Review R17: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. Brisbane Lions

[George Kramer]

GOOD

Nank - first half I thought was excellent. Still needs to work a little on his polish and faded out of the game a bit, but I liked his intensity.
Keane - Just fairly solid across the board, intercepts, M gained, SI's...
Keays - A poor mans Bayley Fritsch, but slugged it out in front of his former team.
- Contested possessions, contested marks were excellent, and a definitely uptick on previous performances.
Murray - Couple of clangers, but is building nicely after only a few games under his belt after a serious injury. Is definitely not getting a KPF at this stage, but is more pushing up the ground defensively and on the wing. Big engine for a big man!
Defence - Only recorded 3 Defensive 1-1 losses for the night. 7 goals scored from Rayner/Neale/Dunkley combo speaks to a huge midfield defensive failure... thought we kept Daniher/Hipwood and Charlie pretty quiet.

BAD

- Total tackles were excellent, but the quality was at times pretty horrendous to watch.

Dowling - 9 clangers, 5 turnovers. Is just getting up to the speed of the game, and was evident in some of his decision-making. He will be fine, but I'd like to see him outside of the contest for a bit. Definitely prefer him roaming the F50 for now.

Midfield - Berry/Soligo/Downling/Rankine/Laird...... Whatever the mix was that worked last week didn't work this week. I thought ROB's tap work was pretty good, but Brisbane's experience shone though, able to slip tackles and find players in congestion. We couldn't match with their ability to run and carry through the middle.


UGLY

Laird - Plodder. Spotted him SEVERAL times waiting on other players to do the pressure running for him. Like.... are the coaches running some of this stuff back at him? There's no gut-running at all. He's younger than Neale, but no longer has any elite traits. Send him to the SANFL.

Cook - Looks flashy with the ball in hand, but the ball ain't in hand too often. Is allergic to finding the pill. ZERO tackles. If not for Hinge's injury would 100% have been subbed for Cook.

Rachele - Oh dear. At this stage not looking anything like a decent Pick 6 (although the 2021 Draft appears to be littered with duds in the 1st round)

Poor Laird, Cook and Rachelle, how would they feel reading this toxic analysis

 

[FR0GGY]

Oh the 'herd' have reached fever pitch. Grown adults out here spitting petty hate is 100% cringe.

You won't find a more toxic online environment that the Adelaide BigFooty threads.

Thought you were talking about Harrison to start with.

 

[GreyCrow]

GOOD

Nank - first half I thought was excellent. Still needs to work a little on his polish and faded out of the game a bit, but I liked his intensity.
Keane - Just fairly solid across the board, intercepts, M gained, SI's...
Keays - A poor mans Bayley Fritsch, but slugged it out in front of his former team.
- Contested possessions, contested marks were excellent, and a definitely uptick on previous performances.
Murray - Couple of clangers, but is building nicely after only a few games under his belt after a serious injury. Is definitely not getting a KPF at this stage, but is more pushing up the ground defensively and on the wing. Big engine for a big man!
Defence - Only recorded 3 Defensive 1-1 losses for the night. 7 goals scored from Rayner/Neale/Dunkley combo speaks to a huge midfield defensive failure... thought we kept Daniher/Hipwood and Charlie pretty quiet.

BAD

- Total tackles were excellent, but the quality was at times pretty horrendous to watch.

Dowling - 9 clangers, 5 turnovers. Is just getting up to the speed of the game, and was evident in some of his decision-making. He will be fine, but I'd like to see him outside of the contest for a bit. Definitely prefer him roaming the F50 for now.

Midfield - Berry/Soligo/Downling/Rankine/Laird...... Whatever the mix was that worked last week didn't work this week. I thought ROB's tap work was pretty good, but Brisbane's experience shone though, able to slip tackles and find players in congestion. We couldn't match with their ability to run and carry through the middle.


UGLY

Laird - Plodder. Spotted him SEVERAL times waiting on other players to do the pressure running for him. Like.... are the coaches running some of this stuff back at him? There's no gut-running at all. He's younger than Neale, but no longer has any elite traits. Send him to the SANFL.

Cook - Looks flashy with the ball in hand, but the ball ain't in hand too often. Is allergic to finding the pill. ZERO tackles. If not for Hinge's injury would 100% have been subbed for Cook.

Rachele - Oh dear. At this stage not looking anything like a decent Pick 6 (although the 2021 Draft appears to be littered with duds in the 1st round)

Nice - the only one I would comment on is Dowling.

Yes he did all you say but I give him some leeway based on experience etc

But good analysis

 

[CrowBloke]

So I’m assuming that’s what we should have done, got Murphy to take him out instead.

Yes, if it means Murphy gets a 7-game ban.

 

[jenny61_99]

2 of the 3 line coaches are Burns and VB, are they really bargain basement? Hombsch seems to be quite ok, our defence has been holding up quite well given the amount of quality ball they’ve got to deal with.

Hombsch is 32 so very inexperienced but seems to have a good rapport with the defenders. Burns worries me - he was our defensive coach (then basket case), now our forward line under him is a basket case this season after humming under Rahilly. Burnes only came back to be near family. And then there's VB. Like him as a player, not sure about his ability as a coach. He certainly can show players how to prepare but not sure past that. And we have a exSANFL ruck coach. I dunno, it all screams bargain basement to me.

 

[jenny61_99]

This feels more like coping

Yes developing teams do backslide but why are we still a developing team? I mean we know the reasons

My issue with these hindsight calls is a poll at the start had many of us predicting a top 8 finish with some top 4. Yes some even said we would go backwards

I think this year has been set up on the 1st 4 games of the season. Nothing more nothing less. Its not inconsistency - well if you dont include the coaching directions - its just bad direction that see us striving to win when we could have - should have - won at least 2 of those games

And of we do the energy is much much different both on here and on the training track

Hindsight? He made that call at the end of last season. We are still a developing team whether you like it or not... we are like the second or third youngest team. Therefore - developing. I do agree with you, the defensive mindset of those first four games absolutely stuffed us.

 

[texanmike]

Hindsight? He made that call at the end of last season. We are still a developing team whether you like it or not... we are like the second or third youngest team. Therefore - developing. I do agree with you, the defensive mindsight of those first four games absolutely stuffed us.

But thats not what is being communicated by the club? Leading into this year it was, "we are ready to win games and play finals football". Matthew Nicks and his brigade make awful decisions on a weekly basis that reak we are a "developed" team, not a "developing" team.

 

[CrowBloke]

Cook - Looks flashy with the ball in hand, but the ball ain't in hand too often. Is allergic to finding the pill. ZERO tackles. If not for Hinge's injury would 100% have been subbed for Cook.

Cook, zero tackles, zero FF, zero FA; says a lot about his intensity and physical involvement.
Prefers to be given the ball than to get it.
I don't rate him.

 

[Vader]

Hindsight? He made that call at the end of last season. We are still a developing team whether you like it or not... we are like the second or third youngest team. Therefore - developing. I do agree with you, the defensive mindsight of those first four games absolutely stuffed us.

Even with Walker & Smith back in the side, significantly increasing our average age & experience numbers:

• We were the 2nd least experienced team of the round (86.2 games per player, to Norf's 79.3)
• We were the equal 3rd youngest team of the round (25 yrs 0 mths - equal with GWS, older than Norf's 24 yr 9 mth and Gold Coast's 24 yr 11 mth).

In R16, without Walker & Smith, we averaged just 24 yrs 7 mths and 75.9 games per player.

 

[GreyCrow]

In R16, without Walker & Smith, we averaged just 24 yrs 7 mths and 75.9 games per player.

The one against GWS

The one we won?

 

[Vader]

But thats not what is being communicated by the club? Leading into this year it was, "we are ready to win games and play finals football". Matthew Nicks and his brigade make awful decisions on a weekly basis that reak we are a "developed" team, not a "developing" team.

So, is your problem with the reality - or the unrealistic expectations that the club set pre-season?

I can see why the club had those expectations, given how close we were to making the finals in 2023, and the expected organic growth of our youngsters.

The reality is that father time has bitten our senior players hard - Sloane has retired, Walker has been hampered by a back injury, Smith's form has collapsed completely, and Laird has regressed as well (albeit not as badly as Smith). Then there's the Thilthorpe injury, which forced us to play Gollant/Borlase/Burgess in the forward line. Murray's injury hurt us less, with Keane having stepped up nicely in his absence.

When we did the rebuild we retained only a small core of senior players, hoping that the youngsters we had drafted would be ready to step up by the time our veterans began to fade. Some have - most notably our defenders, Soligo, and Fogarty. Many have not, and the overall result this year has been a significant step backwards. The club was hoping for at least another year before the veterans faded... but Father Time waits for no man, and their hopes have been dashed on the rocks of reality.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Hombsch is 32 so very inexperienced but seems to have a good rapport with the defenders. Burns worries me - he was our defensive coach (then basket case), now our forward line under him is a basket case this season after humming under Rahilly. Burnes only came back to be near family. And then there's VB. Like him as a player, not sure about his ability as a coach. He certainly can show players how to prepare but not sure past that. And we have a exSANFL ruck coach. I dunno, it all screams bargain basement to me.

It speaks volumes that our "senior assistant" is also our forwards coach. I'd like to know if Burns actually performs the same function as senior assistants at other clubs. It wouldn't surprise me if Adelaide's definition of senior assistant is literally just the most senior assistant and not someone in a unique role that specialises in strategy, like it is at most well run footy clubs.

 

[Vader]

The one against GWS

The one we won?

Yes. Here are the stats for that game:
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=11100

 

[Carn The Texan]

Hombsch is 32 so very inexperienced but seems to have a good rapport with the defenders. Burns worries me - he was our defensive coach (then basket case), now our forward line under him is a basket case this season after humming under Rahilly. Burnes only came back to be near family. And then there's VB. Like him as a player, not sure about his ability as a coach. He certainly can show players how to prepare but not sure past that. And we have a exSANFL ruck coach. I dunno, it all screams bargain basement to me.

Gotta think Burns and Kelly are under some pressure. I'd also love to hear Reid justify his position.

 

[arrowman]

I still don't understand the intentional bit

If you try to shepherd, so a legal football action, but get the player high in the act by accident does that count as intentional?

IMO any off the ball action is intentional. An action in play e.g. bump or shepherd starts at careless, you'd have to show there was an intent to hit high. But a bump is an intentional act, you have a choice and as we know, you choose to bump and you take the consequences.

Blah blah... I think a bump is an intentional act, a shepherd (esp if you don't have eyes on the player) not so much.

DMac got off altogether because it was an accident with both players going for the ball.

SPP on Keane, I don't recall, was it intentional or careless? Given the penalty I think it was intentional.

 

[GreyCrow]

Yes. Here are the stats for that game:
https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=11100

Oh I know those

Just find it odd you're parroting experience and age excuse when we beat a top 8 side

 

[GreyCrow]

Gotta think Burns and Kelly are under some pressure. I'd also love to hear Reid justify his position.

I would like to think so as well but I cant see it

Actually I can see Burns getting moved on but it feels unlikely

 

[Vader]

Oh I know those

Just find it odd you're parroting experience and age excuse when we beat a top 8 side

I'm not making any excuses... just providing facts in response to jenny's post.

The reference to the GWS game was just to provide context, showing how much the numbers changed with the addition of Walker & Smith to the team.

 

[texanmike]

So, is your problem with the reality - or the unrealistic expectations that the club set pre-season?

I can see why the club had those expectations, given how close we were to making the finals in 2023, and the expected organic growth of our youngsters.

The reality is that father time has bitten our senior players hard - Sloane has retired, Walker has been hampered by a back injury, Smith's form has collapsed completely, and Laird has regressed as well (albeit not as badly as Smith). Then there's the Thilthorpe injury, which forced us to play Gollant/Borlase/Burgess in the forward line. Murray's injury hurt us less, with Keane having stepped up nicely in his absence.

When we did the rebuild we retained only a small core of senior players, hoping that the youngsters we had drafted would be ready to step up by the time our veterans began to fade. Some have - most notably our defenders, Soligo, and Fogarty. Many have not, and the overall result this year has been a significant step backwards. The club was hoping for at least another year before the veterans faded... but Father Time waits for no man, and their hopes have been dashed on the rocks of reality.

Yes i agree that injuries and father time has definitely contributed to our disastrous season to date. But what i have a problem with is there is no forseeable light at the end of the tunnel we are in. Our season was dead in the water weeks ago and we have still persisted to pump games into Murphy, Smith (Nicks: The Future of The Club), Mchenry (bar a few weeks ago when he was outted but history will tell you Nicks will bring him in again this week). We need to debut Ryan, give Taylor full games for the remainder of the year, see what players will make us better for Season 2025, because it sure ISNT Murphy, Mchenry & Smith.

 

[Maddogmetro]

The action is bumping. Just like when I get into my car, the action is driving, not driving to the shops.

This is kind of the problem - the AFL does not apply this consistently.

 

[Vader]

Yes i agree that injuries and father time has definitely contributed to our disastrous season to date. But what i have a problem with is there is no forseeable light at the end of the tunnel we are in. Our season was dead in the water weeks ago and we have still persisted to pump games into Murphy, Smith (Nicks: The Future of The Club), Mchenry (bar a few weeks ago when he was outted but history will tell you Nicks will bring him in again this week). We need to debut Ryan, give Taylor full games for the remainder of the year, see what players will make us better for Season 2025, because it sure ISNT Murphy, Mchenry & Smith.

This I agree with.

Their failure to move from "we need to win enough games to qualify for finals" mode, to "we need to start preparing for 2025 and beyond" mode, now that finals are unachievable, is criminal.

 

[Vader]

This is kind of the problem - the AFL does not apply this consistently.

The AFL doesn't do ANYTHING consistently.

 

[CrowBloke]

The Crows website lists our best against Brisbane as:
"Adelaide: Laird, Keane, Keays, Walker, Sholl, Rankine" .
Who's responsible for that? Gotta be someone who looks at numbers only and not game impact.

Also, the article is titled: "Crows comeback falls short against Lions" (my emphasis).
Sound familiar?

 

[texanmike]

This I agree with.

Their failure to move from "we need to win enough games to qualify for finals" mode, to "we need to start preparing for 2025 and beyond" mode, now that finals are unachievable, is criminal.

Yep. The thing is i'm pretty sure its still mathematically possible for us to still make the 8 if we were to win every game from here, if alot other results were to fall our way. I bet Nicks was up all night crunching the ladder predictor.

 

[CrowBloke]

SLOWNE and others, serious question: what do you see in Cook that I don't see, please?