Our contested ball numbers were fine. How many clearances did we lose after having hands on the ball first?
Fact is, this game was lost strategically. Nothing else.
They set up with multiple numbers behind the ball all day - and this was not addressed at all. Not even late in the final quarter where it was nearly comical the situation we were in with Docherty there.
Woosha is a stubborn coach. Including pre-season, we have given up 40 point leads 4 times this season, and this one horribly structured effort against Carlton. Seemingly, he takes too long to address issues on the field.
Going man on man, at least for the final half of the final quarter could have been all that was needed. This was not player ignoring coach. We were setup like this all day.
I agree on the personal, which I further struggle to understand woosha’s thinking. Brown is hardly suited to modern AFL at all, let alone absolutely horrific conditions against a team with no key forwards of note.
It made no sense then, it makes less sense now. We lost this game between the ears and not in the contested ball at all.
Hawthorn - were on a massive slide last year and close wins masked this for the masses who only look at results and nothing more. But contested ball isnt the issue.
We basically broke even with them, and beat them (clearances and contested ball).
They beat Adelaide in clearances and contested ball was even.
Contested ball is not what drives modern footy. It is been a while since this is irrelevant.
Geelong have been a team for a while which have won huge amounts of games without winning these areas.
Total ground structures greatly drive the game these days, half back lines are the most attacking lines in the game etc.
This is not the 70s.