BoBo

YES TO PETER WRIGHT.

Whoah, Sigur Ros as you first concert! I saw them at festival hall in about 2006, incredible. The win was ok too, haha

There were 3 comments from the supporters around me that encapsulated tonight: 1. ‘What’s with Ben Brown and marking?’ 2. ‘Please Melbourne, PLEASE do something different’ (referring to constantly kicking it straight up the line in field) 3. ‘F me, we kicked it to someone in front of goal for once’ I’m usually not negative about wins, but the frustration of myself and a lot of supporters around me was palpable. Options EVERYWHERE on the ground to switch play and give us better opportunities going inside 50 that we ignore. I’m not trying to sour a great win, was amazing to grab it, but, the frustration for the fans around me was palpable. Just not taking the opportunities available and persisting with the same thing every week. In saying all of that, we have the players to win the flag, just gotta make some tweaks IMO.

Look at the amount of effort we put in to keep it in our F50, virtually lived there in the first half. Then after all of that effort and not taking our opportunities, Collingwood would slingshot it out and virtually get a goal every time. Massively deflating for us mentally and physically for no tangible reward. We dominated that game and lost because we didn’t convert goals and didn’t honour guys in space or leads. The pies are a good side and we’re always going to comeback at us. They’ve won so many games this year by running over teams and our defense couldn’t absorb the speed that they moved the ball. They’re a one trick pony but what’s the argument that we aren’t one? Seriously, what is our Plan B? I also reckon that looking to last year is not helpful. We had zero injuries, came into a purple patch of form come finals and had not been worked out. If the game isn’t going our way, we are one dimensional, which has been the criticism of Goodwin for his whole tenure. Yes we won a flag on game plan A, but if that is being overcome, what else do we have? Many on here are way more knowledgeable than I am on footy, what moves do we make when things change mid game? In saying that, we’re still right in the hunt for the flag and I believe we’re good enough. But! We have to be able to respond when our game plan is either exposed or we don’t take our chances. The whole ‘sides have worked us out’ thing is only as damaging if we don’t change things up to suit the game in front of us. In saying all of that, our conversion rate has and is our main issue. It *can* work for sure, but when our forward entries don’t work? Then what? Dominate the game but lose on the scoreboard. What else needs to be said?

We’ve been doing it all year and it’s maddening. We cost ourselves goals every game (yes, even when we win). We make it harder on ourselves!!!!!!!!

Probably counted 4-5 times, players in acres of space being ignored going into our F-50. Instead we kick it high and to the boundary line against a defence that has two of the best intercept markers and a ruckman that is 3 miles tall. We don’t take the best options going forward and miss opportunities that other teams take in a heartbeat. We literally make it harder on ourselves and I don’t understand why as this seems like an incredibly easy thing to fix. We burn so many leads or opportunities.

I’ve watched a few Collingwood games this year and I can tell you right now, they’re going to run over the top of us in the last.

Workspace cleared the crows for any workplace wrongdoing, does that mean the company that ran the camp can’t be sued?

For what it’s worth, I seem to remember a number of hawthorn players taking well below what they were worth in their prime. Sewell was being hunted by clubs and stayed for less money and Lake took about $150,000+ pay cut to join the hawks from the dogs. For us, it’s going to have to be our mid tier players that do a lake/Sewell and knock back better offers from other clubs. If Jackson wants more money over success, then good luck to him. It’s just how things go. Players have to be prepared to give up some pay if they want to keep the other good players around them.

Was at the game. Our system was absolutely perfect. I was looking for more pressure ‘effort’ but honestly it wasn’t even needed. Every player on the ground worked in unison in plugging the gaps, peeling off and getting into space. We completely shut them down and they couldn’t get into the game at all. Very glad I came over!

It shows a pattern of selfishness in our forwards. Reckon it’s pretty pertinent.

I am putting my hand up to eat my own words about forward connection. That’s not the issue. This is unforgivable. We’ve gone from the 3rd ranked pressure team to 18th. We have 4 weeks to fix this or we’re well and truly cooked. A bit of positivity (mixed in with immense frustration) we have been able to stay in the contest in all of our losses on the back of the worst pressure. That says to me that our system is incredible, we just aren’t applying the standard. We’re absolutely flag favourites if we can get this part of our game in check. Pressure is a mindset and willingness to execute EFFORT.

I guess it’s the style that won them 3 flags that is now biting them. Playing on or looking for another option in a game condition that just needs a score… gotta back yourself in. The cards are falling against them now.

That was an awesome game to watch. Both teams played like it was a final and the mistakes that were made were because of perceived pressure. This game has reinforced my confidence in our game plan come finals time. The first half of this year where we won was us absorbing a lot of pressure. As long as we are able to apply the same high pressure environments and attitude like we did last year, we’ll do it again. Freo, Sydney, Carlton and Brisbane are fallible. As long as you apply pressure, they will wilt. The only other team that worries me is Geelong. They’ve shown they can absorb a lot of pressure as well as getting rebound goals based on forcing mistakes. I feel like they have the right players in the right positions to do shutdown roles now also. They didn’t allow us an inch through their effort and we couldn’t play that game we wanted to play. Geelong will be in the granny if we don’t meet them beforehand.

This was prescient

Yeah I’ve noticed in a couple games that Bedford can go missing for long periods. So much so that when the ball will go near him, I’ll be like ‘oh, Bedford’s playing’. Happened in both the Port and Geelong game. Don’t know if it’s because he only runs one way, doesn’t have a very big aerobic capacity or like you said he’s playing a defensive role, but if he can take the next step of imposing himself on the game, he’ll grow into a gun player. His speed around the ground can be utilised for sure, just needs to figure out how to get in good spots when the game isn’t going his way.

A lot of our players were ball watching from what I saw. Felt like some players were waiting for others to attack the ball. Off night for us.

Hope he gets on going support to transition into a normal life.

I watch it when I’m feeling down, haha

It’s just as embarrassing as the NRL footy show. Dunno who watches it.

I find that show insufferable as it seems like a competition for who can interrupt who first followed by who can be faux-confrontational the most. Really awkward and manufactured feel.

We won this without the best ruckman this century. Get Maxy as fresh as can be for finals.

And to think, if we had kicked straighter, we’d be nearing 100 points.

Bedford is a gun. He’s gotta play more.

Bedford and Kozzie especially