Coach Craig McRae

[Mollythedolly]

I thought last night's match was fantastic to watch. One for the purists.

Yeah, a bit like a test match v 1-dayer and/or T20.

 

[Kes1984]

Yes, they pretty much started the flooding and others have followed. It's why we can't score but it's frustrating to watch

I still blame Paul Roos for flooding

I miss the days where your fat full forward barely left the goal square!!

 

[manicpie]

I still blame Paul Roos for flooding

I miss the days where your fat full forward barely left the goal square!!

We need Anthony rocca back

 

[Kes1984]

Yeah, a bit like a test match v 1-dayer and/or T20.

Good analogy. The only cricket I’ve ever been able to stomach is one dayer. Never bothered with T20 because I’m just not into cricket but test matches, bleh!!

 

[Carringbush2010]

But right on cue the doomers still lose their minds because we lost, by 3 pts..

No that's not the reason, the reason is we were 2.5 games clear on top of the ladder and SHOULD be going into a finals campaign from top 2 but now we're relying on other results just to keep the double chance.

IF we finish outside top 4 we can STILL win the whole box and dice, but that's not how we should be doing it. That's the reason for the negativity, not 'CoZ wEE lOSSEd bY 3 pTs'

And no one is 'losing their mind', just putting forward opinion, you're not a mind reader from behind a keyboard stormy.

 

[Mollythedolly]

We were for the first quarter. Then went away from it for some strange reason.

That first quarter was the best we have played for a very long time, we were brave, fast, and above all unpredictable.

Uhmmmmm, it started raining maybe.

 

[mocamagic]

My only criticism of McRae is being too slow to pull the trigger with the sub

 

[Kes1984]

We need Anthony rocca back

Pebbles is one of my all time favourite players

 

[manicpie]

Pebbles is one of my all time favourite players

He was always able to bust open the flood

 

[manicpie]

My only criticism of McRae is being too slow to pull the trigger with the sub

I think he was a bad choice for sub to begin with. Should have tried him on Curtin and gave Sidey a midfield role

 

[Carringbush2010]

We were for the first quarter. Then went away from it for some strange reason.

That first quarter was the best we have played for a very long time, we were brave, fast, and above all unpredictable.

Uhmmmmm, it started raining maybe.

See post 2896

 

[BillyElliott]

Yeah, a bit like a test match v 1-dayer and/or T20.

I found it enthralling to watch. First qtr we took risks. Second qtr, Crows came back. Third & 4th qtrs were an arm wrestle & it was fascinating to see who would blink first. As it turned out no one did and it came down to the wire.

The rain obviously affected the second half.

Was like a finals match.

With quite a few diabolical umpiring non decisions thrown in

 

[domus]

View attachment 2397805

Where have you hidden the camera?

 

[domus]

No that's not the reason, the reason is we were 2.5 games clear on top of the ladder and SHOULD be going into a finals campaign from top 2 but now we're relying on other results just to keep the double chance.

IF we finish outside top 4 we can STILL win the whole box and dice, but that's not how we should be doing it. That's the reason for the negativity, not 'CoZ wEE lOSSEd bY 3 pTs'

And no one is 'losing their mind', just putting forward opinion, you're not a mind reader from behind a keyboard stormy.

This endless whining about alleged whining is seriously unhinged. How dare supporters be perturbed by our unforeseen plunge down the ladder? Are we not in this competition to win it? Is that way too an old school, neanderthal way of thinking about our team?

I'm truly lost as to what some here believe is permissible and acceptable to post after a fifth loss in six outings on the eve of the finals.

 

[Jonno94]

We have 3 more wins if Cox was selected over McStay, Parker was selected over Markov and De Goey was given more time in the VFL. That's the reality, Fly has been shocking at selection this season.

 

[SouthernPie]

I'm still trying to understand why the flooding of our forward half persisted for so much of the game.
Just asking for insight from those here who are more knowledgeable than I regarding tactics.

Is there any moves that can be made to stop such flooding, other than to reciprocate in the opposition's forward line with an extra back?

Perhaps Fly was more comfortable thinking that while the ball spent more of the time locked in our forward line, at least it wasn't in theirs?

Or was it just that we had too many players tackling in the scrums and not enough positioned outside to receive and have a shot at goal?

Just perplexed as to why our forward line was allowed to be so crowded and inefficent when the ball was in there. Would appreciate the learned knowledge of others on this.

 

[doofdoof]

I thought last night's match was fantastic to watch. One for the purists.

I was at the game. Level 5 behind the goals.

It was not at all enjoyable. The terrible umpires, which we cant control.

Our play after quarter time was incredibly frustrating. The clear direction to the players after quarter time was to kick wide and attack from the flanks.

I could see switching opportunities that were ignored time and again and the players in the corridor were jogging and playing more zone, rather than offering leads or running hard into space.

The number of times we kicked long to outnumbered forwards was incredibly frustrating.

It was only when things got desperate in the last quarter that the players started to do something different and the game opened up a little both ways.

Of the 71 inside 50s, I'd say 40+ were simply giving the ball back to Adelaide.

 

[SouthernPie]

Just read elsewhere on Big Footy that one way of clearing a congested forward line is NOT to bomb it long, but to chip it around outside the 50 arc and entice opposition players out of it to intercept the chipping. Bit risky though?

 

[HFF]

I wonder how much longer he will persist with some names out of “loyalty” as opposed to reading the riot act ?

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

I'm still trying to understand why the flooding of our forward half persisted for so much of the game.
Just asking for insight from those here who are more knowledgeable than I regarding tactics.

Is there any moves that can be made to stop such flooding, other than to reciprocate in the opposition's forward line with an extra back?

Perhaps Fly was more comfortable thinking that while the ball spent more of the time locked in our forward line, at least it wasn't in theirs?

Or was it just that we had too many players tackling in the scrums and not enough positioned outside to receive and have a shot at goal?

Just perplexed as to why our forward line was allowed to be so crowded and inefficent when the ball was in there. Would appreciate the learned knowledge of others on this.

Simply, it's the recipe to defeat Collingwood. Commentators were all over it. Praising our unpredictability in Q1 which sadly disappeared in Q2, 3 and 4.

I think teams with leg speed know they can flood back, wait for their moment and then explode and we don't have the speed to cover them. Brisbane did this perfectly and all game. Adelaide did this on occasion with the trick transition.

 

[BillyElliott]

I was at the game. Level 5 behind the goals.

It was not at all enjoyable. The terrible umpires, which we cant control.

Our play after quarter time was incredibly frustrating. The clear direction to the players after quarter time was to kick wide and attack from the flanks.

I could see switching opportunities that were ignored time and again and the players in the corridor were jogging and playing more zone, rather than offering leads or running hard into space.

The number of times we kicked long to outnumbered forwards was incredibly frustrating.

It was only when things got desperate in the last quarter that the players started to do something different and the game opened up a little both ways.

Of the 71 inside 50s, I'd say 40+ were simply giving the ball back to Adelaide.

Entitled to your own opinion. As someone who goes to all our games in Victoria, it can be appreciated completely differently when watching on tv, which is why I like to watch the replay after games I've been to.

The first qtr we took risks. The 2nd qtr Crows responded. The second half was an arm wrestle waiting to see which side would blink first. Neither did and it went down to the wire. Was like a finals match and had me on the edge of my seat all night.

I loved the pressure & intensity of the match right to the final siren.

 

[Piestration]

They're flooding our forward line. Clubs have been doing it for the last couple of months. Flooding in finals is a risky propersition. It really could turn for us in September but it's not going to be easy

No doubt teams are doing this to provide numbers to help resist our pressure game. More alarming for me is eventually after a dozen entries, teams are able to negotiate their way out of the chaos with an easy slingshot past Moore & Co who don't have the pace to defend the 70m between them and the goal. Hence the reason why teams need less inside 50's than us to win. How many weeks now are we pumping the ball in for long periods of time with minimal result and bang easy goal the other end. It undoes all the good work in our forward line and makes me spew. We desperately need Howe back and to fine tune our defensive press.

I don't understand why we can't occasionally just change up with an unpredictable set play quickly along the ground to a particular area rather than wait and go long into the pocket that all teams are setup for. Rather the occasional B plan than kicking it to the strengths of Andrews, Sicily, Keanne, Taylor, Ryan, Stewart, etc.

 

[jathanas]

Damien Hardwick. Fly’s old boss.

Crooked mouth!

 

[SouthernPie]

I could see switching opportunities that were ignored time and again and the players in the corridor were jogging and playing more zone, rather than offering leads or running hard into space.

The number of times we kicked long to outnumbered forwards was incredibly frustrating. I noticed watching on TV, that a couple of times Nick was in the clear, but team- mates refused to switch it to him.

Yep, I noticed watching on TV that on a couple of occasions, Nick was in the clear, but team mate with the ball refused to switch it to him. Sidey was a glaring example of this and Nick was most frustrated with him.
"Why aren't they using Nick?" was a question I asked more than once.
Who knows? Players lacking faith in each other? Being instructed to long bomb it? Or no Plan B as mentioned above?

 

[DinoSoar]

Just read elsewhere on Big Footy that one way of clearing a congested forward line is NOT to bomb it long, but to chip it around outside the 50 arc and entice opposition players out of it to intercept the chipping. Bit risky though?

No, not as much risk due to free players on the outside that haven’t followed their opponent in and just requires more patience/good decision making with decent skill execution so as not to turn it over or allow easy intercept. There’s more risk in bombing in as it requires a pack mark (much more difficult) otherwise ball comes to ground and you are outnumbered and it’s an easy clear due sheer weight of numbers. Also, to counter to the flood requires discipline in 2 way running to pressure the ball carrier to ensure there isn’t the easy outlet or option in the next possession chain preventing the overlap run.

We currently fail in all aspects - decision making, skill execution and disciplined 2 way running. We are not forcing teams to abandon the flood tactics and it is clearly working to negate us so just about every team is now doing it.