Autopsy 2024 Rd 11 Blues eclipse Suns with roof closed

Who played well for the Blues in Rd 11 vs the Suns?


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Understandable.

He was a Russel in a world full of Aravinda's.
At dusk he used to stand behind the first grade net as the Quicks would find any new ball they could and bounce the **** out of anyone who'd dare bat at/after dusk and every time someone ducked/got hit/ was floored he'd say

"Mate it's simple just lean back. Flick it over slips. 6 runs. Easy ye ?" Then turn around and shadow bat the shot about 8 times and wander off.
 
orazio got involved at least. never going to be a huge ball winner but provided some zip a touch further up the ground.

wouldn't want to rely too much on williams kicking a bag just yet but it's good to see he can if he gets the chance. be interesting to see how he goes in the weeks ahead. the left footer in front of the goal square was pretty special. found himself in the right spots, competed in the air when he had to but recovered well with the ball on the deck.
thanks for your services cuningham. unless you're in enough form/health to replace orazio.

cobwebs blown away for a couple of the players, onto port.
The thing is, they weren't Fisher's goals as a small forward; got lucky a few times and got a free kick or two in the goalsquare. These were genuine small forward goals; a leadup, free kick in general play, reading a stoppage and getting out the back and a front and centre from a snap.

He won't kick 4 every week, but that was arguably the most complete small forward game we've had since 2011-12.
 
yes, I thought Boyd was poor.
Boyd is suited to Cincotta's shutdown role; Cinc is more shutdown where Boyd is more damaging offensively whilst providing a similar level of shutdown. He is not suited to Docherty/Saad's rebound role mentally; he doesn't instinctively know when and where to get the ball or where to stand to make himself dangerous in transition yet.

Think of Boyd like Cottrell; Cotts made a lot of mistakes early days. He used to blaze away, **** up a lot, forget where to be. He's now dangerous almost all the time, whether in transition or inside 50; he's started to read the ball off a stoppage inside 50 where he used to be late or in the wrong spot. Boyd is still a work in progress as far as transition goes, but he needs stability and a lesser role in the ones before he can understand how it works.

This is what Geelong/Sydney do well. They give lesser players lesser roles, then after they understand their game more they broaden the scope of it some, then some more.
 

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How nice was it to have Williams kick 4 goals? Just took so much pressure off having him kick a couple early.

My theory on team balance is that when you are going well your team will get:
  • 5 goals from your KPP
  • 5 goals from your other listed forwards
  • 5 goals from your midfield and backline pressing forward
Give or take some accuracy that gets you to a winning score each week.

Yesterday we got 5 from Charlie/Harry (tick). We got 5ish from the midfield (Kennedy, Hollands, Cripps, Hewett, Acres) which to me is the biggest sign we are playing well.

We often get 4-5 from the other forwards but it is hard work. To have someone actually get off the chain and make that the easy part was really nice.

In fact, here's a decade of 4+ goal efforts from non key-position players

  • this year - nobody managed it until Williams yesterday
  • Round 18 last year vs Port both Jack Silvagni AND Motlop kicked 4 on the same day
  • In 2022 - nobody managed
  • In 2021 - Ed Curnow kicked 4 in a round 23 drubbing. Eddie Betts kicked 5 vs Geelong in round 8
  • In 2020 - Jack Martin in round 1 and Eddie Betts in round 6
  • In 2019 - Cripps in round 12, Matt Kennedy in round 19, Newman in round 20 (Teague Train!)
  • In 2018 - Matt Wright in round 1
  • In 2017 - Matt Wright in round 6
  • In 2016 - Andrejs Everitt in round 10 and Dennis Armfield in round 16
  • in 2015 - Andrejs Everitt in round 19 (he won our goalkicking that year!), Tom Bell in round 4, Troy Menzel in round 8, Andrew Walker in round 20 and round 21,
  • In 2014 - Yarran in round 8, Gibbs in round 12, Bell in round 20, Simon White in round 16 (and Casboult as the ruck/forward did it as well)

I mainly include the last two as the point of comparison - in a previous iteration of the club, before the great rebuild began, we had a far more even spread of goalkicking, with players who were hardly world-beaters popping up every now and then.

Since Harry/Charlie took over as our focal points, aside from the craziness of the Teague Train and a cameo or two by Eddie Betts, non KPP taking advantage has been a real rarity, happening only in fairly odd circumstances (Martin in r1 2020 in front of zero fans in the first COVID game, Ed Curnow in a round 23 game where everyone was playing for holidays, and JSOS and Motlop both on the same day). But it's a real slog to get to 15 goals against good teams if you don't have a third or fourth forward kick a bag IMO, because they can usually game plan effectively to slow down the big boys, and it's unusual for the midfield to really dominate.

Until Williams yesterday. I'd suggested a few weeks back he should go forward and play Cuningham's role, but that was better than hoped.
The Answer is very simple. Williams knows how to kick & read the play. Owies, Durdin & Motlop do not.

Owies is a reliable set shot and is starting to lower his eyes, but all 3 do not know where to position themselves. Maybe that's to do with the game plan, but you have to be around the contest to pounce on a loose ball. Far too often they are too far up the ground, or hanging back at around the 40m mark hoping someone will kick it to them. They are there to crumb. Maybe one of them (maybe Durdin as he seems the fittest) is given license to play up the ground more but they all need to learn when to get back in the arc.

Maybe I'm too cynical and my simplistic view of the game has gone past my understanding, but it still seems to me that teams that stick to the basics that have been there for 100+ years make a better fist of it than those that don't.

ie. Collingwood Tackle & pressure hard, use the corridor, and their smalls in Hill & Elliott know where to position themselves to pounce on a loose ball. They don't have a power forward, but the forwards that they do have are reliable and efficient.
 
Best part of the win for me was that we attacked right from the start.
Cincotta was involved in the opening minutes, Ollie, Owies, etc.
Anyone who can be damaging in an attacking way was doing just that.
Pity about the wasteful kicking at times because the scoreboard didn't really reflect on how dominant we were, but it's 4 points.
One pleasing part of the game was the involvement of new and mid tier players.
 
Solid win, very good second half.

Loved watching Zac kicking 4 goals, looks like he really enjoyed playing down there. An unexpected good move by Voss.. a Barassi type of masterstroke.
It's been an obvious move with our back 7 playing well together at the back end of last year. Why change the dynamic that was working?

Zac is a very good footballer but his strengths and weaknesses don't really match what we need in our backline with everyone available. It's a marginal attacking gain for a fair defensive loss when he's replacing someone like Cincotta. We have enough avenues out of defence with Saad, Boyd, Gov and even Cincotta now.

Forward is where his strengths really add something we've been crying out for. He's aggressive. Good kick, smart and knows where the goals are.

I reckon he just needs to work on his goal kicking for more consistency with set shots.

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The Answer is very simple. Williams knows how to kick & read the play. Owies, Durdin & Motlop do not.

Owies is a reliable set shot and is starting to lower his eyes, but all 3 do not know where to position themselves. Maybe that's to do with the game plan, but you have to be around the contest to pounce on a loose ball. Far too often they are too far up the ground, or hanging back at around the 40m mark hoping someone will kick it to them. They are there to crumb. Maybe one of them (maybe Durdin as he seems the fittest) is given license to play up the ground more but they all need to learn when to get back in the arc.

Maybe I'm too cynical and my simplistic view of the game has gone past my understanding, but it still seems to me that teams that stick to the basics that have been there for 100+ years make a better fist of it than those that don't.

ie. Collingwood Tackle & pressure hard, use the corridor, and their smalls in Hill & Elliott know where to position themselves to pounce on a loose ball. They don't have a power forward, but the forwards that they do have are reliable and efficient.
Owies can read the play with the best of them. Isn't a natural crumber but can certainly find space where other's can't. A very poor man's Breust rather than a traditional small forward.

Mots is the only one I would be making future plans around.
 
It’s pretty clear Fantasia isn’t playing a small forward role.

He’s almost playing on the wing - linking up & running into space.

Very different to Motlop.

People wanting Fantasia dropped for Motlop might want to have a look how Motlop played in the vfl yesterday.
 
People wanting Fantasia dropped for Motlop might want to have a look how Motlop played in the vfl yesterday.
Sounded like it was a very average performance by the team let alone Motlop.

Must be very hard to succeed as a small forward in a forward line hardly getting any.

I think he better suited to crumbing and putting pressure on in the AFL team!
 
Owies can read the play with the best of them. Isn't a natural crumber but can certainly find space where other's can't. A very poor man's Breust rather than a traditional small forward.

Mots is the only one I would be making future plans around.

There is enough history there to see Owies strength is leading into space and straight kicking for goal. Basically a lead and 'uncontested' mark.

He costs us elsewhere in that ('on average') he is a very poor inside 50 kick or when it comes to that key pass that will set us up. He is terrible one on one. He is not great on instincts in completing the right defensive pressure play but that may be harsh.

I feel Austin should be looking for better inside 50 kicks and better defensive traits to suit our style. Long term, the role Owies is playing would be better suited structurally for our third tall who is a better contested mark and inside 50 kick & decision maker.

No qualms with Owies as a squad player who bobs up with nice goals. No qualms supporting him as well as you have to accept in a salary cap system you cant have everything.

As an aside, Owies, E Hollands are not that quick or agile when it comes to defensive transition.
 
Over the next 2 Sundays our reserves play Bullants 21st and ******* 17th before the bye for both seniors and reserves, give Mots the next 2 games to build up his touch and game fitness, then access from there…

Hopefully he’s done enough and ready to be picked, he’ll add another element to our forward structure…
 
That play I thought mark it but as you said played the %


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This was right in front of us. Could see his facial expression clearly, knew he could have marked in hindsight and looked disappointed, but gee whiz no one can be disappointed with his game…

He is a lock #17


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An observation after watching the replay.

Zac Williams seems a very popular member of the team and has a really positive, vibrant attitude about his football.

Hopefully he can stay on the park.


Also I've said it before but love Elijahs strut - he has a lot of tricks and talent. Great recruit.
 
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Shame that we don't have an indigenous team name.

This must be what Russel Arnold felt like playing for Sri Lanka.

Narrm is taken.

Liked your joke about the cricket, you must be of similar vintage!!

Arnold is not an uncommon name in Sri Lanka and is a bit easier to spell!!!!




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You get the feeling once we build some continuity into our back 7, the confidence in front of the ball will come.

Our transition from defence was pretty good yesterday.

A solid back six helps this & also allows mids to push forward rather than protecting the turnover.

Time is our friend in this case :)

Great insight!


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Certainly sounds like they are. Mott's in the team after a good stint in the 2's will offer more to the team than some currently

I'm looking forward to him building through his gears, into his season

And while I currently believe some players are ahead of others longterm, it's still comes down to output rather than reputation
 
Hopefully 2 rucks is dead and buried, takes too much speed away from us.

We lost 4 of 6 with pitto in the team. Despite him playing quite well.

Won 5 out of 5 TDK on his own.

Is this just a coincidence?

Certainly a dilemma for the match committee.

Either way that felt like a statement game from TDK yesterday - he is a #1 ruck who can make the opposition ruck look like an ornamental statue out there. I certainly wouldn't be rushing to bring pitto back. But he is way too good for VFL.
 
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