Our Failure to Crush Teams

[Jibroni 4,406]

If Goodwin can find a plan B this would be a good start. But yes we seem to be our own worst enemy at times with missed tackles and easy turnovers which kill you against the good teams.

 

[Tony Tea 2,792]

We tanked to get better draft picks, then got penalised for not tanking. Tanking comes from tennis, where players intentionally dropped a set to conserve energy. Now we have belatedly discovered how to properly tank, at least by its tennis definition, as we drop quarters to conserve energy.

Sorted. 

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

As mentioned in a 2017 post above, I think it’s our style of play which relies on pure grunt effort and not necessarily good skills and system.

[binman 39,785]

27 minutes ago, GCDee said:

Yeah... we are [censored] until we win every game by 25 goals.... we are [censored] if we drop one game and we are the same old melbourne. 

Some people have some bloody short memories.

I think you'll find the problem is some people have very long memories and have to go back to the Northey era to remember a time when we routinely flogged teams

[Guest]

While pro wrestling is obviously a very different enterprise than professional sport, there is an old canard used by bookers when explaining the need to give up 'offence' to your opponent in big matches:

If you beat trash then you are viewed as trash.

A similar principle could be explained to competitive sports. If you kick the crap out of an opponent who doesn't give a damn, what have you really achieved?

While I would prefer that we not give up leads to the point where we endanger our chances of winning, I also want out boys to face stiff opposition. Ideally, I want us to get headed somewhat but regain momentum after maybe conceding one or two goals. 

We all know what will happen anyway if we do play a team that we do blow off the park. 'Land will go into meltdown about how 'bog ordinary' the opposition is and how we haven't beaten anyone really anyway.

 

Edited April 1, 2018 by Colin B. Flaubert

[deelete my account 1,194]

im happy about the win and the effort and perhaps we ran out of gas, but 39 points? C'mon. That was not a 39 point win. Our loss to Richmond where we were in it until the last was a 39 pt loss. St k were not really in it all match and their 2nd half were witches hats. Should have been a 60-70 margin if we'd had someone in there to tell them once we hit 100, that they're building good habits by playing ruthlessly and methodically to the structures until the final siren, lairized a bit at the end. Another missed % opportunity.

PS its ok to discuss this on-field topic, it doesn't automatically = negativity

Edited May 6, 2018 by Doodle Dee

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Richmond still managed to crush Fremantle in the fourth quarter despite playing the same number of games over the same period of time as us.

 

[Adzman 2,088]

I just don't think we are that sort of side yet. We will crush sides when we tidy up our forward 50 entries and reduce skill errors when rebounding from defense.

The talent is there, we just aren't that side yet.

[Demon Dynasty 16,421]

18 minutes ago, Adzman said:

I just don't think we are that sort of side yet. We will crush sides when we tidy up our forward 50 entries and reduce skill errors when rebounding from defense.

The talent is there, we just aren't that side yet.

Correct and also reduce our skill errors in general and over use of handball at times.  Handball that too often sees us turning the ball over at HB or mid field when the ball could have already be inside 50 much earlier.  We are a season or two and a few recruits away from crushing right now.  Fritschy, Spargo, Weids are babes in the wood with a stack of development / learning ahead and Salem, Brayshaw, Harmes (assuming they are all on an upward trajectory) are only a few steps ahead.  Probably others i've missed.  

[Demon trucker 1,800]

whinge whinge whinge, mfcss mfcss mfcss, whinge whinge whinge, MFCSS MFCSS MFCSS, whinge whinge, MFCSS MFCSS mfcss whinge whinge whinge MFCSS MFCSS MFCSS whinge

[John Crow Batty 8,377]

Considering that we lost a finals spot by 0.5 percent last season, inability to finishing off opposition when we have the chance is a fair argument. It happened when we let the saints and Brisbane back in the matches late last season. Of teams currently on four wins we are 5th out of 6th of that lot for percentage. The other side of the coin is when we are off we let Hawthorn crush us and Richmond to turn a 19 point final quarter lead to 42 points. We sell low and buy high.

Edited May 6, 2018 by america de cali

[Forest Demon 4,681]

There are some good points earlier in this thread re our taxing reliance on contested footy. I'm still unconvinced it is sustainable.

Two weeks in a row we have had sides well and truly beaten heading into the last quarter, and subconsciously put the cue in the rack.

Edited May 6, 2018 by Forest Demon

[Guest]

Agreed @america de cali

I think the legitimate argument that we do need to get as much percentage in the bank gets too often morphed in with the 'that felt like a loss/this club is pathetic and nothing has changed' crowd.

The aim should always be to the win first and then think about percentage once  the opposition is at more than arms length. Thinking  in the reverse order is why we have been the flakiest team in the AFL for 25 odd years.

 

Edited May 6, 2018 by Colin B. Flaubert

[Skuit 9,382]

So after succumbing to our strange 40 point roadblock again for two weeks in a row this month, we seem to have broken the hoodoo and kicked on with it in the past two consecutive weeks. Coincidence? Irrelevant? Turning point? For me, there has been an obvious intent within the team to do so in these past two weeks, and some of the language coming out of the club suggests that it's an area which has been addressed. Does this put to rest the question re. our potentially unsustainable game-style - or is it something which requires a longer-term measure? Will we be able to crush better teams when we dominate (such as Adelaide last year?)

vs. Essendon

43 points (4th Qtr 9.10 mins)

48 points (19.29)

36 points (Final)

vs. St Kilda

43 points (3rd Qtr 25.5 mins)

48 points (4th Qtr 4.18)

39 points (Final)

.......................................

vs. Gold Coast

38 points (4th Qtr 7.1 mins)

69 points (Final)

vs. Carlton

37 points (3rd Qtr 0.34 mins)

73 points (4th Qtr 4.15 mins)

109 points (Final)

[D4Life 2,311]

2 minutes ago, Skuit said:

So after succumbing to our strange 40 point roadblock again for two weeks in a row this month, we seem to have broken the hoodoo and kicked on with it in the past two consecutive weeks. Coincidence? Irrelevant? Turning point? For me, there has been an obvious intent within the team to do so in these past two weeks, and some of the language coming out of the club suggests that it's an area which has been addressed. Does this put to rest the question re. our potentially unsustainable game-style - or is it something which requires a longer-term measure? Will we be able to crush better teams when we dominate (such as Adelaide last year?)

vs. Essendon

43 points (4th Qtr 9.10 mins)

48 points (19.29)

36 points (Final)

vs. St Kilda

43 points (3rd Qtr 25.5 mins)

48 points (4th Qtr 4.18)

39 points (Final)

.......................................

vs. Gold Coast

38 points (4th Qtr 7.1 mins)

69 points (Final)

vs. Carlton

37 points (3rd Qtr 0.34 mins)

73 points (4th Qtr 4.15 mins)

109 points (Final)

Sweet numbers!!

[What 18,810]

We crushed so many teams this year.  After missing out on on the finals by % last season the team made sure that was not going to be a factor again.

A big step forward.