Thoughts on the Collingwood Game

[sbenno]

Made me think last night, about Craigy's comments before the year started about challenging the top 4.

We have challenged, really:

For 3 quarters, we played easily our best game for the year (at the time) against the Saints.

Beat Fremantle when they were good.

Beat Geelong.

Took Dogs to 8 points (after previously getting smashed, but I'll conveniently ignore that)

Nearly beat Collingwood.


Certainly challenged the top sides, but for some reason we lose to the bad ones. Mentality?

 

[Rollerball]

Dissapointing to lose obviously but thought it was an awesome effort after a taxing game in Brisbane last Sunday.

Thanks. Also beat Freo when they were flying. The only problem is the absolute crap we served up against Port and Richmond. We need to put in the same effort and intensity against the bottom sides as we have done against the top ones this year.

Every interstate team is required to lose Richmond atleast once this year. It's in their contract.

 

[Permanence]

Collingwood were always going to throw everything at us the last quarter, I thought we held up well, if only walker took half a second to compose himself and slot that goal early in the quarter.

Intensity and decision making under pressure was the best I have seen from us all year. Unfortunately the thing that just keeps burning us time and time again is clangers in really bad positions that cost us goals.

The same serial offenders...

Symes lazy handball intercepted by Thomas
Maric & Stevens responsible for clangers inside defensive 50.

Stevens whilst commendable in aerial contests his disposal by foot is definitely not up to kick in duties! i hold my breathe every time!

3 of collingwoods 4 goals were directly from our poor execution and giving them gimmes!

in the end that, and a piece of sheer didak brilliance was the difference!

We all need to give Walker a break before he takes off to GWS... why do we treat our young stars so harshly! give the guy some more time before we crucify him!

Whilst we lost the game, given our list, the weeks happenings, and the opponent I rate that effort as our best performance of the year!

sure im disappointed we didn't get the 4 points but at the end of the day it meant nothing, im more pleased to know we have just proven this year (along with our other performances against the top 4) we are not that far off the pace setters and slight improvement over the offseason will still see us genuine premiership threats for the next few years to come at least!

 

[birdmanptr]

I think Taylor will repay the faith in the coming years..
.

One can only hope but after last night he is a long way of

 

[birdmanptr]

Just let me edit this for you.

"You played your youngest side ever ...with retirements and a shitload of first choice player injuries... We were forced to play the way we did because of the way you played. We didn't deserve to win because John Anthony has the head of an alien"

There you go.

Bit harsh

 

[RoosterLad]

I was happy with Young's game, good to see him play well after his first game shocker. Looks like he could have a future with the Crows.

Walker's miss was terrible, too often our players miss easy goals which could give us a nice buffer... as soon as he missed that goal we lost the game basically. He chokes in front of goal far too often for my liking.

 

[birdmanptr]

I was happy with Young's game, good to see him play well after his first game shocker. Looks like he could have a future with the Crows.

Walker's miss was terrible, too often our players miss easy goals which could give us a nice buffer... as soon as he missed that goal we lost the game basically. He chokes in front of goal far too often for my liking.

Agreed but it is fixable It's up to him now

 

[sbenno]

Just watched the first 3 quarters of the replay (didn't want to watch the last).

Gosh, I would have delisted Scott Stevens half-way through the year, but he has really hit a purple patch of form recently. Been excellent.

Sloane is going to be a champ. Never stops trying.

Thought Johncock was good, not sure about the BOG though, I would have given that to Douglas (at least from the Crows perspective)

How has Douglas suddenly become a contested marking machine in the past few weeks? He'd have to be one of the shortest in our side (if not the shortest out there yesterday).

 

[Mismatched]

And M Rucci you complete fool, was that the reality the pies would dish out to us in the midfield?? Even with no Knights and no Vince? I hope that's the reality, you condescending arse. How disappointing for you. Is that the clear picture of where we fall short for an AFL flag? is it? is it?...well i hope so.
Suck it up you loser. (end of vent)

Yeah I was reading that(don't ask my why, I don't usually for this very reason) thinking "gee this guy's a tool". I love it how his arrogance has reached the levels that he sprouts off his own opinions as if they're deadset facts, like he has some inside scoop or something, but he doesn't.

*sigh*

I said Walker had the hallmarks of a new Fev a while back. Was pilloried and abused at the time, funny people are now saying exactly the same things about Walker's attitude...

Look, if he kicks 80+ goals a year like Fev generally does, you get over this very quickly. The great thing we have, which Carlton didn't with Fev, is Tippett and Hendo. Walker is going to have his off days, he's that kind of player, we're currently trying to instil some semblance of consistency in him, but they will still happen. What we must make sure of though, is that we have other blokes there to pick up the slack, just like Walker can pick up the slack if Tippett has a bad day.

You're right Tambaran that Walker may end up like Fevola, but as long as he doesn't end up like Fevola off the field, I don't think I'd be too disappointed at all.

Certainly challenged the top sides, but for some reason we lose to the bad ones. Mentality?

I think Mentality has been a massive factor in our poor season, we've shown in many of the games that you listed, that we can match it with the best of them, but then we go out and dish up the tripe of the first 6 matches, then the Roos, Tigers and Power games after that. We're in need of a massive reset regarding our mentality going into 2011, if Craigy can't get it right, then we're in for another year of the same.

The same serial offenders...

Symes lazy handball intercepted by Thomas
Maric & Stevens responsible for clangers inside defensive 50.

Stevens whilst commendable in aerial contests his disposal by foot is definitely not up to kick in duties! i hold my breathe every time!

The bloke takes some outstanding contested marks in defence, really outstanding, but geez he lets himself down with his disposal and decision making.

Was watching the game at my footy club, happened to look up from dinner to see Stevens kicking out and groaned to others at the table "why the hell is Stevens kicking out?" and sure enough, he laced out a Collingwood player 40m out from goal

 

[Tambaran]

James37, the problem with Fevola - onfield - is his selfish play. I know a number of Carlton supporters who were ecstatic he was gone, and it has probably shown in their more "team" performances this season. Goals have been shared, instead of always kicking to the showpony. He's had an impact at Brisbane, but not all of it good.

The biggest risk with Walker is that, like Fevola, his self-belief in his own (real) talent spills over into the laziness, hubris and arrogance that has plagued Fevola's career.

Walker is well on the way to being a showpony - he doesn't work hard enough. It's instructive to watch Henderson chasing the ball like a terrier in the forward line, same with Tippett, while Walker jogs slowly around and half-heartedly jumps on a pack if its near him.

I don't like Craig, but I think he's right to be hard on Walker.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I thought that Craigys tatics tonight were also very comendable

howmany times have we done something like that (Young on O'Brien)

is it a sign that things are changing in his coaching brain?

Possibly he was more prepared to try something leftfield given that there was nothing riding on the result of the game. The test, as always, will be if he can back his coaching instincts in a pressure game.

 

[BACCS]

Collingwood were always going to throw everything at us the last quarter, I thought we held up well, if only walker took half a second to compose himself and slot that goal early in the quarter.

Intensity and decision making under pressure was the best I have seen from us all year. Unfortunately the thing that just keeps burning us time and time again is clangers in really bad positions that cost us goals.

The same serial offenders...

Symes lazy handball intercepted by Thomas
Maric & Stevens responsible for clangers inside defensive 50.

Stevens whilst commendable in aerial contests his disposal by foot is definitely not up to kick in duties! i hold my breathe every time!

3 of collingwoods 4 goals were directly from our poor execution and giving them gimmes!

in the end that, and a piece of sheer didak brilliance was the difference!

We all need to give Walker a break before he takes off to GWS... why do we treat our young stars so harshly! give the guy some more time before we crucify him!

Whilst we lost the game, given our list, the weeks happenings, and the opponent I rate that effort as our best performance of the year!

sure im disappointed we didn't get the 4 points but at the end of the day it meant nothing, im more pleased to know we have just proven this year (along with our other performances against the top 4) we are not that far off the pace setters and slight improvement over the offseason will still see us genuine premiership threats for the next few years to come at least!

Wow, so much shit in this post. Stevens was nearly our best player last night, along with Maric. And their kicking by foot last night was the best for the season.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Tough to know what to make of the game.

Collingwood seemed extremely flat. It's a long season, they've been 'up' for a long time and they have bigger fish to fry in the coming month. How much of the credit should go to us for the way we played is difficult to measure.

To our credit we managed to shut the game down completely. Our zone was excellent and Collingwood found it difficult to move the ball, especially in the first half. It was a throw-back to the ultra-negative defensive Crows performances we have tried to steer away from since part way through 2009.

Even though we led for most of the game did anyone think at any stage we were going to win? I doubt any Adelaide fan would have. There was a sense of inevitability about the whole game and I wonder how many battle scars we are carrying from past disasters. Our second half was as poor as our first half was good.

Douglas and van Berlo completely disappeared after half time after really good openings. Our forward line was ordinary all night - Walker, Tippett and Porplyzia struggled to have any impact on the game and Porps did his best work up the ground.

Our defence stood up well in the first half but fell apart in the second half while Collingwood increasingly controlled the game. 3.2 to 3.13 after half time spared our defence some blushes.

Strange reaction from Craig after the siren. He's sat through some crushing losses this season that have been absolute body-blows to our 2010 campaign and has done it without a murmur; controlled, calm and calculating. Now we lose a game that has no impact whatsoever on our season and he's as angry as I've ever seen him. I've got no idea where he's coming from.

 

[fairfooty]

Sums it up beautifully. I'm a paid-up card carrying member of the Taylor Walker fan club - but his recent performances or lack there of, smack of Fev at his selfish, show pony worst and worry me no end. And I will be absolutley delighted to be proved completely wrong - only difference, I'm an NC fan too .

James37, the problem with Fevola - onfield - is his selfish play. I know a number of Carlton supporters who were ecstatic he was gone, and it has probably shown in their more "team" performances this season. Goals have been shared, instead of always kicking to the showpony. He's had an impact at Brisbane, but not all of it good.

The biggest risk with Walker is that, like Fevola, his self-belief in his own (real) talent spills over into the laziness, hubris and arrogance that has plagued Fevola's career.

Walker is well on the way to being a showpony - he doesn't work hard enough. It's instructive to watch Henderson chasing the ball like a terrier in the forward line, same with Tippett, while Walker jogs slowly around and half-heartedly jumps on a pack if its near him.

I don't like Craig, but I think he's right to be hard on Walker.

 

[smoovy]

Pretty much agree on all the thoughts here.

We did an outstanding job in limiting Collingwood whose form in the last month has been awesome. In the last month they've had 58,53,66,60 I50 entries.

Last night we kept them to just 40, whilst having 46 ourselves. Never for a moment before the game did I think we would win that battle.

However it just goes to show though the problem we have with how our forwardline in functioning. Our movement into there has no real system and we seriously need a nippy forward crumber. If we can't find one at the trade table then I think our only hope is to develop Jaensch.

 

[fairfooty]

Good sum-up smoovy.

In the last month they've had 58,53,66,60 I50 entries.

Bl@**% H*ll! I didn't realise it was that high or that consistent! They are an awesome side at the moment - much as I hate to admit it. So our kids did a fine job on them last night.

Pretty much agree on all the thoughts here.

We did an outstanding job in limiting Collingwood whose form in the last month has been awesome. In the last month they've had 58,53,66,60 I50 entries.

Last night we kept them to just 40, whilst having 46 ourselves. Never for a moment before the game did I think we would win that battle.

However it just goes to show though the problem we have with how our forwardline in functioning. Our movement into there has no real system and we seriously need a nippy forward crumber. If we can't find one at the trade table then I think our only hope is to develop Jaensch.

 

[PCORF]

5 years ago we gave em a 110 point hiding .... what a day!

 

[Allefgib]

Strange reaction from Craig after the siren. He's sat through some crushing losses this season that have been absolute body-blows to our 2010 campaign and has done it without a murmur; controlled, calm and calculating. Now we lose a game that has no impact whatsoever on our season and he's as angry as I've ever seen him. I've got no idea where he's coming from.

The vent was an interesting thing to observe (only seen in highlights so far). As another thread alluded to, most of us feel its a positive to see him get more emotional - but why now when it doesn't matter as much? Obviously it does still matter him, which is good. But why not earlier in the year when our efforts were really pathetic at times. Why not after the Port/Richmond losses?

Is it because Tex missed the sealer.... ?

 

[MarcusP2]

Probably because a lot of those horrible games we threw away well before the final siren. That game we had a chance to win up until the siren blew, and we failed.

Games like Melbourne, Port, Sydney etc were over before the last few seconds, Craig probably had time to stew rather than a burst of anger like that.

 

[Permanence]

Wow, so much shit in this post. Stevens was nearly our best player last night, along with Maric. And their kicking by foot last night was the best for the season.

Stevens is what he is, he plugs holes and is a commendable defender but really he shouldn't be given such intense high risk jobs like fullback kick in's! what's wrong with Stiffy? or even Truck (I know they like to target truck for the kick in marker at times though!)

Sure he took a few great contested grabs back there last night but i bet you cannot find me a game he has not made a couple of terrible clangers that the real good backmen of the comp just don't make!

I've always felt players like Stevens and Doughty are living on borrowed time, both have managed to carve a decent career due to the fact that there just isn't anyone good enough to take there spots at the moment!

and Maric was commendable all night yes, but did he beat Jolly? no. does he make terrible decisions when he has the ball in his hands? yes! we have patiently waited a long time for Maric and Griffen to become A-Grade ruckmen... is anyone starting to think maybe they never will! Letting go of Hudson really was a terrible move i'm sorry!

 

[SebastianVettel]

5 years ago we gave em a 110 point hiding .... what a day!

Adelaide 4.9 - 10.12 - 17.15 - 22.19 (151)

C'wood 2.1 - 2.4 - 5.7 - 5.11 (41)

(Hentschel 5.5)


Ah........ happier times.

 

[Hva sher a]

Agree with the general sentiment of this thread. Yes we were flat and obviously had our minds on September plus we were structurally wrong. Crows kids definitely made me sit up and take notice. A couple of observations:
Walker - I don't know what Craig does with him but he would be incredibly frustrating. I found myself screaming at him for that stupid left foot shot which should've been a gimme.
Maric - wow - he is better than I thought, but you can get rid of Sellar now.
Porp - has he been injured? - he seems to have gone backwards
Davis - you won't miss Bock. Pity you are only getting pick 26 in return
Good luck for next year Crows

 

[jenny61_99]

Having only watched the first half so far, I can't help but be impressed. Particularly considering:

* the game against Brisbane was played on Sunday in Brisbane in 28 degree heat with only 20 fit men for three quarters... Collingwood played on Friday night at the MCG. So this was our 2nd away game in a row and had 2 days less rest (typical AFL scheduling AGAIN). Not surprising we had no legs in the final quarter.
* our boys tried their hearts out.
* Johncock had a blinder of a first half.
* Our babies did a great job.
* I saw VB leading (pointing to position several times).

So proud of our boys and our coach - all played with passion and desire.

 

[thebirdman 24]

Just finished watching the second half. Gee i hate Collingwood.

Sellar - useless, had 2 touches! pathetic effort. limited gametime i suspect, but should of really got a bit more involved

Symes - a symes clanger special in the first quarter, followed by just an ineffective game, runs around, is a non factor.

Maric - thought he was good, love the headband. couple of clangers but some ncie hitouts and marks.

Schmidt - didn't get involved much, no real clangers i can remember

vB - average game, falls over too much, shut down his opponent well.

Walker - why is he getting so much shit? kicked 2 goals, should of had 3, yes it was bad, but got more involved that Tippett

Tipett - lovely goal, but not much else, competed as usual, not a very open game for him

Thompson/Johncock - stars

Douglas - decent

Young - BOG lloyd really? played his role very well, never really knew he was much of a defensive forward

Jaensch - quiet

Porps - decent

Reilly - decent, broke even with Swan id say

Stevens - .............good

Doughty - thought he was pretty average, cant use the ball very well, as is the case with a large batch of our team; symes, vb/reilly at times, stevens, schidt.

Henderson - progressing well, expectations of him have been well exceeded, but not the biggest game for him.

ohh and Sloane Love him lots

Another competitive 3 quarter effort only to fail in the last quarter. Typical of our year, if they kicked straight it would have gotten a bit ugly in the last. Pressure was good but thats not enough to win a game of footy now, you need skill, pace fast ball movement and a decent forward setup, the latter being a major problem. Gets way too crowded in there at times, Tippett sprints into packs when he should be having a clear run, Walker doesn't get used, no crumbers whatsoever, no midfield goals generally, and we never get those cheap ass goals that teams seem to get in abundance versus us. See Sydney game.

 

[Tambaran]

Having only watched the first half so far, I can't help but be impressed. Particularly considering:

* the game against Brisbane was played on Sunday in Brisbane in 28 degree heat with only 20 fit men for three quarters... Collingwood played on Friday night at the MCG. So this was our 2nd away game in a row and had 2 days less rest (typical AFL scheduling AGAIN). Not surprising we had no legs in the final quarter.
* our boys tried their hearts out.
* Johncock had a blinder of a first half.
* Our babies did a great job.
* I saw VB leading (pointing to position several times).

So proud of our boys and our coach - all played with passion and desire.

What apologist guff.