Review Abysmal Dogs Lose To Port 102-54

[hutchy31]

For all the handwringing about English Versus Sweet. It would be impossible for Sweet to get away with playing like that if he played for us.

Had Jordan and Tim switched guernseys, Tim would have been gifted a pile of free kicks for holding and blocking. Sweet now has the privilege of playing home games in Adelaide and being given the severe rub of the green that comes with it, especially in non-free to air games against lowish supporter base clubs like ours. Good luck to him, he is a solid citizen tap Ruckman and should have gotten more games with us, but he is not in Tim's, Sam's or even Rory Lobb's league up forward and around the ground.

Our team currently has a substantial number of players that are struggling at senior AFL level. Most of them seem to be able to hold their own in small numbers in peripheral roles, just as long as there isn't too much asked of them. The pre-game injuries combined with the in-game injuries, meant that our weak underbelly was exposed and Port capitalised on the situation.

Considering the horrendously biased umpiring (there were effectively different sets of rules\interpretations for each team), injuries, etc. we would have needed to play at our absolute best to get the win. On the bright side, if we are smart (big if I know) this could be a big teaching moment for a lot of our fringe players.

For example:
Gallagher - Stop running past for the handball, until you learn how to do so properly.
Sanders - Plenty to work on here with preseason hype well off the mark. It could be suggested to him that fringe players like him need to exhibit some actual desperation to do well in order to earn selection.

BTW we need to develop a tagger. If they are going to persist with Gallagher, then perhaps teach him how to play a defensive run with role properly.

Umpiring? Conspiracy theories?

The lengths that posters will go to in order to excuse English (or other players) is mind-boggling.

Hes a bad ruck. He gets stats around the ground and sometimes that’s good. It convinces ex-players who don’t have a ****ing clue about the game that he’s worthy of an AA jumper. But anyone who watches footy knows he’s not good enough in big games because he can’t actually ruck. And while the whole team was down today, his first quarter was ****ing pathetic and set the tone. He reportedly wants big money and he’s nowhere near worthy of it.

I completely agree we need a tagger. But more importantly we need a coach that will deploy that tagger. We don’t have one now, which is one of the many reasons that he needs to go.

 

[Zeno The Great]

Can people please just admit Sanders has been disappointing so we can all move on. Those trying to protect him from criticism are fuelling it further. Give a thumbs down to this post if you have been happy with his season thus far.

This. No one is saying he's a spud like vdm or mcneil, and he's been OK, but we all expected more from such a high draft pick thay we sold the farm for. Windsor from Melbourne for me (the next pick after him) has shown more elite traits.

 

[Fossie 32]

Can people please just admit Sanders has been disappointing so we can all move on. Those trying to protect him from criticism are fuelling it further. Give a thumbs down to this post if you have been happy with his season thus far.

 

[Fossie 32]

Umpiring? Conspiracy theories?

The lengths that posters will go to in order to excuse English (or other players) is mind-boggling.

Hes a bad ruck. He gets stats around the ground and sometimes that’s good. It convinces ex-players who don’t have a ****ing clue about the game that he’s worthy of an AA jumper. But anyone who watches footy knows he’s not good enough in big games because he can’t actually ruck. And while the whole team was down today, his first quarter was ****ing pathetic and set the tone. He reportedly wants big money and he’s nowhere near worthy of it.

I completely agree we need a tagger. But more importantly we need a coach that will deploy that tagger. We don’t have one now, which is one of the many reasons that he needs to go.

I think the most annoying thing is Timmy can actually ruck but he doesn’t

 

[hutchy31]

I think the most annoying thing is Timmy can actually ruck but he doesn’t

He either picks and chooses, or he doesn’t have the ability to do it against anyone who intimidates him.

Either way he can GTFO.

 

[Ted's Robot]

Keep your brilliance to our international relations thread (Trumps end Democracy thread). Really doing well over there.

You are the one who brought it here, dementia really is a problem for you Joe.

 

[Arkangel]

I find it difficult to understand how we can just be so off in some games as a team. Is it just an illusion; a function of being beaten in the midfield---that this places extra pressure on the defence and makes things tougher for our forwards as well? Or is there really some sort of whole-team mentality that changes from game to game?

 

[Unorth]

Sweet pantsing us was so predictable that we tried to avert that crisis by starting Darcy in the ruck.

What a glowing endorsement of our AA ruck - we're so afraid of him being so afraid of being beat up by his former understudy that we removed him from the situation.

That Sweet took the high road and didn't go the biff at any point was surprising and made the whole ordeal more humiliating.

Our midfield doesn't have the capacity to deal with actual rucks putting the ball out to fast mids that we can't catch.

 

[Scotch N Coke Monatore]

I'd love to know what Coffield brings to the team. One vfl game and he's straight back in.

He's not that tall, not that quick, and not a great user of the football.

On SM-A505YN using BigFooty.com mobile app

You would have thought he was the second coming of Christ, the way some have wanked on about this St Kilda discard.

 

[Munnez]

Glad to see Coffield make it through the game without injury.

Thought Coffield was reasonably solid considering we were getting reamed from CB.

 

[adogsfan5]

Just watched the game. (Local footy today.)

Wow, just wow.

Worse than round one.

Tim wants a million a year? Fu** off.

 

[dogwatch]

I think the most annoying thing is Timmy can actually ruck but he doesn’t

He either picks and chooses, or he doesn’t have the ability to do it against anyone who intimidates him.

Either way he can GTFO.

My theory, nothing new but perhaps too often overlooked by many, is that Tim has been spooked by his frequent head knocks and concussions. If I’d had a few stern lectures from my neurologist as Tim might now have had I reckon I wouldn’t be as fierce at the contest as I used to be in my football days. And remember Timmy was confined to non-contact training for many weeks before the start of the season for this very concern.

I don’t think there’s any easy solution to this. And I don’t really blame English.

I do however think it’s unlikely we’ll see last year’s AA form from English again. I can understand why he wants a long contract but I hope we don’t offer him one. The end of his career may not be all that far away. Any severe head knock will expedite it.

 

[Proffessor]

Love the Calebrator but how did he go last time he played

The key thing about Daniel, is he has the proven capacity to step up and make a seriously positive contribution to the team. Sanders has yet to display such capacity.

Despite his high draft status Ryley has been playing like a work experience kid who needs to be carried along and is a net drain on the team rather than a net positive. I don't know if I've ever seen a less impactful 22 possession game than the one Sanders just delivered, plus his current lack of pace makes him a defensive liability.

If he is going to be a slow plodder (still think there is an undisclosed physical issue here that he can overcome in future) that the opposition leave in their wake, then he needs to do a lot more damage and make his possessions really count.

I'd definitely play Garcia ahead of him at the moment too.

 

[Munnez]

Really thought JUH would overtake Naughton as our best forward, but he’s been out of form for a while now.

We are going to struggle next week without Naughton and if Jones misses again we’ll be without our 4 first choice key defenders against Curnow and McKay. Should be fun.

Could be a 100 points if we play like that against Carlton

 

[Proffessor]

I’m not wild about what he’s bringing, particularly given what we gave up to get him (a poor end to the season could mean it’s a top 6-7 pick to GC).

But he’s a first year player, playing in a dysfunctional team (imo) with a poor coaching, MC and footy department set up. So I’d give him a pass until he’s working under a regime that’s setting him up for success rather than one that’s not doing their job properly.

Poor coaching? Yeah right, the Dogs under Beveridge have an outstanding player development record.

He is young and struggling a bit in his first year, that's on Ryley, no one else. I expect he will adjust and be an excellent player down the track, but you can't blame others for his below expectations performance level.

 

[Munnez]

Another game that reinforces that when we stink it up, we REALLY stink it up. We are an untrustworthy team, deservingly middle of the road, and that's about it. It's only disappointing insofar as we get sucked in constantly by a couple of good wins and suffer consequent delusions of granduer. We have neither the depth of talent nor the mental strength and leadership to be up at the pointy end.

We need to evolve far beyond the present incarnation of this team. I'd be more optimistic about next year if we hadn't traded out of this year's first round of the draft.

We need to flip the contract offers for Smith and English. 5 years for Smith and 2 at minimum chips for English. If he walks good luck with finding another club

 

[perro_loco]

Was out building a fence today.


Glad I didn't watch it. Fence building would have been more exciting.

When there is a genuine 8 point game to be won, we capitulate as usual.

We are dreaming this year sadly. The next three weeks we will be 0-3 and it will be curtains 2024.

Hopefully it is curtains for the coach as well. Has been there for too long.

 

[perro_loco]

We need real coaches and a new head coach imo.

English underperforms because he has a terrible ruck coach, or maybe he is not even coached as a ruck.
JUH needs a good kick up the ass so he starts to put his body on the line and becomes a team player. a total disappointment.
BWilliams, McNeill, Bramble, VDM, Khnais, Duryea, are all passengers.
Play Busslinger, Garcia and Harmes.
Next year: new coaching team.

 

[perro_loco]

Hopefully it is curtains for the coach as well. Has been there for too long.

Porfessor and Kashmir you have just disagreed with me. This means WWAARRR!!!
Only joking.

 

[Munnez]

That was pathetic from start to finish, bar Lobb, no one played well. Left at 3/4 qtr time in disgust.
The lack of1% effort in the team shows regularly these days, plus no fight when it’s not going our way- not characteristics of good teams.
The lack of gameplan or in game changes to combat Port also evident

Our ball use today was just horrendous at every turn hardly a kick or handball to any sort of advantage. And Port were just walking it out of the centre. Lack of experience and cohesion in the backline also hurt.

 

[bresker]

Because they’re ****ing imbeciles who look at a stats sheet. When the game was there to be won early he was abysmal, which is unfortunately a regular occurrence for someone who sees himself as an elite player.

News flash Tim, you’re not.

Tim has to be the most discrepancy between stats/eye test player in the competition.

I even find myself sucked into thinking he's had a good game when his defenders post his stats.

It's like when Priddis won the Brownlow. Or Tom Roclliff. Some say the same about Macrae ...

Great stats but don't hurt the opposition.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Pre season I said we’ll finish with 7-10 wins.

I stand by that

We are the middle of the road team and regressing

Well bully for you. Never fails to bore me how people come on forums proclaiming that they were right about something months ago.

I don’t think anyone’s shocked about where we are on the ladder. It’s the manner of the defeats that’s distressing.

 

[Proffessor]

Porfessor and Kashmir you have just disagreed with me. This means WWAARRR!!!
Only joking.

Glad to see that you have taken it well.

I know that a lot of people think Bevo's time is up, but I am definitely not one of them.

I think we can still compete for the Flag with Bevo as coach, and I think our chances of getting another coach that would be Bevo's equal or better is very low, and hence definitely not worth the gamble.

 

[PocketRocket08]

Seriously guys are you delusional??
This loss isn’t on young players
Gags and Sander have played 15 and 10 games. They are developing and are giving it their best.
English Marra (who’s still young) deserve to cop a bit of heat. Marra could need a spell at vfl soon. Lacking some intensity and fitness to be honest.
English’s is lacking confidence in ruck contest. Concussion concerns maybe?
McNeil was solid today I can’t believe he is copping it. His energy and effort was there. He lacks polish but at least he bloody tried. A goal 5 tackles and 13 possessions wasn’t to bad. Poor bigger hasn’t had a run at it like gags and sanders gets. Which im ok with as they will gain a lot of confidence and belief. Something McNeil hasn’t been afforded.

Thur big issue with me is our ball movement and our ability to defend transition.
Im happy to see how we go over the next few weeks before any drastic action.
We are searching for consistent effort & performance.
Stay positive peeps stop
The player bashing. Poor look

 

[adogsfan5]

I said during the week to a couple mates that we seem to still be piss farting around with positioning and it’s round 17. We needed to do this in pre season / in the early rounds, not now.

Lobb was “too good” the week before, and so we move him to defence?

A strong club would just drop him for Darcy, end of story. Go with the best structure.

It’s very frustrating that we still don’t have a settled side like the top 5-6 clubs do.