Review Good, Bad, Keeping shape, keeping shat - Crows V Bombers

[CrowBloke]

This loss is 100% on Nicks because he tactically inept.

Also because:
--- he has a poor selection policy which rewards his favourite underperforming players eg
McHenry/ Sholl/ Smith/ Laird, also a bewildering reliance on ROB, refusing to give Strachan a chance.

Imagine being Pedlar or Dowling or Curtin, for starters, watching the above being selected ahead of you and stinking it up like they did last night.

 

[thebirdman 24]

Excellent
Soligo kicking the ball on the outside of his boot, elite.

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[CrowBloke]

Nicks direct quote:
"We had a chance still at half time considering how poorly we were playing in that first half and that was off having to change some structure which takes away your ability to score and play the game you want to play"

So actually he's saying we changed structure before the game

It makes no sense to change a game style (which won last week's game) before the Essendon game unfolded.
By all means, have a defensive-structured Plan B if the oppo gets a run-on, but to start defensively??
Ridiculous.
It's clear the players love the free-flowing, run-on, play-on and overlap style.

Ffs, Nicks, let them play it. It's their best game.
I think Nicks' mindset pre-Round One was "We're going to play Finals, we need to be better defensively" which puts the cart before the horse. FIRST: win games. NEXT: keep winning enough to make Finals while tightening up the defence.

Nicks (edit: or Burns, or both) is stifling their flair and creativity which made them 2023's highest-scoring side, turning them into low-scoring losers.

 

[stevie26]

Blatant 50m penalty for entering the protected area late 4th quarter not called. Would have been a set shot from 20m out. Just as bad as the HTB non call at the end. Essendon got the rub of the green all night.

 

[George Kramer]

Will the downhill skiers post this week?

 

[SydCrow]

We've been papering over the cracks since 2018. We are FIVE YEARS into the Nicks rebuild and he'll still doesn't know who his best 22 is. Is it drafting, trading or development, or all three?

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[George Kramer]

We've been papering over the cracks since 2018. We are FIVE YEARS into the Nicks rebuild and he'll still doesn't know who his best 22 is. Is it drafting, trading or development, or all three?

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All 4, add coaching

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

The Hilarious/Embarrassing
Seven losees in a row to a team that hasn't won a final 20 years.

 

[moses]

Nicks admitted in the press conference he changed our structure on purpose knowing it would hurt our scoring

He does know the purpose of football is to score more than your opponent? He is cooked

 

[Harris1991]

We've been papering over the cracks since 2018. We are FIVE YEARS into the Nicks rebuild and he'll still doesn't know who his best 22 is. Is it drafting, trading or development, or all three?

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All 3 but drafting has been the biggest disaster. You look at our list and there are 10 to 12 players under the age of 25 who are incapable of playing consistent AFL standard football.

Our list will take 5 to 7 years to fix. If we persist with Ogilvie and Reid it will be at least another decade (if at all).

 

[1970crow]

I know I'm harping on this, but I really think this is representative of the shambles that we are.

Why did it even get to the point he did a fitness test?

It's the Tom Lynch sub stupidity all over again.

He's barely selectable based on his uninjured form, reduce his output in line with his level of injury and he's nowhere near it. He brings no leadership or other quality that improves those around him, so why play him injured. It's just typical 'experience + continuity' selection insanity.

 

[Jirkago75]

The game plan is awful and what did they do in the pre season?? If the game plan is to go as slow as possible and let the opposition set up behind the ball, then we are executing it perfectly. How many players fumbled? How many players can’t kick or handball or mark??
I think Nicks is to soft and he needs to toughen up or leave.

Laird, Smith, McHenry are a liability and shouldn’t play again. I just feel we are better than what we are showing and I can’t handle watching Nicks in the presser saying the same usual bullshit. We are a weak football club and until we change, we will be the same in 5 years. Next coach better be an angry tough coach that doesn’t take any shit or accept mediocrity


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[chrisso crow]

McHenry had 9 ******* touches. Nine. Probably ran a marathon so PICK HIM!!!

Wow, does that include every fumble he has as a touch?

Totally ineffective footballer. Miffed how he can keep getting games.

 

[ABAB]

Remove Laird and McHenry and we are a much better team. Don't sub Berry, sub these 2 spuds.

I like Hamill back in, he's got guts. But we need Dowling, Pedlar or Curtin to dominate tomorrow. I would like Curtin up forward to be honest

And a cooked Smith.

 

[cleanhands]

 

[chrisso crow]

May as well play only kids from here on. The season is gone.

Soligo is God.

We lost at selection when we picked a soft side. So many missed tackles, so many lazy efforts.

You know this just isn't going to happen.

You heard his comments during the week about looking after Curtin. We even prioritised playing an immobile Smith instead of giving a youngster an opportunity.

We'll continue to rotate the same 26 players. Murphy must be due back soon. Can't wait for a youngster to be dropped for him.

 

[CrowBloke]

If it wasn't for the umpires we would be top 4 and a premiership threat

What? Sarcasm, yeah?

Suppose they paid holding-the-ball on Draper last night. The goal still has to be kicked and based on previous misses by Draper himself, Fog, O'Brien and others it's no sure thing.

OK, goal kicked ==> 2-4 and still well outside the 8.

So, sarcasm?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Our skills reverted to Round 1-4 levels

Constant fumbling
Handballs missing the mark
Short, no pressure chip kicks to a contest
Missing wide open 20-25m passes

Frustrating to watch

 

[1970crow]

If we retired Larid and Smith tonight we would instantly be a better side.

It is truly bizarre our well paid professionals can't see this, they must be too close to the senior players.

$hit scared of the remaining senior players causing their departure.

 

[cleanhands]

Our skills reverted to Round 1-4 levels

Constant fumbling
Handballs missing the mark
Short, no pressure chip kicks to a contest
Missing wide open 20-25m passes

Frustrating to watch

It was a shit game of football, our plan is to drag the opposition down and scrag it out, I’m not watching that shit

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Wow, does that include every fumble he has as a touch?

Totally ineffective footballer. Miffed how he can keep getting games.

A possessionless Q1 on the back of a possessionless Q4 last week.

60 minutes of football without touching the ball.

Then lucks into a free kick when the ball bounces off his opponent's shin, out on the full.

Proceeds to chip inboard and airmails it over the head of his target. Is much better when he doesn't get the ball.

 

[chrisso crow]

The Worrell, Keane and Max trio were strong tonight. They can all hang their heads high.

I feel like that once Murray is back, we might have one end of the pitch in good shape. Assuming Smith retires ASAP.

If they were down, we might have lost by 10 goals.

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Totally agree. Our defenders are working very well as a unit defensively, often with a third man up to assist with the spoil. Keane looks very solid and has surprised me somewhat. Even Borlase is looking dependable, despite being 3rd (4th once Murray is back) choice key defender.

My only frustration is some of the spoils last night went to the exact spot you don't want them to, towards goal.

 

[CrowBloke]

The only positives there was Soligo keeps on with his breakout season

Yes. Soligo was a shining light last night.

and Nankervis is made of the right stuff. Had a horror game but kept himself in the game.

Which is it, please? Nankervis had a "horror" game, or "kept himself in the game"?
It can't be both.

No doubt some key calls went against us,

When we had our 7-goal run, several bad Umpires' calls went our way.
The Draper-flop onto the ball was obviously htb , but if it happened, say, mid-third quarter it would have blown over without much fanfare

but also the opportunity was there to win it and we didn't.

This! It's a double-edged sword.
Puzzling selections, then that crappy defensive structure to start the game.
So, Nicks sent them out to crowd contests and defend; after that, if they fall behind, then Plan B is to attack-attack-attack??
Ridiculous. Dumb.

 

[chrisso crow]

I know I'm harping on this, but I really think this is representative of the shambles that we are.

Why did it even get to the point he did a fitness test?

It's the Tom Lynch sub stupidity all over again.

Harp away, it should be highlighted and it would have been good if it was raised in the post match conference.

It was obvious to all that he was struggling to move. Tex was the same earlier this year, but Tex isn't as replaceable as Smith.

Curtin must be so relieved the club is protecting him. Disgraceful.

 

[119others]

Also because:
--- he has a poor selection policy which rewards his favourite underperforming players eg
McHenry/ Sholl/ Smith/ Laird, also a bewildering reliance on ROB, refusing to give Strachan a chance.

Imagine being Pedlar or Dowling or Curtin, for starters, watching the above being selected ahead of you and stinking it up like they did last night.

Mc Henry and Sholl should never play again.

But we are suddenly short of immediate replacements. Pedlar has stunk it up in his games. Curtin fitness I imagine is the reason he has been held back but agree Dowling deserves a go. That said, other youngsters like Cook have been extremely underwhelming so there’s no guarantees here