Roast How diabolical is our midfield?

[Drummond]

You are, you're hilarious...Nobody does melts like you, you're the supreme one...

Supreme content once again.

I truly wonder how anyone expects the Crows to become successful again when it’s painfully clear supports accept mediocrity.

 

[Carmo]

More so attitude, second to the ball and loss opposition players all day.

The second to the ball is a coaching direction. Its that's stark and we do it in SANFL and AFL. Young players start out hunting the ball and over time they change to pay far more attention to their opponent. How many times did Dawson just let his opponent beat him to it today?

I discount effort and even attitude today, not saying they were top rate for us, but we werent far off, our setup makes it very hard to go harder, all we'll do is give away free kicks all day.

 

[NTRabbit]

They had Bontempelli, Liberatore, and Bailey Smith

6

Bailey Smith

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

We had Dawson, Laird, and ?

And while Dawson is not as good as Bontempelli, and it's probably a wash between Laird and Liberatore from day to day, we don't have anyone as good as Bailey Smith

6

Bailey Smith

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

- Pedlar could be but he isn't fit enough to play midfield yet and may never be, Rachele and Rankine seem to be getting further away from the midfield, Jones and Milera are tried and failed mids, Berry and Soligo will never be that good, and Keays and Murphy are triers and gut runners to keep the rotation honest.

It's not great reading, but then again it hasn't been for a long time.

That's without thinking about how badly English thrashed O'Brien in the ruck, and only just beginning to consider our dire clearance work - we're always moving the ball backwards to a mid running in an arc towards the wing or trying to find an advancing flanker, surrendering time and territory without a good reason, rather than attacking directly out or through the contest. Are we doing that because it's all our personnel can do, or are we chooosing that stupid plan deliberately?

 

[Interloperer]

6/10 diabolical.

Not good but sold up the river by horrible strategic decisions upstairs today.

 

[dplggr47]

Depth (quality), Dawson goes down we have no one like him to replace him.
Laird goes down we have no one of his level to replace him.
Soligo up and down to be expected with a young player ditto Rachele.
Pedlar still finding his feet.
Berry gone backwards
Shoenberg - wtf
Keays -

Didn't like the look of Berry in there. At one stage, Berry got the clearance and had the opportunity to handpass to an open Dawson or kick it forward. He chose the latter and shanked it up into the air with no distance at all. The answer is to always handball to our good kicks like Dawson!

 

[BunjiMac]

As some one has said, we have ok building blocks but the depth and variety is just not there.

It's like we have a binary midfield. Either our system works or it doesn't.

I don't think this is actually good enough in three modern game. Sure I understand you need to have confidence in your system, but you must have alternatives you can throw at the opposition for situations where you need to change the game.

Hoping things just magically turn around seems to be what we do.

 

[Southerntakeover]

As some one has said, we have ok building blocks but the depth and variety is just not there.

It's like we have a binary midfield. Either our system works or it doesn't.

I don't think this is actually good enough in three modern game. Sure I understand you need to have confidence in your system, but you must have alternatives you can throw at the opposition for situations where you need to change the game.

Hoping things just magically turn around seems to be what we do.

The Craig philosophy that has been the core of our club for two decades.

Just win by playing your preferred game style betterer.

A hundred percent of the time it's worked none of the time

 

[Geoffa32]

And this is why Aussie Rules is a hard sport to quantify.

Statistically we won the midfield.


Eye test says no, our midfield got belted...

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Scorpus]

And this is why Aussie Rules is a hard sport to quantify.

Statistically we won the midfield.


Eye test says no, our midfield got belted...View attachment 1692153

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

???

We lost contested possessions by 35 and were destroyed in uncontested. That's not winning the midfield

 

[morris086]

And this is why Aussie Rules is a hard sport to quantify.

Statistically we won the midfield.


Eye test says no, our midfield got belted...View attachment 1692153

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

We won the stoppages stats wise, sure, but there is more to a midfield battle than that.

 

[Coopers]

Rubbish.
ANY team would love to have him.

Of course they would. And in a good midfield he'd be the 3rd or 4th best player.
He'd sit behind Petracca and Oliver for example, if you want to look at premiership quality midfields.

 

[BunjiMac]

And this is why Aussie Rules is a hard sport to quantify.

Statistically we won the midfield.


Eye test says no, our midfield got belted...View attachment 1692153

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

What you do with those possessions/clearances is still something the midfield should be judged on.

So this makes it even worse, because we got our hands on it first but fumbled or wasted the possession, perhaps due to the pressure that was applied.

So failure to execute under pressure is a failure of the midfield, without a doubt.

 

[ABAB]

Of course they would. And in a good midfield he'd be the 3rd or 4th best player.
He'd sit behind Petracca and Oliver for example, if you want to look at premiership quality midfields.

What's your point? All A grade midfielders will be behind those 2 elite midfielders.

 

[Danger in Texas]

And this is why Aussie Rules is a hard sport to quantify.

Statistically we won the midfield.


Eye test says no, our midfield got belted...View attachment 1692153

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Our problems today were our lack of skill going inside 50, our inability to win the ground ball, and our inability to get in a good position for clearing the ball in general play. All are not just midfield problems, but also half back/half forward/wing problems. Agree that the majority of the fault should go to whoever’s in the middle of the ground, though

We also didn’t lock the ball in our F50 nearly well enough, but that’s one thing that’s not on the mids

 

[Coopers]

What's your point? All A grade midfielders will be behind those 2 elite midfielders.

The point is we need a couple mids better than Laird.

 

[ABAB]

The point is we need a couple mids better than Laird.

Like currently Dawson and then Soligo, Rachele and Pedlar in a few years?

 

[Geoffa32]

???

We lost contested possessions by 35 and were destroyed in uncontested. That's not winning the midfield

That is not just a midfield stat.



As I said, you can't really quantify this game when you see we won every stoppage statistic.



On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Geoffa32]

What you do with those possessions/clearances is still something the midfield should be judged on.

So this makes it even worse, because we got our hands on it first but fumbled or wasted the possession, perhaps due to the pressure that was applied.

So failure to execute under pressure is a failure of the midfield, without a doubt.

Disposal efficiency for mids not far off theirs.


All I am saying are statistics are rubbish. This game shows it.


Anyone not watching the game and viewing stats would say our midfield did ok.


It got belted.

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Samcro24]

I dunno why you guys focus on players, I mean, sure someone like Dawson helps and is better than Keays, but listen to how the clubs and coaches talk, its system, system, system.

Our system got belted today, that was far and away the problem. Last week it was the solution.

Is this sarcasm?

 

[Multiballz]

Wouldnt call it diabolical. It is a lot more dynamic than the last few seasons, but is younger, smaller and still lacks key elements as far as player type is concerned. Not sold on the line Coach/ game plan either, but these have shown improvement also.

Dont like Sloane solidifying his place in it as a 4qrt starting mid again. Thats a step backward for me, despite the random brilliant quarters hes played late in games this season.

 

[dogs105]

Supreme content once again.

I truly wonder how anyone expects the Crows to become successful again when it’s painfully clear supports accept mediocrity.

Not sure anything on bigfooty affects the Crows' success

 

[FullyBigKPro]

Serong having another good game for Freo.... That non-pick for Macasey is looking more horrific every week.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Serong having another good game for Freo.... That non-pick for Macasey is looking more horrific every week.

That 2019 draft is looking bleaker than the much-maligned 2018 crop, as of right now

Holding out hope that Worrell turns out good, otherwise it could be 2016 all over again

 

[rocket18]

Didn't like the look of Berry in there. At one stage, Berry got the clearance and had the opportunity to handpass to an open Dawson or kick it forward. He chose the latter and shanked it up into the air with no distance at all. The answer is to always handball to our good kicks like Dawson!

I mentioned in the game day thread Berrys kicking was going to fit in beautifully to our midfield, the ole up and under hope for the best kick forward.

 

[BunjiMac]

I mentioned in the game day thread Berrys kicking was going to fit in beautifully to our midfield, the ole up and under hope for the best kick forward.

That was why he was dropped in the first place I reckon. Too often wanting to be the hero when in reality he doesn't have the skills to be. Goes for these long kicks that were invariably ending up with the opposition.

He needs to play within his limits and understand that he should pass off to the better skilled player. Laird suffered this for ages, and still does to some extent.

This is what I used to love about Bickley, he just knew what his limitations were which made him a better player not worse. As soon as Berry realises this he will become a better player.