Autopsy Autopsy vs Freo - ****

[zoomba23]

All these close losses would be easier to swallow if we still had our first pick in the bank.

It's not really what we need, though, is it. Unless there's a ready-made key forward or small forward at the top end of this draft.

Let's be frank; we're getting very close to having the personnel, but we do not have the (corporate buzzword warning) synergy. Or, yet, the mental fortitude, but that is being rectified week by week

 

[Passmore]

It's not really what we need, though, is it. Unless there's a ready-made key forward or small forward at the top end of this draft.

Let's be frank; we're getting very close to having the personnel, but we do not have the (corporate buzzword warning) synergy

We've banked our personnel. It's time to turn them into what they're capable of.

Plus we have 2 second rounders to pick up some needs based players be it draft or trade.

 

[Caracas]

He’s a gun mark ey?. Probably in the top handful in the comp.

Darling let himself down there, IMO. In similar situations all season, Jack has won that contest. He was perfectly positioned, given his strength. I think he almost took it for granted and allowed himself to be nudged off the ball.

 

[ferball]

It's not really what we need, though, is it. Unless there's a ready-made key forward or small forward at the top end of this draft.

Let's be frank; we're getting very close to having the personnel, but we do not have the (corporate buzzword warning) synergy. Or, yet, the mental fortitude, but that is being rectified week by week

Those close losses and the draw make the decision to trade for Whitlock look worse than it could be. We'd be in tenth place ahead of * if we'd beaten Freo and * and that decision would look alot less ****ed up.

Pick nine looks alot better than pick three to six for Whitlock and an early second rounder.

 

[Gasometer]

I think the missed Draft pick needs its own thread so posters can really tell us what they’re thinking.

Cadman went at pick 1 and he played his BOG game yesterday in his 49th game. Took 3 years to emerge.

So Whitlock…nothing 2025, games in 2026-27 and all going well a key replacement for LMac.

Maybe all wishful thinking but we can keep repeating the same pity party the remainder of this season or start looking a bit more optimistically towards an opportunity because trust me the last thing this kid needs is the pressure of a fan base moaning about giving it all up

 

[ferball]

Darling let himself down there, IMO. In similar situations all season, Jack has won that contest. He was perfectly positioned, given his strength. I think he almost took it for granted and allowed himself to be nudged off the ball.

Maybe, Traecy is a gun.

 

[Caracas]

Maybe, Traecy is a gun.

He absolutely is a gun. However, I still think Jack should have done better.

 

[hilly]

And the bad loss we led at half time. Disappointing loss when you have so much possession but FOS clean miss and outrageous no call on Larkey tackle on goal line changes everything.

There won't be a game without player or umpire error.

 

[amaz199]

Eventually, it has to click.

It's incredible how often we look like we're almost going to break through only to not quite get there. We need to be better at defending the momentum swings.

 

[Marstermind]

So frustrating. After Good Friday - almost the worst performance of this awful era - we were screaming out for a level of competitiveness and defensive accountability that was absent that day. And in the 7 games since then only the top side has scored 100 against us, and only one other (Port) got past 75. And only Collingwood beat us by more than 9 points. So...

But these lapses are infuriating!! Port, Essendon, Freo and Brisbane all had runs of quick goals against us that had us playing catch up. After good starts against very beatable Eagles and Tigers sides we had a long stretch of nothing that had us clinging on to wins smaller than they ought to have been. Even the Collingwood game got away after a good three quarters.

The improvement is there, but it just isn't gelling for long enough yet. A reasonably productive couple of months has just wielded two wins which were also frustrating as they weren't as good as they should have been. It's kind of there...but it really isn't! So annoyed!! Must beat a better team soon. I doubt it'll be the Hawks or Dogs, so it's would be a nice if it were next week against the team that shat all over us on Good Friday.

 

[HugeJohnson1]

Excuse me?

Were we watching the same game?

Smashed them in inside 50’s, clearance, contested possession.

They won the game in a 5 minute period where they just transitioned at will.

They defended well.

We had the dominant midfield all game.

Despite Jackson’s goals resting forward,
Xerri obliterated both of them in the ruck.

Schofield must have been on a ketamine trip to think Darcy was ontop, Xerri was the #1 player on the ground and Darcy was the lowest ranked tall.

Brayshaw and Serong play volleyball?

 

[Samsquanch]

The Larkey decision was poor, but in context - them absolutely crucifying a number of players for HTB it was a shocker. 99% of umpires in the league would have been wetting themselves in excitement over paying that call.

It's like it's their big moment.

The call against Harry was an absolute abomination. That wasn't the only bad call against us. Strangely, the shocking calls didn't seem to go against the other team to the same degree.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Chom plays instead of pink or Dawson and we win by plenty

Pink and Dawson did really well. The only times where they were exposed was when our midfield pressure had dropped.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Ahhhhh we are close ladies and gents.

You can feel the competitiveness.

If we had a proper forward-line, we'd be laughing.

Missed too many chances.

Larkey stepped up in the last, but was once again poor for three quarters.

Conversely, Darling probably played his best game for us. He was huge in the air.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

60 inside 50's when we've averaged 46 all year was really encouraging.

Pretty much the opposite of last week performance-wise though - rubbish for 3 quarters last week, good for roughly one; rubbish for roughly one this week and good for three.

Ultimately we lost because we somehow conceded 4 goals in 3 minutes in a downpour.

It felt a little like 2013 in the second where our forward press was always going to crumble at some point and goals were going to leak out the back.

I thought there may have been a small change with Daniel shifting higher up the ground and Disco, Kerch and Hardeman sweeping back more. We were much, much better defending the Freo pushes for most of the second quarter.

Daniel’s lack of leg speed pretty much guaranteed two of those goals in the second.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

I think we are now longer a “bad” team. We are now in “mediocre” territory. Hopefully by year end we are considered “exciting”

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

We are a big chance against Carlton next week. They just lost Walsh

Smash ‘em.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Dat spoil though.

All three players involved in that play were fantastic: the chase from Hardeman, the spoil from FOS and the cool head to gather and kick a dart to rebound from Disco.

Our HB/wing stocks are looking pretty good. Especially with LMac’s resurgence.

 

[Sphynx]

Brayshaw and Serong play volleyball?

Serong didn’t hit a target for around 1.5 hours.

Thats 2 of them.

LDU, Parker, Wardlaw and Powell were all ranked ahead of their next best mid.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

****, indeed.

If we hadn’t trotted out our trademark 5-minute bed-shitting display, we might’ve pinched it. Freo being crap and missing sitters really flattered us.

Larkey gave us an exciting five-minute burst but was woeful for most of the game. Petulant culture killer.

Simpkin sucks. Really wish the club had the minerals to make Parker captain from the outset.

Riley, Sheezel, Bobby, Parker, and Darling were rock solid — Bobby in particular, massive impact as the sub.

Xerri was great in his 1 on 6 match up. Two rucks and 4 whistle blowers is a hard hill to climb.

Lmac was largely decent, but as always, you can set your watch to his three guaranteed brain fades.

LDU had a brilliant first quarter before seemingly getting abducted by Corey Wagner, of all people, who then absolutely pantsed him. That bounce… Jaysus wept.

George similar, manic 1st quarter, then his Datsun 200B engine can't keep up. So much is tied to his fitness improving.

Caleb Daniel — stay in Perth. You can live under Kal Dawson’s bottom lip once he’s delisted.

Powell — when does the growing up start?

Pink was good for seven minutes, then it was like he dipped his hands in Vaseline and his brain in maple syrup.

Stephens has had a good season, but that was a shocker.

Yes, the comeback was exciting — but when is this team going to put in a proper four-quarter effort and invest in some goddamn skills sessions?

What f*cking game are you watching? Everyone obviously entitled to an opinion, but so many of those listed are just objectively wrong.

 

[nelroo]

Worst umpiring decision of the season easily that Larkey htb, I wanna see something like that go against the Pies in time on in the grand final, 2 points down....
That FOS miss was **** up of the year but he made up for it with that spoil.
Game we should have won but clearly we are getting more competitive. Reckon confidence would sky-rocket if we could win 3-4 in a row.
Now to hopefully bury Carltons season next week.

I can’t work out which was worse the non HTB to Larkey or the HTB to Sheez when he clearly handballed the instant he was tackled. It’s ****ing cheating and no one can convince me otherwise. Both times we are having a shot on goal.

 

[ohmygewd]

Yeah would have helped. But I reckon we might be able to turn Geordie Payne into that defensive mid. He tackles alot, less than Will but unlike Will he makes alot of run down tackles outside the contest on that first or second receiver. That's where we need that defensive application imo.

I dunno if he has the pace for AFL but he's probably a bit faster than I'd have thought after last season. Maybe his time in the system is benefiting him.

Spot on! The game is heading back to taggers but unlike the 80s/90s/early 2k taggers, these players need to be as damaging not just pure negating - are any of the mids capable of such a role? Only WilPhil l can think of being utilised as such and that was ever so briefly.
A player such as FOS could the ultimate defensive mid as he could really protect the backline with his vision, hurt the opposition with his ball use..does he have the tactical awareness yet let alone, the leadership? Probably not yet, and this does sure should like what Daniel is supposed to do but counter attacking football has caught him out and not the option, long term.
I haven't seen enough of Payne plus he needs to play seniors and Will, well, he seems destined to be traded which is a shame because all our mids love to run forward which is natural instincts so this player will need to sacrifice those instincts.

 

[Stallion_]

I cant wait until we have air superiority, someone who looks likely to take a bloody mark in our fwd line. Inb4 Finbar.

Wasted that third quarter dominance and lost it by a point.

Ended the game with 60 inside 50s for 10 goals compared to their 48 for 10 goals.

Anyone who thinks Duursma isn't a good fit and is just a 'best available' pick is wrong, he's both. Along with another marking key forward, his marking will be such a POD for us around the ground and will hopefully help solve this issue. Cos we sure need it.

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Yeah we need to learn to win those, and to capitalise on those long periods we’re controlling possession but find a way not to kick goals.

But, fair dinkum, we look a much better side these days than a few years ago. There’s still a lot of frustrations and angst, but overall… I’m starting to enjoy - not just endure - watching the footy again.

A massive part of that is Curtis, FOS, X, Stephens (yep, who would have thought it), Parker and Hardeman. Names that at the beginning of 04 I would not have expected to be at the heart of my optimism for NMFC. A lot can change in 12 months. We just need a similar bunch of names to also step up over the next 12 and, gentlemen, we’ll finally be taking flight.

Oh, and RHJ - super sub today. He has some silk disposal.

Some of the biggest breakthroughs of the season have been just how reliable some of our speculative picks, second chancers and free agents have been.

Stephens has been huge for the last two and half months: anyone who thinks otherwise are idiots really.

Curtis with 8 tackles today.

Konstanty has been great.

Hansen Jr was fantastic as the sub.

Hardeman may just be one of the steals of the draft (even though he was an early 20s pick)

 

[HugeJohnson1]

Serong didn’t hit a target for around 1.5 hours.

Thats 2 of them.

LDU, Parker, Wardlaw and Powell were all ranked ahead of their next best mid.

So two of their mids, BOG and second BOG were better than our whole midfield unit, yet we had it over them?

Give it a wash mate