Recruit them from Freo?
If we get down low now then we can enjoy fantasies about draft picks all year. This is a good thing when your team are getting belted
I was sitting on the top deck for the first half and close to the front of ground level for the second.
From the top deck what frustrated me most was the shockingly poor choices of handballs and short passes. The fact that half of them missed the target was also shameful, but it was the choices that got me. One in particular I remember was one of our players got the ball in the clear, halfway between the centre line and half back. There were Geelong players slightly in front of him but 15-20 metres away on either side. The obvious thing was for the player with the ball to run hard straight ahead, between the two Geelong players where there was clear ground, gain about 20 metres then boot it into the forward line. What did he do? He handballed to a teammate who was to his side and slightly behind him, i.e., very close to one of the Geelong players. It was obvious from the moment he hit the ball that the recipient was going to get jumped on as soon as he received the ball, and that is exactly what happened, resulting in a turnover. It was as if the player with the ball didnāt want to take responsibility for doing something constructive and chose the hopeless option of handballing to a teammate in a terrible position instead.
I canāt remember who the individual players were, but the one who gave the stupid handball was not one of the new ones.
That sort of thing happened many, many times.
From ground level the overall view of the play was not as good, but close up it looked like the same old story: Geelong were bigger, harder, quicker, smarter and more skilled.
My other major impression from both locations was that it was one of the lowest pressure games of AFL I have ever seen. Players on both teams were jogging and trotting, but the difference was that Geelong occasionally ran hard, and of course we gave the ball away again and again, whereas they did not.
A lot can be put down to us missing a lot of important players, but not everything can. Young and inexperienced players can at least have a go. But nobody had a go.
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I would keep Merrett as captain and change the rest of the leadership group. Not good enough to just stroll around like you are on a Sunday walk, sometimes you have got to stand up and actually show leadership, not just say the words.
It seemed the team were mentally beaten early into this game ā¦ and whilst stoppages were contested and Goldy and Setters had a real crack as ever, there was little confidence throughout the side. As if in awe of the Geelong machine, a well oiled and tuned footballing team as it is. And it showed, this mental frailty. It was as depressing as encouraging the last two weeks efforts in defeat were. @Shelton10 post above says it as well and succinct it was. A young team, overwhelmed from the off and scared of the oppoā¦As Scott said in the presser ā¦ a step backwards for sure this one.
On his presser though ā¦ I thought it was one of his better ones. He had nowhere to hide, turnovers and skills failed us and execution of ballsy options were just poorly carried out. Implicitly he was pinging at the more experienced players and stood up for the newcomers ā¦ as well he should. Liked his praise of Setters too.
IDK, some say the old ways of coaching are now extinct animals ā¦ but a couple of finger pointing Sheeds/Barassi/Kennedy/Tommy t-shirt addresses aimed squarely at the likes of McG, Perkins, Redman (I know he didnāt play this one) and co wouldnāt go astray ā¦ imho. Because thereās one thing to be less capable than an opposition but quite another and unacceptable to be dithering, afraid to take contact, lead up, chase hard and execute disposal whilst ensuring far far better your option finds a target.
Standards. Matter. Targeted Training patterns. Matter.
Taking personal responsibility ā¦ boy that really Matters.
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After what Brad said last night the club isnt thinking like that at all
Said even if we have players available he wants to leave the kids in the side for a long time
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When their actions start to match their public statements, something this club has hardly been a model of consistency with in the last decade or so, Iāll pay attention.
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Nah i belive it the message from the club has changed the last few weeks imo
Having all these injuries is a blessing in disguise
Iāll just point out that last nightās Geelong team included the following players, recruited from the following sources:
Atkins - VFL
Blicavs - athletics
Close - SANFL
Dempsey - VAFA
Humphries (WAFL reserves)
Mannagh - VFL
Mullin - Ireland
OāConnor - Ireland
Stewart - Geelong Football League
Thatās nine of the 23, in a team that won by nigh on 100 points and is almost certain to finish top four again, from non-primary pathways. The biggest difference isnāt in pure talent (although itās impossible to argue they arenāt more talented than us), itās in player development. Geelong are unbelievably good at it, and we are ā ā ā ā ā ā ā horrendous.
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Iām not interested in talk, I want to see action.
When all these senior blokes return from injury, will they resist the temptation of bringing them in?
That remains to be seen.
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Brad didnt gurantee they would all come back in wants to leave kids in the side
Weāll see.
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There were so many Geelong supporters in the Essendon members area yesterday.
Assuming when we get the text about āhanding back our seat if we canāt attendā, those who decide to do so hand them back for anyone to access them not specifically Essendon supporters.
Really wish theyād highlight to those purchasing resell tickets that itās with Essendon members, because itās bloody frustrating sitting with oppo supporters during our games.
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We need Reid,Ridley,Redman back as of the others dont really care
Itās usually just people that buy cheap tickets, then just move after quarter time.
Says it all: Cameron 250+ games vs our No 46 on debut. (Donāt know his name.)
yep - unfortunately weāve lost that winning culture and knowhow. Those other clubs have had sustained success over the last 20+ years and know what to do.
We have to get it back to what happened when Sheedy rebuilt it into the club.
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Sheedy threatened to come out of retirement
This is news to me.
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Nah, we actually asked and they said they were resale tickets. They were there from the start of the game.
Happened in the Doggies game too. Doggies supporters behind us were absolutely miffed to be in the Essendon members section. Caused a few issues too as one of them was getting stuck into Merrett.
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