Review Good/Bad vs West Coast - Rd 18

[CrowBloke]

They have specific plays they execute to perfection. Midfielders all move to this plan knowing that nic Nat will.wim the ball.
Nice Nat doesn't actually tap to players, he taps to designated spaces. The centre square setup is designed so that the right players can hit those spaces at speed. It's very deliberate ...

Yes! ... and extremely well-executed.
I cannot remember a time one of our mids ran to a spot at speed and have RoB tap the ball to their clean advantage, like Natanui does.
RoB marked well around the ground, but the tapwork, the kicking ....

 

[CrowBloke]

Thought we'd get smoked on the spread which we did once we got tired.

I don't get this. Why would they have "got tired"?
Crows had a 9-day break, WCE 6. They ran all over the Crows in the last 1.5 quarters.
A feature of our first 6 or 7 games was running games out, with Nicks touting superior fitness as a factor.

I reckon the Crows have dropped the one thing that enabled them to beat Geelong and Melbourne and come back at St. Kilda (who've gone on well since then) --- team-uniting, never-give-up spirit.

What other teams get "tired" as the season unfolds? The ones who improve, or the ones who give up?

Edit: none of the teams contending for the Eight look 'tired' to me.

 

[CrowBloke]

Fog great first half then died in clacker

That's actually an improvement on his last AFL game where he kicked two goals from 3 disposals in the first, then became the Invisible Man.

 

[SellarStardom]

Can't fault the forwards or defenders, you have to put the rocket at the midfield.

It's not working and Nicks has to change it up for the remainder of the season.

Bring Doedee back into the midfield and shift Laird back, I think we need him back there again and we need to pressure of Dude in the middle.

Shoenberg and Berry to get proper minutes in the middle, Sloane predominately forward. Keays stays in the middle

 

[BRL121]

That's actually an improvement on his last AFL game where he kicked two goals from 3 disposals in the first, then became the Invisible Man.

I've been disappointed in him for some time, but last week in the twos and this week he has been better and increased the range of things he does well. His effort was good: a couple of times he ran full tilt at the oppo kicker, arriving a little late, but just putting them off enough to kick the ball straight to our guys. A big tick.

 

[SellarStardom]

Why did Nicks labour on about FOG staying in the game and not Walker and Himmelberg, they all struggled as Sloane and Co. Shat the bed.....again

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Can we please draft a ruckman that can jump higher than 30mm?
Oh, and one that can kick as well.
Thanks.

RoB is the least of our problems. He’s an above average ruck.

 

[WetCrow1991]

RoB is the least of our problems. He’s an above average ruck.

Average.

 

[BrissyCrow]

I thought our attack on the ball in the first half was back to our earlier performances this year. Then the second half came and we started to disappear. Our disposal execution and our run fell away. For me I liked Jones first half. along with Smith, Seedsman, Keays. I also was impressed with some of Fogs ball control. He managed a few really clean pickups in the first quarter. He looked really accomplished but then he fell away.

What I didnt like was Rowe. Very disappointed with his contribution. Murphy who just seems to be content with bombing the ball into the forwards. Kelly who can take a good mark but he just seems to be indecisive when he kicks forward. He seems to take too long to move the ball on. I am also disappointed with Himmelberg. Finally MacKay....he does some good stuff around the ground. He can run and move the ball at speed but he doesnt do it enough and he can also be relied on to stuff up his disposals. I think if this was a "normal year" for us having him in the team surrounded by more experience I would keep him in the team but this is a rebuilding year and we need to move him on so some other youngster can start to cement their place in the side.

 

[radzyb]

How does one manage that?

Yoghurt

 

[hey shorty]

RoB is the least of our problems. He’s an above average ruck.

I wouldn't say he's the least of our problems, but he was better yesterday

 

[radzyb]

Forget the same old same old of bad/ugly - MacKay/Rowe/Sloane/ROB/McHenry/Berg etc etc. We've all been there done that a hundred times.

I demand answers about Chilligate!!

What was it doing by an open container of Chilli Sauce?

Or was it fresh Chillis?

Chilli powder?

Oh no, crushed Chillis 🌶🌶

Obviously there were beers involved. Started cooking a yellow curry at half time with a healthy dose of fresh birdseye chillies, Yada Yada Yada, it's on fire!

 

[radzyb]

I agree with most of what you said.
Schoenberg our best, Keays very good (2 goals AND even a right-foot mongrel pass to another Crows player! ).
Jones looking much better.

I thought the movement out of the D50 was pretty good tonight, slick handball foot-passing and run, but as soon as the ball got past the forward edge of the centre square it was
BOMBS AWAAAAAAY !!!
Again.
And again.
And again.

Yossarian had a better bombing pattern than this mob.

There is always a catch

 

[Cap]

Why did Nicks labour on about FOG staying in the game and not Walker and Himmelberg, they all struggled as Sloane and Co. Shat the bed.....again

He gets asked about fog every week , thought it was an answer to put it to bed

 

[Bearded Clam]

Team full of workman mids.

No elite creators/playmakers.

Seed is our best creator, but he needs time and space. Cant do it in traffic.

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Yep.. ive been ranting and raving about it all year.

Sloane is cooked
Laird gets 30-40 possessions and they are pretty much all meaningless.
Keays cant kick.. well, in 9 out of every 10 games he cant. Someone put his kicking boot on last night!.

Thats the basis of our midfield. Slow, talentless workhorses that get their hands on the ball heaps but are nowhere near damaging with it..

Berry, Shoey, Pedlar and a couple of others look way better but just dont get enough of a look in. And it will only get worse with mcrouch coming back in.

 

[hey shorty]

Yep.. ive been ranting and raving about it all year.

Sloane is cooked
Laird gets 30-40 possessions and they are pretty much all meaningless.
Keays cant kick.. well, in 9 out of every 10 games he cant. Someone put his kicking boot on last night!.

Thats the basis of our midfield. Slow, talentless workhorses that get their hands on the ball heaps but are nowhere near damaging with it..

Berry, Shoey, Pedlar and a couple of others look way better but just dont get enough of a look in. And it will only get worse with mcrouch coming back in.

Talentless is a bit, well way too harsh.

Sloane, Laird and Keays for instance are all good players, in Keays case very good. The problem is they're all the same.

 

[hey shorty]

Jones - Very good first half, probably the best half of footy he's played. Copped a knock but kept working.

Keays - I'd be more than happy for this guy to be a part of next year's leadership group. You know what you get with him. Only guy in that starting midfield who I'd keep there.

Murphy - Typical Murphy game, he's just as likely to kick a couple goals next week.

Kelly - One of his best games IMO. Credit where it's due.

Sloane - Great first half, nothing in the 2nd. Needs to be shifted to half forward immediately if he wants to play the season out. Isn't helping the side.

Seedsman - Should never have been allowed to put the long sleeves on !!!

Walker - Looked alright TBH, delivery terrible.

Mackay - Classic Mackay, not our worst so unfortunately will stay in.

Hamill - Love the run and dash, even defensively is fine. That low flat kick though, is a problem

Berry - Please for the love of God give him more midfield minutes and stop wasting his time forward.

McHenry - Dropped right off, doesn't help that his other smalls offer very little.

Schoenberg - Yeah this kid is a real footballer, live him.

Lynch - Too good not to be on an AFL list, and was largely fantastic yesterday. But not for us I'm afraid.

Murray - Getting better every week, such a shame he got hurt.

Laird - So much of the ball, and would probably be even better in a better midfield but not in ours.

Rowe - Back to the 2s, give Gollant a run

Fogarty - Like Tex, looked good when he got it. Need better ball users to get it to them.

Smith - Thought he was OK in the 200th.

Himmelberg - I've rarely seen a guy with his lack of urgency. Better than Billy but not by much.

McPherson - Strange to see so many negative comments on his game, thought he was back somewhere near his best.

Sholl - Not enough time

Butts - Good under huge pressure, I'd hate being a defender in our side.

ROB - Better first half, then schooled.

 

[Crowboto]

How good was David McKay. This kid is gonna be a star.

 

[Geoffa32]

With the Hawks draw pick 2 is all but certain. 1 seems unlikely given North would have to find 2 wins.

I can't see Norf winning another game, but if they do, we can hand them a second win in round 23.

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[CrowBloke]

There is always a catch

With 22 players, that's some catch ...

(I laughed like hell this morning when I saw you got it)

 

[BunjiMac]

Talentless is a bit, well way too harsh.

Sloane, Laird and Keays for instance are all good players, in Keays case very good. The problem is they're all the same.

Talentless is harsh, but workmanlike is probably accurate. The main thing for me is they have very little ability to impact the game.

The momentum of a game is absolutely dictated by the midfield and ours is not able to take control in that way. They are ultimately average, which is not their fault, that's just what they are capable of. Therefore some days thosw long bombs actually lands in the laps of the forwards. However, when they come up against a good midfield they become passengers as these midfielders take control and are able to deliver with precision. This midfield pressure combined with scoreboard pressure makes it very difficult for the young players.

We also blame the forwards, which is a very easy thing to do, when it really is the midfield they is the problem.

This midfield must be changed, and what better time than to start that now.

 

[Jarman3]

I didn't mind our first half. Trying to play a game that we don't have the skills to execute, but if we're going to turn it over I'd rather do it while taking the game on and trying to make something happen instead of turning it over with constant long bombs down the line to opposition defenders like we usually do.

Good signs from a number of players... Fog, Jones, McPherson, Schoenberg. Himmelberg was at least an upgrade on Frampton. ROB showed improvement in general play, but got towelled up in the actual ruck contests.

But holy god, the ruck contests. Sloane, Laird, Keays... I think that was basically 90% of our centre bounces. Schoenberg got a couple of turns in there, presumably when one of the above 3 were on the bench, but other than that I don't recall seeing a single player outside of those 4 at our centre bounces. You'd think in a game where you're getting belted out of the centre almost 2-to-1 that you'd at least try giving it a different look? Did Berry even get a look at a single centre bounce? The definition of madness (or is it the definition of stupidity?) is continuing to do the same thing while expecting a different result.

 

[1970crow]

I think it's more so Naitanui hitting to the area that their midfielders know during stoppage.

nicks put it on the midfielders not adhering to set structures at stoppages. Not that he'll do anything about it, it'll still be the same 3 plus crouch upon return. Nothing more certain.

 

[CrowBloke]

Must be hard knowing you'll never play in another finals campaign again.

For the senior players, I think it'd be devastating, mentally. Spirit-crushing. They're only playing now to bring on the next generation.
The realisation would've hit last year when they were playing so badly, but somehow they turned that around to win, what was it, 4 out of the last 5?
At 3-1 this year, they might've had some hope (albeit forlorn), rekindled when they beat Melbourne in that stirring win.
Injuries have hit hard, as well as bewildering, player-confusing selections, and they end up with the last 3 weeks; thrashed by Brisbane, mashed by Essendon and WCE after half-time.

In all games, their second halves have been dismal, kicking a total of 9 goals (4/1/4) to 28 (13/5/10).
Nine goals, in 6 quarters of footy! I won't be surprised if that's a League-worst for those rounds.

5 games to go, with the only realistic chance of a win will be vs NM, last round, which might even be a battle for another spoon. Then the guillotine will be sharpened.

 

[CrowBloke]

Obviously there were beers involved. Started cooking a yellow curry at half time with a healthy dose of fresh birdseye chillies, Yada Yada Yada, it's on fire!

You cook in the nud? In Winter?
I'll start off a "Buy- radzyb - an - apron Campaign" with 5 bucks.