I thought I would just post some thoughts on the game. Had cricket on saturday so I had to tape the game and watched it yesterday afternoon.
Firstly on the gameplan I think it has some merrit and with a little bit of tinkering it could work. I think keeping players in the forward 50 at all times is a great idea, 4 players might be a little to much (seemed to get in each others way and kept leading into each others space) but should always 2 in there is a good idea. Last year we got lost at times when everyone had pushed back and we had no direction. I think the 4 in the 50 may only be for the NAB Cup, I would think there will be some changes to that next week against freo.
I think you will find that once Dixon is back in the team he will provide that presenting option to the HFF and Wings with some help from Boyle. I also think Franklin will get more of a license to push up the ground and provide a linking option. Roughy and Willo close to goal, Roughy has got the tools to kick big bags and Willo doesn't look comfortable any further than 50 out from goal.
Backline looked shakey but I don't think it had anything to do with Dawson. I thought he was OK he lacks confidents a bit of nous but that will come with experience, I think he has all the other abilities to make it at full back, height, speed, courage and a bit of mongrel (I liked the way he put Carrazo I think into the post). Birchall was woeful but you need to expect that from young guys, his decision making was terrible and he was slow to release the ball. Sewell was worse than Birchall when he was playing back again his decision making was ordinary. Murphy was rusty and Hodge was poor when he was back. Gilham was really good and he has proved me wrong, I watched him a few times for Box Hill early last year and he didn't look like he would make it. He was being out marked regularly by VFL players and I didn't think he would step up but he has been really solid down back.
Midfield was fairly even on the night, I thought we probably didn't give there mids enough respect. Our guys seemed to do there own thing and didn't play accountable when they had possession. Murphy and Stevens were given to much space when they went forward and they set up a lot of Carlton's scoring opportunities. Mitch, Crawf and Young are good running forward but they need to play more accountable when the ball is turned over. Young is a great kick, his pass to Boyle in the second quarter was perfect thats how the ball should come into our talls, in front so they can jump into it.
Taylor and Campbell dominated the taps but were redundant around the ground, I think there ruck work will be fine this year. They need to get dangerous and make there man chase them sometimes. I like Taylor forward he presents well and always works for front spot. I think they need to rotate depending on the oposition ruckmen when Ackland, Everitt, Lade, Fraser ruck Campbell needs to go in to follow them forward and when Sandilands, Richards, Brogan, Hudson, Rix and Nobel are in Taylor can push forward on them.
On the young guys Tuck looked fine but needs more time to develop, Moss was really impressive his attack on the ball was great and his decision making was fine he just had trouble executing. Little just looks out of his depth at the moment but he will make it, I have seen him play a lot of games at Box Hill and he only needs 6 touches a game to be dangerous because he will end up kicking 4-5 goals. Renouf is a work in progress but he is a good size and has some abilities that can be worked on.
That's all I got out of the game it is only pre season comp so a lot of the guys don't look like they get out of 3rd gear. Croady, Vanders, Smith, Jacobs, Brown and Ozzie will make a difference.