Review It’s The Hope That Gets Ya - Rd 10 Review VS Collingwood

[MadMundy]

I wish I could be angry or upset but I just can't, I physically can't be upset anymore over football, it'd be a waste of energy, I just feel numb, all of the hype and we come crashing down. I don't get it.

We're a good team, we shouldn't be having trouble with the likes of Collingwood and Gold Coast, they should be business as usual 30+ point wins. Yet they smashed us. We can use the wet weather excuse but that's a cop out, feels like the players haven't cared the past two weeks, there's no drive or passion to win.

 

[mayne iac]

Erasmus looks like he is made for wet weather footy

 

[BarbieITFC]

when was the last good wet weather game that we played? anyone?

Up in Cairns against the Demons in late 2020 (the Cerra banana goal game) was wet and we played OK. Was probably the only JLo wet game that's been OK.

The one that springs to mind was 2014 against Brisbane at Subi. I think we were 10 goals up at half time and they had only scored one rushed behind - and possibly even only had two inside fifties for the half. Was a total domination in the wet.

 

[SiempreFreo]

Tell you what, as much as they outplayed us and outworked us, it also felt like everything that could go their way did go their way just to compound our misery.

Every time the ball bobbled around in the packs or got smothered it spilled out to one of them. Every quick kick from congestion landed in their lap. Every time the ball skidded along the ground it just missed our guys and went to theirs instead. When they played in front the ball dropped to them, when we played in front it skidded over the back to where they were waiting.

There's obviously a lot of confirmation bias at play there, but it was legit driving me nuts how often the 'bounce of the ball' went their way.

I was at the game and saw this too. Talk about woe thrice woe...

 

[SiempreFreo]

We played with 16 on the field
Freddy and Banfield unsighted till the last 5 minutes .

Lots of atrocious skill errors and decision making
We were never in the game

Gallant :

Brodie
Serong
Logue
Darcy
Clark

The rest :
Meh

Think Young should be added to that list

 

[DeanS]

Erasmus looks like he is made for wet weather footy

So does Crowden. Means nothing.

 

[SiempreFreo]

Think too many players are pigeonholed. Wouldn’t mind seeing Walker, Chapman take the wing spot. Probably after a pre season or two. Too good to be around defence.
Hughes is just another Logue.

Don't agree re the Hughes/Logue comparison - much as I liked Ethan the earnest slogger I think Logue has gone on to earn his keep - but minus NOD, I thought our wings would have been better served by the likes of Walker and Chappy.

 

[tonygeeks]

Bizarre take, we care if it's dodgy because it's against the rules. They arent being 'smart', it's literally cheating.

Only if you get caught


Sent from my iPad using BigFooty.com

 

[malpaso]

Tell you what, as much as they outplayed us and outworked us, it also felt like everything that could go their way did go their way just to compound our misery.

Every time the ball bobbled around in the packs or got smothered it spilled out to one of them. Every quick kick from congestion landed in their lap. Every time the ball skidded along the ground it just missed our guys and went to theirs instead. When they played in front the ball dropped to them, when we played in front it skidded over the back to where they were waiting.

There's obviously a lot of confirmation bias at play there, but it was legit driving me nuts how often the 'bounce of the ball' went their way.

Yeah it was definitely one of those days. It was wet, the pies don't control that much carp with their play.

 

[Purpletown]

Ginnivan is too thin, should not be playing at this level

Ginnivan might grow into those shorts one day. Meanwhile I look forward to seeing the cocky little sod knocked back a peg or two. Serious case of figjam.

 

[muckypup]

Young, for my money. Shining light.

Put him in the middle!

 

[MadMundy]

Erasmus needs to be brought into the team this week, he just has to, play him on the half forward flank over Banfield. We can't continue to play a guy that provides so little.

 

[Caldera]

I tried hard not to get too caught up in the elation in the turnaround after the Saints game, so only fair I don’t get sucked into negativity after the last couple of weeks. Nothing in this game is entirely predictable, especially not us being 7-3 with a percentage of near 130 after 10 rounds. And that is after 2 really poor weeks.

I’m confident that the team will regroup and find its mojo. My main concern is that our team defense has started to look leaky - has our system been worked out? Hopefully not. We have lacked class going forward of centre all year, I don’t expect that to change short term. But I do expect our work rate and intensity to return. Who knows, it might even be this week.

 

[FreoMatt]

Agreed. Logue has really come on and Pearce has gone backwards lately. Logue is a much more rounded player in what he offers too.

The fact that on a wet day 7 of Collingwoods 12 goals were kicked by tall forwards (Henry, Mihocek, Cameron) doesn't auger well for our key backs. I think who are our best lockdown key backs are is still an open question. For me you have to be either tall (197cm+) or big and strong (99kgs+) to deal with the big key forwards and rucks drifting down. You must be able to out reach them or out bussle them with strength. I like Pearce as at 201cm he has the height (and actually pace) to go with the big key forwards, but with those matchstick legs he just gets bussled off the ball and goes to ground way to easily (despite being 99kgs). Logue has the strength and weight (99kgs) to outbussle the big guys, but at 194cm is lacking when you come up against a King brother of McKay (all 200+)......Hamling for me has neither (height 194cm or weight 92kgs) so isn't a key lockdown back option for me and is more competing with the likes of Ryan/Chapman for a game, both or who are way ahead of Hamling. So that just leaves Cox who at 195cm and 100kgs (our heaviest back) should offer a good lockdown option. But his intensity is lacking. He is taller and heavier than Sam Collins, but if we could just implant Collin's intensity and will not to be beaten into Cox, we could have a very good key lockdown back. Eventhough I like Cox as an intercept defender, with the marking power of Chapman, Ryan and Young we can cover that option, but its our tall lockdown that is the problem for me........I'm not sure Logue or Pearce is the answer

 

[mayne iac]

So does Crowden. Means nothing.

His minimal game at the Gold Coast says different, He should have been playing is what I meant in case you didn't get it.

 

[E Shed]

Another fun fact. Tabs & Lobb didn’t take one mark inside 50 between them. Not one.
Now Switta sent to the tribunal, dear Gods don't take our one inside 50 playmaker out before Melbourne.

I've had some time to reflect on this game. I got very angry watching this yesterday. I've lived & died by Freo for over 20 years now, I watch every game no matter how bad we are. I've learned not to be too affected as at times I've stopped enjoying the game and that is, after all, what it is, a game.

It isn't far fetched to compare the emotions us real true believers feel at times to a relationship that borders on abusive. We get slapped in the face and we promise ourselves we won't get sucked in like last time and then we get seduced again only to get slapped again.
I see it here all the time, those who say they don't care any more, those who are furious, those trying to believe again. I've done it all a dozen times.

For whatever reason this one really hurt. I've been trying to figure out why. I think its partly because it reminded me of when we were really flaky and you could tell in the first 5 minutes if we'd come to play. From the second half of the first quarter yesterday it was obvious which way this one was going, a repeat of last week and so it was. We didn't give a yelp. Sure we tried hard and fought it out but our forward entries are so dysfunctional I stopped being excited when we went forward and instead wondered which Pies player would mark it or intercept. It was predictable and pathetic how bad we were.

Sure I get it, we're young, we're going to be inconsistent but some of the selection and coaching just feels wrong.
I know some people find it stupid to make so much of Walker but the fact is our run of wins coincided with dropping a tall and bringing him in and it ended when we dropped him. We persist in playing Pearce when he's not 100% and for whatever reason our back 6 has gone from impenetrable to practically dysfunctional and easily picked apart.

And yes, I can't avoid it, Banfield. Just why?
And Sturt, why not? And Erasmus why not? and Amiss why not?
Its awful because it reminds me of Lyon and his persistence in picking his favourite role players despite the evidence every week it wasn't working.

Its truly like PTSD symptoms because I get affected by these things far more than I should. Because yesterday reminded me of everything thats been bad about this team in the past.

I know the season isn't over and I know we'll have good games again but just now I'm still angry and one way I manage that is writing it out here.
This is a vent, take it or leave it.

 

[Yeti]

I've figured out why Sturt not getting games is annoying me so much.

All the fanfare about Will Brodie

17

Will Brodie

Age

25

Ht

190cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.0

5star

K

8.2

3star

HB

10.8

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.1

5star

D

14.0

3star

K

4.0

1star

HB

10.0

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

2star

CL

3.0

4star

D

13.8

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

5.4

5star

CL

2.8

5star

and focusing on what he CAN do and not what he can't do.

Sturt seems to be a natural goal kicker yet can't get a crack due to what appears to be defensive KPIs.

We have been pumping the ball inside 50 the last few weeks and can't score. Maybe it's time to bring in someone who can.

 

[wakojako]

I've figured out why Sturt not getting games is annoying me so much.

All the fanfare about Will Brodie and focusing on what he CAN do and not what he can't do.

Sturt seems to be a natural goal kicker yet can't get a crack due to what appears to be defensive KPIs.

We have been pumping the ball inside 50 the last few weeks and can't score. Maybe it's time to bring in someone who can.

Tbf if we lose Switta, our best pressure forward than bringing in Sturt might be troublesome. Or you know we could just *ing play him and let him prove himself.

 

[Dockeroo]

For whatever reason this one really hurt. I've been trying to figure out why. I think its partly because it reminded me of when we were really flaky and you could tell in the first 5 minutes if we'd come to play. From the second half of the first quarter yesterday it was obvious which way this one was going, a repeat of last week and so it was. We didn't give a yelp.

I think you nailed it here. Once they kicked their 3rd goal yesterday the game was over. I said to myself I’d be better off here switching off the tv and going for a walk in the freezing Melbourne evening air.
Against my better judgement I stayed watching knowing full well there was no way back. It was obvious watching it. It was just the vibe of it.

I hate that predictability of losing. That’s what kills fans. That’s what hurt me about yesterday. If we are to be taken seriously as a team, we cannot be a side that is beaten the minute we go three goals down. If we played on till midnight we were not going to reel the pies in. It’s a sign of a side that is mentally weak.
Good teams don’t do that. Leaders step up and impose themselves on the contest when the momentum is against us.
Fyfe is the only freo listed player that you can rely on to so that, whatever the circumstances and hence he is the only true A grader in this team yet.

 

[StingBitten]

Another fun fact. Tabs & Lobb didn’t take one mark inside 50 between them. Not one.
Now Switta sent to the tribunal, dear Gods don't take our one inside 50 playmaker out before Melbourne.

I've had some time to reflect on this game. I got very angry watching this yesterday. I've lived & died by Freo for over 20 years now, I watch every game no matter how bad we are. I've learned not to be too affected as at times I've stopped enjoying the game and that is, after all, what it is, a game.

It isn't far fetched to compare the emotions us real true believers feel at times to a relationship that borders on abusive. We get slapped in the face and we promise ourselves we won't get sucked in like last time and then we get seduced again only to get slapped again.
I see it here all the time, those who say they don't care any more, those who are furious, those trying to believe again. I've done it all a dozen times.

For whatever reason this one really hurt. I've been trying to figure out why. I think its partly because it reminded me of when we were really flaky and you could tell in the first 5 minutes if we'd come to play. From the second half of the first quarter yesterday it was obvious which way this one was going, a repeat of last week and so it was. We didn't give a yelp. Sure we tried hard and fought it out but our forward entries are so dysfunctional I stopped being excited when we went forward and instead wondered which Pies player would mark it or intercept. It was predictable and pathetic how bad we were.

Sure I get it, we're young, we're going to be inconsistent but some of the selection and coaching just feels wrong.
I know some people find it stupid to make so much of Walker but the fact is our run of wins coincided with dropping a tall and bringing him in and it ended when we dropped him. We persist in playing Pearce when he's not 100% and for whatever reason our back 6 has gone from impenetrable to practically dysfunctional and easily picked apart.

And yes, I can't avoid it, Banfield. Just why?
And Sturt, why not? And Erasmus why not? and Amiss why not?
Its awful because it reminds me of Lyon and his persistence in picking his favourite role players despite the evidence every week it wasn't working.

Its truly like PTSD symptoms because I get affected by these things far more than I should. Because yesterday reminded me of everything thats been bad about this team in the past.

I know the season isn't over and I know we'll have good games again but just now I'm still angry and one way I manage that is writing it out here.
This is a vent, take it or leave it.

Jesus this really hit hard.

But then again the power's been out all day in my home and then a 6 hour water outage too.

When that running water and electricity kicked back in I felt as happy as when we beat Geelong in 2013.

It'll all be fine E Shed

 

[Madas]

Think Young should be added to that list

Yep
I had him in my votes
I really like that lad
Hope he stays

 

[Madas]

Everyone is so very focused on us, but missing a few very important points on Collingwood:
1) Are we going to enquire about the legality of the subbing of Mason Cox for a 'finger' injury? This is some f*n dodgy s**t that clearly provided a massive advantage to Collingwood.
2) Collingwood played their best team for the year and they were actually very slick in the wet.

I still think we destroy them in a dry weather game. The wet takes away our ability to break up the lines, changing how and where we enter forward 50. We are really poor when the game has to be played in straight lines because contested marking is a massive weakness of ours. Everyone melting that we should just be better in the wet, well easy to say that, but we just don't have the personnel for it. We don't have massive blokes to kick down the line to and go from contest to contest in a slog. Put Pav and Fyfe into this team and that would change. It's no surprise that Darcy and Brodie were best on for us, they're made for that style of game.

When we play in our next dry game, pay attention to how well we 'change lanes'. Our best passage yesterday was when we pulled off one of our dry weather transitions from swinging it back and forth across the backline, dart into the corridor and get a good entry inside 50 to a Brodie goal.

It is simply obvious that we don't have the personnel to play wet weather slogs yet due to having a young and inexperienced team.

On us, some random points:

• Heath Chapman played his worst game for us
• Cox and Taberner trying to switch into the middle while it was raining was just unforgivable
• Darcy and Brodie were immense
• Freddy, Banfield, Colyer should be dropped
• we're seriously missing O'Driscoll!
• Why is our team selection so rigid? Why stubbornly continue to play Pearce, Cox, Logue when the weather forecast clearly shows it's going to be pissing down! This one in particular grinds my gears, play the team that is right for the opponent AND the conditions! Seems like they're choosing who they think is best 22 regardless of external factors. Pearce should not have played yesterday, that was a very poor call to keep him in.
• Taberner has played two worst on ground games this season after returning from injury, he was a deadset liability yesterday, barely got the ball and when he did he turned it over in diabolical ways. Lots of hate coming for Banfield and Freddy when Taberner was even worse. Tabs should have had a Pies jumper on he was that bad.
• I thought Young was awesome. He wasn't perfect, but some of his marks and kicks were superb.

Agree on all fronts
On your second last point though

The Banfield and Freddy knocking is pent up over time
Enough is enough
They haven’t contributed bugger all this year other than in easy games

While Banfield has been serviceable yet decidedly average over the years , Freddy has proven nothing to me since he came on board other than he can run fast and tackle sometimes

He’s basically our Petrucelle , a spud !

 

[Yeti]

He’s basically our Petrucelle , a spud !

 

[Purple Jesus]

Yep
I had him in my votes
I really like that lad
Hope he stays

Fairly certain he's recently signed a 4 year deal.

 

[Madas]

That’s a cool GIF

It pained me to write what I did about Freddy and likening him to Petrol Jelly was a low blow gotta admit .

I like most fans get very excited at his possibilities and athleticism BUT he is the epitome of the athlete vs footballer debate and personally I want to see footballers when I go to the footy .

He has huge potential and may very well reach it in which case I look forward to and urge everyone to dig up my negative posts about him and tell me what a dickhead I am .