stefoid
15 May 2004, 20:07
summary: For most of the first three quarters our midfield was well up on their opponents, led by West and Johno both of whom were unstoppable. At one stage we must have been something like 6 goals 18 to their 8 goals 5. We could not buy a goal for love or money. You name any distance or angle, and we had a set shot from there and failed to score. Our ain forward target Rawlings was not our main forward target, and he took their best tallest defender, so our other forwards were against shorter/slower opponents all day, and they capitalized on the mismatches everywhere but the scoreboard.
Basically, the game should have been on ice halfway through the third quarter, with us up by 6 goals and the tigers loosing heart. Instead, the uncanny and probably never to be repeated accuracy of richo in front of goals for the tigers kept them in the game all day as he outmarked and a variety of opponents. Our campaign to kick three straight goals in a row and thus kill the game fell apart with some horrible errors late in the third, resulting in easy richmonds rebound goals.
In the last quarter, with their tails up and richo on a rampage, we looked to have given up the ghost, and ruchmond cruised home to a relatively easy win.
To say that richo was the difference between the two sides is an understatement.
Q) why wasnt rawlings tried on richo? - instead he was benched.
Q) why didnt we play a loose man in defence to double team richo? Grant could have played that role, and hargreave or basset could have taken the schmuck that grant was playing on.
Players:
West, Johno: killed their opponents. Anhialated them. fantatsic games
Smith: played his usual excellent game except he could kick any of his trademark goals. I think he was so scared of trying that he just popped it up into the square instead of going for it. Didnt seem like he could kick over 45m today.
Grant: was everywhere taking saving marks, usual grant game. his footy brain is his best asset these days.
Darce: rucked well enough, and had his chances when forward, and created a few goals with bullocking work and assists
Street: rucked well enough, had some nice directed taps at times. actually watched where he ran and was pleased to find that he shadowed ottens all over the ground, in other words didnt find it much himself, but by the same token, the opposition didnt have a huge ruck target free in their forward line (not that they needed it today)
Murph: started in the centre, and did OK without setting the world on fire. Made some shocking kicking errors early. Doesnt seem to have the motor to play on ball, when will rhode put him on a wing and leave him there?
Hahn and Gido: spent the first part of the game mostly in attack, hahn crumbed well enough, probably our best in that regard. Guido did some nice things on the ball, and played well there, but was let down by his kicking for goal in the end. Our players looked like they were playing with a flat ball - no penetration in their kicking for goal.
Eagleton. I was seething with this guy in the third. He is there to kick the ball!!!! KICK KICK KICK!!! bloody floating hospital handpasses to put people under pressure. He showed what a beutiful kick of the ball he can be early in the 4th, with a 70m kick to the hotspot, and thats what he should be doing whenever he gets the ball and cant find a free target. he justnt isnt quick enough mentally to play an inside/handballing type of game. Probably out of everybody, it was him that I most remember as killing our momentum and spirit to win in the third qaurter.
bowden: was lively and presented well, did some nice work in trafic too. Has a tendancy to wait for the perfect lead - should have given off the ball on a number of occasions to the first option, but held onto it too long and got us into trouble, but overall a good game.
harison: started on richo but was moved fairly early and came on again for a second try later. wasnt the worst guy to play on richo is about all I can say of his game. tried hard.
Basset: see harrison
hargreave: same criticisms as last time in that he scrgas and gives away frees, but hey, the guy was playing on an opponent who was so much taller and stronger than him, what could he do? complete mismatch.
Kmac: was also mismatched against richo, but tried to give us some run out of defence later in the game. didnt work very well, but probably worth perservering with next week.
croft: started forward, didnt get much of an opportunity early, then went onto richo and was killed. later in the game when forward again got more ball directed at him, consistantly got beat by his direct opponent in one on ones either in the air or at ground level. looked a bit lost. At this stage of the year, and with our finals hopes officially gone, I would look at playing Kmac, Basset, Skipper and hargreve and leaving croft and harrison out to pasture in the 2s.
Cooney: kind of a trademark cooney game. he was frustrated out there today, continually made position but was not used when he should have been. basically he never seems to get a chance to get the ball in space or a 1:1 because he isnt used by our other players. only chance he gets is to arrive late to a contest.
Robbo: could have kicked 4, chased well, tackled etc... kicking, kicking... not really a great crumber, likes to run in straight lines. but probably worth continuing the experiment.
Hmmm our guests have arrived. someone want to finish this post.....
Basically, the game should have been on ice halfway through the third quarter, with us up by 6 goals and the tigers loosing heart. Instead, the uncanny and probably never to be repeated accuracy of richo in front of goals for the tigers kept them in the game all day as he outmarked and a variety of opponents. Our campaign to kick three straight goals in a row and thus kill the game fell apart with some horrible errors late in the third, resulting in easy richmonds rebound goals.
In the last quarter, with their tails up and richo on a rampage, we looked to have given up the ghost, and ruchmond cruised home to a relatively easy win.
To say that richo was the difference between the two sides is an understatement.
Q) why wasnt rawlings tried on richo? - instead he was benched.
Q) why didnt we play a loose man in defence to double team richo? Grant could have played that role, and hargreave or basset could have taken the schmuck that grant was playing on.
Players:
West, Johno: killed their opponents. Anhialated them. fantatsic games
Smith: played his usual excellent game except he could kick any of his trademark goals. I think he was so scared of trying that he just popped it up into the square instead of going for it. Didnt seem like he could kick over 45m today.
Grant: was everywhere taking saving marks, usual grant game. his footy brain is his best asset these days.
Darce: rucked well enough, and had his chances when forward, and created a few goals with bullocking work and assists
Street: rucked well enough, had some nice directed taps at times. actually watched where he ran and was pleased to find that he shadowed ottens all over the ground, in other words didnt find it much himself, but by the same token, the opposition didnt have a huge ruck target free in their forward line (not that they needed it today)
Murph: started in the centre, and did OK without setting the world on fire. Made some shocking kicking errors early. Doesnt seem to have the motor to play on ball, when will rhode put him on a wing and leave him there?
Hahn and Gido: spent the first part of the game mostly in attack, hahn crumbed well enough, probably our best in that regard. Guido did some nice things on the ball, and played well there, but was let down by his kicking for goal in the end. Our players looked like they were playing with a flat ball - no penetration in their kicking for goal.
Eagleton. I was seething with this guy in the third. He is there to kick the ball!!!! KICK KICK KICK!!! bloody floating hospital handpasses to put people under pressure. He showed what a beutiful kick of the ball he can be early in the 4th, with a 70m kick to the hotspot, and thats what he should be doing whenever he gets the ball and cant find a free target. he justnt isnt quick enough mentally to play an inside/handballing type of game. Probably out of everybody, it was him that I most remember as killing our momentum and spirit to win in the third qaurter.
bowden: was lively and presented well, did some nice work in trafic too. Has a tendancy to wait for the perfect lead - should have given off the ball on a number of occasions to the first option, but held onto it too long and got us into trouble, but overall a good game.
harison: started on richo but was moved fairly early and came on again for a second try later. wasnt the worst guy to play on richo is about all I can say of his game. tried hard.
Basset: see harrison
hargreave: same criticisms as last time in that he scrgas and gives away frees, but hey, the guy was playing on an opponent who was so much taller and stronger than him, what could he do? complete mismatch.
Kmac: was also mismatched against richo, but tried to give us some run out of defence later in the game. didnt work very well, but probably worth perservering with next week.
croft: started forward, didnt get much of an opportunity early, then went onto richo and was killed. later in the game when forward again got more ball directed at him, consistantly got beat by his direct opponent in one on ones either in the air or at ground level. looked a bit lost. At this stage of the year, and with our finals hopes officially gone, I would look at playing Kmac, Basset, Skipper and hargreve and leaving croft and harrison out to pasture in the 2s.
Cooney: kind of a trademark cooney game. he was frustrated out there today, continually made position but was not used when he should have been. basically he never seems to get a chance to get the ball in space or a 1:1 because he isnt used by our other players. only chance he gets is to arrive late to a contest.
Robbo: could have kicked 4, chased well, tackled etc... kicking, kicking... not really a great crumber, likes to run in straight lines. but probably worth continuing the experiment.
Hmmm our guests have arrived. someone want to finish this post.....