Review Good/Bad vs Collingwood, 2020

[OzSparrow]

Don't mind losing taking the game on. It's no wonder our skills and run to space dropped as fatigue set in. That's fixable with a decent fitness program.

Great to see H'Berg notch up the intensity a bit. Not sold on him but it was a step forward tonight.

Is Darcy just a big country Man-child? Will he have the will to develop into an elite athlete? He needs to become a more assertive footballer and demand the ball *in the right positions*. He's not getting to enough dangerous spots.

Sadly, I think Ned is a bust. All effort and no impact. Ogilvy got that one wrong.

Schoenburg 2nd game blues. He'll be fine and makes really good choices with ball in hand.

The rest of the kids did ok until they got buggered.

Speaking of which, didn't we get reamed by Umps. Felt like we were in the middle of a devils three-way with Ray and Eleni. We got done from all angles.

Fog reminds me of Tex at the same stage of his career under Craigy.
The same bush larrikin boy who is big and awkward and shows heaps of promise but is an unpolished diamond.
Under the right coach (read Walsh - inspiration al move to make him captain - then Pyke) Tex blossomed.
I am sure that Fog will do likewise but I am not sure Ben Hart or Nicks are the guys to do it.

 

[bates121]

Was our best. 139 fantasy points. Next best was 103.

How silly of me of course fantasy points is the be all and end all of playing well. lol

 

[Scrogdogg]

How is Hartigan getting a game ahead of Butts I'll never know

Hartigan fine when his mission is just to punch the ball away.....but to take possession is just a recipe for disaster.

 

[Tex200]

While I think of it - a serve to Darcy Fogarty, who was not only poor in general play, but his stupid free kick and 50 was a pivotal moment when we had control.

He wasn’t to know of course that it would end up with Dunne kicking a goal which lifted the whole side, but that’s the risk you take when doing stupid things. It sparked Collingwood.

Big talent but that’s real liability stuff.

 

[spexau]

I think we all need to stop and appreciate just how good Rory Laird's game last night actually was. I don't think its overzealous to say that is was probably in the top 3 Midfield performance by a Crow in the last 3 years. Might well be the best. Think about his stats, remembering given the shortened quarters he's done this in essentially 3/4's or a normal length game.

37 disposals (18K:17H), 17 contested, 10 clearances, 9 tackles, 466 meters gained, 6 inside 50's, 7 score involvements, 4 intercepts, 76% disposal efficiency.

That's insane, and whats more crazy is I really don't remember more then 1 or 2 cheap possessions. Most looked very hard earned through contest or hard running. Just hunts the footy and the body like a man possessed. Also am I crazy or does he look a step or 2 faster as a mid then he ever has a defender? Seems to have a much better 5m burst then I gave him credit for.

I was all for trading him earlier in the season (when he was a ineffectual rebound defender), but if he's able to perform like that then he's a must keep!

Despite Collingwood winning I would be surprised if Laird doesn't get 3 votes from last nights game. He was on another level. Very happy he's FINALLY being played in the middle. He's way too aggressive to play in a 6-6-6 defensive unit.

 

[1970crow]

Not enough love for Sholl either. Was terrific tonight

This isn't designed to be a crack against what Dmac is bringing, but what is it that Sholl needed to learn in 3 weeks of meaningless scratch matches that mean't he couldn't be selected before Mackay?

 

[OzSparrow]

Yep, that's a guy you take in the 3rd round.

I'm not sure what he is being groomed to be.

This is my issue with him as well.
I am not sure he is worthy of being a first rounder yet as I don't get what he is being asked to do and what he brings to the team as a whole.
Anyways lets see what next year brings for him.

 

[Thetrader15]

Nicks really putting it on the senior players for the loss. Turnovers and not scoring goals when the changes were there -> I think he is looking at Smithers, Seedsman, Tex.

Wonder how many changes will come this week

 

[Betts are off]

Not saying he didn't play well just not sure he is going to be the answer in the mid field long term. I mean if your ok with handballs back and forth with MCrouch that go no where good for you.

Are you actually kidding me? Did you even watch the game? Laird was literally everywhere, and 1000% more impactful then anyone else on the ground!

What else does he have to do?

 

[Idontpullout]

Im hoping tex plays on. Im not yet convinced that Fog is going to take over. Is odd plays well every 3-4 games and then looks like an amature. Maybe his body cant hold up to it anymore.

That's the thing, his knees are buggered. Needs elite delivery to be effective at this stage of his career. I think he's going to pull up stumps at seasons end.

 

[Betts are off]

Despite Collingwood winning I would be surprised if Laird doesn't get 3 votes from last nights game. He was on another level. Very happy he's FINALLY being played in the middle. He's way too aggressive to play in a 6-6-6 defensive unit.

If he didn't get 3 Brownlow and 10 coaches votes i'll fall off my chair.

He was BOG by the length of the straight

 

[OzSparrow]

I've seen Crocker do this thing where he comes second man in on a tackle, then appeals to the umpire for holding the ball. He does it inside 50. So I wasn't surprised to see him sprint to the ball that went out of the full then take a shot 45m out on the boundary line.

Hey a stat is a stat. Just ask Hugh!

 

[Betts are off]

This isn't designed to be a crack against what Dmac is bringing, but what is it that Sholl needed to learn in 3 weeks of meaningless scratch matches that mean't he couldn't be selected before Mackay?

I think its clear his tank still needs work, fell completely off the pace in his first game after a blinder of a 1st half. And was really puffing hard in the final quarter last night. But I still agree with your point. Match fitness is 10x better then what he would be getting in those scratchies

 

[fortunatecrow]

Interesting to listen to Craig Jennings on SEN on the Crows: at 4.12 "Nicks is a very tactically astute coach" the win "will come sooner than a lot of people think" and it "won't be a five year re-build' .....will be quicker

 

[bates121]

Are you actually kidding me? Did you even watch the game? Laird was literally everywhere, and 1000% more impactful then anyone else on the ground!

What else does he have to do?

IMO Taylor Adams was better with less of it for Collingwood.
Laird was just a slightly better version of MCrouch. Slightly faster, slightly better kick finds plenty of it but doesn’t cut a team apart with it.

 

[hey shorty]

Yes

I'm not sure that's correct.

He's being taught to be more attacking so he's going to make mistakes. Technically he's pretty sound.

 

[Scrogdogg]

Nicks really putting it on the senior players for the loss. Turnovers and not scoring goals when the changes were there -> I think he is looking at Smithers, Seedsman, Tex.

Wonder how many changes will come this week

Seedsman .....is looking to resemble Mackay. Doesn't impact enough for a senior.

 

[hey shorty]

IMO Taylor Adams was better with less of it for Collingwood.
Laird was just a slightly better version of MCrouch. Slightly faster, slightly better kick finds plenty of it but doesn’t cut a team apart with it.

Adams isn't a great kick either

 

[Betts are off]

IMO Taylor Adams was better with less of it for Collingwood.
Laird was just a slightly better version of MCrouch. Slightly faster, slightly better kick finds plenty of it but doesn’t cut a team apart with it.

 

[Tex200]

This isn't designed to be a crack against what Dmac is bringing, but what is it that Sholl needed to learn in 3 weeks of meaningless scratch matches that mean't he couldn't be selected before Mackay?

A good question of course and anyone watching SANFL last year would tell you his selection ought to have been in the last 3-4 games 2019.

 

[Bearded Clam]

Just to depress you here is an article on how cursed Pick 6 is:

Six and out: The history of footy's 'cursed' draft pick

Pick No.6 has seen more than its share of draft flops - but things are finally looking up

www.afl.com.au

Chad Wingard, Jack Macrae, Jaidyn Stephenson, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Aaron Francis and Caleb Marchbank..

geez.. not that big a curse if you ask me..

 

[Scrogdogg]

I love the Nicks move the ball game plan. How refreshing is watching a game with no stop, stand, wait, look, think and then bomb high under pressure down field to where the opposition knew the ball would come anyway. Major step forward. Major. Keep going Nicksy. Just a bit more execution and we can improve solidly.

 

[Betts are off]

Chad Wingard, Jack Macrae, Jaidyn Stephenson, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Aaron Francis and Caleb Marchbank..

geez.. not that big a curse if you ask me..

I'm not sure the author of that article understands what the word 'curse' means!

 

[hey shorty]

I love the Nicks move the ball game plan. How refreshing is watching a game with no stop, stand, wait, look, think and then bomb high under pressure down field to where the opposition knew the ball would come anyway. Major step forward. Major. Keep going Nicksy. Just a bit more execution and we can improve solidly.

Last night, against undermanned opposition we finally started to see what we want our team to play like.

Even the McAsey and Smith switch kicks were ballsy moves let down by poor execution. I'm happier to see that than handballs to stationary players or 15m passes that miss

 

[Betts are off]

I love the Nicks move the ball game plan. How refreshing is watching a game with no stop, stand, wait, look, think and then bomb high under pressure down field to where the opposition knew the ball would come anyway. Major step forward. Major. Keep going Nicksy. Just a bit more execution and we can improve solidly.

I also like it, but teams have cottoned on a bit. So many partially smothered kicks from players looking to move the ball on quickly. Players have to execute it a bit better, because nearly every one resulted in a really bad turnover