Some Home truths..

[Gorgoroth 12,712]

BUT HE DOESNT HAVE SKILLS!

i love his willingness to get the ball but when he gets it it mostly goes to the opponent

id wouldnt have ward ot wheatley in the side either

those 3 have to go! im sick of seeing them get a game over cj, atleast with cj he has shown some promise, they never will

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Buckley and Pettard have both had injuries toward the end of pre season and have not even completed a full match at Sandy. You put your selfish desires to see these players ahead of their fair interests.

They are not sending them off to war Rhino.

IMO giving them an insight into what it takes to make it in the AFL will only help their progress.

[Seekers SEECAMP 0]

"Yep, it would have been nice to see someone like Newton or Buckley or Petterd show something, instead of a whole collection of hacks show nothing"

..BUT...

Not sure that would have helped our cause today..but it would have been good to see what our stocks hold for the future. Mind you,how long and often have we been saying that.

The brand of football we are bringing the the table in 2007 is worrying

Hack players or not, from what I saw today nothing was going to save us. We were confused, unaccountable and with no semblance of a game plan. Even if our more talented players had been out there, from what I have seen of our first 3 games I fear it would have been sheer luck more than anything else if we had got over the line. There are major issues with how we are going about our business. And its not G rated.

Another Barry Crocker.

[sylvinator 96]

i cant believe peoples comments about paul johnson. he was disgustingly pathetic today. may he never play again. cannot mark and his disposal is shocking

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

They are not sending them off to war Rhino.

IMO giving them an insight into what it takes to make it in the AFL will only help their progress.

If they cant cut it in the easy life of the VFL and have yet to physically get through a full game there fitness wise then how can you send them out to "compete" at AFL level and as part of the depleted rabble that was out.

Christ, they may as well be slabs of meat the way the armchair experts on this forum "judge" the readiness of the young.

[drdrake 3,124]

Our skills in all facets of the game are below AFL standard. We drop chest marks, miss handballs, can't hit targets by foot, our tackling is good but we get wrong footed to easy, we don't sheppard, our vision is like we wear blinkers that point at the boundary line, they need to be adjusted for the middle of the ground and our awarness of players around us in bad. You can be the fittest, strongest, fastest time in the AFL but if your skills are crap you will not win games.

Apparently ND said in his press conference we couldn't match Geelong's skill level. Skills come back to the coaches.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

If they cant cut it in the easy life of the VFL and have yet to physically get through a full game there fitness wise then how can you send them out to "compete" at AFL level and as part of the depleted rabble that was out.

Christ, they may as well be slabs of meat the way the armchair experts on this forum "judge" the readiness of the young.

I agree that players should earn their spot in the side and I've been quoted as saying so.

However, in this current situation with the number of injuries / poor form I believe that a risk or two needs to be taken and playing one of Petterd, Newton, Buckley etc. should be considered.

[QueenC 74]

Our skills in all facets of the game are below AFL standard. We drop chest marks, miss handballs, can't hit targets by foot, our tackling is good but we get wrong footed to easy, we don't sheppard, our vision is like we wear blinkers that point at the boundary line, they need to be adjusted for the middle of the ground and our awarness of players around us in bad. You can be the fittest, strongest, fastest time in the AFL but if your skills are crap you will not win games.

Apparently ND said in his press conference we couldn't match Geelong's skill level. Skills come back to the coaches.

This may seem like a silly question......

But what the hell do they do at training if they are not, at least some of the time, working on their skills?

Because, as you say, there seems to be no evidence of this practice coming through on the field.

[Jaded No More 67,772]

Buckley and Pettard have both had injuries toward the end of pre season and have not even completed a full match at Sandy. You put your selfish desires to see these players ahead of their fair interests.

Please, they are not China-dolls!

Buckley was good in the NAB cup, he showed a hell of a lot more than some senior players who continue to get a game based on reputation, rather than form.

Newton has been in the system for 3 years, Buckley for 2. It's not as if we're throwing them into the complete unknown.

Bartram had no physical development when he debuted last year, and it never stopped him going hard for the ball.

Jones should have debuted much earlier, and is now single-handedly winning the clearances for us.

How bad could Newton have done at FF?

Worse than PJ? Worse than Holland? Worse than White? Unlikely.

BTW, while we're talking about unfit players getting a game, did you see Wheatley coming off the ground in the first quarter? He could barely master a breathe.

At the end of the day, playing Buckley instead of Godfrey or Newton instead of Ferguson would have made zero difference to the results. I'm not naive enough to think that we have kids at Sandringham who could be the solution to all of our problems. Not even close.

[DEES 0]

With the way we are playing, we are defineatly headed for the bottom 4. We don't play as a team, with geeling you could see how each of their players were helping each other out, while we looked like crap. If we are losing we may as well try some youngsters even if they aren't in the best of form, at least it'll be something us supporters can look foward to instead of us getting belted. ND is a goner and we better start looking for his replacement now.

[Old Man Rivers 326]

Godders does his best with what he's got. If he had skills he'd be dangerous.

If only the more seasoned players had his attitude.

Godders would be an inspiration playing in a local footy comp.

AFL is simply beyond him in a successful team.

[diesel 420]

i love his willingness to get the ball but when he gets it it mostly goes to the opponent

That is just plain wrong. No, he does not hit a target 100% of the time but his disposal today was on a par with all his team mates.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I agree that players should earn their spot in the side and I've been quoted as saying so.

However, in this current situation with the number of injuries / poor form I believe that a risk or two needs to be taken and playing one of Petterd, Newton, Buckley etc. should be considered.

Considered Yes. Selected...I doubt it.

Please, they are not China-dolls!

Buckley was good in the NAB cup, he showed a hell of a lot more than some senior players who continue to get a game based on reputation, rather than form.

He is coming back from injury and needs to get his feet.

If they are not china dolls then what is Pickett?

Bartram had no physical development when he debuted last year, and it never stopped him going hard for the ball.

Jones should have debuted much earlier, and is now single-handedly winning the clearances for us.

Bartram did not need the physical development and he has a great engine and facility to be a run with player who was tenacious. In the 2006 pre season comp. , Bartram played every game and starred. He was played in the AFL from that. He clearly showed he was capable of the standard to follow and nullify his opponent. Surely the other younger players deserve fair time to show they are ready.

(But hang on ND does not play youth and does not give them a go. How can that be?)

None of the players have that clear attribute nor have had the game fitness. Newton has a lot of skill but the maturity to apply it is not there.

I'm not naive enough to think that we have kids at Sandringham who could be the solution to all of our problems. Not even close.

Good. So what is the big problem? Lets give the kids their chance when they are good and ready. I have high hopes for each of them. But please let them get some match fitness and get some confidence and capability at a lower level first. The deserve that support and not the desparate cries from [censored] off supporters.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

That is just plain wrong. No, he does not hit a target 100% of the time but his disposal today was on a par with all his team mates.

Then it is not up to standard and that the rub.

[Gouga 562]

So what is the big problem? Lets give the kids their chance when they are good and ready. I have high hopes for each of them. But please let them get some match fitness and get some confidence and capability at a lower level first. The deserve that support and not the desparate cries from [censored] off supporters.

Good point. Exposing our kids to the current style of footy may scar their careers forever. I think ND has to give the current line-up a chance to turn it around. The players must know they are on notice and in the next few weeks we will see how they respond.

The second half of the year, when our youngsters have a bit of VFL experience under their belts, is the time to start blooding them.

I am confident that Buckley, Frawley, Garland and Pettard will all play before the year is out.

[Scoop Junior 3,395]

Our skills in all facets of the game are below AFL standard. We drop chest marks, miss handballs, can't hit targets by foot, our tackling is good but we get wrong footed to easy, we don't sheppard, our vision is like we wear blinkers that point at the boundary line, they need to be adjusted for the middle of the ground and our awarness of players around us in bad. You can be the fittest, strongest, fastest time in the AFL but if your skills are crap you will not win games.

I agree with that. I couldn't believe how an AFL team could make so many elementary mistakes.

I didn't expect us to win today. But I expected us to play AFL-standard footy with a decent system of ball movement and flow. Having players out should not affect basic skills.

Today we were a rabble of the highest order.