Autopsy Round 1, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Gold Coast

[bUCKET__]

Lots of people being too harsh on Flynn here. As awful as he was getting monstered in the ruck contests against Witts, he actually did okay around the ground. Took a couple of good clunks. Competed really well against Xerri, who is no slouch. I expect him to be more competitive against Brissies' rucks.

The overall talent discrepancy in the midfield is just plainly the problem affecting all of our rucks. We could've had Max Gawn out there tapping to our midfield and getting soundly beaten too. On the other hand, if Witts was palming down to our shitty flat-footed and reactive midfield, no doubt we still lose the clearances and get cut up on the outside. Rucking gets a hell of a lot easier when there's no pressure on the mids you're putting it out to.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

what did he say specifically?

Can't remember the specific words, just commentating on something that happened and referred to the Eagles as "we", then he paused and said something like "I just said 'we' " and the other commentators laughed and said that will take a while to get out of your system.

 

[VicBased]

lol we dream of being middle table.

bottom 4 another 3 or 4 years guaranteed

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Maybe i overreached but , may i remind you that we lost our first game in 2018 also

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Mate he has won our best and fairest and finished third in it in the last 3 years.
I agree as I said earlier he goes missing sometimes but he has been pretty solid for us considering has little help in the middle,

Umm have you seen our results the last 3 years? Im pretty condifent that say Jaeger O'Meara would have achieved the above if we got him in and spent 80% of our game plan on trying to get hin easy stats

 

[woosha24]

Mate he has won our best and fairest and finished third in it in the last 3 years.
I agree as I said earlier he goes missing sometimes but he has been pretty solid for us considering has little help in the middle,

Sorry Sharkie, usually agree with you but not this time.

Kelly himself has said his heart's not in it, and he's playing like it. He needs to be pissed off and his spot filled with someone who wants to earn a game (even if that someone is objectively not as good) until he can find his passion. Giving games to blokes who dont wanna be there is a bad look for a club.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

One thing I dont get

Dom Sheed - "Finished. Delist him and pay him out"
Adam Simpson - "Were you criticising him in 2018? Compltely ungrateful for all he did for the club"

Got that the wrong way around guys...

 

[VicBased]

Middle of the ladder? Who is worse then us exactly outside of Richmond?

Dunno, we have only played one game this season
Sheesh, dumb question.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

How can you not use all your interchanges in the first game of the year? Players aren't match fit and need to be rotated.

A small thing but just another part of the amateur how feel that permeates the club.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Hitouts - 77 to 19
Clearances - 50 to 33 (16-8 in the centre)

You'll never win with those stats. They're a great midfield, but you can't be that non-competitive.
Any chance we can get a ruckman that can compete?

The 2000's have seen our ruck line from Michael Gardiner, Dean Cox, Nic Nat, to now FLynn/BWill. Perhaps the biggest drop off in history.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Dunno, we have only played one game this season
Sheesh, dumb question.

You should let Sportsbet know to put each teams odds at 17/1 to start the year cos who knows

 

[Black Saab]

Gee's Ginbey can play. Has size, speed and heart. Played with a lot of spirit yesterday.

 

[garlic munchers]

Baker Graham and Gibney the only positives

There are more negatives than able to list but we are in a massive trough thanks to the hierarchy of the last 10 years, at point is Simpson and the recruiting staff.

Our club is on its knees and we have an AFL who doesn't give a flying **** about it.
In fact they are probably celebrating

They will when some of our mid season Sunday arvo game attendance figures start rolling in.

If you think our Mids performance was grim, try marketing a WC Corporate box pack ATM (quite a few free and hear the only current enquiry is from The Gentle Torturer, apparently some sort of new age health spa that makes you wear a gimp mask).

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

The 2000's have seen our ruck line from Michael Gardiner, Dean Cox, Nic Nat, to now FLynn/BWill. Perhaps the biggest drop off in history.

We had so many chances too but arrogantly didnt go for it. In 2023 we had to aim higher

Id have given Nick Bryan a too much money to turn down offer and got him at the time. Id have done the same for Jordan Sweet if Bryan didnt work out. Id have done the same for Ned Moyle/ Flynn would have been like 4th choice and not 1st.

Id have given top 3 options money that would have seen us called insane but would have simply roleld that dice anyway

 

[garlic munchers]

Negative - the 1500 whinges about Simmo commentating on the Fox stream when all you had to do was turn it to 7 if it was upsetting you that much

After listening to that crime against humanity Brian Taylor in the earlier Melbourne/GWS game, vowed never to watch free to air again.

 

[Lach72]

Abort, abort!

Yeah, do not recommend

 

[Astro7]

2021 - R1 2025 big enough?

Funny man, this season under new coach...

 

[Here2tellyouwhy]

Well that was complete trash

Not sure what to think just yet.

Feel like we allow mediocrity.
Not Simmos fault but after years of allowing heartless performance and being pumped (Sydney by 171 points rings a bell) it will take a while to filter out the Tim Kellys and reward effort and guts.

Until then the beatings will continue.

Hopefully Mini grows some balls and slays campaigners.

 

[eagles rule]

As an aside, despite having a dogshit midfield, we still prevented the Suns scoring as much on us as 'premiership favourites' and 'best midfield in the comp' Freo let Geelong do to them.

Yeah we are above Port Adelaide on the ladder even with a lazy slow midfield..


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[greatwhiteshark]

Sorry Sharkie, usually agree with you but not this time.

Kelly himself has said his heart's not in it, and he's playing like it. He needs to be pissed off and his spot filled with someone who wants to earn a game (even if that someone is objectively not as good) until he can find his passion. Giving games to blokes who dont wanna be there is a bad look for a club.

Thats all good and well but it doesn't change the fact he has been pretty good for us. He just was never an A grade midfielder.

 

[footballfreak]

Kelly, Hutchinson, Hewett and hunt are not up to AFL standard.

Harley Reid has no support.

Our rucks are non competitive

Backline tried and were overwhelmed. Forward line did ok with the limited opportunities.

 

[Coasters7]

The split in '22 was defendable because Sheezel & Wardlaw were the 2 obvious ones to take - but Sheez a massive flight risk & Wardlaw super dodgy hammies. Plus Ginbey & Hewett were in the downgrade wheelhouse.
Not defendable last year though - Sid draper was always highly likely to be there, a highly talented player, proven mid, & Sth Australian so much lower flight risk. Just had to hold that pick.

This is true but we also got a handful of players instead of just the one. Ended up being Baker, Graham, Shanahan and Gross I think. Would have loved Draper but it would have been him and nothing else

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Anyone who thinks Sumich would be a worse coach than this guy is on some pretty good gear.

 

[bombard]

Anyone who thinks Sumich would be a worse coach than this guy is on some pretty good gear.

Sorry Mrs Sumich

 

[WCE777]

Positives:
Ginbey had a very good game.
Hewett had a solid day.
Hutch has some real talent and grit.
Archer out rucked Flynn and has some immense talent.
Baker was very good.
Graham was also solid.
Maric looked good when he came on.

Negatives:
Rucks against 1 of the best were totally owned.
Midfield against 1 of the best were also totally owned.

Where does this leave WC in the list management space?

We looked 3 mids short of a good team.
Kelly looked disinterested and was soundly beaten, he looks to be an outside mid/HF going forward.
Duggan tried and competed but he is a stop gap measure until we unearth another midfielder or trade in 1.
Graham did as much as he could as a defensive mid without much help.
Reid, Hewett, Hutch look talented enough to be decent mids going forward, Hutch is probably a wing/mid.
Serious deficiency in our midfield first and foremost and then the ruck.

Who are the 3 mids that we need ASAP?
Warner with Hawks 1st and WC F1st.
Then who??
WC need that early pick this year to draft the best available midfielder in the draft Sharp/Greeves/Rodriguez and this is going to take 3 years of development to get to being a first choice mid.

Our next KDEF option seriously needs to show their hand, our KDEF was ok but overwhelmed by massive amount of entries, Edwards competed well for 3 quarters, Gov was solid.
But outside of them we are thin at the moment and they are both probably not going to be here in 3 years time. Gov retired and Edwards is a solid contributor until someone goes past him.
Barnett, Brock, Shanahan or Archer need to step up and we are probably going to need a KDEF draftee to develop very soon.

Rucks, Flynn is a decent 2nd ruck then?
Archer showed his immense talent yesterday but he is either a fwd/ruck or KDEF going forward.
JW has shown enough that he is a decent fwd/ruck.
BW is not a ruckman and tries his hear out.
Who the hell do we trade in ASAP as a ready made ruck?
Someone who is 25+ and has the frame and ability to halve a contest, 204cm+ and good for 5-8 years??

 

[Lazzas]

Negative - the 1500 whinges about Simmo commentating on the Fox stream when all you had to do was turn it to 7 if it was upsetting you that much

Or listen to SEN on sync at the same time.

Didn't mind Simmo commentating. Better insights than 99% of the bozos in the commentary box. He even slipped and referred to the Eagles as "we"

Simmo was good and classy as normal.