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- Jul 27, 2004
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VERSUS
2021 and we are in a looooooong daaaaaaark tunnel. Is that a faint glimmer of light in the distance?
The kids now showing promise are the hope for the future. The number of them that improve to the point where they can regularly impact games will be proof or otherwise of this pudding. Is it a pudding? Or is it a steaming pile of...
Time will tell.
No one expects miracles. Only the demented expect us to win a game in the next three weeks. Collingwood at home in Round 12 looks like the next winnable game. But are we better than Collingwood 2021? Or the hapless Kangaroos who we play in Round 23? It is possible that we have had our last victory for this season.
No one but the insane expect many wins while this rebuild takes place. We could question how this once great club arrived at this juncture after contesting a granny in 2017—one we were raging favourites to win and one we should have won. Retrospective angst gets us nowhere. We move on. The here and now is here and now.
WEST COAST EAGLES:
This mob is the club I wish were more like. Well run off the field, successful on it. Has to be one of the favourites for the flag this year. Strength and brilliance across all lines. No glaring weaknesses in this bunch of players that I can detect. Excellent backups when a first 22 player goes down.
MATCHUPS
O’Brien needs to do more than phone in his performance this week. He needs to be at his best to come anywhere near halving the ruck contest in the centre square or around the ground with
This bloke is the most valuable ruckman in the comp. Whatever the result of the ruck contest, WC’s bevvy of mids seem to have us covered. Jack Redden, Tim Kelly and Dom Sheed loom as a midfield that will give their rampaging forwards a look at the ball this week as they did last. Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo may also return. What an embarrassment of riches. Give us a few.
THE ENERGISER BUNNY...
- will be a handful for us this week as he is for every club he plays against. Hardest of hard runners coming off a wing, high-possession winner, deadly kick into the forward line. He’s coming off a 38-possession game against the Hawks with a team-high 10 scoring involvements. Who do we have to run with him to curb his influence? What’s Rob Shirley doing on Sunday?
- THEIR FORWARD V OUR BACKS?
- The experiment with one KPD on the field MUST end this week...
- ...against our tyro KPDs could be a nightmare on a Sunday evening in SA. I’ll back Butts to hold his own against either one, but who takes the other? The choices are McAsey, who is not yet reaching his potential, Borlase or Murray. The last two named have 4 games between them, all to Murray. This does not auger well for us against two of the best, most experienced and highly-skilled KPFs in the league. Unless our team defence can neuter these two big fellas, then one of them may be leading the Coleman Sunday night.
The better of the McGovern brothers is out injured and that is merciful to us. Even so, while their backline lacks experience, the blokes playing there are playing well. Plus their mids run hard to support and to clog up opposition forward lines. Can we get back to our early season practice of lacing out leading forwards? Can we stop the idiocy of bombing long and hit someone up? Can our forwards manage to get a metre of separation on their opponents to give them a chance of taking a low, well-delivered pass? I’d like to see it but I’m not confident I will.
CHANGES:
Two small forwards injured so who comes in? McAdam is playing poorly. Jones is going well off half back in the 2s. Do we bring him in and ask him to play a role he’s failed at in the past? If we do, we may dent his new-found confidence and set him back once more. O’Conner? Newchurch? It’s a lottery and good luck to the selectors whoever they choose.
Himmelberg out of the forward line? Can’t take a mark to save himself. Tex needs a break? Frampton is no answer and Fog doesn’t flourish as a forward. Do we keep Fog as mid experiment going in the 1s? So many questions and I have no answers. Should we bring Worrell in and give him a go? I’d like to see him in our forward line.
STATS
Yeah, there are lies, damned lies and statistics, but we fail to acknowledge them at our peril. Since the start of the 2018 season, we have won 28 and lost 41. Since the start of the 2020 season, we have won 6 and lost 19.
IN 2021 WE ARE:
● Ranked 18th in Kicks Per Game
● Ranked 12th in Handballs Per Game
● Ranked 18th in Disposals Per Game
● Ranked 18th in Marks Per Game
● Ranked 12th in Goal Assists Per Game
● Ranked 13th in Clearances Per Game
● Ranked 15th in Clangers Per Game
● Ranked 14th in least Opponent Points Per Game
● Ranked 17th in least Opponent Tackles Per Game
● Ranked 16th in least Opponent Inside 50s Per Game
● Ranked 17th in least Opponent Goal Assists Per Game
● Ranked 16th in least Opponent Clearances Per Game
● Ranked 12th in least Opponent Clangers Per Game
● Ranked 13th in least Opponent Rebound 50s Per Game
● Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Kicks Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 13th in Team to Opponent Disposals Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Marks Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 15th in Team to Opponent Points Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 15th in Team to Opponent Tackles Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Inside 50s Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 16th in Team to Opponent Goal Assists Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 15th in Team to Opponent Clearances Per Game Diff.
● Ranked 12th in Team to Opponent Clangers Per Game Diff.
We need to possess the ball more, have more disposals, enter our forward 50 more and restrict the oppos. entries. That’ll do for starters.
For a bit of good news, in 4 out of 8 games our disposal efficiency has been better than our opposition. The last 2 weeks we have been well beaten.
Where are we this weekend? Any result under a ten-goal pumping will be acceptable to me. I fear greatly that it will blow out to more than this.
