Preview R8: Changes vs. Carlton - Nicks Sucks and Must be Sacked

[Moonwatcher]

Going to be a big day. Will start the day with Adelaide in 5th and end the day with Clive Palmer as Prime Minister.

 

[CrowBloke]

Burns is even more uninspiring than Nicks, if that's possible

It's not, but he's close.

 

[pjcrows]

What did he say

He hasn't shown enough and has been dropped.

 

[WheresGroomgone]

You have to be impressed with the absolute confidence that Nicks and his team go about sinking the ship. The lack of team management and team selection is incredible.

Is the Dunning Kruger effect contagious?

Playing Crouch and Murray whilst carrying an injury then losing them both for multiple weeks.
Playing a pick 4 mid out of position or as the sub, then playing him in two games in a weekend then announcing through the media “he’s not getting enough of the ball” after 28 disposals in 3/4s, then dropping him.

Talking up Edwards [rightly so] and his dominance at half back but not giving him a chance by bringing back a washed up champ who’s only guarantee is to kick it out on the full at least twice.

Playing Dawson at full forward against Freeo.

Not giving Peatling decent mid time when we are struggling at CBs.

Playing Murphy for a tribute match.

Having no game day pizazz- no beneficial changes.

This list is just the last few weeks and in no way complete an yet when they front the media it’s an arrogant smiling attitude displayed by the coaches, it’s incredible.
.

 

[cleanhands]

Got up early, hoping someone had started a game day thread.

You know how we are traveling when it takes more 5+ hours into game day for a thread to open.

You can rely on old Redleg Crow to fire up

 

[ABAB]

No one should be under any illusions they're "resting" Draper after that Burns interview.

Well, that's why he is listed as an emergency lol.

 

[1970crow]

Fly Draper back after his sub appearance to play SANFL because he hasn't had enough footy...

...now a rest because he's had too much footy.

Decisions made a handful of days apart.

It's almost as though we don't have any idea what we're doing.

It’s like the old pre-planned sub move.

Nix - “Let’s fly him back, he’ll have 10 touches and we can use that as evidence that he needs a rest”

Nix - “looks like he’s had 30 in 3/4 guys”

Nix - “drop him anyway, he clearly needs a rest”

Nobody is speaking up against this dimwittery.

 

[CrowBloke]

The sooner we move on Nicks, Burns and Van Berlo the better.
They have proven time and time again they cannot develop midfielders and if they stay, they will ruin Dawson, Draper and another generation of talent.

They are our Mad Hatter, Tweedledumb and Tweedlecan't.
A clean-out of all three is a must for the Crows to succeed.

A COACHING "rebuild".

The only player that has been a success that we have recruited and developed as a pure midfielder is Soligo and even he is regressing now because he is bearing the brunt of all the defensive work. Look at Berry, Shoenberg, Jones, Mchenry. All in the bin (or close to). Dowling will join them under this coaching regime.

Yes. I had high hopes for the 3 in bold above, but they appear to be infected by Nicks' non-aspirational mediocrity.

I fear also for talent like Pedlar whose natural, raw aggro and flair has not been harnessed or developed as a weapon for the AFL Crows. Others:
Cook, a nearly-AFL forward.
Borlase (who must have overbalancing difficulties because of the weight of his shoulders), a nearly-defender.
Scrawny, tackle-averse Sholl, a nearly-wingman.
Poor, overlooked Bond, a nearly-lockdown defender/tagger.
I could see any of the 8 becoming best-23 for another Club given trust and clear instructions from a decent Coach.

I still think Dawson will be be an elite midfielder rather than half back we just have no idea how to use him and free him up.

Well, he's gotta stay outside the pack and given space to balance up and use that previously-deadly Left foot.
VB's in charge of our mids, but is clearly not telling them where to stand or what to do.
That horrifying clip that showed ROB double-hand-tapping to one of four unmarked Freo players reveals VB's handiwork.
WHY were all of our mids standing to ROB's LHS, leaving 4 Freo players unguarded on ROB's RHS, facing their goal??

It doesn't help we have the worst first ruck going around who can't find our midfielders but that is a list management problem.

AND a Coaching problem. ROB's an ex-b'n'f with a poor kick and worse around-the-ground-craft than he had 5 years ago. Like our underdeveloped youth, ROB has regressed.
How has Nicks not identified ROB's failures in his role and not
--- paired him up with one of our good kicks (Fog, Tex, Dawson) for some ball-drop and kicking lessons?
--- told him to tap to the blokes wearing the same guernsey as him (for starters)?
[I saw one of the ruckman from last night's game (Saints/Freo) gain possession, take off on a run (not a giraffe's awkward lumbering gallop) and wheel around onto his left to kick about 50m into their F50.
I was deadset envious.]

 

[1970crow]

I’m constantly amazed that players like Riley Sanders, who looked absolutely ready to go, had to play 30 games as a small forward before getting quality midfield time, and that’s only because of Treloar’s injury.

Do the Dogs have a crab like Crouch that he couldn’t get past?

 

[1970crow]

It’s pretty simple, Nicks is putting himself above the long term development of players, in his desperation to keep his job he has picked Smith because he knows if we drop the next 3 he is ****ed. He obviously thinks we have a better chance winning this week with Smith’s experience than we do with Edward’s debuting.

Nicks has never selected any differently. Smith returning was predictable a mile out. As was Murphy a few weeks back. If there’s a decision to be made, which is rare, Nix makes the wrong one nearly every time. Nothing has changed, he’s been doing this since he arrived.

 

[1970crow]

This is the part I don't get. Smith has been at the club, and a regular selection, since well before Nicks' time. He has been routinely selected during Nicks' entire tenure until missing a few games last year and not being selected early this year.

So Nicks has been coaching for just over 5 years with no finals. If you're coaching for your career, why would you keep going back to selecting the same guys who have consistently failed to get the job done for you during your entire tenure? Surely you'd be at the point where you'd want and/or need to roll the dice on something and someone different to see if you go better with them?

Isn't the definition of madness something about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?

I also hate what this does to Brodie Smith himself. He was a very, very good player for this club for a very long time. Absolutely elite when at his peak. And yet here we are, watching the sad spectacle of him dragging himself through a couple of seasons more than he should have. The club does this because nobody has the balls to make a hard decision on club greats who can't see for themselves that it's over. We end up in a situation where, instead of celebrating club greats as they walk off after their last game, we're sitting here begging for somebody to put them (and us) out of their misery. It's Rory Sloane, Scott Thompson, Sam Jacobs etc etc all over again.

The players themselves are the problem. Yes, the club enables the behaviour, but the culture of senior player entitlement is real. And don’t think that Tex isn’t using his significant influence behind the scenes to get Smith into the 22, or keep Crouch in etc etc. it’s a failed culture of Neil Craig disciples, hopefully Balme can eradicate it. Tex needs to go, VB needs to go, anyone that has anything to do with serial failure Neil Craig needs to go. We need to start from scratch.

 

[1970crow]

You do realise the vast majority of supporters would say exactly this about the groupthink mentality on here. I don’t read this board very often, but everytime I do, I find myself wondering if this whole board is actually 4 or 5 people with 20 accounts each.

Yeh, but you know that you’re not very bright though? It’s no surprise you can’t differentiate between more than 4 or 5 posters.

 

[1970crow]

Unfortunately we aren’t looking to introduce a new player, we are trying to replace an existing player for 1 week.

Carlton have 3 big key forwards which will have to be Butts, Max and Worrell, this would normally leave Hinge to take Cripps or Walsh when they rest forward.

If you honestly think a first game player who has only 4 games of experience playing in the backline would do a better job on Patrick Cripps than Brodie Smith then I’m sorry, you aren’t being honest. Cripps would absolutely monster him.

Jeepers, is Brodie playing on Cripps you reckon? Are you an infant?

 

[Archie87]

It's amazing that Sam Lalor, a draftee who also had a managed preseason after injuries last year, has been able to manage playing full games (albeit missing one) with some mid time - our guy can only manage a quarter here or there apparently....

The idiots in charge have played the kid out of form...

 

[cleanhands]

It's amazing that Sam Lalor, a draftee who also had a managed preseason after injuries last year, has been able to manage playing full games (albeit missing one) with some mid time - our guy can only manage a quarter here or there apparently....

The idiots in charge have played the kid out of form...

It’s what we do, fill their heads with defensive bs and drain their natural talent

 

[hugecannon]

It’s what we do, fill their heads with defensive bs and drain their natural talent

They have to have young players focus on the defensive side, otherwise they’d have to expect senior players like Crouch to contribute in that space - which they can’t do.

 

[Scorpus]

It’s what we do, fill their heads with defensive bs and drain their natural talent

What's even more bizarre is we don't have a defensive structure at stoppages to learn

 

[cleanhands]

What's even more bizarre is we don't have a defensive structure at stoppages to learn

Do they even communicate?

 

[MRB37]

What's even more bizarre is we don't have a defensive structure at stoppages to learn

But there are opposition players to chase.

 

[SLOWNE]

You have to be impressed with the absolute confidence that Nicks and his team go about sinking the ship. The lack of team management and team selection is incredible.

Is the Dunning Kruger effect contagious?

Playing Crouch and Murray whilst carrying an injury then losing them both for multiple weeks.
Playing a pick 4 mid out of position or as the sub, then playing him in two games in a weekend then announcing through the media “he’s not getting enough of the ball” after 28 disposals in 3/4s, then dropping him.

Talking up Edwards [rightly so] and his dominance at half back but not giving him a chance by bringing back a washed up champ who’s only guarantee is to kick it out on the full at least twice.

Playing Dawson at full forward against Freeo.

Not giving Peatling decent mid time when we are struggling at CBs.

Playing Murphy for a tribute match.

Having no game day pizazz- no beneficial changes.

This list is just the last few weeks and in no way complete an yet when they front the media it’s an arrogant smiling attitude displayed by the coaches, it’s incredible.
.

If you don't like that, you don't like Crows football.

 

[hugecannon]

Do they even communicate?

Lots of senior players pointing fingers, does that count?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

What's even more bizarre is we don't have a defensive structure at stoppages to learn

We need a defensive structure for when ROB's winning the hit outs

 

[bmac84]

What the **** is this absolute hack talking about?

"I haven't felt that Sid's probably been on the top of his game"

"He just needs ball in hand a little bit"

"Needs to get a bit of confidence back"

You subbed him in or out 5 times in his first 7 games you ****wit, why has he not been winning the ball with confidence at the top of his game do you reckon?

"I'm not sure what you're seeing that I'm not seeing"

Absolute moron. Idiot. Sack him.

Burns is an absolute fraud of the highest order. This is his record as an assistant coach. Making finals in only 3 of 16 seasons is criminal.

West Coast:
2009 - 11th
2010 - 16th
2011 - 4th
2012 - 5th
2013 - 13th

Collingwood:
2014 - 11th
2015 - 12th
2016 - 12th
2017 - 13th

Hawthorn:
2018 - 4th
2019 - 9th
2020 - 15th

Adelaide:
2021 - 15th
2022 - 14th
2023 - 10th
2024 - 15th

 

[Crow_68]

Waiting for the late out and the announcement that Draper is in and will start as sub.

 

[cleanhands]

Lots of senior players pointing fingers, does that count?

To a spot no one wants to take responsibility for?