How to fix the broken Pies...

[TKiL]

It’s work rate, Tiggers flag was built on it before they got a bit comfortable with themselves last year. It’s hard to keep that intensity up every week I’d imagine and even though it’s fallen away we had enough individual brilliance to get the job done mostly. Stepho, Adams and Howie all out takes away a brilliant forward, grunt in the middle and probably one of the best marking rebound defenders in the game and that’s staring to bite now. I reckon even with Stepho in last week he’d have made enough of a difference to get the W.
Not too be unfortunately but there’s still time to reboot before finals.

Work rate = run like heck (to right spots) when we have the ball and chase, harrass and tackle when opposition have the ball - tell them specific behaviours they can carry out - KEEP IT VERY FREAKIN SIMPLE

 

[Soaring Magpie]

We have simply gone away from playing that run and carry style from last year to a mark and kick game plan, it doesn’t work due to the oppo being able to get numbers back and then rebound with pace.
Start using the corridor again, it is so stagnant going forward and we are being forced to use the boundary line as our get out clause to cause a stoppage.
The forward line is purely being starved of 1on1 opportunity, move the ball at pace is the answer to all our problems.
Some keys troops back in will certainly help, we need Howe, Adams and Langdon to help our structure

 

[Sleuth1]

Rubbish.

I see it was a short speech in your debating team!! LOL

 

[Baltimore Jack]

I see it was a short speech in your debating team!! LOL

It didn't need to be long, he was 100% correct

 

[The Dawes]

I don't really agree with either the forward line or the back line being a problem. Our problems begin and end in the midfield for mine.

Yes, we could be better in forward retention and yes we could be better in rebound from the backs, but I think that those problems are also compounded by an under-performing midfield.

When you are at the games you notice that the ball spends most of the game in our backline, or at least in our back half of the field. I'm talking nearly whole quarters at times. We are getting smacked out of the centre bounces and then we can't clear the ball passed the half way line. Our midfield is just getting burnt on transition and a lot of that has to do with work rate and lack of dare. We are also too slow through the midfield as a whole. We absolutely need an injection of pace.

Our backline has been immense this year. To me our forwards still look dangerous when they get enough ball down there to feed on, we just don't get it in there enough and when we do it's not quick enough.

We just have to stop the ball living in our back line.

yes indeed.

James Sicily actually had the gall to refer to our group as, 'the best midfield in the comp' in his post-game interview on Fridee night.

Almost choked on my bonox.

 

[Yidaki]

We have simply gone away from playing that run and carry style from last year to a mark and kick game plan, it doesn’t work due to the oppo being able to get numbers back and then rebound with pace.
Start using the corridor again, it is so stagnant going forward and we are being forced to use the boundary line as our get out clause to cause a stoppage.
The forward line is purely being starved of 1on1 opportunity, move the ball at pace is the answer to all our problems.
Some keys troops back in will certainly help, we need Howe, Adams and Langdon to help our structure

We have gone away from this yet week after week we are still playing this shitty style of possession footy. It's boring and it works only in certain situations. Really scratching my head as to why Buckley hasn't reverted back to what made us good at the beginning of the year. Take the game on ffs.

 

[Soaring Magpie]

We have gone away from this yet week after week we are still playing this s**tty style of possession footy. It's boring and it works only in certain situations. Really scratching my head as to why Buckley hasn't reverted back to what made us good at the beginning of the year. Take the game on ffs.

Yes, it has all but disappeared except the odd occasion in which when it does happen we look good, is it a confidence issue within the playing group.
It seems a lot of players are having form/confidence issues

 

[Yidaki]

Yes, it has all but disappeared except the odd occasion in which when it does happen we look good, is it a confidence issue within the playing group.
It seems a lot of players are having form/confidence issues

Odd occasions for sure. We actually looked the best last week right at the end when Pendles was bursting through the middle after a centre clearance. All of a sudden the Hawks defense look rattled.

I'm not so sure I buy this confidence thing. What is not to be confident about? They came close to a flag last year and sit third. A great example of why I don't buy the confidence argument is that Quaynor played with so much of it last week whilst Sidebottom looked like a shadow of his former self. Senior plays with his amount of games don't lose confidence. I can buy the form issue though. Form issues happen. I personally feel this is strongly correlated to our change in game plan.

 

[stevebbb]

Pray that Langdon and Adams can come back soon and stay fit.

Yeah I don't mind the Maynard in the middle idea, the kid is a bull, unleash him, tell him to hunt the ball and hurt people.

 

[Vicky Park]

Hoping the return of Adams will balance the midfield, and from that there will be positive flow on effects...

 

[Thatsmyname]

 

[Kirby]

So Stephenson doesn't have X factor?

Elliot and WHE?

 

[Yidaki]

View attachment 705698

lol. That's bullshit.

 

[Thatsmyname]

lol. That's bulls**t.

Aren't we lucky to have journos we can pay to hear that sh1t?

 

[peter9789]

I don't really agree with either the forward line or the back line being a problem. Our problems begin and end in the midfield for mine.

Yes, we could be better in forward retention and yes we could be better in rebound from the backs, but I think that those problems are also compounded by an under-performing midfield.

When you are at the games you notice that the ball spends most of the game in our backline, or at least in our back half of the field. I'm talking nearly whole quarters at times. We are getting smacked out of the centre bounces and then we can't clear the ball passed the half way line. Our midfield is just getting burnt on transition and a lot of that has to do with work rate and lack of dare. We are also too slow through the midfield as a whole. We absolutely need an injection of pace.

Our backline has been immense this year. To me our forwards still look dangerous when they get enough ball down there to feed on, we just don't get it in there enough and when we do it's not quick enough.

We just have to stop the ball living in our back line.

Spot on - back 6 have been saving us all year. On Friday against Hawthorn we had only 35 inside 50's to Hawks 57 and lose by 4 points (awesome defense by our back 6). That sort of differential points to our glaring inadequacy (slow ball movement, lack of run, turning it over) across our midfield group. When we did get inside 50, we generally bombed it in, with no clean entries and Sicily stood there all night know what was coming and licking his lips.

The players seem to have lost confidence in taking the game on with run and carry to break games open. For whatever reason (change in personnel, injuries, confidence) we are now stagnant. Preferring to kick long to a contest down the boundary line.

Its terrible footy to watch.

Injecting pace as you say will help - but who? Our ranks are thin, and expecting the like of Noble and Tyler Brown to come in an have that impact are unlikely. Personally I think Adams coming back in to provide that inside midfield grunt is crucial as it allows Pendles, Treloar etc to be a little bit more outside.

 

[No SPIN]

Time to go back to 2018 when the team jelled and Buckley lost him obsessive controlling ways and let the players play and use their creativity. It has been back to 2017 with the robot stuff, a negative Buckley trying to manage everything that moves. The joy of playing has been lost for a while now and it has shown, The old 'control freak' Buckley is back and he needs to banished. He goes back into default position. Maybe there is a machine he can hop into each each week to get him back to 2018. Getting coach of the year was a disaster and the old lunatic control button took over again. Even the field looks the same as 2017 with all the players pushed forward and having no-one in the forward line. Clarkson eats Buckley for breakfast, lunch and tea each time.

Where is your evidence Buckley has become a control freak?

 

[Snoop Dog]

We have simply gone away from playing that run and carry style from last year to a mark and kick game plan, it doesn’t work due to the oppo being able to get numbers back and then rebound with pace.
Start using the corridor again, it is so stagnant going forward and we are being forced to use the boundary line as our get out clause to cause a stoppage.
The forward line is purely being starved of 1on1 opportunity, move the ball at pace is the answer to all our problems.
Some keys troops back in will certainly help, we need Howe, Adams and Langdon to help our structure

Spot on.

We have gone ultra defensive and I know its all the rage but its just not the style our blokes know / like and trust.

Not sure Buckley commentary on players performances been a positive as well. That is unusual.

 

[Coach_Required]

Yes ... send Cox back to the VFL and don't bring him back ever again !!!!! ......

 

[TW Sherrin]

just play on at all costs.

 

[jmac70]

Yes ... send Cox back to the VFL and don't bring him back ever again !!!!! ......

He just needs a couple of weeks in the VFL to practice his marking...

 

[jakson68]

There is a simple way of looking at it.
Earlier in the year we were the talk of the town. We looked really good, we were fit and healthy and getting the job done.
We now have the highest injury rate in the AFL (16, yes 16 players unavailable)
Even if we got a third back on each line (two players), what a difference it would make.
Back - Howe and Langdon.
Midfield - Adams and Beams.
Forward - Stevo and Elliot.
I wont even mention Wells and Reid (whoops just did).
I think although things aren't great right now, we should not go nuts and play into opposition supporters hands and look like a rabble.
Lets not give them the satisfaction!!

We should just limp into finals, get some players back and playing well and p1ss some people off.
Side by side, go pies.

 

[YouBeauty]

I am amused when people blame our forward line. Not sure you can when we only get it in 30 odd times, we are actually quite efficient. Our biggest issues are aerially, being unable to take a mark coming out of defence. If Reid plays on Friday we win even as bad as we played.

 

[YouBeauty]

Thomas is an inside mid and has capabilities to turn into an elite one if he had more time in the middle. High half forward is not his go.

 

[BringouttheGimp]

Time to go back to 2018 when the team jelled and Buckley lost him obsessive controlling ways and let the players play and use their creativity. It has been back to 2017 with the robot stuff, a negative Buckley trying to manage everything that moves. The joy of playing has been lost for a while now and it has shown, The old 'control freak' Buckley is back and he needs to banished. He goes back into default position. Maybe there is a machine he can hop into each each week to get him back to 2018. Getting coach of the year was a disaster and the old lunatic control button took over again. Even the field looks the same as 2017 with all the players pushed forward and having no-one in the forward line. Clarkson eats Buckley for breakfast, lunch and tea each time.

He's to.. 'as a matter of fact'. Being praised for his gentlemanly honest type of behaviour with the media..

Clarko and Kennet fooling the media/public in to thinking they don't get along and Clarko is done and s**t like that.. what did that result in? BAMBOOZLING opposition clubs and lulling em in to a false sense of security.. for a Hawthorn premiership.

What does Ed do.. has a session with Caro on the week of the gf.. all pumped and proud.. with what? Sweet bugger all. Why would you even do that. What was that.. a vendetta agst Caro.. Ed? Sometimes he get in to these boyish baracking modes.. and all he does is f it up.

 

[Sea fog]

Thomas is an inside mid and has capabilities to turn into an elite one if he had more time in the middle. High half forward is not his go.

He turns it over, gets run down and falls over though.