GBU vs Gws

[Crow till I die]

I've calmed down a little. It was a much improved effort last night and GWS had their season on the line. However we should not drop those games at home and we can't really blame injuries given GWS have the same issue. We also have only really tex and sloane to come in anytime soon. Smith, Mcgovern & Brouch are all long term and will be lucky to play more than about 4 games this year.

We will prob win half our games on the way home at best case. So missing finals is probable, although not definite

we need to win 7 of our last 11 to guarantee finals with 13 wins. Assuming we CAN beat Freo and then the hawks. Where are the other 5 wins coming from. Carlton? - probably, Brisbane? - hopefully, North Melbourne....50/50 unless we have full strength team to choose from. Then it get real hard to see wins from there. West Coast - good luck. Richmond away - good luck, Geelong here? - maybe depends who we have back and what for Geelong are in, Melbourne - unlikely, GWS away? - very hard, Port - WE WIN. I think if we lose to either freo or the hawks, we may as well rest up the injured players, play guys on the list to see if they are up to it and use the rest of the season to get players good to go for the start of preseason and reset for a big 2019 and a massive draft at the end of this year

 

[SugarShane]

Yes but I think Eddie only flies when there’s no one else up forward who can contest a mark

Eddie flying is a sign that our forward entries are long bombs with our KPFs out of position

Nah that's a myth. He's done it plenty of times when the situation hasn't called for it, it just gets glossed over a bit more because it's not as detrimental when we're 5 goals up.

And even if we entertain the theory that that's why he's flying, it's still been 100% ineffective so should be put on the shelf regardless. It nullifies his main attribute and the reason he's in the team. It's not his responsibility to fly and has literally never succeeded.

Be like if Warney took it upon himself to start bowling 130kmh meds at random times. When you're so good at one thing, you don't voluntarily take it out of the game and give your opponents a free pass.

He needs to be spoken to about it but it probably gets filed under "You try and tell Eddie not to fly for hangers."

 

[Kerleys Ghost]

We are the definition of a hopeless case with no real silver lining in sight. A perennial loser club that will amount to nothing.

Why should anyone bother?

It's embarrassing to support this sorry excuse for a club.

You suck

 

[SugarShane]

2005, 2012, 2017

So we should only have to wait 6 or 7 years before our next 1 year window opens. My 9 year old maybe able to even drive me to the final.

*we fly as one*

2012 was a fluke with a soft draw. 2029 will be the next serious one.

 

[SugarShane]

Funny, isn't it? I watched the same game and thought he was serviceable, but not good.

Not just the defence. For every kick-out after a point (ours), they positioned Patton outside the arc and kicked to him. He either marked, or brought it to ground, or forced a throw-in, whereupon he jogged back to his forward zone. Very effective tactic. I'd like to see JJ used that way, occasionally. Might be time to play Keath and ROB.

I was watching that too thinking "When was the last time Sauce or JJ took that bailout mark after a kick in?" Nothing springs to mind.

 

[mistylake]

What difference does it make to us if he goes home to Victoria?

Ok I thought he was a SA bloke.
Seems to be friendly with I think Sauce and a few others. Was in some wedding/ personal occasions photos a while back.

 

[CrowBloke]

Watching live and seeing that perspective at least he runs defensive running patterns

Yes, without initiating any physical contact, unless the bloke is right next to him.
Averages 2 tackles/game and at least one of them is broken; rarely creates HTB.
Well actually, it's 2.2/game. That 0.2 is apt ie one-fifth of a tackle eg when he got a trolley-load of candy from Motlop. Atkins needs private tackling lessons from Greenwood who averages 7+tackles/game (2 more than anybody else in the side!).

 

[CrowBloke]

He’s a bog average wingman

Best on Ground?

 

[CrowBloke]

I commend the coaches for giving it a quick go but it was clear it wasn’t working.

At one stage (3rd quarter?) GWS had no nominated ruckman, so JJ had it all to himself ...
...
and double-fisted the ball to no-one. Useless.

 

[Bazz_27]

At one stage (3rd quarter?) GWS had no nominated ruckman, so JJ had it all to himself ...
...
and double-fisted the ball to no-one . Useless.

I liked the CEY into the ruck move, especially when we have a full mid compliment in the future. will be more competitive when the ball hits the ground than most.

 

[CrowBloke]

So 2 young players, in form when in preferred positions, taken away from those positions.

This.
*still shaking my head*

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

BAD
As if the Milera to half forward move wasn't bad enough, during the last quarter we found our latest scheme to keep Mackay in the team.

Milera finally went to half back.

Mackay got shifted to the wing. Atkins got moved to half forward.

Problem solved

 

[Vader]

Not just the defence. For every kick-out after a point (ours), they positioned Patton outside the arc and kicked to him. He either marked, or brought it to ground, or forced a throw-in, whereupon he jogged back to his forward zone. Very effective tactic. I'd like to see JJ used that way, occasionally. Might be time to play Keath and ROB.

How is this any different to the way Adelaide uses Jacobs? How often do we bomb the ball to Jacobs, 60m out, on the right HFF?

 

[mistylake]

Mackay and Atkins. Jeez, what can I say? Mackay's an enigma to me --- skinnier than Tyson Edwards who started at H-back for West Adelaide but not nearly as talented. Gets rag-dolled, fumbles under pressure, only shows AFL skills when in the clear then nearly always butchers the ball. His kicking to opposition is infuriating, rarely hits a leading forward, well, from our team .
Atkins (*sigh*) --- like Mackay, shines when the going is good, when our midfield is on top and then gets plenty of outside ball. His left-foot is laser-like on occasion, lets him down equally when it fizzles like USA's early space launches. His aversion to physicality is forehead-slappingly poor, weak tackler. Inconsistent, exasperating.
I was a Dmac and Atkins supporter, but they've lost me.

Glad to see another has seen the light.
“Hallelujah”.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

I must've had a premonition about this game yesterday...knew that we'd lose before the game began, as all other results went pretty much as expected - i.e. favourites won. Haven't seen the game, but once again it appears to be our lack of run / ability to shut down the opposition's outside midfielders, as it seems as though we're breaking even in the contested game, but we have no outside runners, nor anyone capable of pressuring the opposition when we haven't got it. We were able to mask this against the weaker teams, but we've hit two good, hard running and relatively quick teams in successive weeks now, and our second-string players are being exposed. Unfortunately Freo are also pretty quick across the ground, so we'll struggle again this week, no doubt. Collingwood did show that good defensive structures can slow them down, however, so hopefully our coaching panel noticed this and adjust accordingly.

Oh, and I'd still prefer Cheney to Kelly...but the SANFL bye has conspired against us somewhat - but at least no more injuries in the SANFL, so we could get someone fresh into the team from the two's...

 

[robboaustralia]

GOOD: Fog's development. Gibbs, Talia, Laird, Milera and Douggie trying their guts out.


BAD:
Stop start chip kick sideways slow footy.
Not enough brave fast footy (when we did we scored)

Goalkicking.
Fumbling.

 

[CrowBloke]

How is this any different to the way Adelaide uses Jacobs? How often do we bomb the ball to Jacobs, 60m out, on the right HFF?

Fair questions.
They do that with Jacobs when he's rucking. Jacob rests off-ground or in forward pocket (occasionally), but he does not run up to their kick-ins from there, from our F50, as Patton did.
It's very different.
I was suggesting that maybe JJ could do just that, but he'd probably be too slow to return to position .

 

[mulz]

not really that disappointed after this loss, seen it coming, really need an injection of pace in this side, I thought the effort was passable.

We were always gonna struggle this year after that disaster of a GF, and then the injuries, this list just couldn't quite get us there, hopefully get some good picks with players leaving, re-load and go again.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Haha Atkins checkside kick forward in the 3rd

Ricciuto: "That was garbage."

"What was he trying to do then, Derm?"

I think he was trying to kick to Fogarty in the pocket with the outside of his boot but kicked the middle of the ball. Went about 45 degrees to where he intended.

 

[jenny61_99]

If he was, we'd have won.

I mean whenever he tips against us, we lose. It may be that he is super smart (he is) but I prefer to blame him for the loss!

 

[feenix67]

I suspect all is not well with JJ, also Lynch (and possibly three quarters of the squad)!. Lynch has not looked well - and I understand chronic fatigue may be in play here. He looked very unwell after copping that knee to his midriff. To his credit he tried to come back out and play but just couldn’t. But he looked out of sorts long before that. JJ is sporting a new calf strapping. It’s quite significant. I think maybe that’s why CEY relief rucked for him several times today. It sucks when half your list is injured and the majority of the others have significant niggles.

We are desperately missing Tex, Sloane, McGovern and Smith. Loved moments from today, disappointed with the majority. Next 4-5 are going to be tough.

I've been saying for a few weeks that Lynch hasn't looked right. I'd love to know his GPS numbers.

JJ played 90% of the mach. He may have a calf issue, but I think the CEY chop out was because we don't have a marking option when JJ goes into ruck. Some would say we don't have a marking option when JJ is forward anyway.... but the bloke is at least trying his hardest and making contests this season.

I don't get why Hampton wasn't selected. I don't know why we persist with Atkins when Patty Wilson has been going well in the twos. I don't know why our collective coaching staff worth a couple of million can't see what blind Freddy can see and leave WMJ at ****ing half back. I don't know how much worse Sauce has to play to be given a spell.

But most of all I can't believe how such a talented squad has been so cooked by an inept fitness department. Utterly cooked.

 

[Samcro24]

How is this any different to the way Adelaide uses Jacobs? How often do we bomb the ball to Jacobs, 60m out, on the right HFF?

It's different because they bloke they kicked to was able to make a contest or even clunk a couple.

It's never really been Jacobs thing but he did used to make the contest, and would snag the odd one. Now he's completely ineffective.

Our tallest talls are useless in the air both in terms of marking and providing a contest.

 

[Bovo]

This is where it is going to be for a while. When you have a forward line and midfield made up of bandaids and non first choice players....it is only a matter of time.

Injuries have been our curse. When you have quality forwards (Walker and McGovin) on extended outs and quality mids (Brouch and Sloane) that makes a huge difference.

It is crap!

 

[deeztreez]

You suck

Every boards got 1

 

[relapse]

Do we have anyone on our list besides Sloane that can play in the middle and break lines ?

People can delude themselves as much as they want about certain players, but the reality is that we're going to struggle to consistently win games against side in the top 8 with a midfield mix of M Crouch, Greenwood and CEY. Until we have someone in the centre square who can break the lines and attack with the ball we will continue to struggle.

Seeing Dylan Shiel yesterday was a harsh reality check when it comes to the problems with out midfield because he's exactly the type of player we desperately need in the middle.