Three losses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

[Necromancer Beth]

Is it just me, or is this a worrying trend? Losses to Collingwood, Geelong & West Coast by less than a kick in our last 5 games. Each of the games have an all too familiar pattern. We have led for large periods of the game and often controlled large periods of the first three quarters, only to fall away at the end. Is this a fitness thing? A mental thing? Or aren't we simply up to it? Thoughts?

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

Maybe we should get Rodney Eade to advise the team on how to make a career out of being nearly good enough.

 

[Argy]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

The worrying thing is they were ahead at three quarter time in all matches. It's as if they have a "let's save it" mentality rather than a "let's win it one". But they only need to win one close one and the monkey will be off their back.

 

[play2win]

if the majority of our playing list end up with as many premiership medals as rodney eade then i'll be happy

 

[Bosk]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

Maybe we should get Rodney Eade to advise the team on how to make a career out of being nearly good enough.

Nah, Clarkson's been doing a great job of it since teams learned how to play against the zone.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

Maybe we should get Rodney Eade to advise the team on how to make a career out of being nearly good enough.

Eaxctly my thoughts in the thread I started.

 

[PottSie2]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

Eaxctly my thoughts in the thread I started.

Why call Rodney Eade ? Last 3 years we've been making excuses and only made 1 Prelim.

 

[Goody1971]

I blame Buddy for not kicking straight

 

[Pessimistic]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

The worrying thing is they were ahead at three quarter time in all matches. It's as if they have a "let's save it" mentality rather than a "let's win it one". But they only need to win one close one and the monkey will be off their back.

I reckon they didnt ice the PF last year.

After Buddy's goal 3+ minutes to go and we were still attacking.

Collingwood get one with 2+ minutes to go and immediately head for the boundary line

They iced it nicely - no attempt to attack any more

 

[MinerBoy]

Re: Three loses by less than a kick against top quality opposition in our last 5 games

I reckon they didnt ice the PF last year.

After Buddy's goal 3+ minutes to go and we were still attacking.

Collingwood get one with 2+ minutes to go and immediately head for the boundary line

They iced it nicely - no attempt to attack any more

I think lack of attack is one of the reasons we don't win these games, particularly the Geelong ones.

We generally lead because we play better football until 3/4 time. Then we stop playing better football. How about smacking the scoreboard and running away with the game......

 

[jpap]

Need to win contested possession in last qtr to reverse trend.

If Hodge was playing rd 2 + 4 we would have won both games.

Puopolo's toughness should also not be underestimated.

 

[Jayd19]

I have no doubt Clarkson is a very clever tactician and in many ways he is an excellent coach. But I can't help but think his strategies tend to stifle the extraordinary talent he has at his disposal, rather than fully exploit it.

This list is a premiership list and since 08 we have won very few big games.

It would be a fairly big failure to not win another one either this year or next (before Mitch, hodge, Burgoyne, Sewell go or decline, and the premiership window closes). I am not convinced we are on the right track.

 

[gohawkz1]

Need to win contested possession in last qtr to reverse trend.

If Hodge was playing rd 2 + 4 we would have won both games.

Puopolo's toughness should also not be underestimated.

And his ability to put pressure in the FW50 is second to none...can't wait to get him back!!

 

[Necromancer Beth]

I have no doubt Clarkson is a very clever tactician and in many ways he is an excellent coach. But I can't help but think his strategies tend to stifle the extraordinary talent he has at his disposal, rather than fully exploit it.

This is exactly what my mate was saying after the game. He was saying Clarkson has basically stifled Lance Franklins impact on games because of the gameplan we have in place. We tend to move the ball very, very slowly and try and kick through the press, as opposed to being more direct and getting the ball into Buddy quickly. Some of the delivery into our forward line is atrocious as well. We take way too long to get it in there and when we finally do, we like to kick to Buddy when he has 3 players on him, when there was ample opportunity previously to get it to him one out. It's very obviously a directive not to have an over-reliance on Buddy and wait to try and find the best option. But then when there is no other option, we end up kicking it to him anyway as a "get out" kick when he is outnumbered. It's bizzare to say the least and if I were Lance Franklin, I would be getting very, very frustrated.

The thing is, the gameplan will work well against most teams when the conditions suit. But when the conditions are poor, or the opposition is good, we always seem to fall that little bit short. We had 12 more inside 50s against West Coast, yet they had 5 more scoring shots on goal, because their gamplean was more direct/better.

 

[gohawkz1]

This is exactly what my mate was saying after the game. He was saying Clarkson has basically stifled Lance Franklins impact on games because of the gameplan we have in place. We tend to move the ball very, very slowly and try and kick through the press, as opposed to being more direct and getting the ball into Buddy quickly. Some of the delivery into our forward line is atrocious as well. We take way too long to get it in there and when we finally do, we like to kick to Buddy when he has 3 players on him, when there was ample opportunity previously to get it to him one out. It's very obviously a directive not to have an over-reliance on Buddy and wait to try and find the best option. But then when there is no other option, we end up kicking it to him anyway as a "get out" kick when he is outnumbered. It's bizzare to say the least and if I were Lance Franklin, I would be getting very, very frustrated.

The thing is, the gameplan will work well against most teams when the conditions suit. But when the conditions are poor, or the opposition is good, we always seem to fall that little bit short. We had 12 more inside 50s against West Coast, yet they had 5 more scoring shots on goal, because their gamplean was more direct/better.

Great post!! Can you please email to Clarko?

 

[MC_9]

Need to win contested possession in last qtr to reverse trend.

If Hodge was playing rd 2 + 4 we would have won both games.

Puopolo's toughness should also not be underestimated.

I hate hearing this, it is such a cop out.

If we were good enough to lead the game for the first 3 quarters, then we should have been good enough to win it in the last.

There has to be some mental factor involved. We are good enough to beat all the top teams when there is less pressure in the first 3 quarters. Its gets to the last quarter, pressure starts to build, players are afraid to make mistakes and try and play it safe. Thats when most mistakes are made.

I'm not sure what the answer is. Maybe all these close losses will make us stronger, or maybe it will effect us worse then ever.

Time will tell. However I faith we can turn it around.

 

[Maybloomer]

It's simple and bleeding obvious, we just don't score enough in the last quarter
In our last 4 losses our average 4th quarter score was 11.25 points from less than 4 scoring shots. Therein lies the problem. If we're scoring goals, the opposition ain't but it's hard to score goals when you flood your whole 18 back and leave it up to a tired few to sprint into the forward 50 to kick goals. No amount of Hodgeys or Poppies is going to make a difference, it's still 18 players back and an empty 50 when the game is to be won, not defended.

It's amazing how the opposition still manage to find a way to score irrespective of how many we have back. A high tackle here, a lucky bounce there and there's always a big bloke back there who'll outmark 2 or 3 overworked defenders. We have the kicking skills to bust the backline wide open so give the backs something FORWARD to kick to. How many opposition coaches would leave Buddy and Norm and Cyril alone in the fwd 50 for very long? We're more worried about defending a lead than increasing it and we know that rarely works.

 

[Rioli magic]

I have no doubt Clarkson is a very clever tactician and in many ways he is an excellent coach. But I can't help but think his strategies tend to stifle the extraordinary talent he has at his disposal, rather than fully exploit it.

I think it's more a case of sacrificing some of your strengths to strengthen some weaknesses elsewhere. Probably hasn't got the balance quite right but isn't far off IMO.

Buddy and Cyril would dominate under Matty Knights gameplan, but I don't think it would win us a premiership.

 

[blue harvest]

Kick straight and we win all those games and would probably have another flag.

 

[Charchi]

It's simple and bleeding obvious, we just don't score enough in the last quarter
In our last 4 losses our average 4th quarter score was 11.25 points from less than 4 scoring shots. Therein lies the problem. If we're scoring goals, the opposition ain't but it's hard to score goals when you flood your whole 18 back and leave it up to a tired few to sprint into the forward 50 to kick goals. No amount of Hodgeys or Poppies is going to make a difference, it's still 18 players back and an empty 50 when the game is to be won, not defended.

It's amazing how the opposition still manage to find a way to score irrespective of how many we have back. A high tackle here, a lucky bounce there and there's always a big bloke back there who'll outmark 2 or 3 overworked defenders. We have the kicking skills to bust the backline wide open so give the backs something FORWARD to kick to. How many opposition coaches would leave Buddy and Norm and Cyril alone in the fwd 50 for very long? We're more worried about defending a lead than increasing it and we know that rarely works.

Maybloom, that is exactly my thoughts too. When raised with the coaching staff at last years Inside the Huddle function I was brushed off. Unfortunately good sides know how we are going to play and bank on the flooding and just attack, attack, attack until we crumble. I think we are all fearing a period of wasted talent because of it.