Opinion The Official Brad Scott Thread - Back, at the club (Relax - bumped thread)

[GarnerSmash]

There isn't even a few tweaks here and there.

It's the same week in, week out.

It's not working.

And it wasn't working at times last year too, yet...


The team will stick with what they want to do structurally and may make some minor changes that we cannot see or notice. These may already be occurring. As I have stated before, Scott has 10 more weeks to get this team playing well. If he does that then we should make finals and anything can happen from there, especially in getting (hopefully) Dal Santo and Wells back fit and fresh.

If not, well, thanks Brad, but your sword is over there.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

And it wasn't working at times last year too, yet...


The team will stick with what they want to do structurally and may make some minor changes that we cannot see or notice. These may already be occurring. As I have stated before, Scott has 10 more weeks to get this team playing well. If he does that then we should make finals and anything can happen from there, especially in getting (hopefully) Dal Santo and Wells back fit and fresh.

If not, well, thanks Brad, but your sword is over there.

Well, we won't be going anywhere with the 'structure' we have in place.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Talent wise, so we need to make up the difference with something, historically that has been intent, Hard at the man hard at the ball. Right now that is not always the case and 4-6 times a year it is so far from the case it is not funny.

That will certainly improve us but it cannot be a distinction from other teams any more, because it just isn't. Every good team busts their arse.

He won't walk, and we are probably more likely to recontract him than we are to sack him.

Brayshaw's time being up at the same time should make it easier if it is deserved at that time. An operator like Geoff Walsh will not condone such a signing I would think. Not after two more years of mediocrity. However, if we do make a Grand Final...

 

[GarnerSmash]

Well, we won't be going anywhere with the 'structure' we have in place.

What if the players pull their thumbs out of their rings and start hitting the target more regularly? They have done it before.

 

[Only Forwards]

However, if we do make a Grand Final...

it'd be improvement and should probably be a big consideration next year during contract negotiations.

 

[tazaa]

can find similar articles from the last 3 years.

Round and round and round we go.......

Weve gone full circle.. Its cyclical.. Its repetitive.. Its cliché ridden.. Its the same over and over
I just dont know if were fully waiting for the penny to drop with the team at the moment

 

[GarnerSmash]

it'd be improvement and should probably be a big consideration next year during contract negotiations.

Mate, I'd hope that Scott would not have the gumption to be negotiating a new contract when he has failed to deliver on anything of note to date. If he has any sense of pride he should be tying any talk of a new contract to excellent on field performance.

 

[kelman]

We'd probably be a 5-10 side tbh. Talent wise that is where we sit. The dreaded 'structures' are in place with a defence first attitude, and that goes for all teams. The process is first to determine how the units can set up with personnel in mind to minimise damage. I think we do that now, hence our use of Hansen and Thompson in the back half. We do this very, very well tbh. This also negates somewhat our lack of run, zip and class further up field. Change our focus to be more attacking from the middle and we may just expose this back half set up and end up getting flogged by more.

Problem is that this group is so far down this path that Scott can't just scrap it now. A few tweaks here and there, sure, but wholesale structural changes are likely not going to happen under his watch. So, either the team shape up and perform better within the current set up or they don't and Scott goes at the end of the year.

It is the midfield. It is inconsistent and at the moment depleted.

If Cunnington, Ziebell, Swallow, Dal Santo and Wells perform at a high level every week, we have the forward line to capitalise, a gun ruck and the back line to defend a big score.

how many times have we lost when Ziebs plays a game like he did against Essendon? I would guess never. Cunners gets heaps of praise, but even last year he was inconsistent. I know people hate the Geelong comparison, but if the above guys had the same high level of output each week (like Bartel, Chapman, Corey, Selwood, Ling did), we would always be competitive and win a heap of games. But they don't. The only hope is that up until 1/3rd of the way through 2007, the geelong group were also inconsistent. Then something clicked. Scott needs to uncover that, but this is player led.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

What if the players pull their thumbs out of their rings and start hitting the target more regularly? They have done it before.

If only there was somebody to hold them to account.....

 

[GarnerSmash]

If only there was somebody to hold them to account.....

That comes back to the best individuals to play specific roles mantra. Player A may be spudding it up, but he is best suited to play role A because player B can't be trusted to operate defensively in that position, whereas play A is still performing that aspect of the role well. Defence first, structure first. Will we change that? Nope, I highly doubt it.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

That comes back to the best individuals to play specific roles mantra. Player A may be spudding it up, but he is best suited to play role A because player B can't be trusted to operate defensively in that position, whereas play A is still performing that aspect of the role well. Defence first, structure first. Will we change that? Nope, I highly doubt it.

We're conceeding 95 points a game.

That's atrocious.

 

[GarnerSmash]

It is the midfield. It is inconsistent and at the moment depleted.

If Cunnington, Ziebell, Swallow, Dal Santo and Wells perform at a high level every week, we have the forward line to capitalise, a gun ruck and the back line to defend a big score.

how many times have we lost when Ziebs plays a game like he did against Essendon? I would guess never. Cunners gets heaps of praise, but even last year he was inconsistent. I know people hate the Geelong comparison, but if the above guys had the same high level of output each week (like Bartel, Chapman, Corey, Selwood, Ling did), we would always be competitive and win a heap of games. But they don't. The only hope is that up until 1/3rd of the way through 2007, the geelong group were also inconsistent. Then something clicked. Scott needs to uncover that, but this is player led.

If my Aunty had balls though...

The Geelong comparison is false because five of our best 6/7 players are coming to the end and our younger midfield do not have the talent to adequately replace them. Even if we have a Geelong 'eureka moment' that's all it will be because Harvey, Wells, Dal Santo, Petrie and Thompson will not be here for a threepeat or a back to back run. We don't have the class to replace them, and don't have the depth right now to support Cunners, Swallow and JZ when they take the mantle.

It may be up to the players and maybe we do have an awesome coach, but that means that we just aren't good enough as a unit, so when things start going against us we crumble.

 

[Event Horizon]

has consistently kicked goals the last few weeks, has had decent form for a bit.

We took an underdone Waite in, in front of a fully fit Maj.

I didn't realise Waite was underdone before the game. However, Maj has had 1 good game in the past 4 from my recollection (not counting his latest game), and I wouldn't call his form "knocking the door down".

 

[GarnerSmash]

We're conceeding 95 points a game.

That's atrocious.

Horrible.

Floodgates.

Shit disposal is killing us as is lack of intensity around the ball.

So, do we shift the structure and put figuring out how to playa new way on top of cleaning up execution and effort, or do we focus on cleaning up execution and effort and leave the structure the way things are? Mid season I know what I would do.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

What if the players pull their thumbs out of their rings and start hitting the target more regularly? They have done it before.

Titus o'rielly said it best.

We deliver inside fifty with the accuracy of a fox sports news reporter.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Horrible.

Floodgates.

Shit disposal is killing us as is lack of intensity around the ball.

So, do we shift the structure and put figuring out how to playa new way on top of cleaning up execution and effort, or do we focus on cleaning up execution and effort and leave the structure the way things are? Mid season I know what I would do.

The structure has bred lazy footballers.

It is too easy to hide when you're not working hard enough.

 

[B4Bear]

That comes back to the best individuals to play specific roles mantra. Player A may be spudding it up, but he is best suited to play role A because player B can't be trusted to operate defensively in that position, whereas play A is still performing that aspect of the role well. Defence first, structure first. Will we change that? Nope, I highly doubt it.

Maybe he should try something novel; like maybe, pick the best 22 from the senior/VFL lists. Then fit them into the starting 22.

Because until there are consequences for shit performances on the field, we will continue to be mediocre.

Goldy
Zeibull
Boomer (play him forward FFS)
Higgins
Firitto
Swallow (injury not withstanding)
Brown (injury not withstanding)

They are the only Senior players I would say are a lock if the team was picked purely on performance.

All the rest should be on notice.

Will it happen? Not on your life; What you ignore you condone, and we condone mediocrity.

 

[RobZombie]

Right now Majak.

But it is relatively consistent.

Wood put up better numbers than Black ever had and got 1 game last year.

And there's a small amount of revisionism in that. Black was a week away from being dropped, was very good on his last chance against Hawthorn and adapted to a role further up the ground as the season went on, doubling his inside-50 and score assist numbers in the last 10 weeks. At the exact moment Wood would have been a no-brainer to come in for Black he got injured himself. The stars just didn't align last year on that one.

Look, I tend to agree there hasn't been enough tough love at the selection table under Scott, and over the last couple of years in particular. But even that has a flip side. When they're terrible, they're terrible as a group and scapegoating one or two probably wouldn't have done any good either.

 

[hotham]

Will it happen? Not on your life; What you ignore you condone, and we condone mediocrity.

I believe we do condone mediocrity. I find myself wondering of late, do I now follow a club that is incapable of winning anymore premierships.

 

[GarnerSmash]

The structure has bred lazy footballers.

It is too easy to hide when you're not working hard enough.

I don't think so. If you don't work hard enough within a defined structure you stick out like the proverbial.

I honestly don't know what the issue is at the minute. I can only assume that this midfield is so down on belief in their own ability that they have turned to shit with ball in hand and they don't have Dal Santo and Wells to hold their hands and tell them everything is going to be ok. And imo that is more reflective of the rebuild approach (pump games into kids) rather than the structure to which we play.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I don't think so. If you don't work hard enough within a defined structure you stick out like the proverbial.

I honestly don't know what the issue is at the minute. I can only assume that this midfield is so down on belief in their own ability that they have turned to shit with ball in hand and they don't have Dal Santo and Wells to hold their hands and tell them everything is going to be ok. And imo that is more reflective of the rebuild approach (pump games into kids) rather than the structure to which we play.

Well, the ease of which opposition teams can move the ball from end to end shows one of three things.

The structure is shit.

The players don't understand it.

The players aren't working hard enough.

 

[Event Horizon]

The expansion teams have cost us at draft table over the last 4-5 years. We now need to pull out a miracle trade or two to try and compensate for it, which I can't see happening. After we recruited Ziebell and Cunnington with top 10 picks, we would have thought most of the pieces of the midfield are in place, given Swallow was also at his prime. However, we still needed to add the top level polish to that, but that's where top 10 picks have dried up.

If we were able to add one top liner per year (say pick 10) for the past 5 drafts, at least 3 of them would likely be in our best 22 right now, if not all 5. Instead, we drafted McKenzie at 18 in 2011, as the likes of Taylor Adams and Devon Smith went to GWS. Garner at pick 15 in 2012, Luke McDonald in 2013 at pick 8 (hope Luke doesn't let us down at the end).

We had tried to patch it up with Dal and Higgins, but we are missing 2-3 talented mids from the last 5 drafts IMO.

 

[Tas]

I still think we will make the 8, however, I don't think we will get anywhere of note with the current game plan and the way the players are developed.

 

[B4Bear]

We had tried to patch it up with Dal and Higgins, but we are missing 2-3 talented mids from the last 5 drafts IMO.

So are 16 other teams.

Lack of polish should not include the ability to tackle or kick a ball 20m to a free player.

 

[GarnerSmash]

Maybe he should try something novel; like maybe, pick the best 22 from the senior/VFL lists. Then fit them into the starting 22.

Because until there are consequences for shit performances on the field, we will continue to be mediocre.

Goldy
Zeibull
Boomer (play him forward FFS)
Higgins
Firitto
Swallow (injury not withstanding)
Brown (injury not withstanding)

They are the only Senior players I would say are a lock if the team was picked purely on performance.

All the rest should be on notice.

Will it happen? Not on your life; What you ignore you condone, and we condone mediocrity.

But that's the thing. I don't think we condone poor performances as such. I think the coaches rate highly other aspects of performance along with what players do when they have the ball in hand and this is why we as supporters are left scratching our heads because we aren't involved in the background and don't know what these measures are nor how they are applied. Clearly there are only a limited number of players who are trusted to play a role at the minute to those standards, hence the selection process we all know and love so well.

Overall the team output is shiteful, but you heard Scott talking about statistics and how even they were in game. It is clear that we as a team are happy to concede the uncontested ball as long as we make the most of our opportunities but we have been ****ing horrid in that regard lately, spurning our opportunities to create opportunities for our opponents. Scott would rather we stick to the way we play with the players we trust in those roles but clean up our usage and running. I tend to agree with that approach to an extent because it is harder to change a game plan, the personnel used and work on execution and application than to just work on execution and application. I think the game plan need to stay but think we do need to freshen the 22 up a bit (Daw, Dumont, Atley back, Wood wing) and clean up our execution.