On 22/03/2020 at 11:24, Jaded said:

Goodwin is the only person who’s job is safer due to Corona Virus. 

Sadly you’re right.

No way clubs are going to be in a position pay out coaches when this is over.

Bitterly disappointing that today was essentially round 24 2019 and we’re still losing games due to horrid delivery inside 50 and woeful set shot accuracy. That’s on the coach and it’s amateur hour that he hasn’t rectified the problem that stuck out like dogs balls last year. 

Gerard Healy was banging on about our inside 50 entires all day and he’s spot on.

What a huge disappointment and so frustrating that nothing much has changed from last year. The turnovers were appalling, I cannot believe the game plan is to bomb it to the best intercept marking backline in the league but every time we kicked a point ( 1goal 5 behinds from set shots) the ball would slingshot down the ground to the Eagles forward line. Precision kicking, short kicks to advantage and end to end without our guys getting a touch. What are we teaching them? I also think we practised social distancing from our opponents because no-one went near Gaff (30 touches) no one wanted to tackle and no-one would go near Liam Ryan.

Shocker start to the season and thank god we don't play GWS next week. Don't care if the footy does come back after that error riddled waste of 2 hours.

  On 22/03/2020 at 11:41, Bring-Back-Powell said:

we’re still losing games due to horrid delivery inside 50 and woeful set shot accuracy. That’s on the coach and it’s amateur hour that he hasn’t rectified the problem

Yes, because they spend all summer practising turning the ball over coming inside 50. That's when they're not training hard on not kicking goals.

  On 22/03/2020 at 11:26, SPC said:

I’d say Goodwin will be the next coach gone 

Don’t think so .. the finances will be woeful to pay out a coach now 

  On 22/03/2020 at 09:57, Return to Glory said:

5 debutants, jumped at the start and lost by 27 points over in Perth. I'll take it.

If we had an offer before the game to limit WCoast to 18 shots I would take it.

But our mid field and forward line were uncompetitive Kozzy and Jack and Trac excepted.

I heard Gawn say their flight landed late Sat nite in Perth ? That cannot be good preparation? 

  On 22/03/2020 at 11:50, Hogan2014 said:

Don’t think so .. the finances will be woeful to pay out a coach now 

Pay him out anyway. We can't afford another 2019.

Imagine having forwards who led up and took marks from decent delivery, forwards who could  beat their opponent one on one (not have to compete with two or three defenders) and forwards you could rely on to kick the ball through the two larger posts....

The two most disappointing aspects for me were:

1) The "sameness" of the loss - has been well covered in this thread. Winning contested ball and inside 50s but poor inside 50 efficiency and kicking for goal has been a regular occurrence in our losses for a number of years.

2) Playing on the Eagles' terms - we know the Eagles win when they take 100+ uncontested marks. Their tall backs chop off opposition entries and then they use the ball by foot to progress up the ground with uncontested marks. The way to beat them is to make it more of a street fight with lots of pressure and accountability and to make it a ground ball game. Yet at no stage did the game look anything like what we needed it to look like. They took 120 marks in a shortened game. We kept kicking sky balls to Barrass, McGovern and Hurn inside 50. We gave them exactly what they wanted.

It was a strange old game given the circumstances and maybe that explains a bit.

There were some positives (Viney's attack on the footy, Pickett just looks a class footballer, OMac and May kept Darling and JK quiet, Trac was fairly solid) but it was a pretty poor display overall. Once again the effort was decent for most of the game but the execution was sadly lacking.

 

 

It's hard to know what impact the announcement of the season suspension had on the players. There's a significant degree of uncertainty about what happens next: staff members at the club may lose their jobs, financial position is unclear. I don't think it's fair to say that the players should have been able to put it all behind them and perform at the top of their games.

Having said that, there were some extraordinarily disappointing signs that have me more worried than I want to be.

The kicking inside 50 looked exactly like 2019. Exactly. Hibberd, Viney, Gawn, Oliver and Brayshaw (all "leaders" to certain extents) were guilty of lazy, thoughtless, up and under bombs. If this is what Hibberd is going to produce in whatever's left of 2020, I don't want it.

Langdon's positives are important: his two-way running and link-up down the wing is critical to us improving. But he joins the aforementioned players in being an appalling kick inside 50.

Still too many turnovers. 15m kicks under no pressure missing targets. Handballs to the opposition or to our feet. Dropped marks. Fumbles. Missed tackles.

I don't know how critical to be of the forwards: TMac kicked 2 but was nowhere for most of the game, Brown was woeful, Melksham largely ineffectual. The commentary on Fox suggested that at times TMac and Brown were leading to the ball carrier but being ignored, so I suspect part of their struggles was the poor delivery.

The defensive unit held up well I thought. Credit to Oscar, Lever and May for working together well to quell their tall forwards.

Loved what I saw of Pickett, Viney's game (inside 50 kicking aside) was excellent, Brayshaw got better as it went on, Bedford got involved in the fourth. Otherwise, incredibly disappointing.

  On 22/03/2020 at 11:51, Hogan2014 said:

I heard Gawn say their flight landed late Sat nite in Perth ? That cannot be good preparation? 

Where was the video of the team cheering the AFLW team to victory  then ?

No excuse really just not ready to play at full pressure.

Mids and forwards outmuscled and fumbled nervously.

Jetta and Hibbo in strife Oscar ok but Rivers and Salem give chance to thrive.

Also Petty might be better forward or back.

 Brayshaw was timid in first half but improved after.

Some good signs But Goody in dream land at times. Not good enough.

Jack Viney sensational.

Plenty to work on in 2 months.

  On 22/03/2020 at 12:05, 58er said:

Where was the video of the team cheering the AFLW team to victory  then ?

 

 

Ed Langdon said in his pre game interview they were on the same flight over as Freo who were heading home after Saturday’s game...weird. That seems far too late to me...

Guys, most here who are realists predicted a 30+ point loss. Admittedly, we played like we were still in preseason mode, but 27 point loss over there, amidst all that is happening isn't world ending. There were a lot of new faces out there today and teams generally take time to gel. I am not excusing how poor the i50 entries were, there is a clear lack of connection. I will line up Goodwin though. His setup and lack of pressure on Eagles ball carriers is a structural issue he has implemented and it absolutely stinks. The allowance of opposition sides to simply kick to unmarked players is alarming and unforgivable. He has a lot to work on in the next 10 weeks. He also, not for the 1st time, tried to make a medium sized forward our key target. Fritsch had 2 or three defenders swarm him all game and there was a clear directive to kick to him at all costs. pathetic.

Spargo should play an entire season at Casey. He'd be lucky to get a game in VAFA 1sts side. Can't mark overhead and is an appalling ball user. His 50 metre penalty was inexcusable. He directly contributed to 4 Eagles goals. Simply not good enough. 

Positives were Kozzie and Bedford. Vines was outstanding and Trac was good. 

Gawn must have been underdone, as he had played a half of footy all preseason. 

Backline held up ok. 

Game was over at 1/4 time

Goodwin’s preparation of the team must be put under severe scrutiny 

  On 22/03/2020 at 12:11, Leoncelli_36 said:

Guys, most here who are realists predicted a 30+ point loss. Admittedly, we played like we were still in preseason mode, but 27 point loss over there, amidst all that is happening isn't world ending. There were a lot of new faces out there today and teams generally take time to gel. I am not excusing how poor the i50 entries were, there is a clear lack of connection. I will line up Goodwin though. His setup and lack of pressure on Eagles ball carriers is a structural issue he has implemented and it absolutely stinks. The allowance of opposition sides to simply kick to unmarked players is alarming and unforgivable. He has a lot to work on in the next 10 weeks. He also, not for the 1st time, tried to make a medium sized forward our key target. Fritsch had 2 or three defenders swarm him all game and there was a clear directive to kick to him at all costs. pathetic.

Spargo should play an entire season at Casey. He'd be lucky to get a game in VAFA 1sts side. Can't mark overhead and is an appalling ball user. His 50 metre penalty was inexcusable. He directly contributed to 4 Eagles goals. Simply not good enough. 

Positives were Kozzie and Bedford. Vines was outstanding and Trac was good. 

Gawn must have been underdone, as he had played a half of footy all preseason. 

Backline held up ok. 

Forget about the scoreboard. It was how we played it was 2019 again. That is very concerning. Massive changes must happen there are a lot of players simply not good enough. The coach has lost me get Yze in.

The sooner I see the back of Simple Simon the better.

The most glaring flaw last year was the inability to convert due to rubbish disposals going inside 50. How can a team emerge from months of training without this issue being absolutely and utterly addressed? There was not a modicum of improvement in that area. That game was like watching round 25 of the 2019 season. I cannot stand our coach. I am sick to the gills of watching his lights on, nobody home, deer in headlights face. He talks absolute corporate-speak nonsense, and he sucks at his job. I can't invest emotionally in this club anymore until that low IQ turkey is gone and replaced by somebody who can walk and chew gum at the same time.

  On 22/03/2020 at 12:23, Mel Bourne said:

The sooner I see the back of Simple Simon the better.

The most glaring flaw last year was the inability to convert due to rubbish disposals going inside 50. How can a team emerge from months of training without this issue being absolutely and utterly addressed? There was not a modicum of improvement in that area. That game was like watching round 25 of the 2019 season. I cannot stand our coach. I am sick to the gills of watching his lights on, nobody home, deer in headlights face. He talks absolute corporate-speak nonsense, and he sucks at his job. I can't invest emotionally in this club anymore until that low IQ turkey is gone and replaced by somebody who can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Not according to this post.

 

I guess most feel a similar way to you. Angry at the continuation of our insipid play inside 50. Not sure there is a way to change it this year, with either players or coach.

  On 22/03/2020 at 10:06, bing181 said:

Langdon (who played a great game otherwise) was the main offender,

I would give the main offender award to Hibberd 'bing', I don't think he hit a target all night.

...but it would have been a tight contest with a few others.

  On 22/03/2020 at 12:05, 58er said:

 

Also Petty might be better forward or back.

Petty is a better forward. The side I hope to have one day would be this.

B: LOCKHART, MAY, LEVER

HB: SALEM, T.MCDONALD, RIVERS

C : LANGDON, PETRACCA, TOMLINSON

HF: PICKETT, PETTY, BEDFORD

F: FRITSCH, WEIDEMAN, MELKSHAM

FOLL: GAWN, OLIVER, VINEY

IC: HARMES, BRAYSHAW, SPARROW, JACKSON

 

A bit hard to read on TV, but seems to be a structural issue to me. The commentators were harping on about the 6-6-6 formation and having no forwards presenting at the ball. We carried the ball through the midfield only to be outnumbered and turn it over inside 50. The Eagles then used their skill and spread to kill us the other way

I really don't know what to think of this game. The uncertainty of the times we are in weigh heavily on all of us. When 2020 began nobody could have foreseen a pandemic sweeping the world, changing all our lives in such an extraordinary way. We looked forward to the year with some optimism, hoping to put last year behind us. 

Now all of us are in a fight against an unseen and deadly enemy who doesn't fight fair. It has not only robbed people of their lives, but robbed people of their enjoyment of life. We are now in lockdown and face an uncertain future. Perhaps playing football didn't mean much anymore. 

The way the virus was moving through countries around the world I was surprised the AFL even started the season. The whole first round seems pointless now. IF the season restarts it will be like playing the first game again. 

Life has got very depressing and very difficult, very quickly. Let's hope that doctor in Queensland finds the cure by the winter as he said on 60 Minutes tonight. Well, he seemed hopeful.

(On another note, it really bothered me to see Hawthorn playing on the MCG today, and Clarkson's smug face after the win. It's about time the b#$#$y Eagles should be made to fly over to play Melbourne at the MCG for a change.)  

Anyway, yes I was disappointed by the performance. I just don't know whether I should place it as important in the scheme of things at the moment, even though I love my team, and have supported them for many years. 

Sorry if I sound depressed. (I am a Melbourne supporter?)

  On 22/03/2020 at 12:38, WERRIDEE said:

Petty is a better forward. The side I hope to have one day would be this.

B: LOCKHART, MAY, LEVER

HB: SALEM, T.MCDONALD, RIVERS

C : LANGDON, PETRACCA, TOMLINSON

HF: PICKETT, PETTY, BEDFORD

F: FRITSCH, WEIDEMAN, MELKSHAM

FOLL: GAWN, OLIVER, VINEY

IC: HARMES, BRAYSHAW, SPARROW, JACKSON

 

Yes I agree Petty forward but u have Tommy back.

Think Jonesy better at half forward but still like to keep Bedford in team 

  On 22/03/2020 at 10:10, Demon_spurs said:

I might be on my own here, but I reckon you got to cut them some slack. I think all the uncertainty of the past 2 or 3 weeks got to them. There was no energy of the Marsh series and training pre COVID19. So I'm gunna shrug my shoulders and write this one off... NO judgement

 

You are on your own. Reckon this rhetoric would come out of Richmond? Or any top 12 side... we were a pathetic carbon copy of last year. 

  On 22/03/2020 at 12:46, 58er said:

Yes I agree Petty forward but u have Tommy back.

Think Jonesy better at half forward but still like to keep Bedford in team 

Tommy is not a forward. I think we forget how good he was down back. I'd like to believe Jones hasn't lost it but I think he has. This should be his last season. He was terrible last year.

  On 22/03/2020 at 10:00, Beetle said:

Let’s face it, Hibberd, Oscar and Spargo should never play a senior game again.

Oliver is way ahead of himself. He has become lazy.

We have no forward line. Tom McDonald is nowhere.

27 points flattered the [censored] out of us.

Came here to write all these things. Hibbo is done.