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

[Vader]

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.

I doubt any such permutation exists. We're 14 points (effectively 4 games) out of the top-8, with 7 to play, and there's a logjam of teams ahead of us.

 

[texanmike]

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

Seems to know where the goals are, Goal Sneak. Not really seeing much else though.
Honestly, i'd like to see players like Cook and Rachele playing under a half decent coach/assistant coaches.
Nicks is a DUD, Silvers publicly saying Nicks is a good coach because hes rebuilt the culture of the footy club is just rediculous.
On top of Nicks we also have a merry band of work experience assistant coaches as well.
The club needs to wake the **** up and make some easy calls in the next 1-2 years, on both players and staff that are just not up to par.

 

[Cap]

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

What is it about Cook you don't like?

I like his goal sense, his ability to get a mismatch in height and what looks like pretty impressive skills.

Certainly more icing than cake, but could see him winning a finals match with 4 or 5 goals

 

[AFC979810]

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.

So hang on. They are unrealistic expectations, but you can see why the club had them?

Yeah - its all an issue with youth.

I mean the gap between 15th place us and 4th place Freo is massive (well it is - but not in age).

Freo - Average age 25.4 / Games 95.4 / players under 100 games - 15

Adelaide - Average age 25.0 / Games 86.2 / Players under 100 games 16.

And lets compare to other teams -

GWS - Average age 25.0 / Games 92.3 / Players under 100 games 16.

Even the ever competing Power - 25.3 / 96.5 / Players under 100 games 15.

 

[SLOWNE]

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

I see a young man with immense skills who has been shunted in and out of sides, out of position, huge amounts of time on the bench, subbed etc.

In a team bereft of players with actual football skills, I would like to see him played for full games in a position that suits his abilities and be brought into the game more. He is a great mark and kick, yet gets stuck as the deep forward.

Maybe his work rate or instinct don't lift and he doesn't make it. If he does make it, then he will be 5x the player of the guys we KNOW won't make it yet have 50-100+ games.

Pick footballers, not high effort, low skill triers.

 

[ABAB]

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

Excellent with ball in hand but does need to find the ball more compared to McHenry and Murphy who can't do either, both seem to run around like headless chook and apply "pressure" and keep "shape" but do they even laid tackles????

 

[CrowBloke]

Excellent with ball in hand but does need to find the ball more compared to McHenry and Murphy who can't do either, both seem to run around like headless chook and apply "pressure" and keep "shape" but do they even laid tackles????

thanks for comment re Cook
but
as much as I think Murphy's a dud, he did apply 7 tackles on Sunday (not sure how many gave away frees, though; has 2FA but might not be from tackles, necessarily).

 

[ABAB]

So hang on. They are unrealistic expectations, but you can see why the club had them?

Yeah - its all an issue with youth.

I mean the gap between 15th place us and 4th place Freo is massive (well it is - but not in age).

Freo - Average age 25.4 / Games 95.4 / players under 100 games - 15

Adelaide - Average age 25.0 / Games 86.2 / Players under 100 games 16.

And lets compare to other teams -

GWS - Average age 25.0 / Games 92.3 / Players under 100 games 16.

Even the ever competing Power - 25.3 / 96.5 / Players under 100 games 15.

We know Smith and Murphy shouldn't be in the team so this would lower the age and game average and bring the players under 100 games to 18, Laird is also borderline.

 

[AFC979810]

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.

Injuries????

On the weekend we were missing Crouch, Worrell and Milera from our best 22.

I know that Nicks has had a dream run the past 2 years, but its AFL - injuries are a part of it.

We haven't even had a bad run of injuries this year. Lord help us if we get a bad run under Nicks.

 

[AFC979810]

We know Smith and Murphy shouldn't be in the team so this would lower the age and game average and bring the players under 100 games to 18, Laird is also borderline.

If my grandmother had wheels she would have been a bike ?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[ABAB]

thanks for comment re Cook
but
as much as I think Murphy's a dud, he did apply 7 tackles on Sunday (not sure how many gave away frees, though; has 2FA but might not be from tackles, necessarily).

Well, he was tagging Neale so he better be laying tackles. When I see him in the forward line, I always see him running around like a headless chook and never notice him laying tackles.

 

[Vader]

So hang on. They are unrealistic expectations, but you can see why the club had them?

Yeah - its all an issue with youth.

I mean the gap between 15th place us and 4th place Freo is massive (well it is - but not in age).

Freo - Average age 25.4 / Games 95.4 / players under 100 games - 15

Adelaide - Average age 25.0 / Games 86.2 / Players under 100 games 16.

And lets compare to other teams -

GWS - Average age 25.0 / Games 92.3 / Players under 100 games 16.

Even the ever competing Power - 25.3 / 96.5 / Players under 100 games 15.

I didn't say it was all an issue with youth. I said it was an unexpected collapse in the form of our veterans, relative to what they were achieving last year.

Sloane is gone. Walker & Smith are shadows of their former selves. Laird isn't at the same level either. This, combined with injuries to many of our KPFs (Walker, Berg, TT)...

With the veterans on their last legs, it leaves us with just ROB, Keays, Dawson and Murphy as 100+ game players - and I defy anyone to say that this group is an equivalent standard to what the other clubs have!

 

[CrowBloke]

What is it about Cook you don't like?

Thanks for reply, but I've made that clear in previous posts.
("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 like his goal sense, his ability to get a mismatch in height and what looks like pretty impressive skills.

Fair enough.
He doesn't have enough game impact, nor does he bring others into the game enough, imo.
On Sunday night, 13 disposals, 2 marks, nothing else .

Certainly more icing than cake, but could see him winning a finals match with 4 or 5 goals

First, we gotta make Finals (or did you mean playing for a better side? ).
Yes, I think he's "more icing than cake", too.

 

[jenny61_99]

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.

I remember reading somewhere that he was indeed our special strategy coach. That did not fill me with great confidence!

 

[George Kramer]

Injuries????

On the weekend we were missing Crouch, Worrell and Milera from our best 22.

I know that Nicks has had a dream run the past 2 years, but its AFL - injuries are a part of it.

We haven't even had a bad run of injuries this year. Lord help us if we get a bad run under Nicks.

Add Thilthorpe as he’s coming back from injury but yeah agree

 

[CrowBloke]

Well, he was tagging Neale so he better be laying tackles. When I see him in the forward line, I always see him running around like a headless chook and never notice him laying tackles.

Maybe look harder? 7 on Sunday. He averages 3 tackles/game:

AFL Tables - Lachlan Murphy - Stats - Statistics

Problem is his non-goalkicking. He's a small forward, with an average of 0.67 goals/game.
Keays kicked as many on Sunday as Murphy has all year.

 

[jenny61_99]

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.

I think as long as there is a statistical chance to make the eight, this players will get a run.

 

[jenny61_99]

What is it about Cook you don't like?

I like his goal sense, his ability to get a mismatch in height and what looks like pretty impressive skills.

Certainly more icing than cake, but could see him winning a finals match with 4 or 5 goals

He needs to play closer to goal. He’s wasted on the wing.

 

[jenny61_99]

Injuries????

On the weekend we were missing Crouch, Worrell and Milera from our best 22.

I know that Nicks has had a dream run the past 2 years, but its AFL - injuries are a part of it.

We haven't even had a bad run of injuries this year. Lord help us if we get a bad run under Nicks.

Thilthorpe?

 

[ABAB]

Maybe look harder? 7 on Sunday. He averages 3 tackles/game:

AFL Tables - Lachlan Murphy - Stats - Statistics

Problem is his non-goalkicking. He's a small forward, with an average of 0.67 goals/game.
Keays kicked as many on Sunday as Murphy has all year.

Just as I thought, over half of his games this year he had less than 2 tackles. Pretty shit for a "pressure" forward.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I remember reading somewhere that he was indeed our special strategy coach. That did not fill me with great confidence!

If it's true, he deserves to be sacked just as much as Nicks. His fingerprints are all over that chip chip gameplan.

 

[ABAB]

If my grandmother had wheels she would have been a bike ?!?!?!?!?!?

Yes and that would be correct just like what I said was correct.

 

[1970crow]

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.

The ruck coach does, not so sure about VB and Burns though. Reckon it’s a bit rough to blame the forward line coach (or players) when the ball movement was deliberately slowed down by the senior coach.

 

[Slime Roy]

I agree the list management is atricous, but players cement their spots after injury opportunity, its been happening for years. Crouch last year when Laird missed, Dowling in when Crouch went out, Worrell once Doedee went down, Nank with Milera out. And then positional stuff - Soligo goes inside after training wing due to media critisism, Dawson tells the coach stop playing me down back, Jones now lost his wing role to dowling after his injury. Hinge down back after Dawson moved out of def. The coaches have a crap read on the list.

Michalanney in once Brown retired.

 

[woofsson]

So hang on. They are unrealistic expectations, but you can see why the club had them?

Yeah - its all an issue with youth.

I mean the gap between 15th place us and 4th place Freo is massive (well it is - but not in age).

Freo - Average age 25.4 / Games 95.4 / players under 100 games - 15

Adelaide - Average age 25.0 / Games 86.2 / Players under 100 games 16.

And lets compare to other teams -

GWS - Average age 25.0 / Games 92.3 / Players under 100 games 16.

Even the ever competing Power - 25.3 / 96.5 / Players under 100 games 15.

It looks like our rebuild is being done by one of those dodgy builders who go belly-up leaving a trail of unfinished homes while neighbours who have made more sensible choices of providers have moved in and are enjoying their new digs.
And we haven't even mentioned the Club's inability to sort out the new HQ fiasco in anything less than glacial time.
Reeks of poor decision making and/or incompetence across the board and Board.