Review Derby Post-Mortem

[Adolf Hipster]

 

[prattsta]

Does such a strategy lead you to becoming top heavy in terms of who does the work? I mean, if the side is marking time until certain players become available, and covering those players with the very best, does this result in too much being left for too few?

The Eagles didn't really have too many key standouts yesterday - it was an all over team game. Meanwhile, we have a couple of players who stood out above the pack.

By playing a structure where Pavlich, Mundy, Sandilands and to a similar extent, Fyfe, are required to do the majority of the work, are we then exposed by teams who work harder around the ground?

I hope the coaches are at least starting to ask the same questions Clay.

It all starts with Pavlich playing a permanent role in the midfield. Apparently, nobody else is capable... To make matters worse Pavlich hasn't even been replaced up forward. Once again, apparently nobody else is good enough, so we haven't even got a key focus anymore.

Does everyone remember the 2009 season? Our best young midfielder was injured and ruled out for the entire season. Pavlich moved into a more permanent midfield role to fill the gap. In hindsight, Pavlich had his least impressive season on record, nobody had to - or was even required to - step up, we gained nothing in long term development and given how this season is playing out, we failed to learn anything either.

 

[malpaso]

By playing a structure where Pavlich, Mundy, Sandilands and to a similar extent, Fyfe, are required to do the majority of the work, are we then exposed by teams who work harder around the ground?

Agreed. Take these players for instance:

DeBoer
McPhee
JVB
Crowley

All are 'defensive' players who have no real serious offensive upside (maybe McPhee). We are playing too many of them, JVB or Crowley (or both) need to come out for a player that can use the ball in the middle of the park (Palmer).

McPhee was bulldozing opposition midfielders in the middle last year, he's not in there this year, this along with Barlow and Morabito being out is one of our biggest changes in the middle.

DeBoer will always be in the side and so he should be.

JVB is too one-dimensional (fluke game earlier this year, has skills made of wood).

Crowley is past it, no speed and he's never been much of a one-touch player.

 

[Lach72]

Crowley will go this week. Heard Jako say at the end of the telecast that he'd done a quad and had been iced up.
Michie or Mellington in?

 

[Clay Davis]

I hope the coaches are at least starting to ask the same questions Clay.

It all starts with Pavlich playing a permanent role in the midfield. Apparently, nobody else is capable... To make matters worse Pavlich hasn't even been replaced up forward. Once again, apparently nobody else is good enough, so we haven't even got a key focus anymore.

Does everyone remember the 2009 season? Our best young midfielder was injured and ruled out for the entire season. Pavlich moved into a more permanent midfield role to fill the gap. In hindsight, Pavlich had his least impressive season on record, nobody had to - or was even required to - step up, we gained nothing in long term development and given how this season is playing out, we failed to learn anything either.

Furthermore, who in the Eagles midfield yesterday was threatening enough to require superstar class in there the other way? With Embley and Kerr out, we didn't really have any A grade threats hurting us.

I understand using Pav through there to impact against sides the quality of Geelong or Collingwood. But if we don't have the midfield depth to compete with the likes of Eagles or Richmond without needing Pavlich to play a full game through there, then we are going nowhere.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

heard an eagles fan on talk-back make a good call

something along the lines of "yes, I am glad we won and I know we were missing Cox, Kerr and Waters, but in all honesty if both teams were at full-strength or even at 90% there would only ever have been one winner"

Puts it in to perspective

I know what you mean about the midfield depth clay - but our depth has been tested and those who would normally slot in to the midfield/have spells there aren't available

Suban, Mzungu, Barlow, Morabito would all spend time in the midfield - the latter two more permanantly. Broughton and Duffield would have also had stints but due to our injured players they have almost had to be permenant backs.

Rotating players was something Harvey did well in 2010 when we could afford to do it - as it not only mixed things up but allowed playerd to adapt to different positions and see who fit better where - it also confused the opposition. Once we can afford to do this we will likely be a stronger outfit

Players returning from injury will no way in hell guaruntee success, increased performance or wins on the board - but it will increase the potential chance fro any of it to happen

 

[Clay Davis]

Mzungu shouldn't be factored as a loss because he hasn't played a single game of AFL yet. He could be the next Barlow. He could be the next Head.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

That's true regarding Mzungu, but we'll never know until he plays a game I guess

 

[Lach72]

Mzungu shouldn't be factored as a loss because he hasn't played a single game of AFL yet. He could be the next Barlow. He could be the next Head.

Just...no

 

[prattsta]

Just...no

Not a fan of Head Lach?

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Not when it's a guy and his name is Josh

 

[Clay Davis]

Just...no

Until a guy plays full time AFL football, we shouldn't be factoring them in as missing.

I'm confident he'll be good, but it's a pretty weak excuse to use him as an injured player.

 

[leungtl]

But why not? If David Swallow was injured at the start of the year would you call a Gold Coast fan out for listing him as a missing player?

 

[Avid_Avenger]

Agreed. Take these players for instance:

DeBoer
McPhee
JVB
Crowley

All are 'defensive' players who have no real serious offensive upside (maybe McPhee). We are playing too many of them, JVB or Crowley (or both) need to come out for a player that can use the ball in the middle of the park (Palmer).

McPhee was bulldozing opposition midfielders in the middle last year, he's not in there this year, this along with Barlow and Morabito being out is one of our biggest changes in the middle.

DeBoer will always be in the side and so he should be.

JVB is too one-dimensional (fluke game earlier this year, has skills made of wood).

Crowley is past it, no speed and he's never been much of a one-touch player.

I've been saying this all year. Too many negators in the side. Our side is way too defensive. When you add this to the fact we are missing 'playmakers' and 'ball-winners' it compounds the issue.

Replacing players like Barlow, Mora, Hayden etc with negators makes no sense. You should tag 2-3 players a game, that's it. 1-2 midfield tags and 1 player as defensive forward.

Other than the backline, the rest of the team should be creative or hard running link-up players or KPF targets. Playing Crichton and Palmer as defensive players at HF and Lower as another defensive mid is only compounding the issue further.

Effectively we have De Boer, McPhee, JVB, Crowley, Palmer, Crichton, Lower, Duff, Broughton as defensive players. Pav isn't being used as a creative player either but more as a stopgap to halve the clearances so he can be added to the list.

The coaching strategies, player positionings, player selections are all defensive, trying not to lose rather than trying to win decisions.

Clearly we are currently treading water until players return from injury. Clearly Harvey and co don't think our other midfielders are capable of doing the job. There's no way that this wouldn't be impacting on their confidence and development.

Until Harvey backs in our midfielders young and old (Palmer, Lower, Crichton, Walters, Michie), sets up our forward line around Pavlich, and gets back to backing in young players if senior players are underperforming, we will continue to struggle.

And by the time players return from injury our confidence and ladder position will be shot to pieces so treading water would have been a pointless exercise anyhow.

 

[Clay Davis]

But why not? If David Swallow was injured at the start of the year would you call a Gold Coast fan out for listing him as a missing player?

I'm not sure why the Gold Coast situation matters, as they are an entirely new club. They have no internal benchmarks, expectations, etc.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

A few of our players need some home truths told to them.

And I think it needs to come from within the playing group. From Mundy and Fyfe especially. Obviously, the coaching staff talking about too many passengers isn't enough. Some of these players need a kick in the arse from their team mates, and to be told how much it sucks to be carrying them.

The fracturing of performances is what destroys seasons, morale and cohesion within a group. If it's not addressed right now, it has the potential to ruin this season.

Who's going to tell Pav how hard he is to carry?

Honestly, he gets such an easy run when he's not performing. He's not chasing, not tackling, constantly turning the ball over and missing goals. A few weeks ago when he gave away a 50, he didn't even take responsibility to move down and stand the mark, just stood there shaking his head. This is not leadership, and its about time the Captian showed some, instead of taking pot shots at the young guys who are working their guts out.

Have been screwed over by our own admin.

Get used to it, we're in a brave new era.

Was it just me or did that not even feel like a derby? There were no spotfires, no physicality and it was not a traditional close game. NO INTENSITY at all from us.

I wasn't expecting us to win but without Embley and Kerr we should of done a lot bettet. That was really upsetting and we have now been exposed.

Worst effort in a derby I have ever seen. No passion, no fight, they didn't even go down swinging. Apart from about half a dozen who really worked hard all day, that performance was a disgrace to the jumper.

 

[peppy la pew]

Mzungu shouldn't be factored as a loss because he hasn't played a single game of AFL yet. He could be the next Barlow. He could be the next Head.

Stop it Clay, you're scaring me now

Just...no

Again, please babby Jesus, NO!!

 

[Lach72]

Mzungu is so far from Head it shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Mzungu is so far from Head it shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence

What about "Mzungu takes a screamer on Sandiland's head."?

There are exceptions to every rule.

 

[Clay Davis]

Mzungu is so far from Head it shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence

That's a bit mean. I'm sure Tendai is a hit with the ladies.

 

[Polly]

Too reactive around the stoppages, their midfield was at every stoppage, ours wasn't, Priddis was a deserving winner of the RGM, ran his guts out.
Thought Anthony did everything he could have done with limited opportunity, and should stay playing from the square. Pav moves to CHF with Mayne on the Flank.
The continual brain fart that is Ibbotson should be made to earn his cheque and play midifield, he's exactly the same as Mundy a few years ago, piss farting around on the half back line. He has the perfect body for it, even if he becomes the tagging midfielder.
Midfield rotation should be Mundy/Fyfe/Ibbotson/Palmer.
Crowley and Hill on the wings.
Johnson gives us nothing, I would prefer to have more leg speed in the team if Faulks or Silvagni are not available, Duffield has been a no show and we have suffered, no drive from half back whatsoever.
Every team has injuries, we need to adapt before this season is shot!

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Priddis was a deserving winner of the RGM, ran his guts out.

Interesting listening to the stats on the radio on the way home from the game, Priddis got 12 kicks and only 4 of them went to a team mate.

Fyfe was robbed.

 

[Stronzo]

Yep, it should've been Fyfe.

 

[E Shed]

Fyfe was easily the best player on the ground. would have been a good payback for when they gave it to Judd when we won.

 

[Dagless]

Interesting listening to the stats on the radio on the way home from the game, Priddis got 12 kicks and only 4 of them went to a team mate.

Fyfe was robbed.

Not saying Priddis deserved the medal, but according to the AFL website stats, he had a 67% disposal efficiency with one clanger (I think they only count clangers as OOF or if it goes directly to an opponent).

Fyfe on the other had had 50% disposal efficiency and 3 clangers. He was dangerous in the sense that he kept on getting the pill, but he was hardly dangerous with it yesterday IMO. Still 'do want' though