Preview Changes v Port Adelaide

[Bovo]

Until this footy club makes some very difficult decisions on certain players, we won't be heading anywhere.

It really won't matter who the coach is, we will only ever been as good as our weakest link and players who can not get the job done.

We are not very good and I will stand by the fact we will struggle to win any more than 2 out of our next 5 or 6 games.

I fully concur with this. The closest we got to a tough decision was Vince. I think our issue has always been our middle tier. Without picking on Mackay, but he can have one great year which makes him valuable at trade period. We re-sign him and he goes back to being up and down. Add Wright and Hendo to that camp. I will say though that if Crouch Snr did not have his injuries our midfield at least would have been a lot more favourable.

 

[Infra Ted]

Why do people hate wright. His performances are satisfactory but getting ball is not his role, he gets players involved, shepherds, blocks. The handball to knight for his first goal sparked his game and potentially his career.

Get me in the team if that's all that's required of an AFL standard player. I'll jump in front of opposition players all day long. Might get the odd rushed behind too. Even up the scoreboard ledger with Matty Wright.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Until this footy club makes some very difficult decisions on certain players, we won't be heading anywhere.

It really won't matter who the coach is, we will only ever been as good as our weakest link and players who can not get the job done.

We are not very good and I will stand by the fact we will struggle to win any more than 2 out of our next 5 or 6 games.

Agree with this , we need a win this week and I think we've picked close to the best team we could to win ...I wouldnt have picked wright but other than that it's a well balanced side with a bit more run on the outside ... We need 2 more years of astute drafting and weed out 4-5 players from our starting line up and a few more in the sanfl

 

[Red mist]

Question. Can we maintain the core values laid by Phil Walsh and put down as a mission statement by the players, coaches and staff of AFC while making hard calls on players that aren't cutting it so far and bringing in the players that are near the cusp? Ruling out balance and focusing on the group that will be in contention for 2016 and 2017. Surely the answer is yes?

 

[splat868]

Alex I actually agree with you mostly but in the end you need to pick a balabced side to beat your opposition on the day

Too much of one type and you get exposed

Getting pumped in the showdown because we are looking into the future is not what the club needs right now , we need a balance and I think this team is pretty right for this week

A first gamer second gamer less than 10 gamer (lever) means that we are bringing in youth with more to come

6 players with less than 20 games if you include.
Hartigan
Matt Crouch
Cameron

 

[King Elvis]

How so?

Someone else made that argument recently; someone else posted the stats which showed his pressure acts and one percenters were quite insignificant.

 

[King Elvis]

Question. Can we maintain the core values laid by Phil Walsh and put down as a mission statement by the players, coaches and staff of AFC while making hard calls on players that aren't cutting it so far and bringing in the players that are near the cusp? Ruling out balance and focusing on the group that will be in contention for 2016 and 2017. Surely the answer is yes?

You can't claim to uphold Walsh's legacy, with the 'elite standards' being the cornerstone of it, and then continue to select guys like Wright, McKay and VB.

Those 3 players contribute the equivalent of 1 good player; we may as well be two men short.

 

[Shoota Welsh]

i feel like im the only person who thinks martin is an asset. sure we have attacking stars in the middle but we are an average team because they are mostly frontrunners who enjoy going forward and cant be bothered defending. thompson and crouch i can half handle because thompson especailly is a clearance legend and both are very slow. i cant handle the likes of mackay on the wing being probably our worst. martins two way gut running is necessary. NO, he isnt a long term prospect... who cares neither are players such as mackay. i was a big advocate for knight to come in before atkins for this reason. he will definitely be the better player. i think atkins will be similar to mackay in his defensive ability. hope im wrong

 

[fabs33]

You can't claim to uphold Walsh's legacy, with the 'elite standards' being the cornerstone of it, and then continue to select guys like Wright, McKay and VB.

Those 3 players contribute the equivalent of 1 good player; we may as well be two men short.

Just to play Devil's advocate for a moment; but didn't Walsh himself play all three of those players? Saying that we can't uphold Walsh's legacy of elite standards by playing Wright, Mackay and VB sounds like saying that Walsh wasn't adhering to those elite standards either.

 

[Red mist]

You can't claim to uphold Walsh's legacy, with the 'elite standards' being the cornerstone of it, and then continue to select guys like Wright, McKay and VB.

Those 3 players contribute the equivalent of 1 good player; we may as well be two men short.

They've made a call on VB. Wright surely must be the next in line. McKay must be rubbing shoulders with him. Shaw may even dislodge Hendo if he doesn't improve. The good thing is our injury list is thinning (wrong time of the year as per usual) so the competition for spots shouldn't go unrewarded.

 

[Paladin]

Wright has been hitting his best form this last month. Same old brigade that was calling for Jenkins head despite him turning it around and being our best forward the last six weeks.

Takes a while for opinions to sway. I wanted Wright dropped and he was poor but his last 3 weeks have been excellent. Dmac on the other hand has dropped off sharply.

 

[King Elvis]

Excellent?

He's played a few decent games, but I wouldn't call 15 touches and a goal 'excellent' for a player of his experience.

Just to play Devil's advocate for a moment; but didn't Walsh himself play all three of those players? Saying that we can't uphold Walsh's legacy of elite standards by playing Wright, Mackay and VB sounds like saying that Walsh wasn't adhering to those elite standards either.

Wright and VB were apparently gone for the Geelong game, so I guess the first half of the season was the test period.

 

[fabs33]

Wright and VB were apparently gone for the Geelong game, so I guess the first half of the season was the test period.

I'm fine with that, like I said, I was only playing Devil's advocate. If Walsh was playing those two as a last chance before putting a line through their name then I have no problem with it.

 

[Bovo]

Question. Can we maintain the core values laid by Phil Walsh and put down as a mission statement by the players, coaches and staff of AFC while making hard calls on players that aren't cutting it so far and bringing in the players that are near the cusp? Ruling out balance and focusing on the group that will be in contention for 2016 and 2017. Surely the answer is yes?

i think there is a tad too much emphasis here. For those who knew Walsh they say he was a true tactician. I am not sure we were unde

Just to play Devil's advocate for a moment; but didn't Walsh himself play all three of those players? Saying that we can't uphold Walsh's legacy of elite standards by playing Wright, Mackay and VB sounds like saying that Walsh wasn't adhering to those elite standards either.

i think that is the point. Putting it all into perspective Walsh was only with us what 9 months? From all sources he was a true footy strategist, but this was his first time as a senior coach. I am sure his philosophy and coaching would have paid dividends in the coming years.....these things take time. I am sure he knew more about coaching than most/all of us, however his teachings are a journey that has been cut devastatingly short.

Excellent?

He's played one decent game, hasn't he?



Wright and VB were apparently gone for the Geelong game, so I guess the first half of the season was the test period.

and it takes time to mould the team the way he wanted them to play. It was always a multi year plan to make us a serious final contender. I am pretty sure our ball skills this year have been bloody dismal. Walsh even admitted it with his famous Van Gough comment about sunflowers. We started a traineeship which has been cut short. I will tell you whomever becomes our next senior coach will do things differently.....as everyone has their own method and madness.

 

[Bovo]

I have no idea what I did there.....lol. Started writing things and then changed my mind (except the last one) and now they all appear.....um....hmmmm

 

[dylan123]

Rat will be sub

Is that fact or your opinion?

 

[GROTTO]

Wright has been hitting his best form this last month. Same old brigade that was calling for Jenkins head despite him turning it around and being our best forward the last six weeks.

Takes a while for opinions to sway. I wanted Wright dropped and he was poor but his last 3 weeks have been excellent. Dmac on the other hand has dropped off sharply.

Jenkins displayed great team first footy last week with the handball to Tex in the goal square. In fact I found his hardness last week to be very good and improved. A selfish player would have kicked the goal himself but JJ gave his goal tally away for that one to Tex. Which when you consider that his AFL career is sometimes questioned, he deserves full marks for that give off.

 

[Shoota Welsh]

atkins will be sub

 

[King Elvis]

Jenkins displayed great team first footy last week with the handball to Tex in the goal square. In fact I found his hardness last week to be very good and improved. A selfish player would have kicked the goal himself but JJ gave his goal tally away for that one to Tex. Which when you consider that his AFL career is sometimes questioned, he deserves full marks for that give off.

Hasn't he credited the change in his game to Walsh having an honest conversation about his lack of intensity?

 

[1970crow]

Cam only bring in so many debutants or inexperienced players at a time.

Mackay needs to be replaced by a backman & only Shaw is available so he stays for now.

Wright was ok last week so stays for now given already dropping another hff type. Would be under pressure though from kerridge & Grigg soon. Ditto Martin.

Mackay wasn't a defender when he first went back there. Is still barely a defender to this day.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Mackay wasn't a defender when he first went back there. Is still barely a defender to this day.

It's a baffling positional move.

He was decent when he went back during the match Jaensch got injured…I think it fooled Walsh into keeping him there. That, and Laird has overtaken him massively as an attacking option.

 

[beartoo]

Hasn't he credited the change in his game to Walsh having an honest conversation about his lack of intensity?

Yes he did, and he said he was uneasy about Walsh's 'man conversations'.
Seems to have worked though.

 

[1970crow]

Just to play Devil's advocate for a moment; but didn't Walsh himself play all three of those players? Saying that we can't uphold Walsh's legacy of elite standards by playing Wright, Mackay and VB sounds like saying that Walsh wasn't adhering to those elite standards either.

This was concerning me also. I thought the same thing and that Walsh had come into Adelaide and been indoctrinated into our way of going about things. There's posts where I'm arguing about whether he was playing a long game. My view changed in the Brisbane presser when he made it clear that there were going to be players getting dropped. This kind of public statement doesn't occur because a player or 2 made a couple of bad decisions in a game we ended up winning. This occurs because there's guys who have been treading a fine line for too long. I don't think was the slash and burn type, he gave respect to the guys in the selection committee and the players that they supported. He did this until it was proven that they were all heading down the wrong path. Just because VB was selected for the previous few weeks doesnt' mean that Walsh himself had any faith in him upholding that core mantra. I think the Brisbane game was the turning point where Phil was about to really get going with regards to upholding that standard.

As I mentioned somewhere else, I think the first part of the year was about review. Not just about the players, but about the entire process of putting our perceived best 22 on the park. I think a few people have been found out, and not just VB & Wright.

I'm convinced that I was wrong to question Walsh's standards and 'elite' mantra. He wasn't a slash and burn guy and he gave everyone a chance until there was enough evidence to show that they're not part of the solution.

 

[Elite Crow]

This was concerning me also. I thought the same thing and that Walsh had come into Adelaide and been indoctrinated into our way of going about things. There's posts where I'm arguing about whether he was playing a long game. My view changed in the Brisbane presser when he made it clear that there were going to be players getting dropped. This kind of public statement doesn't occur because a player or 2 made a couple of bad decisions in a game we ended up winning. This occurs because there's guys who have been treading a fine line for too long. I don't think was the slash and burn type, he gave respect to the guys in the selection committee and the players that they supported. He did this until it was proven that they were all heading down the wrong path. Just because VB was selected for the previous few weeks doesnt' mean that Walsh himself had any faith in him upholding that core mantra. I think the Brisbane game was the turning point where Phil was about to really get going with regards to upholding that standard.

As I mentioned somewhere else, I think the first part of the year was about review. Not just about the players, but about the entire process of putting our perceived best 22 on the park. I think a few people have been found out, and not just VB & Wright.

I'm convinced that I was wrong to question Walsh's standards and 'elite' mantra. He wasn't a slash and burn guy and he gave everyone a chance until there was enough evidence to show that they're not part of the solution.

I miss Walshy

 

[Thinker]

Who would be a better impact player to select as sub?

Except Martin won't be sub.