Just further on this it actually really ■■■■■ me. We had a structure that was working quite effectively - brown, smack, stringer - yet chose to abandon the structure because of injury despite the fact that there were viable alternatives available to maintain it. Stewart could have come in for stringer against gc, Hartley could have been selected to release hooker forward against Sydney and Hawthorn.
Instead we’ve had 4 weeks in a row where at various stages it was clear we were a tall forward short (remember may swallowing everything in the air against gc).
The only thing that saved us having to address it against Sydney was Grundy moving forward (a move which I think actually won us the game).
I don’t get it. If something is working why don’t you do everything you can to try and maintain it by bringing in players who can fill the role within the structure rather than trying to manufacture something new.
I reckon if Hartley had played and hooker had been forward the entire game we would have been much more prepared to play direct up the line football and not played into their hands with indirect, over possessing, switching turnover bullshit. Frankly I reckon it cost us the game.
Yet that farking carnt of a bloke clarkson was complaining to gil about players shepherding his players going for mark. What he really means is that his team should be allowed to do it but teams shouldn’t be allowed to do it against his players.
Yep exactly and it ■■■■■ me , early on in the game it was so obvious that a Hawk player went in with both knees to one of our players but then threw both arms out to apologise.
It’s gonna be a sad day when Hooker retires. Elite marking players like him don’t grow on trees. Probably my favourite player on the list along with Fantasia.
