rpfc

It’s learned behaviour. And it’s why I worry for JVR’s development; if you don’t expect the extra handball in board to then get a deeper entry, or you don’t expect the lowering of eyes to hit up someone 60 out then you go where you think the ball will be. And then that’s where the ball will inevitably go. The odd occasion we give an extra hand and take the extra half second to hit up a lead may end in failure which reinforces the ‘bomb it forward’ mentality. It’s harder to see forward craft ahead of the ball on TV but when I was down for Freo, Carl, and Coll games - I was left worried about JVRs leading habits and the role he was asked to play. He’s a kid and has time but it is simply unfair to him and to our window to not get him and Fritsch a number 1 tall forward that pushes them into more comfortable roles.

We won Kings Birthday because of our defence and our press. We are a defensive first team. But being unable to score more than 70 points is unsustainable in the long run - pressure lifts, mistakes are made, talent breaks through. So we need to find some structure and trust with how we bring the ball into the forwards and how they navigate space or we make it so difficult for ourselves. Long term - Lamb needs to get us a number 1 forward next to JVR and we need some new ideas to take control of our forward line and our ball movement into the forward half. Territory isn’t enough anymore.

Not if they have strained their hamstring. @Webber - bat signal.

Here we go again… I don’t doubt that these 3 10 day breaks have been peppered with running blocks but can we put that to one side? The genesis of our issue was not that last quarter - it was our inability to construct deep and meaningful forward entries when we were winning the contest and territory. And applying amazing pressure as you note. Like last year - I am ignoring the ‘red herring’ of loading to see if there are broader issues and there are. There just are. We are really not creating good forward entries against good teams and it’s making it harder to capitalise on and score goals.

We overcommitted trying to score ourselves. But that is just a symptom. The reason why we over committed is because the players were feeling the pressure of having the ball, dominating the contests and stoppages and yet we couldn’t get good looks and kick goals. So they crab walk forward hoping to get it done and then turnover or lost contest and slingshot and we’re stuffed. When you play a press, one problem is in no way can you allow teams to get over it - it’s curtains - no one is on anyone and all the space is a funnel towards their goal.

They are not creating good chances against the best teams. It’s not simply ‘executing’ better in the 50. We don’t get it deep, and the amount of times we wait for Gawn to setup down there leads one to believe that we are bereft of ideas and forward options, especially ones we want to move the ball quickly to.

We just don’t look dangerous going into our forward line and there is no structure that the forwards seem to fall back on. Teams can then easily bottle us up and the slingshot at the end was magnified by the players having little faith in the forward craft of the players to get it done. Overcommitted, crowding in, and bang - out the back and we’re done. Our saving grace is the evenness of this season. But yeah, there is no hiding our issues atm. Don’t talk to me about ‘kicking straight at goal’ - we are getting terrible entries and shallow looks and that leads to more points than goals.

Mitch Cleary just tweeted that we won tonight’s game by 6 goals and then deleted it two minutes later…

Dees, PA and Coll are not good enough to go 28 wins from 30 games.

Would you retire if you were a chance to play in this team?

I would do all this and get Ben King or whoever, but lots of ifs and buts to get there. I just don’t think we have the cap space without doing the above.

Wayyyyy ahead of you, legendarily troubled and deceased movie star actor Steve McQueen…

Free entry to Kings Birthday?

Horses for courses so to speak and I think that’s right. My main worry is that doesn’t allow the forwards to have continuity and build trust with play and performance. I hope that matchups issues like this is the exception to the rule - and that whatever we go with, it is given time to gel.

It is from where I sit. Especially considering how good a backman he is.

I agree that the experiment should continue but it is far from crazy to move him back. He is an elite backman and Smith did more than enough last week to get the FD thinking about a smaller forward line that can compete in the air but make our team defence even more potent.

Once again, you’re missing the set up of they would need internet to be on a footy forum…

I was just about to remark about the lack of internet in the Geelong area, but I think they got a govt grant for that…

I find this reasoning quite specious. What decisions turned the game against the Lions when we were trash until the lights went out? What goals came from decisions against Freo and Port? Or in the reverse against GC or Coll? Expected accuracy at goal from player would dwarf the above number. This is just needless umpire bashing with no quantification - it really is a ‘damned lie.’

If you are referring to his words on SEN, he said we were among the best teams and ‘taking on the best is something players and the club should run toward’… it’s hardly hubris. How can it be? We have won the last two important games against them and humbled them in a Prelim.

You forgot one thing… YOU GOT BEATEN BY WHAT YOU KNOW! ALWAYS GET BEATEN BY WHAT YOU DONT KNOW.

So… sub?

I think that the season is wide open, all teams have issues to address, some bigger than others. Coll are moths to the turnover flame by design and contested possession teams that trust each other can get through that. Port rely heavily on having the ball to defend, teams have run up scores on them as DemonWA alluded. We have our known issues with our forward mix and if teams slow our movement we can be pushed wide and shallow. That said - I think we are the best chance if we can get top 2. Top 4 with an interstate final evens things out a bit. The Lions have a scent of implosion and are inconsistent in application and desire. Won’t go through the rest but this year has a clear path for a Bulldogs-style run through August and September to a flag from anywhere in the 8 IMO. Who is most connected and healthy in the last two months?

You can look, but NOT FROM YOUR EYES

Don’t mind Carlton having a revival. They have Freo soon and also Pies and Bombers fans hate seeing Carlton play well.