Autopsy Round 1 v Richmond - Blues go down by 43

[F_therest]

My hope with Charlie is that he has that in his locker, just needs continuity in his game to show it. Fair comments though.

Yeah Charlie wasn't great and i've seen him have quite a few poor games.

BUT he seems to me like a player who needs continuity and confidence.

Last year just before he got Glandular Fever he was showing some better signs, and before he hurt his leg at the end of the year he was having a good game against Sydney.

He needs to stop slamming it on the boot and actually pick out shorter options though.

 

[rog1995]

Have another drink mate.

Ed Curnow was useless tonight.

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

I

Reckon he spends to much time in the gym instead of learning to use his foot instead of his shin when he kicks.

His shin seems to get in the way a bit now

 

[thylacine60]

Disappointing result but better than expected. If we are doing this rebuild properly we will be bottom few this year and bottom 6 next year - always need to give 100% but this is about development. If you look at only those players brought in by the new regime (with a few exceptions of gun youth we already had) it is really exciting. Lets look at a team based on realistic assessment not hopes and dreams:

Defence:
Macredie (solid B player potential at least on one game and may grow to be a CHB) ???? (need a long term gorilla full back) ???
Docherty (would argue B+ if not A grade already) Marchbank (looks to be an A grade CHB at least B+) Plowman (as a third tall solid B grader)
Result - one small and one big short plus depth. You don't normally spend top picks on these though (unless an A class defender). Should be able to fill easily over next 2-3 years.

Mids:
Cripps (already A grader) ????(need a ruck) SPS (looks to be solid B grader at least expect A grade)
Curnow (I think this guy could be an A grader but so far hard to tell - hope B at least)
Cunningham (I really rate but hasn't shown enough to gauge)
Fisher (I think could be solid B grader but not enough to gauage)

Result - we need mids and lots of them. If Curnow and SPS come on we have 3 A graders. But we really need to focus on mids - the good news is in your window it is easier to get them via free agency. Ruckmen can also be found when in the zone. Should be aiming for 3 mids with top 10-15 picks over the next two years if possible.

Forwards:

Pickett (not seen enough but I rate to be at least B+) Weitering (play him CHF is a gun and must stay there) ???
Silvangi (has third tall locked up will be at least B grade) ????? (hopefully McKay but not shown enough yet) ????

Result - the FF spot is a big one. If McKay kicks on (and 4 goals today looks good) then our forward line looks set with maybe one more KPP for depth. Need a gun small forward (we all hope Lebois) and the other spot would be a resting mid.

Being pessimistic (i.e. discount Fisher, Cunningham, McKay etc) we have 10/18 for what I think is a Premiership 22 when in its prime. Means we need to find another 2 A grade mids and 3-4 B grade mids, plus a few role players and maybe a FF.

Silvangi, Bolton etc have had two drafts/trade periods and IMO have done very well. They deserve our faith even if results are slow this year and even if we get the spoon. What I want to see is an empathis on fitness and development - that is where our money needs to be spent.

I actually reckon Cunners has shown more than Charlie at this stage.

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

First things first.

SPS was absolutely awesome early, but faded late. Weitering is far more a conventional forward than I would have thought, but having Jack Gunston instead of Jeremy Cameron isn't really a bad thing. Jack Silvagni is already a significantly better player than last year, and that is saying something. Wright was still good, and Kruezer looked impressive; I don't know the ruck statistics, but while Nankervis marked occasionally, Kruez absolutely destroyed him around the ball, either knocking it to advantage, or getting the ball himself and moving it on. Marchbank built into a solid performance; him and Plowman - who was very good, again, after quarter time - are obviously our Weitering substitute down back, and to a certain extent after the first quarter it worked. Rowe was absolutely awesome, if limited; if only, when he climbed so high, he tried to take those marks he punched away, he'd be such a good player. Murphy got plenty of it; it gave me the shits in a real way, listening to the commentators during the third quarter, listening to them enthuse about Martin, when to that point (despite the goals he kicked) both him and Murphy had played about as well. Murph looked as though he was rediscovering just how it felt to play at an elite level again, how to play unhampered, and it was wonderful to see. We were in the match - in terms of the play, at least - far longer than we should have been; this, unfortunately ties into the awful parts of tonight.

I wrote a few days ago about Ed Curnow's improvement; how he adds more than he subtracts to the side, and that makes him valuable. I wrote how his disposal was improving; he had an absolutely terrible night tonight. Thomas, frankly, is too uninvolved with the match, as is Dennis (and that pains me to say) and they both should be in the firing line, both in terms of being dropped for this match and to either improve significantly or to leave at the end of this year. Harrison looked out of his depth in his first performance, but he has plenty of work to do before this is anything resembling an issue. White was unable to provide his blanketing role, or even a transition role, which prompts the question, why did he play tonight?

But the worst, ultimately, is this. Simpson, Gibbs, Kruezer, Murphy, Docherty, Cripps, Weitering; all of these players, supposedly our leadership, turned the ball over, again and again. Could someone on this board tell me why they're so excited by Charlie Curnow, because thus far I'm not seeing it; the kid's enthusiasm for the contest cannot be faulted, but David Ellard was good at that too. Pickett did nothing of note for the entirety of the match, save for the final five/ten minutes.

Simpson had an absolute shocker; his disposal was off, his run was poor, and his interactions with the contest were generally negative; he'd spoil a marking contest into a worse position. Kruezer bullocked his way in through the match; sometimes the ball landed positively for us, but chaos balls require smarter footballers around it to know where it will go, and they got there first. Doch was so far from what I've come to expect from him as to be unrecognisable from the player we know him to be. Murphy took some time to recall just how good he is, and to cease being surprised that he found the ball easy to find; he built out of it by the end of the match, but early on he spent it before he had it. Gibbs was simply not involved enough. Cripps was clearly off.

I suppose the biggest reality that we have to face is that, if we are to continue playing Weitering forward - which, if that's in our long term plans, he should be left down there to develop; if he's to play back, then play him there. Don't cripple his development by confusing it - it means the rather redundant truth that he can't play back; watching tonight, his play was sorely missed by those down back, now used to his presence. All too often, Doc or Simpson would look behind them to the spoiling/intercept backman, only to see Rowe or White, and to react without patience or time due to increased urgency. Our ball movement out of the back half was awful, for a quarter and a half; it improved as the match progressed, but when Richmond got 15 goals in a half, that's an issue, isn't it? The senior players were really the ones who let us down tonight; our structure was fine, for the most part, but our execution of kicking skill was off, and caused turnovers which lead to easy goals.

But, all that being said, there's plenty to like about last night. Richmond, for all the rigamarole from the commentary, allowed a fledgling forward line to kick 14 goals against them, and that is a season after - according to Richo - we recorded the worst scoring from inside fifty percentage in history. The youth of our side were bloody good; if the old pull their finger out, as they bloody well should, this year will not be the valley of shadow myself and others have predicted it will be.

kreuzer killed him in taps too

 

[Kramer1]

Reckon he spends to much time in the gym instead of learning to use his foot instead of his shin when he kicks.

Too much weights, not enough speed work

 

[F_therest]

I have always defended E Curnow but seriously wtf was that today? I don't think I've seen him play a worse game ever...

And Cripps.

Next to 0 contribution from them 2 really put our midfield under strain.

Our midfield was basically just Murphy and Gibbs lol...with a cameo from SPS and a bit from Smedts.

 

[MacTosh]

If they're anything like me the frustration comes out of the constant punching. He could've marked a few and killed the play, instead half spoils it to the richmond smalls. I thought he was good he just doesn't show enough thought.

There was the one really bad punch when he should have marked. Rest were low risk play mostly in the first half when we were under the pump. Think Rowe is really important to our defence and development this year.

We were awful all around the ground once the ball hit the deck. Was it cos we were too tall? Some of our talks were better off the deck than the smalls

 

[Mr_Plow]

silvagni = pure footballer

Should've kicked 4.

Gets infringed upon a ridiculous amount for no calls.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

I thought Plowman struggled early but really came into it in the second half. I thought Kruezer was nearly our best

kruezer was excellent i agree

 

[thylacine60]

Should've kicked 4.

Gets infringed upon a ridiculous amount for no calls.

defensive play is dunstallesque..........and he was the best............I shit you not..............

 

[95bluemember]

I would prefer Thomas t than Ed Curnow.

Is that you Mick Malthouse?

 

[SE_Blue]

I actually reckon Cunners has shown more than Charlie at this stage.

Can't argue. Hopefully C. Curnow comes on as the brother did

 

[WeiteringWizard]

I actually reckon Cunners has shown more than Charlie at this stage.

I agree with you tbh. But I just have this love for Curnow. Something in me says he will be special (but I thought the same about Paul Bower so...)

 

[Soapy V]

Williamson is your man for run off half back, he has speed and a great side step too- I think him and polson will be the 2 gems we will discover of those who didn't play tonight but surely Boekhorst, Graham, Cunningham or Fisher could get a gig before Thomas.

By playing Thomas we are seriously delaying the development of a younger future star, I don't want to ever see him wear the navy blue again!

he was good today. can't believe how much he has matured. big unit

 

[Bet on Blue]

I was expecting alot worse.. this is good for the amount of kids we played. Really happy with Marchbank.

Yep he takes a great defensive mark

 

[thylacine60]

I agree with you tbh. But I just have this love for Curnow. Something in me says he will be special (but I thought the same about Paul Bower so...)

think he has emu covered.........

 

[Bronze]

Please, pleeease no more White and Rowe. Enough is enough.

 

[MC_Doggy_Frog18]

Very pleased. A step in the right direction.

It would've been nice to be more competitive. It would've been better if Charlie and Pickett had turned up but you can't have everything.

Hilarious that people are calling for Thomas to go while players like Armfield are given the good bloke excuse.

To me Thomas shouldn't be playing, doesn't help the team he hinders it with bad decision making and bad execution. At least Army gives us some run and dash and usually kick a goal or two.

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

POTY votes thread?

 

[thylacine60]

Please, pleeease no more White and Rowe. Enough is enough.

can confirm

 

[mike ockerts]

I got what i wished for out of the game, thought the kids showed us exactly what we had all hoped for, ran out of puff in the end, Cripps looked very under done and stiff, thought Thomas was reasonable imo, but he is just a battler, has lost so many of his assets, Simon White is NOT AFL standard, i don't care how anybody dresses it up, Army was poor, Charlie tried but might need a run in the twos to find some touch, Ed hhmmm, was really poor tonight, got a few runs on the board, so will overlook tonight, wouldn't want to dish that up two weeks in a row though.
Yeah it sucks losing, but i walked away pretty content we are heading in the right direction.

 

[btdg]

Our senior players were just awful tonight. Simpson, Armfield, Thomas, Curnow - absolute shockers. Murphy and Gibbs just look like mediocre midfielders these days - get the ball a bit, don't do much with it most of the time, and get creamed by really good opponents like Martin. Kreuzer is just sad to watch.

I think we are a bit soft of our younger leaders, and too harsh on our mid range players. Rowe and White will never be special, but they at least got involved and had a crack. Same goes for Wright. In contrast, Cripps and Docherty were down and don't seem to have evolved much as players, while Curnow and Silvagni both have strong points and glaring weaknesses that don't seem to have improved.

Some of the new blokes look ok, Marchbank got plenty of it but butchered it, SPS and Pickett can run but need more time, Smedts can be a solid filling for us, and Macreadie also looked decent.

Shining light was Weitering, I thought. Went head to head with Rance and beat him in parts.

Overall, bit disappointing. That Richmond team isn't likely to make finals, and we weren't really competitive. I didn't think our structures were great, and didn't see much improvement on our losing streak at the end of last year - we've lost 14/15 now if you count nab cup, and I'm not sure where I see the next win coming from... going to be a long, long year (again)

 

[thylacine60]

To me Thomas shouldn't be playing, doesn't help the team he hinders it with bad decision making and bad execution. At least Army gives us some run and dash and usually kick a goal or two.

bloke peaked 7 seasons ago.........he's finished.........

 

[stuballs]

Yep he takes a great defensive mark

If only Rowe did that a few more times when he has the chance