titan_uranus

In what world are we competing with Richmond for a spot on the ladder? Funny that. All that talk about how good Collingwood are. They're a mid-table side just like us.

Petracca for ANB sounds right.

We beat a side playing bottom 4 footy with the umpires giving us a massive leg up. But regardless, there were a heap of positives to take from this. We fixed up some structural issues and flipped the game on its head after HT. Gawn dominated yet again, but this time with much greater effect (16-4 centre clearances is an utter demolition and we didn't have VIney or Petracca). Hibberd and Lever are improving each week. OMac is now an actual, genuine, FB. Hannan's best game in a long time. When he plays like that, with pace but with aggression and hits the scoreboard, he's a real asset to our forwardline. Fritsch's cleanliness and marking are important too. And great debut from Spargo, excited to see what he can do. When you see how those three play, and then you look at Harmes (who does little other than tackle) and ANB (nothing other than run), you have to query why we keep piling games into those limited NQR players when at the least we have others on our list with more expansive skill sets who can play roles but hit the scoreboard. Weideman's not going to be dropped for Pedersen or Smith or any other tall - he's doing his job just fine, and his marking is getting really good. He might, though, make way if we need to shorten the side. We need to attack each of the next three games like we attacked the third quarter today.

Essendon is tripe, but we fixed some problems within the game which is always a good sign, and some of the additions have played well (e.g. Spargo, Hannan). One thing we should acknowledge is we've had a ridiculously good run from the umpires.

Harmes hardly runs/spreads. He was caught holding the ball three(?) times against Richmond. ANB certainly runs/spreads and is good at it. His problem is he isn't good at anything else. He is a terrible decision-maker, routinely picking the wrong option or missing a target. He doesn't have great skills, he isn't kicking goals. It's pointless having him run and spread if he's a liability with the ball in hand.

They smashed witches hats. Adelaide simply didn't turn up. Compare how Adelaide played that week with how they played last week vs Sydney. Incomparable performances, and whilst Collingwood absolutely deserve credit for bringing Adelaide down, that game was as much a reflection of Adelaide putting in their worst performance in years. GWS had won 1 game at the G in their entire existence before they beat Collingwood this year. "Taking care" of Carlton isn't much to write home about. We "took care" of North, who are far better than Carlton. And they weren't "clinical" against Essendon, they were error-riddled, just far less so than Essendon's putrid performance. Collingwood might have had a far better fortnight than us, but so have about 12 other clubs. They're not a top 4 side.

We've kept both ANB and Harmes. Insane. We cannot keep giving ANB games because he clocks up big running numbers. We cannot keep giving Harmes games because he tackles. Neither of them do anything else and it's costing us. Good decision to drop Stretch. We don't need to see another game from him to know he isn't good enough. Will be interesting to see if we play either of Hannan and Fritsch. I would have included one or both of them for ANB/Harmes. Since we're not dropping either of them, it becomes much harder to see where Hannan/Fritsch slot into the side.

Rubbish. They beat a woeful side today. Let's see how they go against Richmond on Sunday - I'll happily eat humble pie if they do well. As to the OP, we've already shown this year in every game that we can play high quality football against good sides (see all bar Q2 vs Geelong, all bar the first 15 minutes vs NM, Q1 vs Hawthorn, openings of Q1 and Q3 vs Richmond). If we can't gain consistency and learn how to score against loose men, we'll win maybe 50% of our matches from here. If we improve in those areas, though, we can beat anyone.

It's been said already but this is some revisionist bullsh*t. Howe wanted out. Almost as bad as those who want Dunn back. No they're not, they're just average. They got Adelaide on a down day, but so did Essendon and Essendon also aren't good. They've otherwise beaten Carlton and Essendon. I was there today, they make simple skill errors all over the place and have some truly sub-standard players. They are carried by some sublime A-graders (Treloar, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Grundy) and some exciting kids (Stephenson, De Goey). But they're just one of those 8-10 average sides.

What "regular basis"? ANZAC and QBD? St Kilda got the Good Friday game plus back-to-back home Friday night games this year against Carlton and Richmond. They're worse than us and pulling half the crowds we are, and finished behind us last year. The Dogs have four Friday nights and a Thursday night. They also finished behind us last year with smaller crowds. We get ANZAC and QBD, plus one interstate Friday night game. Then a whole lot of low-drawing rubbish (including 10 Sunday games). That was infuriating.

It's definitely how we're playing more than our opponent, but to be fair we have to give credit to Richmond whose pressure is better than anyone else's. It's hard to know whether we would have been as fumbly, for example, if we didn't continually expect to be immediately gang tackled every time we go near it.

No, that was when he'd pulled it. He told the bench he'd pulled it but there was only 10 seconds left and the club, rightly, didn't want to waste a rotation with that long left. He knew he'd pulled it, his head had dropped and he was consoled by the players at HT.

One of the problems with our NQR players is each is good at just one thing. Harmes tackles. ANB runs. Hunt is fast. Stretch spreads. Tyson can get a clearance. But outside of these things they're good at, they're not good at anything else. So people will inevitably say the FD won't drop Harmes because he laid 9 tackles, but he is useless in all other aspects of the game. ANB breaks running records but can't make a good decision. Stretch gets into the right spots but then fumbles every time he goes near it. Compare these players to someone like Higgins. Higgins has Hunt's pace, but also Harmes' tackles, Garlett's goal-kicking nous, etc.

Whilst I agree that the way we play is a problem, I don't think the problem tonight was defensive. For three quarters our press kept us in the game because of our effort. The problem was we weren't scoring, so every time they scored it hurt more than it should have. We should have been leading in the middle of the third, we'd been absolutely dominant. But because we don't convert momentum/dominance into scores, it all falls apart when the opposition gets on top (which will happen vs sides like Richmond, Hawthorn and Geelong).

6 - OMac 5 - Melksham 4 - Jones 3 - Hogan 2 - Hibberd 1 - Lever

Stretch, Harmes and ANB need to be dropped. Kent's probably out for a month with another hamstring. VInce is cooked but we're desperate and we'll continue to play him. No idea who to bring in. Getting the NQR players out will help but until we work out how to score when the opposition drops a player behind the ball, it won't really matter.

It was a 14 point margin 10 early in the fourth quarter. We ran out of puff one down on the bench and the best side in the comp got a run of goals on, but the issue isn't the last 15 minutes. The issue is that we have now played 5 straight games with the same problems each week. For the first 16 minutes of the third quarter, Richmond had one possession in their forward half. One. Inside 50s were 12-1. But we'd only kicked 2 goals when we should have kicked 5. We lifted our effort for those 16 minutes, we dominated general play, but we continue to stuff it up inside 50. Same problem in Q1 - the first 10 minutes was predominantly played in our forward half but we kicked 1.6 or something and didn't put any scoreboard pressure on. A few things are apparent. The first is that opposition sides know how to set up against us and it's the same every week - an extra defender behind the play. I'm embarrassed that we can't work out what to do to get around this tactic. Literally every side has used this against us to their advantage. What is also apparent is we have far too many NQR players who aren't good enough: ANB, Wagner, Stretch, Harmes, Vince, Hunt, Tyson. Our reliance on NQR players leads to too many going up and none staying down, momentum-killing turnovers, selfishness creeping into the better players (Gawn a prime example), wasted inside 50s. Too much is being left to too few. Oliver and Petracca are expected to be leading the club but they have no support. Gawn is dominating the ruck but we can't buy a clearance. There were positives: the back 6 was markedly better this week. Eventually the toll of our awful forward line/midfield was too much, but for much of the game our backline held its own. OMac and Lever are improving, Lever's best game. Hibberd and Jetta also played much better. But if the coaches can't work out how to get the side to score when the opposition drops an extra behind the ball, we're not going to get close to the finals. It's simply not good enough.

Really? What is going on?! What the f**k is the rule?!

Disappointed Fritsch was dropped before Harmes but it wouldn't surprise if it's more down to resting and managing loads, especially with the short break afterwards. Otherwise the changes look good on paper at least. Getting Bugg, Lewis and Frost out of the side removes three of our bottom 6 or so and we replace them with Hunt and Tyson, who should be top 6 players for us ("should", hence the "on paper" comment earlier). I'm neither here nor there with Weideman over Pedersen. But if only for the obvious long-term upside in Weideman compared to Pedersen, might as well go with Weideman. Let's hope that at the least he gives us something to aim for when Hogan's up the ground and fixes our structures up.

I think we have at least two changes: Hunt and Tyson in for Lewis and Bugg. Whether or not Weideman or Stretch get a game, and at whose expense (the extended Casey bench would suggest Vince, Garlett or Fritsch but hard to know how, if at all, that bench has any bearing on a decision that won't be made until tomorrow) remains to be seen.

Today's result doesn't say much about our performance last week. It says more about the competition. Carlton and St Kilda are bottom 4 sides but pushed the top 2 sides on the ladder. More than half the league has a 3-2 record. If we win, only percentage will separate 3rd and 13th. Hawthorn didn't play their best today and got spanked. Same deal with us last week. Same deal with North the week before. If you don't play at 100% intensity each week, you risk being beaten by any opponent.

I saw this too. He was kicking 50m barrels rather than looking for a target. He snapped a shot at goal when he should have passed. He was thumping the ball from stoppages rather than trying to tap to a player. Whatever he was getting at, as a leader I was disappointed. No way anything he was doing was true leadership. It's been said, but deserves saying again - this is one of the longest bows, and worst posts, I've seen.

Agree. It wouldn't surprise me if the same people who choose not to go to the game are the ones who whinge about the club not doing enough to lobby the AFL at fixturing time for more prime time games. However, if the crowd isn't as big as last year I suspect the real reason for the drop off will be neutral supporters being less interested than they might have been if we were 3-1 or if we hadn't been abysmal last week.

I know the players have to do press conferences like this, but they are seriously meaningless. Repeatedly saying in the media we know we need to stop opposition momentum swings and runs of goals and have better leadership doesn't make it happen.

Why would anyone ever come to Melbourne? Unless you are in Brownlow-medal winning form, within a month the fans will turn their back on you, call you incapable of playing football, and decry the trade as one of the worst of all time. Of course, then the same people will complain that we don't ever land big fish in trade periods.