Game Day West Coast V Adelaide Friday March 3rd 4.40PM @ MRP

[Dylan82]

Lack gut runners in a team that is relatively slow and not highly skilled = get killed on the spread by the oppo and can't get space to deliver effectively into the fwd line.

If no Darling in the early games, poor OA is going to get battered b/n pillar and post unless we can find another tall to sit fwd in the pocket and at least take some pressure off him (he's a spud but but perhaps the only answer is Baily Williams).

Bet JK is not regretting retirement!

More worried about McGovern and Barrass to be honest. The amount of times they end up with their bodies being completely exposed against opposing outnumbers in aerial contests (due to no fault of their own) isn't sustainable.

The way the back line is (not)functioning, it's becoming only a matter of time before one of them ends up with a collision injury that causes them to miss a sizeable part of the season.

 

[ziad]

More worried about McGovern and Barrass to be honest. The amount of times they end up with their bodies being completely exposed against opposing outnumbers in aerial contests (due to no fault of their own) isn't sustainable.

The way the back line is (not)functioning, it's becoming only a matter of time before one of them ends up with a collision injury that causes them to miss a sizeable part of the season.

fair comment

 

[ziad]

Seeing the crows fitness and impact of Burgess, I am really hoping by this time next year we are saying similar things about Kilgallon. It takes more than 1 preseason to get fit enough for AFL and is no surprise that the Crows are looking stronger.

spot on a pre season is actually a very short period.

 

[ThePuma #9]

It’s a pre season game so I’m not bothered by the result and if the players didn’t give it everything. Especially considering the wheels fell off last year.

If that level of effort is forthcoming during the season then by all means, burn the club to the ground.

Regardless of results this year will still be a massive transitional one for us.

Hurn and possibly Nic & Shuey on last legs.

Last chances for SPS, Witherden, Winder, Foley, O’Neill, Clark, West…etc

Jamieson and Williams get another year of exposure to the ruck at an early age.

Injection of new blood with Chesser, Ginbey, Hewett, Long & Burgiel with further development of Bazzo, Hough, Culley, LEdwards, HEdwards etc

I’m not purely focused on results BUT make no mistake there will be plenty of spots available if the older players don’t elevate their effort when required and plenty of youngsters with something to prove or their careers on the line waiting to step up.

It won’t be another 2022 unless the injuries come thick and fast once more.

 

[Yeahnahmate]

This is a pretty spot on overview coming in to R1 ThePuma #9

 

[Biggie]

Hopefully that dead cat bounce WCE_phil mentioned doesn’t occur.

Nothing will change if we see success in 2023 for mine.

My excitement will come from the watching the youngsters, once they are given the opportunity to play.

 

[Bender_]

Anyone know how Culley actually played in the second game if he did actually play? Would be keen to hear a report on how he, hough and long all went if anyone knows.

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From what I've heard Longy was going to get some minutes.

 

[THE A5]

The way we ply we will have some massive losses but I can see us having a couple upsets if things click early in a game and get some momentum and a lot teams now struggling to arrest momentum back

 

[Smeg Head]

Hopefully that dead cat bounce WCE_phil mentioned doesn’t occur.

Nothing will change if we see success in 2023 for mine.

My excitement will come from the watching the youngsters, once they are given the opportunity to play.

Kind of disagree because we will get retirements from the older players again this year no matter how well the season goes, so change will happen either way.

 

[WCEswift]

I can accept the losses if the kids are playing.

 

[ziad]

After the Crows game the headline read "The Eagles Target Getting Better" This sounds like the words of 2022 - "We must get better". The club article went on to say "The West Coast Eagles will look to extract every possible centimetre of improvement in the next fortnight as they strive to be ready for a round one challenge against North Melbourne.......Hmm, they'll need to.

Crows looked primed+pumped for a big season, ready to roll and super fit. How many seasons have they been working on their game plan and strategies and recruiting = since Nicks joined in 2019?
They've been around the bottom for awhile and got some good picks.
How long have we been working on a new/tweaked game plan = since roughly halfway through a disastrous season last year?
So given last years 'crash+burn' with injuries and ongoing fitness problems, it's no easy feat to address the returning injured, to implement a new fitness program, get everyone fitter with endurance as a base, and push ahead with a new game plan (the first full preseason opportunity to do so). They've had to turn everything around in one offseason. Unlike the Crows, who are now on the hunt upwards.
This may go someway to explaining the difference in performances yesterday.
Yes, it looks like the same old game in parts, but there were noticeable changes trying to be implemented.
The team and package is not there yet obviously, and there were some disappointing individual results, but it appears they were more concerned with managing players fitness and game time (as you would be given last season), with an eye on round 1. Regardless, some seniors are playing their last season.
Within that framework, the coach is trying for a win and the players are trying to get the best out of themselves.
The Crows are on another level, at another stage entirely, in seek+destroy mode. Simmo was handed a coaching lesson also.
This is all just a long-winded way of saying there's a fair chance, it will be a different team and resolve playing in round 1. (including Culley)(maybe Hough/Bazzo). No talk of winning yet, but we might witness the unveiling of our embryonic future...baby steps. (yep, will need key draft picks+speedsters)

I dont think people really see the game (a preactice match) as complete evidence of another poor seasons. But we showed no improvement from last year and all the same problems. This from a a club that has used every excuse in the book and added a few chapters over the last couple of years. The have lost our trust.

The emotion is not based on one game (as small sample as some note) but 3 seasons.

 

[Grahame]

Hopefully that dead cat bounce WCE_phil mentioned doesn’t occur.

Nothing will change if we see success in 2023 for mine.

My excitement will come from the watching the youngsters, once if they are given the opportunity to play.

 

[Grahame]

Kind of disagree because we will get retirements from the older players again this year no matter how well the season goes, so change will happen either way.

Difference is if soon-to-retire players take games off promising newbies. So add nothing this year and simply block opportunities.

 

[Dark Sharks]

I can accept the losses if the kids are playing.

Daresay that's the view of EVERYONE on here, including most casual Facebook fans.

Once we phase out the rest of these injury prone/underperforming seniors we can kick off the next phase properly.

 

[steve hucka]

The worst thing is Simpson can't get the guys to fire at start of Games after the first quarter it was somewhat competitive.

But like last year he can't get them up and about to crack in from the start of the game....

The leadership is also somewhat to blame for this !!

 

[WCEswift]

Daresay that's the view of EVERYONE on here, including most casual Facebook fans.

Once we phase out the rest of these injury prone/underperforming seniors we can kick off the next phase properly.

Culley Ginbey and co. all have different play styles to the fossils too, the kids fire around quick handballs until someone breaks free, all the fossils get a handball try run out get mowed down and turn it over

 

[Rowan18]

I couldn't watch the game last night and watched the first quarter today. It looked to me like the team is still trying to implement the game plan. They were much better at getting the ball to the top of D50 than previous years, but lost their structure and nerve at HB. The refused to pull the trigger on short leads in the corridor and often kicked long down the line (which lead to turnover 80% of the time).

The forward pressure also looked shit, but I assume that's because it only went forward when they kicked long quickly, so most of the players were caught behind the ball.

It might be a rough start to the year while they sort the ball movement out.

Ginbey was outstanding. He looks like a third year player and was excellent with his attack on the ball.

 

[Schtinker]

Any communication from the club as to why Culley was demoted to the second side?

Preseason standout they said.

He was guarding space near the pie warmer, a very underrated position at the footy.

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

Is the problem with the ball movement out of the backline

a) The player with ball in hand doesn't know what the plan is, what options he is supposed to be looking for or is in two minds
b) The players other than the player with the ball in hand don't know what they are supposed to be doing to create options and where they are supposed to be running to
c) The players other than the player with the ball in hand do know what they are supposed to be doing and where they are supposed to run to but don't have the fitness or pace to accomplish the task
d) The player with the ball in hand has the options available that the game plan intended (in terms of team mates in the right places) but can't execute the disposal well enough to hit them
e) All of the above

 

[RookiePick]

Opinion - Name 3 things you would like to see in 2023

What are the 3 things you want to see and happen in 2023. 1. Yeo dominate again 2. Youth rising to the occassion 3. Allen to win Coleman Medal

www.bigfooty.com

Looked back at something I posted a while back. I think I have allowed myself to get a bit carried away on the back of the pre-season hype.

We will be bottom 4 for sure as I expected back in mid January.

 

[Goroyals22]

It’s a pre season game so I’m not bothered by the result and if the players didn’t give it everything. Especially considering the wheels fell off last year.

If that level of effort is forthcoming during the season then by all means, burn the club to the ground.

Regardless of results this year will still be a massive transitional one for us.

Hurn and possibly Nic & Shuey on last legs.

Last chances for SPS, Witherden, Winder, Foley, O’Neill, Clark, West…etc

Jamieson and Williams get another year of exposure to the ruck at an early age.

Injection of new blood with Chesser, Ginbey, Hewett, Long & Burgiel with further development of Bazzo, Hough, Culley, LEdwards, HEdwards etc

I’m not purely focused on results BUT make no mistake there will be plenty of spots available if the older players don’t elevate their effort when required and plenty of youngsters with something to prove or their careers on the line waiting to step up.

It won’t be another 2022 unless the injuries come thick and fast once more.

Hurn, Nic and shuey possibly on their last legs? So why the hell are they playing in (Hurn and shueys case) and doing whatever Nic does these days( on a 2 year deal no less).

Hurn should have been told no thanks bye, Nic given a one year deal and shuey a one year deal and removed as captain.

Again the tail wags the dog not the other way around because credits

 

[Truly Lazuli]

Fetch me a daquiri

Make that four

Need the older heads

While the kids are still raw

 

[Ishmael_]

I'm glad you prefaced Eagles with WC otherwise I may of confused them with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Meow

 

[BeornJ]

Fetch me a daquiri

Make that four

Need the older heads

While the kids are still raw

 

[southcoast]

I bet all of those who put money on Hewett for rising star last week are feeling nervous about Ginbey

Already engraved with Ashcroft’s name.


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