Freo's meek forwards

[Clay Davis]

I can't recall too many sides I have watched at AFL level who have a forwardline that is mostly completely shit scared of taking a shot for goal. The game on the weekend had some pretty outstanding cowardly efforts from only 10 metres in front.

1st quarter by Mayne

2nd quarter by De Boer

Sadly, players shying away from taking the responsibility was hardly unique to those two instances, the players involved, or indeed the game itself.

Teamwork is great and all that, but if a forward doesn't have the confidence to take the shot when he is in the best position, then he shouldn't be playing forward (if at all).

How does this happen? Compare those efforts to someone like Jetta, whose efforts in front of goal have been historically laughable. He still backs himself in to take the shot. Why do we have so many cowardly players when it comes to goal kicking?

 

[Sman-21]

Completely agree with u on this one.
Could see players get ball, enough time an space to settle an snap or take a direct shot, yet they never looked like going for it an were looking to pass it off to someone else.
Mayne is the worst, his first instinct everytime he gets the ball is too look to dish it off with a handball.

Maybe they are going the geelong route, where they had competitions amongst themselves to see who could get most assists.

 

[free at last]

My only explanation is both mayne and de boer are scarred from previous years missed shots on goal.A forward should have the thinking of, yep give the ball to me, I'm going to nail this.

 

[Retzlaff]

Agreed. Selfishness > selflessness in the fwd line.

 

[Clay Davis]

It's not just selflessness. It's complete mental fragility.

[youtube]kNoYHhj58AQ[/youtube]

Much was made of Heath Shaw's effort, which was absolutely fantastic. But what defined that moment for me was Riewoldt not doing the correct thing and taking the set shot. He played on because he was too scared he might miss.

That same deeply-seated mental weakness afflicts many of the players at Freo and has for a long time.

 

[Outshined]

I've never found myself thinking of Randy Marsh saying "Take the shooooot! Take the shooooot!" more than the game on Saturday. It was was a ridiculous display of mental fragility on our part, and I hope it's one of the first things Lyon addresses this week. If you're within scoring distance, not at a terrible angle, and there isn't a team mate in a better position, just kick it!

 

[yakka man]

Ross admitted as such in his media conference. Said our forwards are too unselfish.

 

[Chops_a_must]

My only explanation is both mayne and de boer are scarred from previous years missed shots on goal.A forward should have the thinking of, yep give the ball to me, I'm going to nail this.

The strange thing about this is that Mayne's kicking at goal has actually been quite good this year.

Looks to be very much in line and technically correct. I don't get it.

 

[estibador]

I bet that's the first time 'DeBoer' and 'cowardly effort' have ever been used in the same post.

(Those links don't work for me so I can't see what you're talking about)

 

[free at last]

The strange thing about this is that Mayne's kicking at goal has actually been quite good this year.

Looks to be very much in line and technically correct. I don't get it.

Totally agree with you.A couple times on the weekend I noticed his (mayne) eyes were darting for a lead, but none came.Went back and kicked truly.
Hopefully chopper gains confidence from this and has a good year for us.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

**** me, the kids got a player less than 2 metres away from his boot before he even starts to kick it, and you bag him for handballing it off.

Damned if you do damned if you don't once your on Clays shit list.

Take a look at the first video again and tell me any snap wouldn't have been smothered every single day of the week.

So sad how blinded by hatred you are.

 

[Clay Davis]

**** me, the kids got a player less than 2 metres away from his boot before he even starts to kick it, and you bag him for handballing it off.

Damned if you do damned if you don't once your on Clays shit list.

Take a look at the first video again and tell me any snap wouldn't have been smothered every single day of the week.

So sad how blinded by hatred you are.

Same could be said about you, considering how entirely predictable your post was.

He had more than a metre of space from his opponent and handballed to a guy who had no space. Only an error by Sydney players in the tackle led to a shot at goal. I was at the game and he had as much time as anyone to kick that goal. Not surprisingly, the commentators said the same.

Most forwards can kick goals with more than a metre of space.

 

[Clay Davis]

I bet that's the first time 'DeBoer' and 'cowardly effort' have ever been used in the same post.

(Those links don't work for me so I can't see what you're talking about)

De Boer's attack when the ball is in dispute or in the opposition's hand is unquestionably hard. But does he have the same mindset with the ball in hand?

 

[Purplrrr]

Have to agree with this thread to a point. Not sure whether it is cowardice... maybe not the word I would use, but certainly at time a lack of self confidence. Haven't watched the replay, but from the ground, there were a few times where their seemed to be plenty of space that most players would have taken advantage of. Particularly when we managed to get a break on the congestion. But after all the d*cking around with cute handballs (to players feet half the time!) sydney would get back in defence, and suddenly there was heaps of congestion in the forward fifty again, and sydney would take control again.

possibly there were some execution problems as well. a GOOD handball might have been the way to go, but, as all over the ground, we couldn't seem to do this!

 

[Bender571]

Bit harsh on DeBoer IMO. There was a good chance that his shot would've been smothered and if he executed the handball properly then Clarke would've had a better chance to score.

Look at his face in this goal, he was always backing himself to kick the goal.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Bit of a beat up. Mayne did stuff that one up but he kicked 4 goals ffs. Lets not try to draw horrible conclusions from 2 pieces of play. Obviously the coaches will go through that in the review and we probably wont see it at least for a few weeks.

And no Deboer doesnt have a cowards mentality with ball in hand, he does hit the scoreboard often enough and does hit up difficult passes further up the ground. Both are far from a Thomas (I think it was? The North variety) situation.

Should write newspapers Clay, sensationalism seems your go.

 

[Clay Davis]

If you can't see that this isn't a criticism of those players but the forward line as a whole, then you're missing the point. I say it in the first post - these instances are not unique to those players.

 

[Admiral Byng]

What annoys me most about those two passages of play is not whether or not they took the shot or passed it off, it's the poor handpass they executed once they made the decision.

Mayne - slow, loopy and high handpass, Crowley had to reach up to get it.
Deboer - handpass at the feet of Clarke.

In both circumstances the handpass needed to be clean and crisp, straight to the player, around waist high so they can grab the ball and kick it quickly.

 

[FD2646]

We need a big bodied forward like cloke, dawes, brown, jpod, buddy,whitey...you get the idea. Someone who has a presence and is capable of kicking bags. Dont say Pav because he is not playing permanent forward (at least at the moment).

 

[believe_it]

Agreed. Selfishness > selflessness in the fwd line.

Yes. Remember last year Mayne kinda got burned from Harvey cause he had a shot instead of hand-passing over the top.

At the time I thought that it was a bit harsh because from where he was he should have easily kicked it. It was just the fact that he missed that it became an issue.

After the miss he clearly was pulled up on it and that affected his mind. Thereafter his first thought became off-load the ball. I always thought that good forwards should be hungry for goals and must back themselves.You can't have doubt in your mind when lining up.

 

[SPEEDWAGON]

Mayne - first score of 2010 season vs Adelaide had the shot instead of passing. Dragged by Harvey. Never been the same since.


Deboer can't kick, relieved when he goes to dish.

 

[apuchar]

I can't recall too many sides I have watched at AFL level who have a forwardline that is mostly completely shit scared of taking a shot for goal. The game on the weekend had some pretty outstanding cowardly efforts from only 10 metres in front.

1st quarter by Mayne

2nd quarter by De Boer

Sadly, players shying away from taking the responsibility was hardly unique to those two instances, the players involved, or indeed the game itself.

Teamwork is great and all that, but if a forward doesn't have the confidence to take the shot when he is in the best position, then he shouldn't be playing forward (if at all).

How does this happen? Compare those efforts to someone like Jetta, whose efforts in front of goal have been historically laughable. He still backs himself in to take the shot. Why do we have so many cowardly players when it comes to goal kicking?

De Boer is the worst. At least Mayne kicked 4. De Boer's lack of confidence around goal is a liability. He took a shot later, off his left, and he sprayed it about 3 kilometres. so no wonder.

 

[Schauermann]

At least Mayne kicked 4.

Have not yet watched the game, just seen the stats. Main goalkicking problemchild Mayne finally manages 4 straight in a game and with this happening Pav, Zac, Bradley, Anthony (and Mellington) manage only something like 2.5 between them all. Not pleased at all...

 

[apuchar]

Have not yet watched the game, just seen the stats. Main goalkicking problemchild Mayne finally manages 4 straight in a game and with this happening Pav, Zac, Bradley, Anthony (and Mellington) manage only something like 2.5 between them all. Not pleased at all...

It was a fairly swirly breeze. Mayne looked very deliberate with his set shots, looks like he has been working on his goal kicking. Zac missed a few which is pretty much what he was like for EP. Good one minute ordinary the next. And Bradley missed a hurried shot. IIRC. Crowley missed a sitter directly in front 20 out.

Suggest you fast forward the first half

 

[Nickos66]

I lost my shit at deBoers handball in the 2nd, very uncharacteristic with him, his hands are usually so reliable. Maybe just not around goal or when he's in 2 minds as to whether to take the snap or pass it off.