Autopsy Geelong loses to Dons by 34 points at MCG.

[allrighty]

Our structure was ****** yesterday. Backline has been operating well for weeks and we lost out marking CHF. So why would you shoe horn HT into the defence and make things unbalanced, and then in the same motion leaving us with one marking forward when our system has relied on a strong contesting CHF and FF.

How is it obvious to us plebs on here, but the coaching staff miss it completely?

Welp, back to selection merry go round this week when we drop 4 players, bring back Stanley but then don't drop Parsons.

And this sums up the frustration in a nutshell. How? Why? Why not?

But we've all heard the post-rationalising before. It's time now to change bigtime.

• I'd bring in Abbott next week, and Sav back (FFFS!).
• Drop Parsons and bring in the young JJ chap or young Constable/Fog.
• I'm at a loss what to do with Harry as the side was unbalanced with him in. Maybe at FB and Blitz second ruck, and go without Smith or Stand-ley.
• I'd rest Danger and start Gaz on a HFF. Sel, Mitch, Meng, and Kelly in the guts. Scooter in for GHS.
• I'd tell Hawk to stop the bloody wrestling and whingeing and lead up to the ball.
• I'd instruct players within 35-40m of goal to have a shot unless there is a CLEAR and better option. If they don't have confidence to do so go get it in the magoos.
• I would have a tackle target for each player per 1/4 and bloomin' well enforce it.
• And finally I would ditch the space guarding crap and go man to man.

All easy from here, but really none of this is hard is it?

Rant over. For now.

 

[catscratchfever]

It could have been worse. We could have been playing Richmond, then it would have been 20 goals

 

[romeohwho]

Taylor looked cooked to me, hope I’m wrong but fear I’m right. If so, I suspect Scott won’t have the gonads to tap him on the shoulder either.

He was pretty good a week ago.

 

[And_ROOS]

My opinion? Taylor is almost cooked and it's easier to "hide" him in defense where he can still contribute, rather than play him forward (for which the MC copped plenty last year) where his failings would stand out like.... well like Blicavs hair.
Plus, he's coming back from a pretty crappy injury, back him to get back to good form.

Except his mistakes yesterday in defense would cost us goals and our defense has been settled for weeks

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Except his mistakes yesterday in defense would cost us goals and our defense has been settled for weeks

I'm not disagreeing.
I'm not even sure who exactly he replaced or if they are just increasing rotations.

 

[AM]

Yeah. No. Constant issues keep happening, be it lack of intensity, coaches inaction during matches when our opponents get a run on, and poor match committee selections (lost Esava, didn't replace with a CHF who can be back up ruck so we end up with DANGER in the ruck?)
Plenty of heads in the sand, but things that have been an issue since 2013 are still happening. Turned over a lot of players in that time which means its down to the coaching.
Add in poor depth, and players getting games that shouldn't and you get results like todays, which echo issues we have in finals when our opposition turn the heat up and the same mistakes present themselves.
Teams hammer us early, we roll over, 45 points down early second half, some late goals to have a "brave" scoreline but end result is no effort.

Consistently winning games of football is no easy task. Even at park level. Getting into finals contention regularly is harder again. And winning flags is an immense undertaking. Factor in all the added challenges at the elite level and the task is enormous.

It’s no accident that the teams who are doing very well at present are at full strength or close to it. Brad Scott in his presser gave credit to his fitness group for allowing him to field his best 22 almost every week. Good players in form make it much easier to coach.

Considering our injury run and the manner in which we’ve blended in some very inexperienced players, and taking into account some of the better teams we’ve beaten, I reckon we’re doing okay.

Our list is no competition standout either as you suggest. That isn't to suggest it's poor btw, more that we have weaknesses.

Players aren’t robots, sometimes they under-perform as individuals and collectively. In this close comp you only have to be off 1 or 2% to go under.

So cheer-up. We rarely lose two consecutive games and you support a team with a record most other club supporters envy.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

I suspect so, too. But then again, maybe not.

We are (or were) stastical outliers for winning close ones, can we also be statistical outliers for losing post-bye? Losing to 'lesser' teams when we're favourites?

Are any/all of those things statistical quirks or are they part of 'who we are'.

It'll be a fascinating look, I reckon.

There's 3 or 4 scenarios when we're more likely to lose than not I reckon.

Coming off a bye (I actually did a thread on this last year I think). Apart from the expansion teams, we're the worst in the league. Hawthorn are the best by some margin followed by Adelaide and West Coast.

Backing up after playing Hawthorn. We lose or are really scratchy.

After our opponents have been hammered all week in the press or have an internal crisis.

Playing Sydney at Kardinia. Extra likely if coming off a bye, which has happened 2 or 3 times in recent years.

 

[frggr]

There's 3 or 4 scenarios when we're more likely to lose than not I reckon.

Coming off a bye (I actually did a thread on this last year I think). Apart from the expansion teams, we're the worst in the league. Hawthorn are the best by some margin followed by Adelaide and West Coast.

Backing up after playing Hawthorn. We lose or are really scratchy.

After our opponents have been hammered all week in the press or have an internal crisis.

Playing Sydney at Kardinia. Extra likely if coming off a bye, which has happened 2 or 3 times in recent years.

It's remarkable, isn't it? What do other clubs do that we don't do? What are the Hawks doing on their week off?

I suspect like a lotta things footy-related, the answer is all above the shoulders.

 

[patience]

I wasn't able to watch yesterdays match which is apparently a good thing. My eyes bleed every time I read Danger in the ruck...seriously??

 

[Tony Barber]

I wasn't able to watch yesterdays match which is apparently a good thing. My eyes bleed every time I read Danger in the ruck...seriously??

Not just boundary throw ins but centre bounces.
It was laughable.

 

[Whiskers]

I’ve definitely noticed a trend under Scott during the middle of May, we are prone to shockers. Heavy training load around this time of year perhaps?
I’ve noticed coz my friend has a birthday and goes to matches this time of year, either they are bad luck or there is something at play

2018 May 19 def by 34 vs Essendon

2017 May 14 def by 17 vs Essendon
2017 May 6 def by 25 vs GC (I do believe they use GC as an ideal time for extra work)

2016 May 21 def by 21 vs Collingwood

2015 May 16 def by 43 vs Sydney

2014 May 17 def by 32 vs Fremantle (we also had a bye week prior and played 3 games in 12 days culminating in a 110 point loss to Sydney.

2013 May 18 def by 6 vs Collingwood (our only loss in the 1st half of the year.

2012 May 12 def by 50 vs Adelaide
2012 May 18 def by 6 vs Collingwood (this one is more of a standard loss not on outlier) but this was the game my friend went to for their birthday.

2011 May 20 won by 2 vs Carlton (they aren’t very good so this result again stood out)

These games are outliers because although you can find losses in a season at anytime, we generally have complete shockers at precisely this time of the year.

On top of this although I don’t consider this a trend under Thompson and it didn’t happen other years under him.
The 1st year we decided to do birthday games.

2006 May 20 lost by 102 vs Collingwood
2008 May 23 lost by 86 vs Collingwood (not the birthday game)
Still mid May and shockers go hand in hand.

 

[Strange Cat]

Gee I was filthy all night and most of today

Going to be a long week, not doubt they will bounce back next week but you just know after a few good games the complacency will set back in

This team shits me at times

 

[Partridge]

Blitz should be settled into one position
he cops more than his fair share, and players like ht and ga get a free ride

time for the team to get some ruthless edge to their play
it says a lot that our players are suspended for umpire touches and the hawks for kneeing someone to the head

Taylor and Ablett aren't getting a free ride for yesterday. Neither they should.

 

[Cosmic Energy]

Selwood isn't fit, Dangerfield isn't fit and something is amiss with Duncan ... he's lost a yard of pace and his kicking lacks penetration.

I think you can throw Ablett in there too (along with his other issues). None of the mids have shown a lot of consistency this year in effort or performance, which is unlike most of them. I’m still wondering whether they cocked up the pre-season for these guys in particular, key players doing hammies etc. Along with what seems to be general injury mismanagement or flat out lying about the extent of them.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Krock were suggesting yesterday we have a very stubborn coaching group,that may explain why we keep falling over the same way year on year.

Smartest guys in the room

 

[frggr]

And Hawk is on record saying he doesn't want to split packs? I'd like to see that. Be very surprised that even if he he did think that, a big key forward in the AFL would ever say that out loud to anyone.

Here you go:

"Yes, I’d like to be more consistent, but that’s what everyone tries to be. I’ve been a little bit patchy this year – I had a really good start, faded from rounds six to rounds 16 or 17, and I’ve had a pretty good back end of the season, apart from being suspended. So I’m relatively happy.

Some people say I should have more of a physical presence, but it’s a fine line. You look at the way key forwards like Tony Lockett and Gary Ablett senior used to play back in the day, and you get a lot of advice that if someone gets in your way you’ve got to let them know about it.

But I’ve seen plenty of incidents that Lockett and Ablett used to do that you would be spending a lot of time on the sidelines if you did that now. The game’s changed, and I don’t really see the necessity of getting stuck into people who get in my space."

That, to me, suggests he's not really up for letting his presence be known, physically. I don't agree with his "things that Ablett and Lockett did would see you sidelined" as an excuse. Nobody's asking him to belt blokes off the ball, just make defenders think twice about getting in his way, just as he did to that GWS bloke.

Yeah, he gave away the free (and got fined), but if it was in the contest and not late, I'm not sure he would have gotten in trouble.

From: https://www.playersvoice.com.au/tom-hawkins-truth-about-jumper-punches/#0L0Z6ckk7dcmvApU.97

 

[frggr]

As a tagger, that is inexcusable.

As someone selected to play football that's inexcusable.
As a defensive mid, that's far less excusable.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Here you go:

"Yes, I’d like to be more consistent, but that’s what everyone tries to be. I’ve been a little bit patchy this year – I had a really good start, faded from rounds six to rounds 16 or 17, and I’ve had a pretty good back end of the season, apart from being suspended. So I’m relatively happy.

Some people say I should have more of a physical presence, but it’s a fine line. You look at the way key forwards like Tony Lockett and Gary Ablett senior used to play back in the day, and you get a lot of advice that if someone gets in your way you’ve got to let them know about it.

But I’ve seen plenty of incidents that Lockett and Ablett used to do that you would be spending a lot of time on the sidelines if you did that now. The game’s changed, and I don’t really see the necessity of getting stuck into people who get in my space."

That, to me, suggests he's not really up for letting his presence be known, physically. I don't agree with his "things that Ablett and Lockett did would see you sidelined" as an excuse. Nobody's asking him to belt blokes off the ball, just make defenders think twice about getting in his way, just as he did to that GWS bloke.

Yeah, he gave away the free (and got fined), but if it was in the contest and not late, I'm not sure he would have.


From: https://www.playersvoice.com.au/tom-hawkins-truth-about-jumper-punches/#0L0Z6ckk7dcmvApU.97

s**t, I wish I could under perform at my job for half the year and still keep it. He said he faded from rounds 6 to 16 or 17, that's 11 or 12 rounds, over half the home and away season. But that's ok, as long as he started and finished well.

Sounds like the big forwards I used to play with back in the bad old days. You'd be doing 100 x 100s on a stinking hot preseason day. They'd just loaf along through the first 95 and then when everyone that had been doing it properly and putting in the whole way through were stuffed, the big forwards would up their work rate and beat everyone in the last 5 and cop all the praise from the coaches.

 

[allrighty]

Gee I was filthy all night and most of today

Going to be a long week, not doubt they will bounce back next week but you just know after a few good games the complacency will set back in

This team shits me at times

Wot I said in about 6 posts you said in 1.

 

[frggr]

s**t, I wish I could under perform at my job for half the year and still keep it. He said he faded from rounds 6 to 16 or 17, that's 11 or 12 rounds, over half the home and away season. But that's ok, as long as he started and finished well.

Sounds like the big forwards I used to play with back in the bad old days. You'd be doing 100 x 100s on a stinking hot preseason day. They'd just loaf along through the first 95 and then when everyone that had been doing it properly and putting in the whole way through were stuffed, the big forwards would up their work rate and beat everyone in the last 5 and cop all the praise from the coaches.

Sounds like the old adage 'work smarter, not harder'

 

[captain blood 17]

Question: how many of these players “crash packs”?

Brown
Breust
Cameron
Franklin
Darling
Hogan
Riewoldt
Waite
Walker
Gunston
Kennedy

Reiwolt regularly crashes packs. He brings the ball to ground which allows our defensive pressure to kick in.


Sent from my iPhone using Righteous Man Power.

 

[catempire]

Reiwolt regularly crashes packs. He brings the ball to ground which allows our defensive pressure to kick in.


Sent from my iPhone using Righteous Man Power.

He does it no more or less than anyone else. That’s kinda the point.

 

[frggr]

Reiwolt regularly crashes packs. He brings the ball to ground which allows our defensive pressure to kick in.

Spot on, Captain.

 

[Catman]

Don't care how bad Stanley or Smith are, but I do not want to see a midfielder, in particular one of our guns, playing as a ruckman ever again. So either both must play, or try Abbott with one of them instead.

 

[Cat_Mancini]

Getting jumped again by frontal pressure really stuffs us. Losses seem to begin this way. At the G this has hurt us big time. Bombers played well and should have beaten us by more but they are not a great side and I shutter to think what will happen when we play a big team.

We cannot stop a run on and our biggest issue is the midfield so consistently inconsistent in the way they are around the ball. On paper super names and players in reality atm not so much. What is the go with Duncan? Have they instructed him to handball more ? He looks unsure with the ball. He is one of the best damaging kicks in the comp! Ablett looks tentative and vulnerable. Danger tried his guts out but poor kicking. Selwood brave but can’t do it on his own. The mids are either good or bad. It’s like if they get close to being even we are a chance if not we cannot win. Our back line can take us a long way but our mids have to be competitive.

I’ve been to a lot of games over the past decade and been so lucky to watch amazing teams. Yesterday was as flat and non competitive as we have been. Getting the ball out in space turning it over or kicking out on the full shocking!

Inconsistent performances will happen with young teams but I feel the senior blokes are the real issue and need to lift