Jaded No More

So we need 4 more wins and to avoid any smashings. That means we have to beat one of Sydney, Adelaide, Geelong, West Coast or GWS to make finals. I wish I had your optimism, but given we have yet to beat a team who is around our mark on the ladder, I just can’t see it happening, especially with 4 road trips. But I hope I am wrong!

Tyson had 7 effective disposals. 7! God help me if he’s in the side next week. We need to try something different. Stretch on a wing. Give him the rest of the season, as it’s now basically just a making up numbers game, and see if he can deliver something. At some point we got to find out for better or worse, or he will become a list clogger.

Agreed on the first point. Along with Gawn, the one player we just could not afford to lose, as we have nobody on the list who can cover him. Wondering what games you think we can win from here to make it? We have the toughest draw out of anyone competing for the 8.

Club should have met Gill, Clarkson style, a long time ago. We cop it sweet every week, so we only have ourselves to blame.

Agreed. Frost is NQR, but at least he’s somewhat experienced and physically capable of going with a big body. Forget Gaff, can we get McGovern?

I thought Weids was ok. Competed well. But the balance forward is wrong. Every forward, even the short ones, play tall. So every one of them can only play one way, which is going for overhead marks. That’s great, except they all crowd up the space and nobody stays down for the crumb. Even Fritsch, who I think is fantastic, is a marking forward.

7- Gawn

Umpiring was appalling, but look at the ladder. We lost this game because we played awful slow footy.

Go and get Clarkson

I won’t question Goodwin, because everytime I do, I get smashed from pillar to post. But we lost this game, like many others over the last 2 years, due to selection and match ups/set ups. Gawn bloody good but

Looking forward to hearing how we didn’t play our brand today.

If this team is serious about playing finals, it’s time to grind out a win. Someone needs to stand up other than poor Gawn.

Daylight robbery these umpires.

I posted a few comments before this post. Trust me I would never blame a first gamer for a loss. Nor is any one player ever to blame for a loss (unless you miss a goal from 6meters out near the siren...) I am just wondering why he got a game ahead of Frost, having not seen much of him live. Nothing to suggest he won’t be a player, but he doesn’t look ready at the moment.

Couldn’t agree more. Gawn is a lone hand. Our lack of leadership is costing us dearly. Lewis is VC. I mean come on. Until we start having players who stand up and can win us games, we will continue to struggle under pressure.

And? When I say zero return I mean zero impact. Shane mother[censored] Savage is on fire. I feel sick just writing this.

Of course he isn’t. Never said it was! Just noting that he isn’t ready for footy. Looks overawed and nervous with ball in hand and not reading the ball in flight. Havent watched enough VFL to make a call on this, but surely Frost is ahead of him?

Given 13 players fly for every mark, Jeffy on their heels could really work.

Also lol at Trac and Hogan promising a return to form. Touched the ball 13 times between them for zero return.

Defining game. Lose this and it’s goodbye finals. Petty is not AFL ready. Feel sorry for him. Bad call giving him a game

[censored] this. If Melbourne don’t ruin the game with their stupidity, the mother [censored] umpires do. Sick of watching games ruined by half cocked fame [censored] ametures.

And some supporters are deluded enough to think that we can match it with the best. Lol. Getting smashed in every aspect of the game. Gawn the only winner.

Killing us on the outside. Everyone flying up for the ball. Ugh.

Ummmm where did I say anything about them last year? Richmond have been flakey for years. They made yet never won finals. They were a joke for a long time, nobody is denying that. I was just saying that they have now reached peak maturity and can absorb pressure that we can't. They also have better and more mature leadership across the field, and match winners. I never once said this was not something we are capable of, but we are not there yet, as proven this year against more mature teams. Do you disagree? Still think that we don't have Dusty-type match winners, and I am not 100% sure we have a potential one on the list. Trac has been a huge letdown.

The Richmond v Sydney game last night, is a great example of why we struggle to compete with the top teams. Richmond is amazing at absorbing pressure and then releasing. How many last quarters have they won in tight games? How many have we lost? For me, while there are no standout teams, Richmond, West Coast (minus injuries) and Sydney stand a rank above. All of these teams have match winners, all of these teams can grind out games, and all of these teams have finals experience. We are not there on any of those fronts.