Autopsy Round 7, 2024: Positives and Negatives vs Free Kick Gold Coast

[Astro7]

Couple of observations being at Sundays game:



General:

- Maric played the HHF sacrificial winger side, which I really dislike. He’ s an elite balluser and I feel he’s wasted sitting on an island out there where the ball rarely comes to him

- Sheed/LEdwards off HFF felt pretty wasteful.

- Hough made some excellent decisions that didn’t pay off. Peeled off at the right time, just didn’t impact the groundball which led to easy goals. It’s a good sign that he knew when to leave his man, just needs to clean up the other stuff.



Positives:

- I was really impressed with Ginbey’s work ethic to get back in defence. While he wouldn’t have been seen on TV, he covered a lot of ground to cover our defense. Might have been 3rd quarter where he sat under a ball and got annihilated, but that wasn’t the first time he had worked that hard to assist.

- Heckler yelling for razor ray to suck a big fat one

- J. Train had a really strong and solid game – worked really hard and got rewarded for effort

- Harry Edwards filled in very nicely for Barrass. Was really solid defensively.

- McGovern’s game sense is second to none. Just reads the ball and the general play so well, its super impressive to have seen in person.

Negatives:

- Midfield got annihilated and it started from Witts dominating Bailey in every contest. Big year of development for Batman as Bailey really was disappointing.

- Darling works his ass off, but his best is clearly behind him. He also has terrible hands.

- If Petrucelle was as smart as he was fast, he would be an insane player. Has zero awareness and is extremely frustrating as a player. Was in the centre bounce a fair bit and did nothing – rather Simmo give these opportunities to Ginbey.

- For a ‘hard-working’ player, Cripps is pretty lazy for me this game. Had very little impact, very little gut running.

- Ryan had zero impact.

Yep, Darling, it's his clutzy hands that are so frustrating, seems to drop every 2nd ball/mark and for a wall of muscle, seems to go to ground too often, flops around...I know, he does all the other hard work...starting to kick 1-2 goals a game and that's pretty fine!

 

[WCErevival]

I'm more on the side of needing experience/leadership on every line in at least one player, and this is where my questioning of Sheed's inclusion becomes a little grey

Midfield we have covered with Yeo and Kelly.
Forward we have Cripps, Ryan and Waterman.

Does having Sheed in help the younger and more inexperienced players on these lines?

I don't want to salt the earth of our older players by any means, but it felt like bringing in Sheed and Ryan for the same game was a bit of a $credits$ type selection and Johnstone would've been better for the run.

Ryan I dont mind because he has x factor and is a former AA forward. Even unfit he can still bob up and make a diff.

Sheed on the other hand is an average to above average mid who played some WAFL and racked up possessions but didn't exactly impact the game. The game I watched of him in the WAFL looked like he was half asleep and made errors. I'm wondering if him being sub is them saying he isn't a lock for the 22 any more. Gaff mk 2.

 

[Plague]

Just read a stat that our i50 count (35) against GC was the second lowest recorded this season of all clubs. If anything, that just shows how efficiently our forward line is working to keep the game close with such a serious lack of delivery.

 

[Bender_]

Ryan I dont mind because he has x factor and is a former AA forward. Even unfit he can still bob up and make a diff.

Sheed on the other hand is an average to above average mid who played some WAFL and racked up possessions but didn't exactly impact the game. The game I watched of him in the WAFL looked like he was half asleep and made errors. I'm wondering if him being sub is them saying he isn't a lock for the 22 any more. Gaff mk 2.

Simpson made a big (albeit somewhat late) call with Gaff, I just hope it wasn't a one off and it's a direction that he follows with all players that don't seem up to it.

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Honestly a lot to like about this result.

We got beaten badly by a stacked midfield getting an absurd level of assistance from the umpires and Witts showcased probably our most glaring structural weakness- but we knew that was going to be a problem from the moment Flynn went down, and this is probably the worst fixture in the calendar for a team without a quality tap ruck.

But the team fought the game out and both the forwards and backline functioned well with limited supply and under immense pressure- that's a good sign and very different to the collective bundle drops we've seen way too many times over the last few years. Watching how a team functions when they are getting beaten in the engine room often gives you the best indication of how well organised and drilled they are, and I thought there were obvious improvements- if we get that level of performance from our forwards and mids each week we will win if we at least break even in the centre.

Copping the rain when west coast had the breeze and the beginnings of a run on in the last quarter didn't help, Rowell getting 7 automatic umpire assisted clearances also didn't help. Remove those two factors and this probably looks more like a 2-3 goal loss on one of the toughest road trips in football.

Continue to be amazed by Waterman, its not just his goal tallies, his up the ground work and field kicking is superb, he is dominating the front half of the ground the way only the really big gun chfs do. Players often significantly improve around the 25 yo, 100 game mark, but I can't remember anyone who has so dramatically flicked the switch from scrubber to elite overnight.

Whoever gets dropped for Barrass next week will be unlucky, Harry Edwards and Rotham both played very good games.

And one little positive that may have been overlooked. Kudos to Jack Williams who got sent into the ruck more in the second half - he immediately provided more of a contest and if you watch closely he did some clever things against Witts to halve some of the contests around thr ground- he is still raw and inexperienced but the more I see of him the more he strikes me as a good long term prospect- he's smart and pretty skilful for a guy his size.

 

[flyinghi64]

We gave away 12 free kicks at the coalface.
Kelly 5, Ginbey 4 and BW 3
Now if a majority of those frees were at stoppages that is a massive disadvantage.

Really need to rectify this and be smarter.

Maybe get some pointers of Sheed as he didn't give away one free kick all day.

 

[FKASC]

Last week the free kick count for us was 16-17

This week the free kick count for us was 18-30

Now I get the free kick count doesn’t necessarily have to be even or that the majority of those given to the suns weren’t there. Rowell was being held at stoppage but I see Kelly receive similar treatment in other games and he gets donuts

Yeo was taken high yesterday a couple of times with no free kick. Bailey Williams pushed clear in the back in the marking contest that Mac Andrew took a big mark from 4 deep. Etc etc

Didn’t change the result but made it far easier for them

We used to get discrepancies like that in our favour at home all the time and WC board posters would get defensive about it when other supporters/media pointed it out.

I don’t think the manner of umpiring was good and it certainly didn’t help us, but it happens to every team.

It’s lame when every autopsy thread on BF is 40% whinging about umps

 

[KERRPOW]

I'm more on the side of needing experience/leadership on every line in at least one player, and this is where my questioning of Sheed's inclusion becomes a little grey

Midfield we have covered with Yeo and Kelly.
Forward we have Cripps, Ryan and Waterman.

Does having Sheed in help the younger and more inexperienced players on these lines?

I don't want to salt the earth of our older players by any means, but it felt like bringing in Sheed and Ryan for the same game was a bit of a $credits$ type selection and Johnstone would've been better for the run.

They both should be made to dominate in the Beagles before being recalled.

i dont think either of them did this.

Definitely smacks of credits in the bank.

 

[Astro7]

Gold coast game, 69% humidity, that's uncomfortable.
Bali average is around 70-75%.
Perth average 53%, highest humidity is in june 63%...
(weather stats!)

 

[Rowan18]

The concern is coming out of a rebuild with a team that sits you 6 -12th for years. Fremantle for example. The difference between that sort of rebuild and one that can pitch a team at the pointy end of the ladder is immense. We are still at least half a dozen top line young players short and as we improve the chances of us getting those players declines.

It's not linear. We'll see a bump over the next 18 months as the first round of young guys mature to reliable players while the vets are still performing. Then we'll likely drop for a year or two as the vets finish up. It's those two years that create either a flag winner or a middling team.

Freo traded their selections and failed to hold onto players, otherwise they'd probably be top 4 now. In 2013 and 2014 we recruited and traded to get the depth for a sustained finals run. That's the difference.

 

[eaglesnutcase]

footy is usually contested over 1-5m that's his problem as with a few.

I wouldn’t call Waterman or Duggan hell on wheels

 

[wce4premiership]

funny how we took the piss out of the Freo board blaming umps last week but do the same thing here.

Umps were quick to call frees but our mids were obviously hyper conscious of Witts’s dominance and were worried about the Suns mids capitalising on that.

Suns stoppage/contested setup is elite - said it last year and it remains the same.

My issue was the first 2 HTB calls were trash against us, as well as Cole hitting Rowell clearly side on and getting done.

I also think the "holds" on Rowell were the same that all mids cop each weak but they decided to randomly ping us relentlessly for it.

It didn't change the result, but it was not a good display of umpiring. I know everyone's had their say on this already but that Cole on Rowell free kick still annoys me.

 

[wce4premiership]

Interesting insights, and good to see. As I felt yesterdays game he looked like he dropped off again and was back to his first few games form where he looked poor. Sydney, Tigers and Freo I really liked his intensity and he was really competing hard and he would've had a stack of 1%'s in those games that really helps the young guys.

Hopefully write it off as a bad game for him.

Was looking for Cripps tackles inside 50 stats and saw Darling in the top couple then got distracted.

I still think he can do better, especially offensively, but I was surprised how often he featured for defensively minded stats amongst "key forwards".

It's worth noting I was looking at totals as I couldn't be bothered going on averages and trying to work out who had played x amount of games etc.

He was also top 10 for hitouts to advantage but the sample sizes were small so I didn't include that.

 

[chaddy22]

Our lack of a true number one ruck was shown forr the second time this season. Briggs and Witts show that no matter how much B Williams has improved he is isn't the answer. I can only hope that Flynn can make it on the park and is the answer or else we need to look for more ruck back up next year.
A lot of negative thoughs about Jack Williamd but i thought in the las quarter he did well in against Witts.

 

[UseR2006]

It’s lame when every autopsy thread on BF is 40% whinging about umps

That sounds more like an umpiring issue.

 

[Bacchus]

Our lack of a true number one ruck was shown forr the second time this season. Briggs and Witts show that no matter how much B Williams has improved he is isn't the answer. I can only hope that Flynn can make it on the park and is the answer or else we need to look for more ruck back up next year.
A lot of negative thoughs about Jack Williamd but i thought in the las quarter he did well in against Witts.

Although BW has him covered for size and athleticism JW has shown a few times that he has more of an innate ruck craft than Bailey.

 

[Shueygod]

We.need.to.find.some.real.wingers

Enough said.

I’d like to move Ginbey to a wing permanently. Reads the play well and covers for his poor pace. On the other wing just a rotation of Hough, Brockman and Petch. Move Hunt back to the HBF

I think the times come to give up on Chesser, Edwards and Hunt in these roles

You think Ginbey has poor pace?

 

[FKASC]

Our lack of a true number one ruck was shown forr the second time this season. Briggs and Witts show that no matter how much B Williams has improved he is isn't the answer. I can only hope that Flynn can make it on the park and is the answer or else we need to look for more ruck back up next year.
A lot of negative thoughs about Jack Williamd but i thought in the las quarter he did well in against Witts.

Jack Williams’s ruckwork is pretty damn good for a young KPF non-ruck.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

You think Ginbey has poor pace?

For a winger yes he would. Around the ground not so much. Not fast not slow

 

[Kegs15]

My issue was the first 2 HTB calls were trash against us, as well as Cole hitting Rowell clearly side on and getting done.

I also think the "holds" on Rowell were the same that all mids cop each weak but they decided to randomly ping us relentlessly for it.

It didn't change the result, but it was not a good display of umpiring. I know everyone's had their say on this already but that Cole on Rowell free kick still annoys me.

In fairness to the umps Rowell makes holds very visible - not in a playing for the whistle sense specifically but just that he beelines the ball so hard and pumps his arms flying around + has enough strength to drag someone behind him that when a player is holding on it's super easy to spot.

All mids are all holding each other to some degree at stoppages but for someone more low key like Kelly who's looking to run at angles and step around someone rather than drag them it probably isn't as noticeable.

The Cole one was absolute garbage, still annoys me too

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

My issue was the first 2 HTB calls were trash against us, as well as Cole hitting Rowell clearly side on and getting done.

I also think the "holds" on Rowell were the same that all mids cop each weak but they decided to randomly ping us relentlessly for it.

It didn't change the result, but it was not a good display of umpiring. I know everyone's had their say on this already but that Cole on Rowell free kick still annoys me.

There's no doubt at all that the umpires went into that game with a specific directive to look at people holding Rowell at clearances. He only got the two free kicks against Sydney and it's the classic sort of thing the nuffies at AFL house 'highlight' in their never ending shifting rules interpretations. They were looking exclusively at him at contests so they called them.

To put in perspective how bonkers 7 free kicks for an onballer is, it was the most by any player midfielder Rd 11 last year Lycett, also 7). And the last time someone got more than that was Tim English with 8 in Rd 1 2022.

The last time a midfielder got more than that was Rd 22 2017.

So no grand conspiracy theory but it was just very bad luck to run into them the one week that 'holding Matt Rowell' came up on the AFL umpiring roulette wheel- whatever chance we had disappeared at that point.

 

[Shueygod]

For a winger yes he would. Around the ground not so much. Not fast not slow

Ginbey is definitely fast.

 

[Goroyals22]

Honestly a lot to like about this result.

We got beaten badly by a stacked midfield getting an absurd level of assistance from the umpires and Witts showcased probably our most glaring structural weakness- but we knew that was going to be a problem from the moment Flynn went down, and this is probably the worst fixture in the calendar for a team without a quality tap ruck.

But the team fought the game out and both the forwards and backline functioned well with limited supply and under immense pressure- that's a good sign and very different to the collective bundle drops we've seen way too many times over the last few years. Watching how a team functions when they are getting beaten in the engine room often gives you the best indication of how well organised and drilled they are, and I thought there were obvious improvements- if we get that level of performance from our forwards and mids each week we will win if we at least break even in the centre.

Copping the rain when west coast had the breeze and the beginnings of a run on in the last quarter didn't help, Rowell getting 7 automatic umpire assisted clearances also didn't help. Remove those two factors and this probably looks more like a 2-3 goal loss on one of the toughest road trips in football.

Continue to be amazed by Waterman, its not just his goal tallies, his up the ground work and field kicking is superb, he is dominating the front half of the ground the way only the really big gun chfs do. Players often significantly improve around the 25 yo, 100 game mark, but I can't remember anyone who has so dramatically flicked the switch from scrubber to elite overnight.

Whoever gets dropped for Barrass next week will be unlucky, Harry Edwards and Rotham both played very good games.

And one little positive that may have been overlooked. Kudos to Jack Williams who got sent into the ruck more in the second half - he immediately provided more of a contest and if you watch closely he did some clever things against Witts to halve some of the contests around thr ground- he is still raw and inexperienced but the more I see of him the more he strikes me as a good long term prospect- he's smart and pretty skilful for a guy his size.

One thing Jack Williams was doing when he was rucking especially at boundary throw ins was getting in front and making Witt’s go around him or over him….

It beggars belief that Bailey Williams always concedes front spot.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Jack Williams’s ruckwork is pretty damn good for a young KPF non-ruck.

2 hit outs from 27 ruck contests on the weekend.

Apparently Sam Day won 17/27 contests. We should have done better there.

Bailey 15/74.

Witts obviously dominant with 46/80.

 

[ziad]

I wouldn’t call Waterman or Duggan hell on wheels

nor would I