A Lesson - Our coaches are to blame -re gameplan / structure

[dansa]

Ok mate, Ill tell you in detail, There is no support for the defence, the Mids are not getting back to support the defenders and pick off the loose ball which we have been scored against heavily.\
Through the midfield we are not accountable as far as first hands on the ball, Mitchell destroyed us yet again and too many players not getting hands dirty, Pendles was Inside all night where he should be outside WTF?

Our movement eg: running capacity to find a target coming out of 50 is always to a 50/50 contest, where our opponent the ball is moved easily, nothing is easy anymore, ball movement is a struggle and goals scored are bloody hard work.
I respect you Spicey but seriously man if you cant see issues and ask me to point them out for you then you are not much of an analyst but just a blind cheering supporter.

You make these wild statements about MM v Buckleys game plan and you clearly know very little about it.

MM was famous for refusing to tag Mitchell.
We have lost our main inside midfield player to a season ending knee injury.
Players not getting their hands dirty?? Seriously mate. The players last night fought tooth and nail until the final siren. One of the most intense games of football i have seen in a while. You clearly don't understand enough to be making these posts.

You can not explain the main premise of your OP - how Buckley's game plan is different to MM.
Your posts have no credibility in my eyes.

 

[Maggie5]

It get's a bit grey if the blocking player is watching the ball.

Thanks for that but in the instances I saw they were facing the player. Quite a heavy block and sadly Blair was out of his depth against Mitchell.

 

[Checkside35]

Thanks for that but in the instances I saw they were facing the player. Quite a heavy block and sadly Blair was out of his depth against Mitchell.

Well then, they should have been free kicks. I didn't see them but that doesn't mean they didn't happen.

 

[Captivating]

If I am not mistaken, Blair's finals record is pretty poor. Anyone have some stats?

 

[HFF]

I'm just disappointed that it's the same old story vs Hawks in all 3 games this season. Over 130 points we have conceded in each of those games. We haven't tried anything different.

Clearances and contested ball is always highlighted by Bucks but it's the outside ball that kills us. They always get players free on the outside because they don't all get sucked in too the contest like we do. They stand a meter or two off the contest and once the ball spills they pounce and waltz it away.

This is what Bucks has neglected all year against most of our opposition. We don't stand off and spread quick enough. It's everyone trying to win the hard ball without anyone to give it too and break.

It cannot be that hard to notice. Again even at his Presser he talked about contested ball. Stop talking about this because it isn't our problem. We lost that count by 1 FFS! The stats he needs to look at are uncontested possessions because that's where we get murdered constantly.

 

[otfc42]

The problem is that we haven't adapted to the way the game is being played in 2012. We've been standing still, relying on the MM game plan all year and it was shown up as redundant in last year's finals series. Buckley needs to make drastic changes in the off-season.

Gotta say, I don't agree. I think we're nothing like the MM game plan. Our forward pressure and tackling is nothing like what it was.

Mick is a coach who continually evolves and would have brought a new dimension to the side over the off season. What we have is a man who may turn out to be a very good coach, however he has come into the season with a set game plan in mind and has not evolved when it hasn't worked.

We have the players and that's why we finished fourth. I also have to say that it is one of the most unconvincing fourth place finishes that I have seen.

BUT, in saying all this, I would never deride our club in any way.....SIDE BY SIDE....no room for muppets.....!

 

[Checkside35]

I'm just disappointed that it's the same old story vs Hawks in all 3 games this season. Over 130 points we have conceded in each of those games. We haven't tried anything different.

Clearances and contested ball is always highlighted by Bucks but it's the outside ball that kills us. They always get players free on the outside because they don't all get sucked in too the contest like we do. They stand a meter or two off the contest and once the ball spills they pounce and waltz it away.

This is what Bucks has neglected all year against most of our opposition. We don't stand off and spread quick enough. It's everyone trying to win the hard ball without anyone to give it too and break.

It cannot be that hard to notice. Again even at his Presser he talked about contested ball. Stop talking about this because it isn't our problem. We lost that count by 1 FFS! The stats he needs to look at are uncontested possessions because that's where we get murdered constantly.

You're right and contested ball stats are a bit like inside 50's. Can be a bullshit stat because you can win the inside 50 count by 10 but were those 10 quality entries or shit rushed balls? Win the contested count but the quality of the next possession is poor.
For the life of me I can't see him encouraging players to get sucked to the footy. The Hawks have absolute faith that their teammate is going to get the footy so they stand off. When they do get it, it's goodnight. Don't think we have the same faith.

 

[rhys_22]

Heres a post i found that pretty much sums up what everyone says about mick malthouse vs nathan buckley..Enjoy. Perfect post

Missing Leon Davis, Leigh Brown, Krakour and Luke Ball for either the majority or the whole season, I think Buckley has done a better job than MM would have done.

Remember 2004/05 when we had injuries? His "genius" didn't help us then!!!!!

Buckley has unfortunately inherited a team that MM didn't leave in the best shape. Losing the unlosable GF (mental scarring), 2 key players (1 All Australian) retiring, injuries from the 1st NAB cup game and a few players whose age is catching up with them (Johnno, Taz & Dids).
Not to mention an outdated gameplan (GF 2011?), NO taggers and NO second ruckman.

I can see why Buckley was up against it from day one.

MM didn't coach with Collingwood's future in mind. Considering he SIGNED a 5 year deal, that IMHO is an a**holes absolute selfishness!!!!

MM prancing around as though he is some freakin' messiah irks me when I look at the team he left ( even though he SIGNED to stay).

NO forward planning and NO regard for the long term future of the team.

Buckley should be commended for the way he has had to re-train the players away from the 2009/10/11 gameplan. Buckley understands where football is going, unfortunately the players weren't prepared well enough by the "messiah" for the changing styles. Thats why we lost last years GF (ooohhh and the fact that he got out coached by a rookie coach).

These loses will hopefully make the players (some anyway) that MM's game style is finished.

Buy into Buckleys or stay stagnant!!!!!

GO PIES !!!!!!

Most accurate truth i have read in a long time

 

[larrikan]

+1

I am so disappointed that Bucks and his coaching panel have got us into the finals. I cannot believe that we are playing in the second semi final next week. It's so unfair that Bucks and co. have a game plan that has us STILL in the finals series.

Last years premiers finished 7th this year. I can't believe we have been so unsuccessful and are STILL playing MORE finals games. That must really pi$$ off Bucks and his staff.

I hope Bucks, Lappin, Harvey, Hart and others FAIL and win the flag. We might have to ask Roos or MM what we did wrong!

 

[the distributer]

+1

I am so disappointed that Bucks and his coaching panel have got us into the finals. I cannot believe that we are playing in the second semi final next week. It's so unfair that Bucks and co. have a game plan that has us STILL in the finals series.

Last years premiers finished 7th this year. I can't believe we have been so unsuccessful and are STILL playing MORE finals games. That must really pi$$ off Bucks and his staff.

I hope Bucks, Lappin, Harvey, Hart and others FAIL and win the flag. We might have to ask Roos or MM what we did wrong!

Last years premiers were due for the disabled pension, they were a hell of team though, one of the best we've seen, not many if any seen them being able to step up again this year, they did a bloody good job tonight after a poor start though.

Senior/assistant coaches today (and especialy with the richer clubs) sit down in the off season, they brain storm, they end up coming up with a ''game plan'', this may or may not be changed during the season, but if it is changed all the same brains will be deciding a new one.

The main job of the senior coach after a game plan has been decided on is inspiration IMO, getting players to go beyond the call of dutie etc etc, we've lacked that inspiration all year IMO, as a coach you either have it or you don't, Mick had it, i'm not convinced Bucks does though.

I guess i'm saying there's no such thing as an assistant coach, their advisers, the head coach decides which ideas the team runs with, and in my novice opinion, we have major issues in all areas of the ground.

 

[THATSGOLD]

Its time for Didak to step a side. Whats the sub bullshit?

 

[the distributer]

Its time for Didak to step a side. Whats the sub bullshit?

Time for Dids to be given a full game IMO.

 

[loki04]

The problem is that we haven't adapted to the way the game is being played in 2012. We've been standing still, relying on the MM game plan all year and it was shown up as redundant in last year's finals series. Buckley needs to make drastic changes in the off-season.

Agree to an extent I think we have been using a tweaked version of the 2011 game plan but you couldn't expect him to change it year 1 straight after b2b GF and such dominance.
We should see less of the boundary bombing crap in 2013 I would think, need to recruit for it though as if you don't have the players who can execute then the game plan is a moot point.

Hawks are better they got more numbers to the fall of the ball there bckaline holds there structure and make it hard to get 1v1's although our forwards don't move out of each other space. Hawks ball use is exceptional and they have a very good mix of pace, skills and grunt.
Hawks of 08 relied on a game plan to win a flag this time they have gone for skill much harder to drop off when you win games off skill based footy rather then a tactic like 'the Box' 'rolling zone' or even our 'press'. Brisbane and Geelong won so many flags off being better skilled and hard at the contest playing direct footy much like this current Hawks side.

 

[loki04]

If I am not mistaken, Blair's finals record is pretty poor. Anyone have some stats?

He gets moved off his line way too easy, Mitchell just held his position all night and Blair couldn't impact any of their contests.

If we are going to tag then our best stopper needs to go them and Blairy aint it.

 

[Premier Pies]

Clearances and contested ball is always highlighted by Bucks but it's the outside ball that kills us. They always get players free on the outside because they don't all get sucked in too the contest like we do. They stand a meter or two off the contest and once the ball spills they pounce and waltz it away.

This is what Bucks has neglected all year against most of our opposition. We don't stand off and spread quick enough. It's everyone trying to win the hard ball without anyone to give it too and break.

It cannot be that hard to notice. Again even at his Presser he talked about contested ball. Stop talking about this because it isn't our problem. We lost that count by 1 FFS! The stats he needs to look at are uncontested possessions because that's where we get murdered constantly.

This, this and this!!! It is such a valid point that dt13 makes.

It all comes down to confidence in your teammates ability to win the ball, then spreading and creating before we've even won the ball. By the time one of our players has won the ball there are options everywhere. It is demonstrated time and time again by successful teams.

To make the point clearer lets say there is a throw in on our defensive 50 metre line. We have a couple of players compete hard for the clearance and win possession. In the split nano second that it looks like we're going to win possession, Pies already have players like Swan, Daisy, Wellingham, running and spreading from the contest creating vital links in the chain in our ball movement to the forward line.

Whilst this has all started hapenning in the blink of an eye, players like Beams, Sidebottom, Didak, Dawes are all very much on their bikes already and running into position to provide another vital link in moving the ball deep into our F50 and another scoring opportunity.

This of course is the whole plan extremely simplified but the two key ingredients or factors are confidence and skill execution. It is extremely hard to get this confidence but once you have it and the whole team has it, it is like an out of control steam train. Nearly impossible to stop because it takes the opposition a complete and utterly dedicated team effort for four quarters to remain even competitive. This is something the Pies did well for 2 & 1/2 quarters on Friday night. The 1 & 1/2 quarters we fell away, Hawks put 6-7 goals margin on us.

Just look back and watch any premiership team in the last decade, they have confidence in spades and trust in their teammates. They run and spread and don't get sucked into the contest like we currently do. The great Brisbane and Geelong sides always have players that miraculously seem loose and no one on them. Providing vital links to move the ball swiftly from one end of the ground to the other and scoring very easily. This all comes down to team confidence and skill execution.

Pies also had this in spades in 2010 and part of 2011. We always had options and never looked stagnant like we do at the moment. It is so very hard for our boys to have this confidence and spread and create this season due to way too many injuries and changes in the player lineup. This is not Buckley's fault or anyone's fault for that matter. We certainly have the cattle and quality of players to give the flag a real shake this year but it all depends on whether we can rediscover our confidence of the past season and a half.

Of course this isn't the be all and end all. We need to be able to win the ball first and defend when we don't have the ball, but it certainly goes a long way to helping us move the ball more efficiently and scoring far easier than we are at the moment. The season is not lost, we still have a chance, albeit an increasingly smaller one.

My two cents anyway

 

[Bay Pie]

Most of the top teams have 2 or 3 elite users of the footy out of the back line. We only have one,Reid. Taz is also very good but must keep a close check on his man and rarely plays as a run and carry guy.

Not sure if it's the right thread but we need another elite user of the footy down back. When you can nail a disposal from your back 50, it opens the whole field up to options with defenders out of position, forwards running forward, link play etc.

Hawthorn have many, so do Geelong. Swans have a couple and West Coast have Hurn and Waters.

 

[MeisterBot]

Most of the top teams have 2 or 3 elite users of the footy out of the back line. We only have one,Reid. Taz is also very good but must keep a close check on his man and rarely plays as a run and carry guy.

Not sure if it's the right thread but we need another elite user of the footy down back. When you can nail a disposal from your back 50, it opens the whole field up to options with defenders out of position, forwards running forward, link play etc.

Hawthorn have many, so do Geelong. Swans have a couple and West Coast have Hurn and Waters.

I think we already have the talent if we can develop it in Seedsman and Keeffe. But obviously, they won't be a factor this year.

 

[Axl the great]

You make these wild statements about MM v Buckleys game plan and you clearly know very little about it.

MM was famous for refusing to tag Mitchell.
We have lost our main inside midfield player to a season ending knee injury.
Players not getting their hands dirty?? Seriously mate. The players last night fought tooth and nail until the final siren. One of the most intense games of football i have seen in a while. You clearly don't understand enough to be making these posts.

You can not explain the main premise of your OP - how Buckley's game plan is different to MM.
Your posts have no credibility in my eyes.

And Mitchell gets tagged now does he? and Kerr who had 36 touches and did what he liked vs West Coast?
Buckley does not tag other mids either so your point is??????

Luke Ball is one player, other teams have copped injuries and clearances are only a small piece of the puzzle as to how we have regressed.

Hands Dirty does not equate to that literally, it is a term that includes work rate, hard running and doing all the right things in other words the 1% ers.

I understand plenty mate, i do not have any issue with losing, or results, i have an issue with the obvious regression of a team that was on the way up, was supposed to improve, where most players have stagnated or gone backwards, i see it as a potential waste of a team that had it all to take.

When the team was poised as it was and with the shape of the list im sorry but i am a little less forgiving of Buckley for being a first year coach.

I know MMs gameplan and how we used to play under him, if you like i could write you a 5 page thesis on it, i would be lucky to get a page on this years gameplan.
It has been tweaked but for the better? Hell no!

My posts and rare threads usually provoke debate and it is out of either praise or concern if things concern me, it has nothing to do with negativity for me, it is to question things that stand out as not right and spark the opinions of all posters whether they agree or not.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

+1

We might have to ask Roos or MM what we did wrong!

Maybe David King could consult Bucks as well.

 

[Checkside35]

And Mitchell gets tagged now does he? and Kerr who had 36 touches and did what he liked vs West Coast?
Buckley does not tag other mids either so your point is??????

Luke Ball is one player, other teams have copped injuries and clearances are only a small piece of the puzzle as to how we have regressed.

Hands Dirty does not equate to that literally, it is a term that includes work rate, hard running and doing all the right things in other words the 1% ers.

I understand plenty mate, i do not have any issue with losing, or results, i have an issue with the obvious regression of a team that was on the way up, was supposed to improve, where most players have stagnated or gone backwards, i see it as a potential waste of a team that had it all to take.

When the team was poised as it was and with the shape of the list im sorry but i am a little less forgiving of Buckley for being a first year coach.

I know MMs gameplan and how we used to play under him, if you like i could write you a 5 page thesis on it, i would be lucky to get a page on this years gameplan.
It has been tweaked but for the better? Hell no!

My posts and rare threads usually provoke debate and it is out of either praise or concern if things concern me, it has nothing to do with negativity for me, it is to question things that stand out as not right and spark the opinions of all posters whether they agree or not.

The loss of Luke Ball has ramifications that exceed ' a small piece of the puzzle'. Why do you think he was chased and then lauded by many as the missing link in our midfield?
With him in the middle, players like Blair, Beams and co could spend longer times forward of the ball and hence give us more crumbing and forward pressure. With these players covering for Ball, players like Sinclair and Elliot have had to take on those roles. Unfortunately, they weren't up to it. Which is not to say that they will never be. You lose your grunt midfielder, others who haven't been as much in and under have to add a string to their bow. Takes time. Beams has done very well but he has 6-7 years less experience in that role. Imagine if we were able to use him forward a little more. Ball has a defensive mindset that you can't transplant into other players. Swan, Pendles, Beams are naturally attacking players.
If you could write a 5 page thesis on MM's plan, Scott and Co probably wrote a page and that's all it needed to dissect it and then rip it apart. How many changes to Geelong's play did you see that meant the end of MM's plan? With legs, St Kilda exposed it in the 2nd half of GF1. Essendon broke through it on Anzac day 2011. Carlton got within 3 goals, Bulldogs had us on the ropes apart from a quarter burst, we struggled against WC in a final, Hawthorn only kicked 10 in the prelim but kept us to 11. Opposition clubs didn't have to produce a manifesto to take apart the game plan. The signs of this regression you speak of were there in the finals last year and performances throughout 2011. Some of us were too drunk after 2010 to see it or didn't want to see it. I dunno about you. Did you see it?

 

[Old Spice]

This years injury list:

Ball (season), Macaffer (season), Keeffe (most of season), Krakouer (most of season), Didak (most of season), Johnson (most of season), Williams (most of season), Pendlebury (5 weeks), Thomas (carrying injury most of season), Tarrant, Brown, Maxwell, Reid, Blair, Goldsack, Shaw.

Unfortunately there is no running imjury list so I'll leave it to you to nut how many weeks they missed, but the Tarrants, Browns and Reids missed many weeks as we all know.

In addition to that Dawes has not been in top form (and I suspect he is also injured). Jolly is getting old and Wood has denied us with Dawes much respite.

I'd suggest last year we suffered nowhere as many injuries and weeks lost from our first 22 players. But happy to stand corrected.

But sure, you just keep towing that line. Doesn't matter what the concrete sitaution is, the players are pretty peripheral to our success.

 

[MeisterBot]

Was going to post in the other thread, but since that's locked, I'll post it here:

I remember after losing to Carlton early in the year, people were saying we would struggle to make the 8.

Considering that, we've done well, no?

We've lost key cogs in the Collingwood machine which we've been unable to adequately replace in 2012. LTIs, retirements, etc. They're not necessarily in our top 10 players (besides Ball), but they're important structurally and we've constantly been robbing Peter to pay Paul to try and compensate.

One thing I have constantly noticed for example, is how much our spread and ability to break defensive setups would improve if Goldsack was released onto the wing as an outside runner. Andrew Embley 2.0, but being forced to play as a permanent forward because we have no other options as third tall (no Macaffer/Leigh Brown).

There's stuff I'm disappointed in too with Bucks, and there's things I feel like is a gameplan issue rather than a personnel issue with our team. So don't get me wrong, it's not like I think Buckley has been perfect. He hasn't.

MM's been good for the club in so many ways, I will always be grateful for what he's done. But I look at how Geelong found us out last year by choking our ball movement which the other teams no doubt studied. I look at how a lot of our gameplan is still contingent on MM's boundary line play and relying on weight of numbers F50 entries rather than precision and I look at how the players are making basic errors that can't possibly be blamed on Buckley.

3 people going up to mark/spoil a high ball and letting the cheap one get out the back can't possibly be a coaching directive.

"So, nobody communicate with each other, leave your man and all jump up for the ball. Mark, spoil, up to you boys."

"Got it, Bucks."



I don't see how having Malthouse would massively improve our situation.

But even if I did, there's no point crying over spilt milk.

Bucks has been coaching less than a year and we're still in the finals. Are we likely to win this year? No, probably not. But we limped into the GF last year, if you all remember. We got reamed by Geelong by 100 points, struggled to beat a West Coast weaker than this year's team in Melbourne and beat Hawthorn by 3 points thanks to last quarter heroics by Cloke, Ball and Swan after being outplayed all night.

So if we make it into the Prelim or the GF, I can't see how that would be a failure of a season, on balance.

Will the succession plan go down in history as a failure? Who knows, maybe it will. But it's far too early to judge and stick the boots in.

 

[Maggie5]

Comparing what Lyon has done at Freemantle, a friend who follows them, states it hasn't changed that much, Harvey was saddled with a lot of injuries last year. Maybe a few positional changes and the young ones stepping up. Again at Adelaide, seems that players that were out of favour are now getting a game and others have to earn it and perhaps are playing more attacking football compared to last year. These things happen when a coach from outside the club comes in. Doesn't really prove anything.

I think a good comparison is Hawthorn, everyone wanted Clarkson's blood not so long ago and has now the strongest squad in AFL. I say give Bucks a go and then in two-three years time if your are still not happy, then go for it.

 

[Mark_K]

Compare our rebounding from the backline to Hawthorn, Sydney etc.

We miss Leon Davis more than people will let on. Reid, Brown, Toovey, Maxwell, none of these guys are elite kickers.

O'Brien and Shaw are capable of breaking lines, but they have been down on their best form.

Ben Johnson is the only guy that can hit a 50m pass out of the back line.

Our mids have been down, despite god like numbers.

Our forwards are copping a heap from the media, but our issues stem from the minute we lose a clearance out of the middle.

 

[FAIRANDBALANCED]

The loss of Luke Ball has ramifications that exceed ' a small piece of the puzzle'. Why do you think he was chased and then lauded by many as the missing link in our midfield?
With him in the middle, players like Blair, Beams and co could spend longer times forward of the ball and hence give us more crumbing and forward pressure. With these players covering for Ball, players like Sinclair and Elliot have had to take on those roles. Unfortunately, they weren't up to it. Which is not to say that they will never be. You lose your grunt midfielder, others who haven't been as much in and under have to add a string to their bow. Takes time. Beams has done very well but he has 6-7 years less experience in that role. Imagine if we were able to use him forward a little more. Ball has a defensive mindset that you can't transplant into other players. Swan, Pendles, Beams are naturally attacking players.
If you could write a 5 page thesis on MM's plan, Scott and Co probably wrote a page and that's all it needed to dissect it and then rip it apart. How many changes to Geelong's play did you see that meant the end of MM's plan? With legs, St Kilda exposed it in the 2nd half of GF1. Essendon broke through it on Anzac day 2011. Carlton got within 3 goals, Bulldogs had us on the ropes apart from a quarter burst, we struggled against WC in a final, Hawthorn only kicked 10 in the prelim but kept us to 11. Opposition clubs didn't have to produce a manifesto to take apart the game plan. The signs of this regression you speak of were there in the finals last year and performances throughout 2011. Some of us were too drunk after 2010 to see it or didn't want to see it. I dunno about you. Did you see it?

One of the best posts I've read this year. I sat stunned after round 23 (??) last year against Geelong at the massacre they performed on us. Can people not remember that? Then we had West Coast and were seriously challenged, but managed to win by a few goals with Pendles and Swan combining for 80 odd possesions. They were worrying signs because if our best two mids have it that much against a side ranked a lot lower than us, and we still only win by a few goals, something is wrong. Then we had the Prelim where we managed to lift ourselves over the line. but watch the game again, Hawthorn could've iced it in the 3rd when they missed 2 or 3 really gettable goals. Now credit to our guys for getting over the line, but you could see there wasn't as big a gap between us and the next contenders as we may have thought at the beginning of 2011 (when really we were struggling to think of any sides who could challenge us). The reality of last year was that it was a gap year, where a lot of sides were not really mature enough to contend for a flag, and really only Hawthorn, Collingwood and Geelong were ever a chance. And Hawthorn weren't even considered that much of a chance either. We didn't play West Coast in Perth. We fought hard to beat Carlton by 20-25 points twice in the season and when we played Hawthorn the first time they had a heap of their best 22 out injured. Sydney finished 6th and we beat them by 8 points...and Geelong we lost twice to, so how far exactly were we in front of the chasing pack?? Conditions fell in our favour last year and we weren't good enough when it mattered to take the flag. That is a fact.

Some of us (including me) thought it was probably due to many players being underdone, but when you look at our injuries last year compared to this year they pale into insignificance. We have been gutted by injuries this year when we could least afford to get them. Before the season started it was clear there were very few guys out of our best 22-24 players that looked likely of playing a significant role for us to win a flag, maybe there was only one, Marty Clarke. That puts too much pressure and strain on out best 22-24 players, and especially the younger guys who are being asked to lift much heavier loads.
We will be much better next year when guys like Seedsman, Young, Elliot and Sinclair are not simply gifted games because we have nobody else.

As everybody else no doubt has, i have been hoping that there is another gear for our team to reach, but in reality we just don't have the petrol or the continuity in our team to be able to compete against a purring opposition like Hawthorn. But the season has been far from a failure. Beams, Keefe, Sidebottom and Blair look the goods. Nathan Brown has managed some decent form in his return year (will be better next year one would think), Seedsman, Sinclair and Elliot all look like they can be decent players and we will get bonus recruits in Keefe, MaCaffer, Krakouer (for the year) and of course Luke Ball to start bext year.

I am certain that with a fit team playing many weeks together it will start to look less and less like the coaches fault, and maybe, perhaps, just simply down to a lot of bad luck in 2012.