Roast Things that Irk and Pet Peeves

[00VicWard001]

A little bit. We still had a solid core available most weeks of very experienced and premiership players. For a variety of reasons they could never get any kind of sustained form going. The five game streak was good but having Hawthorn and West Coast in there probably masked it a little bit.

Since the bye we've got 4 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses. Probably sums it up. Just a bit too hot and cold. Two very good wins over Melbourne and Port (and they were), thrown in with some horrible losses (especially Fremantle and St.Kilda Friday night).

After climbing the mountain last year, I honestly feel like this is one of the best things that happened.

We all know that it was a moneyball/hail mary effort to win last year. A squad of older players is very very very unlikely to ever do that again. I'm sure the coaches knew too, that's why they've been drafting some good young players.

Injuries to old players, who would have thought.... we were incredibly luckly last year. THis year is the actual reality of how a squad with this age profile would go. Having them injured, down on form, actually puts the bargaining power back with the club. It's time for some of these guys who have earned the clubs trust to call time on their own careers to repay the favour AND call time on their careers.

Even if a structurely important player like Stanley retires and we are hammered in the ruck (which happened this year anyway due to his injuries) and we end up 14th next year, it's not necessarily a bad thing. It allows us to try the other tried and true method. Build a young squad together... which Hawthorn are doing a fantastic job of tbh.

This all changes if we get Parish and others - where they have genuinely high skilled players around the ball - and we could get the cohesion to jump back up.

But if that doesnt happen, it's fine to just fall a bit and come back up. The supporters will still be there and learn to enjoy other aspects.

 

[Chinacats]

Uncontested marks to opposing players in paddocks of space. Waltzing the ball up the field from their back half with no pressure. Uncontested marks in our D50 to finish off. Happened all year . Sinclair mostly played mid but he linked up as he liked on Saturday just like many opposition half backs have done the whole year. Haven’t addressed this glaring game plan issue at all…

 

[Reg Hickey]

So, in 2006 the AFL overturned the saints v Freo game because the siren had gone….. but can’t overturn 2023 Sydney v Adelaide that was clearly a goal…..

The difference in 2006 was that it was the final siren, so there was no more game left to play.

On Saturday night there was still about 75 seconds left on the clock at the time the Keays kick went through, so if they change the result now, they deny Sydney the ability to mount a last challenge in those 75 seconds. If it had been given a goal as it should've been, the game would've restarted from the middle with a 6-6-6 formation, and we all know that Sydney would've played very differently from there if they were 4 points down instead of 1 point up.

So while I think Adelaide was completely robbed, I understand why the AFL won't overturn the result.

 

[allrighty]

You are right - He has not - but we have had the hardest draw and I would say as a guess, the least consistency and most injuries to key players. In my opinion, we could have been at the WCE level this year tbh.

Bit harsh I think.

Aside from an incredibly rough run with injuries there just seemed to be leakage on all fronts this year, and on the surface it did not appear that much was being done to address them at a coaching level. Of course what would I know?

 

[cats_09]

So, in 2006 the AFL overturned the saints v Freo game because the siren had gone….. but can’t overturn 2023 Sydney v Adelaide that was clearly a goal…..

This time the siren hadn't gone - so with time still on the clock & the ball returned to the middle (had the goal been correctly called), you can't say for certain that Sydney wouldn't have had the opportunity for a final shot on goal

 

[Kitcat]

I hate it when, on a radio chat show, the caller starts by asking the host how they are. I am not interested in how they are, and I probably already know from the question being asked previously. it wastes time.

I also dislike when a caller says thanks for taking my call, when it is the radio program that benefits from people calling in.

 

[catempire]

I’ve decided I’m not a fan of missing finals.

 

[cats_09]

I’ve decided I’m not a fan of missing finals.

So it's a good thing you don't support a team like North then

 

[allrighty]

I’ve decided I’m not a fan of missing finals.

I think many of us on here, and the players, are pretty spent after this year. Frankly I'm happy to sit back and see who stands up over the next few weeks.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Watching Esava Ratugolea

27

Esava Ratugolea

Age

26

Ht

197cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.6

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.2

4star

MG

131.6

2star

D

8.1

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

3.9

3star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.5

3star

MG

109.0

2star

D

9.2

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

133.8

3star

have his career ruined because we don't want to play him, and we won't trade him. His age and size he should see him on a dramatic improvement. Why other clubs are waiting to pounce. Fudge! I can well remember the amount of gift-games we gave to guys who were never going to get any better.

 

[PhatBoy]

Watching Esava Ratugolea have his career ruined because we don't want to play him, and we won't trade him. His age and size he should see him on a dramatic improvement. Why other clubs are waiting to pounce. Fudge! I can well remember the amount of gift-games we gave to guys who were never going to get any better.

I can’t agree with this. He’s had 75 games over 5-6 seasons to show more than ‘promise.’

What he’s producing right now: if he was at that level after 2-3 seasons, absolutely it would be worth investing a decent contract in him and the percentages suggest he would become elite for a lengthy period. He’s probably realistically halfway through his career and is behind at least 2 key defenders who are younger than him.

His strengths - which WERE more regularly on show this year, are his aerial work when he is in the right position, his hands have improved, and his kicking has been more dependable.

Those attributes don’t balance out that he frequently misreads the play, is caught out of position, makes poor choices regarding when to mark and when to spoil, cannot launch attack as his kicking is better than it was but still limited.

He is worth more to us as a trade than he is in further investment. At least whatever we get for him will have a full 13-14 years ahead of them to develop. He is down to 5-6.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

....

Those attributes don’t balance out that he frequently misreads the play, is caught out of position, makes poor choices regarding when to mark and when to spoil, cannot launch attack as his kicking is better than it was but still limited.

.....

Nearly every defender this year has been been frequently misreading the play, caught out of position, making poor choices etc. That is how they have been judged on here.

The reason? Most games this season the ball has been slingshot into our backline at pace, way too much. And there is no time for them to react. Especially considering how Scott wants them to position. I saw one time in that situation Sav in between two players. He goes to the wrong player and they kick a goal. Only "the wrong player" judgement was 20/20 hindsight, really. There was no right player to go to. The opposition had all the cards; just him, the guy with the ball, and two opposition players waiting for him to go to one or the other. All over in 3 seconds. Saw it happen way to often this season. Big guys like Sav are going to look the worst. Can't think of a big defender that had an outstanding season this year. Sam De Koning didn't either.


There are two reasons Tom Lonergan beat Franklin so many times. He was a great defender. And we had a great midfield that never let the ball through like we did this season.

 

[PhatBoy]

Nearly every defender this year has been been frequently misreading the play, caught out of position, making poor choices etc. That is how they have been judged on here.

The reason? Most games this season the ball has been slingshot into our backline at pace, way too much. And there is no time for them to react. Especially considering how Scott wants them to position. I saw one time in that situation Sav in between two players. He goes to the wrong player and they kick a goal. Only "the wrong player" judgement was 20/20 hindsight, really. There was no right player to go to. The opposition had all the cards; just him, the guy with the ball, and two opposition players waiting for him to go to one or the other. All over in 3 seconds. Saw it happen way to often this season. Big guys like Sav are going to look the worst. Can't think of a big defender that had an outstanding season this year. Sam De Koning didn't either.


There are two reasons Tom Lonergan beat Franklin so many times. He was a great defender. And we had a great midfield that never let the ball through like we did this season.

I don’t necessarily disagree with that but my problem isn’t so much with Esava going to the wrong opponent. It’s the frequency with which he wasn’t near any of them.

Now he wasn’t alone there, either, but he was the biggest culprit for it I think.