Autopsy Rd 13 Blues double comeback just falls short in a thriller

Who played well for the Blues in Round 13?


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teknodeejay

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Quiet first half. One of our best in the second. Only 4 of our players got it more than him, was one of top 10 percent in disposal efficiency on the ground, and he kicked a goal and directly set up two others.

Sorry mate, but surely you can’t knock him for his game on the weekend.
 
Nov 13, 2015
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🤷🏾‍♂️Can’t rationalise with someone who makes expert comment without watching much of it despite evidence to the contrary. 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

Okay, you continue to want to play the man, so I will entertain you, but some facts first

Dogs were down by 30 points at the end of the 3rd qtr, outscored the Hawks by 49 points in that last qtr of round 2, after the Hawks lost 2 players late in the game. When that free kick was paid, Dogs had already banged on 5 extra goals and another 2 after that free kick

Perhaps you should do some research before shooting your mouth off or blaming the umpires
 
Might keep that photo of Libba. Reckon it will come in handy, even as early as this week when some scans come back.
Karma can be a bitch sometimes.
Like father, like son.
Both grubby little pricks.

Don't stoop to his level, OWWK.

We're better than that.








Most of the time.
 
Aug 22, 2014
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Gonna try and split the middle and offer my own thoughts on Murphy.

Love the bloke, love what he's given (and continues to give) the club, really hope he gets the opportunity to play another final at least for the Blues and enjoy some measure of success given how invested he's been in this rebuild.

Definitely feel he needs to do some serious work on his disposal. Fully aware he's not making errors with every kick, and sometimes he pulls some serious magic out of nowhere. The one-handed intercept and then steady shot for goal was outstanding. But then every now and then he rips the heart out of my chest. The kick into the forward 50 that he shanked off the side of his boot straight to an unmarked opponent, who was pretty much dead centre of the 50m arc and was able to slingshot straight out to anywhere on the ground...wowzers. And there have been a number of those this season. Don't mind the occasional kick that's not quite to advantage, it happens. But it's so disheartening when a senior player, highly regarded for their quality disposal, just gives the ball to the opposition in one of the most dangerous parts of the ground. Murphy isn't alone there - Simmo's had some real howlers in recent times too, and his are typically coming out of defense!

For Murphy to keep his spot in the senior side, I really do think he needs to get his kicking mojo back. Would be perfectly happy for him to play out the next two seasons as a 20 possession winger, provided they're mostly damaging disposals. Kicking efficiency and metres gained should be his two KPI's. The tackling - we all know he's not as confident in that part of his game any more - but I can get past it as long as he's moving the ball forward to teammates on a regular basis.


EDIT: On the selection front: I'm well aware there is some sentiment of Murphy being a bit rusty but working into the game. Given where our season is at, I really don't think bringing in a bloke who was going to take a half of footy to warm up was the right move. Lost the game by 3 points, and that alone could potentially have made the difference. Impossible to say categorically, of course, butterfly effect and all that.
 
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gbatman

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So when he jumped, took the hospital handball on the wing and subsequently got smashed, exposing his probably still broken ribs, he was protecting himself??

I don't recall that so I can't comment, I'm going by his attack on the footy over the season. There is no questioning that it is just adequate. I've been watching Murphy for a long time and when he was playing well his attack on the ball was a lot quicker and with a lot more intent. It was more than adequate.

Agreed.

I don't have a problem with players doing this either. No point putting your body on the line, only to finish bottom and end your career prematurely.

Hell, I've got mates that are Tigers fans that reckon Dusty has taken a few games off this year due to their injury issues. They reckon he's saving himself for when they can hopefully have another crack next year.

Fingers crossed we turn the corner in 2020 and Murph can stay on the park and is playing well.

Yeah I'm with you there. It's not ideal but if the end result is good then so be it. I've wondered that about Dusty. He's got more in the tank surely. Murphy has had his injuries over the years playing hard. I know myself that once you get into your 30 and the aches and pains kick in and it gets hard you need genuine motivation to really go 100%, I couldn't see why some AFL players would be too different. Thomas and Simpson obviously are but everyone is different.
 
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Oh yeah...

Again, one incident in 120 minutes filled with player errors and turnovers

Umpires make errors just like players
Spot on.
So many supporters are quick to blame the umpires when the players make so many mistakes themselves.
 
What I've liked about the past couple of weeks:

1. Casboult playing with real energy. The sort of energy and desperation you're more likely to see from a tough inside mid.
2. O'Brien belongs. What a difference from a player that looked to be lost in the reserves to one that now demands the ball.
3. Marchbank starting to back himself in marking contests again.
4. CCurnow again starting to look as though he knows how good he is.
5. If Walsh was used every time he made good (and the right) position, he would have again had 30 possessions for this game.

Even for his good games, I still see Gibbons as a selfish player even though some here, have noted the contrary.
Guess what I saw through the pre-season is going to be hard to erase.
 

Curnivore

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What I've liked about the past couple of weeks:

1. Casboult playing with real energy. The sort of energy and desperation you're more likely to see from a tough inside mid.
2. O'Brien belongs. What a difference from a player that looked to be lost in the reserves to one that now demands the ball.
3. Marchbank starting to back himself in marking contests again.
4. CCurnow again starting to look as though he knows how good he is.
5. If Walsh was used every time he made good (and the right) position, he would have again had 30 possessions for this game.

Even for his good games, I still see Gibbons as a selfish player even though some here, have noted the contrary.
Guess what I saw through the pre-season is going to be hard to erase.
I've seen it, but I think it most likely comes from the fact hes a mature age rookie who has gone from VFL Star (I'm going to try and win this game for us) to role-player. If he earns a contract, which I think he will, we will see improvement in that area. Good observation Harks, but one that I think will naturally work itself out.
 
I've seen it, but I think it most likely comes from the fact hes a mature age rookie who has gone from VFL Star (I'm going to try and win this game for us) to role-player. If he earns a contract, which I think he will, we will see improvement in that area. Good observation Harks, but one that I think will naturally work itself out.

Maybe he feels he can do the job without help.
Of course he gets at least another year, as he thoroughly deserves it but it's probably something that needs a little correction as he goes along.
Otherwise he really plays as hard as he can. Can't begrudge him for that...good games or bad ones, as all you want is for the player to give their all.

I always had Casboult as a 1 in 4 player. That is one good game and four ordinary ones.
I asked for him to be played in the back-line before the season started, but I was thinking the NB's and not the senior team.
He's been phenomenal (relatively) to date and getting around like a 20 year old and not 29 year old he happens to be.
A whole new lease of life for Levi. Good on him.
 

Iamcarlton

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Don’t need to tag their entire midfield, just their best.

As we saw, momentum can swing hard and fast.
Yep then consider how badly we can get cut up through the middle for prolonged periods when we can't get first use of the pill .
Sitting someone on the oppos most damaging mid one would think would be a given .
But apparently not .
 
Feb 5, 2008
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LO'B was enormous yesterday....just watched the replay again, and his run on the outside was huge.

He's played two cracking games now in a row, gives us a taste of his potential when he matures. He played a similar game in the Dawks pre season practice match this year, which he was incredibly impressive.

He so much reminds me of a young Isaac Smith, with the dangerous raking left footer.

I also noticed in one passage, we took possession on a half forward on the left side of the goal...the players in the vicinity were LO'B, Simmo, Newman and Fish...all raking left footers. They are so important for team balance, just look at the Dawks in their 3peat.

Don't think its any co-incidence that we picked up Joshy De, another left footer.

It's just great to see a young player backing his kicking. Under pressure too. We've been begging for this kind of player. He's 19 folks.!
 
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It's just great to see a young player backing his kicking. Under pressure too. We've been begging for this kind of player. He's 19 folks.!

I suspect he was being overcoached. Surely not coincidence that he's played his best two games in the past two weeks when he seemingly had some more flexibility just to do what he is good at.

This is not a criticism of Bolton ... as I'm sure many of the traits he was trying to embed in O'Brien will pay off in the long term.
 

Soapy V

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I suspect he was being overcoached. Surely not coincidence that he's played his best two games in the past two weeks when he seemingly had some more flexibility just to do what he is good at.

This is not a criticism of Bolton ... as I'm sure many of the traits he was trying to embed in O'Brien will pay off in the long term.

Under Bolton LOB was playing a "decoy" role dragging the opposition player to the dead side of the ground. Walsh or Murphy were to be where the ball was. Released a couple of times late in the game like against Hawks. No complaints and did exactly what he was told to do.

When Teague was appointed he met with LOB and told him he wanted him to go back to his natural role in covering lots of ground, take the game on and kick long too targets. Picked him from the reserves when his form was just okay.

So far, so good
 
Aug 26, 2004
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Where I am its 14hrs time difference with dodgy internet. The gameday thread is my lifeline to the blues. It seemed this weeks and another we lost by a small margin was missing a few posts. I dont get to see the blowups...sometimes they are relevant.


Not too sure how you know posts are missing. :think:

Could it possibly be that posts were reported for abuse/trolling or whatever other reason and they have been deleted.
 
Indeed. But with 17 seconds to go, scores less than one goal difference, one bad call and the outcome changes.
But Brucey, it still carries the same weight as a bad call 17 seconds into the game.
 
So many supporters are quick to blame the umpires when the players make so many mistakes themselves.

One has nothing to do with the other though.
How many years on and we still have people complaining about a non-free to Walker in a final that would have likely taken us to the Prelim?

Of course it counts more at the end of the game when it's somewhat more apparent that a call either way could be the difference between a win and a loss.
One can start to strip things back to this point in the game and then this and that, but no one can honestly say they wouldn't be 'disappointed' should the CFC lose a Grand Final to either a blatant bad decision or non-decision in the final seconds of the game.
 
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Under Bolton LOB was playing a "decoy" role dragging the opposition player to the dead side of the ground. Walsh or Murphy were to be where the ball was. Released a couple of times late in the game like against Hawks. No complaints and did exactly what he was told to do.

When Teague was appointed he met with LOB and told him he wanted him to go back to his natural role in covering lots of ground, take the game on and kick long too targets. Picked him from the reserves when his form was just okay.

So far, so good

Fascinating how little we understand what players are asked to do or roles to perform each week and how it impacts on public perception.
 
But Brucey, it still carries the same weight as a bad call 17 seconds into the game.

Not really. It's a free kick (or non free-kick) but here's the difference;

We have no idea as to the effect of a free through the course of the game, because we cannot play out the what-ifs.
How do we know how a goal to the opponent by way of a free, will impact upon the rest of the contest? We don't. It may have actually favoured us.

With 30 seconds left in the game it's patently clear to see the impact of a poor decision as there is no more thereafter and possibilities.
The course of the game is now set and in clear view. This is a big difference. We can pretend it's not, but it simply is.
 
Under Bolton LOB was playing a "decoy" role dragging the opposition player to the dead side of the ground. Walsh or Murphy were to be where the ball was. Released a couple of times late in the game like against Hawks. No complaints and did exactly what he was told to do.

When Teague was appointed he met with LOB and told him he wanted him to go back to his natural role in covering lots of ground, take the game on and kick long too targets. Picked him from the reserves when his form was just okay.

So far, so good

The people near where I was sitting were all Commenting how good he is looking.
 
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