Review GBU vs Freo

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If we keep playing the way we have over the last 3 weeks we will finish bottom 6. I doubt that we will see much of Smith, B Crouch, McGovern (thanks Douglas), Knight or Sloane again this year. Even if we do they will be way down on their best.

There have been times over the last 20 years where the incompetence in our off field dept has been staggering (Fantassia, Chapman, Smart, Trigg, Reid, Craig, Burton etc etc) but I didn't think they would ever directly cost us a chance at a premiership. I was wrong.
I have to agree.
 
He's been written off already by some in here. I liked his effort to break a tackle and steady before hitting Tex on the chest. We've got 200 game players who can't do that.

Still needs another pre-season (preferably without complete ****wits running the show) to build his tank and improve his strength through the hips.
Poholke was a plus in the last 1/4. Certainly not the worst player.
 
Nope. What we paid was pretty much what the market had set as part for a player of Gibbs caliber. There wasn't a magical bent over a barrel trade wise thing unless you just want to live in a fantasy world that everyone above the age of 28 is barely worth a 2nd roudner.

Delideo, Hanley, even O'Meara/Treloar were all very similar in prices (1st + downgrade from 1st to 2nd, or equivalent) from the last couple of years.

Gibbs is no O'Meara or Treloar
 

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Stick a fork in me, I’m done.........and so is our season.

Good - Return flights to Europe leaving in early September are still under $1,700.

Bad - The team that wins the flag this year will not be magnificent, they will simply be healthy and playing good footy at the right time of the year.

Ugly - The downhill skiers in our team who have been exposed by the loss of our best players. Cut deep and cut now.
 
Its funny how people tag certain kids as "not being up to it" one week and then "oh he'll be good" the next. If this board wants the club to play the kids then we need to be tolerant while they build up.a body of work.

That said, you don't wait 200 games to make the call. If we give Atkins the same tenure as Mackay, we will not win another flag for a very long time. Rory may look like a player when given time and space, but AFL football doesn't allow that very often, and certainly not in big games. He was beyond shit today, he was the fossiled remains of shit. And so was his benchmark, DMack.

Then we get to the question of why Sauce is playing. I cant answer it, and now we are running out of options to rest him. Some say he's carrying a back injury, I say he's been on the decline for 2 years and any injury he may have is only magnifying the fact that he is done. Ruck is going to be a major problem for us in the coming years as we have totally misread our needs here.

For the rest, we know these players can play. Last year they were fit, cohesive and aggressive. This year, injuries have undermined us and now they're a group devoid of confidence, lacking the spirit required to run both ways, and confused about moving the ball. They are shot, there is no coming back this season.

This is the most monumental **** up.of a list I can think of. Only the Essendon saga is worse. If Fagan doesn't make wholesale changes off his own bat then I hope Pyke demands it. Don's a good coach, but even Clarkson couldn't coach this squad to wins at the moment. I'd be seething if I was him, because this is his career on the line.

I don't think this group can bounce back. I think they stuck through adversity and got the best out of themselves, but the GF loss was the catalyst for some cracks to appear in the group, and then the club (via Burton) decided to bust the whole thing wide open with incredible mismanagement. I don't think the squad believe anymore, and it's that point where you draw a line under it and head to the future.

It's a shame because I think we had it in us to challenge again for one last time this year, especially with the inclusion of Gibbs. But this group is done now.

How the club handles this transition will be interesting, but one thing is certain for me. We cannot let Brett Burton stay in charge of this club's footy operations. He's butchered the last opportunity this squad had, and he's now built a body of work full of failures. He brought Collective Minds to the club, he brought Kanga Tech to the club, he pushed Poulos out and brought Matt Haas to the club. All have been utter failures.

He MUST go.
 
Do or die game we lay a paltry 54 tackles.

That doesn’t come down to missing players, that comes down to a lack of intent. Our team has not turned up to play in our last 3 games.

That Collective Minds visit before the Melbourne game seems to have worked wonders.
 
I noticed a mention herein using the word jog to describe Crows players. Try this-

Last quarter, we have a mark or free kick on right wing, Seedsman I think, a bunch of about 6 crows turn their back on the kicker and canter (at best) into the right flank position accompanied by their Freo opponents. The game is there to be won. No urgency, no play making, just steadily make position. The kicker is anxious to make a play, waits and then kicks full to position. No Crow player is watching him, their backs are turned. No urgency. No play making, no taking the game on. The ball falls very near Tex who turns at the last second just like all the other Crows. Freo defenders are in position watching the ball and mark virtually uncontested.
This epitomises to me where we are with our game style. It seems to be Pyke's way. Steady unchanging belief and commitment to a game plan at a reduced speed of ball movement. Seems to me most clubs (Richmond, Melbourne etc )know that if you bring top intensity and slick crisp fast ball movement the Crows game will falter and cannot re-emerge.
Our game style can work when we have a full list of form players, even with the 4 or 5 down hill skiers, non combatants, below standard selections that appear every week, and we are the most comfortable Club in Australia. It is all nice and sweet with a place for everybody and everyone in their place. Hell we have steadiness and dogged unchanging continuity which keeps us competitive year after year. Aaaah now 2019...…….
 
Its funny how people tag certain kids as "not being up to it" one week and then "oh he'll be good" the next. If this board wants the club to play the kids then we need to be tolerant while they build up.a body of work.

That said, you don't wait 200 games to make the call. If we give Atkins the same tenure as Mackay, we will not win another flag for a very long time. Rory may look like a player when given time and space, but AFL football doesn't allow that very often, and certainly not in big games. He was beyond shit today, he was the fossiled remains of shit. And so was his benchmark, DMack.

Then we get to the question of why Sauce is playing. I cant answer it, and now we are running out of options to rest him. Some say he's carrying a back injury, I say he's been on the decline for 2 years and any injury he may have is only magnifying the fact that he is done. Ruck is going to be a major problem for us in the coming years as we have totally misread our needs here.

For the rest, we know these players can play. Last year they were fit, cohesive and aggressive. This year, injuries have undermined us and now they're a group devoid of confidence, lacking the spirit required to run both ways, and confused about moving the ball. They are shot, there is no coming back this season.

This is the most monumental **** up.of a list I can think of. Only the Essendon saga is worse. If Fagan doesn't make wholesale changes off his own bat then I hope Pyke demands it. Don's a good coach, but even Clarkson couldn't coach this squad to wins at the moment. I'd be seething if I was him, because this is his career on the line.

I don't think this group can bounce back. I think they stuck through adversity and got the best out of themselves, but the GF loss was the catalyst for some cracks to appear in the group, and then the club (via Burton) decided to bust the whole thing wide open with incredible mismanagement. I don't think the squad believe anymore, and it's that point where you draw a line under it and head to the future.



It's a shame because I think we had it in us to challenge again for one last time this year, especially with the inclusion of Gibbs. But this group is done now.

How the club handles this transition will be interesting, but one thing is certain for me. We cannot let Brett Burton stay in charge of this club's footy operations. He's butchered the last opportunity this squad had, and he's now built a body of work full of failures. He brought Collective Minds to the club, he brought Kanga Tech to the club, he pushed Poulos out and brought Matt Haas to the club. All have been utter failures.

He MUST go.

I am noticing some very definite movements (or lack thereof) by Atkins to run past or not engage in tackle/contest he should make. He is playing bruise free. He is part of the malaise.
 
Interestingly in the presser, Pyke said that the players are in a state of hope rather than genuine belief. First honest thing he's said for weeks.
Honestly, it would be extremely hard to have true belief given the injuries we have. Each player that goes down just sucks every little last bit out of you. I know how crap it makes us feel, can you imagine what it must be like for the players?
 
Its funny how people tag certain kids as "not being up to it" one week and then "oh he'll be good" the next. If this board wants the club to play the kids then we need to be tolerant while they build up.a body of work.

That said, you don't wait 200 games to make the call. If we give Atkins the same tenure as Mackay, we will not win another flag for a very long time. Rory may look like a player when given time and space, but AFL football doesn't allow that very often, and certainly not in big games. He was beyond shit today, he was the fossiled remains of shit. And so was his benchmark, DMack.

Then we get to the question of why Sauce is playing. I cant answer it, and now we are running out of options to rest him. Some say he's carrying a back injury, I say he's been on the decline for 2 years and any injury he may have is only magnifying the fact that he is done. Ruck is going to be a major problem for us in the coming years as we have totally misread our needs here.

For the rest, we know these players can play. Last year they were fit, cohesive and aggressive. This year, injuries have undermined us and now they're a group devoid of confidence, lacking the spirit required to run both ways, and confused about moving the ball. They are shot, there is no coming back this season.

This is the most monumental **** up.of a list I can think of. Only the Essendon saga is worse. If Fagan doesn't make wholesale changes off his own bat then I hope Pyke demands it. Don's a good coach, but even Clarkson couldn't coach this squad to wins at the moment. I'd be seething if I was him, because this is his career on the line.

I don't think this group can bounce back. I think they stuck through adversity and got the best out of themselves, but the GF loss was the catalyst for some cracks to appear in the group, and then the club (via Burton) decided to bust the whole thing wide open with incredible mismanagement. I don't think the squad believe anymore, and it's that point where you draw a line under it and head to the future.

It's a shame because I think we had it in us to challenge again for one last time this year, especially with the inclusion of Gibbs. But this group is done now.

How the club handles this transition will be interesting, but one thing is certain for me. We cannot let Brett Burton stay in charge of this club's footy operations. He's butchered the last opportunity this squad had, and he's now built a body of work full of failures. He brought Collective Minds to the club, he brought Kanga Tech to the club, he pushed Poulos out and brought Matt Haas to the club. All have been utter failures.

He MUST go.
Agree with a lot of what you said but I believe we can bounce back with a healthy list and injection of elite talent.

This team is cooked mentally for a couple of reasons, they’ve been ****ed over by Collective Minds and they are worn out trying to make up for the shit show Burton has created, plus we are now being smashed with impact injuries. They’ve had enough and it shows. As I just posted, only 54 tackles yesterday. That’s a lack of intent which is mental.

But as much as we want Burton to go he ain’t going anywhere, for that will require Roo and Fagan to admit they ****ed up. What may happen is there will be more checks and balances internally so he doesn’t get a free reign like he has up until now.
 
Its funny how people tag certain kids as "not being up to it" one week and then "oh he'll be good" the next. If this board wants the club to play the kids then we need to be tolerant while they build up.a body of work.

That said, you don't wait 200 games to make the call. If we give Atkins the same tenure as Mackay, we will not win another flag for a very long time. Rory may look like a player when given time and space, but AFL football doesn't allow that very often, and certainly not in big games. He was beyond shit today, he was the fossiled remains of shit. And so was his benchmark, DMack.

Then we get to the question of why Sauce is playing. I cant answer it, and now we are running out of options to rest him. Some say he's carrying a back injury, I say he's been on the decline for 2 years and any injury he may have is only magnifying the fact that he is done. Ruck is going to be a major problem for us in the coming years as we have totally misread our needs here.

For the rest, we know these players can play. Last year they were fit, cohesive and aggressive. This year, injuries have undermined us and now they're a group devoid of confidence, lacking the spirit required to run both ways, and confused about moving the ball. They are shot, there is no coming back this season.

This is the most monumental **** up.of a list I can think of. Only the Essendon saga is worse. If Fagan doesn't make wholesale changes off his own bat then I hope Pyke demands it. Don's a good coach, but even Clarkson couldn't coach this squad to wins at the moment. I'd be seething if I was him, because this is his career on the line.

I don't think this group can bounce back. I think they stuck through adversity and got the best out of themselves, but the GF loss was the catalyst for some cracks to appear in the group, and then the club (via Burton) decided to bust the whole thing wide open with incredible mismanagement. I don't think the squad believe anymore, and it's that point where you draw a line under it and head to the future.

It's a shame because I think we had it in us to challenge again for one last time this year, especially with the inclusion of Gibbs. But this group is done now.

How the club handles this transition will be interesting, but one thing is certain for me. We cannot let Brett Burton stay in charge of this club's footy operations. He's butchered the last opportunity this squad had, and he's now built a body of work full of failures. He brought Collective Minds to the club, he brought Kanga Tech to the club, he pushed Poulos out and brought Matt Haas to the club. All have been utter failures.

He MUST go.

http://www.collectivemind.com.au/

You couldn't make this stuff up... Its effectively snake-oil mysticism.

How this got anywhere near an AFL team is beyond me. There is no 'edge' to be gained from 'mind training' when you are on a footy field.

Ben Hart, Comporeale, Hass, BUrton all need to be shown the door. Hopeless, incompetent frauds.
 

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Jenkins , too me , looked like side strain or shoulder/arm problem. Did not move his right arm , though thinking about it might be ribs again
He got polaxed in the second quarter. Spent time in the rooms. I was surprised he came back on to be honest, and obviously did so under duress.
 
I said it last week and I will say it again. Structure is so wrong it’s not funny. Why set up a zone that teams continue to walk through and get easy goals out the back. Cost us the last 2 games and counting.

Exactly. We don't have the personnel to execute our "A1" game plan, yet we persist. They haven't even tinkered with the high press, despite us not having the runners or the ball movement capabilities to execute it. It stinks of "We just need to do it better".
 
I said it last week and I will say it again. Structure is so wrong it’s not funny. Why set up a zone that teams continue to walk through and get easy goals out the back. Cost us the last 2 games and counting.
We were set up man on man several times throughout the game, and that's when we were at our best. The minute we moved back to the zone, we got beaten by the spread, run and carry.
 
Pyke showed some bravado and clarity in his presser, which I like, or at least prefer to Sanderson's "Hmmmm .... food for thought."

He's given me a bit of confidence to believe that he's a smart man and will not let this rubbish (especially the Creative Minds crap) continue for much longer. Let's hope he delivers.
 
Pyke showed some bravado and clarity in his presser, which I like, or at least prefer to Sanderson's "Hmmmm .... food for thought."

He's given me a bit of confidence to believe that he's a smart man and will not let this rubbish (especially the Creative Minds crap) continue for much longer. Let's hope he delivers.
What did he say exactly that made you think that?
 
I said it last week and I will say it again. Structure is so wrong it’s not funny. Why set up a zone that teams continue to walk through and get easy goals out the back. Cost us the last 2 games and counting.

Couldn’t agree more, last week gws killed us with there switch off half back like it was a new thing to the game
 
Honestly, it would be extremely hard to have true belief given the injuries we have. Each player that goes down just sucks every little last bit out of you. I know how crap it makes us feel, can you imagine what it must be like for the players?
For sure this is the case, and yesterday we were beaten by a much younger, much more inexperienced team, when our season was on the line. If we have no belief against a team of novices, then there’s something very wrong with the way we’re coached.

There’s been so much controversy with this club since the GF, incredible bullying from all areas of the media, rumours, accusations and innuendo, I’d have expected the coaching dept to unite the players against it all and instill that missing belief. It hasn’t happened.
 
http://www.collectivemind.com.au/

You couldn't make this stuff up... Its effectively snake-oil mysticism.

How this got anywhere near an AFL team is beyond me. There is no 'edge' to be gained from 'mind training' when you are on a footy field.

Ben Hart, Comporeale, Hass, BUrton all need to be shown the door. Hopeless, incompetent frauds.
You only have to listen to our last Tuesday Night Live podcast to understand how I feel about that shit show. The club don't want to talk about it, I can say that categorically. But the sheer lunacy of engaging that drug taking web developer to somehow instill "stronger minds" deflects from the complete disaster of the implementation of Kanga Tech, and the previous demise of Nick Poulos as a result of the appointment of Burton. Here we had a bloke who is industry recognised as employing successful injury management and prevention strategies, and we replaced him with a failed fitness coach of limited experience and a track record of high injuries, and then we promote that arrogant fool to GM Footy Ops and allow him to employ his understudy at the aforementioned failed program.

The club says we have a rigorous system of governance, yet we make these decisions. I guess that means that the system is flawed, because blind Freddy could see this set of decisions for what they were.

We took a group bonded by tragedy, fit and determined to succeed and we broke them, physically and mentally. Unfortunately Elite Crow I don't think this group can bounce back. There are some fractures now that won't heal and our age profile is such that our best had a year to go before renewal, and that year was this year. And we can't let Burton oversee that renewal.
 
http://www.collectivemind.com.au/

You couldn't make this stuff up... Its effectively snake-oil mysticism.

How this got anywhere near an AFL team is beyond me. There is no 'edge' to be gained from 'mind training' when you are on a footy field.

Ben Hart, Comporeale, Hass, BUrton all need to be shown the door. Hopeless, incompetent frauds.

I’m all for bringing in sports psychologists to help with the mental aspect of the game....

But ****ing Collective Minds aren’t even psychologists!

Collective Mind ****ing Bullshit Artists.

It’s staggering to hear that he tried to engage them at Brisbane, but he wasn’t allowed to; so why did we let him?

Burton has brought in Haas who destroyed the physical health of our squad, and Collective Minds who appear to have torched the mental health of the side.

He needs to go, immediately.
 
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