On The Couch

[beartoo]

There is a lot of sense in a lot of the above posts. We are not quite there yet mainly because we are a young side. I do think we will match the Saints though. I have a gut feeling that their run will come to an end soon. They have been playing great footy, but my belief is that they will not maintain this for 22 weeks. Very few sides can.
Can we win the premiership in '09? Yep, if we continue to play as we have the last few weeks. Will we win it? Most likely not.
But it is one hell of an interesting year to be a Crows' supporter.

 

[Jars458]

ffs, can we win the flag. No. One reason,.. Geelong. NTSH.

 

[aneale]

St Kilda, Geelong, Collingwood, Brisbane and Carlton are the only teams to have conceded less points than us. We beat two of them and if our midfield didn't fall asleep against Brisbane the poor backline probaly would have us below Brisbane's points against as well.

Our forwarline is not going to come across many great defenses beyond Geelong and the Saints. It's just about consistence really. Realistically we need another tall marking forward and a true crumber to be fully dimensional in attack.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

ffs, can we win the flag. No. One reason,.. Geelong. NTSH.

We'll just have to manoeuvre ourselves into the other side of the finals series... and hope they lose their prelim.

Worked for Federer.

 

[Pietmans]

Sorry, can't let the Grant Thomas line about the Crows being 'shackled for 6 or 7 years now' and suddenly released to kick scores go by without a comment!

He's obviously picking up the tried and true supposition that Craig is a defensive coach only and has no plans re scoring goals.

I want to remind Thomas that in his first two full years as coach the Crows scored freely and often, as well as having the tightest defense in the competition. And then we had no above average forwards apart from Hentschel (before injury) and (hot and cold) Brett Burton.

NC himself has reminded the media of this in interview after interview but just like BF, if you say something enough times it becomes true!

 

[beartoo]

ffs, can we win the flag. No. One reason,.. Geelong. NTSH.

It is unlikely we will win the flag this year, but anything is possible in football. We were rank outsiders the two years we did win it. Possible scenario, we get to the granny against Geelong and they have a swag of injuries and an off day as well--anything can happen...
And probably won't.

 

[thirtytwo]

A reasonable position Dandy - but the experience and confidence the guys will be developing as a cohesive unit is invaluable, and will stand them in good stead when it becomes time to play a St Kilda or Geelong.

As much as it's a negative, the inconsistency is also a massive positive - Tippett has a bad day, Walker kicks 5. Walker has a bad day, Tippett kicks 7. Porps has a quiet day, Knights kicks 5. Knights has a quiet day (only kicks 3), and Porps slots 4.

Also against Carlton Danger kicked 1.4 and 1 oof.
With a bit more accuracy there we could have potentially had Danger with 5, Tex with 5 then Tippett with 7. Knighta running amok and Porps just doing his thing. There is a lot to like about our forward line eh!

Also we are getting scores from our mids Bernie, Dogga and Dougy mainly. But big Ivan rates a mention too, what a celebration that was. If we can consistently keep this up, and get some more contributors from the middle we will be a hard team to control.

 

[WALL-e]

On the Couch comments tonight.

Healy: "I think you'll find after the Pies game, the Crows are the third best team in the league."

Sheahan: ZOMG ROFL!!!111!110-101..JUDD....James?

Hird: "Yeah I think that's about right."

 

[macca23]

On the Couch comments tonight.

Healy: "I think you'll find after the Pies game, the Crows are the third best team in the league."

Sheahan: ZOMG ROFL!!!111!110-101..JUDD....James?

Hird: "Yeah I think that's about right."

When you talk Sheahan, you are talking Vic-centric.

He was almost appalled when Healy suggested that Adelaide may well be the 3rd best side, and as you've correctly put it, virtually appealed unsuccessfully for Hird not to back Healy.

He is a pathetic journalist in that sense - pathetic.

 

[DirrtyBee]

Sheehan will never surprise me he's the same week in week out. I always chuckle at Healy haha he's like 99% always pro-crow even the 3rd best team made me raise an eyebrow.

 

[King Elvis]

When you talk Sheahan, you are talking Vic-centric.

He was almost appalled when Healy suggested that Adelaide may well be the 3rd best side, and as you've correctly put it, virtually appealed unsuccessfully for Hird not to back Healy.

He is a pathetic journalist in that sense - pathetic.

Healy has been a fan of ours for years - even last year, he was one of the few non-Crows people who was stating how good the youth on our list was, and potentially could be.

Hirdy has been a fan for the bulk of this year - and, unlike Sheehan, basis his statements in fact.

What you said above is spot on tonight - Sheehan almost couldn't believe Healy said it, and turned to Hird expecting im to say Healy was crazy, not back him.

I think Saints/Cats then at the next level is Dogs/Crows/Pies - in that order.

 

[The Panther]

Healy has been a fan of ours for years - even last year, he was one of the few non-Crows people who was stating how good the youth on our list was, and potentially could be.

It's more to do with Healy being a renowned Collingwood hater.

 

[smoovy]

On the Couch comments tonight.

Healy: "I think you'll find after the Pies game, the Crows are the third best team in the league."

Sheahan: ZOMG ROFL!!!111!110-101..JUDD....James?

Hird: "Yeah I think that's about right."

Missed excatly what was said, but I am not surprised Mike went into Binary.

 

[spexau]

Missed excatly what was said, but I am not surprised Mike went into Binary.

Let's hope he doesn't start stringing together too many continuous sentences in binary or he'll travel back in time and make sure no interstate clubs have the chance to turn the VFL into AFL!

Hopefully the segment pops up on Youtube so I can have a look at it. I think saying we're the 3rd best team is a stretch but if you say we're equal 3rd with the Dogs and Pies then that's about right. For this week anyway

 

[BACCS]

Let's hope he doesn't start stringing together too many continuous sentences in binary or he'll travel back in time and make sure no interstate clubs have the chance to turn the VFL into AFL!

Hopefully the segment pops up on Youtube so I can have a look at it. I think saying we're the 3rd best team is a stretch but if you say we're equal 3rd with the Dogs and Pies then that's about right. For this week anyway

I think Healy was eluding to the fact the Bullies haven't been travelling superbly of late, while this weeks games against the Pies will be an indicator of who that 3rd best side is at the moment, even though ladder positions suggest otherwise at the minute.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Notice that Gerard didn't say this after the St Kilda game.

We've managed to keep our reputation intact despite that game it seems. Why is that?

 

[jenny61_99]

Notice that Gerard didn't say this after the St Kilda game.

We've managed to keep our reputation intact despite that game it seems. Why is that?

I think initially he was very disappointed in us. The following weekend, however, when the Bulldogs were dismantled similarly, he had his answer. St Kilda are just that good.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I think initially he was very disappointed in us. The following weekend, however, when the Bulldogs were dismantled similarly, he had his answer. St Kilda are just that good.

There were several other judges who were disappointed with us that week (Garry Lyon), mostly because they tipped us and we made them look bad.

A solid effort against a slightly undermanned Geelong team who are basically filling time 'til the finals start and it seems that the St Kilda game is forgotten. I'm not sure it should be. It just screamed 'alarm bells' to me about the quality of some of the players in our first choice 22. But for everyone else it seems to have screamed 'anomaly.' Forget it and move on.

We seem to be drawing more conclusions about our quality from the Geelong game and matches against bottom eight clubs than we are from our game against the league leaders. Who aren't infallible because they barely fell over the line against the Swans.

The St Kilda game was the closest thing to a final we have faced this year and we failed dismally. This week will be similar and I think we can draw some conclusions about our future prospects from the result. Win and we can do some damage in September. Lose and it will be 07/08 all over again.

 

[crowman86]

Lets not forget that most of our pre season predictions were to have the Crows finishing just outside the 8. The fact that we make finals will be an achievement this year. Thats not destination disease kicking in, its being realistic. I do expect us to shake a few feathers when we make it though.

 

[Allefgib]

Lets not forget that most of our pre season predictions were to have the Crows finishing just outside the 8. The fact that we make finals will be an achievement this year. Thats not destination disease kicking in, its being realistic. I do expect us to shake a few feathers when we make it though.

If we have one good finals win and one competitive finals loss I think everyone would be 'okay' with the season (after a few weeks to get some perspective).

More importantly everyone.. fire the **** up for this Saturday. We win this week and we'll send a real message AND put ourselves in a great chance to make a prelim final.

 

[jenny61_99]

There were several other judges who were disappointed with us that week (Garry Lyon), mostly because they tipped us and we made them look bad.

A solid effort against a slightly undermanned Geelong team who are basically filling time 'til the finals start and it seems that the St Kilda game is forgotten. I'm not sure it should be. It just screamed 'alarm bells' to me about the quality of some of the players in our first choice 22. But for everyone else it seems to have screamed 'anomaly.' Forget it and move on.

We seem to be drawing more conclusions about our quality from the Geelong game and matches against bottom eight clubs than we are from our game against the league leaders. Who aren't infallible because they barely fell over the line against the Swans.

The St Kilda game was the closest thing to a final we have faced this year and we failed dismally. This week will be similar and I think we can draw some conclusions about our future prospects from the result. Win and we can do some damage in September. Lose and it will be 07/08 all over again.

All good points Carl, but I think the St Kilda game was an anomaly to a degree. We didn't come to play or we certainly weren't prepared for the hard contest when it kicked in (bearing in mind we did ok in the first quarter). It's easier to put in perspective our performance against the Saints when everyone else has fallen on the sword when put to the test too, particularly when we backed up that performance with a powerful game against Port and a good showing against Geelong.

The patch of 4-5 games (St Kilda, Port, Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn) was always going to be a test of where we really stand. So far, I think we've performed reasonably well. This week's test will be more definitive I think. We know we can beat them, we've already beaten them this year but they are playing much better footy than they were earlier. So it will be interesting to see if we can take them on mentally as well as physically.

 

[birdmanptr]

Notice that Gerard didn't say this after the St Kilda game.

We've managed to keep our reputation intact despite that game it seems. Why is that?

The way i see it a loss like against the saints is ok if you learn from it came out next week and flogged our little brother like we should have then almost pulled of a great win on Saturday.

I know a Geelong supporter who lives in Melbourne and he was most impressed with us on Saturday

 

[birdmanptr]

Missed excatly what was said, but I am not surprised Mike went into Binary.

Nor me he and rooch are just the same and work to the same motto

Never praise the Crows despite how good they are and stick the knives in every chance we get

 

[beartoo]

St Kilda game was stage fright. Mostly young side overawed by the occasion. Glad we've got that out of the way.
This week and next will tell us where we sit in relation to the good sides. I thought at the start of this 5 game run that if we won 3 we'd be doing well. Let's hope we do!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I think the St Kilda game was an anomaly to a degree. We didn't come to play or we certainly weren't prepared for the hard contest when it kicked in (bearing in mind we did ok in the first quarter). It's easier to put in perspective our performance against the Saints when everyone else has fallen on the sword when put to the test too, particularly when we backed up that performance with a powerful game against Port and a good showing against Geelong.

In one of Michelangelo Rucci's articles this morning (I still read them ) he pointed out that our record against the other clubs in the top eight is 3-7 which is less than impressive.

I guess I'll feel a lot more comfortable about our chances if we can knock off Collingwood this week!