POSTGAME: Opening Round vs Sydney

[Sir Why You Little 36,883]

1 minute ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

People need to relax! 
 

it’s round 1. This side is far from settled. The NQRs showed why they belong in the VFL - Schache, Laurie, Chandler and Spargo off the pace.

 

secondly, the humid conditions did not suit our game style at all. We fumbled all night. We should adjust in the conditions, but we never do. Over handball. It doesn’t work in wet slippery conditions. Felt like the Essendon game last year. Oliver was literally drenched at the end of the game.

 

Ben Brown, if fit, must come in for Schache. 
 

 

But he’s not….

[FTB 176]

OUT: Bowey (inj), Schache, Laurie

IN: Pickett, Fullarton, Woewodin (sub)

Salem to half-back. Sparrow into the guts.

Billings to show what he’s got in a full game.

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,202]

Not ideal.

Only upsides ...

1.  deciding not to go to Sydney for the match

2. putting $50 on the Swans. (Having said that, I was considering putting $100 on them.)

[leave it to deever 17,506]

56 minutes ago, Bingo said:

Like Heeney said, they play and train all preseason in this heat and humidity. We couldn't handle the ball.

I hope that was the main factor but I doubt it's that easy.

 

[kev martin 9,549]

I thought we got back in the game ear.y in the third, kicked straight and put enough pressure on them to kick only points. The lead changed a few times then Sydney went down the middle and our half forwards did nothing when the ball came in there. 

No answers, no plan, no connections and lacked tempo control.

Disappointed with our skills. In those conditions need to just do the basics well.

Aberration, reset this week, and make sure they all have a ball in their hands 24hrs a day.

Wouldn't have minded getting a forward coach, our leading patterns didn't work, the crumbers were unseen.

Good start for Caleb and Blake.

May kept us in the game in the first half.

Grundy gave us a lesson in aggression and dominated. 

Nothing like our game against Carlton last week.

Will need to pull the finger out in time for the next one.

[spirit of norm smith 16,123]

22 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

@picket fence u have been going on about how good Schache has been. 
 
How do u think he went tonight??

Personally he needs to be dropped along with Laurie and Spargo. 

Not good enough unfortunately. 

@DemonOX you are 100% correct. Laurie. Spargo. Schache. Not good enough for AFL. ALL NEED TO BE DROPPED THEN DELISTED 

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 3,291]

4 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

But he’s not….

Pretty sure Alan Richardson said he was available for selection 

[JTR 2,846]

Sorry it's already been said.  I'm too grumpy to go through a thread that will no doubt make me grumpier.

Unrelated to the game itself, but I am calling absolute shenanigans on the 40,000 crowd figure. 
The place holds 48,000 when full and it was clear on the TV for the entirety of the game that there were empty blue seats everywhere. 

As a comparison, the Buddy 1,000 goals game only had 36,000 and that night it looked packed.

Are the powers that be so desperate for this opening round "northern states invasion" [censored] to be seen as a success that they'd artificially bump the crowd number?

[layzie 33,718]

If that was Mortal Kombat we just lost in round 2 to Goro.

[titan_uranus 24,962]

There are some truly garbage hot takes in this thread, but equally there was some ridiculous overconfidence after beating Carlton in a practice match (say it with me one more time - it was a [censored] practice match).

I was there. The humidity was telling. We simply didn't cope. That's understandable, but disappointing.

Grundy was good but the key difference was he wasn't being blocked, checked, hit and kneed at every contest. Gawn was. We know this happens when we go in without proper ruck support. This has been happening for 8 years.

We were also visibly cooked about 5 minutes into the last. That will partly be because we were a player down plus May appeared to be hobbling, and partly because we struggled with the humidity. But it's also concerning. We pride ourselves on our fitness and specifically running out fourth quarters, but we were gassed too early.

Having said all that, three things really stand out to me as areas of significant concern:

1. I never, ever, want to see Spargo, Chandler and Laurie in the same side again. On the understanding that ANB is a walk-up best 22 player, there will never be a situation in which we need all three of these players alongside ANB. Sadly, I do not see anything in Laurie to suggest he's good enough, but IMO Spargo was atrocious tonight - I watched him and he appeared lazy, pointing without manning up and waltzing between contests. I didn't like that we picked him off no practice matches and I think it was a massive mistake. I think we conceded that we stuffed this up by subbing so early in the third, which we don't normally do. The worst bit was that this robbed us of a rotation when Bowey went down. Spargo will probably be suspended but I'd be happy to drop him for Kozzie next week
2. We can't play Schache again. Not after that. That was so, so weak. They ignored him most of the night, allowing McCartin to blanket JVR. Fullarton or Brown have to replace Schache next week.
3. We lost CPs and clearances to a side missing three first-choice midfielders. That is enormously concerning. We do not have a good enough forward line or forward half game to be that bad in the middle, and if a side missing that much midfield power can beat us in the middle, then we are in for a tough time.

I loved Howes and Windsor, Viney was incredible, and Oliver was so good for someone with the summer he's had. May was dominant in the air and Salem in the midfield clearly works.

I won't write us off after one summer's game in Darwin-like conditions, but enough went wrong tonight to give me a lot more doubt than I want.

Edited March 7 by titan_uranus

[leave it to deever 17,506]

Not a fan of the ruck rule changes.

I guess Grundy was in his rights and did well to close in like he did.

It's just not a good look for the game for me.

Looks like cheating 

[picket fence 16,974]

10 minutes ago, JJ Haydos said:

We have no way to really damage any team going into our F50 - No X factor.  Will not win another flag without it.

Maybe Petty, Kosi and McAdam can give us something..   JVR has big question marks over him now.  All (media) talk. Now has to deliver. 

Gawn totally outplayed tonite.  Doesn't respond well to being manhandled.  Props to Grundy - well played.

Clarry needs game minutes but was mostly ok.  

Schacke - VAFA player at best.  Probably wouldn't get a game at Old Xav's.

Chandler - downhill skier

Laurie - subbed off and should never play again

Langdon - should be worried about keeping his spot when Hunter returns

Billings - played 30 mins.  Need to see more before can give opinion

Spargo - i'd usually defend him, but he's done

Sparrow - couldn't get near it tonite

Rivers - off also

Howes - good start

Windsor - very promising 

Trac - had patches but was off

Viney - cannot deny effort.

Salem - just ok, but was a bit too fancy in slippery conditions

Bowey - underrated small player.  Super tough.

Fritsch - very fickle.  

May - sound, but is nearly at the end.

Lever - mistakes costly

Tomo - just ok.

ANB - always tries and does the 1%ers, but his skills have never been good enough.

McVee - pass mark just.

Really missed Kosi and Angus tonite IMO.

Might just renew the old Season Pass at Buller.

 

 

 

 

 

Agree with all, but I thought Tommo pretty good!

[Demonsone 2,029]

The whole Grundy trade was a disgrace the way both Goodwin & club handled this! I just wonder did Max loose the selfless & become selfish??  I luv max is our only living premiership ruckman and a  champion but I just wonder was either it’s me or him you choose???? Yet he’s 32 and 1 bad injury from retirement 

[Cranky Franky 2,010]

8 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

People need to relax! 
 

it’s round 1. This side is far from settled. The NQRs showed why they belong in the VFL - Schache, Laurie, Chandler and Spargo off the pace.

 

secondly, the humid conditions did not suit our game style at all. We fumbled all night. We should adjust in the conditions, but we never do. Over handball. It doesn’t work in wet slippery conditions. Felt like the Essendon game last year. Oliver was literally drenched at the end of the game.

 

Ben Brown, if fit, must come in for Schache. 
 

 

I was at the ground. It was bone dry & little humidity.

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

For me it wasn’t the forward connection issues (as that’s hard to judge in slippery conditions), but rather our inability to stop the opposition from piling on multiple goals when they get territory and no way to transition out of it. This happened time and time again last year. Here are a few examples 

Port round 10 - last qtr

Carlton Round 22 - kicked the first 3 goals of the last and then held on

Even against Collingwood in the QF.

We need to get better at transitioning out of our d50 when we lose territory.

I think losing Bowey was crucial as it forced May to take the kick outs in that last qtr and he has literally no other way but kick it long.

Also, people are forgetting the Richmond practice match too easily. A bottom 4 team piled on 10 goals against us. There’s no way that would have happened in ‘21.

 

Edited March 7 by At the break of Gawn

[Docs Demons 1,778]

I would have thought that we also trained etc. in hot and humid weather so no excuses in my mind for the night. Both teams played in the same conditions and Swans were the better, more cleaner team. We missed so many marks under not much pressure. Saw Chandler drop 2/3 marks under minimal pressure. Been on this a while now but I would love a Guilden playing for us. His disposal over 50 metres is brilliant where our blokes couldn't hit the side of a barn.

 Goody needs to get over his love child's. Has to realise that the likes of Spargo and Chandler are just VFL players at best. No way should have Spargo played with no games under his belt. Had a bloke like Billings and put him as sub. His experience and smarts from the start would have been good.

 It's passed now but boy did we stuff up with Grundy . Played him a bit more along with Max including finals and it may have been the best ruck combination ever. Again Goody stuffed this up big time. Grundy gave Max a horrible hiding.

 Let JVR evolve. He is NOT a key forward yet. 

How many chances does Schack get. Just not up to AFL level. No heart. Pity as he was a 2 pick.

Need to improve around 20% to have a chance next week.

 

[leave it to deever 17,506]

1 minute ago, spirit of norm smith said:

@DemonOX you are 100% correct. Laurie. Spargo. Schache. Not good enough for AFL. ALL NEED TO BE DROPPED THEN DELISTED 

I think most people agree with this SoNS.

But Schache is just a filler. If others were fit he wouldn't have been there tonight.

The problem is he's not a good " filler."

Hard to think that Grundy didn't play in our last final.

[Sir Why You Little 36,883]

15 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Goody just saying sydney were the better team 

Said Oliver's game was a typical Clayton game

Said boweys injury looks like a collarbone. Have to get a scan.

Said billings is still learning parts of our game

Mentioned petty should be back against the hawks, Ben Brown playing vfl tomorrow.  Tom McDonald available 

Ground Breaking information 

[Little Goffy 14,397]

Upsides;

Well, Laurie, Chandler and Spargo have really made me appreciate the effectiveness of Melksham, and look forward to getting Pickett back and probably Woewodin, replacing two of these. I'd probable hold onto Spargo as the smartest and most energetic of tonight's three.

McVee continues to grow.

Howes looks like a serious player.

Windsor is definitely promising.

Salem looks like he's fit again.

We're another week closer to Harry Petty's feet being okay (touch wood, ideally clogs)

I'd say something positive about Jake Bowey being smart and hard, but I guess that depends on his shoulder.

[dees189227 12,361]

Just read this stat. we have kicked 18:36 from 151 inside 50s in our last 2 and a half games. 

We missed way to many easy goals tonight. 

[Skuit 10,027]

The humidity levels in Sydney were off the charts tonight. Gawn mentioned it felt like playing in Darwin, but generally when we play in the Top End it's during the dry, albeit still slippery.

Anyone who has ever travelled from the southern states to play footy up north during wet season months though will know how insanely challenging it is if you're not used to it. The ball going straight through your hands is one thing, but you simply can't get enough oxygen into the lungs to keep pushing, no matter how willing.

We weren't that bad tonight. Sydney handled the ball 10% better and had 10% more puff. For elite, fine-tuned athletes in a tough and tight competition, those figures make a huge difference. Especially when it was our first real hit-out for the season, and against opposition more familiar with the local conditions. 

People can scream 'no excuses!' all they want, but it's counter to what we actually know about elite performance in today's sporting environment. I'm not arguing that we don't have some concerning weaknesses, as all teams do, but wait until next week to making sweeping judgments. And in the meantime ponder our early season match against the Lions at the Gabba last year and how we followed up back in Melbourne.  

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 3,291]

3 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

I was at the ground. It was bone dry & little humidity.

I’ve had numerous contrary reports from others there and the moisture was evident on players jumpers 

[titan_uranus 24,962]

3 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

I was at the ground. It was bone dry & little humidity.

Were you sitting in a corporate box or something?

It's been 86-91% relative humidity all night. All 46 players were glistening with sweat in the warm-up. All 46 players were fumbly for most parts of the game, us just more so.

[titan_uranus 24,962]

1 minute ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

I’ve had numerous contrary reports from others there and the moisture was evident on players jumpers 

It's somehow the worst hot take in a thread full of them.

I'm here. It's [censored] humid.

[Surfer Dee 210]

Were there any discernible coaching moves by Goody tonight throughout the game? Like as the game got away from us or as we were failing to capitalise on f50 entries? Genuine question.