binman

Fair enough. Leaving aside the goody discussion i worry many of the players simply are not that good.

For pete's sake they're not asking him to play full back or in the ruck. He is still spending some time in the middle. And yes that is where he plays his best footy. But as result of (what i think has been) too much emphasis on drafting contested ball winners at the expense of skilled outside players (why oh why did we not go after suckling when he was on the market?) we have Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw and now Tracc all fighting for the same position. So he has to perform in another position at times? Ones that don't perfectly suit his skill set. Big deal. Suck it up and do what you're paid good coin to do. Play good footy

If true that is an indictment on Brayshaw. A skilled, talented professional footballer - a 2nd draft pick no less - should be able to play to a high level even if the game plan, team rules and even the position they are played in don't 'suit' them. Sure they may not have optimal output in those scenarios but it speaks of a lack of mental strength and rubbish attitude if they can't - or worse, won't perform to an acceptable level. Or alternatively they are one dimensional and simply not that good. The second best junior in the country should be able to play top footy wherever he plays and whatever the team system or rules are.

Classic sci fi trope is the answer. Someone else has replaced him and is using his body as a shell. Possibly an alien. Though that is unconfirmed. The real question is where is gus?

Fair call. You're right I'm being too simplistic saying connection is about accurate kicking. It is all the things you suggested. And to add an element synergy. Instinctively knowing where everyone is. A big part of which is a predictable, well drilled system. Which makes the decision to bring so.many new players in and changing your defensive unit and structure all the more perplexing. Hard in those circumstances to have connection. All that adide we still have too many really poor kicks and too few elite kicks.

On that lever kick I criticised him for floating that kick (a technique issue) and not putting it to fritters advantage (which given the situation had to be his right side so if he couldn't mark he get get it over the line). But you're right why were there not more dees players in that area. As you say that was where he had to kick it. It was actually 5 v 2 in that area. We were super lucky we won that ball as if they won it, as they probably should have, it would have gone straight back inside their 50. We got it inside our 50 and that was that. The other thing I found perplexing was why at least one player didn't gut run to provide a short option. Even if lever doesn't kick it to them it stretches their coverage and mitigates against an out number.

No. Or to be more accurate I bloody hope not.

You are exactly right. Has been for years. But with scoring so low now it is even more damaging - each goal it costs is relatively worth more. Like soccer. This issue is the single biggest barrier for us winning a flag. Im amazed it doesn't get more focus on DL and elsewhere. You can talk about structure, systems, mental strength etc etc all you like but unless you can reliably hit targets you are stuffed. And as I think you pointed out red the issue after quarter time was not that we were lairising or took the foot off or were mentally weak. The issue was when the blues raised their pressure our skill deserted us and we missed target after target. They applied zero pressure in the first, as the commentators kept banging on about. Easy to hit targets with no pressure. You think Tomlinson hits tbat cute over the top kick to hunt if he was about to get tackled? When we are smashing the opposition we look like Harlem globe trotters. That pressure drops off (As it often seems to because players like his stop gut running) and the opposition's pressure increases and rhe system completely breaks down. I wish Goodwin would stop talking in silly footy speak. The connection he keeps banging on about is nothing more than the ability to kick a football accurately to a team mate. We are very lucky the blues 'connection' was marginally worse than ours. And that they didn't turn up till quarter time. I like Lockhart. I like Smith. But both are average kicks. And the most dangerous spot to have average kicks is on defence.

Good post. The other things that Oscar brings is reliability by foot and good penetration on his kicks. Late in that last quarter both Smith and Lever had kicks from behind the defensive 50 metre arc after taking a mark and stopping (ie not playing on). So under no pressure from an opponent. In both situations i had no confidence they would kick to our advantage. Both helicoptered/floated 40 metre kicks that made it easy to spoil. Neither were to our advantage. Oscar would have driven it lower and faster and kicked to our advantage (ie the right side of the contest). And if a player had sprinted to open space (by the by why did that not happen?) i would be confident he would hit them

As i posted i don't understand why they have not stuck with him as a forward. He trained all presason before last year as a forward and looked the part. as you say kicked four on aday we couldn't but a gola. And then sat out the season. We are in desperate need of a marking forward and they play him back. Makes no sense. He could have played the role Jackson was asked to tonight and would have had more impact.

I hope you're right. I fear you're not as if they did run out of gas it speaks of a group of players that are not as motivated and driven as i had hoped and expected they would be. I watched the the last quarter of the Gold Coast game. They Suns did not look like they were running out of gas.

A HEALTH WARNING: If you, in any way, do not rate Simon Goodwin as a coach, and/or get annoyed at his tendency to speak in cliches and buzz words ('lots of leanings from this game', the players want to win, credit to the opposition) or even get mildly irritated by his upbeat post game vibe or peculiar smirks when we have played poorly: DO NOT WATCH THE POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE! You have been warned.

Vitriol? WTF?

Agree. But Oliver has got a way to go to get near Cripps as a player. Cripps imposed himself on the game in that last quarter and almost won it for them. That's what the real stars find a way to do. Oliver is not there yet.

As much as i'd like to see OMac back i reckon it would be a mistake to drop smith. Dropping an inexperienced player after the one game, particularly when you have backed him in is bad for everyone i reckon and as rule shouldn't happen. Would do Smiths head in and smash his confidence. Tmac is another thing all together. I'd be dropping him and replacing him with Weid. Tmac is simply not mobile enough at the moment and has the turning circle of the Ruby Princess.

Top post scoop. On the pressure hard not to think that they ran out of gas. if true not a good sign as really there is no excuse not have maintained their aerobic fitness levels

He was terrific at the crows. A big part of his success was big able to focus solely on the the intercept role and not have to be accountable for adirect oppoent. And the reason he was able to play that role and rack up all those sexy intercept stats was the rest of the defence doing their job, in particular Thalia. The system they employed also supported him playing that role - one that involved not being accountable for an opponent. Exactly the role he plays for us . I can't recall the name of the fella but when Lever left he slotted into that role and also looked great. That article (which reads like his manager wrote it) suggest he is heir apparent to Rance. Don't get me wrong i think he is good player, but he is not in Rance's league. And wont ever be, To be fair few are. But that is what we were hoping to get. Of course the knee injury made things hard to assess but he is poor kick and for defender, very poor one on one. These deficiencies are not a function of his knee injury and were apparent at the crows. Saw that tonight. No way Rance lets Cripps take that mark (the one he missed)

Yes and no on the first point. They did not get a single inside 50 in the first 6 mins or so of the first quarter (in a 16 min) and very few after that.There were some good defensive efforts but by in large they were a result o pressure on the blues players kicking inside 50. Totally agree on the second. It is also why i thought it was risky being two new defenders in. But now that they have, if they think they have the right group they need to stick with it for a bit to allow them to gel.

I'm amazed they abandoned the experiment of him up forward, which is were he was going to play last year. I mean he kicked a bag in that practice game he got injured in and looked good. Defenders have to know the game more than he does. Forwards too of course but up forward he can use his leap t fly for marks and the defenders have to try and spoil him. If they succeed the ball hits the deck where kozzie can get it. He is trick match up with his athleticism and his average field kicking skills and decsion making are noy exposed as much

Yep, spot on. Ad to the above our kicking went back to normal. Terrible. And tat was die to the increased blues pressure. Nothing exposes poor technique as much as pressure. Remarkable we won. Te blues fans will be furious they didn't. Some sort of game of footy when both clubs fan are angry.

Agree. They absolutely should drop tmac and put weed in. He was terrible. And of most concern is he looks unfit and over weight. How does one of our supposed leaders and most senior players come back out of shape. And when he did why did they pick him?

Im normally pretty optimistic and quick to see positives from a game we have played poorly in. I might have to give it some time because I have not felt this dispirited after a game for a long time. And we bloody won it. The only four positives I can find now are: Trac: we should try to not lose sight of good he was. He won us that game. Firstly by dominating the first half but most of all kicking our only goal of the second half. A brave kick from outside 50, ignoring the lead of hunt that he normally would have gone for and kicking for goal. That's what we need from him. Also loved the mark he took 30 out and that he kicked it gun barrel straight. He loved that bit too. Rivers: hard to recall a better debut game for our club. Composed and good kicking skills. Showed up every one of his co defenders. Omac: at least this week no one can unfairly blame him. Covid 19: at least i didn't have to waste any money watching that game live.

I rate Smith. But he was flat out terrible today. Melk can be a good player. But more often than not isn't. Like today. And personally it is that type of player I hate the most. Talent but pick and choose when to use it, with a dose of infuriating arrogance thrown in, type of player. Anb is exactly the opposite. Not the most talented but his level of effort and desire never drops. That is the sort of player I like. Then you get a player like cripps who combine talent, consistency and work rate. The true stars. How many of these do we have? Realistically only gawn and tracc.

He points well. And loved all the advice he was dishing out to goody at quarter time. Such a leader.

100% agree. Been saying for two years he has got to be a bit more selfish and take shots himself, rather than always look to do the team thing and look for the pass (though he does that well) Critical leaders goal