Preview 2019 Semi Final v West Coast

[Art Vandelay_]

Narkle earned his place and he was by no means our worst last night.

The first part was tenuous. He played well in a couple of games in a row and was rushed in because he has x factor

 

[Mr Meow]

You make some good points Mr M, but anger is building and many are looking past the next game.

People invest their money, time and emotion in the team, and to see it be so consistently impotent at the first sniff of a final is exasperating. At the same time they have to watch and listen to the coach smugly believing in his own superiority whilst living in a world of denial.

That arrogance is excruciatingly embarrassing as it flies in the face of the clear incompetence with selection, strategy, and our performance come finals.

Yeah I know. I am still interested in the response no matter how disgusted I am. We earned the double chance and blew the lifeline. Season ain't over by any means though.

 

[Ratcat]

Kolo, O'Connor and Atkins were worse.

Nuh dear in headlights that was Narkle, he was no better than anyone.
The rest were as bad too.

 

[Cataholic]

Yeah I know. I am still interested in the response no matter how disgusted I am. We earned the double chance and blew the lifeline. Season ain't over by any means though.

Yep, we still have next week, but we better come out bloody angry and hard as nails

 

[Mad_Hatter]

but this is precisely the point I made to you a month ago.
Kolo who for the best part of two years has been a vastly improved and good defender, but because he has failed in finals, once where he was played on a wing he's now Persona non grata around here. Blicavs the same, despite often playing finals in positions that don't suit him. Guthrie likewise, despite being the reason we lost to RFC in 2017 QF (by going off injured as he'd strangled Dusty)

Won't be too many more finals like that before Narkle is treated the same. Constable likewise. fu**... Bews was one of the very few who stood up v Melbourne in last years EF and he's still treated like s**t.

Get a dominant ruck, and some guys in the guts and maybe we can play that style Mad_Hatter wants and we can see what these players can do when under normal levels of pressure, make no mistake, as bad as we are under finals heat we face a far higher intensity of it because sides know we can't handle it.

We don't need to burn through the whole least to get a team that can play in a manner that stands up, we just need a few players who excel at things we're weak at.

Kolo isn't a s**ttruck, nor is Narkle, nor is Constable and so on. They're talented players with skills we can't fully untap because we're locked into playing a style that exacerbates their flaws. Then before too long you and many others have them in the s**ttrucks category. Rinse and repeat.

Yup.
It's going to get worse too, teams suspect (rightly) that we are horrendous early in finals, so will bring absolute prime pressure knowing they can put a match winning score on the board by 1/4 time.
Because we've started so badly, teams now will plan for that, which will likely see us start even worse going forward.
Which gives teams more incentive to hit us hard early, which makes it even harder for us... and on and on it goes.

 

[Mr Meow]

Yep, we still have next week, but we better come out bloody angry and hard as nails

Supporting a team like this can be an exercise in self harm sometimes. A strong response wouldn't surprise me though. Its against MCG tenants or playing interstate in a final that I fear. That would be guaranteed for a prelim so I get people want to avoid it. I would still rather get there and let them have a chance for redemption. Even if it's a 1% chance. I would be more disappointed if they dropped their heads and meekly went out in straight sets. So there is still plenty on the line from my perspective.

Neutral venue is one thing we have on our side. Not playing after a bye is another. I just want them to have a crack for Stewart and Danger if anything, and if I was in Aus I would pay to go and support those two alone.

 

[fpm84]

We cannot and will not win a flag until we recruit a good ruckman and mids who can kick and/or handle pressure.
Simply won't happen.

Wells has some work to do.

We have a good ruckman. His name is Rhys Stanley.

In the past 12 months he’s beaten or at least broken even with the likes of Grundy, Gawn, Goldstein, Nankervis and Kreuzer.

Nobody has ever claimed he’s one of the best rucks in the comp. But he’s certainly not one of the worst either and his attributes (speed, endurance, contested marking) make him valuable with the way the game is played these days.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

Your probably right - but i think you have to go right back to that big win against the Swans in the finals a couple of years ago - where Geel from the very start put on relentless pressure - the tackling the whole lot - just didnt give them a look in - thats what i would love to see this week . But as you say that slow ball movement - thats just such a killer - and lets face it - i dont think Scott is going to change it this week

When Geelong plays like that, it's such a joy! The first half of the Season was terrific, they gave us such high hopes. Then after the Bye it all went to It really makes me wonder if Scott had them play bruise free footy, to keep them fresh for Finals?

Can anyone put their finger on exactly why the last half of the Season was so lethargic + poor?

No way will Scott change the strategy this week. + that's the killer!

 

[Cats_R_Cool_4_Ever]

Just saw on fb we are playing at the ‘G’ again, not GMHBA.

 

[Two Planks]

Lycett
Vardy
Nankervis
Boyd
Roughead

Premiership ruckman in the past 3 years

 

[Art Vandelay_]

We have a good ruckman. His name is Rhys Stanley.

In the past 12 months he’s beaten or at least broken even with the likes of Grundy, Gawn, Goldstein, Nankervis and Kreuzer.

Nobody has ever claimed he’s one of the best rucks in the comp. But he’s certainly not one of the worst either and his attributes (speed, endurance, contested marking) make him valuable with the way the game is played these days.

He’s not good enough to get us there, if he was undisputedly in the category of the guys he’s beaten of late then Scott wouldn’t have dropped him, it was a daft coaching mistake. We all know that, but if we had Grundy or Gawn no way would either be withdrawn.

We need better than Stanley.

 

[Two Planks]

Nicnat
Grundy
Gawn
Goldstein
Kreuzer
Martin
Sandilands
Ryder

Zero premierships between them

 

[Doggy doo doo]

Please please please pleeeeeeeeeeeeese
Beat the scum

 

[ATSAM]

He’s not good enough to get us there, if he was undisputedly in the category of the guys he’s beaten of late then Scott wouldn’t have dropped him, it was a daft coaching mistake. We all know that, but if we had Grundy or Gawn no way would either be withdrawn.

We need better than Stanley.

We well might need better, But we ain't got it. In the meantime we have a player who we have designated as our ruck. We have played him in that position this year despite the fact that he is not a natural ruckman, more suited to CHF. But we have worked with him as a ruckman, dropped him, played him, dropped him and so on and son; He is what we have, use him. But no Scott is always looking for next week, the next player never ever uses what he has got to the best advantage. Never ever plays, coaches , selects for now.

 

[Baudolino]

Evidence does so support it.
We have failed in September, and the ruck has been an issue in those losses for half a dozen years now.

Some of those years were from top 4 or even top 2 also.

Yeah, look, you're not going to convince me that our personnel has been soooooooo bad during our September failures that it's been *impossible* to win a premiership with our list. We have had deficiencies, and yes, our ruck has been a major weakness, but you can't finish top of the ladder with a team that is somehow *inherently unable* to win a flag.

We've underperformed relative to our ability in finals.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

We well might need better, But we ain't got it. In the meantime we have a player who we have designated as our ruck. We have played him in that position this year despite the fact that he is not a natural ruckman, more suited to CHF. But we have worked with him as a ruckman, dropped him, played him, dropped him and so on and son; He is what we have, use him. But no Scott is always looking for next week, the next player never ever uses what he has got to the best advantage. Never ever plays, coaches , selects for now.

Are you confusing me with someone defending the decision? I don't think anyone here has done that.

 

[catempire]

Maybe I saw it differently but I didn’t think there was a lack of urgency last night. The issue was dropped marks, poor skills, lack of communication between players and an insistence on slowing the game/slow ball movement when we did win the ball or take a mark whereas Collingwood was constantly looking to handball off to a runner or switch play.

My 2c is that it’s really easy to say ‘we didn’t come to play’ or ‘we weren’t switched on.’

I’ve recently rewatched the first quarter of the 2017 QF v Richmond, 2017 prelim v Crows and 2018 EF v Melbourne (sucker for punishment). In all of these games plus last night it was the same story. ‘Effort’ and workrate has been fine but we’ve been unskilled, slow and undisciplined.

Love this post. Spot on. Encourage others to rewatch these quarters and see how costly player skill errors have been.

 

[JohnZ]

Love this post. Spot on. Encourage others to rewatch these quarters and see how costly player skill errors have been.

Look at Brisbane tonight. They’re “on” but they can’t kick a goal to save themselves.

 

[catempire]

We have a good ruckman. His name is Rhys Stanley.

In the past 12 months he’s beaten or at least broken even with the likes of Grundy, Gawn, Goldstein, Nankervis and Kreuzer.

Nobody has ever claimed he’s one of the best rucks in the comp. But he’s certainly not one of the worst either and his attributes (speed, endurance, contested marking) make him valuable with the way the game is played these days.

Yes! I feel like I’m in a ****ing nightmare where nobody can see what I can see.

 

[catempire]

Look at Brisbane tonight. They’re “on” but they can’t kick a goal to save themselves.

And so far it looks like it will be costly for them.

 

[Grimoz]

And so far it looks like it will be costly for them.

Getting spanked now.

Even if we arse a win against West Coast the tiges will destroy us.

 

[Grimoz]

I hope Kelly knows which team he is playing for next week, could get confused when the West Coast fans start to cheer him!!!!

 

[ATSAM]

Are you confusing me with someone defending the decision? I don't think anyone here has done that.

Didn't mean too just so angry and venting.

 

[Two Planks]

Hardly 2 great newsbreakers

 

[JohnZ]

Hardly 2 great newsbreakers

Probably more strikes than buddy.