Raped by umps, obviously thats not why we lost but it did hurt our momentum!
Started really well
Keen to see us play a genuine back up ruck and get some nore runners in the side
Robbo got it right in today’s Hun. Game plan stinks and just horrible to watch.
We would have lost by 10 if it wasn’t for the umpires, but today we tried and I won’t hold it against the boys.
Freo are just too good a side and our game plan from half forward didn’t work until the last when Freo tired and we made some changes.
Key things from today
- Bellchambers needs help in the ruck
- Jobe needs help in the packs
- Joe needs another forward to help him so he isn’t outnumbered everytime
- We are better than tonight and will be better for the long run
- Freo are just too good at the moment and their intensity was crazy
- ■■■■ the umpires, we could have had a good crack if they didn’t ■■■■ us over so much
- Freo kicked 10 in a row without missing(just was not our night)
- We will beat North
Just returned from the game.
In summary:
-Too many turn-overs under pressure
-Too many turn-over under little/no pressure
-Too slow to clear an opposition forward press
-Reluctant/unable or unwilling to run hard defensively.
Gees… that was sh ite.
Umpires weren’t the reason we lost but they were awful. The two goals gifted to Freo when things were tight in the first just hurt. That OOB decision against Bags was one of the worst for the season.
Scoreboard flattered us and hopefully it doesn’t fool anyone into thinking we don’t have structural issues. Again people will blame our ball movement and our midfield and our half backs and everything BUT the reason why we scored 24points in three quarters. We have no forward line. Carlisle is ineffectual against quality opposition. A liability across HF. Daniher is young, makes too many mistakes and barely has the strength to win a 1-1 body contest, had zero chance against two opponents. And then you get to the real problem… name our small forwards if you dare… we rotate our midfielders through there and that gives the look of ‘flexibility’ but it also means there is no system or continuinity between the forwards because it always 6 different blokes. We have no key small forward and it kills us game after game after game.
Is easy to think Freo smashed us around the clearances, and they did, but they will beat a lot of teams with the best ruck combo in the league bar none. So then surely the question must be asked why we didn’t call up Smack/Giles to give Tbell a chop out. I actually considered TBell for 1 vote, not because he was good but he battled against the two monsters all game and we actually came out even on most clearance stats.
Our ball movement is putrid, painful and not going to lead to good outcomes. I think it is being caused by bad decision making, poor skill level but also because of the lack of forward line. Our midfielders have no confidence to ‘wheel around’ because more than likely there will be no forward leading at them or creating space. So that lack of trust means the midfielders don’t want to get caught and instead they hold the ball up and make it someone elses problem. And when that isn’t the problem they just butcher the ball, badly.
Hurley simply must go forward. He went forward in the fourth and yes Freo dropped off the intensity but for the first time in the game we actually created a contest at half forward. Hurley was a key involvement in generated six shots on goal in the first 14 minutes of the last quarter. It should be enough to convince Hird to back HIS judgement from 2013 that Hurley is the best square peg to fit in the round hole for now. I’d love to see the switch made next week.
Cooney and Chapman are likely to return next week and that should help a little bit at the small forward position. Very disappointed but hopefully the coaching staff make the changes necessary to salvage this season.
How many week Baguley get?
3-3 next 5 games before the bye are North, Brisbane, Richmond, Geelong and WCE at subi.2 losses, 2 50/50 and 1 “we should win but who the ■■■■ knows”
Could be 4-7 or 5/6 going into the bye, pretty poor.
OR…
WE COULD BE 3 and 7
Lid off baby!
First quarter was okay.
Fought hard and they got their goals from garbage.
Blown away in five minutes of the second quarter, and really…that was pretty much it.
Need to stop making excuses like ‘they’re the best team in the comp’ ‘that was st kilda’s best game of the year’ ‘collingwood/carlton always get up for us’
how about the players take some ■■■■■■■ responsibility and play proactive footy. how about the coaches try to actually make tactical decisions when the game can still be won, not 3 minutes to go in the 3rd.
Umpiring was a complete disgrace.
Only thing worse was our unwillingness to kick forward to a contest quickly and go sideways in the midfield and consequently turn the ball over…something we finally changed in Q4 with pleasing results.
Freo can’t maintain that manic intensity all game, it was inevitable it would drop off a little. We didn’t take our chances enough after half time when it did. Daniher missing two from directly in front doesn’t help. We finished with only 3 less scoring shots and twp more I50s. Freo’s score tonight was only marginally higher than their score against Port in Round 1 (11.9.75) and Swans (11.8.64). Ironically enough, our game went to the same script as the Freo-Swans game a few weeks ago…Swans held Freo to one goal less and kicked one more goal themselves matching their 2 goal win against us in Round 1.
What wasn’t good:
- Hird’s use of Hams as a small defensive forward. He has never played that role in his life, so why start tonight against the top team/
- Sideways…
- Hooker really has lost form
- Daniher missing two from directly in front after half time.
What was good:
- Bellchambers did about as well as any normal sized ruckman could against Sandilands.
- Our desire to fight the game out to the end. That was our best last quarter for the year by a street.
- Hibberd getting back to some form. Gwilt completely dominated his opponent to the point he was subbed out of the game. Should stay in the team if Baguley gets rubbed out.
- Continual development of Zach Merrett
- Just winning the I50 count and only just losing Clearances
Fresh legs next week are a must. Kangaroos had a typically bruise free game today against the Tigers (who specialise in the type of football). Cooney, Chapman, Fletcher in. Hams out, Baguley likely out suspended (as if he will get off although he was actually pulling up when he made contact which looked more in Barlow’s chest than anywhere else); possibly Jackson Merrett out.
There needs to be a golden rule - only one sideways kick allowed to open up space then you must go up the ground, even if it is to a contest.
Forget the umps. Yes they were frustrating but Freo easily outplayed us. They are the measuring stick and they belted us.
The Bellchambers as the sole ruck experiment has failed.
JC up forward has failed.
We need more run. The current midfield and backline doesn’t have it. Need to find players who will take the game on.
Our disposal under any sort of pressure is nothing short of appalling. It’s been the same for years.
How do you make 65 tackles but get only 1 holding the ball/illegal disposal free kick?
A. Wear an Essendon jumper.
Pros
Kept them under 100 points. Only swans and port have done likewise
Out scored them from about 6min mark of the second qtr.
Trav
Cons
I’ll leave it to the usual suspects.
The opposition are into the game plan. Harrass for an easy turnover.
The switch is so wide and long, but from so deep in defence, that there’s waaaaay too much time for the opposition to set up.
Wtf
Some ordinary umpiring
Bomber Thompson was saying that he constantly told the players they need to play more attacking, but they keep falling into to the same routine of playing safe, risk free football.
First quarter was okay. Fought hard and they got their goals from garbage. Blown away in five minutes of the second quarter, and really...that was pretty much it.
Yep. The endeavour/spirit/fight whatever you want to call it was their in the first qtr. they got two goals from pathetic free kicks. We were right in the game.
Then it was nowhere to be seen from qtr time
We can make any excuse we like. What the players accept internally is another thing entirely.
Career protecting football?
This is the first time I’ve just been fkg angry after a loss.
OK, it’s not whether we lose, but HOW we lose, I would rather lose by 50 pts and know we have thrown the kitchen and the bathroom sinks at the opposition and are out on our feet, than lose by 20 pts playing soft & **** footy and people saying oh well good try boys, sorry, not in my book - old school footy for me, don’t understand all this strategy stuff. Stats mean nothing to me, just so disappointed. What is better - 40 outside soft possies to no one or turnovers or 20 hard in and under possies to teamates. I am at a loss to understand. Going to watch them play North next week live, so want to get my hard earned money’s worth!!
What’s most disturbing to me is that this is the best we had to offer of those available. Either that or we are not willing to give those the chance to get out there and show their stuff. Some play better against better teams while others may only play as good as they are playing against.
Maybe it’s the whole team out of form?