Nervous Nellies

[Stickler]

Long time reader - 1st time thread starter so be gentle.

Another ugly-ish win but who cares we got over the line and go the f*cking mighty BLUES!!!.... but what is going on inside that forward 50?

Is it just me or are they all trying to offload ASAP and the set shot is second option. SO many offenders tonight.

Why are they all so nervous? Some of them look like I would if I strolled onto the ground to take one of those kicks - bloody pathetic!

Seriously - backing yourself within reasonable distance has got to be mandate. We nearly gave the game away tonight because of it, it looks terrible and I reckon it gives the oppostion a lift feeding off the lack of confidence.

Anyone concur?

 

[Beloved]

I definitely agree.

If you mark the ball around 40-50m out, just go back and have the shot. If it doesn't make the distance, there should be a tall on the goal line.

 

[Stamos]

Definitely.
4 crucial ones stand out in my mind, Setanta, Simmo and Waite in the 3rd quarter, and Scotty in the last. It's not good enough. I hope the MC drill them about it through the week.

 

[RiCHii]

One that stands out for me was the Waite one towards the end where he try to pass it off. You are a key foward Waite those ones you should go back and eat up for breakfast or atleast get it into the square where it will create a contest. Very very frustrating at times.

 

[Wickzki]

I think that every player who has a chance of getting consistent shots on goal (essentially anyone from half back up) should have a distance ingrained into them dependent on their kicking ability. If within that distance (unless on the boundary or an easy goal begs, either a layoff or a Garlett/Betts special) they automatically go back and take the shot.

It's not that difficult to go back and take a kick. I understand some players prefer to have a running goal rather than the pressure of a set shot but they really need to back themselves. That type of lack of confidence could come back to haunt us in a final or a must win situation.

 

[Alice]

We played really tough, gutsy - and in patches, sublime - football. Many examples throughout the night - Duigs, definitely leading the way. There weren't many passengers and we had some stars who played outstanding football for large parts of the game.
What is being discussed in this thread comes down to DECISION making. Guys with 0 - 20 games can be excused but 100+ gamers need to be better. Simmo (2-3 times a game) makes dumb decisions - as VC he needed to settle at the 40m mark and kick a leader's goal. Waite and Setanta both were really good but, again WTF? Judd, Gibbs, Carazzo, Russell all had brain fades.
The bonus is we won. We now have a week off to rest sore and tired bodies. Then we tackle the mental obstacles in overcoming the dreaded bye to beat Geelong, 'cause without a doubt - we ARE good enough.

 

[Graffy4242]

Definitely.
4 crucial ones stand out in my mind, Setanta, Simmo and Waite in the 3rd quarter, and Scotty in the last. It's not good enough. I hope the MC drill them about it through the week.

What was even worse about Waite's was that he missed the target he was attempting to pass to and the Saints then rebounded for a goal which started their resurgence.

Scotland's was just as bad. He was kicking from 50m on a 45deg angle and then passes it to Judd who was 70m out on a 30deg angle who then turned it over. WTF??? I would actually normally back Scotland 7 times out of 10 to kick the goal but Judd is 0/10 from 70m.

 

[Stickler]

possibly I guess but it happens every week and it's with the blokes you know can make the distance like Waite and Simmo that it frustrates me. I thought Eddie had improved on last year but seemed to regress last night - if it wasn't so painful to watch it'd be funny. Seems all too often we try to pass off, turn it over, then the opposition gets to the other end for a set shot, take it and goal.

If it's an actual plan then it certainly didn't come off last night in terms of fully capitalising on our created opportunities.

 

[Loramarthalas]

Agree. If long kicking is the new way to get it out of defense, why shouldn't it also be the way to penetrate an established zone in the forward half? Surely kicking over the zone is the best way to beat it?

 

[Faz 2000]

Our team is devoid of confidence in our forward structure. We are winning in spite of our forward line, not because of it. It's the sheer weight of numbers that our clearance domination creates that's getting us over the line, but MANNNNNNNNNN we work too hard for our goals.

Basic kicking skills and set shots for goal within our team are horribly lacking. Simpson NOT going back to take his kick was disgraceful. We know Betts can't kick more than 40m, but anywhere within that he has to go back and be better. Garlett and Walker (!!!) are the only ones I trust to go back and have a proper set shot, and even then they look twitchy, nervous and likely to do something moronic.

I definitely think the team is trying to play on at all costs, at a helter-skelter pace, which is what makes our best look great (when we take it end-to-end at speed) but is also what puts our decison-making and kicking skills under the microscope (where we fail time and time again). I think that is partly due to poor forward structure and lack of marking power up forward. Ie. If we don't get it in quick and break a team open, we won't get a shot at goal. But it's also because we have to try to kick our goals from 20m out, because we can't confidently kick from further.

Based on clearances, etc, we should have won by 6-8 goals + last night. The amount of ball we butchered 40-70m out from goal was STUNNING.

Perhaps with experience and more games together the forwards we have will learn to settle it down and pick the times to play on and times to go back and think a little better. But when it's veterans like Simpson and Waite doing it... sheesh. We look like a team of tryers rather than a team of winners, hoping something will work out, hoping someone else will kick the goal, rather than confident winners demanding the ball and the responsibility.

Note: I'm not down on the team or randomly whining... this is what our team does NOT do well. There's truckloads our team DOES do well. If we can get better at converting F50s into shots on goal, and shots on goal into goals, we can contend with anyone.

 

[audas]

We have been doing this every week - it is based on other teams (think collingwood) whose strength lie in their ability to do this - except they can kick straight. (Nathan Buckley has something to do with this i suspect - we should get craig bradley in as our kicking coach).

Our accuracy at goal is of great concern - whether we are playing on, lacking structure, or using our midfielders which apparently cant kick because they are midfielders, either way - we are sorely lacking in accuracy.

Good thread OP - search for the same thread from last week, week before, week before..........

 

[brazilblue]

Good thread - I am very happy with the team's belief in itself at the moment ... but the simple fact is that we are putting ourselves in that situation by our faffing around. It just seems when it comes to kicking for goal we have no one who wants to take the bull by the horns. Simpson, and I do love him, has had the yips since the Essendon game ... I remember him being really good in front of goal. This aspect of our game seriously needs to improve if we are to go deeper into September this year.