JLT2 - Game Day Thread

[hey shorty]

Don’t ever, EVER put Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins in same category again when talking about footballing ability.

Once has it in spades and is a once in a generation player, the other only resembles something of a footballer when he’s standing unmarked in the goal square.


For ****s sake Eddie is even the main person who hands Jenkins all of his goals on a platter!

The point still stands though. JJ has runs on the board, however a performance like yesterday in R1 against a team he plays well against on a ground he plays well at...... well the pressure will come.

Himmelberg will continue to improve in the SANFL, and I reckon Dear is a guy who will step up given the chance. The options are there, or we switch it up and risk Brouch to play an extra mid through the front half.

I have been a fan of JJ but yesterday was extremely concerning

 

[hey shorty]

If you're willing to back Gibson in to the hilt I'm willing to ride it weekly

He does so many things right, so many things our midfield lacks.

His kicking is generally OK but the bad ones are worse than bad.

 

[baldandbroke]

So now the trolling from the Pear is dying down ... some random thoughts from yesterday's game:

• Fogarty - must play, he just loves the contest and should get AFL level experience as quick as possible.
• Doedee - lock it in. One of the better auditions I have seen from a young player, will be a loved and admired part of our team for years to come
• Gibbs - I still like him at half-back, but the guy is class where ever he plays. He is as hard at it as anyone (except maybe the Fog)
• Laird - Our best player now? He is unbelievably good.
• Crouch - Gun, becoming more gunny by the minute.
• Brown - reliable and skilled. Maybe under-utilised in the back pocket?
• Lynch - solid. Very brave of him to play in the direct sunlight on a 35 degree day
• Greenwood - looks to be improving still. Is a very useful addition to our mids.
• Hampton - another one that has shown enough, his pressure and tackling are top-notch
• CEY - keeps surprising me with his inside work, but his pace will mean we can't play him and Greenwood in the same 22
• Gibson - I'm not sure what was so bad about his game? I thought he was finding his way nicely.
• Betts - on the ball work was really really good, is so fearless and clean with his hands
• Sloane - Very rusty. We cannot feed him to the taggers again in 2018. He doesn't handle it and it wastes his talent. Half forward for me.
• McGovern - hard to read anything into the game with his early injury.
• Kelly - surely everyone loves this guy by now?
• Douglas - I always under-estimate Pizza Boy, he is always physical and aggressive.
• Murphy - showed his potential again. Real chance for a call up based on attitude alone.
• Talia - much better signs. Was all over Dixon as usual.
• Jacobs - got pushed around a bit in the ruck, but competed really well around the ground.
• Hartigan - struggles to get his head right. Needs to be put on a short leash by the coaching group.
• Mackay - his nickname should be rag-doll. He competed well but his disposal seemed off.
• Jenkins - one of the worst performances I have seen from someone who needed to show a change in attitude and effort. Looked like he didn't want to be out there.
• Keath - injured, bugger.

I would suggest that the Crows Coaching group would be ecstatic with the pre-season hit outs. Surely they have a clear idea of what we can take to Melbourne for round 1 now?

 

[FR0GGY]

People are acting like this is a new “bad” version of JJ.
Put a couple of easy goals next to his name yesterday and that’s a stock standard game for him.
Most people just say he’s a 50 goal forward, sure, but it’s what he doesn’t dish up.

 

[Elite Crow]

He looks bigger and slower which is my main concern.

Last year ran with Robbie Gray. Today couldn’t even run with a tortoise.

Hartigans has a limited preseason hasn’t he? What’s been wrong?

 

[Elite Crow]

So you agree Betts should be turfed?

We'd be replacing about 16 players from the GF. Fogarty's one that could come in. Name the other 15?

We lost the grand final, so do we really need to start a rebuild? Get a grip.

As for the "attitude of a GF losing side", did you call for the cleanout the week before the GF? Did you back Richmond in to win?

Or do you back the players that won their way through? The "losers" who are rubbish now and need to go?

If Fogarty can run out a real game of AFL football I'd love to see him get a game. What he's shown in half a game of one JLT pre-season nothing game is promising, and it's great he's shown something and has his hand up.

Darren Jarman came to us as a player with a reputation of not performing in finals.....

The vitriol directed at JJ on BF is appalling, and he's been singled out as a scapegoat for the GF loss. It really needs to stop as it's frankly pretty disgraceful.

BTW, played a bit of footy have you? Played in any winning GF's? Achieved anything in sport? Ever represented your country before? Before you have a crack at other people's attitudes have a look in the mirror.

Are you Rowie?

Can you name for your forward line for round 1?

 

[CrowBloke]

Re: Gibson ---

That's it - good average player , an AFL player but not one that makes a difference to a contending side when guys like Milera , Galluci etc could improve the team if they come on

I'd select Gibson before Milera and Galluci on the basis of fitness, skill set and experience alone, until/unless the latter two lift and demand to be selected before Gibson which doesn't look like happening soon. After Gibson becomes more familiar with his teammates, structures and running patterns his DE will improve (Gibbs, too).

Same type of player....little to no X factor. Not a player that will bust a game open. Break glass in emergency option.

Yes, even if he's only needed to tag one of Diverwood/Diverfield/Mupplet and others, as required. How many of the Crows have that X-factor, anyway? Betts, Sloane, MCrouch (potential Brownlow Medallist imo), Gov, Laird, Smith when fit, Tex at his best, Gibbs, maybe The Fog ... most players in every team fit the "little to no X factor" or "good average player" mould.

 

[rezagun]

After yesterdays game there is imo 3 spots up for grabs in the 22. Between these 3 positions we will select an inside mid and 2 runners. We looked slow yesterday and on the fast deck at etihad you need speed. For this reason alone they will pick Mackay. Its terrible but it happens every year. He is the bradbury of the afc somehow getting through unscathed while everyone else in a similar position gets injured during pre season.(Milera, Knight, Galucci.)
Hartigan was hopeless yesterday and should be dropped for rd 1. Letting Watts beat him 1 on 1 numerous times and kick 6 on him was laughable. Not sure about Keaths injury but i feel he is better to go with daniher anyway.
With Walker a 50/50 to get up for rd 1 and Brad Crouch unlikely Jenkins will get picked as much as we dont like it. His efforts in the 2 games ive seen have been putrid and giving him a gold pass is just stupidity.
What i think they will go with for rd 1.

F. Fogarty Mcgovern Betts

Hf. Douglas Walker Lynch

C. Atkins Sloane Seedsman

Hb. Laird Keath Doedee

B. Kelly Talia Brown

R. Jacobs M.Crouch Gibbs

Int. Jenkins, Ellis yolmen, Hampton, Mackay

 

[pjcrows]

I'm bummed in not getting the 4 points yesterday. Had everything to play for, a lot to prove, and a step backwards.

Oh wait...

 

[mistylake]

Especially after that last one.....83 points if I’m not mistaken.

The best 9 deg day, standing in the rain on the muddy Adelaide Oval hill I can remember.

 

[CrowBloke]

Just watched the post-Port JLT2 interview with Fogarty.
He spoke with thoughtful maturity for his age, very calm too, not overawed. Big future.

 

[PasswordisTaco]

Looks like we'll have to fight for a Fog debut.

 

[Huntercrow]

I missed from mid way in the third quarter. Thanks Lano and Woodley!

A 52 point turn around in the second half is very unlike us.
But the first half despite having underdone players and some very ordinary delivery into the forward line was good. With a bit more polish we should have blown them away by half time. And to see Fogarty dominate was fantastic.

From their it was all Port. To see senior players doggin it up is not that big a worry in a JLT. We know they will get it right eventually.

So who’s this Melbourne reject kicking 6 goals? What does this say about Melbourne? Should their supporters be asking questions about their player development? It’s only early days so perhaps it’s a one off but if Watts can keep this up then it makes his time in Victoria a bit of a joke.

In a normal year without AFLX there would be one more JLT to sort out the squad so for me nothing too dramatic. Some senior players looking underdone but they know what they need to do.

Now I see what Doedee has to offer. 2 Very good Lever style plays in the first half. He definitely plays round 1.

 

[mistylake]

Based on 2017 disposal efficiency

Players who burnt the ball more than Gibson

Matt Crouch
Rory Sloane
DMAC
Atkins
Jacobs
Brad Crouch
Jenkins
Greenwood
Douglas
Lynch
Tex

So all our ball burners are mostly mids and forwards.
Maybe we need to change it up and flip the team on it’s head.
Jenkins to fullback, Hartigan to Full forward.
Shudder.

 

[Cap]

It appears the Advertiser didnt get the brief that it is a trial match

 

[Elite Crow]

This is an example of what Jenkins is offering:

Start of the game, 18.08 seconds on the clock, quick ball forward, Howard attacks the ball, Jenkins jogs, Howard wins the ball anf Jenkins is not close to attacking the ball or player. If you can’t be bothered Josh **** off.

 

[azza77]

The point still stands though. JJ has runs on the board, however a performance like yesterday in R1 against a team he plays well against on a ground he plays well at...... well the pressure will come.

Himmelberg will continue to improve in the SANFL, and I reckon Dear is a guy who will step up given the chance. The options are there, or we switch it up and risk Brouch to play an extra mid through the front half.

I have been a fan of JJ but yesterday was extremely concerning

JJ DID have runs on the board, but they’re all gone after he was poor for a lot of 2017 imo, despite the goal output.

His general softness and lack of want to attack any contest with some hardness is crap. Doesn’t really provide a good down the line target now either and doesn’t do a whole lot around the ground.

People defended him saying he was injured. Well now he’s had a whole PS and been given 2 JLT games to come out and show that he’s put that pitiful mentality behind him, and he’s done sweet **** all.

The way he goes up for contests so half arsed really shits me. Or he just falls to the ground in a heap like a kid that’s just had his candy taken away. Then he spends a few minutes scrambling away trying to tackle people, but it looks more like someone playing pin the tail on the donkey.

His nothing efforts in the first quarter alone were enough to drive me crazy, and yes it is a huge concern, considering we’ve got another 3 years of this shit show to come!

 

[Elite Crow]

Watching the replay and Fog is chewing gum, what tha?

 

[azza77]

Hartigans has a limited preseason hasn’t he? What’s been wrong?

I’m not sure, I wouldn’t have thought so? Don’t remember hearing anything.

As I said before he normally takes a few games to get settled in with his disposal/decision making and general football nous, but yesterday he looked like Ben Rutten running around out there.

 

[Bearded Clam]

Clowns were trash, Lennies was a hole. The only time it was worth the pain of putting up with the regulars down there was when Even Flow were playing.

A pearl jam cover band???... haha... you can’t compare bands that write and play their own music with bands that just cover other bands.. The only cover band worthy of seeing back then was the zep boys..

And yeah... lennies was a hole, I’ll admit that... how’s how nearly every Friday or Saturday night when they closed up and forced everyone out into the car park you were almost guaranteed to see a punch up!

but I saw some great music and had some fu*kin hilarious nights down the bay in those days..

 

[Cap]

I think it is amazing that JJ has fallen to whipping boy so quickly.

He deserves it, was one of the all time worst GF performances in living memory.

Up to him if he wants to be remembered for that.

 

[Bearded Clam]

JJ DID have runs on the board, but they’re all gone after he was poor for a lot of 2017 imo, despite the goal output.

His general softness and lack of want to attack any contest with some hardness is crap. Doesn’t really provide a good down the line target now either and doesn’t do a whole lot around the ground.

People defended him saying he was injured. Well now he’s had a whole PS and been given 2 JLT games to come out and show that he’s put that pitiful mentality behind him, and he’s done sweet **** all.

The way he goes up for contests so half arsed really shits me. Or he just falls to the ground in a heap like a kid that’s just had his candy taken away. Then he spends a few minutes scrambling away trying to tackle people, but it looks more like someone playing pin the tail on the donkey.

His nothing efforts in the first quarter alone were enough to drive me crazy, and yes it is a huge concern, considering we’ve got another 3 years of this shit show to come!

I’ve been on the defend JJ train.. not going to for much longer if the crap he served up yesterday continues..

Can’t see him not playing round 1 though.. especially with tex in doubt.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

So all our ball burners are mostly mids and forwards.
Maybe we need to change it up and flip the team on it’s head.

That's the same for every team in the competition. Defenders always have the best disposal efficiency, forwards the worst. It's easier to kick the ball in the back half - time, space, options, sideways if needed. Front half of the ground is crowded.

 

[footy4ever]

So all our ball burners are mostly mids and forwards.
Maybe we need to change it up and flip the team on it’s head.
Jenkins to fullback, Hartigan to Full forward.
Shudder.

Yep, we are so bad we only finished minor premier last season.

 

[Carmo]

Some thoughts,
The play seemed crowded and we never seemed to get much normally open play we have, I think the low camera angles contributed, but also alberton is 170 by 130 vs AO's 167 by 165, which makes alberton an extremely narrow ground.

To me Talia will be a chance to be suspended for that errant elbow, but likewise, dixon has got to be a chance with that spear tackle on hartigan

We really only ran our B team and didn't look to be going full bore, which was fine for that game and we did go pretty full bore against freo and in AFLX, but it does worry me a bit if we might be sluggish as a result when we start the real stuff.

I didn't watch a replay until last night and as usual, the same drama queens in here were saying the usual suspects were terrible when they were in fact serviceable to good (hampton, gibson, mackay are notable in this regard).

Some real postives were seedsman, CEY, fogarty, doedee, murphy and gibbs.

We seem to have done more experimenting this preseason that for any of the recent ones I can think of.

Our defensive setup doesn't seem to have changed, which gets thumbs down from me.

Commentators fapping over port youngsters form was sickening...... how come they magically come good over the preseason? They didn't do shit compared to our youngsters in the SANFL in the last few years.

We did look a tiny bit slow, not anywhere near an issue to the extent the commentators were making out. Though that said, I'd like to see how well those skinny port kids will be going late in the year after a season of bumps and bruises.