Opinion Have we clicked?

[Crimson Azure]

Tempting fate, but it’s worth discussing this again.

I think on current form this team beats the 2018 team easily. Sound like a no brainer but we have functioning wings, mids that are staying outside and out of each other’s way. We also have kept the forward line open better than 2018.

we used to score by force, now we can also think our way through to score. I hope this is the new normal and not an aberration.

 

[Jamurp]

Yeah obviously don't want to get ahead our ourselves, we know this club tends to let us down whenever we feel we've turned a corner, but, we do look a lot more composed as a unit, things seem to be working better, particularly our backline as May and Lever get back to full fitness, and Hibberd back into some good form.

Looking forward to the remainder of the season, big test, and I really hope we can shake things up.

 

[slackboy72]

Tempting fate, but it’s worth discussing this again.

I think on current form this team beats the 2018 team easily. Sound like a no brainer but we have functioning wings, mids that are staying outside and out of each other’s way. We also have kept the forward line open better than 2018.

we used to score by force, now we can also think our way through to score. I hope this is the new normal and not an aberration.

This was our first win against a top 8 side in how long? I'm excited too but I do remember getting flogged by Port not long ago.

 

[stEdy]

Will let you know in a fortnight after WBD and Saints

 

[demondavey]

Lid needs to stay firmly clamped. WB and St Kilda are big challenges. If we lose either one, or both, I’d only deem it a non fail if we the margin were minuscule. In reality we should break even. St Kilda have just done a demo job on Essendon who are in that similar bracket to us, so we get a big test against them.

Win both and we could win a few finals.

 

[Crimson Azure]

This was our first win against a top 8 side in how long? I'm excited too but I do remember getting flogged by Port not long ago.

Didn’t port just lose to the cats by 10 goals too?
These anomalies are happening all over the place. For good and bad form.

 

[Demon 16]

I’m hopeful that the port game was an aberration, but it was too recent to suggest we’ve turned it around within 2 weeks.

Collingwood were terrible and we haven’t beaten a top side yet, although I thought we were unlucky not to get Brisbane.

All signs are good right now though - Weid maintaining his form is going to be so important for us.

 

[saj_21]

Lid needs to stay firmly clamped. WB and St Kilda are big challenges. If we lose either one, or both, I’d only deem it a non fail if we the margin were minuscule. In reality we should break even. St Kilda have just done a demo job on Essendon who are in that similar bracket to us, so we get a big test against them.

Win both and we could win a few finals.

we are well ahead of essendon even if they had a fit list

 

[saj_21]

I feel 100% more confident in our backline this year than 2018.

id love to slot in a 2018 version of Jetta though

it would be nice to go 2-1 against dogs saints and giants, it will make the run homes little more comfortable. Also the fact we sit just above the dogs and giants. They are “8 point” games

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

No we haven’t, you can only say we have after a bigger/stronger sample size, but we’ve improved and kept our season alive to give ourselves a chance.

 

[saj_21]

No we haven’t, you can only say we have after a bigger/stronger sample size, but we’ve improved and kept our season alive to give ourselves a chance.

We are clicking?

 

[Demon 16]

I do feel like we’ve got a finals type list though - we are hard bodied across the ground with players like May, Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, AVB and Viney.

 

[Demon 16]

We are clicking?

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

We are clicking?

No, we are trying to click, making the right action but no noise yet.

 

[Bluelegs]

Tempting fate, but it’s worth discussing this again.

I think on current form this team beats the 2018 team easily. Sound like a no brainer but we have functioning wings, mids that are staying outside and out of each other’s way. We also have kept the forward line open better than 2018.

we used to score by force, now we can also think our way through to score. I hope this is the new normal and not an aberration.

We're scoring in different ways to 2018. We're rebounding more, our ball movement is more precise, and we're killing teams on transition. In 2018 we wouldn't score much unless we forced a turnover to the opposition as they exited our forward 50, or managed a quick and clean clearance out of the middle or at a stoppage. Opposition don't score like they did against us in 2018. I haven't seen many easy goals out the back scored against us this year, you knew in 2018 that when a team got past our press we were ****ed.

We're also not seeing the massive momentum swings we saw in 2018, so many times we would concede big scores in quarters losing our advantage or having to fight our way back into games. The only time I've seen that this year was against West Coast when they had their 5 minute first quarter blitz.

 

[saj_21]

Collingwood didn’t kick consecutive goals against us.

remember 2018 QBs De Goey lite it up out of the centre and we had no answer. Even on the weekend smashed out of the centre but the defence held up well.

the controlled ball movement is working wonders for the defence

 

[demondavey]

I’m hopeful that the port game was an aberration, but it was too recent to suggest we’ve turned it around within 2 weeks.

Collingwood were terrible and we haven’t beaten a top side yet, although I thought we were unlucky not to get Brisbane.

All signs are good right now though - Weid maintaining his form is going to be so important for us.

We lost to Geelong and Brisbane by under a goal. The Brisbane game in the last 5 weeks. Port responded after a Saints flogging. We were horrid against Port. I am still wary, really wary. Adelaide are the worst side I’ve seen in years, almost the worst. North aren’t great. Collingwood is a mid range side like us.

Next two games are the test.

 

[Crusty Demon]

We lost to Geelong and Brisbane by under a goal. The Brisbane game in the last 5 weeks. Port responded after a Saints flogging. We were horrid against Port. I am still wary, really wary. Adelaide are the worst side I’ve seen in years, almost the worst. North aren’t great. Collingwood is a mid range side like us.

Next two games are the test.

Yep, I think the next two weeks against strong opposition playing well is the real test. Adelaide are bad., Real bad. North were equally bad and we got Collingwood on a 4 day break with injuries and form issues. Dogs and Saints are the real test. I'd honestly be happy if we win 1 out of the 2. Both sides have strong outside run, so it will give us a good indication on how well Goody is going also. Still not sold on us atm. We can't do more than what we've done in the last 3 games and that has been impressive, especially after our worst performance of the season. However let's see how we go against two sides in a bit of form around or above us on the ladder. I still think the Saints will chop us up. Dogs game is a genuine 50/50 match.

 

[djpaulydemon]

I'd like to see our ball movement hold up against real pressure. That's the big difference.

We also need to work on squaring clearances. It didnt matter on the weekend but against a better functioning forward line we would have conceded goals from some of center bounces.

 

[demondavey]

Yep, I think the next two weeks against strong opposition playing well is the real test. Adelaide are bad., Real bad. North were equally bad and we got Collingwood on a 4 day break with injuries and form issues. Dogs and Saints are the real test. I'd honestly be happy if we win 1 out of the 2. Both sides have strong outside run, so it will give us a good indication on how well Goody is going also. Still not sold on us atm. We can't do more than what we've done in the last 3 games and that has been impressive, especially after our worst performance of the season. However let's see how we go against two sides in a bit of form around or above us on the ladder. I still think the Saints will chop us up. Dogs game is a genuine 50/50 match.

From what I saw of the saints today, they’ll bury us on the outer if we don’t conjure up something.

 

[djpaulydemon]

But also, movement in the forward line looks way better. So many front and centres compared to zero against Port.

Backline have been good most of the year and looking more confident dealing with ground balls because they are attacking the ball and wanting it instead of the Port game where no one wanted to pick it up in the goal square.

Trac always mentions defending in interviews. And every mid has shown some improvement in their kicking. Viney and Oliver in particular.

If they can do it with pressure and tougher contests is another thing but I'm starting to see flaws being worked on. Consistency and confidence can do a lot in footy so hopefully it translated to the tougher oppo.

 

[jhong]

No

 

[Toump Ass]

How good is dominating s**t teams?

Probably wouldn't hurt to beat a decent team though.

 

[mrmonkey]

We're scoring in different ways to 2018. We're rebounding more, our ball movement is more precise, and we're killing teams on transition. In 2018 we wouldn't score much unless we forced a turnover to the opposition as they exited our forward 50, or managed a quick and clean clearance out of the middle or at a stoppage. Opposition don't score like they did against us in 2018. I haven't seen many easy goals out the back scored against us this year, you knew in 2018 that when a team got past our press we were f’ed.

We're also not seeing the massive momentum swings we saw in 2018, so many times we would concede big scores in quarters losing our advantage or having to fight our way back into games. The only time I've seen that this year was against West Coast when they had their 5 minute first quarter blitz.

And Carlton they just couldn't kick straight, but those games we were playing the 2018/19 style where it was play on all cost and constantly being under pressure. We didn't make the adjustment until after the Richmond game. We play those two teams now it would be a different story. We probably maintain our lead against Carlton and probably would have done better against the coast.

Collingwood didn’t kick consecutive goals against us.

remember 2018 QBs De Goey lite it up out of the centre and we had no answer. Even on the weekend smashed out of the centre but the defence held up well.

the controlled ball movement is working wonders for the defence

I remember that game we got smashed but we still managed to score ourselves something like 100 to 140. was the perfect example of us being flat track bullies and that our game plan didn't work against the best.

I'd like to see our ball movement hold up against real pressure. That's the big difference.

We also need to work on squaring clearances. It didnt matter on the weekend but against a better functioning forward line we would have conceded goals from some of center bounces.

We had a shocker against port I think it was an aberration we went into 2019 mode. I think it our ball movement is much better than 2018 as in we are finding blokes in space on the outside.

I think we are playing a better brand of football than 2018 but we still have a lot improvement/adjustment in the team. Pretty hard to change or adjust a game styles during the season hopefully not too late but definitely heading in a better direction.

 

[demondavey]

If we can keep this up and believe that our system works whilst getting some decent scalps in the remainder of the year, there’s no reason we couldn’t be there on the last day.