Preview Changes v Port Adelaide

[fabs33]

The Jaensch and Smith injuries have really cost us badly.

Agreed, and I also think you might be able to add Brad Crouch to the list because it's meant we've had to use Danger and Sloane more on the inside to compensate.

 

[Houston]

The Jaensch and Smith injuries have really cost us badly.

The Jaensch injury has left a glaring hole in our back 6. Kickouts have been woeful at best since he went down.

 

[footy4ever]

But this is a discussion for Adelaide posters. Are we not to ask these questions? I don't see any reason why a discussion on the makeup of our midfield structure can't be addressed between us. Thommos position in midfield should be addressed and considered just as much as the rest of the midfield group. Debating on the midfield when he wasn't playing in the first couple of rounds and when he is there isn't wrong. I don't see how saying go and tell the coaches helps.

I really have no inclination to continue debating the never ending story.

If Thompson's position in the midfield is so damaging, how is it that the genii on this board know for certain that it is, and our coaching staff, including Phil Walsh are/were ignorant of the damage he causes. I think I'm going to go with the guys who probably actually know what they're expecting and what they're getting from Thommo.

His last game aside, Thompson's been almost as good as he's ever been, and that kind of contribution to our midfield is invaluable.

He's the 3rd highest clearance winner in the AFL. He is that, because he wins the ball on the inside. Of the ten highest clearance winners in the AFL he has the 4th highest disposal efficiency and the 5th highest number of outside uncontested possessions, as well as the 2nd highest number of tackles…and yet according to opinion, he doesn't chase and run down the opposition, and doesn't offer any outside run, and doesn't spread… Even with his lack of pace he's doing the job better than most of the top ten clearance winners in the AFL, not just the Crows but the entire AFL. But this is not enough. I'm not quite sure just what kind of superman he's expected to be.

 

[footy4ever]

So we're back to the infallible coaching and selection group again. Do you think that every decision that our football dept has made over the last few years has been 100% correct. Are you aware that Dmac has 3 more years to run on his contract and VB another full year. Did you hear about a little skirmish between us and the AFL regarding a current Sydney player. Do you remember Matt Rendell of the Adelaide Crows, or do you only know him from his Collingwood days. How about leaving Massie on Franklin or playing an injured Roo who lasted about 5 minutes. What about an injured Petrenko in a prelim final. These are just off the top of my head. There is nothing about our football dept that suggests that a decision is correct simply because it was made by them. What are you, an infant? (one of my favourite movie lines)

I agree with everything you've said there. It doesn't mean the coaches are wrong this time, especially when there are cold hard facts and statistics to back them up.

 

[Danoz]

I wanted to see if there was some statistical evidence of our weakness in outside run an spread and the two statistics I could think of were handball receives and uncontested possessions. Unfortunately I couldn't find any data on handball receives but I did learn that we have only two players in the top 100 for uncontested possessions per game; Laird at 56 and the injured Jaensch at 79.

Laird 57th, Lynch 105th, Danger 127th. Couldn't find Jaensch on the list. I can't find handball receives anywhere either.

 

[footy4ever]

I'm sure everyone will be watching with interest from now on to see whether your posts only ever agree with coaching decisions.

I guarantee they haven't always in the past and I don't see any reason why this would change, unless God comes to coach, and even then I won't believe he is God.



Edit:…unless it's Malcolm.

 

[fabs33]

Laird 57th, Lynch 105th, Danger 127th. Couldn't find Jaensch on the list. I can't find handball receives anywhere either.

I was using footywire, they have him 79th, tied with Danyle Pearce and Heath Shaw.

I think all the in form clubs at the moment have at least five or six in the top 100. So for us to have only one in there who is fit and playing has made it tough going.

 

[Danoz]

I was using footywire, they have him 79th, tied with Danyle Pearce and Heath Shaw.

I think all the in form clubs at the moment have at least five or six in the top 100. So for us to have only one in there who is fit and playing has made it tough going.

AFL.com.au stats page has him around 225th.

Edit: I get it now, that's by average/game. I was looking at total.

 

[fabs33]

AFL.com.au stats page has him around 225th.

Are you looking at total or average per game? Because I honestly doubt that he'd be ranked that low on average.

 

[footy4ever]

Laird 57th, Lynch 105th, Danger 127th. Couldn't find Jaensch on the list. I can't find handball receives anywhere either.

You'd have to take into account that Walshy was trying to get the handball ratio right down, so reckoning on handball receives might be a bit misleading.

 

[Scorpus]

By going into this game with more than one actual key defender I think we'll do a much better job. Cheney got absolutely towelled up by Schulz, but really Talia should be playing on him. Hopefully this time we'll have Hartigan to take Ryder and Lever to take Westhoff, which is a much better defensive line-up.

 

[Red mist]

I really have no inclination to continue debating the never ending story.

If Thompson's position in the midfield is so damaging, how is it that the genii on this board know for certain that it is, and our coaching staff, including Phil Walsh are/were ignorant of the damage he causes. I think I'm going to go with the guys who probably actually know what they're expecting and what they're getting from Thommo.

His last game aside, Thompson's been almost as good as he's ever been, and that kind of contribution to our midfield is invaluable.

He's the 3rd highest clearance winner in the AFL. He is that, because he wins the ball on the inside. Of the ten highest clearance winners in the AFL he has the 4th highest disposal efficiency and the 5th highest number of outside uncontested possessions, as well as the 2nd highest number of tackles…and yet according to opinion, he doesn't chase and run down the opposition, and doesn't offer any outside run, and doesn't spread… Even with his lack of pace he's doing the job better than most of the top ten clearance winners in the AFL, not just the Crows but the entire AFL. But this is not enough. I'm not quite sure just what kind of superman he's expected to be.

That's good, everybody agrees where he excels. He is the go to clearance guy and Sauce seeks to drop it at his feet and when it happens we clear the ball. But not quickly. When we are beaten at the stoppage and the opposition is away we effectively become one down on the spread. That's his deficiency. That's where the discussion is in regards to finding solutions to improving our midfield. And we can do this with every mid.

 

[mattymac]

Sorry for intruding.

I've watched quite a few Crows games and your biggest problem is 2 way running by your mids.

Yes, some of them have high tackle counts, which are usually coming when they are tackling at the stoppages.

Your mids rack up good numbers.... but so do their opponents.

For what its worth, I thought your midfield looked a hell of a lot better in the first couple of rounds without Thommo.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Goo luck this weekend.

There's no denying this. The forward press fell away after he came back as well. He just isn't fast enough to close on the ball carrier or fill the gap left by a team mate doing so and as we all no it only takes one gap to get out the back of the press.

Walsh liked him for his ground ball though. I'm not convinced ground ball is the holy grail. We lost the ground ball convincingly against Collingwood IIRC but our press killed them.

 

[King Elvis]

I love Thommo, and I dismissed the theory being floated by a few here as outlandish during the first third of the season... But lately I've been thinking it might have a hint of validity to it.

 

[footy4ever]

That's good, everybody agrees where he excels. He is the go to clearance guy and Sauce seeks to drop it at his feet and when it happens we clear the ball. But not quickly. When we are beaten at the stoppage and the opposition is away we effectively become one down on the spread. That's his deficiency. That's where the discussion is in regards to finding solutions to improving our midfield. And we can do this with every mid.

Well, it may be the case, but you seem to think he should be something more than every other inside mid in the comp. Compared to to the best inside mids in the comp, he does that job better than most, and that includes 'spreading'. Well as I see it you'll need to come up with something more than having the opinion he doesn't spread. He's not margarine.

 

[King Elvis]

I love Thommo, and I dismissed the theory being floated by a few here as outlandish during the first third of the season... But lately I've been thinking it might have a hint of validity to it.

Although having 2 other midfielders who contribute nothing might be a factor in amplifying Thommo's apparent weaknesses.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

The Jaensch injury has left a glaring hole in our back 6. Kickouts have been woeful at best since he went down.

They were not exactly rocking before hand either.

 

[Red mist]

Well, it may be the case, but you seem to think he should be something more than every other inside mid in the comp. Compared to to the best inside mids in the comp, he does that job better than most, and that includes 'spreading'. Well as I see it you'll need to come up with something more than having the opinion he doesn't spread. He's not margarine.

That's it. I don't seem to think he should be something more. I seem to think he was something more. The game catches up with players and its not his fault. It just happens to the best of them and he's in that bracket. Yes my opinion he struggles on the spread is from observation. And again I've also observed him doing great thing more often than not. Apart from giving away too many head highs and doing the funny little circle move. Yeah he's not margarine. He's the real deal, butter.

 

[SpeciousArgument]

I really have no inclination to continue debating the never ending story.

If Thompson's position in the midfield is so damaging, how is it that the genii on this board know for certain that it is, and our coaching staff, including Phil Walsh are/were ignorant of the damage he causes. I think I'm going to go with the guys who probably actually know what they're expecting and what they're getting from Thommo.

His last game aside, Thompson's been almost as good as he's ever been, and that kind of contribution to our midfield is invaluable.

He's the 3rd highest clearance winner in the AFL. He is that, because he wins the ball on the inside. Of the ten highest clearance winners in the AFL he has the 4th highest disposal efficiency and the 5th highest number of outside uncontested possessions, as well as the 2nd highest number of tackles…and yet according to opinion, he doesn't chase and run down the opposition, and doesn't offer any outside run, and doesn't spread… Even with his lack of pace he's doing the job better than most of the top ten clearance winners in the AFL, not just the Crows but the entire AFL. But this is not enough. I'm not quite sure just what kind of superman he's expected to be.

Ive always rated thommo. Deserves to be in the pantheon with roo/macca/goodwin/edwards

 

[King Elvis]

They were not exactly rocking before hand either.

They've been shithouse all season.

I'd hoped they were something Walshy was planning to rectify in the second half of the year.

 

[footy4ever]

They've been shithouse all season.

I'd hoped they were something Walshy was planning to rectify in the second half of the year.

Same. If even my wife goes mental at our kick outs, then there must be something dogs-balls-in-the-moonlight standout wrong.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I always have a good chuckle at the Thommo bashing on here.

It always reminds me that even though I really don't know that much about footy, there's others out there who know way less.

It's not about Thompson's individual performances. It's about team profile. We just don't have enough leg speed in the middle.

Ive always rated thommo. Deserves to be in the pantheon with roo/macca/goodwin/edwards

Um No. I think he'd certainly rate well as far as Crows mid fielders go, especially for his consistency and durability. However I'd have all of those players ahead of him for talent.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

They've been shithouse all season.

I'd hoped they were something Walshy was planning to rectify in the second half of the year.

We only seem to have 2 options. Kick it long straight down the middle or out to the right hand side.

I hope someone can come up with a better strategy as we are just giving it back to them.

 

[FR0GGY]

We only seem to have 2 options. Kick it long straight down the middle or out to the right hand side.

I hope someone can come up with a better strategy as we are just giving it back to them.

Kick it left!

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Kick it left!

I kick in the Eastern stand and they have never kicked it left from the northern end.