Autopsy Show's Over. Post Season Discussion

[GH213]

Commiserations guys but I hope you can still enjoy that great winning streak and what an achievement it was to make finals in the first place.

I reckon all clubs need some heartbreak in finals to really mature. We were smashed by Port in a final in 2004 and the following year we lost the unloseable by throwing away our semi final v Sydney (bloody Nick Davis!). As devastating as they were, they were important for our young players like Ablett, Bartel, Chapman and Enright.

Clearly Richmond was running on fumes today after playing on emotion for two months to get yourself in a position to contend. You were also beaten by a better team, one who were on top of the ladder for half the season or more, and there's no shame in that.

I think you are carrying some players who probably aren't good enough to play in a top 4 quality side (Grigg and Houli spring to mind) but your A graders in Cotch, Lids, Martin, Rance, Riewoldt and Rance are as good as anyone's... and they'll all still be in their prime when the likes of Conca, Ellis and Vlaustin take the next step.

Chin up and enjoy next season, you thoroughly deserved your finals spot and one day you may look back on today as the turning point for a successful era.

Thanks mate .... Wish we had 2 of Rance

 

[GH213]

Also, Just my opinion but Pasquali 's TOTY should still be stickied ....

 

[calamackid]

How many times did we go forward only to have their spare man in defense either mark it or punch it away?!

 

[astro_toby]

He probably hoped his moronic players would start actually following instructions.....

But I don't want to blame players.

It's not Houli's fault he can't bounce a football.... that is the coach's fault.
It's not Chappy's fault he fell over when he was the last one between 3 Port blokes and the goal..... that must be the coach's fault
It's not one of the midfielder's fault that Polec could run unmarked inside 50 to do whatever he wanted.... that must be the coach's fault
It's not Dusty's fault he didn't kick a goal, or that he kicked to a 3 on 1 against Cotchin..... that must be the coach's fault
It's not any of the player's fault they didn't lower their eyes to try and find an option rather than kicking it to a loose man who had been there the previous 33 times we had bombed it long..... no that must be the coach's fault.

FFS.... perhaps, just perhaps, the players just had a crap one and it didn't matter if we had God, Sir Alex Ferguson, The Dalai Lama, Clarko or Tom Hafey coaching today..... we were incapable of winning today when our skills were so poor and our decision-making so poor.

All the stuff we have done well for the past few months, we just didn't today..... Hopefully it serves as a reminder over those long summer months that we aren't as good as we think we are....

Yes but it is the coaches fault if he cannot do anything in 2 hours of football to change any of that. Hardwick was owned by Hinkley today, we were kicking to 1 on 3s into our forward and port just had lose players at every contest. Port were able to run or get free in their forward 50 so easily that it cannot be the players just having an "off day", port made it look easy because their plan and belief made it easy. That is coaching

 

[The Goon]

You're kidding aren't you??

No. I think we have right now a few great players, supported by an average backup team. Unless we unearth some more real talent we won't go further than just making up the numbers. Plus I don't think Dimma has any more ideas other than what he's shown.

 

[Tiger_man322]

Don't know what we need. Don't know if we will ever turn the corner. Just... Don't know about Richmond.

 

[Damo80]

unreal decision really. would like to know why he choose that. must be a reason

Did wonder at the time if he simply got disoriented in terms of which end the wind was going to and therefore which end to kick to... Would be consistent with the sort of day we had.

 

[astro_toby]

How many times did we go forward only to have their spare man in defense either mark it or punch it away?!

My guess is 20. It was horrible. And it was all the more painful because they had it so easy in their forward 50. In that first quarter ports conversion rate to forward 50's to goals was close to 75%. Ours was less than 10%. That is an around the ground "NFI"

 

[rideclutch]

No. I think we have right now a few great players, supported by an average backup team. Unless we unearth some more real talent we won't go further than just making up the numbers. Plus I don't think Dimma has any more ideas other than what he's shown.

Fair call, but I still think that puts us well ahead of the Blues.

 

[Spanish_Fly]

My 2 cents.

I have been critical of the coaching staff for other errors but you can't really blame the coaches for today, other than maybe kicking the right way.

I know Houli made a lot of mistakes but at least he was trying to make something happen, is excused in my book.

Miles, Maric and Rance all showed a bit of fight, Grimes also was having a crack early.

My god Chaplin was appalling. Games was lost the first ten minutes and he had 3 hopeless attempts at tackles and when he lost his feet, even leading up to falling over he was slowing down for some reason rather than attacking the ball. You know when Polec decides to just run through you and even with an extra 15kg's you can't hold the tackle something is not right.

Morris has been a liability all year unfortunately, must be close the most unconfident player in the League the poor bastard.

I just struggle to comprehend how people think Newman is actually offering anything to the team, I thought he was past it the end of last year, keeps getting worse and gets another year, incredible.

Plenty of other passengers obviously, at least Jack was the first player to show any balls with a decent tackle.

Just off the pace from the first bounce, was similar to the game where Sydney humped Geelong earlier in the year, except Port had nothing to play for after half time

 

[partycorolla]

Yes but it is the coaches fault if he cannot do anything in 2 hours of football to change any of that. Hardwick was owned by Hinkley today, we were kicking to 1 on 3s into our forward and port just had lose players at every contest. Port were able to run or get free in their forward 50 so easily that it cannot be the players just having an "off day", port made it look easy because their plan and belief made it easy. That is coaching

That's a player issue right there.... decision-making by individuals, not the coach.

 

[tugga]

3 pizzas $84.
6 pack of beer $28 from resort.... Winning

ouch

 

[calamackid]

My guess is 20. It was horrible. And it was all the more painful because they had it so easy in their forward 50. In that first quarter ports conversion rate to forward 50's to goals was close to 75%. Ours was less than 10%. That is an around the ground "NFI"

The fact that T.Jonas had 12 marks as a floating defender should ring alarm bells and should have been changed by Dimma and co, we never looked like threatening when we went inside our 50.

 

[TheAnt]

We won the contested and uncontested ball in the first quarter as well as the tackle count. But with that wind advantage and the space we left in their forward 50 they got on a roll so quickly and we had no answer to stop them.

 

[TheAnt]

We also gave up 80 points from turnovers.

 

[astro_toby]

That's a player issue right there.... decision-making by individuals, not the coach.

I would say it was structure. Port had loose men down back and were placed and instructed perfectly. our midfield was so under attack that we couldn't hold up the ball with our usual "handball flow" game plan, so we had to kick it into the forward 50 to avoid turning it over, again and again, in the middle of the ground. I think they consistently had more of their players involved in the current, and next play - every time. It was an epic deconstruction of our gameplan by hinkley - and everyone knows, we have no "plan b".

 

[Richo is God]

Didn't bother manning up the lose defender all game and we insisted on kicking it to him EVERY ****ING TIME. Absolutely killed us, wtf was that gameplan

 

[DustinsGuns]

Newman conceded 4 goals today according the the AFL website... There's just no point playing him next year

 

[astro_toby]

We won the contested and uncontested ball in the first quarter as well as the tackle count. But with that wind advantage and the space we left in their forward 50 they got on a roll so quickly and we had no answer to stop them.

Wind is wind. It makes a difference but not 50 points in 1 quarter, we were slaughtered. If you are winning those stats and still getting slaughtered, clearly that is a lack of guidance- the equivalent of port playing headless chooks, port had immense purpose with every single thing they did, it was substantial. The only thing I could compare it to is Germany's 7-0 smashing of Brazil in the World Cup. Early on they were strategically owned, and the fear of failure and embarrassment ate them whole. Clinical is the word

 

[partycorolla]

I would say it was structure. Port had loose men down back and were placed and instructed perfectly. our midfield was so under attack that we couldn't hold up the ball with our usual "handball flow" game plan, so we had to kick it into the forward 50 to avoid turning it over, again and again, in the middle of the ground. I think they consistently had more of their players involved in the current, and next play - every time. It was an epic deconstruction of our gameplan by hinkley - and everyone knows, we have no "plan b".

That's got to do with workrate though.... if they have more players behind the ball and more players around the ball then where exactly are our players???? Answer: not working hard enough. We lowered the eyes late....we were then more effective.

If we were going to bomb every time we crapped ourselves then we had the wrong players selected and TV should have been down forward instead of Gordon....

I think today was a clear example of players not executing the game plan, being overawed partly by the occasion, venue and by the intensity from the opposition.... I mean our ability to execute under pressure was non-existent.... but it's been good the last few weeks.

 

[SpudsLoveChild]

Thanks mate .... Wish we had 2 of Rance

6 Rance's please.

 

[TheAnt]

Wind is wind. It makes a difference but not 50 points in 1 quarter, we were slaughtered.

No it doesn't, but you could tell even after Port kicked the first couple and the crowd got going that they were going to run right over us.

 

[Frustrated Tiger]

How many times did we go forward only to have their spare man in defense either mark it or punch it away?!

53 times. .....lol..... seriously No idea.

 

[SpudsLoveChild]

We won the contested and uncontested ball in the first quarter as well as the tackle count. But with that wind advantage and the space we left in their forward 50 they got on a roll so quickly and we had no answer to stop them.

More than that...there was no defensive running to cover opponents.
Streams of Port players would run forward with nobody within cooee. Players like Dusty were incredibly lazy defensively.
We lack outside speed and class and our forward line just isn't up to scratch. Has been all year. Get recruiting guys and fix it.

 

[_RT_]

Disgraceful! We crumble under pressure everytime. Why didn't we put someone behind the ball after they kicked a few? Why didn't we man up their loose?

Little point putting players behind the ball when we stuff up while on the attack and are all out of position as the ball sails back over our heads.