Autopsy Its a wrap for 2023 Richmond by 13

[The King!]

Yes, we went to Buddy too often. But I think we're ignoring a greater problem there. Nobody else presented as consistently is Bud.

McDonald went missing in the second half unfortunately. Neither McLean or Hickey were able to have much of an impact when they weren't in the ruck.

It's a concern.

Well said

Buddy was the only one giving them a target in the end

 

[MR0808]

I'm sorry, Buddy is cooked. We went to him, and most of the time he screwed it up, that another player wouldn't have. I love buddy, but we are a better team without him now

 

[Maddo11]

Would have taken McAndrews tonight.

May have had an actual impact around the ground

Nank would have snapped him like a twig in the opening minutes

 

[The King!]

Yep.

Because we spread the ball and homour the best leads.

I believe that if you purely watched the forward line structure and leading patterns with and without Buddy, there would be a massive difference in space, separation and delivery

Take the eagles and hawks games out and I think our forward line has been poor regardless to be honest

 

[Dan87]

Just draw a line under it this year

It's all been nonsense

Next year will be better

 

[RilesMacca]

I know he's still coming back from injury but we need more from mills. Lacked any playmakers tonight, he was one of our best users last year, struggled to hit a target last year.

 

[Maddo11]

I'm sorry, Buddy is cooked. We went to him, and most of the time he screwed it up, that another player wouldn't have. I love buddy, but we are a better team without him now

The other players would have been McLean (who had his own chances and did what with them?) Or Amarety, who missed a half dozen kicks last week.

I'll put my faith in buddy until the end. Still pulls his weight.

Just don't handball to his feet in the wet (was that Hayward? I don't recall)

 

[The King!]

I'm sorry, Buddy is cooked. We went to him, and most of the time he screwed it up, that another player wouldn't have. I love buddy, but we are a better team without him now

We are 3-3 without him, including 2 games v witches hats well 3 Richmond were shit

 

[Superstar swan]

Even with the injury I think mills has been quite poor this year. Overtaken by gulden and warner

 

[ashep]

We're not as far off the pace as people think. We've had significant injuries to critical players and have had a shocking year in front of goals. Stats show that we've won less games than we should have, which shows some bad luck and should even out year to year.

Ladhams replacing Hickey as number one ruck, another year of development for McDonald, Gulden, Campbell and Warner, a preseason in the weightroom for Sheldrick, a fit Reid and a couple of ready made players in Barrass and Himmelberg and we're back in business.

 

[ShireSwan]

We'd need to go the rest of the year and only lose one to make finals now.
I mean it could happen, but it's not likely.

Looked so good at times in Q1 and 2. Unbeatable, had we kicked a few more.
But then we looked so awful in Q3.

 

[The King!]

I know he's still coming back from injury but we need more from mills. Lacked any playmakers tonight, he was one of our best users last year, struggled to hit a target last year.

He and blakey were poor by foot

 

[The King!]

4 wickets down

Jai will probably fall now

 

[Membling]

Nank would have snapped him like a twig in the opening minutes

Difference is I reckon he would bounce back up. Former union kid so can take a hit or two. If he was smart would try and make Nank run.

Buddy demands it. But now, it is when he shouldn't and be a decoy instead. That is the issue.

 

[zyzzbruh]

What leadership? All Horse does is pass the blame to whatever circumstance that he can...whether that's injuries or whatever else. Other coaches just get on with it and find solutions. Horse and co. sit on their hands hoping for a miracle.

I don't disagree with the last part. I mean in it in regards to getting the team up and about to play for him. There has never been a time this team hasn't played for him and risking that is way worse than trying to get someone else in to extract a mythical extra bit of performance.

At the end of the day we don't know if we would've come out and won that game if we never went defensive.. what if it meant a 7 goal loss? Who knows. Richmond did start ripping us even before we switched to defensive so what gives?

 

[Swans22]

I’ve been defending Horse but I have no idea why we threw Mills down back. Such a defensive move. After this move there was no surprises that they started to dominate clearance, stoppages after this. Their bigger bodies - Cotchin, Taranto, Martin etc went to work.
Also agree with other critics of having Francis as the sub. Compare to the influence that Ross had for the Tigers. We were never exposed for height with the tigers team so wasn’t necessary.

 

[Dan87]

Yeah Buddy wasn't the issue you're all going around in circles with him but he's going to leave a massive gap and you're not going to realise it til you have Amartey and McLean every week

 

[The King!]

Gulden feels more like a captain than the leadership group

 

[RilesMacca]

We're not as far off the pace as people think. We've had significant injuries to critical players and have had a shocking year in front of goals. Stats show that we've won less games than we should have, which shows some bad luck and should even out year to year.

Ladhams replacing Hickey as number one ruck, another year of development for McDonald, Gulden, Campbell and Warner, a preseason in the weightroom for Sheldrick and a couple of ready made players in Barrass and Himmelberg and we're back in business.

The gulf between our best and worst is what kills us, mixed of course with personel issues like you said.

 

[DobmusEdge]

I've been an advocate for the McDonald/Amartey/McLean forward set-up, but Buddy was clearly our best key forward tonight IMO.

I thought buddy was awful - one point the diff with five to go and he fluffs it - not even close to a point, after 351 games has developed zero game awareness. Also seems to have no idea he’s not longer agile, quick or strong so forever gets caught.

He has a legendary resume but is a liability to have in the team these days.

 

[bloodsbigot]

I hate it how we allowed Richmond to play the way they wanted to play in the second half.

And I hate it how we just let them stroll out of our forward fifty and how they just locked it into theirs.

 

[Cadsky]

Can't believe we still have 7 more mind numbing matches to go. This feels like the longest season ever. I've never actuality wanted a season to end so badly

 

[Bloods86]

We're not as far off the pace as people think. We've had significant injuries to critical players and have had a shocking year in front of goals. Stats show that we've won less games than we should have, which shows some bad luck and should even out year to year.

Ladhams replacing Hickey as number one ruck, another year of development for McDonald, Gulden, Campbell and Warner, a preseason in the weightroom for Sheldrick, a fit Reid and a couple of ready made players in Barrass and Himmelberg and we're back in business.

I admire the optimism that we'll nab Barrass and Himmelberg.

 

[J_Moore]

It hurts but he's probably going to be number one ruck next year

I reckon he’s only about 2 brainfades a game away from being a very good player

 

[Deccas]

I'm sorry, Buddy is cooked. We went to him, and most of the time he screwed it up, that another player wouldn't have. I love buddy, but we are a better team without him now

Logan had 1 touch after he handballed off for the goal. Putting this shit on Franklin when he was comfortably the best key forward on the ground is silly.