POSTGAME: Rd 18 vs Essendon

[Fritta and Turner 4,286]

So marginal player Hunt plays a blinder? in possibly the last game of the year - how MFC is that.

I think Melky is kept in the team for leadership and balance.  And his excellent observation skills like I think thats the ball; yes it was.

Go Freo.

[Cards13 9,117]

2 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

Despite Eddie's barracking, we won

What an absolute terrible human he is. I hope for an inglorious downfall. “Toorak, Malvern and Prahran are barracking hard” lols.

What a stereotype you are Ed, you live in the posh suburbs. 

[Wiseblood 24,637]

So I've been able to watch most of the replay (fast forwarded past the Bomber goals - thanks Kayo!) and I'm generally in agreeance with what most people are saying on here.  Although I will say that I don't think we played that badly in the first or the third terms, just that our issue of how we use the ball forward of centre, and our options there, reared their ugly heads again.  It's something we need to work on over the summer to ensure that we can go from being a mid-table side to a top 6 side.

A few things jumped out to me:

I think we've potentially found another wingman in Oskar Baker.  What I like about him is that he is happy to run both ways - there were a few times where he was deep in defence helping out, and then other times where he was further up the wing as the link in the chain.  I still think he needs to build his tank somewhat, but I really think he has a future there for us.

I know that Fritsch cops some criticism, some of which is justified, but this bloke is an important cog in our forward line.  He knows where to run and he reads the play superbly.  If he can fix up his kicking for goal, which I think he should focus on for the entire summer, then he can go from being a B player to an A grade player very quickly.

I'm in two minds about Joel Smith.  Doesn't get much of it and I still think his general footy IQ is quite low, but he didn't really get beaten in defense today and I think he is beginning to find his feet.  Does he get another contract?  Time will tell, but he is clearly ahead of Lockhart in that department.

Our midfield was terrific and beat theirs quite easily - the one thing we did well was in metres gained.  I think we worked hard with our run while the Bombers love mucking around with it.

And lastly, our defence continues to be a highlight.  I thought they all worked superbly together today, although the Dons have a worse forward line than us.

If the Dogs can fall in a heap tomorrow, then we deserve to be in the finals.  The Eagles in Perth will be a nightmare task but it's a chance at redemption from 2018.  Fingers crossed we get that chance.

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

We need to go for Ben Brown or Jeremy Cameron - not soldnon Hoags. I just don’t thinK Weeds is going to make it. Instead Hunt and Fritsch kicked seven between them.

Just doesn’t position himself correctly is always caught out of position and is easily nullified in the pack situation. 

[Dr. Gonzo 24,121]

52 minutes ago, Farmer said:

Ok. So Plapp and Richardson know nothing?

Yep

[Cards13 9,117]

2 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Why would anyone post that? He wasn't on Daniher.

He gave up 3 goals to Stewart. And gave up a shocking handball turnover in the middle of the ground, and otherwise gave us nothing. Was just a bad game from someone who shouldn't be playing IMO.

If it was the 80s, early to mid 90s you’d say he might have been ok, some crucial spoils in today, a couple of handballs that found a Dees player...... otherwise it’s hard to find a positive for Smithers. 

[DemonOX 8,779]

36 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Was that the same game I watched on TV Ox?

Not sure Bitter what game was on tv????

[Kent 2,905]

Smith did  F" all 

Wiederman is looking like a dud

Need to trade for a forward like Stewart

Take a mark for gods sake

[Kent 2,905]

25 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Yep

yes unfortunately you are right

I know for a fact that Plapp is already looking for a job

[Kent 2,905]

1 hour ago, Sigil said:

Really should have dee-stroyed them today.

A few thoughts.

Really happy for Hunt and his goals today.

Melksham, looking at his stats this year he's had an awful time.

Rivers is a find.

Clarry is so much better when he takes a step and assesses rather than just going for the handball.

I don't know what is happening with Jack but as soon as he takes a mark he takes eons to dispose of the ball (makes it worse when we have players out and he doesn't look right to see them). He just let's the opposition set up.

Spargo could be alright (I'm happy to be wrong about him).

May should be AA.

9th is about right for this team, we look good for parts of games but can't string it together (our goal kicking is shocking).

 

GO FREO!

 

 

Jack unfortunately seems to have  a slow brain kills momentum and has done it his entire career 

 

trade him out if we can!

[Adam The God 30,019]

1 hour ago, titan_uranus said:

I usually agree with you @A F but not on this. I thought Smith was hopeless at every turn. He's continually out of position on transition, which means he doesn't read the play and/or gets sucked too far up the ground. He gets beaten in one-on-ones. He had 5 touches and 1 mark, so he wasn't giving us drive or intercept marks (by comparison - Lever had 10, Hibberd 10, May 7, Tomlinson 7, Salem 6). And he's not damaging with the ball, and indeed his one handpass for the day was straight to a Bomber.

This is precisely why I wouldn't have him in my team. But in a 1v1, he actually won most of them. I can't find the stats as the AFL site hasn't updated the player stats, but I'd love to know how many spoils he had. I'd count 3 or 4 from memory. I don't want all my defenders to be damaging with the ball. If they're not penetrating kicks like May, or good kicks like Salem, or pacey line breakers like Rivers, I want them playing within their means and doing the simple stuff well.

As I say, I wouldn't have him in the team, but we didn't come close to losing because of him. Yeah, his handball was pathetic and a crumble moment, but a lot of our guys had moments like that today.

1 hour ago, titan_uranus said:

It was, as far as I'm concerned, a shocking game. 

As to your other post, I'm not sold on Goodwin either, but I'm not sure you can put the fourth quarter down to Goodwin. I'm far more confident putting it down to our players going conservative, thinking that if we slowed the game down we'd take the heat out of it. We started playing to protect our lead rather than to score. Maybe part of that's Goodwin's responsibility but I'm more confident putting it at the feet of the players.

You could be right here. I haven't been happy with the team as a group for most of the year. Sure, we've had some standout performers (Petracca, May, Langdon and Oliver), but as a team we've been ordinary IMV. How much of that is down to the players and how much of it is down to coaching is the $64 million question.

[Turner 1,505]

41 minutes ago, Jontee said:

So marginal player Hunt plays a blinder? in possibly the last game of the year - how MFC is that.

I think Melky is kept in the team for leadership and balance.  And his excellent observation skills like I think thats the ball; yes it was.

Go Freo.

good balance of talented players and non talented ones, dont wanna lose that

[Kent 2,905]

1 hour ago, P-man said:

Agree with all of this. I don’t think he’s a natural defender at all but defensively speaking he looked more assured today than he has in the past. The quality of opposition has to be factored into that though.

Smith is A DUD

[Bitter but optimistic 22,218]

1 hour ago, chook fowler said:

You know what will be the last thing to go through his mind when he hits the windscreen, don’t you

His voice box?

[Hogan2014 390]

Listening to Goodwin presser sums up our club

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,767]

45 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

I'm in two minds about Joel Smith.  Doesn't get much of it and I still think his general footy IQ is quite low, but he didn't really get beaten in defense today and I think he is beginning to find his feet. 

Have watched Smith fairly closely over the past few weeks and my observations have been similar.  It's been good that he's been able to stay fit and on the park for most of this season.  He was pretty solid on Cameron at times last week and I think his disposal and decision making is getting better with more exposure at the top level and more confidence. 

I'm very tempted to see what he could do up forward if he was allowed to fly for his marks a bit more.  But I do think he could be worth persevering with for at least another season in our backline as he just might really turn into something.

[Turner 1,505]

1 minute ago, Hogan2014 said:

Listening to Goodwin presser sums up our club

ive actually been paying alot of attention to other coaches this week and simpson (WC), cameron (GWS), shaw (NM) were all blunt bullish when need be and informative and honest and open when need be too. goody is possibly the only coach in the comp with no media presence and emotion. we know what clarko, longmire, dimma do as well and goody is just regurgitated crap and non comments with no weight to them and leave fans knowing less than they did before he sat down

[layzie 33,720]

1 hour ago, Farmer said:

Ok. So Plapp and Richardson know nothing?

They are two of the most boring people in the history of the english language but yeah they know a thing or two I guess :)

[buck_nekkid 5,839]

1 hour ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Why was Stringer wearing a fat suit under his jumper? 

Picked up the wrong needle.  Estrogen will have that effect on you.....

[buck_nekkid 5,839]

I was a bit unhappy that out midfield waltz was countered, and we had no follow up response.  We seem to have a few outstanding players regardless of the situation, then a whole raft of middle tier players that look great when things are going well, and look poor when we don’t.  These middle tier players need to have greater resilience and not compound momentum shifts away from us with poor play.  We have too many of these in the squad.

Weids kicked no goals, but he worked well up the ground and presented well.  I think he gets a pass .

If Petty and Nietchke can put pressure on for spots and some of the second level passengers can lift up tot he next level, we could have the basis of a good squad

[3Dee 1,153]

Rivers again clutch in key moments laying a big tackle when the pressure was on. This kid has got it.

[chook fowler 19,430]

16 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

His voice box?

In his case, yes

[3Dee 1,153]

2 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

Weids kicked no goals, but he worked well up the ground and presented well.  I think he gets a pass .

Yep, hit packs, made contests, good game.

[chook fowler 19,430]

16 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Have watched Smith fairly closely over the past few weeks and my observations have been similar.  It's been good that he's been able to stay fit and on the park for most of this season.  He was pretty solid on Cameron at times last week and I think his disposal and decision making is getting better with more exposure at the top level and more confidence. 

I'm very tempted to see what he could do up forward if he was allowed to fly for his marks a bit more.  But I do think he could be worth persevering with for at least another season in our backline as he just might really turn into something.

Pigs may fly?

[Adam The God 30,019]

2 hours ago, Farmer said:

Pre season I heard one of those discussions with Plapp and Richardson in which they mentioned Smith’s “ freakish skills”. Then, in R1 v WC he went for a couple of speckies  and allowed easy goals . I think the “ freakishness” has been drummed out of him for this year. But I would persist.He is a lovely build and I think he is learning defence. He had some good moments v Cameron last week. He’s actually played v little footy 

I just don't rate him mate. As @titan_uranus rightly says, he's got no idea about zonal positioning. Given our defence relies entirely on zonal positioning, it's very dangerous to play someone who doesn't fit that system.

Maybe some of this can be learnt, but he's been on the list since 2016. How long does it take to work out where to position yourself in the zone?