Autopsy Round 9, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Richmond

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

A missed negative I think is this

Our clearance work - How many ****ing times do our midfielders want to push the ball out of the contest despite the fact we are outnumbered at the ball. I think their was atleast half a dozen times a midfielder with the head over the ball kicked it with their foot to keep it infront of them and kicked it into a pile of 4 Richmond players to grab and move the ball on. Our complete inability to force a ball up during these situations kills us each and every single week. Shuey may be a nice guy but our stoppage coaching work is built around having 3 Lachie Neales in the centre. We dont have that Luke. We have grinders at best. Every now and then we need to half a contest and create another ball-up.

Come the off season we need to move Shuey and Schofield in and target the best midfield coach money can buy where id simply just break the bank to get Cameron Bruce

Cameron Bruce

Age

46

Ht

190cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.0

5star

K

9.9

4star

HB

9.1

5star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.8

4star

K

8.4

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.8

3star

over from the Lions

 

[Cuzz09]

Frankly, I preferred the previous time we scored 11.13 (79) at the MCG.

Our last 4 games this year have been

79
76
74
75

We love the 70s maaaannn...

Saints are averaging around 84 points a game so 2 or 3 extra goals and we can push them.

 

[DickDunn]

It doesn’t really fit with the echo chamber in here but Graham, Baker, Flynn, Kelly and Hunt all contributed and were far from our worst. We rightly hold them to a higher standard than the kids but they were all fine yesterday.

Brockman and Ryan’s contributions in the middle were the biggest positive for me, both use the ball so creatively and make us look so much more dynamic

 

[PRANKSTER666]

Not sure its been mentioned but Hewett and Reid, 0 tackles between them. Unacceptable.

 

[BeornJ]

Kelly playing more as the Half-Forward that many on here have been calling for seemed to work well. No Centre Bounce Attendance, and lower disposals numbers accordingly, however he had the highest score involvement of any player on the ground.

 

[Grahame]

I meant that he's "very unsure of himself" in the air for a 196cm fella.

Maybe he needs to watch how Mac Andrew does it - Maric is enormous compared to him.

 

[cacik]

Maybe he needs to watch how Mac Andrew does it - Maric is enormous compared to him.

King hurn was 184 and rarely lost an aerial battle.
shep 185ish.
It's the 3rd man up and no influence from maric that costs us at times

 

[flyinghi64]

Duggan kicks the ball out of defense over his shoulder, it goes 40m up the ground and lands about 10m in from the boundary but bounces at right angles and goes out in front of several player. Deliberate Free kick.
Last qtr Richmond player does a near identical kick, except not over his shoulder, lands on the wing about 10m in and bounces out. Throw in.
Flynn goes to ground and Richmond player takes him high on the boundary, play on.
10 secs later exact same thing happens to Lynch inside 50 on the boundary free kick shot on goal, even Derm called this one out.
Harley takes 12-13 steps running inside 50 for a shot on goal and pinged for running too far. Earlier in the game Richmond player takes 15-16 steps running inside 50 all good.
That was just the identical ones that were "interpreted" differently.

Gross played less than half a quarter and had 6 touches and 3 tackles and was involved in pretty much every play. Kids gonna be a star and should never be sub or dropped again this year.

Waterman has his usual game in front of goals and he kicks 3-5 goals, we win.
5 players had 3 centre clearance and only 1 was a Richmond play in Hopper. Harley, Brockman, Ryan and Hough the others. Big win there.

The 2 ruck experiment was probably just a pass and think we continue it for another week at least against Marshal.

We were the better team and really would say we deserved the win. The guys tried their hearts out and the game never got away from us. These close losses will hurt them and make them even hungrier for a win and when it comes I can see us racking up few in a short space of time.

The umpiring department can go suck a big hard one and the club really needs to ask the AFL WTF is going on with how some of the decisions and non decisions the umpires are making happens.

I hear the old "can't blame the umps" "it was our fault with turnovers, missing shots" etc etc but F-that when continued bad umpiring costs goals and momentum it costs games.

 

[Astro7]

Kelly playing more as the Half-Forward that many on here have been calling for seemed to work well. No Centre Bounce Attendance, and lower disposals numbers accordingly, however he had the highest score involvement of any player on the ground.

Good to see the coach trying that out. As you say a lot have called for him to play more HFF, so should be happy with that. Curiously there were some media reports that said he didn't impact the game much and they don't know what's wrong with Kelly, injury or lack of interest (the usual), yet had the highest score involvement. Hopefully he gets played there again and can get involved more.

 

[SAweagle]

It doesn’t really fit with the echo chamber in here but Graham, Baker, Flynn, Kelly and Hunt all contributed and were far from our worst. We rightly hold them to a higher standard than the kids but they were all fine yesterday.

Brockman and Ryan’s contributions in the middle were the biggest positive for me, both use the ball so creatively and make us look so much more dynamic

Graham & Baker i'll give you, maaaaaybe Hunt.

But saying Flynn and Kelly were were fine is frankly laughable

 

[Yeahnahmate]

I will call out something in the 4th from Hewett which was a bit disappointing. We kicked it up the wing and it was to an unfavourable 1on1 contest that Hewy then struggled to impact. He was obviously annoyed at it being sent to him that way but it wasn’t great to see he then dropped his head and was completely flat footed + allowed the Tiges player to then waltz straight by him while he was sooking on the mark.

Funny thing was a repeat happened a minute or so later but at least this time he got busy and was much better defensively / attempted a smother on the play on. Good on him for that second effort in a similar situation - probably realised he’d slept defensively on the previous one

 

[Astro7]

It doesn’t really fit with the echo chamber in here but Graham, Baker, Flynn, Kelly and Hunt all contributed and were far from our worst. We rightly hold them to a higher standard than the kids but they were all fine yesterday.

Brockman and Ryan’s contributions in the middle were the biggest positive for me, both use the ball so creatively and make us look so much more dynamic

You're right, like many I criticise the seniors, mainly their lack of skills and poor choices.
But Graham, Baker and Cripps had impressive stats. It's just their lack of polish (Graham/Baker) that can undo the good work. But as mentioned before, I like Baker's efforts, he's like a crazed ferret out there!
Brockman and Ryan in the guts is a good idea, provides that spark, and it works! Also need that dynamism up forward.

 

[cacik]

I will call out something in the 4th from Hewett which was a bit disappointing. We kicked it up the wing and it was to an unfavourable 1on1 contest that Hewy then struggled to impact. He was obviously annoyed at it being sent to him that way but it wasn’t great to see he then dropped his head and was completely flat footed + allowed the Tiges player to then waltz straight by him while he was sooking on the mark.

Funny thing was a repeat happened a minute or so later but at least this time he got busy and was much better defensively / attempted a smother on the play on. Good on him for that second effort in a similar situation - probably realised he’d slept defensively on the previous one

Yes defs think hewey could have put his body on the line for that one.

 

[flyinghi64]

Graham & Baker i'll give you, maaaaaybe Hunt.

But saying Flynn and Kelly were were fine is frankly laughable

Well Flynn did have the highest CP's for us along with Graham. 5 marks 2 contested. 7 score involvements was a surprise as well.
His disposal was a bit yuck I will admit but he definitely wasn't a passenger, got down and dirty when he had to and fought it out.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Watched that footage again of gross being run down.

2 Richmond players behind him along side 2 eagles players.
Neither eagle player bothered to pay a shephard whatsoever.
Just jogging behind
No surprise one of them was Kelly.

If a shephard was laid he most probably kicks the goal from directly in front 40 out

Neither of them were Kelly fyi, it was Graham and Harley.

 

[larrikin]

Neither of them were Kelly fyi, it was Graham and Harley.

Yeah Kelly was on the bench.

 

[DanWCE]

Simmo has commented on both the umpiring and the 'Reid tax' he's calling it. He's still walking a tight line as if he's a coach expecting a fine but at least he's putting it out there.

What I'd give to have the time and talent to create a compilation of the shocking frees Reid gets as well as the times he is scragged and tripped without getting a free... That's the sort of video content that the Gorringes of the world will take for free and spread it around on their channels for comment. Might be enough to get it into the media.

 

[Astro7]

 

[eaglesnutcase]

Love that headline “ Harley Antics” .Grubs abound at AFL house.

 

[Chris_6678]

One thing i loved was when they were roughing up Harely on the ground Hewett comes barreling in and take him out and starts scruffing the player up ahaha

 

[DJMac]

Derm’s fine - he just talks way too much. If he shut up 20% more, then he’d be great

At least when Dermie is talking, Kelli Underwood isn’t.

 

[RookiePick]

Anyone that suggests trading him must not want to see a win for another couple of years. He's our most important play maker

Dermott cops a lot of unearned flack when he's mostly very calibrated with the position our team are currently in, and generally pays good kudos to what would otherwise go unnoticed

Pretty sure when Harley had the 50 paid one of the commentators said something along the lines of "those are always paid" and Dermott just quietly adds "but are they really?" Or something to that effect.

At least when Dermie is talking, Kelli Underwood isn’t.

Harsh but fair. Kelli just always sounds like she's trying to force a turd out unfortunately.

 

[EagleMan87]

Simmo has commented on both the umpiring and the 'Reid tax' he's calling it. He's still walking a tight line as if he's a coach expecting a fine but at least he's putting it out there.

What I'd give to have the time and talent to create a compilation of the shocking frees Reid gets as well as the times he is scragged and tripped without getting a free... That's the sort of video content that the Gorringes of the world will take for free and spread it around on their channels for comment. Might be enough to get it into the media.

Alesana ?

 

[Scotland]

Listened to Mini's press conference. He politely and diplomatically said the Harley 50 and Brock reversal were garbage. Handled it very well. Not a whiner but strong.

And he was asked a direct question. He didn't lead with it or try to deflect.

Brockman is a moron who as McQualter said "gave the umpire a decision to make" but the 50s against he and Reid were so, so soft.

Harley needs to be pulled aside and told to stop playing for frees as he's not doing himself any favours, but the umpiring of him is disgraceful. The soft frees and 50s that are paid against him vs what is let go when he has the ball (or doesn't) is embarrassing.

Decent game but we have to be realistic that both teams aren't very good. We didn't punish their mistakes nor them ours nearly as much as good teams would have. Which made for a good contest but for the same level of effort, same missed chances etc. vs St Kilda who OK but nothing special will probably be a 4-5 goal loss. Vs Collingwood don't think about it.

Also (in Bill Maher voice) new rule: Anyone responsible for a "Simmo's soft drop" goal needs to buy a carton. For all teammates. And coaching staff. And members. FMD between Tom Cole and Harry Edwards a lot of dogs were finding themselves unfairly kicked during the game.

 

[Ishmael_]

Two reasons why I don't think our umpiring is going to improve anytime soon:

(1) Bad teams get the worst umpires and for a variety of reasons get nothing from them e.g. no benefit of the doubt, sloppiness, no relationship with umps and inexperience drawing them.

(2) Richmond, famously, got nothing from the umps during their premiership years.

By all means push back on the Harley BS, but generally I think we've just got to cop it for now.