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Autopsy Round 22, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Adelaide

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By all rights, the season was dead and buried and this should have been a 100 point flogging. Was really impressed that the boys have obviously had a good look at themselves and came out to fight. Arguably should have won, but have proven that mental application is the difference between last and first. No more excuses, there's enough talent on the list. Get fit and be ready to crack into 2026 season.

Two more chances for a scalp against Dogs and Swans. Hopefully they're up for it.
 
West Coast won the hitouts vs Melbourne...

I watched Max Gawn dominate Williams around the ground in the air.

Don't understand why Williams isn't bought up for Centre Square work, then rolls forward.

Flynn can be clumsy at stoppages with additional support at ground level, he can't have that in the centre square.
Max 29 v Bwilliams 26
Petty and van rooyen 7 v A reid & bazzo 11
Bailey isn't a very good forward and even when he gets the hit outs it isn't usually to our advantage.
We will hopefully move on both Bwilliams and Flynn
 
Loads of positives, too many to mention.

But the biggest negative is in a team full of young kids, our senior players continue to do dumb shit. Things the team relies on them not to do.

Obvious ones are Ryan, Cole, Flynn turning the ball over with kicks into the corridor which were never on.

But also things like Cole and Cripps both flying to spoil/mark mid way through the last. FFS one of you stay down. Rankine took the crumb and walked 20m into an open goal.

Did my head in almost as much as Flynn tapping the ball straight into the sweet spot in front of goals for the Crows before Thilthorpe's third.
 

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Tim Kelly after sneaking that goal:

Michael Jordan Shrug GIF by The Ringer


😂
 
Time for my optimistic side. Don’t know where to post it so I’m putting it here

After yesterday’s games, to finally see the senior players cracking in and the young guys looking good it’s something we’ve wanted to see all year. To have that performance against the top team in the comp shows when it all clicks we can match it for periods but not long enough which will come in due.

We get to add waterman Reid (yeo maybe) back into the mix next year along with new crop of draftees and possibly established players which adds more leadership for us and the final piece of the puzzle to start pushing up again.

Add another big pre season across the board as a group with McQualter’s game plan and the young guys building a tank to run out games I can most certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel although it’s still a fair bit away but with the work being put in we can start to see it next year.. hopefully I BEG
 
Time for my optimistic side. Don’t know where to post it so I’m putting it here

After yesterday’s games, to finally see the senior players cracking in and the young guys looking good it’s something we’ve wanted to see all year. To have that performance against the top team in the comp shows when it all clicks we can match it for periods but not long enough which will come in due.

We get to add waterman Reid (yeo maybe) back into the mix next year along with new crop of draftees and possibly established players which adds more leadership for us and the final piece of the puzzle to start pushing up again.

Add another big pre season across the board as a group with McQualter’s game plan and the young guys building a tank to run out games I can most certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel although it’s still a fair bit away but with the work being put in we can start to see it next year.. hopefully I BEG
Congrats to you guys. You really brought the fight to this game. We were not switched on and you jumped us no doubt. Lucky to get out with a win, you actually deserved to take it out, just ran out of puff at the end. If you keep that effort up I think you’ll be alright and bounce back next year. Cheers.
 
Would like to see Soligo get cited for staging after getting a free against Ginbey for a dangerous tackle. Both his arms hit the ground first then he buries his own head into the ground to get the free. Was a pathetic look and I'll be pissed when it's just all forgotten about and not addressed.
 
Really wanted to see how Gross would go in the midfield but he didn't get a run there. Was watching out for him and he just seemed to constantly be in no mans land running/jogging around and not really getting involved. Not sure if it was a confidence thing or the directions he was given by the coaches. He would get close to a contest and just stand back waiting for something. There is obviously something there but needs a big pre season and belief he belongs in the AFL.
Kelly had his best game for a long time and I saw numerous holding him off the ball and getting tackled when he didn't even take possession. Should have had at least 3-4 free kicks that were just let go.
Another cheeky thing I noticed was there forwards holding/tugging our players shorts to stop them going for a spoil or mark allowing their tall forwards to have an easier contest.
Considering they beat us in most aspects of the possessions and clearances we could of won that game with just 5-10mins more of the pressure we brought for most of the game.
Some slick ball movement and run and tackling pressure was a hi-light and showed we aren't that far off.
 
Positives: after yesterday's game I'm calling it. Premiership in 2029 or 2030 with the alent we have and future talent.

Negatives: I have to wait 4 years for it.

The journey from here will be a fun one
 
Would like to see Soligo get cited for staging after getting a free against Ginbey for a dangerous tackle. Both his arms hit the ground first then he buries his own head into the ground to get the free. Was a pathetic look and I'll be pissed when it's just all forgotten about and not addressed.

Yes was a few that black haired freak gave to Adelaide which was total BS and bias.
 

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Would like to see Soligo get cited for staging after getting a free against Ginbey for a dangerous tackle. Both his arms hit the ground first then he buries his own head into the ground to get the free. Was a pathetic look and I'll be pissed when it's just all forgotten about and not addressed.
Has to be. The afl has done it before with players staging and it’s just a bad bad look. If players stage for the head contact send them off for the 15min HIA protocols.

Proceeds to hit the belly of the ball and make a meal of it.. ball don’t lie
 
Really wanted to see how Gross would go in the midfield but he didn't get a run there. Was watching out for him and he just seemed to constantly be in no mans land running/jogging around and not really getting involved. Not sure if it was a confidence thing or the directions he was given by the coaches. He would get close to a contest and just stand back waiting for something. There is obviously something there but needs a big pre season and belief he belongs in the AFL.
Kelly had his best game for a long time and I saw numerous holding him off the ball and getting tackled when he didn't even take possession. Should have had at least 3-4 free kicks that were just let go.
Another cheeky thing I noticed was there forwards holding/tugging our players shorts to stop them going for a spoil or mark allowing their tall forwards to have an easier contest.
Considering they beat us in most aspects of the possessions and clearances we could of won that game with just 5-10mins more of the pressure we brought for most of the game.
Some slick ball movement and run and tackling pressure was a hi-light and showed we aren't that far off.
It’s like the instructions they give to Grossy is to just run around aimlessly and look lost. He’s shown in his first couple of games that if he’s used in the CBA’s he can show his best craft as he does in the wafl but he has a lot to work on. A big watch for me over the pre season with his work rate and time in the gym.

Rather see him get constant efforts in the wafl finding the pill than his silly half forward role it’s a waste of a spot
 

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Almost the boil over of the century.

Adelaide feeling like they lost the game, tells us all we really need to know.

Very very proud.

We need a win, just to get some belief.
 
So many positives to be had. I would say there were at least a handful of players that had their best games for us yesterday. And the most satisfying part was that although they were going on about our pressure rating every time they showed it Adelaide's was either right there as well or slightly higher. meaning that everything that the players were doing was being done against good pressure from the top of the table team.

The following players had their bet games for the club in my view:
Matt Flynn - Played against a ruck that is probably a better version of him and did ok. Still need to find a better ruckman going forward. Still lost the centre square battle but won the around the ground battle.
Sandy Brock - He's lean and will get worked over by bigger forwards but his pace and skill as well as go-go gadget arms are effective.
Jobe Shanahan - A forward who can hold his marks and then go back and slot the goal is worth their weight in gold. That tap away from the Crow defender into the path of forwards running back towards goal was perfect.
Hamish Davis - I like what he does. He's got room for improvement but I find he plays each contest above his experience level.
Tim Kelly - he's had a few rippers over the years but this felt like his intensity was up when he didn't have the footy which is a welcome change and why I think its a cherry on top kind of game.

Other positives:
AReid - I like him rucking and forward. That pick up and dish at pace to Cripps that lead to a Shanahan goal showed some real skill at ground level for a big guy. I only hope something can be done with his kicking for goal. He will cover the ground better than some of his opponents.
Chesser - I hope he continues to build. When we have momentum he is running forward and cashing in. He also has that initial burst of pace when he gets the ball that gets him free which so few of our players have. With better kicking for goal could have had 3 as they were all very gettable.
Team - had the right attitude from the first bounce. Going forward this is where the leaders of the team need to remind the younger players that is the level required. McQualter can talk about it all he likes in the lead up to the game but it needs to be driven on the field by the leaders/experienced players. Fingers crossed for next week.
 
Would like to see Soligo get cited for staging after getting a free against Ginbey for a dangerous tackle. Both his arms hit the ground first then he buries his own head into the ground to get the free. Was a pathetic look and I'll be pissed when it's just all forgotten about and not addressed.
Has been going on for a while around the league. Players saw that they were cracking down on dangerous tackles so learned that once their shoulder hits, just lay your head down too and make it look like you’re cooked. Free kick.

Not unique to Soligo, it’s the new league wide blight like the huge arm pump/ducks, again a few of which we saw yesterday on either side.
 
Flynn was running in at centre bounces and making face in contact with Obrien . Almost like he was hugging him. It negated Obriens wrestling strength. For all the hit outs attributed to Ob I thought he had a poor game and Flynn took overall honours easily
 

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