buck_nekkid

Have you noticed the player pics in the header? Based upon performance (and staying on the park), there are 10 players there, and on a pass mark basis, we would be lucky to get a 3.5 out of 10. Describes the whole season, I reckon.

Honestly, Jack has underwhelmed this year. Back from his foot injuries, he is not explosive out of a contest or clean enough with disposal. Being ‘tough’ only gets you so far. I am disappointed he is injured, but he is a real barometer on where we are at right now. We can’t keep playing guys that are NQR, except there is no one to replace them.

I think Maynard and Sparrow become important. Our current midfield are ‘get ball, butcher ball’ at the moment. I could see a role for different players in the guts, and shifting Brayshaw and even Oliver outside at times to get better value out of them. 30 possessions and 25 turnovers and 5 passes to players under heaps of pressure is not really a good day out for the team. I think Petty and Kielty must be really close, and if they can show form would add significant value to the main squad. I also see OMac as worth watching - can he discover his form? Chandler, Bedford and Jordon (and Bradtke) are really early in their careers, so let them build into the game. Oskar Baker is returning from long term injury, so I suspect needs a few games to get going before he would even be looked at. I would not write off any of these guys. It is unfortunate that they are even in the conversation by necessity at this stage.

Goody has sent the players away for a 4 day break before they regroup at the club on Monday. After a few 6 day breaks and the 4 day break, it is probably a good time for them to freshen up. Goody said they might watch a ‘bit of footy’ over that time. Without kicking off a massive player bashing session, I am interested if that’s what a few of these guys need - a bit of time away and self reflection? Perhaps now the bath water has been drained and we are staring at the dregs of what should have been, a little time away to ‘freshen up’ might be time for them to get their heads back in the game. I would seriously be hoping the coaching staff take the time to take stock and reset. If J Lewis was speaking from the club approved position (to change the gameplan a bit), then they have very little time to work out what they want to change, and get the systems ready to train next week. Some of the players need to take a fairly solid look at their performances over this time and make some hard decisions about what they do from here.

Colonwood scored 2 goals after quarter time. 2 to 7 and fell over the line. Sounds like the demons somewhat...

We haven’t yet seen what we are capable of. Imagine if Lever and May had both been on the park, and we were able to structure up in the back half behind the ball with elite pillars? Imagine if TMac and Weids had a bit of form forward of the ball? Imagine if we were able to hit a target by hand and foot? Jesse wanted out. We made the best of that, and the deficiency we had in defence ‘appeared’ fixed when we secured May, and KK as a freebie to go with him. We have not yet seen how this will go. It looks like it will take us until the Bye to get all the right pieces on the park. I just hope that as we write off 2019 that we can use it to redefine a style of play that we can manage, and to get some cohesion into our players so that we can become ‘elite’ in 2020. I also hope we start playing a style that will encourage the AFL to give us premium time slots and not consign us to the rubbish time slots again.

Currently Weids is within his rights to ask for a half sucked mintie and 2 musk sticks.

Something stinks. I dont know how sacking people will fix the problem, but from the outside, it looks like something has gone really off the rails. We can sack the lot of them, but unless we find and address what is really going wrong, we are simply swapping deck chairs. How do we go from chocolates to boiled lollies so fast?

Some time to pause and reset. Send Viney if fit to half back. Give him time to man up, tackle and dispose of it without being panicky every time he goes near it. Send Weid to a wing. Put Brayshaw on the other. Have a forward line of Preuss, Keilty, Smith, Frisch , Melksham, and try Bedford. Lewis and Jones both out. Petty, Frost, Salem, Hunt, Viney and Hibbard as back 6 Middle of Gawn, Oliver, Harmes, Maynard. Bench of TMac, Stretch, Trac, C Wagner

Summary of press conference: We were better, because quite frankly, we couldn’t be any worse. Our skills are deplorable. Whilst I use the word ‘connection by hand and foot’, what I mean is the most basic skills that even the under 12’s would be expected to deliver. Our forwards are out of form so badly we cannot even hide them in the backline They will have 4 days away from the club. Seek.com will be busy. We are all in this together. No one can escape this sinkhole of a season with any dignity alone.

He might be better served as a half back, where he has a little more time to decide. His panicky rubbish dish offs are embarrassing. Getting knocked over by the work experience kid was also embarrassing.

If Jones and Lewis retire, can we get extra picks?

Every player is poorly skilled and out of form. How does that happen?

So, Goody steps up, what does he say: we lacked connection were hurting, we know our supporters are hurting we are gunna keep working its little things we got a week and a half to go back and work on it we are in this together, we are unified they we’re a great team, the tigers. what do you reckon?

I cannot express how deeply disappointed I am.

We are just rabble. It is done. Where is the sword?

Can we just STOP kicking it to their half backs? Sheesh!

Game day or Shame day? At a minimum I want the team to exhibit some fighting character and courage to honour the Anzacs. 2 soldiers were in talking to the club, lets see what rubs off. I will be stuck in another event until about 1/4 time and will be looking at the app. The service at the start is a highlight, and will miss that part. Not so sure what I will miss for the rest of the night. Go Dees. Wishful thinking - we break down their system and win by 32 points. Reality - (god help us)

Lockhart direct replacement for Jetta. Bull and Weid forward. Tmac on Riewoldt, Frosty on Lynch. Hard tag Harmes on Dusty.

Injury update: May tracking well, 4 weeks away!

And Hawkins got a fine that would have gotten Steven May life in Long Bay.

Wow, thanks Rusty. Look at the pain points: Marks i50 and contested, Uncontested possessions and effective disposals. Closely followed by turnovers. Tale of the tape right there. That really describes what we are seeing. No connection into the forward 50, and a complete rabble there. Too slow to allow them to mark. Thrashed in contested marks, no space to have uncontested possessions (although a lot more teams are playing keeping off across HB) and ineffective disposal with the pill, creating turnovers. I also note we are dead last in doing the 1%ers. Not putting it in the line for team mates. Some things (in isolation) dont look so bad. But we dont play the game in isolation...

It is difficult. Normally we would have: a) more players available, fit and healthy b) more players in the firsts in some form c) more talent in the reserves pushing for their place d) an appropriate break between matches We are therefore stuffed at selection table. We have so few players demanding selection, even from the list of guys that were on the park against St Kilda on Saturday. Probably about 1/2 dozen if I am honest. Then we are carrying a whole lot of out-of-formers who we ‘hope’ will come good. We have no one banging the door down (maybe Garlett), with a few nearly there (Petty, Kielty, Stretch). And then we have the rest. How do we put a competitive team on the park under these circumstances? If the out of formers don’t suddenly find the next gear, we are stuffed.

Injury report should be out today, after training, if they follow their normal cycle pre game. Hopefully we will find out about May. they should also do a form report, and own up to who they are carrying at the moment. Would leave a short list of non injured and in form players.

Saw May on Saturday at the ground. A big boy, looked in pretty good nick. Wouldn’t be saying too much to his face, that’s for sure!