I was (un)fortunate enough to watch the Carlton game from L2 at the MCG.
Today, I thought we were in trouble in the first 90 seconds of the game when Melbourne set up a zone defence exactly the same as Carlton did - and I mean almost exactly. Namely, stronger concentration in the corridor but allowing us to go wide if we wanted coming out of defence
Like the game Carlton game - and without the excuse of poor conditions - we did exactly that. Rarely trying to use running players to cut through the zone or try and hit up passes. Instead we went slow and wide with short passes and the player marking near the boundary then didnât even try and find someone in-board and just bombed it down the lineâŚwhere of course it came back with interest. This all happened at the end of Q2 on Anzac Day. It was best illustrated in Q4 (I think) when we tried to switch and Hurley received it just inside D50. He already had Gleeson out wide and went to him - he hadnât bothered looking inboard to the point of the centre square where Heppell, unopposed had led to. Well Gleeson marked it out wide and showed no urgency at all so the Melbourne players pushed up and blocked the pacesâŚuntil Jobe pushed through just forward of the wing for what would have been an easy 15m pass inboard and forward and Gleeson totally ignored him.
Gleeson just bombed it long down the line and of course we were outnumbered and the Demons swept the ball away and scored. This is precisely what happened against Carlton time and time again and today was a straight repeat. The players gradually lost confidence and some of the skill errors were as a result of not having options and not knowing what to do. Only McGrath & McKenna actually tried to run and break the lines hit up options (not always successfully) and itâs run from behind that breaks up zones - just like at the start of Q4 on Anzac Day when two early Pie behinds resulted in coast-to-coast goals for us because Goddard & Merrett hit targets on the kick-outs who quickly handballed to a running player from behind who cut through the Collingwood players and opened the game up.
After half-time the Demons got right on top in clearances and that contributed to the score blowing out.
Now to some players:
Brown - a disgraceful game. Played on a no name #19 and made him look like a superstar. One contested marking ânon-effortâ in Q2 was outright embarrassing. Flew for a mark in the defensive goal square in Q3 when he should have just punched through for a behind and instead spilled the mark and gifted a goal to the Demons. His rebound is non-physical. Harltey may âonlyâ spoil but we would have saved 2 goals at least today with Hartley playing as he knows how to kill a contest. And Brown gave us nothing in rebound.
Dea - like Brown, a non-physical player who would be at the top of Jack Watts XMAS Card list. Just exerts no physical pressure , body-on-body, on the opposition which suits the super-soft Watts to a tee. With Ambrose out, not sure who weâd swing back there. I suspect if Hartley replaces Dea then Brown can be the 3rd tall defender.
Gleeson - I thought played a wonderful Q1, seemed to go out of the game in Q2 and was really poor after half-time. One left foot kick on the full in Q3 was beyond embarrassing. His general kicking is not AFL standard too many times and - like Dea & Brown - exerts no physical pressure. He is just as he was when started 4 years go; full of run and enthusiasm but an unreliable kick too often, especially when under no/little pressure.
Zaharakis - vies with Brown as our worst player today. Yet again, on more than one occasion he had the opportunity to attack the ball but took slow steps so as not wear the inevitable physical contact coming the other way. Once in Q1 from a too-cute inboard low kick from McKenna which was still to Zaharakis advantage and he just paused and let the Melbourne player reach the ball first. Then in Q3 he called for a pass from McKenna from just forward of wing. McKenna seemed to deliver the perfect pass about 10m or so on an angle to his line of run. Except Zaharakis saw a Melbourne player coming on an angle and did nothing more than slow jog to the marking point allowing the Melbourne player to easily punch the ball over the line. He runs hard at the mark he marks or draws a high contact freeâŚand the latter is where the problem is.
Watson/Hooker - neither should have played, both were woeful.
McKenna - a mixed bag early with a couple of uncharacteristic sloppy kicks but got better as the game went on and his Q4 on the wing was excellent. His work rate and ball use directly led to 3 of our 4 goals. Best part of his game was his aerial work - that is the cleanest and most âone grabâ Iâve seen him overhead. Part of the reason he only went at 61% efficiency (low by his standards) is because he actually went in and got the ball as the ball clearly wasnât going to get to him, especially after half time. He actually had 11 contested possessions from a total of 21 which is outstanding contested ball work. Only Goddard, with 13 contested possessions had more. People criticising his game either werenât at the game or werenât paying attention. With McNiece settling ok down back as a small defender I would be playing McKenna on a wing and in the midfield on Subiaco next weekend.
Daniher - surprised he didnât kick around his body earlier. 13 marks and some good ruck work - we actually seemed to play better with him in the ruck than Bellchambers totally spoilt by sub-standard kicking for goal. Noting that the kicking skills of the entire team were down on the day (Zac Merrett had some shockers).
Coaching - Worsfold was unimaginative in a way that all modern coaches are. None make too many positional changes as players are now trained to play specific positions. All coaches want is a lift in intensity & effort, especially around the ball. Which is where we were found wanting. To have only 46 tackles on the day was pathetic (Demons only had 48). That lack of intensity was was shown by 3 Demon goals from 3 free kicks against our younger players (McGrath (Melbourneâs first), McKenna (Q3), Tippa (Q3). On each occasion it was this younger player going to fight for the ball without one teammate assisting with a shepherd or block. Senior players just looked on. We were seriously off our game.
For next week on the longest ground in the country:
- Leuenberger in for Hooker (rested) with Bellchambers (who marked well, especially after half time), taking Hookerâs role and providing relief ruck. With his week off Hooker can work on his running & agility as he had little of either today.
- Myers in for Watson (rested). Itâs quite obvious, after a good Anzac Day game, Jobe is out of petrol tickets.
- Kelly in for Gleeson (dropped).
- Hartley in for Dea.
- Francis in for Zaharakis (dropped) who needa a royal kick up the backside for taking âslowâ steps to contests so it ends up not being a contest. He does it too often, every game.
Lineup:
B Baguley Hartley Brown
HB McGrath Hurley Kelly
C Colyer Goddard McKenna
HF Green Francis Tippa
F Fantasia Daniher Bellchambers
Rucks Leuenberger Heppell Z. Merrett
Int McNiece, Parish, Myers, Howlett (lucky to stay in to be honest but at least he doesnât take âsoft stepsâ to contests)