Preview R4: Changes vs. Fremantle

[MrBarry]

Moving Dawson to HB just seems incredibly obvious at this point, but you just know the coaching staff won’t be considering it.

 

[1970crow]

Time to make a statement and drop Fog, I’m a fan but he needs to find form and work harder. Seems like the intercept player is on him and shows him no respect.
We need more runners as we have been burnt on the spread in the last 2 games.

We need to change our defence I’ve players as well as there is no run back there. Cummings needs to play as a half back as he’s doesn’t provide enough as a winger.

Fog, jones and for Walker and Dawson.

Don’t disagree with any of this. The issue though is that our we don’t really have anyone to replace Cumming on a wing. Would be nice to play Dawson there, but our midfield needs bolstering in a hurry, so who moves to a wing.

Were idiotically playing 5
small forwards, Rankine, Keays, Pedlar, ANB and Taylor. And none are contributing to our midfield power, which includes 2 underdone guys in Peatling and Soligo, a draft horse in Berry (who’s going better) and Rachele, who it’d be fair to say is a full time mid through gritted Nix teeth.

I just look at the whole mid/fwd imbalance and wonder how the hell we remained close. We’re making about as hard for ourselves as we can and we still only got done by a goal and a bit.

Happy for Fog to go for Tex, Pedlar must follow him though for either Dowling or Edwards to provide support to our spluttering midfield. Ambivalent about Jones v Nank if Dawson returns.

 

[1970crow]

Moving Dawson to HB just seems incredibly obvious at this point, but you just know the coaching staff won’t be considering it.

It’d be great to do that, but we also need to improve our midfield rotation. Peatling and Soligo are underdone and our 3 fwd/mids can’t currently run out of sight in a snowstorm, Keays is not quite in form and ANB seems to be underutilised, given our midfield challenges. Dawson to wing or half back is an obvious positive move for either position, but it comes at a cost.

 

[MrBarry]

It’d be great to do that, but we also need to improve our midfield rotation. Peatling and Soligo are underdone and our 3 fwd/mids can’t currently run out of sight in a snowstorm, Keays is not quite in form and ANB seems to be underutilised, given our midfield challenges. Dawson to wing or half back is an obvious positive move for either position, but it comes at a cost.

THe biggest issue right now is movement out of defence, think the midfield can probably cover for him for the time being.

 

[Afcprophet]

Don’t disagree with any of this. The issue though is that our we don’t really have anyone to replace Cumming on a wing. Would be nice to play Dawson there, but our midfield needs bolstering in a hurry, so who moves to a wing.

Were idiotically playing 5
small forwards, Rankine, Keays, Pedlar, ANB and Taylor. And none are contributing to our midfield power, which includes 2 underdone guys in Peatling and Soligo, a draft horse in Berry (who’s going better) and Rachele, who it’d be fair to say is a full time mid through gritted Nix teeth.

I just look at the whole mid/fwd imbalance and wonder how the hell we remained close. We’re making about as hard for ourselves as we can and we still only got done by a goal and a bit.

Happy for Fog to go for Tex, Pedlar must follow him though for either Dowling or Edwards to provide support to our spluttering midfield. Ambivalent about Jones v Nank if Dawson returns.

Exactly. List management issue.

 

[1970crow]

THe biggest issue right now is movement out of defence, think the midfield can probably cover for him for the time being.

If it was up to me, I’d roll the dice a bit.

Out Fog In Tex - it’s not the future, but standards must be maintained. And if we can’t bear the thought of TT 2nd rucking, then Maley must remain.

Out Pedlar In Edwards/Dowling - we have too many forwards and not enough midfield rotations. Are either a better small forward than Pedlar, probably not, but it’s either him or Taylor, we can’t carry both along with how we’re using Keays, Rankine and ANB. And Taylor just kicked 3 and is no worse aerobically in-game.

Out Jones/Nank In Dawson - we went with too many defenders anyway, so this is obvious.

Those 3 are obvious, people can argue Peds stays and Taylor goes or which of Jones/Nank goes and Edwards/Dowling in. But the structure and running power must be repaired and that’s how’s it’s done.

I’d potentially go further and drop Peatling or Soligo for whoever isn’t in from Dowling or Edwards. But only because we need more running power, we can’t keep carrying as many players as we currently are.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

And it all appears to be directly linked to Nicks' gameplan.
So we are stuffed.

The good news is that just one change could fix a myriad of problems

 

[1970crow]

Exactly. List management issue.

I disagree with that. When we throw caution to the wind and run the ball, relying on overlap support and give our forwards 1 v 1 contests, we have outscored our opponents regularly. When we choose to play risk free, possession style, trying to get the ball into one of our 2 leading lanes, we score less than our opposition. I think we have the best 23, we just don’t have the strategy or confidence (dare) in the coaching box.

We see it when it’s all over and we throw the 8D chess board in the air and just go for it. Until then, we’re scared of our own shadow.

 

[1990crow]

The good news is that just one change could fix a myriad of problems

Laird in, youngest player out?

 

[Afcprophet]

Fog was absolutely shit against geelong.

 

[jirkago1975]

Don’t disagree with any of this. The issue though is that our we don’t really have anyone to replace Cumming on a wing. Would be nice to play Dawson there, but our midfield needs bolstering in a hurry, so who moves to a wing.

Were idiotically playing 5
small forwards, Rankine, Keays, Pedlar, ANB and Taylor. And none are contributing to our midfield power, which includes 2 underdone guys in Peatling and Soligo, a draft horse in Berry (who’s going better) and Rachele, who it’d be fair to say is a full time mid through gritted Nix teeth.

I just look at the whole mid/fwd imbalance and wonder how the hell we remained close. We’re making about as hard for ourselves as we can and we still only got done by a goal and a bit.

Happy for Fog to go for Tex, Pedlar must follow him though for either Dowling or Edwards to provide support to our spluttering midfield. Ambivalent about Jones v Nank if Dawson returns.

Pedler is an interesting one, not playing well obviously. But Nicks seems to put him a as almost a defensive forward which he is not, think that role confuses him and he doesn’t know if he should attack or guard his man.

If Downing or Edwards come in, that’s fine too. Feel Nank needs to be settled down in a one spot and see what he can do, I see the talent is there in him. Last week nank didn’t play many minutes and thought we used him poorly.

I’m not a Nicks hater or in the he needs to beck sacked box but his selection and team balance to me has been poor this year. Maybe it’s the injuries in the pre season that playing a role or that he sees things differently to everyone else. Feel we have lost the last 2 with poor and underprepared players. Selection is the key and so far we have failed

 

[1970crow]

Fog was absolutely shit against geelong.

He wasn’t more or less shit than Rankine, ANB, Pedlar, Peatling, Soligo or Keays. But none of those have the rested Tex returning which puts their spots in doubt. To dump any of the others, we’d be having to trust that Edwards or Dowling would give us more for now, but I don’t think our coaching group has that level of trust outside the anointed.

 

[kirky]

First Crack stating we don’t move the ball by hand quickly. We are rated 16th for handballs and 12th metres gained by handballs. They showed numerous examples where we could have handballed but didn’t and just did a kick down the line, which got marked by Opposition. Ball movement was an issue last year and still is.

This is on the coach - he is still coaching the same way that saw us with straight sets exit.

 

[1970crow]

First Crack stating we don’t move the ball by hand quickly. We are rated 16th for handballs and 12th metres gained by handballs. They showed numerous examples where we could have handballed but didn’t and just did a kick down the line, which got marked by Opposition. Ball movement was an issue last year and still is.

This is on the coach - he is still coaching the same way that saw us with straight sets exit.

We’ve been hack kicking out of pressure whilst ignoring players that are in space and with clear eyes ahead of them for longer than Nix has been coach. It’s not the coach, it’s our club.

 

[kirky]

We’ve been hack kicking out of pressure whilst ignoring players that are in space and with clear eyes ahead of them for longer than Nix has been coach. It’s not the coach, it’s our club.

I don’t care what has happened prior to Nicks, he is the current coach.

Now they have just had another comment on First Crack re : coaches box. Scott made 5 moves in the last, Nicks changed nothing. He kept the same 4 midfielders - Soligo, Peatling, Berry and Rachele - each were rated in the 40’s out of the 46 in the last quarter.

Either Nicks is stupid, stubborn or both. Mix it up - put Rankine in the midfield or even Thilthorpe. FFS, do something different.

We play Freo, Carlton and Saints in the next 3 and we likely win all 3 and the last two probably comfortably which means he won’t change a thing.

 

[1970crow]

I don’t care what has happened prior to Nicks, he is the current coach.

Now they have just had another comment on First Crack re : coaches box. Scott made 5 moves in the last, Nicks changed nothing. He kept the same 4 midfielders - Soligo, Peatling, Berry and Rachele - each were rated in the 40’s out of the 46 in the last quarter.

Either Nicks is stupid, stubborn or both. Mix it up - put Rankine in the midfield or even Thilthorpe. FFS, do something different.

We play Freo, Carlton and Saints in the next 3 and we likely win all 3 and the last two probably comfortably which means he won’t change a thing.

It’s not Nix, it’s the culture/strategy that employs and values his philosophies. He’s the exact person that we wanted, he ticked every single box. Roo said he knew that Nix was the man at his bbq when they agreed on everything about footy.

Neil Craig’s manifesto is still printed and distributed throughout our club. We deploy zero strategic differences to when Neil was coaching us all those years ago.

 

[kirky]

Neil Craig’s manifesto is still printed and distributed throughout our club. We deploy zero strategic differences to when Neil was coaching us all those years ago.

Well Roo isn’t in official capacity anymore and the fact he has only been given a one year extension tells anyone, some aren’t confident in Nicks.

You have any actual proof re : Neil Craig’s manifesto?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

First Crack stating we don’t move the ball by hand quickly. We are rated 16th for handballs and 12th metres gained by handballs. They showed numerous examples where we could have handballed but didn’t and just did a kick down the line, which got marked by Opposition. Ball movement was an issue last year and still is.

This is on the coach - he is still coaching the same way that saw us with straight sets exit.

Absolutely!

The rules have been changed to encourage quick movement, which usually requires the use of attacking handballs.

Nicks reckons he is a genius & going against the trend.

How many more reminders do we need to have that he is a strategic dunce.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

We’ve been hack kicking out of pressure whilst ignoring players that are in space and with clear eyes ahead of them for longer than Nix has been coach. It’s not the coach, it’s our club.

It's ultimately on the coach.

 

[1970crow]

Well Roo isn’t in official capacity anymore and the fact he has only been given a one year extension tells anyone, some aren’t confident in Nicks.

You have any actual proof re : Neil Craig’s manifesto?

You don’t understand the concept of culture?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

You don’t understand the concept of culture?

Sure, but who is ultimately responsible for how we play on the field?

 

[1970crow]

It's ultimately on the coach.

Of course, which is why we have continually sacked coaches throughout the last 20 odd years. The question you need to ask yourself is, why do we keep employing coaches with the same underlying philosophies. The only difference between Nicks and his last few predecessors is his longevity.

And we’ll blame him again, and rightly so, but the bureaucracy will remain. We’ll employ the next version of the exact same type. Without a full board cleanout, nothing will ever change, our failings are embedded and even rejoiced.

 

[Velvet George]

I don’t care what has happened prior to Nicks, he is the current coach.

Now they have just had another comment on First Crack re : coaches box. Scott made 5 moves in the last, Nicks changed nothing. He kept the same 4 midfielders - Soligo, Peatling, Berry and Rachele - each were rated in the 40’s out of the 46 in the last quarter.

Either Nicks is stupid, stubborn or both. Mix it up - put Rankine in the midfield or even Thilthorpe. FFS, do something different.

We play Freo, Carlton and Saints in the next 3 and we likely win all 3 and the last two probably comfortably which means he won’t change a thing.

What so King has more criticism of our coaching? Interesting …….

 

[pjcrows]

Looking at the comp, our draw has been very difficult. I'd say the hardest of any club. If we had any of the bottom 7 or 8 sides we'd be laughing. It doesn't make Freo this week any easier, but if we snag a win it'd be very important. With the way the squad is sputtering along a bit, 2-2 followed by Carlton and St Kilda at home would be okay. Lose to Freo and we'll be playing catchup all season.

 

[crows dude]

It’s not Nix, it’s the culture/strategy that employs and values his philosophies. He’s the exact person that we wanted, he ticked every single box. Roo said he knew that Nix was the man at his bbq when they agreed on everything about footy.

Neil Craig’s manifesto is still printed and distributed throughout our club. We deploy zero strategic differences to when Neil was coaching us all those years ago.

You love to bring up Neil Craig dont you.

Weve had Sando, Walsh, Campo, Pyke and now Nicks since him. Craigy was a very good coach. Id kill to have him and not Nicks right now.