Review POSITIVES---> Semi-Final against Geelong

[clivewaterhousen]

1. Walters, looks the goods.
2. Mcpharlin towled up Mooney
3. Showed a bit of fight in the 2nd and 3rd, ability is there just couldnt get it past the half forward line efficiently
4. experience at the G
5. PURPLE ARMY
6. Pav somehow kicked the most goals and netted me $130

 

[leungtl]

7. Our youngsters got a chance to experience first-hand where we should be in a few years time

 

[electricfeel]

Thought Fyfe played well. His marking is incredibly good for an absolute twig!

 

[Catch 22]

Geelong took a truckload of marks inside our forward 50.

The positive from this is that we will learn not to kick and hope. And learn to put a bit of oomph into our passes.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Youse done alright. Nae bastard was beating them.

Lots to look forward to.

 

[pinkus maximus]

very impresed with Roberton again. He just looks so composed witht he ball in his hands. How a bloke like this gets to pick 49 in a supposedly shallow draft is perplexing

 

[RickSanchez]

He's a decent kick, good mark, attacks hard and is crazily good for a pick that late. Will be a gun. Decision making needs some attention to, but that will improve. Great pick.

Walters and Fyfe were great. We looked nervous at the start but picked up. Morabito will be an absolute gun. I think he could win a brownlow, he has such confidence, sometimes it can be a bad thing but I reckon he will turn it into a good thing. He doesn't mind using the left and never afraid to demand the ball. As disappointing as the end was, the future won't be we got stars in the making, I am as pessimistic as they come but even I know the future of this club will be bright, always good to look at the positives. Go the Dockers!

 

[Rockford]

I think Ablett said it best in an interview after the game, in 2-3 years they're (the Dockers) are going to be a very dangerous side. In tonight's game it looked like men vs boys, reminded me of the Cat's losing Prelim against Brisbane in 2004. Our guys were just years behind them in terms of pre-seasons and physical strength.

I _hope_ what also happened (for Freo's sake) tonight was that Harvey learnt something about playing injured players in finals. It's experience for him too. He shouldn't have played Sandilands and I don't know what he was thinking playing Headland, I know he really, really rates him but still.

 

[shark75]

Totally agree Rockland. I do have a feeling that we are 2 years ago away from a top 4 team.

 

[Stronzo]

I think Ablett said it best in an interview after the game, in 2-3 years they're (the Dockers) are going to be a very dangerous side. In tonight's game it looked like men vs boys, reminded me of the Cat's losing Prelim against Brisbane in 2004. Our guys were just years behind them in terms of pre-seasons and physical strength.

I _hope_ what also happened (for Freo's sake) tonight was that Harvey learnt something about playing injured players in finals. It's experience for him too. He shouldn't have played Sandilands and I don't know what he was thinking playing Headland, I know he really, really rates him but still.

Good comments mate

 

[go_the_dockers]

Totally agree Rockland. I do have a feeling that we are 2 years ago away from a top 4 team.

Dont want to be pessimistic, but in two years Pav will be 30 and Sandilands will be 29. While they will still be playing good footy, they will start to drop of quickly. Mcpharlin is a similar age.

Are biggest issue in 3-4 years will be are key position players.

 

[Spoken4]

Really pleased with Fyfe, Roberton, Broughton and Walters. Were unfazed by the bright lights and stood up tonight.

Hill was down but this was probably due to his tag. Morabito had little impact.

Sandi was less than 50% of his usual impact. MJ, Duffield and Macpharlin were good.

Pav played very well as a forward and really hope that we can get more quality in the midfield that allows him to spend next year as a permanent forward.

 

[Alfonz]

Totally agree Rockland. I do have a feeling that we are 2 years ago away from a top 4 team.

We are a top 4 team right now if we had the injury list of Collingwood and Geelong.

I know what Ablett was trying to say, but I still found the comments a little condescending, as if we are just some young pretenders who can't consider themselves contenders. Which is true, with the crippled side we put out over the last half of the year.

The way our list is balanced with the age of Sandi, Tarrant, Pav, McPharlin, Hayden ... I feel that 2010-2011, maybe pushing 2012 was/is our best chance at a flag.

With Tarrant leaving and Mundy maybe going, it may well prove that 2010 offered us our best chance if injuries had not struck. The team was flying and capable of playing as good as anybody, and you just don't know when the planets will align and have us at that level again. Many people thought the likes of the Bulldogs or Adelaide would progress and challenge, look how that has panned out?

 

[Scham]

We are a top 4 team right now if we had the injury list of Collingwood and Geelong.

I know what Ablett was trying to say, but I still found the comments a little condescending, as if we are just some young pretenders who can't consider themselves contenders. Which is true, with the crippled side we put out over the last half of the year.

The way our list is balanced with the age of Sandi, Tarrant, Pav, McPharlin, Hayden ... I feel that 2010-2011, maybe pushing 2012 was/is our best chance at a flag.

With Tarrant leaving and Mundy maybe going, it may well prove that 2010 offered us our best chance if injuries had not struck. The team was flying and capable of playing as good as anybody, and you just don't know when the planets will align and have us at that level again. Many people thought the likes of the Bulldogs or Adelaide would progress and challenge, look how that has panned out?

Good post again Alf. I too took Abletts comments about us being 3 or 4 years away very condescending. Arrogant liitle prick.

Geelong were at full strength last night and we were missing 3 of our best 5 players and our best player this year wasn't fit and shouldn't have played and consequently had no impact. We're not that far away!

 

[Rob]

We are a top 4 team right now if we had the injury list of Collingwood and Geelong.

Nah, not if the Dogs were close to full strength as well. But I reckon we are probably another 2 years away - keep in mind there is going to be another cleanout this season with another heap of rookies added. We probably won't have the depth to be able to compete with the best sides next year, much like this year. But if we can stay healthy top 4 is a realistic target.

The positive is that Geelong, St Kilda and the Dogs are clearly on the way down, and the age of their best 22, especially Geelong and the Dogs, indicate that when they fall they will fall quickly. How far they'll drop next year is anyone's guess.

 

[E Shed]

Positives, mainly just the way the young ones took to the biggest stage they've yet been on. Fyfe is absolutely out of the box. We have, for the first time, 4 absolute stars in the making in Hill, Morabito, Barlow & Fyfe and an A grade support cast in Ballantyne, Suban, Broughton, Mayne, Roberton, Walters, DeBoer, Chrighton etc.
Also positive was a superb forward performance from the Skip with limited opportunities and bad delivery. His kicking was flawless on the biggest stage and that's been a worry this year.
Definitely of note is Michael Johnson's effort in the ruck. He tried his guts out, dropped back and took strong marks in defence, linked up well. Thought he really came back strongly at the end of the year after his form / indiscretions.
McPharlin played 2 exemplary games in defence to finish the year destroying Buddy and then Mooney. Grovers tried his guts out and Hayden went hard.

EDIT - I don't find it in the least insulting to say we are a few years away. The core of our group are barely (if) out of their teens. Of course they will get better. You could see Hill couldn't tackle Ablett and Chapman even though he tried.In a few years Mora and Hill will take games like this apart.

 

[re cat]

Congratulations to your supporters last night. They were loud and proud and a pleasure to talk to last night. Good luck in the future.

 

[Lach72]

Nah, not if the Dogs were close to full strength as well. But I reckon we are probably another 2 years away - keep in mind there is going to be another cleanout this season with another heap of rookies added. We probably won't have the depth to be able to compete with the best sides next year, much like this year. But if we can stay healthy top 4 is a realistic target.

I disagree to an extent.

Dumping Dodd, Schammer, Headland, Solomon, Murphy,Thornton, O'Brien, Hinkley will not affect us at all. Hase may as his first half of the year was good.

We will top up with more quality kids

 

[docker_champ29]

We are a top 4 team right now if we had the injury list of Collingwood and Geelong.

Don't make excuses. Geelong and Collingwood have A-Grade depth anyway.

Positives, mainly just the way the young ones took to the biggest stage they've yet been on. Fyfe is absolutely out of the box. We have, for the first time, 4 absolute stars in the making in Hill, Morabito, Barlow & Fyfe and an A grade support cast in Ballantyne, Suban, Broughton, Mayne, Roberton, Walters, DeBoer, Chrighton etc.
Also positive was a superb forward performance from the Skip with limited opportunities and bad delivery. His kicking was flawless on the biggest stage and that's been a worry this year.
Definitely of note is Michael Johnson's effort in the ruck. He tried his guts out, dropped back and took strong marks in defence, linked up well. Thought he really came back strongly at the end of the year after his form / indiscretions.
McPharlin played 2 exemplary games in defence to finish the year destroying Buddy and then Mooney. Grovers tried his guts out and Hayden went hard.

EDIT - I don't find it in the least insulting to say we are a few years away. The core of our group are barely (if) out of their teens. Of course they will get better. You could see Hill couldn't tackle Ablett and Chapman even though he tried.In a few years Mora and Hill will take games like this apart.

Agree with all of this.

 

[ripitup27]

I think Ablett said it best in an interview after the game, in 2-3 years they're (the Dockers) are going to be a very dangerous side. In tonight's game it looked like men vs boys, reminded me of the Cat's losing Prelim against Brisbane in 2004. Our guys were just years behind them in terms of pre-seasons and physical strength.
.

This is word for word what I was going to say. Cats v Lions prelim in 2004, we just looked so much smaller compared to the battle hardened bodies.

Dockers will be there abouts in the coming years, no doubt at all.

 

[wehavethepassion]

Positives, mainly just the way the young ones took to the biggest stage they've yet been on. Fyfe is absolutely out of the box. We have, for the first time, 4 absolute stars in the making in Hill, Morabito, Barlow & Fyfe and an A grade support cast in Ballantyne, Suban, Broughton, Mayne, Roberton, Walters, DeBoer, Chrighton etc.
Also positive was a superb forward performance from the Skip with limited opportunities and bad delivery. His kicking was flawless on the biggest stage and that's been a worry this year.
Definitely of note is Michael Johnson's effort in the ruck. He tried his guts out, dropped back and took strong marks in defence, linked up well. Thought he really came back strongly at the end of the year after his form / indiscretions.
McPharlin played 2 exemplary games in defence to finish the year destroying Buddy and then Mooney. Grovers tried his guts out and Hayden went hard.

EDIT - I don't find it in the least insulting to say we are a few years away. The core of our group are barely (if) out of their teens. Of course they will get better. You could see Hill couldn't tackle Ablett and Chapman even though he tried.In a few years Mora and Hill will take games like this apart.

agree. it does take time for the youngsters to do 4-5 preaseasons and get to the 80-100 game mark. reading somewhere usually that premiership teams have a total of about 2000-2500 games of experience.

and lets face the cats made to prelims in 2004 & 2005 and the core group of those sides are still there until ultimate sucess in 2007 & 2009.

harvey's & pav comments in today's WORST is where all our thinking should be
plann well, work F&&&en hard and take abbasolutely nothing for granted in any season.

 

[esquilax]

Many will not see this as a POSITIVE, but the sports-science department have been given a clear indication of what they have to research/work-on.

Why does our intensity go missing away?

Rnd 17, Rnd 19 and this semi, plus I'd argue Rnd 11 too although Adelaide played out of their skins.

Strong(er) at home and pickup more of those games away and we're top 4.

You can't make a run for the flag from anywhere else.