buck_nekkid

There will be a need to get guys off on their breaks so that we can get them back for preseason earlier. I imagine the exit interviews for the SF players and ‘veterans’ can be done first, then the rest after the Casey game? Or we just do them all and trust players receiving bad news who will line up for Casey will be mature enough to still put in?

I think the ‘shootout’ games we played in the second half of the season was the attempt to update the style, however we couldn’t integrate the dour defence and this go fast and straight tactic. This meant that we went back to the old percentage play book, slow, down the line, kick it to the pockets and try to lock it in. Also, some of the failed 45 degree kicks (May’s turnovers) were not comfortably executed - not well practiced or aligned across the group. Unfortunately, we were not able to defend rapid transitions from our forward half and it cost us every time. The plan to hold teams to under 60 points and just out score them didnt hold - teams simply played bolder and faster against us, and applied man on man pressure outside the contest, cutting down our space and upsetting our skills (or exposing them). We need a whole revamp in 2023, with a strong back 6 pivotal to our game, and a strong midfield still in play. We need to have better skill and speed ahead of the defenders and be prepared to control tempo (fast and slow) better than being chooks with our heads cut off. I can imagine a whole new setup for next year, with the nibbler and spargo roles changing to fast attackers, rather than grass protectors. Forward setup needs to change massively - suggest a combo of TMac JVL and Petty could be on the cards, with Weids as back up ruck (did great yesterday). Need to get chandler, Bedford, AMW and the like into the team to see what they can bring. Our vulnerabilities were determined by the fact that the defensive system took multiple years for the team to train to the right standard, and it was hard to break these habits. Also a pig headedness not to give more Casey performers real looks at AFL level. Back to Back might have been possible if no one else evolved. But they did, and we were stuck in 2021.

Pressure. Our finals run last year was ideal because the teams we played loved possession and we applied pressure and broke them down. This year, teams returned the favour and we wilted. Our biggest failure this year is not being able to execute basic football skills or decision making under pressure. We get out to four goal leads, and fold like a camp chair under Clive Palmer. Our effort is there, but our process, skills and ‘method’ as Goody so often speaks about does not know how to absorb pressure and apply it back the other way. We take the pressure, doof up our skills and decision making, then remain poor from there. We rarely steadied and regained our composure all year (perhaps the Blues game?). Big off season to come, our game will need to be evolved and the personnel that can deliver it retained, recruited or developed. A good year by 2015 standards, a poor year by 2021 standards.

Joe the goose is out… nit sure that is a positive or a negative for us…. Wish I was confident, but a bit of trepidation creeping in.

A big band of rain heading your way, too…

Cheers, will try

Accidentally bought double the tix I need. Damned Ticketek. In premium location, 3 tix. Pm if you want heavily discounted tickets.

7:50 is a crapola time for getting home, but I will be there regardless. the crowd noise was good when we were up and about, but dropped when we started to screw the pooch. Sydney fans got noisy and we dropped off. i hope this week we show up en masse, make noise and help set the tone for the team and the umpires. We hated not being there last year, let’s show them how much we appreciate them getting back to the pointy end again.

Would be interested in your thoughts on the 3 50m penalties, the Buddy flop and general ‘discipline’. also we lacked overlap run and bombed into f50. Was this forced on us by Sydney, or was it an unforced strategy? too many key players were down, do you think with all the ‘new season’ talk, open training etc we got ahead of ourselves? What changes will we make (or should we make) this week?

Without the Dees result, was a great first weekend of finals footy. Surprised so many were shootouts - can see things tightening up in the rest of the series. Are we good enough? Not as confident as I was a week ago, now wondering how much our system will hold up to extreme pressure and fast break styles employed by Cats, Pies, etc. Dogs and Tigers = good riddance.

Wont happen, but… Jackson out for Weids. Can be better forward, and Bris are second stringers in ruck only. Max back in the middle rather than starting at ff. Petracca a watch. If he isnt 100%, dont risk him. ANB - what gives? Think he could easily be replaced by chandler or bedders. too many played poorly.

September owes us nothing. We had a terrible lead in by smashing Brisbane and were perhaps ‘ahead of ourselves’. Sydney came to play, and put us under pressure - and we folded like a camp chair under Clive Palmer. We did not take our chances, and they did. They smashed us post contest - at one contest they had almost 10 players up in the scrap, who then spread fast and we failed to cover these outlets. Bombing to the forward line is not effective strategy. We were difficult to watch last night. Our inability to hold the ball in our territory or to take good defensive positions on their players inside their forward 50 were lethal for us. Time to put down the ‘back to back’ memorial cheese boards and start fighting for what we want, rather than expecting it based upon last year…

Apart from us, dont give a crapola who wins, as long as they kick the bejeesus out of each other.

Where does the panel think the game will be won or lost, and what is the way that Sydney will try and beat us? I cant really get a handle on their game so would be interested in your take.

Good luck to OMAC, whatever his next step is. Would be behind Turner and Tommo at the dees, and the Blues gave him a shot. Another AFL gig might be a stretch given his recent injury history, but I Will remember him as a demon who tried his heart out week in, week out for us.

I hope I never hear the USA USA chant ever again. Almost as bad as the moaning answer to the question “which body part of your most often holds your daddy’s willie”? Colon Would, Colon would….

Interesting that Sammy Weid played 1st ruck yesterday at Casey. Maybe the club is testing out a ‘Silvagni’ style ruck/forward option as potential LJ replacement? If he goes (no idea either way) maybe this is our backup plan?

Swans need to be 80-35 at this point. Go Aints!

I was impressed by Weid in the VFL. Would have him in, and sparrow out. Rejig the lines (melk to hf). Bowie is close, Harmes - got a heap of it but looked like he tried to do too much too often.

Interesting… here is a counter view. With 3 mins to go we needed 2 goals. All of a sudden we kick to the top of the square! Melks marks and goals, Kozzi roves and goals. Kozzi said after the match we had been ‘training it’ during the week. I think we have a defensive entry (pocket) to soak up time in half, and an attacking entry when risk/reward suggests we need quick scores. Think this is quite a bit of tinker.

‘Aggressive, and foul mouthed, he was scaring a group of kids who kept looking around nervously at him”. The sentence after the one you bonded perhaps answered your question….

He should be fined at least, Kozzie was a few weeks back….

I was too exhausted after that to comment last night. I received an email saying no oppo supporters would be allowed in reserved seats, yet I was surrounded by Carlton FLOGS. The one behind me was a limited intellect example of the worst sort of football fan. WOOF every time Saad kicked the ball, “he’s going to Freo’ any time Dogga touched it. Aggressive, and foul mouthed, he was scaring a group of kids who kept looking around nervously at him. He goaded the crowd all night, and when confronted as to why he was sitting in Trident reserved seating said “I paid my money to get in”. Sank low in his chair when the siren sounded, though… Don’t mind oppo supporters who cheer their teams, HATE oppo supporters who need to get a rise from the crowd to validate their existence.

Rain and storms moving through. Dog hiding under the coffee table. Lets see if it sets in or blows over.

Interesting email from the club re non members in reserved seat areas. Must have been some real drop kicks last week, as i have never heard too many complaints about ‘sneaky guests’ from other clubs. Whilst you get the odd peanut, most understand and cheer the footy. for people to complain and the club to react, the filth supporters must have been really bad.