Autopsy Overrun by GWS

[Dan87]

How did we manage to beat a bunch of average teams and make the hottest team in the comp look average for a half when we're a mentally broken team of easy beats with a coach with no idea and leaders who go missing?

Weird.

No need to be sassy just because I think of it as a dead cat bounce

 

[ashep]

The list is falling off the pace compared to rivals. We're going in into 2026 with Hamling and Rampe in the best 22, and probably McLean and McDonald off a year with little footy.

I don't disagree that we have some gaps we need to address. KPF and KPD chief among them.

 

[RilesMacca]

Need to drug test Finn Callaghan. He comes out after half time and it was like we were trying to tackle a racehorse.

He's an absolute jet. Almost untaggable on how he plays. His running power is arguably the best in the competition.

Sprints up towards the defence to collect the handball receive and build up the attack. Where as most midfielders would run towards the marking contest down the line.

He's the number 1 handball receive player in the competition by a fair margin. No doubt a difficult night for Jordon, ran him off his feet.

Only had 21 touches, with his impact felt like he had 40. Himself and Cadman are going to be a nuisance twice a season for many years.

 

[ashep]

No need to be sassy just because I think of it as a dead cat bounce

It's a valid question. We've been decimated by injury, compounded by some poor form from important players, but have also played some top shelf - if inconsistent - footy and fought hard to keep our season alive long after most thought it was over.

Moping like we're the Weagles or Tigers is ridiculous.

 

[tombomb]

He's an absolute jet. Almost untaggable on how he plays. His running power is arguably the best in the competition.

Sprints up towards the defence to collect the handball receive and build up the attack. Where as most midfielders would run towards the marking contest down the line.

He's the number 1 handball receive player in the competition by a fair margin. No doubt a difficult night for Jordon, ran him off his feet.

I agree he is an excellent player. But he looked like he had a jet pack attached to him after half time.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Btw it was incredibly dumb to put one of your most valuable players back on the ground with a strapped knee with 5mins left...

I dont care if he said he was fine.

 

[Dan87]

Jordon's game shows the tagger conundrum

If he gets beat badly it's a huge loss in terms of the overall contest

 

[Ticky009]

I agree he is an excellent player. But he looked like he had a jet pack attached to him after half time.

Finn Callaghan played a blinder in the 2nd half. We had no answer for it.

 

[Tedeski]

Would've been another 100 point flogging if we hadnt turned up for a half.

I didn't expect us to win. In fact I though it would be 40 points plus before the game with the ins GWS had & not so much about who we had. I trusted them to have a really good crack, knowing full well we are well short in some areas.
To see that we had reached a 35 point lead with wonderful team defence, I was chuffed & proud of the team, sipping on my tea at half time, with some hopeful anticipation that we would fight it out in a close contest & perhaps just lose.

To sit there & watch a 12 goal to 1 finish to the game after the good feelings I had at half time, left me very bitter to say the least, but nt surprised at all.

So I am angry.
Angry at myself for feeling hopeful that we may well win the game after demonstrating such disciplined team play in that first half. Angry that this team proved the negative part of me right, yet again, as they did in the 2022 GF & 2024 GF.
It was the same all over again.

So the embarrassment of this loss is not on the team but rather on me for thinking so positively at half time, because the team has a template for such losses, & they played it out to a tee.
I'm the fool for thinking they may have overcome the multiple unanswered goal flaw that can't be coached out of this group.
AND, the same group of culprits it is. I just need to warn myself of this each & every game, without beating the players up over it as that is what they know.

 

[ErrolisGoldun]

This is why it's frustrating seeing some completely dismiss the impact injuries to key players have had on the season.

Of course, our depth could be better and it's disappointing that we don't have many in the VFL banging down the door, but we've been playing 4-5 VFL level players most weeks to cover for Amartey, McDonald, Gulden, Rampe, Papley etc...

A little bit of retooling and better luck and there is no doubt we're a finals team next season.

100%

I would be surprised if most on here don’t acknowledge our injury crisis.

Most of the year we have been missing 3 of our best 4 forwards (Amartey, Paps and Logan) only Hayward down there who plays better with those 3.

I do think we get a good run with injury and trade in some quality, key forward and key back (if possible and easier said than done). We have the core of a team to challenge for the flag.

One caveat for me though is the mental side. I don’t think we have properly addressed the 2022 GF never mind the 2024 GF loss. It continues to manifest within the playing group at different times, eg - Port and Bulldogs last year (which for mine, was almost more important than the GF review, as to what happened in those games) and Suns, Dee’s, Crows and last night this year.

The best teams of last 25yrs (and most GF winners) don’t cop runs of goals like we do without putting up a fight. Eg - Collingwood v Suns comeback a couple of weeks ago, copped the goals but responded in 2nd half.

Clearly, only those in the club, coaches and players can address this, we can muse, but the multiple unanswered goals shows a fragility within the group, that the senior leaders are the only ones who can address.

Until we are able to stop the run of goals, I will be unconvinced we can win a flag (which is the only redemption as a supporter I want, after the run of 4 GF losses, 3 of these being absolute smashings based on not being able to stop the Oppos run of goals).

 

[McRobie]

Agree with much of this even if by nature I’m introverted and prefer to let actions speak louder than words

Not sure about cox but given we have lost games on ghe back of endless cycles of giving fifty away losing players to ridiculous suspensions and so on.

It’s like the whole team has white line fever and lose any sense of what makes you - going harder for longer - and the yapping does almost nothing to achieve that

Played a lot of cricket as a junior - sledging distracts some players and makes others better. I like papley a lot but he’s barely been on the park this year - just get a kick and a tackled and another kick and another tackle and lead by actions

Where did you play cricket at? I’m also a cricketer.

 

[Tedeski]

Jordon's game shows the tagger conundrum

If he gets beat badly it's a huge loss in terms of the overall contest

If we ditch the tagger role, Jordan doesn't have a role in the team going forward,
GWS ditched the tagger role for Bedford 7 weeks ago & their game has gone to another level, but unlike JJ, Bedford has pace & can play creative roles. JJ kicks goal on the odd occasion but it's by catching a disrespectful opponent out, but that's usually against the rubbish teams.

 

[ErrolisGoldun]

He's an absolute jet. Almost untaggable on how he plays. His running power is arguably the best in the competition.

Sprints up towards the defence to collect the handball receive and build up the attack. Where as most midfielders would run towards the marking contest down the line.

He's the number 1 handball receive player in the competition by a fair margin. No doubt a difficult night for Jordon, ran him off his feet.

Only had 21 touches, with his impact felt like he had 40. Himself and Cadman are going to be a nuisance twice a season for many years.

Was like Judd in his pomp (eagles version) but at 6’4, super impressive

 

[McRobie]

What were your thoughts on Papley carrying on when we went down in the QF last year and then being a key part of our comeback?

What were your thoughts on Greene talking shit at halftime last night after being belted, then coming back to win?

That's part of sports and how some players fire themselves up. Sure you sometimes end up with egg on your face but calling the coaches and leaders "pathetic" because Papley gets stuck in is ridiculous.

I said it’s representative of the teams performance when under pressure over the last few years.
What’s Greene got to do with anything?

If you’re going to carry on like a campaigner but go missing when it matters like in grand finals then stfu it’s embarrassing.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

But that's not consistent with our form over the past 6 weeks is it? Our season was dead and buried. We could have put the cue in the rack for the year but we didn't. We fought back and played some great footy.

The moment an opponent gets a run-on against us, we fold.

Port, GF, Crows, Suns and GWS games - all the same pattern.

It’s a consistent theme - we are incapable of resisting when an opponent surges.

And that is mental.

 

[31400]

Overdue in being dropped, but delisting is a bit much given what he showed last year.

Form can change, though people often talk as if it's permanent.

The problem is that Roberts' form slump has disturbingly dragged on for a long time. I don't think he has the mindset to be an AFL starter.

 

[Ticky009]

heh

 

[Superstar swan]

It still irritates me how small our players our.

They’re built like u/18s. The only player I can think that has a mature hardened body is mills.

 

[The King!]

We need a senior bloke to come in and change the mentality of this group

The talent is there but the mental side isn’t

I think we need to (easier said than done) change in and out 4-5 best 22 and make the group different.

I wouldn't blame there being a collective here we go again.

Need to freshen the coaching , not saying Cox, but he basically is just a new boss of the same group.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

If we ditch the tagger role, Jordan doesn't have a role in the team going forward,
GWS ditched the tagger role for Bedford 7 weeks ago & their game has gone to another level, but unlike JJ, Bedford has pace & can play creative roles. JJ kicks goal on the odd occasion but it's by catching a disrespectful opponent out, but that's usually against the rubbish teams.

I think Jordan is a better player than you give him credit for. He has a decent all round game and attributes, granted no stand out feature. I think he could play a role similar to what Kennedy plays at the doggies. The way you have described him, you make out that hes about as good as Ryan Clarke.

 

[Superstar swan]

I think Jordan is a better player than you give him credit for. He has a decent all round game and attributes, granted no stand out feature. I think he could play a role similar to what Kennedy plays at the doggies. The way you have described him, you make out that hes about as good as Ryan Clarke.

Jordon is an excellent footballer

He’s just a poor athlete

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

We need a senior bloke to come in and change the mentality of this group

The talent is there but the mental side isn’t

It’s sounds extreme, but maybe we we need to bring in a captain.

Are there any strong captains of teams that won’t contend in the next 3 years?

 

[Superstar swan]

It’s sounds extreme, but maybe we we need to bring in a captain.

Are there any strong captains of teams that won’t contend in the next 3 years?

Good luck getting a strong captain but Merrett could be gettable

 

[Jack2Jack]

Watching all the top teams they all play at least 2 small forwards. Is there a reason we don't do the same and only play one?, We are always stuffing a flanker in an awkward position when it feels that spot could go to a small forward. It's kind of noticeable how much less front and centre we have compared to other sides at the feet of our forward contests.

For all the talk of our scoring efficiency that extra small forward seems like such an obvious thing to do to improve it? I hope now that the seasons over we atleast experiment with the structure a little and try this setup.
Along with a few other different side balance things we could play with instead of sticking to being flanker heavy and learning nothing in this next month.

 

[Kbroome]

Watching all the top teams they all play at least 2 small forwards. Is there a reason we don't do the same and only play one?, We are always stuffing a flanker in an awkward position when it feels that spot could go to a small forward. It's kind of noticeable how much less front and centre we have compared to other sides at the feet of our forward contests.

For all the talk of our scoring efficiency that extra small forward seems like such an obvious thing to do to improve it? I hope now that the seasons over we atleast experiment with the structure a little and try this setup.
Along with a few other different side balance things we could play with instead of sticking to being flanker heavy and learning nothing in this next month.

Because we have a structural issue with our forward line...

Dattoli, Campbell, Hanily and Papley are our only smalls most clubs have that many small forwards in the best 22