Autopsy So so so close (Please read OP)

[barrackers]

I'm impressed by my self control not to launch my phone into the Yarra or break my fist punching something on my way home.

Not having any flogs abuse me yet has probably helped

Guessing you missed the usa chant when Barrass got his medal. Had we held on Cox’s second half would have been a significant reason. Muppets!

 

[Black_White]

Pull on the boots mate

Pay me what they pay them and I’ll pull on the boots......mate.

 

[TW Sherrin]

Reality is they had 81 marks at 3/4 time and they havent lost all year if they take 90+. I thought it was over then.

 

[Chameleon75]

They were always going to control the air, we needed our midfield to move the ball quickly. First quarter we did and scored freely, the rest of the game they managed to slow down our ball movement, force a kick mark style which is on their terms.

 

[donnie5]

So proud of the boys, we’ll be back better and strong for years to come.

I felt the umpiring was horrible today, however they were the much better side after the half way mark of the second quarter.

Sidey, Pendles and Grundy were really down today. Shame really but we couldn’t have even dreamt of being here after round 2.

Thanks Pies on a brilliant year, I am so proud and we’re going to be better for it.

 

[left at home]

Ah ok then, I suppose in your brain we won the game?

As l have said l am very disappointed, but l am not going to insult players that have given there all, we lost, no need for anything else

 

[Tarkyn_24]

We choked man....

Show the Eagles some credit, they rallied hard as they were always going to. They’re a quality side.

That wasn’t a choke.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

A team who went 3-0 against us won.

They are an excellent club and so are we.
Couldn’t be prouder and there is always a loser. Not much more could have gone wrong and we did our best

The 3 -0 in games us v them is the best marker in my view.
They won all 3, they were the better team this season, that simple.

Today we played better in the first quarter, clearly they played that bit better the next 3 quaters and hence the result.
Like Geelong 3 - 0 against us in 2011.

For some reason the last couple of years the Eagles just have it over us.

We just scrapped as best we could and was 1 goal to the poorer end of the scale.

 

[DWil6]

We choked man....

We didn’t choke. We were amazing early then the better team fought back. It would have been a choke if we were the better team, but we aren’t. Simple.

 

[mckenna6575]

What an amazing season! Almost held on to win a Grand Final - that was never on the cards for this year. But they won 3 quarters, we won 1. Still... SOOOOO close. Next year

 

[Aussie pie]

Though celebrating, a little piece of my heart breaks for the opposition and supporters. Your team played a great game and you should be proud. Look forward to to next year

**** off

 

[AuTo00Z]

Tbh, I had a feeling this would happen once we got 5 goals up. Generally if a side gets a 20-30 point lead in the first quarter, I'd say there's a 20-50% chance for the side behind to come back and at least get within a couple of goals at some stage (and with how good west coast are, it would've been 50%). This is cause generally sides get overconfident, and the opposition only needs to cut the margin back by a couple of goals a quarter. We got overconfident today on two occasions in particular; when we were 5 goals up in the first quarter, and after kicking the first 2 in the last quarter. Watching the way the players celebrated I could just tell some players thought we had it in the bag at that point.

And the players got too desperate in that last couple of minutes, where I believe 3 players all tried to have shots at goal when it was packed and there was no space whatsoever. Also, don't why Goldsack didn't have that last kick in. Also there was a time right before the 2 minute mark, someone I can't recall marked and payed on immediately, instead of holding onto the ball. We just panicked way too much in those last 3-4 minutes. And the 4-5 minutes before that, there were far too many lapses in defence with players allowing uncontested marks inside 50, and being too scared to take a risk exiting the defensive 50. Only time we took a risk was literally that last kick-in. With such a young side you can expect these kinda things I guess. We will learn, but who knows when our next opportunity will be, if any (for this current playing group). I'm proud we got as far as we did, but gutted we had to lose the way we did.

Even before the game, I was not confident with our lack of a genuine key defender. As harsh as it would've been, we probably should've played Reid instead of someone like Aish.

The last two grand finals we lost; having it snatched away from us right at the death (after getting out to a big lead early), and back in 2011 getting completely run over in the last quarter are probably the two worse ways you can lose a grand final. After waiting 7 years, this was painful. However in saying that, I am still proud we had come this far this year, seeing as though Bucks was supposed to already of been sacked by now, and were supposedly certain bottom 4. Hopefully we can get back up there next year.

 

[Hazz]

Given they were ordinary all day you can’t just place blame on the last one.

Time is essentially linear.

For all of the earlier poor (non) calls for both teams, the reality of the rest of the game changes with the call/non-call. If you go back and change the reality of one of the earlier shitty calls, the new realty has almost endless possibilities. The further back you go, the harder it is to assess the impact of the call.

Up to the non-free in question, we know what the reality of the game was, then the pivotal play occurrs. The ump call it for us, the chances of us holding on grow massively.

But as we know, it was not called, the goal is kicked (grudgingly great kick) and our chances are almost zero.

It was the pivotal contest that put the eagles in front. It is fair to focus on that call.

 

[unplugged]

To the trade thread!

 

[Quicky]

How about you piss off, I coped it for making a comment about the eagles big guys and how they would do well. Did they, yes so **** off and I’ll take a suspension for that thanks mods because I’m sick of the w***ers on here who won’t let you criticise the team or offer up an opinion that does fit their narrative.
So I’ll take the early plea for the suspension for bad language.

Mate you can offer an opinion. Just don't be abusive. Get around each other. We're all hurting.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

You know what I really need more of? Opposition supporters coming in and giving condolences. **** off.

Bit rough mate.

 

[swoop42]

Not going in with the extra tall was telling in that final quarter with Darling, Kennedy, Barass and McGovern taking 37 marks between them for the game and controlling the air.

The area the Eagles really got on top though was through the midfield with Grundy and Sidebottom well down for impact while Pendlebury and Phillips didn't have great influence either.

After a 5 goal start I thought this might be the beginning of a new Collingwood era but alas it was the same old shite and we were lucky to be within 5 points in the end as the Eagles smashed us for forward entries in the last quarter.

Another wasted opportunity.

P.S- Shoot that runner!

 

[TKiL]

Love the Club but God they make it hard sometimes - I've seen them lose by 1 point, 4 points, 5 points (twice), 9 points, 10 points - oh well into the spring gardening.......

 

[TW Sherrin]

On a sise note wce fans drink some piss. O reckon the guy next to me had at least 14 beers.

 

[McRobie]

Comiserations gents. Outstanding season. Gutsy from go to woe.

Unlike Richmond.

 

[Quicky]

To the trade thread!

We're getting Lynch right? ****. Wrong thread actually.

 

[welshm69]

As l have said l am very disappointed, but l am not going to insult players that have given there all, we lost, no need for anything else

Ok you don't have too.

I never insulted anyone by the way, I criticised a player based on the game.

We don't stand up when it matters, our grand final win/loss numbers will tell you that.

 

[ash84]

Can’t wait for the runner rule to come in next year.

 

[SpongePie]

What an amazing season! Almost held on to win a Grand Final - that was never on the cards for this year. But they won 3 quarters, we won 1. Still... SOOOOO close. Next year

Next year? The competition is so close. I can't even imagine how we get there again Sorry not in a good place right now.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Where did we lose it? In the middle, wasn't expected that Grundy, Sides and Pendles would go missing for big parts of the match - and partly due to the wc mids applying their own turnover pressure which allowed them their transition game.

I have this gut wrenching feeling we played above ourselves last week and it would've taken that performance to get over wc. Don't get me wrong wc were probably at close to their best today and all credit to them and after quarter time they got on top in the pressure game, the last quarter showed that was evident.

I also have this gut wrenching feeling that our bottom 8 out of best 22 - Langdon, Mayne etc. had peak years and that may effect us going into next year. Remember progress is rarely lineal and though our system stacks up it may not be enough for next year........... unless we trade in some talls down back as I fear Moore and Reid won't be body right going forward and Dunn is in tick tock time.

We'll need to trade in a good tall down back in the off season to stay relevant.

The positives: It is clear that Cox may have had a "penny drop" game last week and it looks likely he's going to be forward weapon - in the biggest game of the year ......... late when it counted he was leading to the ball and taking contested grabs. I imagine this is what the recruiters saw in him.

Jordan De Goey: Flag written all over him - and hopefully with us when he does. This guy is an enigma and there is no one that can match up on him which heaps praise on Schofields game today.