AFLW 2024 - Round 2 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Have we been more competitive though?
We need to make a top 5 I have got Nix.
That's enough for instant dismissal in my book
Nicks MO 100%. Our board is probably thinking how to extend his tenure already.
Fremantle is a few years ahead of us with their rebuild so a year's worth of games is significant for young players especially wasting games on McHenry and Murphy, Jones was on that list until last year (arguably he has returned to that list given his major regression admittedly caused by the Lisfranc injury).
Last year we won 11 and lost 12 so we didn’t have a winning game plan. Against Geelong Stewart had Pedlar assigned to him which wasn’t successful but he did try to to man him up. All coaches make moves and some work and others don’t. For example Blight put Mark Bairstow on Peter Matera in a Grand Final and Matera was best on ground. The major strength Nicks has is that the players believe in him and his game plan and he has built a united group. I think this is the most important thing a coach do. Look at the difference between Robert Shaw who was acknowledged as a good tactical coach but the Crows players didn’t respect him and were not united under him. The next year Blight united the group and success followed. The same happened from 2017 to 2018.
What? A lot of the games we loss were against the top teams which is why most thought we were a good chance of playing Finals this year, Nicks changed the game plan this year to be more defensive as he thought this was needed to take the next step and then later admitted he went to defensive focus after starting 0-4 and had to tweak it.
Actually, I was incorrect. Their rebuild is 5 years ahead of ours and not a few years, Pyke was still trying to make Finals in 2018 and 2019.
Neesham played a role too
Ok I admit it was a long time ago in brain cell usage but I didnt mind Bairstow - though iirc Matera had size on him - Blights other option was Riccardi and I figure he gambled that Riccardi would do as much damage as Matera
Yes and no. I dont subscribe to the idea that the players change the game plan themselves but I wonder why Nicks has 2 game plans when 1 is clearly more productive
There was a lot - a lot - of Anti-Vic bias then. Ironically media hounded Cornes out because '' we need a Victorian'' was very prominent then went cold on Shaw and I think that permeated through those who were Cornes players and how they white anted Shaw
Thats basic football knowledge for you
What do you call getting low picks in multiple consecutive years not received from trading out best 18 players? You don't think Simpson started the West Coast rebuild in the last few years then why is everyone saying West Coast is in a rebuild after they finished near the bottom for multiple consecutive years? Arguably, Longmuir benefited from Fremantle being in a rebuild for a few years before he took over whereas Nicks didn't, he inherited a list which had to be rebuilt from scratch with the poor 2018 and very poor 2019 drafts.
Bairstow was an on baller and started on the wing. The older players (particularly McDermott) grew tired of Cornes. Robert Shaw lost the players because he was old style fire and brimstone.
