Autopsy Round 9, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Richmond

[PepperTom32]

I'm with you, and I'm not quite sure why this is the year where it seems patience has run out amongst the broader supporter base.

Perhaps it's because I've tuned out of footy media, here too really, but I tune in to watch us each week and I see positive signs. I see a variety of kids playing and developing. I can see the game plan more and more.

Today sucked but I also felt something, and I think we're headed in the right direction. Yes we're bad but at least we're bad with a young(er) team. Being bad means better access to talent, and the sooner we can turn over the list, get rid of the dead weight and add actual talent, the better.

It’s the smattering of wins that keeps supporter morale from being at an all-time low. This time last season we’d had a couple of wins. The growth is good and all, but the wins are something else.

 

[InTheWings]

Positives:

• Brockman in the middle extracting the ball at the CBDs
• Ryan in the middle extracting the ball at the CBDs
• Harley getting back into some form

Negatives:

• Umpiring Harley different to everyone else... I am sick of it
• Out injuries to essential players.

 

[Wce17]

Brockman cost us that game with his stupid push on a tigers player that was reversed by the umpire and resulted in a Richmond goal. Nothing else he did in the game made up for that act of gross stupidity.
Tom Cole wasn't far behind him going for a spoil in the goal square and knocking it forward to Lynch instead of knocking it towards the boundary line for safety.

Nah that was a bullshit 50. The Richmond guy took a dive and has a history with doing that.

 

[Doashuey]

Had a full game on debut against GWS. Had a full game against Carlton the week after. Dropped to the sub against Essendon before going back to the WAFL.

Hewett has shown more.

He (Gross) was pick 46, is slightly built and needs plenty of development.

Should have come on earlier today and I would hope if he is in the seniors next week, it is for a full game. The martyrdom of him is a bit much however.

Martyrdom? Come off it.
He has been handelled appalingly.
Hewitt, despite his injuries is a 3rd year player , I think Gross has shown as much or maybe more in his first 2 games than Hewitt did..
That wasnt the point but, we have a very promising prospect in a year of discovery and playing the youth and I dont think they have shown near enough faith in him and its not great for his confidence.
Put it this way in 15% game time, he had half as many posessions, the same number of tackles (3) and 2 more clearances than Tim Kelly did in a full game.
Maybe we should give the him a decent run and show some faith?

 

[lmach]

Brockman cost us that game with his stupid push on a tigers player that was reversed by the umpire and resulted in a Richmond goal. Nothing else he did in the game made up for that act of gross stupidity.
Tom Cole wasn't far behind him going for a spoil in the goal square and knocking it forward to Lynch instead of knocking it towards the boundary line for safety.

The bloke he pushed took a dive and it 100% would have not been overturned if it was the other way around. Cant even remember the last time an overturned free kick has gone our way and there’s been plenty of opportunities for one.

Brockman was good today and once again led the side in clearances. Needs to be persisted with as a mid.

 

[Bender_]

Negative:

I really wanted to win so I could call Owies our "MCG specialist" after kicking 2 goals. Really frustrated I can't say that now.

 

[Bender_]

The bloke he pushed took a dive and it 100% would have not been overturned if it was the other way around. Cant even remember the last time an overturned free kick has gone our way and there’s been plenty of opportunities for one.

Brockman was good today and once again led the side in clearances. Needs to be persisted with as a mid.

That reversal was some if the softest shit I've ever seen. Felt like the umpire reluctantly paid the 50m, then couldn't believe his luck that he could reverse it despite it being so weak.

F*ck that campaigner ay.

 

[PepperTom32]

Did lol at Dixon on the commentary talking about Lynch teaching forward craft to the young Richmond forwards: “Lynch is doing well grooming the young kids.”
Methinks Dixon needs to work on his wording.

 

[bzparkes]

Finally getting to watch the game, after first quarter:

Effort is ok, without Gov we have ZERO defensive aerial presence when defending oppo kick outs. Why the hell did no one tell Brockman to pull his ****ing head in after reversing a 50M?! MINI didn't even look angry about it! If that was Dimma he would have smashed the phone, marched down the boundary, pulled him off and given it to him! Brockman had numerous incidents after that also. Our skills are quite poor. Owies needs the twos.

Probably because Trainor's a notorious flopping flog and Mini couldn't believe the ump got sucked in by the most obvious of dives?

 

[BSD]

Finally getting to watch the game, after first quarter:

Effort is ok, without Gov we have ZERO defensive aerial presence when defending oppo kick outs. Why the hell did no one tell Brockman to pull his ****ing head in after reversing a 50M?! MINI didn't even look angry about it! If that was Dimma he would have smashed the phone, marched down the boundary, pulled him off and given it to him! Brockman had numerous incidents after that also. Our skills are quite poor. Owies needs the twos.

It's a pity that that was one of Dimmas traits that McQualter didn't bring with him.
Cole was far far worse than Owies.

 

[Shuestar13]

It’s the smattering of wins that keeps supporter morale from being at an all-time low. This time last season we’d had a couple of wins. The growth is good and all, but the wins are something else.

Yes, but last year the wins were a false economy, particularly early. Harley plus a resurgent Yeo and TK…

Don’t have that now unfortunately.

Martyrdom? Come off it.
He has been handelled appalingly.
Hewitt, despite his injuries is a 3rd year player , I think Gross has shown as much or maybe more in his first 2 games than Hewitt did..
That wasnt the point but, we have a very promising prospect in a year of discovery and playing the youth and I dont think they have shown near enough faith in him and its not great for his confidence.
Put it this way in 15% game time, he had half as many posessions, the same number of tackles (3) and 2 more clearances than Tim Kelly did in a full game.
Maybe we should give him a decent run and show some faith?

He was given two games and unfortunately, the smashing in the middle against Carlton and wailing from all and sundry about how bad the the contest numbers were plus the return of Hewett saw him make way. He’s a pick 46 in the first ~8 weeks of his senior footy career, being demoted to the WAFL is hardly a crime surely.

I liked him back today but puzzled as to why he was left so late to come on as sub, too conservative by the coach (es). He now needs either an extended run of full games at AFL level or to go back to the WAFL to work there.

Hewett had some good games in his debut year and showed a bit more than Gross and has done so again this season. He and Harley are top priority right now, getting the time in developing them as our midfield leaders.

 

[Kegs15]

Harley will continue to get umpired unfairly or rubbed out by the MRO on bullshit charges on any possible occassion until he makes it back to a Vic club. Its clear they are trying to make life as difficult as they can for the Messiah until he returns to the promised land.
I hope he sees it and digs his heels in and signs a big contract with us but it becomes more difficult to see it happening with each loss.

Sick and tired of seeing Harley getting monstered by the opposition with no support from the umpires... but FMD, maybe we could give our guy some help?

It's completely killing the fun of a player who is so good to watch. Has been the most targeted player ever at this stage of his career.

If you're a neutral, is the game really better to watch if this strength in the contest is a free against?

View attachment 20250511_120921_1.mp4

Or if this genuine attempt to just stand the mark is a 50?

View attachment 20250511_133259_1.mp4

Or if this awesome run is called running too far? There's a difference between taking the piss and just not bouncing the ball for 30m on a wing vs running probably 16m in a contested play.

View attachment 20250511_133536_1.mp4

Like with all of these, the last one in particular for me, have some ****ing sense of what makes a game fun, let a fun player be fun. Guaranteed Dustin Martin would have done carbon copies of all those plays at points in his career and not been pinged.

And the AFL will go ahead and market the fendoffs, the wrestles in the contest, the big runs to non-fans as "THIS IS AFL" all while they kill the desire and enthusiasm of a player who does those things.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Lots to like out of today guys.
Getting games into these young guys is vital and them being exposed to these types of days will be invaluable for them.

Loved Ryan running through the middle today, his ability to create is fantastic and we need to persevere with this. Keep getting Harley and Hewitt in there with him.

I think while our backline is fragile as it is Then Hough needs to play back.

Brockman whike he gets the odd clearance his defensive efforts are very poor and it is why the Hawks moved him on. Don’t think he can be a mid and hence not sure what he offers us. For now though keep trying him.
I would definitely be investing in gross as a mid for the rest of the year, just play him week in week out.
He has something.

Hard for our defenders with such inexperience in the big man department. Just going to have to rely on Allen, Gov and Edwards. That Bazzo and co can’t break in when we are so poor means they probably are not good enough unfortunately.

Our senior players still letting us down, Duggan and Cole do my head in. I just crap myself when either of them have it. They are momentum killer players. Just move them on and play others.

Kelly I just don’t know what’s up with him, started well today and then just drifted out. I don’t think he isn’t trying. But something is missing.
Still not sure I would drop him though. Play him half back maybe?

Like I said lots to like, lots of errors still also and skills still hurting us.
Just going to take time and still a huge change in personnel.

 

[THE A5]

Good point but I do like his clean tackling and more importantly he takes the tackle very soundly as well to get us a repeat stoppage. Blokes got some real game sense

To his credit he is a quality and smart footballer that is able to get by anywhere he plays

 

[Byron_Clanger]

I've been negative enough over the last few years so I'll just drop a more positive point for now.

The club and the players have been in a malaise for the last 4 years, getting borderline tarred and feathered by every team in the comp every single week, and now for the first time in a long time we've had a couple winnable games slip through their fingers. I hope this shakes them out of their sleepwalk and starts burning a fire in blokes.

So close but yet so far. Keep pushing lads, pick up and dust off the younger blokes and go again. I ain't gonna bring up certain senior players anymore because they're too far gone for me, hope they enjoy their final year or two of collecting AFL money.

 

[Bender_]

It's completely killing the fun of a player who is so good to watch. Has been the most targeted player ever at this stage of his career.

If you're a neutral, is the game really better to watch if this strength in the contest is a free against?

View attachment 2311573

Or if this genuine attempt to just stand the mark is a 50?

View attachment 2311575

Or if this awesome run is called running too far? There's a difference between taking the piss and just not bouncing the ball for 30m on a wing vs running probably 16m in a contested play.

View attachment 2311574

Like with all of these, the last one in particular for me, have some ****ing sense of what makes a game fun, let a fun player be fun. Guaranteed Dustin Martin would have done carbon copies of all those plays at points in his career and not been pinged.

And the AFL will go ahead and market the fendoffs, the wrestles in the contest, the big runs to non-fans as "THIS IS AFL" all while they kill the desire and enthusiasm of a player who does those things.

The first one isn't a free in any game - he pushed him in the side and he dropped. Absolutely nothing in it except for it being done by Harley. It was pathetic.

 

[DorothyG]

It's completely killing the fun of a player who is so good to watch. Has been the most targeted player ever at this stage of his career.

It's not even if we want to see it or not.

These are some of the softest frees I've seen in a long time. You could watch and game at random and see the same thing happen multiple times per game with no calls made.
Unps need to be impartial, constant and have a sense for the game.

At the moment there seriously seems to be one set of rules for Reid and one set for everyone else.

 

[Bender_]

And "umpire contact" - I can't remember that being called in a game of footy.

 

[eagles rule]

Positive:
We were competative.
Reid is improving by the week.

Negative:
Hewett gap between his best and worst is too high. Zero tackles too.

Hewett was disappointing after talking up his 1st game at the MCG and bringing along his parents and family to watch the game ..Pisspoor game

 

[Astro7]

Compouser in the final term got us in the end. Probably to be expected as we haven't been in that situation often recently.



No point negativity reviewing that game, the lads will be dirty themselves enough. Look to the positives, pump up what we did right to get into the position.



+9 centre clearances (massive win)

+15 Tackles (71)

Since the Ess game, we are hovering around the 50 I50 per game. This is a huge improvement from the start of the year. Shows we are winning our share of the ball and generating a good number of scoring chances.



Also to have the first three kicked on us and not drop the heads and roll over was pleasing. To often in the past that would have ended up a 6-0 goals at QTR time and the game is shot.

, pathetic
Big love to Ryan. 1st guy to get over to Gross and pick him up and reassure him. He might no be a leader in the typical sense of the word, but does alot of things right for the young guys

Slight bewildered with some of the ump discisions today. Reid's fend off, Reids 50, Umpire contact, The Brockman reversal.

The last one, IMO the AFL has a bit of a flopping epidemic that needs to be stamped out. Players flop and throw the head back far to easy and often. The do so because the Umps get sucked in and award frees for this behaviour. It's a horrible look and a bit of a blight, and the AFL needs to seriously get on top of it.

Yep, hate flopping, it's pathetic and too similar to soccer antics for mine...

Do lower rung games get lower rung umpires? Would explain a lot if so...

 

[eaglesfan84]

Second quarter:

I'm assuming our players are directed by Mini to chase the ball, like a bunch of under 10's, because almost every contest we're throwing everyone at the contest so if we don't win the ball we're screwed. Dumb footy. Waterman is excellent, needs more forward entries. Effort ok again, skills not good again, Graham is probably the worst in this area, shouldn't be playing but whatever, what do I know.

 

[eaglesfan84]

Probably because Trainor's a notorious flopping flog and Mini couldn't believe the ump got sucked in by the most obvious of dives?

So Brockman was too dumb to get involved in retaliating? Either way he needed a bloody scolding by a leader, but nothing. Shit leadership.

 

[steve hucka]

It's not even if we want to see it or not.

These are some of the softest frees I've seen in a long time. You could watch and game at random and see the same thing happen multiple times per game with no calls made.
Unps need to be impartial, constant and have a sense for the game.

At the moment there seriously seems to be one set of rules for Reid and one set for everyone else.

Hopefully the club ask for a please explain it's so obvious now. No wonder he gets frustrated.....

 

[bzparkes]

So Brockman was too dumb to get involved in retaliating? Either way he needed a bloody scolding by a leader, but nothing. Shit leadership.

It was dumb but 99.99% of the time the umpires never reverse those.

 

[eaglesfan84]

It was dumb but 99.99% of the time the umpires never reverse those.

Now you're sounding dumb, they reverse them often. He clearly shoved him in the back, soft or not. They get reversed. Stop blaming the umpires, player's need to take some accountability, that's why we're in the position we are, lack of standards, lack of leadership, lack of accountability (from top to bottom). Get better, do better, be smarter, work harder. Be professional.