Game Day Round 19 vs. Hawthorn, MCG, 4:35pm Saturday 20/07

[domus]

McRae is the coach.

And like I said-he is clearly not capable of playing well in our senior team!

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Oppo kicking games has burnt us the last 2 games. We can fix that, it’s not insurmountable.
Don’t agree we lack speed - in fact fast breaks have been a weapon.
Cox, Mitchell, McCreery, McStay, Howe improve us in many of the areas you’re concerned about.
We turned things around last year despite the doubt from all corners.

The only way we don’t regain form, is if injuries continue and/or this group has completely lost its confidence and dare.
I’m backing resilience and also have a sneaky feeling that Wade is loading earlier, so that we avoid the poor late season form we saw last year.
He would have been smart enough to see we needed to be flying in the last 4 games against quality opposition to make finals.

Time will tell.

That break away from stoppage with pace is more Daicos than anyone else, and if Naicos isn't getting the ball in his hand particularly at centre bounce, we struggle to get the clearance. We may see Crisp do it now and then. DeGoey uses brute strength, but can't really see anyone else who has that fast breakaway speed.

 

[unplugged]

I refuse to believe any club, especially Essendon, has suddenly figured us out 2.5 years into McRae's tenure and now everyone has the secret recipe into beating us.

Really just waiting for that game where we get on our bike and start taking the centre corridor again! But unfortunately that requires Moore and probably Nick Daicos taking risky kicks off half back.

 

[JuniorB]

I’m sure Hawthorn will play us the same way that Essendon and Geelong did.

We’ve got to try and counter that.

But how?

Play man on man, rather than zoning.
And switch where appropriate.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

I refuse to believe any club, especially Essendon, has suddenly figured us out 2.5 years into McRae's tenure and now everyone has the secret recipe into beating us.

Really just waiting for that game where we get on our bike and start taking the centre corridor again! But unfortunately that requires Moore and probably Nick Daicos taking risky kicks off half back.

Considering we're not even attempting to play 'our game plan' it wouldn't/shouldn't matter anyway.

I would have thought we would have made changes to our game plan too .. particularly with changing up the assistant coaches this year.

I don't think we've been able to build any consistency in whatever game plan tweaks we wanted this year due to all the personnel changes we've had caused by injuries.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Us losing on Friday night, then the Bulldogs and Melbourne winning yesterday doesn't help us. If the Suns win today, we drop to 13th. Looks like we will be fighting for that 8th spot on the ladder.
With our draw, it's going to be very tough.

I see it a bit differently. Teams like Melbourne and Gold Coast winning whilst short term means we drop down the ladder, it also means that teams like Essendon and Port remain catchable and possible candidates to drop out of the eight. So there’s two ways of looking at it really. It’s not all bad if teams directly above us lose even if it means te@ms directly below us win.

Obviously we would prefer from a ladder perspective that Carlton beat the Bulldogs as Carlton are next to no chance of dropping out of the eight. But it’s Carlton and they lost so there’s that…..

 

[Soaring Magpie]

For all the carry on we currently sit six points off fourth. Can turn this around quickly. I still have faith. Side by Side and Back-to-back.

Just need to sneak into 7th or 8th, from there the dream of b2b begins

 

[Fat Jesus]

Just need to sneak into 7th or 8th, from there the dream of b2b begins

We win the next 9 straight and we are premiers again.
If my math is somewhat correct.

 

[JuniorB]

That break away from stoppage with pace is more Daicos than anyone else, and if Naicos isn't getting the ball in his hand particularly at centre bounce, we struggle to get the clearance. We may see Crisp do it now and then. DeGoey uses brute strength, but can't really see anyone else who has that fast breakaway speed.

I noticed on Friday night that Nick was setting up on the front of the square at centre bounces, meaning he would have to wheel around to go forward.
I'd like to see him set up at the back of the square, so he can use his burst going forward.
Jordy has a tendency to try to take players on and getting pinged for HTB a bit as a result.

Time to put the dirty undies back in their box!
Go Pies!!!

 

[No SPIN]

That break away from stoppage with pace is more Daicos than anyone else, and if Naicos isn't getting the ball in his hand particularly at centre bounce, we struggle to get the clearance. We may see Crisp do it now and then. DeGoey uses brute strength, but can't really see anyone else who has that fast breakaway speed.

You’ve named 3 with Speed. Compare that to Carlton.
When you dominate HO’s 64-22 as we did against Geel, but lose clearances, speed is not the issue - set up strategy is the problem as I said post match.
Which is something Fly alluded to in the presser.

 

[Kirby]

You’ve named 3 with Speed. Compare that to Carlton.
When you dominate HO’s 64-22 as we did against Geel, but lose clearances, speed is not the issue - set up strategy is the problem as I said post match.
Which is something Fly alluded to in the presser.

Yes our centre square set up was off Friday night.

They continually cleared the ball with their sweeper who stood behind their ruckman. They prayed off us winning the hit out.

 

[Jelly Bean]

I noticed on Friday night that Nick was setting up on the front of the square at centre bounces, meaning he would have to wheel around to go forward.
I'd like to see him set up at the back of the square, so he can use his burst going forward.
Jordy has a tendency to try to take players on and getting pinged for HTB a bit as a result.

Time to put the dirty undies back in their box!
Go Pies!!!

He's been doing this for over a month.

The set up is that Nick starts with his back to our forwardline every centre bounce. And therefore when he wins first touch from the ruck contest, he has to find a way to get the ball moving in 180 degree the other direction to what he was running. And given he is our best clearance player, he has been having to do this more often than not.

I don't really understand why we set up like this.

 

[JuniorB]

He's been doing this for over a month.

The set up is that Nick starts with his back to our forwardline every centre bounce. And therefore when he wins first touch from the ruck contest, he has to find a way to get the ball moving in 180 degree the other direction to what he was running. And given he is our best clearance player, he has been having to do this more often than not.

I don't really understand why we set up like this.

Yeah, it means he's got to turn around before deciding what to do with the ball, so he's got less time to dispose of it.
That would contribute to his disposal efficiency falling away.
On Friday, it also meant Geelong players were able to shark the tapouts off the back of the square, while Nick was 20-30 metres away.
To me, it would be far better for him to be at the back of the square so he can hit top speed while gathering the ball and have a full view of what's ahead of him.

 

[Cory]

Cox a chance to come in

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

 

[Greenaicos]

USA,USA,USA

 

[jmac70]

Down to 12th now.
Really has been a massive tumble down the ladder.

 

[danielnajdek]

Down to 12th now.
Really has been a massive tumble down the ladder.

We were 5th not long ago. Gone downhill quickly.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

Down to 12th now.
Really has been a massive tumble down the ladder.

Guess that's just the reality of a really close comp. 4 teams on 36. 3 teams on 40 & you're sitting 6th.

 

[jmac70]

Guess that's just the reality of a really close comp. 4 teams on 36. 3 teams on 40 & you're sitting 6th.

Biggest game between us and the Hawks in quite some time.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Down to 12th now.
Really has been a massive tumble down the ladder.

There’s a game and a half between fourth and thirteenth. Get on a losing streak and you drop quickly. Melbourne and Geelong were in that position not long ago

 

[danielnajdek]

Biggest game between us and the Hawks in quite some time.

Problem is they have always been our bogey team and we are in atrocious form atm.

 

[jmac70]

Problem is they have always been our bogey team and we are in atrocious form atm.

Yep, it’s going to be tough.

But not impossible

 

[danielnajdek]

Yep, it’s going to be tough.

But not impossible

Plus they'll bring in that scragger to hold onto Nick all game. That's guaranteed.

 

[jmac70]

Plus they'll bring in that scragger to hold onto Nick all game. That's guaranteed.

Nick will relish that challenge.