Review Round 20 = Collingwood 76-93 Carlton

[Copeland]

No injuries, we must learn and move on.

 

[No SPIN]

I've never seen a #1 team looking so vulnerable though. Sure Pies have impressive grit to win the close ones, but to me this team doesn't have the hard edge or discipline of playing four quarters like other #1 teams in the past. This usually gets exposed in finals.

Hope I'm wrong.

Rich won 3 flags and were never a 4 QTR team.

 

[No SPIN]

Cats didn't lose a game from round 9 last year, the whole game we had to lose is trash.

Let this sink in

2nd on the ladder
Beat Port by 2 points (I'm not counting round 2)

3rd on the ladder
Got pumped by Brisbane at home

4th on the ladder
Beat by the Dees should lost by 4 goals

5th on the ladder
Outplayed by Carlton all night lose by 2 goals

Are we really that good?

Compared to whom?

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

I've never seen a #1 team looking so vulnerable though. Sure Pies have impressive grit to win the close ones, but to me this team doesn't have the hard edge or discipline of playing four quarters like other #1 teams in the past. This usually gets exposed in finals.

Hope I'm wrong.

In finals we cannot afford to be playing catchup footy in the last quarter, because we're all going to have a disappointing finals series if that's going to be our way....

 

[thebaldfacts]

McCreery missing from the goal square and dropping marks close to goal, Pendles playing on for a shot from 50 which was smothered and went the other way for a goal, Jamie missing easy goals, just shows we were probably a bit off.

Remember they towelled up Port a few weeks ago.

McStay probably had his best game for us, even though missed a couple from close in.

We had won 8 of the last 9 against them, so a loss was due.

 

[No SPIN]

Was too disappointed to comment last night. First the Matilda, then this. A bad couple of days.

So, I’ll try to be balanced:

We are in trouble if we get smashed in clearance like that. There’s no getting around it, you can’t keep winning against the top teams coming out of your defense.

So the three teams that troubled us used the same game style: win clearance, gain territory, come forward at the counterattacks from our back line.

I was surprised by our lack of competitiveness in clearances though. We had our A team and Carlton didn’t. This is a huge problem. Mitchell is a part of it, but the entire setup is sending shivers down my spine.

Player concerns:

1. Mitchell - jeez, we got him for his inside work. What happened in the last few weeks? Looked hopelessly old and slow last night. The modern game is built on pace. And he ain’t got none. Adams looked way more competitive in the role when he went in.

2. Cox - sorry Mason, you just have to be more consistent. Your face on the bench told us you understand you just played yourself out of the team.

3. Cameron - a good sold trier, but I’m sorry, he’s a downgrade on Grundy, who was good at clearance. The trade for McStay looks to have been well chosen, so let’s not go there, but can this guy take 90% of ruck with a chop out from McStay, who isn’t competitive in the role? I worry About that combination. But Mason isn’t working right now. I‘d be looking at Johnson again. Or Frampton.

Having said that, we only got beat by three goals and squandered chances every way you looked. Our reliance on back half counterattacks puts us in these positions but we still are competitive. A couple of decisions or better skills and we might have pinched it, but they would still have been the better team.

the verdict:

we have to improve our clearance, contest and forward half defense. Otherwise one of the other teams will get us: Melbourne, Port, Carlton. One of them.

That‘s the riddle we have to answer. We have a month.

we definitely can win against top teams launching from D50.
It’s a huge strength.
Our contested game is what needs to improve against them.

 

[No SPIN]

On reflection we had set our selves up for last week as Carlton did for this week.

However having said that, we won't be getting too deep with a performance like that .

Not sure on the loading or sickness running through but it was a very non Collingwood performance for me.

A real nearly night for a lot of players, and a nowhere near it for some others too.

Seems we have some players on the verge of coming back I to some form and a few right on the edge of dropping out.

I think we really need a Ginnivam back into the lineup with Hill.

Will be some tough calls to come but it all starts from how we respond next week.

Maybe the loss we needed to re-light the fire.



from my Delorean

Who are dropping for Ginnivan?

 

[barrackers]

We had a run of 5 unanswered behinds (1 rushed) spread across either side of the three quarter time break when the margin was just 3 goals. Under McRae we’d usually kick a couple of those, chip away at the deficit and spark our momentum.

Instead we don’t take those chances and the blues respond with 3 goals early in the last.

Game certainly wasn’t played on our terms and the blues structured well to take away the centre corridor. I haven’t seen us play the boundary for years and rarely have we seen so much sideways transition in the back half under McRae.

Difficult to not play someone in good AFL form, but did we miss a trick by not resting Mitchell for a game earlier in the year when Macrae was playing good VFL footy?

 

[No SPIN]

I’m not sure we took much away more so than “played our way” better and applied actual pressure

Not sure I saw much pressure being applied on the Blues yesterday

Pressure was the main issue - I agree

 

[barrackers]

McCreery missing from the goal square and dropping marks close to goal, Pendles playing on for a shot from 50 which was smothered

McCreery getting finger tips to Markov’s pass was symptomatic of our night. Certainly had to go for the grab, but a couple inches either way and it’s a mark or goal.

Thought Pendlebury was on the edge of his range and was surprised he didn’t pop it up 15-20m from goal. Couldn’t see at the ground, but I assume the blues had someone plugging the hole?

 

[adrian25]

We played dumb football.
Received 100 metre penalties which was more like 60. So we kick the ball sideways. Why not drive the ball long.
Moore kicked straight to them all night cost us three goals.
Adams should be instructed to only handball.
I'm hoping that it is just a bad night. Don't want the year to be wasted. We need to get to 16 before they get to 17.
Come on boys regroup and believe

 

[unplugged]

Anyone else feeling pretty similar to how they did after the Melbourne loss? Played shit, didn't really lose by that much.

 

[Jen2310]

Anyone else feeling pretty similar to how they did after the Melbourne loss? Played s**t, didn't really lose by that much.

It felt very much like that game.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

McCreery missing from the goal square and dropping marks close to goal, Pendles playing on for a shot from 50 which was smothered and went the other way for a goal, Jamie missing easy goals, just shows we were probably a bit off.

Remember they towelled up Port a few weeks ago.

McStay probably had his best game for us, even though missed a couple from close in.

We had won 8 of the last 9 against them, so a loss was due.

Im not sure what Pendles was doing in that instance. I thought he was just going to chip it to the top of the square, because he ignored Quaynor, who was on his right, and had space in front of him to at least take a running shot at goal. But Pendles tried to kick the leather off it from 50!!. I just wonder how switched on were the lads.

 

[jathanas]

It’s particularly worrisome if we’re to come up against Oliver/Petracca/Viney/Gawn in week one of finals. We can’t get our hands on it at the moment.

Justifiable concern duly noted.

It's a worry because we had no answer for Cerra and Walsh was out.

Having said that, it's easy to reflect on our most recent game as the defining standard of play, and it's not.

The side is better than that and I believe that will be put up on display as we get to the finals.

 

[adrian25]

Anyone else feeling pretty similar to how they did after the Melbourne loss? Played s**t, didn't really lose by that much.

No it's Melbourne means nothing. But losing to Carlton always hurts.

 

[Vicky Park]

Ok and?

We’ve been gradually playing worse and worse since the Gold Coast game.

Winning most of the games doesn’t change the fact.

Do you think it’s fitness? Probably not.

Players banged up? Possibly.

The physical toll of playing at a frenetic pace, especially in the first half of the year? Also possibly.

I’d like to see less of us featured in the media, including players. We had a big week of announcements about player contracts and member numbers. Daicos to be the highest paid 20 year old - I could have done without knowing that while the season is in progress.

I’ve already posted that I think talk of a dynasty is nonsense. We can’t control what’s said about us outside the club, but the players are only human and potentially susceptible to the hype. Fly and co need to ensure this doesn’t affect attitude, and from that, performance.

This is more of a reality check than the loss to Melbourne. Last night we were meant to have fielded close to our best side (debatable) and we were smacked.

Despite all the above, I still see us as favourites for the flag, but even my confidence will take a hit if we play like that again this year. Big challenges ahead.

 

[unplugged]

I'd love to say we've commenced a hard training block now that we've mathematically sewn up a top 4 spot but I can't imagine we'd be doing that just yet? Especially after a 6 dayer interstate.

 

[Bianconeri]

It tells us if the opposition pay him no respect then he will hit the scoreboard. It also showed that his finishing was incredibly sharp for a player that is a defender and has not applied his forward craft for years. Elliott/McStay both missed their snap shots tonight. Howe looked like a natural.

It should ease the pressure on the other forwards. Will be interesting to see if Macrae starts Howe forward this week.

The opposition will pay him respect after this and his accuracy won’t be maintained.

 

[TW Sherrin]

McCreery getting finger tips to Markov’s pass was symptomatic of our night. Certainly had to go for the grab, but a couple inches either way and it’s a mark or goal.

Thought Pendlebury was on the edge of his range and was surprised he didn’t pop it up 15-20m from goal. Couldn’t see at the ground, but I assume the blues had someone plugging the hole?

Pendles can't kick over the mark from 53m. He had to pass off or play on.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

I'd love to say we've commenced a hard training block now that we've mathematically sewn up a top 4 spot but I can't imagine we'd be doing that just yet? Especially after a 6 dayer interstate.

We had a tough game, in tough conditions last week, with a short turnaround and it showed last night.

 

[TW Sherrin]

The opposition will pay him respect after this and his accuracy won’t be maintained.

Mihocek, Mcstay and Elliot all snapped from close range and kicked them low and poorly. It was weird.

 

[manicpie]

If we are good enough, we will learn and bounce back, otherwise it's been a great year but we just weren't good enough. It's never an easy mountain to climb for Collingwood to actually win a flag

 

[TW Sherrin]

If we are good enough, we will learn and bounce back, otherwise it's been a great year but we just weren't good enough. It's never an easy mountain to climb for Collingwood to actually win a flag

We have all the pieces except a big forward.

 

[YouBeauty]

When does the depression wear off?