Malthouse

[MarkT]

If you go back to 2004 and again 2005 after round 1 you will find I didn’t do that then. It isn’t 1 loss it is 2 lost grand finals followed by 2 inept seasons leading to a round 1 loss on the back of 7 drafts and trade weeks. This is Malthouse’s squad, playing Malthouse’s way and it isn’t good enough. The response to losing grand finals was not good enough and the responses to two bottom 4 seasons has not been good enough. If it was 1 loss in round I wouldn’t be so uptight but right now I am pretty bloody annoyed at the coach for his ineptness and the board for their inaction. Time marches on but at Collingwood we never learn. Every loss is followed by excuses. At the AGM I heard so many times that we don’t make excuses but….

The fact is we lack pace, skill and hardness. That is totally a function of Malthouse’s influences on the list and its use. If he was ever any more than the lucky recipient of success push marketing then he has lost whatever he had.

You say we weren’t terribly bad. In one respect I can agree. We could have won that game if we kicked better into 50. On the other hand we are serial offenders and why would you expect us to deliver better when the players can’t kick to an acceptable standard? In reality we could never have won that game because our skills and fitness were not good enough to have don e so. The number of goals or the 3/4 time margin are not really relevant. What is relevant is that over 4 quarters we got beaten fairly soundly by an interstate side playing away.

 

[Lonie_from_50]

I mentioned during the game that Malthouse must have been coaching off the TV, with a 30 min delay, don't know when I said it, but yeah...might have been when Lockyer got taken off the ground, just for a rest after doing some good things, when he should of been taken off the quarter before hand after making that stupid decision. Any coach would have taken him off, even if it was Kinnear to Buckley...it is called discipline.

 

[Coin_Toss]

At least we didn't get blown out of the water, unlike last year. But it was a horrible start after hearing the hype down at Pie land, Mick talking about finals. If only we can start to walk off the talk.

Mick is definitely on his last legs at the club. He even said it himself, no excuses this year. If he can't get this team up to play finals football, Mick will walk straight through the nearest exit.

 

[jefffff34]

I mentioned during the game that Malthouse must have been coaching off the TV, with a 30 min delay, don't know when I said it, but yeah...might have been when Lockyer got taken off the ground, just for a rest after doing some good things,

He was absolutely buggered and spent both at the same time. He needed the rest.

 

[MarkT]

Lockyer asked to come off before he actually went off and he couldn’t because there wasn't a replacement. Given no midfielders/runners were injured you'd have to say that is a selection error of basic and ultimately quite possibly game blowing proportions. I am sick and tired of the most expensive football department in the history of the game getting it constantly wrong and even more sick and tired of the lack of action taken by those elected to act.

Can anyone at all tell me what Malthouse’s strong points are or one football department appointment that the board has made that is clearly a good one. Some might argue Hine. I won’t argue that at this stage but I will say there is nothing startling about what he has brought us with early picks.

 

[Presti_is_god]

What i thought was the biggest error was the lack of runners on the bench. Adelaide were never going to play very tall in the fwd line we had the usual Presti/Wakes/Clemo. But we also had J.Cloke and Maxwell. We didnt need both. We had nobody to rotate in the midfield because the bench was all tall.

 

[Cassius_Clay]

Sheeees, Mick can't kick it for 'em.

I wish he could for Lockyer

 

[StickerMan]

After reading every entry of this post, I would like to add something as an Adelaide supporter.

I didn't think you guys were that bad, and I think your improvement from last year was excellent. Before we stagnated your run in the 3rd quarter, I was think we were going to get beat, but I think our tactic ripped the heart out of some of your players.

Without being biased (well maybe i am) but I think the Crows will finish top four again, and for you guys to play like you did against a top four side, well, that will win you a fair few games this year.

I think what killed you guys, is that you don't have the depth in the midfield. The Crows and WC have about 10-12 options they run through the midfield during the game, and therefore come the last quarter we were able to run over the top.

On thing I would be concerned with as a Collingwood supporter is your level of fitness. To think, you had approximately four more weeks than the Crows for you pre-season, and we were fitter than you guys, says something about your fitness staff, or ours, or a bit of both.

I have picked the Pies this week and i hope like f*ck they win!!!

Cheers.

 

[hotpie]

I think what killed you guys, is that you don't have the depth in the midfield. The Crows and WC have about 10-12 options they run through the midfield during the game, and therefore come the last quarter we were able to run over the top.

Good post. We are two years away from a new midfield. Malthouse did us no favours by selecting a top-heavy side, leaving talls like J Cloke T Cloke and Wakelin without adequate matchups. Next week we need to bring in midfielders/midsized players like Burns Davies Iaccobucci H Shaw Caracella, etc and maybe we we will have a better balance and some more depth in the middle to compete for four quarters.

 

[rychenroller]

Yeah that was a good post, pretty unbiased and accurate. You only have to look at blokes like Mattner, Thompson, Burton et all, not your top liners, your support brigade, to see how far we are off the mark in the midfield. We need speed and skill, not plodding and blind disposal. Only Bucks is regularly free of that charge

 

[goalpie]

Malthouse = Grumpy Old Fart.

 

[Murray]

Good post. We are two years away from a new midfield.
Next week we need to bring in midfielders/midsized players like Burns Davies Iaccobucci H Shaw Caracella, etc and maybe we we will have a better balance and some more depth in the middle to compete for four quarters.

Agreed
2 years at best, although I think Thomas will come on sooner than (even I) expected.
Next years draft should again concentrate on our pick 1 and 2 being midfielders.
In today's footy at least 10 very good players are needed to rotate through the middle.

 

[MarkT]

In 2 years Burns will be gone and Buckley, if not gone, will be going. Licuria will be pushing on. We will still be at least 2 midfielders away from a good midfield. How would you like to have Haselby, Dal Santo and Lewis there right now? That's what we have passed up in 3 drafts. Same people who made the decisions are all still there too.

 

[goalpie]

In 2 years Burns will be gone and Buckley, if not gone, will be going. Licuria will be pushing on. We will still be at least 2 midfielders away from a good midfield. How would you like to have Haselby, Dal Santo and Lewis there right now? That's what we have passed up in 3 drafts. Same people who made the decisions are all still there too.

Haselby is rubbish because he went to Fremantle on our pick or what should have been our pick until the AFL decided on having interstate freebie year.

 

[augie]

I don't think Haselby would be the answer to any of our problems. He's not that quick, can't kick very well and is a bit of a tool. I think we've pretty much reached our quota of that type of player.

I agree that our recruiting has been crap for a long time. The real problem I have with Malthouse is that he refused to trade for soem hgih picks when he should have. We had a lot of very ordinary players with Grand Final experience who were high on the priority list for a number of clubs. Instead of trading he basically guarantees them tenure. Think Lonie, J Cloke, O'Bree etc.

One other thing I am tired of hearing about is how good Didak is and how he will bolster the midfield. Yeah he can kick a great goal and take a great mark. But have you ever seen him play a full game? Never. Might kick three in a quarter but it means f all when you don't get a kick for the rest of the game. Should have traded him 3 years ago when he still had people fooled.

Can someone tell me who we have picked up in the last 10 years through the draft who has been a smart selection - by which I mean someone outside the first round who is a star or will be a star?

 

[Murray]

In 2 years Burns will be gone and Buckley, if not gone, will be going. Licuria will be pushing on. We will still be at least 2 midfielders away from a good midfield. How would you like to have Haselby, Dal Santo and Lewis there right now? That's what we have passed up in 3 drafts. Same people who made the decisions are all still there too.

So isn't that all the more reason to get our young midfielders blooded before Bucks and Burns go?
In addition we will need two more mids to replace them

 

[MarkT]

I have no problem with blooding midfielders who will make it as front line midfielders. Thomas looks the goods at this early stage. Who else though? Wait and see on Penders. Yakka needs a chance but he's done SFA at VFL level really. The problem is precisely that we have little to come through in the midfield. Egan is a mile off at this point. An absolute mile.

 

[MarkT]

I don't think Haselby would be the answer to any of our problems. He's not that quick, can't kick very well and is a bit of a tool. I think we've pretty much reached our quota of that type of player.QUOTE]Haselby is good midfielder. Put him in our mix along with Dal Santo (instead of Cole),and Lewis (in stead of Egan and Morrison) and Stevens (not instead of Didak though) and you have a pretty hand mix.

 

[Jabso]

Here we go again!
The retrospective recruiting experts emerge

 

[augie]

Jabso pull your head in. There is nothing retrospective about it. If you didn't realise that the blokes mentioned were duds three years ago then you might not be the sharpest crayon in the box.

Still haven't heard a response to my last question - who have we picked up as a smart, later round selection?

 

[MarkT]

I think Rusling was a very good get. Since Burns that would be about it for non early picks let alone late ones. Johnson arguably but he’d want to pull his socks up this year. Overall our later rounds have been probably on a par with most. Not that that should be the measure mind you but when you consider the picks and bargaining power from last, second last x 2 and third last since MM’s first draft it is a crime not to have the best list let alone what we do have.

Jabso, I try not to be critical of first year players. Nothing I am saying is new though. I've been complaining about our rucks all this century and our list management in general for a long time. The reality is MM can't cut it in today’s game with today’s player regulation rules. A look at the finishing positions and the list shape is all the proof you need and the fact it has been evident for a number of years says all you need to know about the future. While MM stays we have little future. That is categorical as far as I'm concerned.

This is Malthouse chosen squad and he can’t win with it. I know it’s only round 1 but to select that side for that opponent and venue and to then look at who might be the alternatives is all I need after the last two years and two grand final failures for much the same deficiencies.

If anyone is an MM fan then I would like to know just what iot is that MM is actually particularly good at? It isn’t judging talent, mending relationships, developing players, match day tactics or anything that would be important on the football field. He does however have a strong concern about global warming and the like. While I share his concerns, unless we are moving to Sandringham’s oval it has no place in post match press conference save to draw attention from his own ineptness.

 

[Cangaru]

I think Rusling was a very good get. Since Burns that would be about it for non early picks let alone late ones. Johnson arguably but he’d want to pull his socks up this year. Overall our later rounds have been probably on a par with most. Not that that should be the measure mind you but when you consider the picks and bargaining power from last, second last x 2 and third last since MM’s first draft it is a crime not to have the best list let alone what we do have.

Jabso, I try not to be critical of first year players. Nothing I am saying is new though. I've been complaining about our rucks all this century and our list management in general for a long time. The reality is MM can't cut it in today’s game with today’s player regulation rules. A look at the finishing positions and the list shape is all the proof you need and the fact it has been evident for a number of years says all you need to know about the future. While MM stays we have little future. That is categorical as far as I'm concerned.

This is Malthouse chosen squad and he can’t win with it. I know it’s only round 1 but to select that side for that opponent and venue and to then look at who might be the alternatives is all I need after the last two years and two grand final failures for much the same deficiencies.

If anyone is an MM fan then I would like to know just what iot is that MM is actually particularly good at? It isn’t judging talent, mending relationships, developing players, match day tactics or anything that would be important on the football field. He does however have a strong concern about global warming and the like. While I share his concerns, unless we are moving to Sandringham’s oval it has no place in post match press conference save to draw attention from his own ineptness.

Why r so many of our players always injured, or unfit when we have a full preseason and that arizon trip what did they do there? I seen that it was a bonding thing, but is that what's needed here???
Canga(I probably no nothing livin in Mexico but asi es la vida)

 

[Murray]

I think Rusling was a very good get. Since Burns that would be about it for non early picks let alone late ones. Johnson arguably but he’d want to pull his socks up this year. Overall our later rounds have been probably on a par with most. Not that that should be the measure mind you but when you consider the picks and bargaining power from last, second last x 2 and third last since MM’s first draft it is a crime not to have the best list let alone what we do have.

Jabso, I try not to be critical of first year players. Nothing I am saying is new though. I've been complaining about our rucks all this century and our list management in general for a long time. The reality is MM can't cut it in today’s game with today’s player regulation rules. A look at the finishing positions and the list shape is all the proof you need and the fact it has been evident for a number of years says all you need to know about the future. While MM stays we have little future. That is categorical as far as I'm concerned.

This is Malthouse chosen squad and he can’t win with it. I know it’s only round 1 but to select that side for that opponent and venue and to then look at who might be the alternatives is all I need after the last two years and two grand final failures for much the same deficiencies.

If anyone is an MM fan then I would like to know just what iot is that MM is actually particularly good at? It isn’t judging talent, mending relationships, developing players, match day tactics or anything that would be important on the football field. He does however have a strong concern about global warming and the like. While I share his concerns, unless we are moving to Sandringham’s oval it has no place in post match press conference save to draw attention from his own ineptness.

mentoring
tactical match ups
extracting the very best out of average players
getting a team to work as one


theres a few just for starters

 

[Jabso]

Jabso pull your head in. There is nothing retrospective about it. If you didn't realise that the blokes mentioned were duds three years ago then you might not be the sharpest crayon in the box.

Still haven't heard a response to my last question - who have we picked up as a smart, later round selection?

I do admit our recruiting has been poor. The last two batches seem ok at this early stage but my retrospective recruiting remark was about people who say "We could of got Dal Santo instead of Cole" well Dal Santo wasn't highly rated at that stage and Cole was very highly rated. Touted as a top 5 pick if it wasn't for his shoulder injury.

 

[Lensen]

mentoring
tactical match ups
extracting the very best out of average players
getting a team to work as one


theres a few just for starters

Hahahahahahahahahahaha tactical matchups.

You kill me Murray.