Brisbane game thoughts

[smoovy]

• It's actually good to win a game that we didn't deserve to win for once. Brisbane we certainly know what it feels like. We had 7 less I50s, less scoring shots (very rarely do teams lose with 30+ scoring shots), 60 less possessions.
• I thought our midfield was very ordinary today, even considering being down 2.
  - VB enough has been said about him
  - Mackay is still just cruising, when is he going to tear a game apart, he is the new old Douglas
  - Thompson, didn't do much, but can be excused after his last month
  - Dangerfield, just awful, take a step back on concentrate on the simple things rather than trying to take on the opposition
  - Reilly, ok job, but Black did get away with a few telling possession
  - Schmidt, could make him into a tagger, not much good for anything else. Seemed to have the job on Rischetelli and then Power
• Douglas was outstanding today. Actually looked like a class player rather than a stat accumlator. What I liked about most of his possessions were that they were forward of centre. Only criticism is that he went to the well once too often from beyond 50.
• Backs were good except for Rutten who had a stinker after a good month. Stevens kept howlers to a minimum.
• Give Tippett a dry day and a straight leg and he is the most unstoppable forward in the league
• Still no decent forward crumber, we lose 80% of the balls on the deck in our forward line
• Davis down back >>>> Davis up forward
• Good return by Sellar for first game back and should stay in the side for the rest of the year
• Make no mistake about it, today will be talked about a one of the clubs great wins because of the restraints on the bench. However, in reality we were lucky to get away with it against a poor side and I really didn't see much improvement on the previous 3 weeks.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Finally. I've been waiting hours for this. I can't make a thread yet but here is my thoughts written on Word just before Twilight Football.

So here - my individual player thoughts

Bock – He shut down his opponent for most of the day but he didn’t have his trademark run and dash out of defence, today he was just the link man helping set others up. I’ll rate him a 7

Dangerfield – Didn’t see much of the ball and he was barely damaging with it. Did the hard work going in hard and low but just didn’t do enough. I’ll rate him a 4

Davis – To me he showed that he can be a serviceable Centre Half Forward, but the problem is that with our current game plan he’ll be bi-passed too much and his hard work wouldn’t pay off. But he did show enough to me that he can be a good forward anyway. I’d like to see him up there for the remaining 2 games (even at the expense of Walker). I’ll rate him a 4 for today.

Doughty – Quite all day, and if it wasn’t for the last 5 minutes I’d rate him a 1. But that last few minutes in defence both defending and on the rebound improved his game at a key time. I’d have to bring him up to a 3.

Douglas – Great game, both in defence and when up forward, easily in the top 2 for mine and if he fails to get 2 or more Brownlow votes here the umps would be ****ing him over. 10 out of 10 today from me.

Henderson – He was playing very well for his role. He’s our heir to Burton. Pushing up onto the Wing to be the target out of defence and sending it forward. If I rated everyone the same he’d be a 6. But for his role he was superb. Bringing him up to an 8.

Johncock – Brilliant again, shuts down his opponent and hurting Brisbane the other way. 9.
Knights – injured early and only got 2 touches, that gives him a 1. But it’s unfair to rate him at all.
Mackay – Started very well early and would of been in our top 3 at quarter time, but after that stage he dropped off too much and was basically no where to be seen after half time. 5

Maric – I don’t know what to think of his game. He tries hard but his work barely got payed off. But late in the game when we needed a target on the wings for contested situations, he stood up and was one of the key reasons we were able to crawl over the line. 6

Porplyzia – Superb as well, he spent more time in the midfield then in previous weeks, and he was very good getting the ball sent forward, and when he got forward, he booted a few goals. 8

Reilly – Statistically he didn’t do much, but as a tagger you don’t expect that. He’s expected to shut someone down, I can’t recall who he was on, but logically it would of been either Power or Black, but both played quite well, so Reilly didn’t complete his role to an adequate level. Though, he did get some key centre breaks to get the ball moving forward. 6

Rutten – He had so many good moments saving goals, but his opponent did get 5 in the end. It’s just too hard to rate Rutten, but I think I’ll just give him a 6. He was too good most of the game for 5 goals against to hurt him too much.

Schimdt – That was his best game I’ve seen him play. But I still don’t believe he’s going to be a key part of our team going forward. Yes, he can defend, but his skills and decision making is not up to scratch. His kicking was actually good today, but some decisions and handball execution just wasn’t good enough. The one sticking in my mind is when we outnumbered Brisbane 4 to 2, and Schimdt handballs it in the air to Thompson allowing him to be wrapped up before he could even try and evade the tackler. I’m giving him a 7, but honestly. Most weeks he’s not good enough

Sellar – That was a game of 2 sides. He was completely and utterly useless for 3 quarters, then he comes out and gives us a little breathing space in the span of 1 minute with 2 great marks and shots on goal. Great performance there, but for the vast majority of the game he was useless. 4, would of been a 2 but those 2 marks and goals pushed him up for me

Sloane – He seemed quite, but when you think about it, he was regularly at those contested situations
setting up our outside midfielders. So yeah, he appeared to have a quite one but he was quite vital to our performance, probably a 7 but most would probably feel he was worse then that.

Stevens – Like a few other players, some good parts and some bad parts. But today he was very good for the vast majority. His stats wouldn’t say that, but he was 3rd man up, spoiling the ball, and stopping Brisbane scoring, and then after Sellar’s goal he switched with Davis and went forward. Didn’t do anything, but he wasn’t obstructing our key targets. No trademark major brain fades. Going to go an 8 for his defensive efforts alone.

Symes – Surprisingly he didn’t **** up. That was the trademark game that we hear about. Hard at the ball and dishing out the ball to others. Great game for him today, but it’s still just an 8.

Thompson – The injuries hurt him the most, he couldn’t get off the field for breaks, and just couldn’t keep going all day. He had to spend time up forward as well. His first half was in the best 2 or 3 for our team, but he couldn’t sustain his work rate with injuries to 2 smaller players. Just a 7, but it would of been higher if he could maintain his 1st half into the 2nd.

Tippett – 2nd best game I’ve seen him play (the other being Edwards’ 300th) He and Douglas will get 5 brownlow votes between them, just a question of who gets the 3 and who gets the 2. Plucking contested marks against who I rate as the best traditional backman in the game. Kicking semi accurately and for the most part, hurting Brisbane on the scoreboard. He is the only other person I’d give a 10 to for today.

Van Berlo – Another tough one. Before 3 quarter time I’d say he was the worst on the field, but that last quarter was brilliant, he lifted to the occasion and won us the game. Captain? No, not consistant enough, he’d be #3 on my preferences. But never mind that, he won us the game. People will view me giving him a 5 as harsh, but I just can’t ignore 3 useless quarters by him.

Vince – He lasted a tad longer then Knights, He actually reached the 2nd quarter, but 5 touches in that time isn’t good enough for a very good player such as Vince. Just a 2

Now, a little easier for rankings
10 – Douglas, Tippett
9 – Johncock
8 – Henderson, Porplyzia, Stevens, Symes
7 – Bock, Schimdt, Sloane, Thompson
6 – Maric, Reilly, Rutten
5 – Mackay, van Berlo
4 – Dangerfield, Davis, Sellar
3 – Doughty
2 – Vince
1 –Knights

Remember – I’m rating them on not just how good they looked, but also taking into account their roles (which is basically why Henderson and Schimdt are so high, as well as Rutten dropping of a little.)

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

- Mackay is still just cruising, when is he going to tear a game apart, he is the new old Douglas

Lol! You are spot on. I thought Mackay was going to have a big game today, the first quarter and a half he was great but faded badly.

Stevens kept howlers to a minimum.

Now, a little easier for rankings
10 – Douglas, Tippett
9 – Johncock
8 – Henderson, Porplyzia, Stevens, Symes
7 – Bock, Schimdt, Sloane, Thompson
6 – Maric, Reilly, Rutten
5 – Mackay, van Berlo
4 – Dangerfield, Davis, Sellar
3 – Doughty
2 – Vince
1 –Knights

Remember – I’m rating them on not just how good they looked, but also taking into account their roles (which is basically why Henderson and Schimdt are so high, as well as Rutten dropping of a little.)

C'mon. Knights is damn fine looking*

*No homo

 

[bigman]

Todays game showed we are a very ordinary side.

If we were playing 12 other sides we would have lost.

We are slow - and turgidly slow - who would win a race between Rutten, Bock, Symes, Stevo and Maric.

We have too mnay poor decison makers - eg Schmidt.

We have too many ordinary players - Symes, Stevo, Maric, Doughty etc. You can have a few but we overflow with them.

We have one trick when moving the ball forward - kick it to Kurt.

We are the worst kicking team in the comp - although Brisbane are pretty close to be honest.

If we keep the present group together we will go nowehere.

How to move forward?

Get some pace and some really competetive players into our team.

Get players into our side who can kick and have good skills.

Players like Sloane and Davis are the future. Stiffy is the present. Players like Hentschell, Stevo are the past.

For what remains - give Smack the last two games. With 2 midfielders out play a Wright - see what he has got to offer.

We may have won this game and it is always good to wind on a road with a young team, but unless we change our personnel the next few years will be the same. A fes good efforts followed by a lot of ordinary stuff.

 

[TDRP]

When rating Doughty's game it sometimes worth rating his opponent... Ranga Brennan did zilch.

 

[BACCS]

Excellent post Dirty Bird, hard to disagree with any of that analysis.

 

[BACCS]

Todays game showed we are a very ordinary side.

If we were playing 12 other sides we would have lost.

We are slow - and turgidly slow - who would win a race between Rutten, Bock, Symes, Stevo and Maric.

We have too mnay poor decison makers - eg Schmidt.

We have too many ordinary players - Symes, Stevo, Maric, Doughty etc. You can have a few but we overflow with them.

We have one trick when moving the ball forward - kick it to Kurt.

We are the worst kicking team in the comp - although Brisbane are pretty close to be honest.

If we keep the present group together we will go nowehere.

How to move forward?

Get some pace and some really competetive players into our team.

Get players into our side who can kick and have good skills.

Players like Sloane and Davis are the future. Stiffy is the present. Players like Hentschell, Stevo are the past.

For what remains - give Smack the last two games. With 2 midfielders out play a Wright - see what he has got to offer.

We may have won this game and it is always good to wind on a road with a young team, but unless we change our personnel the next few years will be the same. A fes good efforts followed by a lot of ordinary stuff.

Nice to see some posters can still put a negative spin on a win played with 20 men from the 1st quarter. None of those points come close to being valid after today's game, it just seems you can't win with some people.

 

[jenny61_99]

Quick news from the post match:

Vince's knee doesn't look serious.
Knights is gone for rest of season.
Maric is tired.
McLeod is almost certain to retire and doubtful to get last game.
Goodwin is confident of a final game in last round.
Adelaide Oval isn't a foregone conclusion.

Guest speakers were Bickley, Goodwin, Maric and Reilly. Trigg, Harper and others in attendance.

Crows had chartered a flight so had showers, rest and feed before heading back to the airport.

Post match well attended (300+).

It was HOT.

More after I've had a chance to watch the replay. Lost my voice

 

[bigman]

We won because Brisbane are shite.

We won because Kurt tippett and Stiffy were pheomenonal for much of the day - except for Kurt's kicking.

We won becaue the porpoise turned it on for a 1/2.

We won because of little Richie Douglas playing one of his best games for the club.

We won because of our culture of alway playing to win.

We won because we really gave it our all -when we were down to 20 men.

But remember if we wnt to go forward change needs to occur.

I am more than happy to be critical when we win rather than when we lose as a win can sometimes hide some really strong concerns.

I am just airing these concerns in public.

 

[Macjoe]

Thanks Jenny. I hope that early assessment on Vince's knee is right - crutches didn't look good.

My thoughts on the game - a brave win, our young side gelling together, VB putting in the Captain's performance when it mattered, and the coaching panel managing the difficulties and pulling the winning switches well.

In the end though, it was the 20 players standing who won a close game under difficult conditions.

It's so unfair that there isn't a smiley like this: | to give the bird to all the knockers on this board. Roll on 2011.

 

[smoovy]

Lol! You are spot on. I thought Mackay was going to have a big game today, the first quarter and a half he was great but faded badly.

The guy needs someone who he respects to really rip into him and tell him how he is wasting his talents. Maybe Goody or McLeod can get in his ear.

We acknowledge and keep hearing that he is one of the best kicks in the club, well if you are only going to kick it less than 10 times a game then who really gives a shit.

I think he can be so much better than what he shows, but at the moment he is content on being quiet little David McKay who never has a really bad game, but never has a really good one.

He has kicked 1.4 for for the year in 14 games. I am not sure if its the instructions, but for someone who looks like they would be an elite finisher he is simply not getting dangerous enough.

 

[Allefgib]

Good to see the boys tough out a win against the odds. Haven't done enough of it in the last few years. Typically a smashing win or a fighting loss. (or this year a smashing loss ) Well done boys!! I was really worried they looked like they were playing for nothing early - maybe the injuries galvanised them a little. Whatever the reason - great to see a tough win. (having said that both teams played some awful footy at times)

VB - really stood up in last quarter, seems to thrive when his superior tank can be brought to bear. Perhaps his form dropping off is a little bit of a victim of the high number of interchanges in this day and age?

Tipsy - enjoyed the extra space and the dry day. Great marking display. Boy oh boy do we need some goal kicking training!!

Dougy - great game. Fantastic marking!!!!

Sellar - loved this aggression around the ball. Definitely would love to see him develop into the 2nd ruck as he has so many more strings to his bow, can play back, can go forward and kick game winning goals (and miss them but he's not alone there ) and runs and uses well by hand to be a good linkman as well. Keep at it Jimmy boy.

Philthy - a little lost up forward but showed his class a few times. Like to see him have a few more go's at it - but anticipate the backline is his spot.

Hendo - hates hates hates a contest! Love this kid and could be anything, still very much adjusting from basketball though. I think tips did the move coz he loves the physical stuff. I think hendo (being a point man) loves to get into space more and be damaging.

Danger - as I said earlier in the season he REALLY needs to work on his lateral movement. Or at the very least a quick, first option, release. Ideally both. He is continually getting caught with the ball as he tries his favourite option of trying to shrug off, or power out of tackles, in a straight line motion. If he can just develop a sideways hop/step as one of his first options when he gets the ball he'll have so much more time to dispose of it effectively.

Porpy - welcome back to some form mate. Good, clean, game from the porpoise.

Alot of the senior guys (stevens, dogga, reilly, thomo etc) were quieter today, so was good to see a win without significant contributions from them.

That's enough without more of a look.

PS FILTHY about Knights being injured. Hard to be too critical given we don't know how it happend but at the back of my mind I just can't stop thinking that he shouldn't have been played at all this season given his run of injury this year. Just get him right for next year FFS.

 

[Schulzycrow]

We butchered a few shots, but the Lions missed too many easy open straight in front goals. Should have won by 35. Just nice to be on the other side of the goal disease this week.

Won't be as lucky in the next few I thinkin.

Who comes in for Knighta, Vince and Schmidt??

 

[smoovy]

Good to see the boys tough out a win against the odds. Haven't done enough of it in the last few years. Typically a smashing win or a fighting loss. (or this year a smashing loss ) Well done boys!! I was really worried they looked like they were playing for nothing early - maybe the injuries galvanised them a little. Whatever the reason - great to see a tough win. (having said that both teams played some awful footy at times)

VB - really stood up in last quarter, seems to thrive when his superior tank can be brought to bear. Perhaps his form dropping off is a little bit of a victim of the high number of interchanges in this day and age?

Tipsy - enjoyed the extra space and the dry day. Great marking display. Boy oh boy do we need some goal kicking training!!

Dougy - great game. Fantastic marking!!!!

Sellar - loved this aggression around the ball. Definitely would love to see him develop into the 2nd ruck as he has so many more strings to his bow, can play back, can go forward and kick game winning goals (and miss them but he's not alone there ) and runs and uses well by hand to be a good linkman as well. Keep at it Jimmy boy.

Philthy - a little lost up forward but showed his class a few times. Like to see him have a few more go's at it - but anticipate the backline is his spot.

Hendo - hates hates hates a contest! Love this kid and could be anything, still very much adjusting from basketball though. I think tips did the move coz he loves the physical stuff. I think hendo (being a point man) loves to get into space more and be damaging.

Danger - as I said earlier in the season he REALLY needs to work on his lateral movement. Or at the very least a quick, first option, release. Ideally both. He is continually getting caught with the ball as he tries his favourite option of trying to shrug off, or power out of tackles, in a straight line motion. If he can just develop a sideways hop/step as one of his first options when he gets the ball he'll have so much more time to dispose of it effectively.

Porpy - welcome back to some form mate. Good, clean, game from the porpoise.

Alot of the senior guys (stevens, dogga, reilly, thomo etc) were quieter today, so was good to see a win without significant contributions from them.

That's enough without more of a look.

PS FILTHY about Knights being injured. Hard to be too critical given we don't know how it happend but at the back of my mind I just can't stop thinking that he shouldn't have been played at all this season given his run of injury this year. Just get him right for next year FFS.

He doesnt really have a good "don't argue". He tries to brush off the tackler with a weak flailing arm. He needs to push them off in the chest like the old no. 32 used to do. Or even Gary Ablett, who is never caught, unless he runs into a Stiffy.

 

[twentydollarnote]

We have one trick when moving the ball forward - kick it to Kurt.

Yep would hate to be a forward getting it from our midfield. They mentioned it on 'on the couch' last week that we just bomb it to our forwards and hope for the best, most times we do it without a crumber too.

 

[twentydollarnote]

Nice to see some posters can still put a negative spin on a win played with 20 men from the 1st quarter. None of those points come close to being valid after today's game, it just seems you can't win with some people.

Theres no point being positive just for the sake of it. All those points he mentioned were said in the context of looking at the whole year and most have been problems for longer than that.

 

[Crow-mo]

Nice to see some posters can still put a negative spin on a win played with 20 men from the 1st quarter. None of those points come close to being valid after today's game, it just seems you can't win with some people.

Bigman is one of the best judges on this board, and his astute judgements have been validated over many years.

whereas....

 

[-CG-]

Even Mark Bickley said at the after match function that we didn't play so well. He more so highlighted the fact that unlike the past few weeks, where we also didn't play that great but lost, that we actually pushed through our deficiencies at half time and won in the tiring conditions.

 

[jenny61_99]

Bigman is one of the best judges on this board, and his astute judgements have been validated over many years.

whereas....

A relation of yours?

 

[jenny61_99]

Even Mark Bickley said at the after match function that we didn't play so well. He more so highlighted the fact that unlike the past few weeks, where we also didn't play that great but lost, that we actually pushed through our deficiencies at half time and won in the tiring conditions.

I think this is the most important factor of this game. We were fading in the heat and the lack of options on the bench meant our guys were struggling. But when it was needed, we dug deep and never gave up. Craig managed the bench beautifully, the guys found "something", and a few players were a pleasure to watch.

Having seen the replay now though, I think we played quite well. The intensity and harassing from both teams was quite a bit higher than could be expected from 12th/15th on the ladder and that intensity caused turn-overs.

It was a great game to be at, I lost my voice... and Goodie said after the game (as if he'd played in it ) it was nice to leave the Gabba for the last time, with a win!

 

[Crow-mo]

A relation of yours?

whereas... exhibit B.

 

[jenny61_99]

whereas... exhibit B.

very droll, humphrey, very droll

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

whereas... exhibit B.

I laughed.

 

[Allefgib]

hahahah....

Still not convinced we played well today Jenny. But god I've been hanging out for ages for us to win when we DONT play well. Not sure how much of a measuring stick it is given Brisbane's own game but still nice to win when not playing well.

 

[jenny61_99]

hahahah....

Still not convinced we played well today Jenny. But god I've been hanging out for ages for us to win when we DONT play well. Not sure how much of a measuring stick it is given Brisbane's own game but still nice to win when not playing well.

Agreed... but don't underestimate that effort today under those conditions. That was impressive on so many levels, not the least of which it was away.