Review R16: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. GWS Giants

[BACCS]

Watching the replay and ROB was massive in that 2nd quarter. Clunked a few important marks, tapped to Rankine’s advantage from a stoppage to give him his 2nd goal and even laced out a 50m pass to Tex I50! His best game in ages and not surprising we won the clearance count as a result.

 

[n4sir]

I'm a bit late to the party, but here goes:

The Best:

Rankine - I can't decide whether to call him Elite or Delicious? An unbelievably blinding first half of footy.




Fog - His work rate is just off the charts. He came into this season a tad underdone, and the last couple of months we are seeing what he's capable of - and that's with relatively little support and suspect delivery to him.

Dawson - Just about the perfect game you can expect given the hard tag he had. The balance of his time at CBA and around the ground was managed well, especially when he used his advantage in contested marking. Just awesome when we needed it when they were coming.

The Good:

A win against a team that has had our number since 2020 - a loss would stretch that out to five years plus. It was far from perfect - take out that seven goal second quarter dominance, and it's looking a lot more shaky. But to get it in the bank is something for the playing group moving forward. It's not much to get excited about I admit, but I'd still take it.

Speaking of that second quarter - the goals from centre clearances with both Berry and Soligo in the CBA. It seems like an eternity ago (well before the start of 2023) when we were all looking forward to seeing these guys (plus Pedlar & Schoey) hitting up our forwards on the lead. We got a piece of it this night, and it's been missing for too long. Hopefully Dowling & Taylor will be a more regular part of that mix soon too...

The skills of both of them yet again stood out among players with a lot more experience and should be a lot better. You have to back young players with skills to improve a side that's so far off finals it's not worth thinking about.

The defence was mainly solid with Max back in the mix - I thought he had a great game and kept Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

30

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

relatively quiet, yet he still kicked three! Elite forwards like him (and Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

29

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

) can do that to anyone. Keane was a lot more settled and rebounded from the horror Sydney game, and worked a lot better with Butts and Murray. That also had to be one of the best games of the year for both Hinge and Hamill.

I think Scholl has quietly had a better than decent year - this was the sort of game that makes me think he is worth hanging on to, although a juicy trade offer from someone like Carlton (or even better the Kangaroos) would be too tempting to take.

The diabolically bad:

Murphy - I don't know what the hell he brings as a leadership role off the field, but on the field it's non existent. 50% clangers should be just too much to ignore for anyone. He and Ned should be locked in a crate stamped "Not AFL Standard".

The ugly:

While he had a generally good game, I'm getting sick of Keays' over-expressive appeals to the umpires for free kicks that aren't there. Stop it dude, you just look like a turkey.

Postscript:

Crowd attendance -
29,802

Olsen, Silvers, Kelly, Roo and the board. Did you get the message? Your customers are not happy, and it's not just a small vocal minority.

 

[Raysboy]

Did someone link the bf board on Facebook or something? The happy clappers are out in force today.

I’ll make sure to enjoy the ‘we beat gws in june for our 5th win of the season premiership cup’ while nothing has changed at the club and we are going to continue to be mediocre until sweeping changes happen starting with the coach.

Sure you can enjoy the win, but you need to look at the bigger picture otherwise the FB comments section might be more suitable for you.

The Happy Clappers verses The Lynch Mob.

 

[CrowBloke]

Watching extended Highlights.
Good: With 8.33 to play Q1, Crows were 2.3 to 0.0, which was a very solid start (rare).

Bad: when Greene goaled early in the second, it was 5.0 GWS straight until Rankine goaled 12.32 to play in Q2.
That was at least 20 minutes playing time of 5 goals to 0.4; Nicks appears to have no solution to those runs of goals-against that the Crows incur often .

Then Rankine caught fire!
Jaw-dropping: the ROB kick to Walker (Q2, 3.16 to play) was astonishingly good ; when did he learn to kick that far, so well, finally?
ROB to Rankine superb tap , then goal @ 2.35.

Greedy: I watched our run of 7 goals in 11 minutes three times:


12.22 Q3, it was 9.13 to 5.1 after which we were outscored by 20 points. Several posters suggested we tired, but Rankine was tagged/smothered for only 6 second half touches. Dawson picked up the slack.

Good: Keane-as-sweeper with Murray returned was very effective.

Wishful thinking: Q3, 7.16 we led 74-37. It would've been great to increase that but GWS pushed back.

Surprisingly good: Sholl's crumbed goal off-hands, Q4, 17.20. He showed some footy nous by hanging out from the pack, got the bounce, good goal.

Rarely seen since 2017: From bounce, Dawson kicks long I50, Murphy crumbed off hands, does not blaze away (good!) but handballs sideways to Keays handball to Fog in square, Joe-the-goose.

Kid Composure: great to see 3rd-gamer Dowling's calm goal Q4, 8.20, put us 28 points up again.
Wow, turns 20 today --- plenty of older Crows have missed those.

Look, I enjoyed the win, but the 0-4 (making Finals damn near impossible after only 4 rounds, thanks Nicks), then 4-9-1 shemozzle + the years post 2017GF have given me PTSD and really lowered my expectations/hope.
Ahead, there's Brisbane, Essendon, Cats, Sydney; all top 8 sides away.
I just can't get keen again with Nicks at the helm.

P.S. edit ---
GREAT to see Michalanney give Toby Grub a serve after the game. Onya, Max!!

 

[Captain Furious]

Good: Rankine’s 1st half, as electric and dominant a performance as I’ve seen in a while. One of the best players in the game right now.
Enough of a glimpse of Taylor to see he’s an AFL footballer. Dowling confirming he’s an AFL footballer.
Hinge; love the way he moves forward out of a contest. 70 meter player. Could he be another accidental midfield star like Dawson?

Bad: Himmelberg’s butter hands. I’ve never seen a footballer get his hands to so many balls and drop them as he does. Don’t want to rush TT back but jeez we’re going to look so much better when he is.

Ugly: What a weird side GWS are. Since the start of last season they’ve gone 5-8 then 16-3 then 3-7. So much elite talent but so turgid and impotent - except when they decide to turn it on then they’re briefly devastating. If they had supporters, they’d be very frustrated ones.

 

[NSolis]

And yet we played brilliantly until we started to tire

Imagine that - huh playing the kids doesnt mean loss after loss like some have cried

No, it doesn't, though I do think we have a reasonably good experienced core which would mitigate some of those issues, assuming you give any credence to the idea that inexperienced teams are more likely to be inconsistent, which I do think is true.

It's certainly a positive to be able to win games against reasonable opposition while fielding the youngest side.

 

[NSolis]

Postscript:

Crowd attendance -
29,802

Olsen, Silvers, Kelly, Roo and the board. Did you get the message? Your customers are not happy, and it's not just a small vocal minority.

What is the 'message' exactly, in your view? Attendance was good up until the bye, now it's poor. The most obvious messages to me are 'fans don't like losing' or 'fans don't like it when finals are off the table', which I'm not sure is really the message that most people on this board are looking to send the club. It's certainly not 'play the kids and focus on the future, results be damned'.

 

[GreyCrow]

What is the 'message' exactly, in your view? Attendance was good up until the bye, now it's poor. The most obvious messages to me are 'fans don't like losing' or 'fans don't like it when finals are off the table', which I'm not sure is really the message that most people on this board are looking to send the club. It's certainly not 'play the kids and focus on the future, results be damned'.

Can you point out where he said play the kids results be damned in that post?

 

[George Kramer]

What is the 'message' exactly, in your view? Attendance was good up until the bye, now it's poor. The most obvious messages to me are 'fans don't like losing' or 'fans don't like it when finals are off the table', which I'm not sure is really the message that most people on this board are looking to send the club. It's certainly not 'play the kids and focus on the future, results be damned'.

Stop losing due to a shit coach and recruiter, don’t make changes and keep losing and the crowds will be crap.

We haven’t been losing because of the kids, if that’s their view then which kids have been letting us down?

 

[Raysboy]

What is the 'message' exactly, in your view? Attendance was good up until the bye, now it's poor. The most obvious messages to me are 'fans don't like losing' or 'fans don't like it when finals are off the table', which I'm not sure is really the message that most people on this board are looking to send the club. It's certainly not 'play the kids and focus on the future, results be damned'.

Last year v GWS the attendance was 36k on an afternoon game with good weather.

 

[Brookster]

27 years no flag.

This is the only measure of success, nothing else matters.

Addendum - 7 years no finals.

 

[Gtowncrow]

Max had some words for Toby at the end of the game, I like it

Max has 300 game, one club player written all over him.
His continued development is such a joy to watch.

 

[Southerntakeover]

What is the 'message' exactly, in your view? Attendance was good up until the bye, now it's poor. The most obvious messages to me are 'fans don't like losing' or 'fans don't like it when finals are off the table', which I'm not sure is really the message that most people on this board are looking to send the club. It's certainly not 'play the kids and focus on the future, results be damned'.

You do realise we're missing the finals with the 'all in every week' approach, right?

 

[Scorpus]

What is the 'message' exactly, in your view? Attendance was good up until the bye, now it's poor. The most obvious messages to me are 'fans don't like losing' or 'fans don't like it when finals are off the table', which I'm not sure is really the message that most people on this board are looking to send the club. It's certainly not 'play the kids and focus on the future, results be damned'.

Why wouldn't that be the message?

The message is that we should be winning and still be in the hunt for finals, but aren't, because the club is badly run, our list management stinks and Nicks is a dud coach. So ****ing get rid of them.

 

[CrowBloke]

If they had supporters, they’d be very frustrated ones.

Hell-funny.

 

[CrowBloke]

I don't usually pay a lot of attention to Whately
BUT
Interesting: Q2, 6.50 to play, we've just kicked 4 on the trot; Whately on Ch. 7 talks about Dawson's tag keeping him out of the game (Dawson gets two disposals within a minute, ironically) then speculates about the tag going to Rankine.
Brereton further speculates while that might curb Rankine it might also free up Dawson which is exactly what happened after half-time.

 

[CrowBloke]

Which brings me to... we seem to be doing some very different things in the center square now. I noticed last night we added two of our mids would stay right back away from the circle at the bounces and luckily they manned up on us where we were and so we were able to get proactive over them. Not that I could pick much pattern other than these weird starting positions (we are normally much closer under the ruckmen) but it seemed to work, so that's one for the they tried something new file.

I said earlier I'd look for that on replay. Turns out to be well-observed, kudos.
Here's an example where all 3 Crows at the CB form a triangle 2-3 metres away from the centre circle:


Unfortunately, GWS got the clearance off a lucky deflection but you're right.
It is a new set-up and with better tapwork by ROB (at last!) it gave the Crows an edge. In fact, ROB's connection with Rankine was clear and effective a few times from stoppages; looks like they are communicating better.
Somebody (VB?) has done some homework .

 

[FR0GGY]

I don't usually pay a lot of attention to Whately
BUT
Interesting: Q2, 6.50 to play, we've just kicked 4 on the trot; Whately on Ch. 7 talks about Dawson's tag keeping him out of the game (Dawson gets two disposals within a minute, ironically) then speculates about the tag going to Rankine.
Brereton further speculates while that might curb Rankine it might also free up Dawson which is exactly what happened after half-time.

Don’t think it’s whately, he doesn’t do ch 7.

 

[CrowBloke]

Awareness/composure: Murphy don't got it.

In this freeze-frame, he's just crumbed the ball off a pack (good) but fails to see that all he has to do is lob the ball over to Tex (handball or chip-kick) for a run-in goal.
Instead, Murphy blazes away (badly) across to a guarded Crow but the poor kick is chest-marked by GWS.


Shortly after, Rachele gets the ball in space and under no pressure kicks for goal from 40m and misses badly, when all he had to do was chip-kick over the GWS defender, again to Walker who gets dudded twice in 2 minutes.


Both Murphy (100+ games now? ) and Rachele (nearly 50 games) should have known and done better.
Frustrating for Tex! Might've had 4 for the quarter.

P.S. edit: I've been very critical of ROB, justifiably, but he was a force in that second quarter --- intelligent tapwork especially to Rankine (edit: not Rachele ), some good marks and two good kicks I50 for goals to Tex and later Fogarty.
Credit where due.

 

[CrowBloke]

Don’t think it’s whately, he doesn’t do ch 7.

Ah, ok thanks . Well, someone with a similar voice, anybody know?

 

[BACCS]

Watching the replay and ROB was massive in that 2nd quarter. Clunked a few important marks, tapped to Rankine’s advantage from a stoppage to give him his 2nd goal and even laced out a 50m pass to Tex I50! His best game in ages and not surprising we won the clearance count as a result.

Adding to this, First Crack highlighted 3 stoppage plays in our F50 in the 1st half where ROB and Rankine worked extremely well together to generate scores (1 goal and 2 behinds). Great communication prior to the throw in/ball up, good positioning from Rankine to hit the ball at speed and a perfect tap from ROB. Strachan was not giving us this type of service from stoppages.

If anyone wants to watch, they talked about it within the 1st 10 minutes of the show.

 

[NSolis]

You do realise we're missing the finals with the 'all in every week' approach, right?

I do realise that. I'm saying that I don't think you can infer anything in particular from crowds not showing up except that people lose interest in the team when they are a) losing and b) have no chance of making finals.

 

[NSolis]

Can you point out where he said play the kids results be damned in that post?

Nowhere. I'm asking what 'the message' is. The post I was responding to took it for granted that it was obvious, and 'play the kids results be damned' is a popular view on here. But if that was the message being conveyed by fans not turning up, presumably we'd have seen it earlier in the year rather than only when finals was gone.

 

[Vader]

Ah, ok thanks . Well, someone with a similar voice, anybody know?

Commentators for our game were Anthony Hudson, Dermott Brereton, Mark Ricciuto, and ??? (I can't remember).

I suspect you're thinking of Hudson.

 

[CrowBloke]

Commentators for our game were Anthony Hudson, Dermott Brereton, Mark Ricciuto, and ??? (I can't remember).

I suspect you're thinking of Hudson.

Hudson's voice is too soft/high. Must be the ??? bloke