Autopsy Magpies Season 2020

[magpies42]

Plenty of lessons to take out from the season, tough draw and injuries a concern again. Lady Luck just not on our side. All things considered not a bad season, definitely could have been better though.

The persistent issue for me was connection with our forwards, our midfield under performed all year. I’m convinced Grundy is injured, but that’s no excuse plenty of other players on big money to carry that aspect of the game. I think there needs to a coaching/ strategy shift...hard to tell without watching games at the ground, but I suspect our midfields impotency and clearance issues start with field position and a tendency to play defensive with positioning and ball movement. Skill execution by our is also a big issue.

In my view this needs to be fixed before we even consider bringing in a big money key forward. No forward will be effective the way we’ve played this year, I don’t think our forwards are actually that bad on the whole.

Some positive development from Moore, IQ, Noble, Madgen, Maynard, Elliot...none in the middle of the ground unfortunately.

Plenty of talent available during the trade period let’s hope our footy department know what they are doing. Floreat Pica!

 

[The Young Chevalier]

This season was a covid mess really, not helped by ridiculous inter state border restrictions and governmental factors out of the AFL control. Despite this I am genuinely grateful to the AFL and the CFC for soldiering on and finishing the season. It’s been a tough few months for me personally (like many millions) and Pies footy has been a massive help in getting through some long weeks.

I reckon I might post a more comprehensive outline of my thoughts in a few days but for now, Floreat Pica.

 

[magpienato]

Remember the belting we got in 2009 Prelim by Geelong? What happened the next year? Keep the faith guys, winning premierships is never an easy feat.

 

[barrackers]

Our season looked promising before covid hit hard, but we were inconsistent and struggled for momentum thereafter. Suspensions and injuries combined with training restrictions and no VFL meant we struggled for cohesion. It's no surprise that the sides with the better injury runs finished top of the table; just look how few players the top 6 used. Chris Scott commented that 3 of the top 5 sides (PA, BL, WC) also played mostly at home. Meanwhile we copped the toughest 13 days ever seen in AFL fixturing, which coincided with two of our three shocking performances for the year.

Number of players used - not the best indicator of injury or changes from one week to the next, but it's a rough guide.

The top 6 sides by ladder position plus GC, Freo and Melb who all had vastly improved seasons.

30 players used:​

PA (1st)​

​

32 players used:​

GC (14th)​

​

33 players used:​

RICH (3rd)​

​

34 players used:​

GEEL (4th)​

STK (6th)​

FREO (12th)​

​

36 players used:​

BL (2nd)​

WC (5th)​

MEL (9th)​

Remaining clubs.

37 players used:​

CAR (11th)​

​

38 players used:​

GWS (10th)​

ESS (12th)​

ADE (18th)​

​

39 players used:​

SYD (16th)​

NM (17th)​

​

40 players used:​

WB (7th)​

COLL (8th)​

HAW (15th)​

 

[stormskye]

Started with such promise. Howe went down, and knew deep down that was our season... Just knew it.

Ended poorly though I’d rather a semi final loss than another gf or prelim. Just feels like we keep falling short, 10% off being good enough...

Bring on the trade period and 2021

 

[sr36]

Crap year. Except for a win for the ages against WCE. 6th flattered us. Hopefully we come out playing a different style next year.

 

[Kappa]

Remember the belting we got in 2009 Prelim by Geelong? What happened the next year? Keep the faith guys, winning premierships is never an easy feat.

I think in 2009 we were full of young superstars and had plenty of cap space to bring in Jolly/Ball...

Kind of the opposite right now, our midfield is grizzled veterans and we don't have many young superstars coming through, especially in the midfield... Plus our cap is likely at breaking point.

 

[Aussie pie]

Another wasted year, getting quite tired of it from this club. Don’t know what to say but I think I’ve made my feelings known in many posts this year. I will say that Eddie and Bucks need to go and recruiting needs to improve.
I would like to thank all clubs for their sacrifice this year to get the season happening except for those teams who were playing at home and basically had a season of home games.

 

[Jen2310]

Never really got going this year.

With our inability to score. To injuries, to losing games we should have won.

But Last week I will always remember, just like the 2018 prelim. No matter what happened the week later, this is a game that shows how we can play. Just needs to be more consistent.

 

[magpies42]

Started with such promise. Howe went down, and knew deep down that was our season... Just knew it.

Ended poorly though I’d rather a semi final loss than another gf or prelim. Just feels like we keep falling short, 10% off being good enough...

Bring on the trade period and 2021

Have to agree.

Buckley in the presser, candid as always, highlighted where our needs are. Outside run wing and high half forward. He said we’d be aggressive in the trade period...they better be!

We really lascivious class and polish, I can see why they rolled the dice with Daniel Wells. Too bad it didn’t work out...

 

[Rusty Beam]

Remember the belting we got in 2009 Prelim by Geelong? What happened the next year? Keep the faith guys, winning premierships is never an easy feat.

“Never confuse hope, for a plan”

 

[domin8tors]

I anticipate a bit of a list turnover and even players with contract likely unable to be guaranteed best 22 spots now. Reid, varcoe, dunn, roughead, Langdon ( I hope not ) thomas, mayne. Experiment with wiils over with. Beams, scharenberg and broomhead. . that's a fair list cull

 

[JLC]

If you viewed us as a premiership contender then this year has been disappointing. If you thought we are a middle of the road team then we slightly over achieved.

Individually there has been improvement. Collectively there has not been. Not one of the defence, midfield or forwards as a collective unit, improved. You could argue the defence stayed around the same level.

2010 - Flag
2011- Gf loss
2012 - Prelim loss
2013 - Elimination final

A similar downwards trend occurring this time around.

Teams are improving at a faster rate than we are.

Geelong have proven they are a better team than us, when it counted. If they add Goldstein and Cameron or Higgins. Then, how on earth do we go past them?

 

[JLC]

I anticipate a bit of a list turnover and even players with contract likely unable to be guaranteed best 22 spots now. Reid, varcoe, dunn, roughead, Langdon ( I hope not ) thomas, mayne. Experiment with wiils over with. Beams, scharenberg and broomhead. . that's a fair list cull

Add Phillips as gonski.

I would be very tempted to trade Treloar and/or Sidey. Possibly Elliott as well. I also think Grundy is taking up too much of the salary cap. Let’s be real here. Year 6 & 7 ain’t going to be worth the million per year. So already half the deal is bad.

We need a proper shake up in the midfield.

 

[AndrewShawble]

Waking up this morning, last night feels like a bad dream.

Felt like that North game last year where they just blitzed us.

Anyway, hopefully we retire/move on all the dead wood, draw a line in the sand on these excessive contract demands and nab some quality players out of contract at other clubs.

 

[Thefly38]

Issac smith on a wing would be nice

 

[ride56]

Add Phillips as gonski.

I would be very tempted to trade Treloar and/or Sidey. Possibly Elliott as well. I also think Grundy is taking up too much of the salary cap. Let’s be real here. Year 6 & 7 ain’t going to be worth the million per year. So already half the deal is bad.

We need a proper shake up in the midfield.
[/QUOTE]
And Sier. I think Sidey will head down forward a lot more. Will be interesting to see where young recruits Bianco and Rantall will be used next year, hopefully they can improve us. Reef may well come straight in also, seems big and ready made to take on a forward / De Goey role. Grundy is staying, just a bad year. Obviously a gun forward would be nice but gut feeling is they expect Kelly or another to step up. We can't keep this slow Cameron / Cox mix going. We need more De Goey grunt in the centre, at least 80%. Stephenson on the wing more with Daics, to push Mayne, Thomas out of best 22.

 

[whiskeytown]

Our season looked promising before covid hit hard, but we were inconsistent and struggled for momentum thereafter. Suspensions and injuries combined with training restrictions and no VFL meant we struggled for cohesion. It's no surprise that the sides with the better injury runs finished top of the table; just look how few players the top 6 used. Chris Scott commented that 3 of the top 5 sides (PA, BL, WC) also played mostly at home. Meanwhile we copped the toughest 13 days ever seen in AFL fixturing, which coincided with two of our three shocking performances for the year.

Number of players used - not the best indicator of injury or changes from one week to the next, but it's a rough guide.

The top 6 sides by ladder position plus GC, Freo and Melb who all had vastly improved seasons.

30 players used:​

PA (1st)​

​

32 players used:​

GC (14th)​

​

33 players used:​

RICH (3rd)​

​

34 players used:​

GEEL (4th)​

STK (6th)​

FREO (12th)​

​

36 players used:​

BL (2nd)​

WC (5th)​

MEL (9th)​

Remaining clubs.

37 players used:​

CAR (11th)​

​

38 players used:​

GWS (10th)​

ESS (12th)​

ADE (18th)​

​

39 players used:​

SYD (16th)​

NM (17th)​

​

40 players used:​

WB (7th)​

COLL (8th)​

HAW (15th)​

This ^

Would like to see our players used tally over the last decade. Because since 2010 it seems like we’ve never had a good year with injuries. And crucially its our top 15 players getting injured or suspended year in year out

Took until like rd 17 to have Pendlebury, Treloar, Adams, De Goey in the line up together. Even then we were missing Howe and Sidebottom. And it took most of the year before Cox could return in form from his eye injury. Ditto Stephenson and glandular fever. Then there’s the whole ongoing Beams saga that robs us of the additional midfield presence and clearances we need.

Change the above. Use only 30-32 players this year and we’re top 4

We just need some luck from the injury gods in 2021 and no more off field dramas, and we are back in top 6 contention

 

[Thefly38]

Add Phillips as gonski.

I would be very tempted to trade Treloar and/or Sidey. Possibly Elliott as well. I also think Grundy is taking up too much of the salary cap. Let’s be real here. Year 6 & 7 ain’t going to be worth the million per year. So already half the deal is bad.

We need a proper shake up in the midfield.

Im not sure making bulk changes straight up in one go is wise I agree cut dead wood but you’re looking at 6 or 7 just in that alone.

I think Phillips comes back into his own when game lengths increase again. But would love a winger in the Isaac smith mould and some midfielders who can use the ball.

 

[peter9789]

We’ve fallen short over the past 3 years, so time to cut a little deeper and look to renew the list.

We are not short of players to cull.

Retire / Delist no trade currency

Reid, Dunne, Varcoe, Broomhead, Langdon (retired), Beams, Mayne

Trade for whatever we can get

Scharenberg, Thomas, WHE

Interesting times ahead


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[10571z]

An alright season. Daicos and Quaynor look to be serious players.

Need to cut the dead weight.

Dunn, Broomhead, Reid seriously half our list are permanently injured.

 

[Thefly38]

An alright season. Daicos and Quaynor look to be serious players.

Need to cut the dead weight.

Dunn, Broomhead, Reid seriously half our list are permanently injured.

and not for just one season which is the annoying thing

 

[AndrewShawble]

An alright season. Daicos and Quaynor look to be serious players.

Need to cut the dead weight.

Dunn, Broomhead, Reid seriously half our list are permanently injured.

Daicos and Q have been great and will only get better.

I’m also ridiculously long on the Brown brothers, prepared to die on that hill. I think Cal will be like Daicos next season.

A couple of shrew moves in this trade period will open things right up.

 

[magpies42]

We’ve fallen short over the past 3 years, so time to cut a little deeper and look to renew the list.

We are not short of players to cull.

Retire / Delist no trade currency

Reid, Dunne, Varcoe, Broomhead, Langdon (retired), Beams, Mayne

Trade for whatever we can get

Scharenberg, Thomas, WHE

Interesting times ahead


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

I’d give Broomy a rookie spot if we don’t have better alternatives, similar to Dunn. I’d also keep Mayne as a ‘squad’ type player, does the hard stuff and can play just about any position. Good for development purposes in the VFL, can show the kids how to go about it. having said that, the big unknown is list sizes given the cap reduction.

I would trade Stephenson to get what we need, we can’t afford to wait and see whether he will turn into what some on here expect.

Don’t mind the call on Treloar, but that won’t happen. Buckley loves him, I think we keep unless we get an amazing offer for him.

Sidey, no way we trade him. I was very disappointed with his decision not to return to the squad after his babies birth, but he’s an outstanding player. Similar to Pendles I think he’ll play another 3 years of good quality football.

 

[peter9789]

This ^

Would like to see our players used tally over the last decade. Because since 2010 it seems like we’ve never had a good year with injuries. And crucially its our top 15 players getting injured or suspended year in year out

Took until like rd 17 to have Pendlebury, Treloar, Adams, De Goey in the line up together. Even then we were missing Howe and Sidebottom. And it took most of the year before Cox could return in form from his eye injury. Ditto Stephenson and glandular fever. Then there’s the whole ongoing Beams saga that robs us of the additional midfield presence and clearances we need.

Change the above. Use only 30-32 players this year and we’re top 4

We just need some luck from the injury gods in 2021 and no more off field dramas, and we are back in top 6 contention

There is some element of truth in what you say.

But some of this is on the club and it’s list management strategy for retaining so many vulnerable players. For example Reid has had chronic soft tissue injuries for years. Broomhead been on the list for 8 years for 30 odd games, when is enough enough?

The management and reoccurrence of injuries has been a massive issue, but not more so than the recruitment and retention of injury prone players.


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