Autopsy Opening Round = GWS 104-52 Collingwood

[foreigner]

It's the same story at the start of every year isn't it? Every other contending club against us can put up a good performance first up. But we are unable to for the life of us put on a good show. I don't mind losing, but losing pathetically without showing much intent nor effort doesn't sit well with me.

We were supposed to be super fit super fast with elite ball movement. I saw none of that today sigh

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Kane is going to have a field day this week.

Of all think things that will ruin my week Kane is not on the radar.

 

[magpie_marty]

Likewise I will reserve judgement until next week. Back at the G
With our star recruit. If we are dismal then, I definitely think we can start to worry.

Are you worried about a football game?
Will it change your life?

 

[Carringbush2010]

Well I'm glad I missed the game, I won't be watching the replay.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Pretty damning indictment on the coaching group that we spent the entire game bombing to the advantage of Taylor and Buckley with no sign of adjusting

 

[Kes1984]

Are you worried about a football game?
Will it change your life?

It definitely affects my mood!

 

[JoinDate]

Well I'm glad I missed the game, I won't be watching the replay.

Not a glutton for punishment?

 

[Kes1984]

Pretty damning indictment on the coaching group that we spent the entire game bombing to the advantage of Taylor and Buckley with no sign of adjusting

Flashbacks of Malthouse. Never had a plan B

 

[TradeDraft]

Out Lipinski Mcinnes Allen (if degoey fit) he (sub)
In houstonCox (degoey if fit) long into 22
One on thin ice is mcreery

Why Drop Allan after a Good Game?

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Nah.
You shit can the club, I shit can you.

“Shit can the club”

Literally just stating facts about how poorly we played is now “shit canning the club”

You’re everything wrong with this board

 

[partypie]

This, this, and this all day.

We've really struggled to show any dare, any excitement, and break-neck speed and risk-taking since 2023.

We need to find it again, because it was our greatest differentiating factor in the premiership year.

Our list isn't the best in the comp - but it doesn't have to be. It wasn't in 2023, either.

What we do need is some adventure to take the game on, and not just get dictated to.

Problem we have now is that literally everyone eise is trying to do exactly what you have mentioned above.

Except us. And we apparently can't defend against it even when we're not doing it ourselves.

The irony is palpable.

 

[Kes1984]

Why tho if that's OK to ask?

Because it matters to me. Too much I’ll admit. But I can’t help it.

 

[sr36]

Meh. Round 1. Seriously outrun. Nothing to panic about.

 

[TradeDraft]

Well I'm glad I missed the game, I won't be watching the replay.

You are very lucky not seeing that Shit Show

 

[Horaceg]

I’m going straight to the whipping boy thread

 

[domus]

Cox is my pet project and always has been, but I truly believe his absence leaves a hole in our side. Even when he isn't clunking the pill or hitting the scoreboard, he is a target with some presence and the smaller players can get to work crumbing rather than watch key defenders out mark our forwards continually or punch the pill twenty metres back where it came from. He also makes a much better second ruck than McStay.

I also believe Cox is one of those heart and soul of the team players who gets the crowd going. His strut and attitude can be contagious. I hope they put him in straight away, but they'll probably give the Triple M line up another crack.

Reef looks out of his depth and too short for his role in spite of the fact a shorter Murphy held down that position in brilliant fashion. It just shows how unique Murph was and what a devastating loss he is to our team. I think he'll get another chance but personally I think Moore needs another tall down there to help him out when the long bombs are coming in. Frampton can get a good fist in where Reef is grappling and panicking trying to deal with a much bigger opponent. He started on Keefe! That's just a bridge too far even with someone as ordinary as that lanky ex Pie.

 

[Peters_Nuts]

Why tho if that's OK to ask?

I get it. I think it's only natural that you look forward to round 1 for weeks and having a Sunday game just builds the anticipation.

Then to watch a game like that where everything that could go wrong, went wrong...naturally it can deflate you a bit.

 

[FAIRANDBALANCED]

I have felt that the Giants play us with great vigor and violence within the law as Kingsley said because they believe we are susceptible to a side who attacks with fierce physicality. It's the first time other than the Hawthorn game where I felt we were feeling the heat and couldn't step up and respond in kind. That smug smile on Kingsley's face when the siren sounded looked like a "we own you" smirk. I won't use the S word, but it certainly crossed my mind as I watched them maul us.

Fortunately, we can rock up next week and play with a similar ferocity and redeem ourselves.

Without DeGoey and Mitchell we are soft in the midfield. Ed Allan did absolutely nothing today that said he was a tough inside player we need.

Naicos hit the ball pretty hard today, but Josh did not. He won't wanna watch the replay, there was a lot of choosing when not to go.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Are you worried about a football game?
Will it change your life?

Yes, yes it does

 

[anshell]

I remember saying in the first quarter that the game felt like a preseason game because of its lack of intensity.And this was from both sides.The trouble with that is that we kept playing with that same lack of intensity right throughout the match and the Giants kept increasing theirs as the match went along.They upped the anti and we just fell back and did nothing in response.And that was reflected in the final score.

 

[domus]

Express away, and I have the right to express back.

You’ve seen many seasons and know that the first game is often misleading.

Let the fools make fools of themselves, and the rest of us can march to glory.

I agree. I saw Fitzroy humiliate us at Vic Park by 12 goals the year we played in the GF in 1980 I think it was.. But people should be able to vent as long as they are not abusive.

 

[jjsmitty8]

Immediate Reaction

- I think the preparation has to be questioned. It’s the first game of the year, there’s no excuse imo as to why we looked so cooked this early. The conditions don’t help from a cramp perspective, but they ran out the game and actually made the scoreboard reflect the dominance they had, whereas we just stopped to a grinding halt.

- Poor skill level. Too many kicks dropping short, overcooked handballs, uncharacteristic dropping of marks. Don’t have time to waste trying to shake these cobwebs before the season gets away from us.

- There’s bigger issues, but I’m concerned about Darcy Moore. Does not fill me with any confidence anymore, I don’t look at his match up and think “Darcy’s the best man for this” and know that he can reliably take care of the oppo’s best forward (who wasn’t even there today). Double fisted spoils when he can mark, fumbled attempts to mark when he should kill the ball with a spoil. I know a lot of it comes down to the pressure your mids put on the ball coming down but just look at the other end of the ground, Sam Taylor is a name you can set your watch to.

- Whilst we’re on defenders, Reef isn’t it. Happy to be proven wrong, but have never been a fan and I don’t see a world where Reef the defender makes me reconsider.

- Lacked flow and connection. There were a few passages of transition play that were nothing short of arousing, but for every one of those, there was 5 instances of hand balling to a flat footed team mate with an opposition player on his hip.

- Inside 50’s were very low quality, bomb and hope entries. That’s a result of GWS’ pressure, but also has to be on us to have the composure to lower your eyes and find a target. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

- Additionally, whilst the entries weren’t great, Triple M was a non factor. Even with three marking targets, GWS still found a way to cover those three and let Taylor intercept. Someone needed to be responsible for making sure he was accountable. The aerial presence was lacking, but then so were the smalls once the ball came to ground. Meanwhile they had three kids and a battler at best (Gruzewski, Cadman, Jones and Brown) all look far more threatening.

- Inaccurate goal kicking is an obvious one. I think other than one of Elliott’s set shots, it seemed that no one really accounted for the breeze or adapted to understand what it was actually doing. It might sound petty, but doing your due diligence pre-game to understand the conditions goes a long way in a sport where the margin between the best and worst teams is minimal.

- No Green, No Hogan, their first choice ruck subbed early. Sure, we had no Houston and JDG but we’re probably never going to play them as vulnerable as they were today.

An attempt at not overreacting

- They finished top 4 last year and had the eventual premiers on toast in the semi final. They’re a good football side and if they’re gonna compete again like so many tip they will, they’ll do this to a few teams. We just need to be better

- Statistically (apart from the scoreboard which blew out late) it wasn’t an abomination. Supply wasn’t lacking, ability to get it inside 50 wasn’t lacking, it was finishing and cleanliness that was. I’d be more concerned if we weren’t generating opportunities.

- I’ll reserve judgement on us until a month or so in. The game waits for no team, we need to figure it out quick smart so we’re not playing catch up like we were all of last year. Couldn’t have gone any worse today imo, need to find a way to get the momentum rolling now.

- Perryman did himself no harm in earning the respect of the black and white army.

Ps. **** Opening Round and it’s flat, underwhelming start to the season. Yep, the Cyclone isn’t the AFL’s fault but even 4 games is terrible. You’ve got more than half the leagues fans with no vested interested in the round because their team isn’t playing. Shit concept, **** it off.

Back on the horse next week, need to get cracking.

 

[domus]

I remember saying in the first quarter that the game felt like a preseason game because of its lack of intensity.And this was from both sides.The trouble with that is that we kept playing with that same lack of intensity right throughout the match and the Giants kept increasing theirs as the match went along.They upped the anti and we just fell back and did nothing in response.And that was reflected in the final score.

I thought that second quarter was as ferociously physical and high pressured as any game I've seen.

 

[FAIRANDBALANCED]

Why Drop Allan after a Good Game?

Mate, Allan was putrid

 

[Kes1984]

Problem we have now is that literally everyone eise is trying to do exactly what you have mentioned above.

Except us. And we apparently can't defend against it even when we're not doing it ourselves.

The irony is palpable.

I also think there was a definite excitement that came with Fly coming on board. He brought a completely different culture to the club.
But the honeymoon may have ended with the flag.

Don’t misinterpret this to think I’m am saying anything negative about Fly. Not at all. But the novelty of him bringing new and better culture to the club, just may have worn off which was motivating them through 22 and 23.

Those were exciting times.

We are also largely the same list as then, now 3 years older than 22 and 2 years older than 23. At the tail end of careers, those years are huge.