Review QF: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Collingwood

[Redline]

No doubt there was some players effected by the flu but seems an excuse for it to leak now.

Either way there needs to be a strong response this week The one in my sights is Fogarty. I thought he was terrible and looked scared. He needs to lift.

 

[Slippery Pete]

They need to get some of that old-school Codral from behind the counter.

Not that fake stuff on the shelves.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Wait, it’s not on the banned substance list is it?

 

[CrowBloke]

Id say some players would get them, but not all.

Yeah I didn't think of that. I am pro-Flu shot myself

I didnt get one this year and paid dearly.

That sucks.
I've forgotten a coupla times in the last 12 years or so and 'paid dearly' too.
Last time was early 2023 (just before I was booked in to my doc) and I was crook for 3 weeks.
Flattened.

 

[MarcusP2]

Wait, it’s not on the banned substance list is it?

It is, but in competition only.

https://www.sportintegrity.gov.au/news/integrity-blog/2019-03/pseudoephedrine-can-you-take-it

 

[CrowBloke]

After getting flu shots we instead had RSV run through us this year which knocked me and the 8yo on our arses for days.

Flu is bad but RSV is a special kind of shithouse.
Cough-coughed until my stomach and rib muscles felt like knives stabbing .

I wouldn't be surprised if either had gone through the Crows under close contact like they are.
If Ch7 reports were accurate I hope it'll have passed by this Friday night.

 

[Smart Fella]

I wonder what the coaches' and players' reaction was to the Thilthorpe centering kick that led to a turnover goal?

Would be quite telling I think in terms of mindset.

Forget it, move on, keep taking the game on, cost of doing business.

Or be careful, no turnovers, keep it simple, low risk

There was nothing wrong with the kick, Dawson played on. He is the right person you'd want delivering the kick inside F50.

If you're talking about his turnover in the defensive half, that led to a behind. Still terrible, but was let off. It all went downhill after Dawson was caught HTB.

 

[CrowBloke]

I don't think it had anything to do with hacking the ball from contest to Moore, spearing passes to Moore and ensuring Moore is left alone while avoiding switching the ball.

No, but it would explain their lack of spark and lethargy.
I still think after Moore marked 3 or 4 times early, Nicks should have countered his unmarked roaming.
If they have a free extra back and we have one forward, doesn't that:
--- clog our forward line I50?
Often when RoB goes forward he just gets in the way (+ he had that awful ootf early in the first, from close range after a good mark).
They should wire RoB up somehow, so that when he crosses the I50m line going forward electrodes on his nuts remind him to get tf out of there!
(relax, hair-splitters; I'm kidding)

Collingwoods huge pressure and our lack thereof at contest ensured the result.

This!
Watching live on TV it was clear that in congestion they made 4, 5 even 6 pressure acts or tackles in a row until we coughed up the ball.
One of their blokes pressured the bloke with the ball while others focused on potential receivers, as explained in that excellent video analysis posted by moogerfooger days ago:

 

[CrowBloke]

I hope the club does not extend Nicks' contract again because at first let's see how 2026 goes. If we miss the finals next year, he is out of here!

The Club put its saddlebags on the Nicks-horse early last year when they extended him, from which we can deduce that they think he's the man.
Nicks is likely to be Coach of the Year 2025 (or Hardwick, maybe); either way, I agree with you.
It would be sensibly-cautious for the Club to wait-see maybe until the Bye in 2026, but ... the AFC is not known for its sensible caution.

 

[MRB37]

The Club put its saddlebags on the Nicks-horse early last year when they extended him, from which we can deduce that they think he's the man.
Nicks is likely to be Coach of the Year 2025 (or Hardwick, maybe); either way, I agree with you.
It would be sensibly-cautious for the Club to wait-see maybe until the Bye in 2026, but ... the AFC is not known for its sensible caution.

Hardwick will win.

 

[DaKids]

In the final minor round game of the 1998 season Blight plucked Linden Stevens from Sturt's reserves and gave him an AFL debut.

He also played the first final vs Melbourne.

Did nothing and got dropped but how's the fearless mindset? Not scared to play a kid. No spot in the team is locked in. Just because it's a final doesn't mean we can't take risks.

Finals are nothing to be scared of.

Sure, that one particular selection didn't pay off itself but the mindset it instills in the group surely does. There's nothing to fear.

We took a bunch of risks through finals 97/98 and enough of those risks did pay off
Smart forward
James in defence
Pittman key defender
Ellen FF
Vardy played with bruised heel
Johnson to Harvey
Goodwin midfield
Dropping Modra
Etc

And it surely impacted how we approached those games.

If you have a scared coaching group going back to Smith, going back to midfield Laird, small midfield rotation etc how are the players going to react?

Or back in the Yabby Jeans days it was Gary Ayres from defence all season to the centre - just to pick up medals in grand finals. Haha.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Wait, it’s not on the banned substance list is it?

I think we can categorically say that the Crows do not use performance enhancing drugs

 

[davos44]

No, but it would explain their lack of spark and lethargy.
I still think after Moore marked 3 or 4 times early, Nicks should have countered his unmarked roaming.
If they have a free extra back and we have one forward, doesn't that:
--- clog our forward line I50?
Often when RoB goes forward he just gets in the way (+ he had that awful ootf early in the first, from close range after a good mark).
They should wire RoB up somehow, so that when he crosses the I50m line going forward electrodes on his nuts remind him to get tf out of there!
(relax, hair-splitters; I'm kidding)

This!
Watching live on TV it was clear that in congestion they made 4, 5 even 6 pressure acts or tackles in a row until we coughed up the ball.
One of their blokes pressured the bloke with the ball while others focused on potential receivers, as explained in that excellent video analysis posted by moogerfooger days ago:

I think that's where sacrificing a tall would have been good on Moore, ROB was obviously a strategy to fill the vacuum left by pulling Darcy back to the goal square on the odd occasion we did have field position. That's where Pedlar was able to get loose as their defence was centred around Moore roaming through a zone.


Moving the ball sideways is the obvious answer to having a dominant, play reading defender 50M from the kick. Its just harder and results in turnover risks, without Rachele or Rankine its even harder.

Collingwood were excellent around contest, no mistaking that!

 

[Coopers]

I think that's where sacrificing a tall would have been good on Moore, ROB was obviously a strategy to fill the vacuum left by pulling Darcy back to the goal square on the odd occasion we did have field position. That's where Pedlar was able to get loose as their defence was centred around Moore roaming through a zone.


Moving the ball sideways is the obvious answer to having a dominant, play reading defender 50M from the kick. Its just harder and results in turnover risks, without Rachele or Rankine its even harder.

Collingwood were excellent around contest, no mistaking that!

Or hit up a short lead and let the forwards get into place, instead of continually trying fast movement while under pressure.

There's lots of things that can be done. Don't have our own, truly less effective spare for example. Move our spare to be an extra stoppage mid. Move our spare 30m ahead of the ball, go for short kicks. Kick to the pockets for a throw in. Try to get someone who already has a defender to stand on Moore.

I can come up with 50 things to try and I'm not even a coach.

 

[Cromulant]

It's definitely legit but looks more like the club was avoiding using it as an excuse. If ANB can't make a 15 minute presser it must be Influenza B, which is really nasty at the moment.

I'd like to know why they don't have the flu shot, I don't recall the clubs banning/restricting it?

Its left up to the individual

 

[davos44]

Or hit up a short lead and let the forwards get into place, instead of continually trying fast movement while under pressure.

There's lots of things that can be done. Don't have our own, truly less effective spare for example. Move our spare to be an extra stoppage mid. Move our spare 30m ahead of the ball, go for short kicks. Kick to the pockets for a throw in. Try to get someone who already has a defender to stand on Moore.

I can come up with 50 things to try and I'm not even a coach.

That's half the fun of being coach.

You tell them to do something, then they go out and do the complete opposite, not out of desire but pressure.

Or they try it and it fails miserably.

Or the ball goes in the complete opposite direction leaving you in trouble.

 

[GreyCrow]

That's half the fun of being coach.

You tell them to do something, then they go out and do the complete opposite, not out of desire but pressure.

Or they try it and it fails miserably.

Or the ball goes in the complete opposite direction leaving you in trouble.

If only there was a process to manage players who dont listen to the coach

 

[CrowBloke]

I wonder what the coaches' and players' reaction was to the Thilthorpe centering kick that led to a turnover goal?

Something like this, I'd say ...

In the break huddle, afterwards ...
Thilthorpe (contrite): " Sorry about that kick to the centre, Nicksy".

Nicks (totally perplexed): "Huh? What kick? When?" ... (<== EDITED: emojis added for Mattrox; I was joking)

 

[CrowBloke]

Hardwick will win.

Yeah, probably ...
I forgot that the AFL recruited him mid-Gig (away from Richmond) to take on the Suns' job.

 

[davos44]

If only there was a process to manage players who dont listen to the coach

Like practicing what to do on a Wednesday night?

 

[GreyCrow]

Like practicing what to do on a Wednesday night?

Or dropping them

 

[n4sir]

After getting flu shots we instead had RSV run through us this year which knocked me and the 8yo on our arses for days.

The same happened to me last year. After getting the flu jab I got smashed by RSV, which I found to be worse to cope with than Covid.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Wait, it’s not on the banned substance list is it?

Codral, whatever it takes!

 

[Moonwatcher]

I think we can categorically say that the Crows do not use performance enhancing drugs

We need increased cognitive function and nootropics aren't real.

 

[Mattrox]

Something like this, I'd say ...

In the break huddle, afterwards ...
Thilthorpe (contrite): " Sorry about that kick to the centre, Nicksy".

Nicks (totally perplexed): "Huh? What kick? When?" ...

There is a lot to get mad about when you make up scenarios in your own head to get mad about.