Where to for the Kangaroos? (Paul Gough Article)

[silkykanga]

4:50:06 PM Mon 5 September, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au

Make no mistake the Kangaroos are still a long way off again being a premiership contender after their humiliating exit from the 2005 AFL finals series on Sunday.

In their first finals appearance since 2002, the Roos were humiliated by 87 points by Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome - even though Port went into the game in eighth spot while the Roos had finished fifth.

However the Kangaroos' finishing position at the end of the home and away season and indeed their win/loss ratio was flattering, helped by a friendly draw.

The Roos finished fifth and won 13 of their 22 games but it is worth remembering that six of those wins came against the bottom three clubs - Collingwood, Hawthorn and Carlton, which all won less than six games for the season.



The Kangas' percentage by season's end, just 99.2, was perhaps a better guide to their overall competitiveness - highlighting that while the club can handle the lower-ranked teams it struggles against classier opposition.

And Sunday's elimination final loss also exposed the areas where the Kangas must improve if they are to recapture the glory days under Denis Pagan in the 1990's.

This is principally in the key positions with veterans Saverio Rocca and Nathan Thompson struggling in attack on Sunday when it really counted, while a replacement will have to be found for key defender Leigh Colbert, who announced his retirement. Full-back Shannon Watt continues to look shaky against top quality key forwards.

So unless the Roos can develop a new generation of key position players soon, the occasional finals appearance might be the best they can hope for.


WHAT A TOOL - NOW I'VE HEARD IT ALL NOW OUR FRIENDLY DRAW GOT US INTO THE FINALS WHAT A PILE OF S*** - ARE THESE PEOPLE FOR REAL?? CMON BOYS HAVE A BIG PRE-SEASON AND SHOW THEM NEXT YEAR WHY WE DESERVE RESPECT IM ALREADY COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS!!!!!!

 

[ARDENSTREETforever]

That performance yesterday basically ruins what had been a top year, so we have lost all respect, and deservedly so. it was a horrible, spiritless and downright girly effort.

 

[Dingster]

We won 13 games and beat Brissie in Brissie, beat the short priced premiership faves, beat Sydney and pushed the Adelaide and WCE. Spin it any way you want. We finished fifth.

 

[Borscht Mat]

actually you finished 7th

 

[Mike_Spicoli]

West Coast had a friendly draw..

 

[steveo1010]

actually you finished 7th

On the home & away ladder we clearly finished 5th... not 7th tool

 

[apollo_creed]

actually you finished 7th

And you'll finish 6th, your point?

You'll be in the same position as us and 13 other teams come seasons end.

 

[apollo_creed]

actually you finished 7th

We're so sorry we don't get 12 games at AAMI each year either.

10 advantage
2 Neutral
and 10 away.

 

[ssreid]

No matter were we finish it's never good enough for these journo' s

 

[Horace]

Lets not forget but for a shocking 50 metre penalty against Arch resulting in a goal to Stengline (or whatever his name is) we should have beaten the Eagles. Pushed Adelaide in Adelaide to 10 points and went down by less than two goals here in Melbourne.

We had some bad losses, Geelong in particular by over 80 points and Port Adelaide by 47, which hurt our percentage.

We are certainly not in the class of Adelaide, West Coast, Sydney and St. Kilda (even though we beat both Sydney and St. Kilda first time around this year, conveniently forgotten by Gough) but we are not quite as bad as his article would suggest.

As my late father used to say "Figures don't lie but liars can figure". Fits Gough.

 

[Marstermind]

Tough article but we'd better strap ourselves in for more. Clubs get judged on finals and as good as we were in the H&A, we were shown up as pretenders when it counted. Yesterday's game will be brought up again and again and again in the wash-up for the year and in the predictions for next year. Many doubted we were the real deal going into the final - not many doubters now

The only thing I have a real objection to is the selective sampling of the draw. Yes, we played and beat Collingwood, Hawthorn and Carlton twice. But if he'd looked at the Top 4 he'd have seen we played Adelaide, St.Kilda and Sydney twice - winning 2, competitive in 3 and only out of our depth in R21 against Sydney. We also had a horror stretch two consecutive trips to Adelaide, a game in Geelong , Brisbane and Perth all within a seven week stretch. More pertinent than the draw maybe was our injuries - we had a dream run with only Motlop being a regular who was out for an extended period.

 

[King Corey]

The article is poorly written and inaccurate but I want the club to cop it.

We creep under the radar too often when we perform poorly and it's healthier that we get nailed for the crud we just served up - rather than applauded for our 'spirit' when we manage to make up a deficit we should never have given up against some bottom 4 side..

We have got away with some really poor footy despite our position this year and any genuine criticism should be accepted. I think we underachieved in terms of what we have. Don't think Port's list is any better than ours.

 

[Souup]

Everyone goes on about our %, But the only thing that really wrecked out % was probably that 85 points loss to Geelong

 

[Borscht Mat]

We're so sorry we don't get 12 games at AAMI each year either.

10 advantage
2 Neutral
and 10 away.

you seem to think I care whether you finish 7th or 5th or whereever. I was just pointing out that officially you finished 7th....good bad or indifferent, but true.

I follow Port. I would be more than happy to accept the R22 position as "official" but that is not the way it works.

Evrything else you said is just why you finished 7th.....who cares why ?? I was just pointing it out.

 

[King Corey]

you seem to think I care whether you finish 7th or 5th or whereever. I was just pointing out that officially you finished 7th....good bad or indifferent, but true.

I follow Port. I would be more than happy to accept the R22 position as "official" but that is not the way it works.

Evrything else you said is just why you finished 7th.....who cares why ?? I was just pointing it out.

Was there any point of substance you were trying to make there mate? I'm struggling to work out what contribution you were offering with that insight into how the ladder order is devised.

 

[backbar]

I agree with Borscht. We did finish 7th. Fifth was a brief moment in time, not the end-game.

Reminds me of the early 80s when we finished top after the H&As. Then got smashed two weeks running at Waverley in the finals (no sign of shinboner spirit that year), to go out in straight sets.

sure didn't feel like we finished top after that.

BB.

(Re: the Gough article - lazy journalism gives a free shinboner ride on occasions, so can't really complain when lazy journalism bites us the other way).

 

[Powerstufff]

And you'll finish 6th, your point?

You'll be in the same position as us and 13 other teams come seasons end.

I have never seen someone get so many predictions wrong and so this latest efforts of yours thrill me. You have guaranteed us back to back flags now.
I'm sure that somewhere on this board you have predicted Sav would have a daughter.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

On the home & away ladder we clearly finished 5th... not 7th tool

Will you be getting the draft picks that 5th place is allocated or that 7th place is allocated?

 

[Toots Hibbert]

I have never seen someone get so many predictions wrong and so this latest efforts of yours thrill me. You have guaranteed us back to back flags now.
I'm sure that somewhere on this board you have predicted Sav would have a daughter.

Powerstufff have you seen apollo_creed back on our board since Sunday? I enjoyed NorthBhoy's work but apollo turned out to be an abusive fool.

 

[Shinboners]

I have never seen someone get so many predictions wrong

You've never read The Hitman's predictions?

 

[Artichoke]

That performance yesterday basically ruins what had been a top year, so we have lost all respect, and deservedly so. it was a horrible, spiritless and downright girly effort.

I am with you mate. You want respect? Do not get dehumanised by 15 goals in an insipid display. I don't mind losing by 4-5 goals in a gallant effort. At least have a crack and show a bit of guts!! This was just not acceptable and the boys have now the better part of 6 months to think about it.

You have to wonder, especially when the players knew it was Colby's last game as well. What a send off to give a guy!!

The old saying "that you are good as your last game" comes into play when it comes to the media and as much as I hate to say it, they are probably right..

 

[Ausgard]

I suppose the good thing about the game was that it left us with no illusions about how far off we are.

Our defense sucked and Colbert has retired. At least we know what we have to draft

 

[Artichoke]

Everyone goes on about our %, But the only thing that really wrecked out % was probably that 85 points loss to Geelong

Not only that. We won 13 games this year and our highest winning margin was against the Dons (42 points). A game we should have won by 80 plus points. The Bombers were terrible that night.

We also have the inability to put away sides such as Carlton and Collingwood (especially the 2nd time we played them without Rocca and Tarrant). The fact we only won 40 of the 88 quarters for the season just backs up what I am saying. Cannot play out a full game of football.

The difference between this season and last season is that we defeated all the sides that we should beat (the sides finishing 10-16th and managed to win a few in the 8 which explains why we managed to get enough wins and make a finals appearance..

Let's face it, we had a good run of injuries (except Junior) and suspensions. At best, we are a good middle of the road side (best of the rest)

 

[Kimbo]

Yesterday's game will be brought up again and again and again in the wash-up for the year and in the predictions for next year. Many doubted we were the real deal going into the final - not many doubters now

I never doubted that this sort of result was possible or even likely in either Week 1 or 2 of the finals. Like many others, I've thought all along that we were simply nowhere near the quality and class of the Top 4 teams (Top 6).

After each win, the optimists would call on the critics to step forward and ask why they were silent. Is the boot now on the other foot? Premiership contenders this year? Pffft.

Personally, as much as it hurt to see and watch this game, I'd much rather have the "wake up call" than a misguided optimism which a gallant win or gallant loss might lead to. I hope this result burns in the guts all pre-season if that's what it takes to help the club really see what the gap is.

p.s. We have now officially finished 7th guys, get over it!

 

[Hotel 6]

Paul Gough has been on North's case all year. Each week he was writing tripe about us and he is a serial North hater. Or maybe he only write negative articles. All in all there is merit in what he has written (you can spin anything, anyway you want!!) but to say that Watt has struggled at Full back and not mention Brown (who has been our FB for the majority of the year) shows that he has little knowledge of our game plan. I am surprised that he did not mention that it was the usual suspects that carried us through the year. While Colbert has been good for us he certainly struggled in the 2nd half of the year and replacing his on-field performance should not be that difficult, it is the intangibles that he brings that will be impossible to replace.