Autopsy Geelong lose to WC by 9 points at Optus

[Tony Barber]

Simple just play it all on neutral territory. I know there would be logistical and financial things to work through but its the only way to have any remote fairness.

Especially with a condensed 4 day turnaround the advantage west coast would have had with their facilities to recover compared to geelong at a hotel gym facility is longer than the flemington straight. It showed with the way we faded out in the second half too Which would be alot to do with conditioning

I think you'll find that having a limited list, playing in a monsoon, and not being able to refresh the side with fresh legs had more to do with a fade out than facilities.

Wc will move to qld soon.

 

[you pick one]

I'm usually over a loss by now, but we butchered what would have been a magnificent win and perhaps even a season changing win given the confidence that would have flowed from it.

 

[Johnny Cattery]

Just thought I'd get this out there as it's been bugging me a while:

We can all agree that we don't rate Parfitt, yes?

And even those of you who do, acknowledge that he won't ever be the player to carry a midfield, yes?

He's a good third string midfielder in a midfield rotation.

So why are so many of you ripping into him? He's performing exactly how he should. If he's only ever going to be a 3rd or even 4th string midfielder, why are so many of you surprised that (Only in his 4th season mind you) he's an inconsistent, often ineffective player.

He's exactly what we expected him to be!!!!

If we thought he could be the midfield leader we need in the coming years we wouldn't still be chasing a Danger/Selwood replacement. You know why we are chasing that replacement? Because there isn't one currently in an ideal age bracket on our list.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Parfitt is our clear leader in pressure acts and tackles, close to double the output of his more high profile and better paid mates. His distribution is terrific when he is playing a more outside role, but I've always understood recent and Scott's constant references to his "elite balance of inside and outside" as meaning "he covers for the show ponies". Or pony. So his recent poor disposal rate (not much over 50%) needs to be read in the light of where he's positioned, and what he's being asked to do. Without him, our midfield turns into a sieve.

 

[you pick one]

I question whether the umpire called play on.... of not, isn't it 50m penalty??

The ump clearly called play on in the replay I watched but by that time Duggan was already into the tackle, he either had great anticipation or there's a lag between video and audio.Question on notice for Daz that might be in his field.

 

[Yoey]

Going to say that this season is becoming the most disgraceful bias competition you will ever see.

The fact we have a competition where victorian teams are forced to lock themselves into hotel rooms and use hotel gym facilities like a local football club does, yet you have clubs like brisbane gold coast west coast fremantle using their state of the Art football facilities is insanely a massive advantage we have not seen for a long long time.

The premiership this year has a big asterix through it for ny liking if it goes to any of those teams

Non Victorian teams have won 12 times in 30 years, it clearly not at worrying levels yet. The only way you could make it even is to travel every second week and play every team only once. Until that happens things like facilities are irrelevant.

 

[AM]

Reading the immediate post game rants never fail to make enthralling reading.

Missed the game. Pre-game I thought if we get within 3 goals of arguably the most talented side in the bizo with an undermanned outfit it would be a pass mark. We got within 9 points and gave 'em a hell of a fright in the process. Kudos to our team and coaching staff.

 

[Vdubs]

why does NN only ever play like that against geelong?

Sio you missed the Pies game last week? NN made Grundy look very average.
We were very impressive cf Collingwood, against WCE

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I think we're one elite midfielder short at the moment. Even with a full list available we really need another elite midfielder. Paddy has good moments, but he rarely delivers it over the whole game. Duncan is an A grade outside mid but can go missing too. Joel is still elite. Menegola and Parfitt are good B grade players. All the rest are C's at best. So we really need an elite quality inside mid to make this team kick ass.

Of course, getting a Grundy/Gawn like ruckman would be great too.

 

[Catsace]

Ablett dalhaus selwood would have shat the bed?? your saying those 3 in at the expense of our bottom 3 players wouldnt count??

Nobody shat the bed,if that game was on neutral turf in queensland with both sides fully fit and using equal facilities we would have won.

Everything imaginable going their way including kennedy playing out of his skin the home ground advantage the extreme facilities advantage they had for preparation yet we still pushed the game to the last 1.30 seconds.

You seriously call that ”shitting the bed??”

One thing with Kennedy, he's almost three times the player in Perth than elsewhere. He just seems so energised and active, jumping, running..i mean reincarnating freaking Nick Davis with that scoop off the tap-out by Nic-Nat was rather ridiculous for a 33 y/o tall KPF.

But put him on an oval East of Esperence and he seems to become a poor man's Henry Playfair.

I was pretty peeved last night with the errors, but perhaps have calmed down a bit. Can't fault the effort, but the Eagles won a Flag only 2 years ago and have many of those players still at their peak. No Stanley or Fort or even Jenkins hurts when up against Nic-Nat, and no Joel too takes a hard body and source of inspiration out of the midfield.

I just look at a few things that were a bit costly...when we were 42-20 towards the latter part of the second quarter, there was one or two bad entries that were intercept marked and rushed straight back out..one of which led to the Eagles goal before half time. Sav's errant disposals..maybe he just needs to be told to kick down the line at all costs, or maybe a set play where a designated running long kicker like Duncan, Danger or Toohey be released to accept a handball.

Guthrie was very good again as he's been all year really, but he was just a bit stiff...obviously his momentum and perhaps adrenaline made him take that half-step...without seeing that Eagle there to crunch him. Can't help but think at most non-Perth venues though he'd have been called back since i think technically he was already over the mark anyway. The lame way that Ryan and the Eagle (41 was it) marked those two high balls in Geelong's backline late in the 2nd and late in the 4th wasn't good to watch, just no bodywork or punching as both Eagles just floated past the flat-footed Geelong defender on each occasion....think it was perhaps Constable and Henry respectively.

In a game like that you need to make every post a winner...and pretty much like the PF last year, the talent and indeed crowd just helped the home side get there in the end. Those few errors and non-conversions of chances proved costly. But the effort was indeed there. The dilemma is that of course unlike the great sides of a decade ago we don't have the talent and the types to consistently win without having to expend all one's tickets. We have now been a side that is sort of so near yet so far. And i'd say aside from Stewart, all of our best players are among the group of Selwood, Danger, Duncan, Ablett and Hawkins....all of whom are 29 or older. We need someone from among the younger coterie to step into some of those shoes.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

I think you'll find that having a limited list, playing in a monsoon, and not being able to refresh the side with fresh legs had more to do with a fade out than facilities.

Wc will move to qld soon.

Conditioning is an enormous part of playing AFL level footy. It absolutely had a big impact especially with limited ability to recover after a ”monsoon” as you call it and west coast had their elite facilities to use

 

[Strange Cat]

Non Victorian teams have won 12 times in 30 years, it clearly not at worrying levels yet. The only way you could make it even is to travel every second week and play every team only once. Until that happens things like facilities are irrelevant.

Good thing that WA won’t be getting the grand final, let’s see how well your team goes in a different Hub without all it’s bias for your team.

 

[Vdubs]

I'm usually over a loss by now, but we butchered what would have been a magnificent win and perhaps even a season changing win given the confidence that would have flowed from it.

We got a lucky goal from Simpson, despite great play to get in that position. We played really well for a good half, but how many were thinking at half time WCE would come on stronger and that we would run out of legs?
They are only human. Fatigue is allowable, and WCE applied increasing pressure while we tired.
WCE are flag favourites and we had their measure with an inexperienced line-up.

 

[Vdubs]

I think we're one elite midfielder short at the moment. Even with a full list available we really need another elite midfielder. Paddy has good moments, but he rarely delivers it over the whole game. Duncan is an A grade outside mid but can go missing too. Joel is still elite. Menegola and Parfitt are good B grade players. All the rest are C's at best. So we really need an elite quality inside mid to make this team kick ass.

Of course, getting a Grundy/Gawn like ruckman would be great too.

You have not mentioned Guthrie who is easily a B grader, and at least as good as Parfitt and Menegola.

 

[Obeanie1]

Will quote again here. Looks like your likely to get quite an extended run of games at home compared to what tye victorian teams had. Its quite the advantage mostly due to the facilities the traveling team has in comparison are not the standard

Yep. 100% correct.

Every team bar the QLD teams will need to hub and play the local teams.

The WA and SA teams will need to hub again later in the year and likely finals.

The WA have just played three home games in a row at Optus. They will get two more and then hit the road. Hopefully to Darwin to play either essendon or Richmond.

Every side bar the QLD sides will be disadvantaged at some stage this season.

Will the Eagles get more home games than Vic sides? Possibly with the entire state locked dn

 

[Vdubs]

Non Victorian teams have won 12 times in 30 years, it clearly not at worrying levels yet. The only way you could make it even is to travel every second week and play every team TWICE. Until that happens things like facilities are irrelevant.

edited for truth.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

It was interesting hearing Simpson earlier today.
They had spent the whole week planning to stop Geelong playing keepings off.

And it was obvious during the second quarter that the plan was failing.

He reckons he said one thing at half time "find a man".

Apparently he thought they were just guarding grass and it was giving Geelong too much space to execute the game plan.
It's actually what we do with Richmond.

And I find myself saying through gritted teeth 'is there any chance we can stop zone defence and actually shut down options?'

Good to see that a coach ditched his original plan and went old school mid game.
Shows to me that Simpson doesn't panic under duress and has the ability to drop the ego, think it through, and change a plan he devised that didn't work.

Hats off.
We still should have won though.

Im assuming you also recall how damien hardwick singled out scotts coaching in last years prelim as the reason we ended up 21 points ahead at half time??

 

[My Tilly]

Guthrie was very good again as he's been all year really, but he was just a bit stiff...obviously his momentum and perhaps adrenaline made him take that half-step...without seeing that Eagle there to crunch him. Can't help but think at most non-Perth venues though he'd have been called back since i think technically he was already over the mark anyway.

He spent most of the game running around looking for cheapies. Even when he went missing throughout most of the 2nd half, you could see him do the kick ins and then run to space pleading for the ball again.
Only had about 35 metres gained with all of his possessions so hardly no hurt factor whatsoever.

That mark he took was brilliant. He is prone to those brain fades when the pressure intensifies though.
Cost us a goal at the death as well with his handball straight to the Eagles player running past.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Well why bash our team and players when the reality is just this?? May as well be honest

I have picked 4 players that had bad games and advocated only dropping 3 of them. Everyone else was good. That's like 82% positive, 5% room for improvement, 13% maybe we need to try a new look there.

 

[cats_09]

Yep. 100% correct.

Every team bar the QLD teams will need to hub and play the local teams.

The WA and SA teams will need to hub again later in the year and likely finals.

The WA have just played three home games in a row at Optus. They will get two more and then hit the road. Hopefully to Darwin to play either essendon or Richmond.

Every side bar the QLD sides will be disadvantaged at some stage this season.

Will the Eagles get more home games than Vic sides? Possibly with the entire state locked dn

I'd say more like 3 more games for you guys - Sydney & GWS are heading west, they'll play their derby at Optus and I'd assume they'd also play Freo & WCE where relevant

Obviously you guys have already played the Swans, but you haven't played GWS, while Freo hasn't played either Sydney based team

 

[xtatik222k]

I turned off the TV at 3qtr time and told my partner I was going to go and work on my stuff on my computer. She asked me why and I said "I've been watching this team long enough now - I know exactly what's going to happen." We all knew. And it played out like clockwork. Ah well, we've had a great decade and Chris Scott's winning percentage and yada yada yada. Just felt really deflated after this one.

 

[Down at K Park]

I turned off the TV at 3qtr time and told my partner I was going to go and work on my stuff on my computer. She asked me why and I said "I've been watching this team long enough now - I know exactly what's going to happen." We all knew. And it played out like clockwork. Ah well, we've had a great decade and Chris Scott's winning percentage and yada yada yada. Just felt really deflated after this one.

I did the same not long into the 4th. Just knew exactly what would happen.

Come finals it will also be the same rinse and repeat. We just don’t have it in us, and the big game failure is so ingrained in us it’s utterly predictable now.

 

[patmatcat]

I was excited to read the comments about an amazing game last night, where we were piped at the post with a lack of steam on the back of a wet game 5 days ago playing a team in hot form, at their home ground. Instead all I read was bagging a bunch of players and coach. They tried their guts out and could have got the win. Still feels like we are in the mix for finals. Also we play the Brisbane ground well, so if finals are there ...

 

[feelinfeline]

I have picked 4 players that had bad games and advocated only dropping 3 of them. Everyone else was good. That's like 82% positive, 5% room for improvement, 13% maybe we need to try a new look there.

Surely we'll need to rest some players for the next game.

Perhaps only Fogarty played badly enough to justify being dropped, but even he may be given another chance.

 

[Seeds]

Stanley returns to ruck, Selwood returns to the midfield, Cockatoo makes his long awaited return and we see the debut of Kreuger

In terms of outs, Kolo & Rat can have a run in the scratch matches for a while, while one of Taylor/Henderson has a rest, and Constable may be out/managed after that bump

With that we then return Blicavs & Tuohy to defence

Why the hell would people want to drop esava. what game are you watching?

rohan had a whopping 3 touches. Kruger is a third tall not a centre half forward. he is the likely swap

or alternatively you bring in krueger and just play an extra forward.

 

[Seeds]

Yeah I wanted to see him moved to the ball when we were getting nothing there in the 2nd half.

You wanted to see the worst performing layer on the ground put on the ball?

even if he is playing on the forward line he could still show stuff around the stoppages in the front half if he was capable as a mid. He doesnt.