Review Good, bad, the gallant shat loss - R4 vs Melbourne 2024

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Give Laird a crack as a dour small defender. Focus on nothing but tackling the small forward
Doesn't have the pace I wouldn't think. I think Laird is just crowding the Crouch role at this point and probably doesn't have any other role he could be good in, and Crouch is better. Did kick a nice goal tonight but I don't think he's good enough as a forward either.
 

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Think Jones should go back to the back pocket

Milera gone, Parnell doesn't look up to it to me.

Jones isn't a polished outside player. Doesn't give us any shape or width. Not a natural wingman.

He is quick, he is tough, crashes in. We need a small defender who can play on guys like Pickett. Single minded, determined, disciplined.

Quick, tough, crashes in? Here’s a thought, put him in the guts every now and then and let him use these strengths. Pedlar has the same qualities/deficiencies and many on here cry out for him to have a run in the middle.

I actually thought Chayce’s performance tonight was pretty reasonable.
 
Doesn't have the pace I wouldn't think. I think Laird is just crowding the Crouch role at this point and probably doesn't have any other role he could be good in, and Crouch is better. Did kick a nice goal tonight but I don't think he's good enough as a forward either.
Probably not, he used to have great speed across a couple of metres which allowed him to win the ball or tackle the player with the ball at centre bounces. That doesn't really work in defence though as the players aren't as crowded.
 
Rankine is worth a top 5 pick, if he was in a good side he’d be tearing the comp apart
Yeah Rankine is an absolute gun. He's been our best player this year by some margin and will be a multi-season AA type player in a decent team. Easily worth a top 5 pick.

The Rachele criticism is fair, he's obviously going to be a good player but it's not clear how good.
 
Felt like we were a team spluttering to life tonight. There was some decent football alongside the frustrating stuff. No idea why it took 4 weeks for our season to start.

We'll beat Carlton. You heard it here first!

A few turnovers hurt us but at least tonight they were attacking options that nearly broke the game open for us. Last week we were screwing up out of bounds free kicks, chipping it 15m in board straight to an opposition player. Tonight we at least looked like a team capable of winning a game of football whereas for 3 weeks we've looked like the 2020 Crows.

Murphy's unfortunate injury was a godsend. Saving the coaches from themselves.

Parnell is too small and his strengths don't make up for his lack of physical presence, same as Sholl.

Keane and Murray will be THE elite key defensive combo in the competition. Our best since Bock/Rutten.

Cook & Nankervis are worth an extended stint on the wings.

Berry was decent when he came on.

Game style:
Our midfielders and half backs are too predictable with their ball movement. McVee, Lever, May had a picnic and read us like a book.

On top of this our forwards (and ruckman) have a real inability to compete in the air. Get outmarked much too easily. Sure, there's not much gilt-edged delivery but just square the contest please.
 
Smith on 5AA is interesting - they clearly have no idea what we're doing wrong; the explanations for our poor form do not make any sense at all. We're not holding our shape/structure, but when we do... we're competitive?

What? When?
Yea sounded deluded and confusing. They actually think the problem is with our defensive structure and shape. The most concerning part was when he said they took a step in the right direction tonight
 
Probably not, he used to have great speed across a couple of metres which allowed him to win the ball or tackle the player with the ball at centre bounces. That doesn't really work in defence though as the players aren't as crowded.
Yeah, I saw some highlights of the game we won at home against Melbourne in 2021 and it was striking how quick and agile Laird looked compared to today. I think he's still perfectly fine if he's your hard-tackling extractor midfielder but we have one too many unfortunately, and he's certainly declined.
 
Did everyone enjoy McHenry taking an age to walk back from his mark only to stuff up his kicks anyway? Did you like watching him get rag dolled everytime he got near the footy? Remember our recruiters thought this guy was elite talent.
+
Parnell and McHenry are not AFL footballers and they never will be.
Parnell/ Sholl/ McHenry/ Murphy/ Hamill, same-same.
 

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The little tweaks were obviously getting Soligo more time on ball and getting Nankervis in, both worked well, but very obvious that the wholesale changes that the dead man walking is scared to make are still sorely needed.
 
Quick, tough, crashes in? Here’s a thought, put him in the guts every now and then and let him use these strengths. Pedlar has the same qualities/deficiencies and many on here cry out for him to have a run in the middle.

I actually thought Chayce’s performance tonight was pretty reasonable.
Jones has been in the guts plenty and couldn't find the ball at all, at either AFL or SANFL level
 
Nicks said our system was right (for the first time this season), but our execution was bad

Blamed player form again

I dunno, maybe I’m old school but I would have thought skill execution is an integral part of coaching. Or are practicing and improving kicking, marking, tackling and handballing techniques no longer part of a coaches responsibility?

The majority of our players have regressed in their skill execution since VB, Burns and in particular Godden have been in charge of their development.

One day Nicks will take some responsibility for the team’s failings, he will quickly lose the respect of the players otherwise.
 
Rash and Soligo want the ball in the biggest moments
If Nicks cant see the type of player and person Rash is by now, he doesn't understand people. Why he doesn't run him in bursts through the middle has got me stuffed. The kid is an ego driven matchwinner... but not on the half forward flank.
 
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At one stage on the wing he just gave up on the marking contest as he had no chance. Just chose to let the bloke mark and hold him up.
We are seriously dumb

Was that the one where he didn’t even try to contest the mark, then gave away the 50 for knocking the ball out of the Melbourne player’s hand?
 
Rachele just being wasted off the ball, top 5 pick, other teams, successful teams get players like this on the ball because they want them to have ball and much as possible. At the Crows though you have to do a 5 year apprenticeship while over the hill garden gnomes like Rory Laird take out low flying aircraft.
 
Rachele just being wasted off the ball, top 5 pick, other teams, successful teams get players like this on the ball because they want them to have ball and much as possible. At the Crows though you have to do a 5 year apprenticeship while over the hill garden gnomes like Rory Laird take out low flying aircraft.
Like last year for the first 7 weeks when transitioned into the midfield in his 2nd year and average 20 disposals and kicked 10.10???? Have you got me on ignore because I swear I've told you this already when you complained about the same thing.
 

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Review Good, bad, the gallant shat loss - R4 vs Melbourne 2024

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