Autopsy R1: Dockers Go Down to the Cats After Fast Start

[swanny1234]

Gotta pay for the kangas somehow lol

Gotta pay for Hardwick’s salary at GC too.

 

[lint]

Disappointing day.
Clearly Darcy wasn’t ready to play a full game. Why not name Mason Cox into the team?
As JL said in his post game presser Pearce was managed with a 20 minute stint on the bench in the first qtr. Darcy spent a lot of time on the bench. Two players “managed”. No wonder the team had no run left in the last qtr.
That was very disappointing.

Hard agree.

JLo can talk about opening round all he likes (i note the crows managed to hold on at the G against the pies yesterday), and while I agree with him to some extent, Sean Darcy played 7% less time on ground then any other player on the ground, including Geelong's first game ruckman.

It's a game of inches, and if you know as a team we are at active disadvantage due to fixturing why carry a guy in underdone when you have an experienced ruck recruit in Cox that has had a really positive pre-season?

Sheer Stubbornness? Duffield put it best...why set us up to fail? To me 7% less gametime is probably 10 points. Imagine if we perhaps even had another runner instead with 80% gametime instead of Darcy's 45%, leaving Voss/Treacy to chop out, and our midfield time more evenly spread?

Again, with their sheer gut running power of Smith and Holmes, a lumbering 110kg underdone backup ruckman playing 45% of the match to me is practically asking to be run all over. A real head scratcher for me.

 

[Retzlaff]

I take more positives than negatives from that game.

Our ceiling looks to have increased significantly which means we have the potential to match it with the big boys in September. I don't reckon we've had that next gear in previous seasons.

 

[freo84]

I've always been in the keep Darcy crowd. I think his best is worth waiting for.

However playing 47% game time isn't ideal when Cox would've played a hell of a lot more. We cost ourselves a rotation there and badly needed the run in the last.

The 5 man bench needs to be utilised correctly. Use it for run not for bring back underdone players.

 

[lint]

I've always been in the keep Darcy crowd. I think his best is worth waiting for.

However playing 47% game time isn't ideal when Cox would've played a hell of a lot more. We cost ourselves a rotation there and badly needed the run in the last.

The 5 man bench needs to be utilised correctly. Use it for run not for bring back underdone players.

45%. In a game we came in knowing we had to manage Pierce through, also knowing that Holmes and Smith were their biggest threat, and also aware that we were at fitness disadvantage having not played a game.

Beggars belief.

 

[estibador]

I wonder how much of Darcy's low gametime was because it was preplanned, and how much was due to the fact he was terrible compared to Jacko and that Geelong got straight on top every time he went in the middle.

I know I was yelling at them to bench him already by halfway through the 2nd. I would have been trying to put him on for as little as possible after that too if I was the coach. But then I also would have selected Cox in the first place.

 

[Barnabus]

I wonder how much of Darcy's low gametime was because it was preplanned, and how much was due to the fact he was terrible compared to Jacko and that Geelong got straight on top every time he went in the middle.

I know I was yelling at them to bench him already by halfway through the 2nd. I would have been trying to put him on for as little as possible after that too if I was the coach. But then I also would have selected Cox in the first place.

JLo said they planned about 50% game time so it sounds like it was planned. I don't mind using the extra bench spot to build a good player back from injury but given the context of it being away, Geelong having played opening round, them being runner up last year and some of our other injuries it was just not the time for it. Easy to say after the fact though but Cox probably should have played as he can rotate with the KPFs as well.

 

[purplerunsdeep2]

For those who love our big 3 key forwards, again we were punished off the half back line with their 2 leading possession getters pushing back and running easily out of forward line. it'll be an issue all year as it was last year. But sure, back slap when Voss does something ok and amiss gets his 9 touches a game

Also, Darcy isn't made for this modern game anymore. Around the ground tap ruckman maybe, but a liability in the middle and on the spread. Needs to lose another 10, but even being lighter, I'm not sure he can actually get off the ground

Other special notes
Pearce was so out of touch and his kicking is a liability, but let's keep the hippy as our captain

 

[bellie4pm]

I can’t say anyone played well other than Jackson. Maybe Duds

Thought it was one if bolton’s better games

 

[Dirty_banchez]

I agree with the Darcy calls. When Edwards was announced, JLo should have opted for another runner as opposed to Darcy who hadn't played in the community series.

Darcy still has a place in the team when we are playing teams GC, but we are seeing the limitations of players like Darcy in the modern game.

 

[Alfonz]

For those who love our big 3 key forwards, again we were punished off the half back line with their 2 leading possession getters pushing back and running easily out of forward line. it'll be an issue all year as it was last year. But sure, back slap when Voss does something ok and amiss gets his 9 touches a game

Allen, Morris, Gallop
Curnow, Amartey, McDonald
Thilthorpe, Fogarty, Walker
Gunston, Chol, Lewis

It's a pretty common setup for the top sides. And I'd say none of them provide the pressure that Treacy and Voss bring.

If there is a problem with rebound, it's not due to the key forwards. It's due to our coaching/game plan and smalls.

 

[noise36]

One thing that frustrating the hell out of me watching and feels like a barometer of who is on top during the game is the ability to win the kick out to the pack of talls up the wing. Either the talls need to mark or the followers need to win the ground ball and contest, when you cant at least break even then you are cooked and it felt like that happened yesterday.

 

[Superkoops]

JLo said they planned about 50% game time so it sounds like it was planned. I don't mind using the extra bench spot to build a good player back from injury but given the context of it being away, Geelong having played opening round, them being runner up last year and some of our other injuries it was just not the time for it. Easy to say after the fact though but Cox probably should have played as he can rotate with the KPFs as well.

Another midfield rotation would have been better. Let Voss chop out. JL said before the game that these early games need more run yet we missed an opportunity. Ran out of puff and fatigue let to poor decision making and low kicking efficiency.

 

[muckypup]

Lacking a bit of onfield leadership rn. Midfield still looks thin to my untrained eye. Should be a pretty good season for us nonetheless.

 

[theGav56]

I'm not against the 2 ruck set up, but resting Cox forward rather than such long periods on the bench also has advantages that Darcy didn't provide.

Did Amiss get up onto the wing at all?

It's in the past now, but I do see it as a win that got away.

 

[noise36]

Lacking a bit of onfield leadership rn. Midfield still looks thin to my untrained eye. Should be a pretty good season for us nonetheless.

Our midfield is highly overrated! Serong is the only consistent A grader, and Jackson but he isnt really a midfielder just part of the group.

 

[swanny1234]

Our midfield is highly overrated! Serong is the only consistent A grader, and Jackson but he isnt really a midfielder just part of the group.

Young’s an A grader, just needs to stay fit.
Reid will be an A grader.

 

[noise36]

Young’s an A grader, just needs to stay fit.
Reid will be an A grader.

Reid barely attended any centre bounces, Youngy is good but injury prone and not consistent and only attend maybe 50% of the time? Bolton another overrated player good but not great.

 

[swanny1234]

Reid barely attended any centre bounces, Youngy is good but injury prone and not consistent and only attend maybe 50% of the time?

Well maybe both should be attending more. They’re our two most damaging players going inside 50.

I understand the reasoning behind keeping Young’s TOG low whilst he returns.

 

[Carnthedockers]

Alex Pearce positions himself extremely poorly. The amount of aerial contests he doesn’t contest, or floats across the front is way too high. The backline is poorly organized and he’s a big part of it. The coaches to blame more.

Geez that’s a tough call. I thought he was very good. One of the pack marks taken against him he was clearly taken out.

 

[Carnthedockers]

Nope Crows ran out the game well. It’s just clear they’re better coached than us, and maybe mentally tougher.

And they played a much weaker team.

 

[Doctor J]

Reid barely attended any centre bounces, Youngy is good but injury prone and not consistent and only attend maybe 50% of the time? Bolton another overrated player good but not great.

Was at the game. It was painful to watch Reid. I think he's been listening to his press too much cause he just kept trying to do too much with the ball and kept getting caught. He did some good things, esp in the first quarter, but needs to take first option more often.

Bolton was much more closely marked than usual, again esp after the first quarter

 

[#1JohnHuttonFan]

And they played a much weaker team.

100% and almost got ran over!!

 

[Doctor J]

Geez that’s a tough call. I thought he was very good. One of the pack marks taken against him he was clearly taken out.

And he took two pack marks in a row in defence at a critical time. Played sparingly in the first half and was prominent when others were tiring.

 

[#1JohnHuttonFan]

Was at the game. It was painful to watch Reid. I think he's been listening to his press too much cause he just kept trying to do too much with the ball and kept getting caught. He did some good things, esp in the first quarter, but needs to take first option more often.

Bolton was much more closely marked than usual, again esp after the first quarter

No way do we EVER attempt to change the way Reid plays.