Autopsy 15 point loss to Carlton

[BruceFromBalnarring]

I think there’s a lot to like about that loss. Yes we were flogged (with help) in that first half but we didn’t lie down and we came back hard against a good side.

We support a side with character, and that’s a big takeaway from tonight.

 

[ashep]

Riewoldt laid it out perfectly before the game. Buddy needed to get on his bike against Weitering because Weitering would maul him in the contest.

How did we play it?

 

[Superstar swan]

Midfield was humiliated tonight

 

[swanssince2002]

Umps definitely sucked and they played a part in that awful second quarter but any team with finals aspirations shouldnt be giving up frikin 80 at the half. That is embarrassing.

Spirited 3rd quarter performance but too little too late. 4th we were in striking distance but it was long bombs galore. I remember Gulden going for a pinpoint short kick but unfortunately did not nail it. At least that was something different.

Some passengers out there. Bell unfortunately would always be that foot soldier in that team, not sure if he would even become Craig Bird

Craig Bird

Age

35

Ht

180cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.3

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

8.6

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

2.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

11.2

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.0

4star

. Wicks also had a meh game. Where were the small forwards when Ladhams was left helpless trying to crumb in the forward line? Ladhams forward craft wasnt great but small forwards aint helping him either.

Hard questions to be asked about JPK this season, the coaching stuff doesnt want to admit it but its another ROK situation again. Maybe its time to pull the plug. Injury pretty much settles it, which is a shame.

Heeney was here and there, if he pulled off the corridor kick early in the 4th he would be lauded a hero. Trying to reverse a helpless situation in the middle, not gonna blame him a lot for today.

We can see why we drafted Logan, has the potential to be a good contested mark and a great kick around the ground. Only one who showed up in the 1st half.

COR and Paddy go alright, some contested marks. COR with a great one down the line where if he didnt mark it it was a 2 on 1 situation and the Blues player would be out the back.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

You can’t play the 2 rucks imo

I think with Hickey we need to be playing Reid or Amartey.

 

[Superstar swan]

Ball and wicks are not afl level players.

Bell is probably the weakest player I've ever seen in a contest

 

[scaryness]

Hewett seemed too happy to beat us in the post game interview.

Maybe no love lost between him and the club.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I think there’s a lot to like about that loss. Yes we were flogged (with help) in that first half but we didn’t lie down and we came back hard against a good side.

We support a side with character, and that’s a big takeaway from tonight.

We gave up 10 goals in the 2nd with them missing Mckay i think it was a meddling performance to be honest.

 

[Citrus22]

Incredible that we actually won the clearances in the end, I don't think our midfield is that far off when we're firing but we've been such slow starters in there this year.

 

[Jack Lord]

Great game Logan after fans were calling for him to step up.

Good heart in the team in the second half.

Need another midfield bull I reckon.

Ladhams made so many stuff ups but I still reckon there’s a lot to work with

Parker and Mills stepped up. Heeney didn’t do much.

Liked Blakey, Florent in the second half, Braedan was good when he came on.

Needed Rowy’s mongrel tonight.

Thought one umpire in particular was a dickhead

Carlton have a decent list. Great midfield. No McCay!

Errol was good. McInerney a bit quiet of late.

Could be JPKs last game. He’s been a mountain at our club for a decade. Significant.

Big month for us. I don’t think we’ve been premiership material at any stage but good testing ground for us in the weeks ahead.

Great challenge next week vs Tiges.

 

[Banyo Bloods]

A Carlton player tackling another Carlton player resulting in a ball
Up and then the coach laughing.

Sums up the competency of the umpiring. Number 22 with his pants up around his throat loved finding a pressure relieving free for them. It’s not a level playing field whether we play away or home.

It’s frustrating

Doesn’t mean the result would change but I’m so over supporting a team on the wrong end all the time.

Only way to change it is to put some serious time into the stupid frees we give away. Franklin far too many pressure relieving frees. Ladhams just a Gumby at times and Warner costly hot headed frees. His 50 for dissent for going too far seemed to be a catalyst for the game falling apart.

As incompetent as the umps displayed there is no way to control that. Can only control what we do. And we give too many away whether warranted or not. Something has to change as it could lead to two extra wins and at least a chance to see finals.

 

[wills2g]

Hewett seemed too happy to beat us in the post game interview.

Maybe no love lost between him and the club.

Why would he? He got fking kicked out when he wanted to stay. Awful decision.

 

[Jack Lord]

How bad are our small forwards?

Could be worse.

 

[melbournehammer]

You can’t play the 2 rucks imo

I agree but I don’t know who else - I know Parker’s done a little but you can’t really have either of the mccartins. I saw dean towers has just done a bachelor of pe - maybe he will come back

 

[Parky79]

Kennedy last game tonight. Too slow, no impact. A big bodied mid would help…Hewitt maybe??

Buddy giving away free kicks is killing us, has to do better.

No one stops Curnow with that midfield dominance. McInerny in the middle/wing. Campbell has to play.

It just shows when we win centre clearance/clearances we are hard to stop as our backline can set up well behind the ball. We smashed I50 in last half. 1.6 last quarter..,

 

[Troystenvic]

Had opportunity in the last a miss by Lizard and a brain fade by Heeney wasn't helpful.

Smashed in the middle in the first half. Made Carlton look like a top 4 side.

Carlton were good but they almost blow huge leads which must be worrying.

We aren't quite there yet but that's ok.Good fight back but still disappointing

 

[Citrus22]

Midfield was humiliated tonight

Tale of two halves, I reckon we were actually marginally on top in there 2nd half. Heeney, Warner and Parker really got to work with contested ball and clearances

 

[Olian]

Tonight’s game was the story of our season. We play some decent football but then get over run for a quarter and try and chase down a lead.

Also teams coming off a bye do struggle and tonight was a perfect example.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Ball and wicks are not afl level players.

Bell is probably the weakest player I've ever seen in a contest

You know absolutely nothing about football.

 

[The King!]

not good enough tonight mostly insipid

fought back sure but even then pissed it away

Need to lower my expectations and accept that were are a borderline top 8 side with some overrated players.

heeney 2 score involvements ….

 

[tombomb]

McDonald will be like N Riewoldt/J Brown once he has played 75 games.

 

[hairy biker]

No one should be conned by the final score, it's fool's gold.

First half we were outplayed, outfought and outthought in the coaches box.
The umpiring was crap but it can't be allowed to overshadow how bad we were, how unprepared we were and how inflexible we were.

I said it in the matchday thread it is like we haven't watched Carlton play.
As an example caesar88 said pre-match how Hewett plays the sweeper role and drives the ball fwd.
So lets leave him unattended and let's not actually body up Cripps.
McVeigh is our fwds coach, Mathews our defence coach, Cox apparently oversees the ruck dept and game strategy and Pyke looks at the opposition.
Defence was overwhelmed by I50s, fwds hardly saw the ball, so Cox, Pyke and Horse you ****ed up.

We conceded 80 points and trailed by 38 pts at half-time.
I don't actually care what the final margin was, you can't let that happen.

First half players missed too many tackles, didn't play tight enough, made errors, but nothing was done in the coaching box to help us actually win the first half.
As an example Paddy started the game well, intercepting the ball, but he was taken off because seemingly we were worried about their ground level players.
Result they saw even more of the ball.
Too slow to move Tom off Curnow and don't get me started on our centre square set up.
And every week, even last week against Essendon we are not sufficiently 'on' early.

And if friggin' Horse in his presser says "we didn't bring our contested game."
FFS I mean that was the thing we worked on pre-season wasn't it?
As pissed off as I have been with the coaching for a long long while.

EDIT; Thanks Logan.

 

[Parky79]

Tale of two halves, I reckon we were actually marginally on top in there 2nd half. Heeney, Warner and Parker really got to work with contested ball and clearances

We were clearly on top on second half

 

[The King!]

Ball and wicks are not afl level players.

Bell is probably the weakest player I've ever seen in a contest

bells crap only his immediate family or someone with a guide dog can’t see it

 

[elastic]

Not gonna win that many games being down 20 odd on contested possession and up 20 odd on clangers.

We need to get a lot better in the contest and get back to our precise kicking to turn our form around and be a force come finals.

We aren't playing that well but I still think that if things click for us we can beat anyone

I think it's the mindset of the team. We are capable of being that hard one on one competitive team but we are coached to play the precise chipping game. GWS have showed over the last few seasons that it just doesn't work particularly in finals when pressure is on so back your teammates, attack and put the opposition under pressure. Otherwise you are just waiting for your opponent to intercept and create a turnover.
It's also not helped by a zone defense when defending and it makes it someone else's responsibility.
I think we are a bit inexperienced and haven't quite found the right balance but it seems we play our best football when coming from behind. We take the game on more and create opportunities through desperation and trying to kick goals. Almost pulled it off again tonight but couldn't quite finish it