POSTGAME: Rd 15 vs Sydney

[layzie 33,994]

Like many of you I was going to give it 24 hours before going into a bit of a debrief. All I could conjure up was the most loony nut-job contributions. Usually this simmers down after a good night's sleep and a new day.

Except now, I don't feel any different at all and am still totally lost for words. I can't even comment on what is right and wrong behaviour right now. If you want to be negative, be negative. Positive, be positive. Stick with your membership? Sure. Fry it to smithereens? Go for it. I honestly don't have anything to say about it.

As for the game itself, well the ball was bounced, that's a good start. The half a second before Trac got the free kick seemed good, and the grass did a good job being run on before Salem was pinged for holding the ball.

And then that was it. 

 

 

Now to get to the bigger picture, this is nothing we haven't seen before. If this could be the aim of playing the game I'd be so happy, if I can just find a way to really enjoy building up to a position where we start favourites and then falter terribly then there will be no problem. Honestly I think this is the only way forward rather than focusing on when to win a premiership and all the excruciating things that come along the way. Let's just focus on being flat track bullies and making extreme heavy weather of anything that might be remotely possible and when the pressure is on just make sure we know how to put that white flag up as quickly as possible.

I am getting sick of saying how stupid we are when playing in swirling wind conditions. Why on earth aren't we smarter about this? 45 metres out 45 degree angle, wind swirling everywhere. This is a LOW percentage shot, I don't care if you're Bayley Fritsch or Jack Gunston. We need to be focusing on ways to get better looks at goal. Most of Sydney's goals in the first quarter and a half were from inside 30 with opportunistic crumbing and snaps. Gus kicked his in the first like this. That was where the action was, not out on the fricken flanks.

Run. This word is great! It's a really cool word especially in modern sports. You see the action of running means to move quite fast and put 90+ % effort in. You need to do it more! Both ways. They had their 5 day break and 5 hour travel yes yes yes blah blah of course but this team has done this on occasions without these factors. Running is hard but you need to run, no one is perfect but if you can't run for more than 80% of the game then just bugger off back to the ammos or something. It sounds harsh I know but this is yet another 5 unanswered goal stretch. I'd go as far as saying there is a finite number of these stretches left in Goodwins quota. Maybe about 10 left.

Fumbling. This team finds new, exciting and creative ways to fumble the football. Gus had the ball in the middle with no-one on him and the moment our hearts felt there was a possible move forward the ball just miraculously slipped out of his hands like some poltergeist. Then there's the decision making, I'll rue this term for a long time. These twerps who think it's a good idea to back themselves when an option isn't on, seriously. What in god's name was Melksham thinking late in the 3rd when there was space in the 50 and he motioned to the middle then faked only to kick it short and wide to a contest in the pocket, and Jones who marked and could have kicked one his many team lifter goals plays on into the mark. 

People seem done. I don't blame them. From the outside we'd probably get that fickle tag that we know all too well, in isolation maybe these days do happen and maybe the coach does have an excusable shocker but this club and it's fans have been at boiling point for a long long time and no-one understands this better than us. 

I'm tired, need a coffee. 

[Elegt 872]

5 hours ago, poita said:

I didn't watch any of last night's game, but we've all seen it countless times before. We have 5 - 6 players who try their guts out every week (Gawn, Oliver, May, Langdon, Petracca,?), a group who wake up on game day and decide whether they will bother trying or not (Melksham, Salem, Fritsch, Weideman, Lever, etc), and a bunch who simply aren't AFL standard (Smith, Neal-Bullen, Spargo, Brown, etc).

When we have the majority of the team working hard we look capable of playing good football and matching it with the better teams, but we have far too many players who pick and choose when to put in.

For me this all comes back to our putrid list management and drafting. We give long term contracts on good money to fringe players (Kolodjashnij, Vandenberg) and keep proven failures around for years after their use by date. Hunt has been on the list for 7 years, Neal-Bullen for 6, Vandenberg for 6, J.Wagner for 5, Smith for 5. Even Jetta, who we love, has only played more than 9 games five times in his last 11 seasons. Why has Nietschke, a speculative mid range selection who can't get on the field, been promised another year?

We should be turning over the list regularly and finding players who are capable of being consistent contributors at AFL level. To be out of the 2019 draft after the second round last year was inexcusable. That's to say nothing of the ridiculous trade to get Pickett that cost us a top 10 pick this year. 

Players like Salem and Melksham know there is no competition for their spots in the team so they are happy to cruise along, taking a nice pay cheque each week. If Goodwin had any balls he would have dropped Melksham in the first month of the season and set the standards.

What's the bet that most of Vandenberg, Hunt, Hannen, Pickett, and Lockhart return this week as we shuffle the deckchairs again? Then we'll get to the end of the year and give new contracts to the likes of Bedford, Chandler and Dunkley who have done nothing to deserve them.

this sums it up perfectly mate.

[Redleg 41,431]

19 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Maxy been doing all year. Clubs have worked him out now.

We have all seen that, but the Coach does nothing  to change it. Most of our faults just continue on without change. I am not a Goodwin fan anymore. 
Good Coaches adapt, he doesn’t.

[dazzledavey36 55,347]

2 minutes ago, Redleg said:

We have all seen that, but the Coach does nothing  to change it. Most of our faults just continue on without change. I am not a Goodwin fan anymore. 
Good Coaches adapt, he doesn’t.

Yep. Agree 100%

[leave it to deever 17,517]

Id be surprised if Gawn,  Trac, Oliver and May have not considered leaving.

Another season down the toilet.

Thanks to the above players and a shout out to Langdon.

I really do wonder at times like this about the future of this club. I can imagine another decade of this  and then most of us just pack it in. And rightly so. 

There is a lot of anger in many posts and I really think after that insipid shambles it is totally justified.

Its a tough call because I feel the best way to send a message is to not renew our mships but we shoot ourselves in the foot.

[Redleg 41,431]

16 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Yep. Agree 100%

Dazz you posted earlier about Jordon. I have been a fan since we got him and have seen him improve since then. I look forward to him getting a chance. You know a bit more about him, how do you see him. We clearly need to get speed and good ball use into this side. It is our major problem. Poor quality tackling is another issue that needs addressing.

[leave it to deever 17,517]

From that team we could do well removing

Viney

OMac

ANB

Wagner

Melksham

Smith

Spargo

Harmes

Jones

Thats half a team.?

[loges 6,767]

19 hours ago, Lord Nev said:

Pathetic post-match presser from Goody. All the usual stuff in the same monotone voice. 'We're working hard' 'Better connection' 'We'll learn' 'There were some positives'... I get that what is said to the players is probably different, but does he even realize that this is his one chance to communicate to the people who make this club exist? It's becoming more and more apparent he knows the problems but has no actual answers.

 

Gee you must have missed the first couple of minutes of his interview

[loges 6,767]

7 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

Right, having had time to sleep on it, I've come to a few conclusions... even if I still have a dirty taste in my mouth from last night!

I've seen it mentioned in another thread, and in here, that we only flew up to Cairns the day of the game, while the Swans were there for a few days prior.  Now, that might have had an impact on us, but you know what?  The really good sides find a way to win regardless.  I know teams will lose games, but it wasn't as if we were playing a Top 4 side last night.  If it had of been Brisbane, or Port, or the Tigers etc, then you could understand the outcome a little more.  But the Swans are a bottom 4 side, missing some of their very best players.  We can't use it as an excuse.  If we're a good side, then we find a way to win and move on.  Instead, we served up some absolute slop and coughed up four important points.

On the flip side, the one thing we can hold on to, is that we aren't out of the finals race by an means.  I know that we could possibly fall over the line and get knocked out in the first round, but getting back there could have a really positive effect on the club in numerous ways - experience, membership, confidence etc.  I don't want to get there to just be a one and done side, but I can't write us off just yet.

Last thing - if last night showed us anything, it's that we have the opportunity to make some big calls on the list this off season.  There are still plenty of players out of contract that we can let go and move on from.  If we want to go from a good side to a very good side, then we need to make the tough calls while we can.

If you go through the list it is just staggering how many players have regressed since 2018

[spirit of norm smith 16,588]

No Franklin

No Mills

No Heeney

No Rampe 

No ruckman

V Full strength Dees (only missing Hibberd really) 

Swans - no worries 

[Hellish Inferno 992]

9 hours ago, drdrake said:

Our midfield dont play team midfield it is all individual.  We never seen any blocks making space.  It starts the ball goes up we should know where Max is tapping it but there seems to be no communication from max to tell mids where he is trying to hit to.  Then ball comes out our mids play like u9s everyone goes to the Ball and wants the ball.

Again no one tries to block to create space for an easy exit, we allow pressure on the ball carrier 1m flick handball, repeat 2 more times before turnover our a bomb kick out.  Individual effort not team effort.

Forward line is the same, no one works for their team mate they all go to the same spot and compete for same mark.  No blocks to create space no front and square.  

Seems we work on team defensive structure when we dont have the ball, but as soon as we get it we have no sense of the selfless acts to help out team mates.

Credit to the backline they do work together to protect each other.

 

Absolutely spot on! Was going to say exactly the same thing. Midfield and forwards very questionable whereas backline has mostly been good (hurt last game by loss of Hibberd and having OMac and Smith back)

Also thought another poster's comments about Langdon being a revelation in terms of run. He stands out so much in contrast to our midfield that have really poor movement and structure around contests. He is continually moving, anticipating play and space. We desperately need a better balance in the midfield

[dazzledavey36 55,347]

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

Dazz you posted earlier about Jordon. I have been a fan since we got him and have seen him improve since then. I look forward to him getting a chance. You know a bit more about him, how do you see him. We clearly need to get speed and good ball use into this side. It is our major problem. Poor quality tackling is another issue that needs addressing.

Yeah i try not to post too much on 'Jim' to be honest Redleg, because i know him well through my younger brother who is one of his good mates and also through Yarrawonga Football Club and local cricket. I've personally detached myself from a lot of chatter regarding Jordon because of the bias connection.

What I do know is that the club is wrapped with his development. He was a bit of an unknown raw kid who's talent was noticed more through school footy where he dominated with his hardness and ability to break the lines and use the footy. His professionalism and attention to detail is why he is one of the most coachable kids on our list

At this minute I must admit I am still scratching my head on why the club has a fascination in trying to turn him into an inside mid. In my opinion he plays his best football on a wing or half back. He spreads and gets out onto space well and that's where his strengths are best utilised with his ability to drill low flat 40m passes onto the leading forward. Instead we are trying to turn him into an inside beast on top of Brayshaw, Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Sparrow and Harmes. Tell me who he gets a game in front of those guys? Sparrow perhaps, but he's more physically developed and suited to his natural inside role.

We are a team screaming for outside pace and kicking skills, and yet we have someone who has the potential to play that role perfectly on a wing or half back, and instead we programming him to be an inside mid... its just mind boggling.

Look I haven't spoken to anyone recently from Yarra regarding Jordon's progress for a while. But my understand is that he's developing really well and if it wasn't for him injuring his hand, i think we would have seen him debut when Sparrow hurt his shoulder.

[3183 Dee 2,907]

4 hours ago, layzie said:

it's fans have been at boiling point for a long long time and no-one understands this better than us. 

In a nutshell.

[kev martin 10,414]

11 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

God almighty. Tell me this isn't true. "Concave flight" ? "Drops quickly" ??? These things are optical illusions. There's no way a drop punt, especially a short pass, can get enough backspin to seriously affect either of those things. It's not golf.

The description was mine to describe what the trajectory, not the clubs.

They were attempting to shape the ball by pinpointing to the receiver, over the opposition zoning infront and before the defenders behind .

A few would do it, though many just did the slow, floating lob.

They used a word to describe the pass, but I can't remember it. They practiced it numerous times, in drills and simulations.

I could see the benefits when they got it right. Wrong and it was a turnover.  

 

 

[Redleg 41,431]

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Yeah i try not to post too much on 'Jim' to be honest Redleg, because i know him well through my younger brother who is one of his good mates and also through Yarrawonga Football Club and local cricket. I've personally detached myself from a lot of chatter regarding Jordon because of the bias connection.

What I do know is that the club is wrapped with his development. He was a bit of an unknown raw kid who's talent was noticed more through school footy where he dominated with his hardness and ability to break the lines and use the footy. His professionalism and attention to detail is why he is one of the most coachable kids on our list

At this minute I must admit I am still scratching my head on why the club has a fascination in trying to turn him into an inside mid. In my opinion he plays his best football on a wing or half back. He spreads and gets out onto space well and that's where his strengths are best utilised with his ability to drill low flat 40m passes onto the leading forward. Instead we are trying to turn him into an inside beast on top of Brayshaw, Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Sparrow and Harmes. Tell me who he gets a game in front of those guys? Sparrow perhaps, but he's more physically developed and suited to his natural inside role.

We are a team screaming for outside pace and kicking skills, and yet we have someone who has the potential to play that role perfectly on a wing or half back, and instead we programming him to be an inside mid... its just mind boggling.

Look I haven't spoken to anyone recently from Yarra regarding Jordon's progress for a while. But my understand is that he's developing really well and if it wasn't for him injuring his hand, i think we would have seen him debut when Sparrow hurt his shoulder.

I am sure he played some good footy for Casey off the back flank and wing. Agree with you that he might be a player we could use on the outside and if they are trying  to change his game style, I hope it is to broaden his range and does not set him back.

Edited September 4, 2020 by Redleg

[Skuit 10,031]

Haven't read a word of this thread. Don't really want to. But did anyone notice a number of our players looking completely spent in the first half of the first quarter? May and Trac spring to mind as a couple of examples, trying to suck in air in the first ten minutes. Flying into Cairns and playing a couple hours later is not cool at all (coming from someone who has spent a good part of their adult life in FNQ). Acclimatisation is a must. Have many of you guys played footy in the tropics before? I get that it's still September but I think Lynch mentioned that it was a particularly muggy day. What happens is that you simply can't get in the oxygen you need. (My first few weeks training with the Port Douglas Crocs was a mess). It was an embarrassing schmozzle yesterday but we weren't given a chance. A small disadvantage can cause a huge break-down in modern footy, and that's exactly what it looked like: impotence. 

[Engorged Onion 10,223]

7 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Haven't read a word of this thread. Don't really want to. But did anyone notice a number of our players looking completely spent in the first half of the first quarter? May and Trac spring to mind as a couple of examples, trying to suck in air in the first ten minutes. Flying into Cairns and playing a couple hours later is not cool at all (coming from someone who has spent a good part of their adult life in FNQ). Acclimatisation is a must. Have many of you guys played footy in the tropics before? I get that it's still September but I think Lynch mentioned that it was a particularly muggy day. What happens is that you simply can't get in the oxygen you need. (My first few weeks training with the Port Douglas Crocs was a mess). It was an embarrassing schmozzle yesterday but we weren't given a chance. A small disadvantage can cause a huge break-down in modern footy, and that's exactly what it looked like: impotence. 

Tbh @Skuit I’ve been scratching my head all day trying to think of what drove the performance last night - it didn’t make sense from a ‘players are mentally fragile’ perspective or  the ‘coach is [censored]’ or ‘game plan sucks’ perspective.

What you said rings true.

context matters greatly - and you’ve provided great context.

cheers

[BDA 22,880]

31 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Haven't read a word of this thread. Don't really want to. But did anyone notice a number of our players looking completely spent in the first half of the first quarter? May and Trac spring to mind as a couple of examples, trying to suck in air in the first ten minutes. Flying into Cairns and playing a couple hours later is not cool at all (coming from someone who has spent a good part of their adult life in FNQ). Acclimatisation is a must. Have many of you guys played footy in the tropics before? I get that it's still September but I think Lynch mentioned that it was a particularly muggy day. What happens is that you simply can't get in the oxygen you need. (My first few weeks training with the Port Douglas Crocs was a mess). It was an embarrassing schmozzle yesterday but we weren't given a chance. A small disadvantage can cause a huge break-down in modern footy, and that's exactly what it looked like: impotence. 

You could be onto something but they did improve in the second half and finished the stronger of the 2 teams. Is one half of footy enough time to acclimatise? 

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

4 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

No Franklin

No Mills

No Heeney

No Rampe 

No ruckman

V Full strength Dees (only missing Hibberd really) 

Swans - no worries 

Oh my.. I didn’t realise that. Just backs up my assessment that this was a worse loss than the PA game. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

Can someone explain to me why Sydney have played absolutely brilliantly against us 2 years in a row, despite being a bottom 4 side with bugger all to play for in both years.

We were dog diarrhoea yesterday but I’m giving all the credit to Sydney. They attacked us from minute 1 when they ran down Salem after Petracca stupidly handed him the hot potato.

What did Sydney have to gain out of yesterday aside from a bit of pride and the loss of a top 3 draft pick?

I don’t get it?

Edited September 4, 2020 by Bring-Back-Powell

[Skuit 10,031]

5 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Can someone explain to me why Sydney have played absolutely brilliantly against us 2 years in a row, despite being a bottom 4 side with bugger all to play for in both years.

We were dog diarrhoea yesterday but I’m giving all the credit to Sydney. They attacked us from minute 1 when they ran down Salem after Petracca stupidly handed him the hot potato.

What did Sydney have to gain out of yesterday aside from a bit of pride and the loss of a top 3 draft pick?

I don’t get it?

Pretty sure we beat Sydney last year with Jones playing a starring role.

[Robot Devil 1,895]

4 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Pretty sure we beat Sydney last year with Jones playing a starring role.

We beat them in Round 4 last year and then they smashed us in Round 22 by 53 points. 

[Skuit 10,031]

1 hour ago, Better days ahead said:

You could be onto something but they did improve in the second half and finished the stronger of the 2 teams. Is one half of footy enough time to acclimatise? 

To be honest Better Days I don't know. But I think so. Usually when I arrive back in North Queensland I head straight for the pub to get acclimatised. To add context to my earlier post when first training up far north - it was early February - so much harsher conditions and the ball would also slip straight through the hands. There were a handful of us completely on our haunches within 15 minutes of the first session - and the local boys kept running past and joking about the 'Mexicans' (anyone from down south). It's also when they informed us we couldn't drink the water due to giardia. 

[Skuit 10,031]

5 minutes ago, Robot Devil said:

We beat them in Round 4 last year and then they smashed us in Round 22 by 53 points. 

Oh wow. I was evidently on my personal off-season break by then. Would recommend. 

[Pickett2Jackson 3,904]

2 hours ago, Skuit said:

 did anyone notice a number of our players looking completely spent in the first half of the first quarter? May and Trac spring to mind as a couple of examples, trying to suck in air in the first ten minutes.

Who can blame them for being spent early after they carried us over the line against the Saints with very little help