I’ll take it.
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I’d take that too. 11 from 21 after being 2 from 8 is a fair old turn around.
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I’ve just finished watching the replay, but only to 3,4 time (fortunately I got interrupted at that point).
Having been at the game live, I thought we played ok and just got beaten by a better side on the day, who sustained it longer, with us just dropping off in the last.
However, after watching the replay, that was close to our best game of the year. Yes, we have played some brilliant open running football (against WC, North, Adelaide late, Geelong) but that is about the best sustained pressure football against good opposition that we have played. Our middle of the ground and stoppage pressure and clean quick hands was outstanding. Very few turnovers by foot. Very few bad mistakes. A lot of good ball use and sustained 2nd and 3rd effort pressure. We can’t play a lot better than that with the team we are putting out there (limited forward potency).
And I thought the umpiring was bad at the game, but it looked even worse on replay when I rewound and relooked at most of the decisions. Cox’s charge into the back of Heppell while attempting to mark was close to reportable, but not even paid as a free, and Collingwood goaled immediately from the flowon. Brown and Tippa both clearly taken high 30m from goal etc etc etc.
Nonetheless, when the game was still in the balance late, Collingwood lifted and we couldn’t.
But a lot to like about the performance.
PS replay confirmed Grundy is a protected species in the ruck duels. He holds and slings and never gets penalised. The only 2 ruck frees paid were to Grundy for shepherding against TBC when the bounce caused it, and a hold when Grundy and TBC both had arms around each other. One other time, Grundy, from behind, slung TBC aside to get the hit out - no problems from the ump.
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Good summary.
I have watched the replay three times for some reason.
I usually watch once but a few games this year I haven’t bothered even when we have won.
Forgot about the Heppel Cox decapitation. Umpire seemed to have a pretty good view too.
Bingo.
Commentators just go along with every decision also, assuming the free kick is there because he’s regarded as one of the best ruckman.
Long should have been paid that free when he never had possession of the footy, and Grundy grabbed his jumper for a period of time.
If we could have pinched a break of 20pts, it may have been enough.
Perhaps next time…
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I don’t remember whether I saw the replay of the Colyer one that was “touched on the line” and not reviewed.
Was it a goal?
And there was a kick from Conor that appeared to bounce on the line (my sister was only yards away and says it was clear that it did) but after discussion between the umpires, they got the free.
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I thought it was pretty clear it was touched before the line. Didn’t need a review.
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Silver lining is a favourable 2019 draw - unless Gil changes it again. How does the draw work if we finish 12?
I would have said touched on the line, but some people have been carrying on about it.
Maybe they want every close call reviewed. I want fewer reviews, particularly for touches nowhere near the line. If the field umpire doesn’t call it, let it go.
We will be in the same fixturing group as last year. They split the ladder in three groups of six. The teams that finish 1-6, the teams that finish 7-12 and the teams that finish 13-18.
If we finish in the middle bracket then we have 1 or 2 return games against top 6 sides, 2 or 3 return games against middle 6 sides and 1 or 2 return games against bottom 6 sides.
That is if they don’t bring in the 17 - 5 format next year.
And it does seem to be getting some legs right now.
Rewatched the game and I genuinely can’t believe how filthy some people are. It was about as far from an Essington performance as I can remember in a loss.
I generally don’t blame the umpires for a loss (I never worried much about the umps in the glory years), but they made a significant impact on the contest, particularly in the second quarter. Worth a couple of goals I reckon which would have been huge in the conditions.
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Tbell not spoiling mihocek late in the third but going for the mark instead really hurt.
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wtaf was that about. 3 talls against one, not even a fingertip to it.
Actually tbell got a good old clunk on it but he should have punched it 50 metres
Bet the pies are glad they took DeGoey over Laverde, which they were rumoured to be doing around draft time. Gee, he’s gonna be a beast.
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Hooker went for the mark also.
Both those guys back themselves to mark, even in the D50, but poor judgement on that occasion.
That play was an absolute clusterfark.
Colyer inexplicably keeps the ball in even though we don’t have an outnumber (as DKP has mentioned a few times), Coll gain some territory along the line, and then ball comes off Myers shin over the boundary line.
Cost us a goal 
️
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A lot of the pies’ injuries are fringe players and players who are well past their best (wells & reid).
Treloar is a gun & Elliot might be a quality player if he ever gets fit - but he has missed so much footy he may never get back to more than a B grader. Moore & Dunn are B graders.
We had Fanta, JoeyB&F & zaka in great form + 4 other best 22 players missing. We suffered from incompetent umpires and we lost the run of 3 players during the match. This was a game which we would’ve won with even just a double dose of bad luck.
We are currently playing as well as the 2nd group of teams behind tigers, but will miss an opportunity to make a GF due to a poor start. Those that rated us as top 4 potential were correct. We won’t make it but the talent and ability to maintain an extended run of good form is there. We won’t beat good teams in finals until Joe is back & firing as Fanta, Tippa & Joe are the foundations of our GF forward structure.
I guess one thing we don’t know is whether over an entire season we have lost the habit of losing to absolute rock bottom teams. We’ll have to wait until next season…or the next 2 weeks to find this out.
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I know we had Stringer and Myers injured it’s more how we finished the game the last qrt was very poor not enough players stood up when the game was there to be won.
Ultimately it comes down to work rate by the forwards & half forwards to follow their men back when they have it, and the focus to get into dangerous spots when we have the ball.
I reckon we did 50 times better at dealing with the spare than we have done in the past. Howe was pretty good, none of their other half backs had much say at all - probably 9 of their best 10 were mid/forwards.
I can cop losing by 3 kicks with a man down and Grundy, Pendles, De Goey & Sidebottom having great games. It’s not great, but the Pies are top 4. It’s when plebs like Seedsman and Jarryd Blair rack it up you ask questions of the coaching.
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