AFL Autopsy Round 15: 8 point loss to Brisbane

[Andronicus]

The umpiring was ******* horrible but clearly not the reason we lost. But hugely mystifying at the ground.

This is pissing me off far more than it should be.........

I want to talk about the umpiring because it was woeful, but we were our own worst enemy, not them.

 

[Lore]

Okay that's enough. Stop digging, B4L. Stop digging into B4L, everyone else.

 

[mike14]

Yes, what the hell was that?

Ignoring the result for a moment, as a spectacle that was one of the worst events I've ever attended. It was bloody freezing (not much you can do there), the shadows on the playing surface caused by the roof make it annoying to watch, the skills were dreadful, the umpiring was 'interesting' and the whole atmosphere of the crowd was that we were all there as some form of punishment and just had to endure the afternoon. It would have to be shaping up as a blockbuster game to get me to go back to Etihand anytime soon.

I assume the club is giving freer-shirts to all who were brave or lazy enough to stay to the end? I also assume the players will be donating most of their match fees to the charity of their choice...

Every single bomber did some very good things today, but all of them did a lot of things terribly. Our skills were terrible, our decision making was horrible (especially when entering the 50), and I'd like to call our defensive run poor but that would mean we had some. It was flat embarrassing (and kind of funny) just how easily the Lions ran the ball through the middle all game. Out fwd 50 pressure was good, but once it came out they just waltzed down the field with it. There was no sign of defensive pressure from the midfield group all day, and even their positioning at stoppages was poor. Our inability to place a defender on the goal line to touch rushed kicks at goal was also amusing.
The apparent need to handball at every opportunity regardless of whether it is beneficial or not is an interesting strategy, but maybe it's not one that should be tested at AFL level.
We should have been up by 6 goals at qtr time and you could predict what the outcome was going to be by midway through the 2nd.

Parish did some very good things in what was a solid return, his 50m run to pit a block on for Daniher showed excellent understanding. Conversely, as much as he tries, Bagley has a football IQ of almost 0. He flies when he should stay down, he stays down when he needs to fly, his misreads the play quite often and he struggles to stick a tackle
Heppell, Merrett, Goddard, McGrath and Zaka were all in and out of the game to some extent, but as noted there was a lot of lazy running. I love McGrath, but does he have a bonus clause in his contract based on how many times he handballs it?
Gleeson and Hurley were pretty good down back, although like everyone else they stuffed up the last 5 minutes something shocking.
Joe and Stewart looked very good at times by were out of synch with each other and both needed to get more involved in the last 10 minutes

 

[doug85]

We've been dropping these games for over a decade. I'm genuinely at a loss as to why it keeps happening. Is it just a succession of average lists or is there a cultural issue? Any ideas people?

 

[Mercurial89]

exactly right. Every club has had shockers, and every club's board has had meltdowns about "we are weak, season is over, play the kids, sack the coach"....

It's such an even season that any side that enters a game not switched on gets beaten

Yep.
Its actually been a few weeks since we had a really poor game so we were probably due knowing where we are in our development.

It hurts and finals are gone but its just where we are at.
These last two weeks will frame a lot of the decisions that are made on gameplan, players etc though.

 

[Skip Donahue]

I remember a certain ex Carlton and Collingwood coach saying the ban would damage the players involved. At the time, I thought it was rubbish but Jobe, Colyer, Stanton, Zaka and Baguley aren't playing how I remember prior to 2016.

 

[Halftimehero]

How many times do we see this let go. He was on his way to goal and completely changed the momentum. Then the soft 50 against Hooker for stepping over the mark. I was full of rage and switched off.

I dont know how many times we have seen it let go, I cant think of any off the top of my head but it was the correct call. Not sure blaming the umpires makes up for a pathetic effort for pretty much the entire match.

 

[Summer Nights]

Would we have won with fair umpiring? Probably.

Is it an excuse? Hell no. Insipid from the club today.

 

[Snake Charmer]

I remember a certain ex Carlton and Collingwood coach saying the ban would damage the players involved. At the time, I thought it was rubbish but Jobe, Colyer, Stanton, Zaka and Baguley aren't playing how I remember prior to 2016.

Played last year

 

[jaguaress]

Worsfold get a ******* Plan B

I don't blame Worsfold, he can't stop them playing like they don't give a flying ****

 

[JayJ20]

This is pissing me off far more than it should be.........

I want to talk about the umpiring because it was woeful, but we were our own worst enemy, not them.

The umpiring was terrible, but I just can't bring myself to discuss it when we were 27 points up in the last quarter.

Conceded 6 out of the last 7 goals to lose by 8 points. That entirely makes me forget the umpiring.

Just a terrible, all round, season ending loss that one.

 

[Lore]

I remember a certain ex Carlton and Collingwood coach saying the ban would damage the players involved. At the time, I thought it was rubbish but Jobe, Colyer, Stanton, Zaka and Baguley aren't playing how I remember prior to 2016.

Zaka wasn't banned. Colyer was coming off a heap of injury time but always has been a bit poor defensively and slow to make a decision. The other three are getting older, I doubt the ban has much to do with the inevitable drop in performance. Still acquitting themselves reasonably for what they are, which is not necessarily the same thing as what they were 2 or more years ago.

 

[mike14]

I don't blame Worsfold, he can't stop them playing like they don't give a flying ****

I don't blame him either, mainly because I'm convinced that Matty Knights was coaching today...

 

[Doss]

I remember a certain ex Carlton and Collingwood coach saying the ban would damage the players involved. At the time, I thought it was rubbish but Jobe, Colyer, Stanton, Zaka and Baguley aren't playing how I remember prior to 2016.

Jobe: near the end. He's slowed down.
Stanton: see Jobe
Colyer: does appear to be down on pace
Zaka: he's doing what he's always done. Some mystifyingly down weeks interspersed with better ones. He exemplifies Essendon in a lot of ways
Bags: I think he's played some decent footy at times.

 

[Rack Watts]

Zaharakis is the biggest skier in the afl.

 

[Skip Donahue]

Played last year

Sorry, you're right - returning frozen and mind blown from etihad. Those two did play last year, I just can't put my finger on it but they do not seem to be playing to their standard.

 

[KevDawg]

I dont know how many times we have seen it let go, I cant think of any off the top of my head but it was the correct call. Not sure blaming the umpires makes up for a pathetic effort for pretty much the entire match.

I do agree. It just so easily breaks momentum.

 

[Darealrath]

Was expecting a flat performance but to fall away like that in the last is just shithouse.

We'll bounce back with some good wins but this game really highlighted how weak our midfield is. Has to be the priority in the off season, but hopefully we can see some of Laverde and Begley in there before the year is out.

 

[caboose]

Pretty surprised to see Hurley get some of the MVP votes to he honest. Far from the worst on ground, but that was his worst game for a while. Kicking was off and Hipwood had his measure a few times.

Yep. Hurls had a very poor game. No idea why some are thrilled by Langford's game, either - did a couple of decent things, but that was it. The rest of the game, he was fumbling, making skill errors and not putting his body on the line anywhere near hard enough (as is true of almost every game he plays at senior level so far).

I honestly don't know what game some people on here watch sometimes.

 

[Pweter]

Glad my daughters had a mid year dance concert by the looks.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Honestly, the highlight of my day was seeing a very agitated Fogdog hanging outside the dunnies after the game

 

[Phone]

So, when I got on my flight, we were 23 points up. What the **** happened?

seems like you did, mother****er

 

[Jesse Custer]

We ran out of petrol towards the end. It's simple you've got to be on and take your chances. Otherwise today happens.

 

[Phone]

maybe we should tank like hell for the rest of the season

 

[TheGrizz]

I remember a certain ex Carlton and Collingwood coach saying the ban would damage the players involved. At the time, I thought it was rubbish but Jobe, Colyer, Stanton, Zaka and Baguley aren't playing how I remember prior to 2016.

Zaka and baguley weren't banned