Autopsy Round 1 - Deja Vu

[Dingster]

With regards to todays game, it wasn't as good as i had hoped but nowhere near as bad as i expected, i think other comments about the umpiring being, let's say 'confusing' is a fair call but the other thing that stood out to me was just how lucky the Hawks were; balls bounced out of contests straight to one of their men, fist punched balls bounced at awkward angles straight to a Hawk, hard to beat the rub of the green

From my observation they were structurally better and ran harder to make their own luck. Too often we'd kick to a contest and too many of our flew leaving an outnumber at ground level. We spent too much energy chasing and flying for marks.

 

[The Lone Latic]

I don’t want jz down back. Play if forward pocket or not at all in my opinion

And have another lumbering log in the forward line? He's playing back because he's a Liability forward.

Should've got that 1 year deal last year at best but the game is past him

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

noble strikes me as the kind of guy that will play the and team again next week and trust them to improve their individual and team performances before he is likely to start swapping and changing.

 

[The Lone Latic]

I realise it was round 1, lots of emotion and a noisy crowd, but can effing learn to call for the mark. The amount times we could have had Benny Hill music playing as we spoil our own marks was pretty laughable. Please, I think our players are smarter than this.

After all the years of watching JZ, and the club in general, no, I don't think they are

 

[roosmad]

im so angry, I just want to cry……..I had a glimmer of hope for this season, it walked out on me mid third term today giving me the finger…..

 

[Reginald0]

I struggle to work out our game plan.. looks like the players do at times too

The game plan is mostly to chip pass to create space to kick to a leading forward

But the teamwork is so lacking that there is no cohesion coming up field

And their Backmen are really good
They can pass they can handball
Scrimshaw just pinpoint passes over and and over

It makes Larkeys dropped chest marks just a complete embarrassment

And let’s not forget that appalling chip pass by Simpkin like somewhere within about 10m of Hall

These are supposed to be our better players and they choke

 

[Samsquanch]

From my observation they were structurally better and ran harder to make their own luck.

Just saw Freo pull a rabbit out of a hat - they were overtaken and the Cows were on a roll. Freo fought back and played with desperation.

Late in our game north we’re only two goals down. There were a couple of individual efforts by the same blokes who were doing their best all day long. Nobody else even seemed to try to lift their intensity. OK… it’s easy to pick from the peanut gallery but gee it would be nice to see somebody sweating and near spewing from exertion.

Late in that Freo game an Adelaide player, number 26 almost stole a scoring opportunity by basically dropping to his knees then lurching back to suck the umpire into paying a free for the optical illusion his antics played. I don’t have any other reason to be glad Freo won but for that very act to cheat a free kick.

 

[Dingster]

Just saw Freo pull a rabbit out of a hat - they were overtaken and the Cows were on a roll. Freo fought back and played with desperation.

Late in our game north we’re only two goals down. There were a couple of individual efforts by the same blokes who were doing their best all day long. Nobody else even seemed to try to lift their intensity. OK… it’s easy to pick from the peanut gallery but gee it would be nice to see somebody sweating and near spewing from exertion.

Late in that Freo game an Adelaide player, number 26 almost stole a scoring opportunity by basically dropping to his knees then lurching back to suck the umpire into paying a free for the optical illusion his antics played. I don’t have any other reason to be glad Freo won but for that very act to cheat a free kick.

We were cooked at the end. Jy could barely lift his legs. Brissie also overran Port. That fitness level is what we need to aspire to. We have a way to go but will get there if we work hard enough.

 

[Nutjob]

No point trying to convince you.

Shades of Hale, Goldy and Hmac all over again.

Didn’t work then, won’t work now.

Maybe it could work if we had two or three elite crumbers but at this stage we have no crumbers at all (let alone elite ones) and very poor I50 defensive pressure.

It still wouldn’t work. Every other club would have been pissing themselves with the balance of our side.

David King questioned Noble a couple of weeks ago about our game plan and rightly so. He couldn’t give a definitive answer then and we are yet to see it on field. Yes it is only round 1, but we should be seeing something into his second year.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

The loss of McKay and the coviding of Walker left us short(in several ways) down back. They took many one on one contested marks close to goal. Only Goldy did it for us. Corr is not quite a key backman. I thought the backs overall were great. LMac has got over that terrible injury of last year.

Larkey kicked two, one from a 50 metre penalty and one from a spillage. Cam Z did nothing.

For awhile, late in the second quarter, and in the third quarter no one in the forward line could win a contested ball. We never looked like getting a kick once the ball was forward of the centre.

The forwards do not lead up at the ball carrier enough. Once in the last quarter Larkey was manned by two defenders but he still ran back towards goa with the two defenders. I cannot remember who then had to kick long to the three (two Hawks and Larkey) but it was always going to be a turn over. We need better forwards and some with some situational awareness.

 

[ferball]

Turner spoilt him but feel into Chad’s back….was there…..unlucky, but there.

They didn't pay those frees consistently. WE'd have had a couple more goals if they did.

 

[DesertRoo]

The loss of McKay and the coviding of Walker left us short(in several ways) down back. They took many one on one contested marks close to goal. Only Goldy did it for us. Corr is not quite a key backman. I thought the backs overall were great. LMac has got over that terrible injury of last year.

Larkey kicked two, one from a 50 metre penalty and one from a spillage. Cam Z did nothing.

For awhile, late in the second quarter, and in the third quarter no one in the forward line could win a contested ball. We never looked like getting a kick once the ball was forward of the centre.

The forwards do not lead up at the ball carrier enough. Once in the last quarter Larkey was manned by two defenders but he still ran back towards goa with the two defenders. I cannot remember who then had to kick long to the three (two Hawks and Larkey) but it was always going to be a turn over. We need better forwards and some with some situational awareness.

It was JHF running through the middle, Larkey running back;
one of those wtf moments lead towards the kid and demand the ball, he would’ve hit him lace out too..

 

[Samsquanch]

We were cooked at the end. Jy could barely lift his legs. Brissie also overran Port. That fitness level is what we need to aspire to. We have a way to go but will get there if we work hard enough.

Totally understand. It is a mystery why some teams (North over the last 20 years especially) seem to be a full rung below most other teams in terms of their fitness.

There is a fair bit of rotation between clubs by fitness and support staff so surely there are few secrets to the better apparent fitness levels. Who knows, but North players across the board generally seem to be less able to run out games than their opponents.

 

[Harvey Manfrenjensenden]

If that’s going to be an average game for Larkey and Zurhaar then they are in for some really really sh*t games.

First of all I said average at best and secondly thanks for backing up my point.

I'm going to assume that people here don't come home and kick the dog after a bad day at work. So I don't understand why anyone would conduct themselves like they would when posting here. We're all emotional after a loss. I get that. Not pointing at you mate but some people need to grow up

 

[franjon]

Would be nice to have a ready to go KPD to play instead of Mckay who'll be out for the next week or 2.

We had one but he walked out and left us in the shit.

 

[Mav]

First of all I said average at best and secondly thanks for backing up my point.

I'm going to assume that people here don't come home and kick the dog after a bad day at work. So I don't understand why anyone would conduct themselves like they would when posting here. We're all emotional after a loss. I get that. Not pointing at you mate but some people need to grow up

The only way that is an average game for Cam is if he dishes up the same next week and is then dripped back to the VFL for the rest of the year.

 

[Val Keating]

Xerri, Goldy, CCJ.

Pick two.

This is undoubtedly the biggest take away from the game.

 

[Mav]

First of all I said average at best and secondly thanks for backing up my point.

I'm going to assume that people here don't come home and kick the dog after a bad day at work. So I don't understand why anyone would conduct themselves like they would when posting here. We're all emotional after a loss. I get that. Not pointing at you mate but some people need to grow up

And no, of course I wouldn’t kick the dog…but the cats, they’re licking their wounds under the bed.

 

[Masked Avenger]

im so angry, I just want to cry……..I had a glimmer of hope for this season, it walked out on me mid third term today giving me the finger…..

I couldn't disagree more. We showed signs today I'd forgotten about. Our problem is structure. Noble and his team will need to realise sooner than later that speed at both ends is the key. McDonald/Turner/Ziebell and Zurhaar/Taylor/Mahoney forward is madness. Paul Curtis is a certainty next week.

 

[Gasometer]

Well a big day out with leaving here in the dark this morning but I tell you what I watched that first half and thought I might wander down to get an Apple Turnover only to discover there were 2 food outlets open in the whole MCG.

Disappointed I went into the MCG Shop to discover they had no number 6 badges at all. So I got this years number 12 badge. $6! Went to pay cash but they don’t take cash.

Trudged back up to the top deck and salivated in that second half as I watched more Turnovers.

Just got home and Mrs G promised she will make me an Apple Turnover this week.

 

[Dingster]

Well a big day out with leaving here in the dark this morning but I tell you what I watched that first half and thought I might wander down to get an Apple Turnover only to discover there were 2 food outlets open in the whole MCG.

Hojuman knew what he was doing.

 

[Flawed Genius]

CCJ - moves like a hat rack, good big boy crashes packs, didn't ruck so don't know, traded a 2nd rounder for him

Goldy - didn't get on the ground for the first 10 minutes but was clearly our best ruckman and our best forward. Looks like he's being slowly phased out given Xerri started as the ruck, but he's still too good so can we drop him

Xerri - apparently our starting ruckman but can't play forward and tried to get out of the club over the offseason over a lack of opportunity. Clumsy lumbering pain merchant.

Who do you drop? For mine it's probably CCJ. Sunk cost fallacy and all that. I do think he and Xerri will make a good combination when Goldy retires in 14 years

 

[Ligma]

Well a big day out with leaving here in the dark this morning but I tell you what I watched that first half and thought I might wander down to get an Apple Turnover only to discover there were 2 food outlets open in the whole MCG.

Disappointed I went into the MCG Shop to discover they had no number 6 badges at all. So I got this years number 12 badge. $6! Went to pay cash but they don’t take cash.

Trudged back up to the top deck and salivated in that second half as I watched more Turnovers.

Just got home and Mrs G promised she will make me an Apple Turnover this week.

OMG I LITERALLY WENT THE STANDS AND THEY HAD NONE.

I ALSO FKING PAYED $12 FOR A SMIRNOFF ARE U KIDDING ME

 

[Marstermind]

I don’t want jz down back. Play if forward pocket or not at all in my opinion

Found himself as the second tall back on either Gunston or Lewis when McKay went off. That's not why he's down back. Ideally, we'd have Walker, McKay and Corr with Ziebell playing off some spud.

Next week, with the side we had today, against a full strength Eagles, he'd be on Jack Darling. As it is he'll be on Oscar Allen. Luckily, Walker should take Kennedy, Corr takes Allen. I'd rather a midfield of Simpkin, LDU, JHF, TT and hopefully Cunnington and Anderson. Should have traded/drafted to cover Tarrant but understand taking the longer view.

The bigger issue is the forward line. Absolutely dysfunctional. No one moves, poor entries, easy exits. Bomb it in and expect a clunk mark from someone who can't, or a crumb from someone who can't. Larkey is quality but needs space. He never gets it. CCJ is more a ruck than forward. Our 'small forwards' have none of the qualities needed for the role/ Zurhaar is neither a tall forward or small. He's icing on a cake we don't have. Hall's disposal is ordinary, but he continuously gets them ball and sees nothing ahead of him. Totally schmozzle.

 

[GeordieRoo]

Just more crap from this football department.

Woeful selection, woeful recruiting (CCJ cost pick 20? ) Noble taken to the cleaners by a first game coach. Having said that we looked like we should have been the Mitchell coached team - going off at umpires and playing for frees when things started going against us.

Larkey and Zurhaar laughable. Stephenson? Geez. Poor, poor and poorer.

Will we play a worse side this season? (That's not a dig, more a recognition of the number of quality players they were missing). We are the worst side in this by a long, long way, even after what we sat through last season. What a bin fire.