to go. Was this the one? Didn't really match the look on Bernie's face at the siren. There was a small melee just before the siren with Hannan and Bugg the focus, but Bernie was off standing Higgins again right after and I wonder if anything else happened off-camera.

5 hours ago, loges said:

Don't have to, 3 times right in front of where I was sitting actually looked to see who would go up for Melbourne so he wouldn't have to

So let's think this through rather than just react.

If the only other teammate around is Garlett or Kent, he would of course go for the mark.

If Pedo or Weed is around, is he better going for the marking contest and dragging in his opponent too if North have an extra man to take the ball away? Because having too many flying for the contested mark and nobody waiting for the inevitable crumbs has been such a successful element of our play this year.

Or is he better to keep his opponent out of the marking contest and try to beat them on the ground?

So of course he's going to look around to see who else is around to work out what he's best to do in the circumstances.

2 minutes ago, Skuit said:

There was the hit in the centre with about 5mins to go. Was this the one? Didn't really match the look on Bernie's face at the siren. There was a small melee just before the siren with Hannan and Bugg the focus, but Bernie was off standing Higgins again right after and I wonder if anything else happened off-camera.

Nah this hit I`m talking about was 2nd qtr I believe. HBF just in front of MCC. Didnt see the centre scuffle but that match had the most spotfires I`ve seen in one match for a long, long time.

15 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

He definitely clocked him, but it was very minimal contact. Pretty sure he got a free kick for it and probably all it deserved other than maybe a fine. With the changes they are going to make, he`d likely cop a week next week though!

That might have been the one where Higgins remonstrated with the umpire because it was only a throat punch and wasn't supposed to have been penalised. So Bernie hit him back with a (much softer) throat punch and he didn't like it.

I won't get into Higgins's character. Just that I know for sure that the Bulldogs were never happier to get rid of any player. We made a massive mistake getting Bernie to tag him and not Cunnington.

Edited May 23, 20178 yr by Akum

1 hour ago, dino rover said:

His sham acting was not leadership.

Crying wolf lesson there.

Vince went off the ground and vomited after that hit to the guts.  

You haven't exactly covered yourself in glory here, dino.

2 hours ago, dino rover said:

His sham acting was not leadership.

Crying wolf lesson there.

Do other clubs' supporters show the same level of self-righteousness as this? Or turn on their own as readily?

If someone hits you with a throat punch and you're not expecting it (and a coward will only hit you when you don't expect it), you'll probably end up on the ground.

Edited May 23, 20178 yr by Akum

14 minutes ago, Akum said:

I won't get into Higgins's character. Just that I know for sure that the Bulldogs were never happier to get rid of any player. We made a massive mistake getting Bernie to tag him and not Cunnington.

I think Higgins had about 10 disposals to the half and was rattled (while Cunnington was off the field and partly hobbled). In reality, our biggest mistake was retracting from the fight or being told to cool our jets. I don't know why people are complaining about North's tactics - we answered or drew them into a fight and were absolutely killing them when it was on. Even the commentators were suggesting one of our seniors should instigate it again to spark us up in the third. It was reminiscent of when Bernie got stuck into Danger, but we didn't have the talent then to fully back it up. North were beating us for height, spread and run, and our true mistake was not carrying on with the scrap to shut them down.

On 2017-5-21 at 6:25 PM, Lucifer's Hero said:

What made it worst was he was joking and laughing with a north player as they walked off at 3/4 time!! 

Appalling stuff and a terrible look especially after giving them all the 50/50 and soft calls and not giving us any of the obvious ones let alone the 50/50.

do clubs submit an umpires report after each game? i have a dim memory they did at one stage.

if they don't i think it should be standard practice. how else are they going to improve without exterior performance rating from the major stakeholders

3 hours ago, dino rover said:

His sham acting was not leadership.

Crying wolf lesson there.

Acting? I sit near the bench and he came off very distressed and was spewing on the sidelines. Unless he's a baulimic that's some seriously good acting! 

11 hours ago, Jaded said:

Acting? I sit near the bench and he came off very distressed and was spewing on the sidelines. Unless he's a baulimic that's some seriously good acting! 

The acting I refer to is his collapsing seeking free kicks / 50m penalties etc. I thought the wrestling was on such was the pantomime. 

A hard attack on the ball and tackle a more worthy response to the oliver hit

No problem with him defending oliver

As for spewing as a result of a gut punch - harden up FFS!

15 minutes ago, dino rover said:

The acting I refer to is his collapsing seeking free kicks / 50m penalties etc. I thought the wrestling was on such was the pantomime. 

A hard attack on the ball and tackle a more worthy response to the oliver hit

No problem with him defending oliver

As for spewing as a result of a gut punch - harden up FFS!

Shall we get someone to punch you in the guts and see how you react? It's a reaction from the body the same way someone gets knocked out with concussion. 

2 minutes ago, Pates said:

Shall we get someone to punch you in the guts and see how you react? It's a reaction from the body the same way someone gets knocked out with concussion. 

His pantomime act made me spew.

Seriously ive spewed playing had my nose broken twice done an acl dislocated fingers etc getting a punch in the guts is no big deal

24 minutes ago, dino rover said:

 

As for spewing as a result of a gut punch - harden up FFS!

Makes me sick to the stomach too

(Getting whacked there)

Harden up ?

Suggest you ' brighten' up

Tough isnt in histrionics