Crows Report Card - after 9 games

[Jack is Back]

THE SCOREBOARD
At 5-4 we have our nose in front but to be brutally honest we have had a poor to very poor start to the season. The first round loss to the Hawks looked bad at the time and even worse in hindsight. The loss to the Kangas was unforgivable and whilst Brisbane are much improved this year, a genuine contender would have won last week.

We should be 7-2, 8-1 was achievable and even 9-0 wasn’t out of the question. The only thing saving our arse is the inconsistency of most other teams.

NEXT FOUR GAMES BEFORE THE BYE
This will be season defining, we could go anywhere from 4-0 to 0-4. We must win at least three of these and none will be easy. We play the higher rated teams at Adelaide Oval (Eagles, Tigers, GWS) and our bogey team Melbourne in Darwin. After the bye we are off to the Cattery (ouch!!!).

THE GREAT
The return of a fit and firing Sloane, Smith and Brouch in 2019 can’t be understated. The emergence of Keath and the great signs from our New Kids is very encouraging.

THE GOOD
After slow starts to the season Talia, Hartigan, Laird, Lynch, Tex and Eddie are showing some good signs. ROB has stood up in Jacobs absence, ditto Himmelberg. Murphy has continued to improve and Chayce is looking exciting. Mackay has had his best start to the season since signing for FOUR MORE YEARS. Our injury list is relatively small and our coaches seem to be less conservative in both selection and game plan.

THE MEH
THE RAT, good one week then shocking the next. The mixture of disciplined hard nosed footy and brain fades from Hartigan and Kelly. The below (my) expectations in performance from Knight. Injuries to Douglas and Jacobs


THE BAD
The intensity from JJ and Gibbs. The impact of pre-season injuries on Greenwood and Gallucci. The injury disruptions to Brown, Seedsman and Milera.

THE UGLY
The Dude ACL

BEST 22 AS AT ROUND 10 (imho)
Assuming everyone except Doedee is available;

Brown Talia Keath

Smith Hartigan Laird

Milera Sloane Seedsman

Murphy Walker Lynch

Betts Berg Greenwood

O’Brien Mrouch, Brouch

Jones, Gallucci, CEY, Mackay (I can’t believe this).

Thoughts??
.

 

[jackster83]

Ask me in 24 hours.

Massive test for our midfield tomorrow. Brad in particular needs to play a match defining role.

 

[John Who]

I think the bye would be a more suitable time for a proper report card. By then we would have played 3 of the current top 6 teams, and we would have played the majority of the league teams.
Currently we deserve to be where we are: mid-tier group but for scope to improve.

 

[marty36]

I think the bye would be a more suitable time for a proper report card. By then we would have played 3 of the current top 6 teams, and we would have played the majority of the league teams.
Currently we deserve to be where we are: mid-tier group but for scope to improve.

Agree the next 5 will shape the season for sure

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Southerntakeover]

THE SCOREBOARD
At 5-4 we have our nose in front but to be brutally honest we have had a poor to very poor start to the season. The first round loss to the Hawks looked bad at the time and even worse in hindsight. The loss to the Kangas was unforgivable and whilst Brisbane are much improved this year, a genuine contender would have won last week.

I think this is a very good assessment of where we're at. I worry this could be a bit like last year- right before we went on that four game losing streak and the wheels fell right off.

 

[Thegibbsgamble]

In nine rounds we've played in four states. It takes collingwood a decade to do that.

 

[conVINCEd]

Amazing that our win-loss last season was better as this point despite 2018 being our year from hell and 2019 feeling so positive, albeit after a terrible start to the year.

 

[Johnny Rutten]

Very uninspiring start to the season. I'd give us a B-. However, we seem to be backing in some of our kids (Gallucci, Murphy, Himmelberg, Jones) over players we would normally expect to be in the side (Gibbs, JJ, Douglas, etc.). There has possibly been an honest revaluation at the club that maintaining the status quo wasn't going to deliver us a top-4 spot, and that going backwards a little to then (hopefully) move forward again is the way to go.

Very likely that 11-12 games will get you into the Top-8 this year, so finals still likely (especially if we can maintain our currently healthy percentage).

 

[footy4ever]

I think this is a very good assessment of where we're at. I worry this could be a bit like last year- right before we went on that four game losing streak and the wheels fell right off.

It feels different to last year for me. Last season we were getting progressively worse; death by a thousand cuts as one player after another got injured and the team got weaker and weaker until it broke completely. This season seems to be the reverse. Our form to start was rubbish but we’ve improved after a couple of stinkers - Hawks and North.

While we lost Doedee, we discovered Keath and we seem to have a steady flow of best 22 players recovering from injury and readying for return.

Interesting to see what happens in the next block of four or so games. Win against the Eagles, which we somehow managed(fluked) last season and I’ll be more confident of having a silly chance for top 4.

Making the eight this year with so many teams stock standard middle of the road, Crows included, is a bit like a lottery at the moment. After Collingwood, Geelong, GWS, the also-rans are all a chance for the last 5 spots. Only our mates Carlton and then Suns and North are no chance.

 

[Johnny Rutten]

Amazing that our win-loss last season was better as this point despite 2018 being our year from hell and 2019 feeling so positive, albeit after a terrible start to the year.

Putting last year's off-field stuff aside, in retrospect it seems pretty clear that this group peaked in the 2017 preliminary final against the Cats, and it's been pretty much downhill since.

 

[StonesThrow]

I am extremely underwhelmed by our year considering we've been able to play a pretty strong side most weeks.

The forward line inefficiency is a product of our lack of game plan from the midfield.

The midfield is our biggest concern. Somehow we have 3 very good core midfielders who are playing pretty well, but it feels like we are getting smashed. There is no system. We lambast our forwards (who are past their best no doubt) without regard for the ineptness of our forward movement.

Individual negatives include Laird, Atkins, Gibbs and Jenkins. A few others had poor starts but have come on since (Laird still not as influential as he normally is).

Positives have been the return of Smith, Brad Crouch staying fit, Keath's epic rise and the defence in general.

I predict a mid table finish unfortunately.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Putting last year's off-field stuff aside, in retrospect it seems pretty clear that this group peaked in the 2017 preliminary final against the Cats, and it's been pretty much downhill since.

Pretty much spot on. We also believe the 2017 side is the best way forward and only minimal changes were required. Gibbs was to be the missing link but has been found wanting.

 

[marty36]

Pretty much spot on. We also believe the 2017 side is the best way forward and only minimal changes were required. Gibbs was to be the missing link but has been found wanting.

We could have had a two year younger gibbs in 2017 if we were like the hawks and thrown them two firsts

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Footypie32]

C+

 

[Golumless]

Hard to not give this season a C at this point.

Some positives in that we've pumped games in some kids, and started to show a ruthless side selection wise, however, so far this season has been poor.

 

[marty36]

Hard to not give this season a C at this point.

Some positives in that we've pumped games in some kids, and started to show a ruthless side selection wise, however, so far this season has been poor.

Needs to be judged after playing the pace setters over the next 4 or 5 weeks

 

[Jack is Back]

BEST 22 AS AT ROUND 10 (imho)
Assuming everyone except Doedee is available;

Brown Talia Keath

Smith Hartigan Laird

Milera Sloane Seedsman

Murphy Walker Lynch

Betts Berg Greenwood

O’Brien Mrouch, Brouch

Jones, Gallucci, CEY, Mackay (I can’t believe this).
.

Well, the best 22 can change a lot in a week!

Whose in, whose out after the Eagles Test?

 

[mistylake]

It’s a C+ from me.