Craigy’s Coaching- Questions MUST be Asked

[Drummond]

I lost count of how many things he got wrong today. Surely he realises that EVERY time we play the Eagles Cox, Kerr and Embley single handedly destroy us? Where were the plans to counter these guys? Oh that’s right; Craig thought Cox was only “OK”. Spare me Neil, Cox destroyed us once again.

I know some I’ll cop it for this but Robert Shirley would have to be one of the worst taggers in the competition. Yes it’s all well and good that he’s averaging career high disposals, but has he ever shut down his direct opponent? Kerr had 30+ possessions today and Shirley had no answers. We either need to put someone on Kerr than can shut him down or play someone who will damage the Eagles themselves. Shirley does neither.

Torney on Embley? It was his first game for over a month and yet Embley still managed to rip us apart again across the HFF. We have no match-ups for him and as long as he plays us against us he’ll continue to dominate. Torney allowed Embley far, far too much space today and as a result he proved deadly.

Scott Stevens should NEVER, EVER play in defence again, or at the very least never play against someone taller than him. When he’s matched up on taller opponents he is stuffed. For someone so tall he’s as weak as they come. When put forward in the last quarter he kicked 2 goals, so please, keep him up forward.

Martin Mattner needs to be dropped; we cannot tolerate his lack of awareness any more. And yet in the press conference Craig defended him yet again. So good luck again next week Marty!

Porplyzia IMO was our most dangerous forward, and he put him down in defence in the last quarter. You don’t remove your one and only dangerous forward to put him in defence.

 

[macca23]

And if you were the coach Drummond, could you please tell us exactly what were the match-winning moves that Craig should have made - that would have worked?

 

[fryingpan]

Wow a loss to the reigning premiers by 3 goals and all hell is breaking loose.

People need to chill the **** out and focus on next week, we can't win every single ****in game.

Drummond, marty - stop whinging.

 

[crowman_23]

My personal opinion is Craig sucks as a match day coach. Seems to have perfect plans some weeks but on the games when it doesn't work we have no plan B. He refuses to change the set-up until it is way too late and all over. Craig needs to be more flexible and be able to adapt during the game.

I half disagree on Mattner though. I am a fan but not when he is forced to play as a shut down defender. Marty is only good when he is running off a half back or on a wing when he creates lots of run and drive. It's proven he is unable to shut down an opponent so why continually try it. Throw him on a wing and let him run.

 

[- PC -]

I thought there wasnt much that NC could do. I do agree the Cox situation was poor. But apart from tagging him with the other ruckman...what to do?

 

[bobshoby]

It's starting to wear on me to I must admit, did he at least admit that this was a truly disgraceful, embarassing performance?

Mattner needs to go back on the wing where he belongs, we need to swap Stevens for Mcgregor if Stevens is too light for his opponent more than we do. Torney was quite good I thought though if I could actually recognise Embley I'm sure I'd probably agree with you.

I think the gameplan is starting to wear a bit thin, we're far too predictable and it doesn't help that West Coast have almost the perfect team to counter it regardless. Bombing it long to the best back line in the competition is asking for trouble, as we showed in 05/06.

 

[Drummond]

And if you were the coach Drummond, could you please tell us exactly what were the match-winning moves that Craig should have made - that would have worked?

macca23 please don’t turn a blind eye on Craigy’s shortcomings as coach. He has far too much faith in players and is so stubborn that he refuses to make necessary changes. Stevens had to be changed and thrown forward. Seaby and Chad Jones were killing him and yet he stuck by him. So he finally went forward in the last quarter and kicked a goal, only to run straight back into defence. Yes Bassett went off which limited any changes we could make, but he should have switched Bock and Stevens.

He had to take Shirley off Kerr as he had 20 possessions at half time. How long can you let someone have that much of an influence before making a change?

 

[crowman_23]

Wow a loss to the reigning premiers by 3 goals and all hell is breaking loose.

People need to chill the **** out and focus on next week, we can't win every single ****in game.

Drummond, marty - stop whinging.

We can't win every game but today's performance was pathetic. And a pattern is emergin of Adelaide being very hot and cold which is very frustrating for all fans, players, coaches etc.

We are all entitled to a whinge when they give a crap performance like today.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

And if you were the coach Drummond, could you please tell us exactly what were the match-winning moves that Craig should have made - that would have worked?

IMO, Craig should have made some changes at half-time or during the 3rd quarter. May of made no difference, but our structure wasn't working.

Rutten is better suited to FB & should have picked up Seaby, with Stevens on Lynch to use his running ability across CHB.

Swapping Bock & Stevens should have happened earlier.

Macca was struggling with an ankle, so why not throw him forward when he came back on?

 

[Drummond]

Wow a loss to the reigning premiers by 3 goals and all hell is breaking loose.

People need to chill the **** out and focus on next week, we can't win every single ****in game.

Drummond, marty - stop whinging.

Oh man. I love how ridiculously overboard you go whenever someone questions ANYTHING.

We were pathetic today; the U/18’s would show better skills than what we had today. We let the Eagles go from the kick-ins to a goal in about 30 seconds. It looked like a training run for the Eagles at times. Craig’s coaching was poor, and we have one of the worst forward lines in the competition.

It’s all well and good to be so ultra positive which you are every single week, but you surely cann't ignore the issues this club is facing.

 

[bus24]

Martin Mattner on Chad Jones, what a disaster. I couldn't believe that move. Why didn't Kenny or Bock come back?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Martin Mattner on Chad Jones, what a disaster. I couldn't believe that move. Why didn't Kenny or Bock come back?

I agree, but Massie did a top job after though.

 

[Alex99]

During the last quarter of today’s game I started thinking about who was going to get the blame for today’s loss, with no Ian Perrie or Luke Jericho to pin the loss on; I guess this answers my question.

Dean Cox is not the AA ruckman for nothing. He is that dam good and in resent years we have always struggle to contain his dominance around the ground; this will continue to occur until we find (Griffin is a still young and raw but potentially capable of doing the job) a ruckman who is capable to run with him and match his ground work.

Our midfielders have the ability to read his tap work and utilize his importance at ball ups but it’s his mobility and ground movement that kills us.

At the end of the day, we are just not good enough to match the skill level and pressure West Coast Eagles apply to us and with the current day back bone group of player in the side; their skills will always break down under the pressure the apply to us. Just not good enough.

 

[fryingpan]

Oh man. I love how ridiculously overboard you go whenever someone questions ANYTHING.

And you never go ridiculously overboard do you Drummond?

We were pathetic today; the U/18’s would show better skills than what we had today. We let the Eagles go from the kick-ins to a goal in about 30 seconds. It looked like a training run for the Eagles at times. Craig’s coaching was poor, and we have one of the worst forward lines in the competition.

Yeah, we didn't play well at all, I'm not denying that. But it seems whenever we have a poor week we come out the week after and play brilliant footy. I just hate how you and other bandwagoners think it's the end of the world when we lose one game.

It’s all well and good to be so ultra positive which you are every single week, but you surely cann't ignore the issues this club is facing.

Issues? We had a bad day and got beaten by the team that owns us. Issues with West Coast and being mentally and physically weaker than them? Yes. Issues as a club? Far from it.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

All this blame the coach is BS. Craigy has done a terrific job. Unfortunately, when it comes to WC he is coaching against a much more talented team. Considering the talent he has at his disposal, he has done incredibly well. You can't turn water into wine.

 

[macca23]

Martin Mattner on Chad Jones, what a disaster. I couldn't believe that move. Why didn't Kenny or Bock come back?

Bassett getting injured early unbalanced our defence and our ability to make moves through lack of options.

Kenny was obviously unfit and almost immobile.

I just think that Craig was very hamstrung for options.

 

[ShearMagic9]

Martin Mattner on Chad Jones, what a disaster. I couldn't believe that move. Why didn't Kenny or Bock come back?

In all fairness he probably didnt know an awful lot about Chad Jones

 

[Drummond]

Yeah, we didn't play well at all, I'm not denying that. But it seems whenever we have a poor week we come out the week after and play brilliant footy. I just hate how you and other bandwagoners think it's the end of the world when we lose one game.

Ahh there we go, knew it couldn’t be far away!

I question Craigy’s coaching and there’s that word again.

 

[ShearMagic9]

I dont think an awful lot can be blamed on Neil Craig, fair enough our gameplan wasn't good, but we just don't match up well against West Coast, simple.

Stevens on Seaby was a mismatch, but lets face it, our only other option was Bock.

Mattner on Jones was a mismatch, but Bassett getting injured left us with really no-one else.

Cox? Well how do you cover him? You cant. Well at least we can't.

 

[fryingpan]

Ahh there we go, knew it couldn’t be far away!

I question Craigy’s coaching and there’s that word again.

You always question it after a loss, then when we win you jump back on.

 

[crowman_23]

I dont think an awful lot can be blamed on Neil Craig, fair enough our gameplan wasn't good, but we just don't match up well against West Coast, simple.

Stevens on Seaby was a mismatch, but lets face it, our only other option was Bock.

Mattner on Jones was a mismatch, but Bassett getting injured left us with really no-one else.

Cox? Well how do you cover him? You cant. Well at least we can't.

It's not simple and it is not good enough. If we don't match up we have to pick a side that will. We are a team who has challenged for the premiership the last two seasons and were expected to easily make the top eight again this season. It is expected we find a match up against a side that has stopped our run for the last two seasons. Today was our best chance. We have to find ways to beat WCE, and stop just saying they are just too good for us and we don't match up well. If it's the case it's been happening for the last three years, so lets get better, and pick a team that matches up well on them, and BEAT them.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Bassett getting injured early unbalanced our defence and our ability to make moves through lack of options.

Kenny was obviously unfit and almost immobile.

I just think that Craig was very hamstrung for options.

He can't win. If he had of moved McGregor or Bock onto Jones then everyone would be whingeing he went too defensive.

 

[macca23]

All this blame the coach is BS. Craigy has done a terrific job. Unfortunately, when it comes to WC he is coaching against a much more talented team. Considering the talent he has at his disposal, he has done incredibly well. You can't turn water into wine.

Totally agree Springy.

It might have also helped if the water had actually managed to occasionally hit a target now and then instead of turning it over with ease.

Or maybe if Thompson had kicked goals with his 3 running shots rather than 1 point and 2 out of bounds on the full.

Or if Welsh had kicked a goal from 5 metres out on the angle instead of nothing.

Or if Stiffy hadn't gifted them a goal after they had kicked a point.

Or blah blah blah blah .......

Maybe he should have made more moves but Craig doesn't have to take the blame for players who can't execute the very basics of the game.

 

[brown30]

No plan B, slow to react, great at the preparation side of things though.

Awesome sports scientist, great motivator, average matchday coach.

 

[Kickin_Goals]

I lost count of how many things he got wrong today. Surely he realises that EVERY time we play the Eagles Cox, Kerr and Embley single handedly destroy us? Where were the plans to counter these guys? Oh that’s right; Craig thought Cox was only “OK”. Spare me Neil, Cox destroyed us once again.

I know some I’ll cop it for this but Robert Shirley would have to be one of the worst taggers in the competition. Yes it’s all well and good that he’s averaging career high disposals, but has he ever shut down his direct opponent? Kerr had 30+ possessions today and Shirley had no answers. We either need to put someone on Kerr than can shut him down or play someone who will damage the Eagles themselves. Shirley does neither.

Torney on Embley? It was his first game for over a month and yet Embley still managed to rip us apart again across the HFF. We have no match-ups for him and as long as he plays us against us he’ll continue to dominate. Torney allowed Embley far, far too much space today and as a result he proved deadly.

Scott Stevens should NEVER, EVER play in defence again, or at the very least never play against someone taller than him. When he’s matched up on taller opponents he is stuffed. For someone so tall he’s as weak as they come. When put forward in the last quarter he kicked 2 goals, so please, keep him up forward.

Martin Mattner needs to be dropped; we cannot tolerate his lack of awareness any more. And yet in the press conference Craig defended him yet again. So good luck again next week Marty!

Porplyzia IMO was our most dangerous forward, and he put him down in defence in the last quarter. You don’t remove your one and only dangerous forward to put him in defence.

Embley... Embley managed 2 goals from 20 meters out one was a freaking shocking kick in the other he was just the receiver.
Torney did well if not even with he beat him he even kicked goal him self, being one of our better players West Coast players who rack up possessions doesn't mean they did so well the amount of forward entry with no pressure isn't up to the back line alone.

Mattner should never be matched up on a KPP as he was today and he had no chance with the delivery of the kicks to him.
Jones only managed to get very far out shots that he missed.
Mattner played not up to his best but he was not in position.

How can it not be blatantly obvious to Craig that West Coast play tall against him.