Autopsy Rolled over to Freo after leading by 41 at qtr time, what's wrong @ the kennel?

[doggies ftw]

Boy oh boy

 

[Dogs Rule]

After a complete withdrawl from any footy results yesterday, resetting the inner angst, I think the result overall was not unexpected however how the result happened was quite the disappointment. I'd commented weeks back that the season was effectively over, some agreed & some didnt, and the Freo game just brought to surface again a number of key points & glaring gaps preventing the current line-up and list from progressing.

I stand by my comments regarding the back 6, the center lacks a bit of mongrel & a decent tap ruck & and the forward line needs a bit of tuning. English not being tall enough to get hands to ball isnt a height issue, he's 207cm tall. Astro probably had the worst game of the year and wasnt helped by JUH & Darcy's presence on the forward line and the lack of smart crumbing forward options reared its ugly head again. Very disappointed with this season and how Bev has continued to refuse to put proven players ahead of favourites/poster project boys sending a bad message about the club's direction.

Totally agree with you.

The footy boss needs to have some balls and take back control of football. No more stuffing around with selection, no more ridiculous tactics (backing off the mark and our defensive strategy - if we had one - need to be fired into the sun) and no more trying to reinvent the wheel by pretending you're smarter than 130 years of football brains. Keep it simple. Please.

Play fast footy, that's when we're at our best. Don't overcomplicate it with mindless handballing especially under pressure in defence. Learn tempo footy. Tighten our defence so it doesn't leak like a sieve. Learn how to keep up the intensity for the full 120 minutes.

 

[True Dog]

I personally dont think its a fitness issue or that we didnt want to win.

I havent looked at the stats but our pressure rating would have been as bad in our previous match up at Marvel. Remember that game where everyone got angry about Freo players being everywhere with no resistance?

Imo its purely coaching tactics that Bevo hasnt solved since our previous game that was implemented better by Longmuir at half time.

I have to somewhat disagree, to imply it was purely all down to coaching is letting too many others off the hook. There's a number of areas we were poor in including tactical when the heat was turned up however I beleive fitness well and truly played a large part as well whether it be due to interupted preseason or injuries during the season (Darcy/Hunter/JJ/Keith/Smith/Mclean/English) and those that are banged up (Bont/Naughts/Macca) struggled to impact specially after half time (Bont being the exception but he's super human). Our inability to score at times is bewildering, we dominated the first 15 minutes of the second quarter for 1 goal, over use/poor positioning/general connection all failed when the heat got turned up and got worse as the game went on. We have been incapable handling pressure from the 20 minute mark in the 3rd quarter of last years grand final till the final siren Saturday night.
I feel Bevo thinks he knows why we've struggled this year and it's somewhat accepted internally however I would love an in depth review to ensure we're not still asking the same questions in 12 months time

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I have to somewhat disagree, to imply it was purely all down to coaching is letting too many others off the hook. There's a number of areas we were poor in including tactical when the heat was turned up however I beleive fitness well and truly played a large part as well whether it be due to interupted preseason or injuries during the season (Darcy/Hunter/JJ/Keith/Smith/Mclean/English) and those that are banged up (Bont/Naughts/Macca) struggled to impact specially after half time (Bont being the exception but he's super human). Our inability to score at times is bewildering, we dominated the first 15 minutes of the second quarter for 1 goal, over use/poor positioning/general connection all failed when the heat got turned up and got worse as the game went on. We have been incapable handling pressure from the 20 minute mark in the 3rd quarter of last years grand final till the final siren Saturday night.
I feel Bevo thinks he knows why we've struggled this year and it's somewhat accepted internally however I would love an in depth review to ensure we're not still asking the same questions in 12 months time

1. We don’t have the right mix of cattle.
2. Injuries continue to plague us
3. The team chemistry came and went.

These are part of the problem I’m sure.

I think back to the very good wins we managed to achieve eg Melbourne, so that gives me hope that things can be fixed.

 

[dogs10]

Momentum is a helluva drug when it comes to sport. So hard to stop it sometimes.

In saying that, that is the exact job of your coaching staff and leadership team. So many failures there, that have been faltering for a little while now.

 

[Northernsoul74]

Momentum is a helluva drug when it comes to sport. So hard to stop it sometimes.

In saying that, that is the exact job of your coaching staff and leadership team. So many failures there, that have been faltering for a little while now.

We must be the exception to this rule. We regularly give up momentum.

 

[ExRoyboy]

When you watch the game, the pressure and the way we played in the first half, particularly the first quarter was totally different to how we played after half time. In a weird way we went back to the way we played at Marvel that day against Freo in the second half, allowing them to chip the ball around and for Serong and Brayshaw to just run into little vacant spots in between our zone to pick off easy kicks and then our defenders just let their man run up and mark unopposed.

We weren’t playing that way in the first quarter. But we went back to that in the last quarter thinking that would win the game. Wtf happened at half time and three quarter time to change the way we were playing. Were we trying to save the game or something?

I don’t get it how we can completely change the way we were playing like that and go from pressuring and tackling hard like we were at the start to backing off and guarding grass at the end. Is it fitness? Is it coaching? I don’t know, it’s a fukcing mystery what the hell goes on with our coaching strategy and game style.

We need some big changes at the club if they are serious about competing for the Premiership because we are nowhere near it playing the way we do.

 

[Shacf501]

Momentum is a helluva drug when it comes to sport. So hard to stop it sometimes.

In saying that, that is the exact job of your coaching staff and leadership team. So many failures there, that have been faltering for a little while now.

We had momentum in a heap of games this year and other teams are able too top us.... why cant we do it!!!

 

[Shacf501]

When you watch the game, the pressure and the way we played in the first half, particularly the first quarter was totally different to how we played after half time. In a weird way we went back to the way we played at Marvel that day against Freo in the second half, allowing them to chip the ball around and for Serong and Brayshaw to just run into little vacant spots in between our zone to pick off easy kicks and then our defenders just let their man run up and mark unopposed.

We weren’t playing that way in the first quarter. But we went back to that in the last quarter thinking that would win the game. Wtf happened at half time and three quarter time to change the way we were playing. Were we trying to save the game or something?

I don’t get it how we can completely change the way we were playing like that and go from pressuring and tackling hard like we were at the start to backing off and guarding grass at the end. Is it fitness? Is it coaching? I don’t know, it’s a fukcing mystery what the hell goes on with our coaching strategy and game style.

We need some big changes at the club if they are serious about competing for the Premiership because we are nowhere near it playing the way we do.

Players do not feel pressure for their spots... its the same old guys that get dropped most weeks. Our midfield pressure has been deplorable all year... I point he finger at McRae, B Smith and reload at times.

 

[PKPK]

Wasted year again. Back to the future.

Our coach needs to be challenged big time. The club hierarchy needs to really challenge Bevo. It appears Bevo has surrounded himself by ‘yes’ men with no idea. Spangler is forward coach. Really? What strategy has he tried to implement that was effective? What are his skillsets in forward craft?

The Coach continually makes excuses about disconnect between mids and forwards. What about a logical structure and game plan? Every week our big forwards fly against each other. Naughton needs coaching. Each week it appears he doesn’t have a plan but is allowed to play on ability. It doesn’t work.

His strength is competing, marking and mobility. He is asked to just play against big units and wrestle them every game and all game. If he isn’t getting a kick play him on the ball CHF, CHB anywhere where he can run. All year he has been wasted at FF and nothing changes. Against Freo the same thing happened again.

Our big forwards rarely lead to different areas. They all seem to go to one space. Easy pickings for opposition backs. Our forward structure (the line of congestion) doesn’t work. Whatever happened to players lining up away from each other where they are already in space and on the move? All you need to do is beat your direct opponent and you’re off and running.

Having an elite midfield is wasted when our game plan is predicated on playing only one ruckman who at best is an average ruckman and who is found out every time it gets physical.

Playing one ruck who isn’t a ruck -
(he is a big ruck rover & happiest running short and wide for a cheap kick or handball). That’s not his job. His job is to run hard to the right spot where he can be the target in the air with a long kick. He doesn’t work hard enough atm to get to the right spot for the next long kick to a big man. This is a terrible habit and needs to be corrected.

Tim is a very good player on his day, but is not a ruckman. Give me Sweet or anyone else who just has a dip, has a physical presence and competes with aggression.
It must be frustrating for our mids!
When the game requires physical ruck contests. we don’t get it. It’s not in his nature and therefore it’s not in his game.


When we select a ruckman who doesn’t want physical contact we become an average team. He was awful against Freo…again… At centre bounces he runs in, stops, looks at the other ruck and doesn’t compete. He refused to take front position at boundaries all night. Cost us dearly.
How often does he crash in? Never. He is a very good player but not a ruckman!

Play him at full Forward and utilise his strengths and ruck him in the forward line (like Hawkins) He would create a lot of headaches for opposition teams. He could kick 60-70 roads a year as a FF I reckon. I’d love to see him as our FF in 2023. We need to have 2 rucks every game.

Playing one ruck who isn’t a ruck -
he is a big ruck rover. Happiest running short and wide for a cheap kick or handball. Never works hard to get to the next long kick to a big man. Constantly lets the Team down. Good player on his day, but is not a ruckman. Give me Sweet or anyone else who just has a dip, has a physical presence and competes with aggression. It must be frustrating for our mids!

It appears that our Coach is incapable of change. He proves this time and again. He continually does the same things with the same results and refuses to admit his strategies and structures don’t cut it in 2022. e.g.Backing off the Mark is just giving opposition a free 10-15 metres run.
Team defence and playing a zone all the time results in players taking zero responsibility for a direct opposition player.

Minding grass and air is just an invite for opponents to hold the ball and then pick holes in an open defence.

Give me players who compete and beat an opponent. I’m so over watching defenders look around as if to ask ‘who is on this guy?’ (The answer is no one!) We arrive 2 seconds too late after an opposition player drifts into a space unmarked by us because we are ‘asleep at the wheel…zoning’

The coach has been deplorable. Our one dimensional game plan is rubbish we have plan A … no plan B. Confusing selection and games gifted to small blokes not up to it.

When opposition get 2 centre clearances in a row we need our onballers to take responsibility and play like a mongrel back pocket for 5 minutes and shut things down till we can get it back on our terms.
It appears that our centre line players don’t know how and when to switch from hunting for the ball and simply take responsibility to lock down hard. (last year and this years finals)

The most frustrating and annoying aspect of the coaches performance is that he has lost the ability to observe what is unfolding during the game and then make appropriate, timely decisions/tactics that 1/ respond to something not working or 2/ that instigate a move that effects the ebb and flow of the game or 3/that forces the opposition to react to a strategy. This rarely happens.

Bevo is talked up as a coach who likes player flexibility but he doesn’t throw players around when the team needs him to.

We continually critique our players, our coaching needs this more than the players do atm!!!! We need some steel and direct questions and challenges in the box rather meek, mild conformers.

 

[CDBulldog]

Real pity because all we had to do was take 4 or 5 minutes off the clock at the 20 min mark and onwards of the second qtr and reset again at half time.

It seemed there no plan for that.

What was more insane was putting Cordy in the ruck at precisely the time we wanted to win a centre clearance or get a second stoppage. I just couldn’t understand the logic…

 

[Dog 36]

What was more insane was putting Cordy in the ruck at precisely the time we wanted to win a centre clearance. I just couldn’t understand the logic…

Haven’t understood a lot of things this year some are just plain stupidity others are negligence and stupidity

 

[doggies ftw]

Wasted year again. Back to the future.

Our coach needs to be challenged big time. The club hierarchy needs to really challenge Bevo. It appears Bevo has surrounded himself by ‘yes’ men with no idea. Spangler is forward coach. Really? What strategy has he tried to implement that was effective? What are his skillsets in forward craft?

The Coach continually makes excuses about disconnect between mids and forwards. What about a logical structure and game plan? Every week our big forwards fly against each other. Naughton needs coaching. Each week it appears he doesn’t have a plan but is allowed to play on ability. It doesn’t work.

His strength is competing, marking and mobility. He is asked to just play against big units and wrestle them every game and all game. If he isn’t getting a kick play him on the ball CHF, CHB anywhere where he can run. All year he has been wasted at FF and nothing changes. Against Freo the same thing happened again.

Our big forwards rarely lead to different areas. They all seem to go to one space. Easy pickings for opposition backs. Our forward structure (the line of congestion) doesn’t work. Whatever happened to players lining up away from each other where they are already in space and on the move? All you need to do is beat your direct opponent and you’re off and running.

Having an elite midfield is wasted when our game plan is predicated on playing only one ruckman who at best is an average ruckman and who is found out every time it gets physical.

Playing one ruck who isn’t a ruck -
(he is a big ruck rover & happiest running short and wide for a cheap kick or handball). That’s not his job. His job is to run hard to the right spot where he can be the target in the air with a long kick. He doesn’t work hard enough atm to get to the right spot for the next long kick to a big man. This is a terrible habit and needs to be corrected.

Tim is a very good player on his day, but is not a ruckman. Give me Sweet or anyone else who just has a dip, has a physical presence and competes with aggression.
It must be frustrating for our mids!
When the game requires physical ruck contests. we don’t get it. It’s not in his nature and therefore it’s not in his game.


When we select a ruckman who doesn’t want physical contact we become an average team. He was awful against Freo…again… At centre bounces he runs in, stops, looks at the other ruck and doesn’t compete. He refused to take front position at boundaries all night. Cost us dearly.
How often does he crash in? Never. He is a very good player but not a ruckman!

Play him at full Forward and utilise his strengths and ruck him in the forward line (like Hawkins) He would create a lot of headaches for opposition teams. He could kick 60-70 roads a year as a FF I reckon. I’d love to see him as our FF in 2023. We need to have 2 rucks every game.

Playing one ruck who isn’t a ruck -
he is a big ruck rover. Happiest running short and wide for a cheap kick or handball. Never works hard to get to the next long kick to a big man. Constantly lets the Team down. Good player on his day, but is not a ruckman. Give me Sweet or anyone else who just has a dip, has a physical presence and competes with aggression. It must be frustrating for our mids!

It appears that our Coach is incapable of change. He proves this time and again. He continually does the same things with the same results and refuses to admit his strategies and structures don’t cut it in 2022. e.g.Backing off the Mark is just giving opposition a free 10-15 metres run.
Team defence and playing a zone all the time results in players taking zero responsibility for a direct opposition player.

Minding grass and air is just an invite for opponents to hold the ball and then pick holes in an open defence.

Give me players who compete and beat an opponent. I’m so over watching defenders look around as if to ask ‘who is on this guy?’ (The answer is no one!) We arrive 2 seconds too late after an opposition player drifts into a space unmarked by us because we are ‘asleep at the wheel…zoning’

The coach has been deplorable. Our one dimensional game plan is rubbish we have plan A … no plan B. Confusing selection and games gifted to small blokes not up to it.

When opposition get 2 centre clearances in a row we need our onballers to take responsibility and play like a mongrel back pocket for 5 minutes and shut things down till we can get it back on our terms.
It appears that our centre line players don’t know how and when to switch from hunting for the ball and simply take responsibility to lock down hard. (last year and this years finals)

The most frustrating and annoying aspect of the coaches performance is that he has lost the ability to observe what is unfolding during the game and then make appropriate, timely decisions/tactics that 1/ respond to something not working or 2/ that instigate a move that effects the ebb and flow of the game or 3/that forces the opposition to react to a strategy. This rarely happens.

Bevo is talked up as a coach who likes player flexibility but he doesn’t throw players around when the team needs him to.

We continually critique our players, our coaching needs this more than the players do atm!!!! We need some steel and direct questions and challenges in the box rather meek, mild conformers.

Nailed it mate, great post

 

[doggies ftw]

What was more insane was putting Cordy in the ruck at precisely the time we wanted to win a centre clearance or get a second stoppage. I just couldn’t understand the logic…

This happens so often it’s actually comical, it’s almost like we plan it on purpose sometimes. Without fail at the most critical times possible, in comes our s**t back up ruckman!

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Targets Inside 50

27 - No target
6 - Naughton
3 - English, Ugle-Hagan, Weightman
2 - Bontempelli, Johannisen
1 - Darcy, Dunkley, R. Smith, Vandermeer

This is the crux of our many issues.

Our much vaunted mids couldn't hit the water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the ocean.

 

[AFDogs]

Have avoided this forum since Saturday's debacle (had a nice Silly Sunday and Mad Monday after my team was knocked out of the finals. Feeling very rusty today).

Bont, Dunks and McLean all superb. They all played in the 2016 flag. Hunter, Roarke, Caleb all very solid too.

VDM played his worst game for the club. Ed Richards

20

Ed Richards

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.4

4star

MG

201.4

3star

D

11.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

5.3

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.5

3star

MG

198.3

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

232.4

4star

who has been our best player this year also picked a bad time to throw up an absolute stinker.

The less said about this game the better. Onto 2023.

 

[doggies ftw]

This is the crux of our many issues.

Our much vaunted mids couldn't hit the water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the ocean.

Says a lot about our setup forward of the ball though doesn’t it? I just can’t believe that a midfield consisting of Bont & Macrae as the core should be entering the forward 50 with no direct target 27 times in a match. This isn’t about poor use, you can still be a poor user or miss your target but at least direct it towards a specific target. If we had more ball directed to specific players but missing their targets then you’d put that down to the ball use of our mids.

Even the worst kicks in the AFL can put a ball to advantage of a forward whose made good position in front of them.

We’re not getting the ball into the hands of the right users entering inside 50 & even when we do we have to present them with viable options - 3 tall forwards all calling for the ball in the hotspot just isn’t it.

Just can’t be only a personnel issue imo

 

[glenashley]

We must be the exception to this rule. We regularly give up momentum.

Or we fail to capitalise and end up kicking 1.5!

 

[Mahama]

This is the crux of our many issues.

Our much vaunted mids couldn't hit the water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the ocean.

Like doggies ftw said, I don't think this is just a personnel issue. We've had plenty of games this year where our midfield had no issues picking out players on the lead and kicking big scores – but we also conceded big scores at the same time.

I'd say this was mostly a symptom of our deliberate tactic to go inside 50 long and wide – a very defensive setup designed to protect our backline against Freo's quick ball movement from a turnover. Bevo mentioned a couple of times in his presser that the plan was to avoid 'kicking across the face of our goals' going inside 50, so we didn't open up the ground for Freo if they got the ball back and could lock them in more effectively.

It worked initially - our first 11 scores came from wide entries either to the pockets or the top of the goal square, and Freo struggled to get out of their defensive 50. It was never going to make for a consistent avenue to goal though – you're kicking to a contest basically every time, our key forwards weren't holding their marks and our crumbers missed lots of tough shots.

Sad thing is, it's hard to argue against it being a sound tactic when our defence really is so vulnerable to quick ball movement. Their first goal happened when Rourke Smith gave up a free kick at centre half back. Seconds later Richards panics in a 1v1 against Walters, Freo goal and are suddenly up and going. You also have those games earlier in the year where our attack was working beautifully, scoring well over 100 points, and yet were conceding over 100 too. It points to a backline unable to hold up without lots of help.

I'd hope that next season, with Jones (an elite 1v1 player) coming in, Duryea hopefully being fit and maybe some other defensive personnel changes/development, the coaches will be able to trust the defence to hold up a little better without extra help and we can stick with an offensive structure that's actually designed to kick goals rather than prevent them.

 

[Oliver G]

This is the crux of our many issues.

Our much vaunted mids couldn't hit the water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the ocean.

It's not that they can't hit a target, they literally aren't targeting anyone and I believe bombing it because of our forwards. I maintain that it's our biggest issue, our key forwards are struggling to find any space and aren't leading while our small forwards cannot retain the ball once it hits the ground.

Darcy and JUH have played less than 30 games combined so we can hardly throw the book at them, but both Naughton and Weightman had a horrible last month. Weightman flying for every mark is also hindering Naughton, and he needs work on reading the ball over the summer.

 

[St 07]

VDM over West will never be forgiven, tbh.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

It's not that they can't hit a target, they literally aren't targeting anyone and I believe bombing it because of our forwards. I maintain that it's our biggest issue, our key forwards are struggling to find any space and aren't leading while our small forwards cannot retain the ball once it hits the ground.

Darcy and JUH have played less than 30 games combined so we can hardly throw the book at them, but both Naughton and Weightman had a horrible last month. Weightman flying for every mark is also hindering Naughton, and he needs work on reading the ball over the summer.

OG, can you supply some opposition stats for inside 50 targets from our recent games? If you can. Would be nice to see where we sit compared to others.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Like doggies ftw said, I don't think this is just a personnel issue. We've had plenty of games this year where our midfield had no issues picking out players on the lead and kicking big scores – but we also conceded big scores at the same time.

I'd say this was mostly a symptom of our deliberate tactic to go inside 50 long and wide – a very defensive setup designed to protect our backline against Freo's quick ball movement from a turnover. Bevo mentioned a couple of times in his presser that the plan was to avoid 'kicking across the face of our goals' going inside 50, so we didn't open up the ground for Freo if they got the ball back and could lock them in more effectively.

It worked initially - our first 11 scores came from wide entries either to the pockets or the top of the goal square, and Freo struggled to get out of their defensive 50. It was never going to make for a consistent avenue to goal though – you're kicking to a contest basically every time, our key forwards weren't holding their marks and our crumbers missed lots of tough shots.

Sad thing is, it's hard to argue against it being a sound tactic when our defence really is so vulnerable to quick ball movement. Their first goal happened when Rourke Smith gave up a free kick at centre half back. Seconds later Richards panics in a 1v1 against Walters, Freo goal and are suddenly up and going. You also have those games earlier in the year where our attack was working beautifully, scoring well over 100 points, and yet were conceding over 100 too. It points to a backline unable to hold up without lots of help.

I'd hope that next season, with Jones (an elite 1v1 player) coming in, Duryea hopefully being fit and maybe some other defensive personnel changes/development, the coaches will be able to trust the defence to hold up a little better without extra help and we can stick with an offensive structure that's actually designed to kick goals rather than prevent them.

Great post, was interesting in the Demons game that we changed F50 entry to go in low and hard to counter the May/etc intercepts. And still both kicked over 100.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

Great post, was interesting in the Demons game that we changed F50 entry to go in low and hard to counter the May/etc intercepts. And still both kicked over 100.

Genuinely felt like the only game of the season when we had a definitive game plan.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Genuinely felt like the only game of the season when we had a definitive game plan.

Absolutely. It was noticeable from the very start, even though Bruce had minimal possession, his role was to split defenders or impact contests, and open up the F50, and mids picked out forwards with more precision.

Someone should have asked the coach where these tactics (or at least a variant on our usual out-gun other midfield tactic) were hiding, and why they weren't employed more.