Autopsy **** off Owen - Fremantle def. Essendon

[Clems Knee]

So I watched the replay last night and learnt quite a few things I didn't notice during the game itself:

• Not once did we get the ball past the half-way line from a kick-in without losing possession. I think the closest we got was Apeness' mark in the first. Last week I said Crozier should be kicking the ball in because he can pin-point a pass. For some reason we went with Sutcliffe and Hill but neither went the corridor, pin pointed a pass unless it was to a pocket (which not surprisingly didn't work), took the game on and ran the ball out of defence nor penetrated Essendon's forward press (yes Essendon's! not great!). Why do we persist kicking to a pack on either flank that we lose possession more often than not? Or worse, hem ourselves in, in a pocket?
• A lot of our chains that led to scores were either from clearances or when one of our players did something unexpected. Like Ballantyne doing a little run around to draw defenders near the centre square, then release the handball over the top and a chain of handballs and kicks inside 50 for an easy shot on goal. Our small forwards also stepped up and I'd give some credit for that to having 3 talls in our forward line.
• Barlow was sensational in that "run with role", the new term for a tagger. But I have to say calling him a tagger wouldn't do him justice. He was extremely accountable but made perfect choices when to run off his man to impact play, which he did a lot. If he isn't part of our future I don't understand why not.
• Neale is just a work-horse and with Mundy back in the middle a bit his disposal certainly improved from what I saw. Thought he was BOG ahead of Mundy, Crozier and Barlow purely because of his impact all over the ground and for all four quarters.
• Tucker is going to be a gun. Some of his disposals were as good as anyone on the ground. Whilst all our other players were stuffing around he kicked a ball up the centre corridor that was sublime and opened up play that led to an easy goal. He fumbled a few times, possibly due to nerves but if he hadn't he would have killed it as you could see what he wanted to do and he was making great choices, he just didn't quite execute it cleanly. I wish he'd kicked that ball down the corridor to Walters instead of kicking out wide to Mayne that one time - was the only poor choice I remember him making and if he hadn't it would have been huge for his confidence.
• Watching Alex Pearce earlier in the season and now Collins the past two games has own solidified my pov that we need to transition from Dawson over the next 12 months. He's been a great servant and is still fantastic depth for us but so much more upside with the two young key defenders. 10 contested possessions from Collins and leading our intercept possessions as well! Brilliant!
  
• Essendon were rubbish and beating them isn't much of a yard stick to assess ourselves from. I didn't think our ball movement was that great yet we completely dominated them. It was fantastic to get a win but after reviewing the game I am not certain we played any better than we did the week before against St Kilda.

Good summary.
I haven't had the chance to watch the replay, but at the game I was also concerned at how difficult the players were finding it moving out of defence. At one stage I noticed how static the players up the ground were. If the players are just standing or walking slowly, it doesn't attract the kicker's attention. Of course the ball was just kicked towards the railway wing, and resulted in a ball up. Against better opposition, the ball would have been turned over.
Later in the game I marvelled at the effort that Neale made to receive a ball from defence. He sprinted from one wing to the next to provide an outlet. Very few players in our team either have the fitness or game sense to make that effort.

 

[Clems Knee]

He's been used as scapegoat by Lyon. Pure and simple.

This makes no sense.

 

[kingswood71]

He's been used as scapegoat by Lyon. Pure and simple.

A scapegoat for what exactly?
He wasnt really setting the game on fire...got dropped. To his credit, he played very well for Peel and then came back into the side.
Great move by RTB to use him in a negating role on the weekend.

 

[scon]

It fell into farce at that point and steadily got worse.

I don't mind Richo but BT and LD are gormless clowns.

is there any footage of the Apeness hit floating around?

Happened with about 17:30 left in the 3rd.

Goddard got smacked by Neale later on too.

Lachie got him with the reverse headbutt.Very clever and unreportable

 

[wayToGo_]

is there any footage of the Apeness hit floating around?

Pretty sure the vibrations from the hits broke the cameras.

Try Smart Replay http://www.afl.com.au/video/smart-replay if you want to re-watch specific parts of the game (assuming you know when abouts they happened). It's free and fast.

 

[T0ecutter]

This makes no sense.

Neither does Lyon playing Barlow as a high half forward for virtually all of 2015 and early 2016.

 

[Van_Dyke]

The 720 broadcast I listened to at the game with Hase and Michael Braun was pretty good I thought but when I watched the Foxtel replay at home and I think Brian Taylor from the opening bounce declared that it 'was good to see Michael Barlow back after a couple of weeks in the VFL' I knew what to expect.

BT was utterly appalling the whole game.

His commentary was riddled with errors from start to finish and if he has a IQ higher than room temperature, he would be personally embarrassed.

Clever stuff like 'no rule against ducking' (actually there is, BT. Its considered prior opportunity), Barlow played in the VFL (really?), the 'goal square isn't square' and the ongoing comments about oblongs not being square (BT, look up camera angles, perspective and while you're looking up stuff, try looking up relevance)

Then he decided to get clever and controversial and talk about the Pavlich free kick for being held. Apparently it was so unfair because it was either Pavlich doing the holding or Pavlich started it and the umpire only ever sees the response not original offence. Ummmm, BT the camera footage (all of it) showed Pavlich was being held AGAIN and clearly showed Pavlich was NOT the offender, original or otherwise. Comment after comment all night was clearly and demonstrably wrong.

BT, every time you opened your mouth, you made yourself look stupid. Well past time you just went away

To be fair to BT, Darcy made the VFL comment.

 

[T0ecutter]

A scapegoat for what exactly?
He wasnt really setting the game on fire...got dropped. To his credit, he played very well for Peel and then came back into the side.
Great move by RTB to use him in a negating role on the weekend.

No he wasn't because Barlow was deliberately being played out of position.

He got dropped when Suban got re-promoted after playing 2 weeks of sh*t football for Peel and was then threatened again with demotion so Suban and D Pearce could be retained in the side.

I wonder if it was RTB's idea? He didn't sound very enthused during the press conference. Made it known that Barlow still had a lot to work on despite him doing, as you say, a good job in his role on the weekend

 

[imperial_oz]

To be fair to BT, Darcy made the VFL comment.

Probably right. I doubt that BT could have fitted that much dumb into 2.5 hours without help and lets face it, Darcy is no danger of winning any awards for intelligence.

He should be wheeled out in netball season (where I don't have to see or hear him) and buried at the back of the shed for the rest of the year

 

[masai]

He should be wheeled out in netball season (where I don't have to see or hear him) and buried at the back of the shed for the rest of the year

I saw Darcy call the netball with Liz Ellis, and thought that by half time Liz was about to "scone" him like a good GK does.

Oh well, off to watch the replay on Foxtel at 9.30pm.

 

[freoextra]

No he wasn't because Barlow was deliberately being played out of position.

He got dropped when Suban got re-promoted after playing 2 weeks of sh*t football for Peel and was then threatened again with demotion so Suban and D Pearce could be retained in the side.

I wonder if it was RTB's idea? He didn't sound very enthused during the press conference. Made it known that Barlow still had a lot to work on despite him doing, as you say, a good job in his role on the weekend

Said Barlow was close to best on ground on ch 7 tonight, maybe all he needed to do was watch the replay!!

 

[Clems Knee]

Neither does Lyon playing Barlow as a high half forward for virtually all of 2015 and early 2016.

So you retract the statement that Barlow has been used as a scapegoat by Lyon? Seeing as you agree that it makes no sense.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

So you retract the statement that Barlow has been used as a scapegoat by Lyon? Seeing as you agree that it makes no sense.

Scapegoat doesn't make sense but we haven't seen the best of Barlow due to Ross playing him out of Position. He was terrific the other night and I have no idea why he's played as a half forward

 

[Clems Knee]

Scapegoat doesn't make sense but we haven't seen the best of Barlow due to Ross playing him out of Position. He was terrific the other night and I have no idea why he's played as a half forward

Barlow was pushed out of the centre by Neale last year. Obviously Barlow wasn't as good as a forward as he was in the centre. De Boer played that forward position fairly well, but got pushed out of the team altogether when Barlow took his role.

With Fyfe out the position became vacant again, and Barlow needed to improve before owning his centre position again. It took a kick up the arse in the twos, and a complete turnaround at quarter time against St. Kilda (0 possies up to then) before the creative, football savvy Barlow returned.

Sometimes it's good to play a player in a new position, especially when there is a vacancy for a quality player. It worked for Crozier to move to the back line, it worked for Tarrant to go back, it even worked for G Ablett Jnr to move into the centre from the forward line. It didn't work for Barlow last year and early in this season. But at the time, it was either that or drop him, because of the improvement of Neale.
Of course, on Saturday Barlow played the enforcer role - that taken by C Pearce, Suban or de Boer last year and Crowley as a hard tagger previously. So he has changed his role (ie new position), and so far it is paying off. Barlow's football brain and big size help him with this role, while he doesn't need to spread as much so his slowness isn't such a problem. Yes, it could have happened earlier, but it didn't.

I just don't get how any of that can be termed "scapegoat" in any way. And then the follow up crap about Lyon being unenthused with Barlow's performance? Lyon has been remarkably honest about the discussions had with Barlow after he was dropped, and praise for the way he responded.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

Barlow was pushed out of the centre by Neale last year. Obviously Barlow wasn't as good as a forward as he was in the centre. De Boer played that forward position fairly well, but got pushed out of the team altogether when Barlow took his role.

With Fyfe out the position became vacant again, and Barlow needed to improve before owning his centre position again. It took a kick up the arse in the twos, and a complete turnaround at quarter time against St. Kilda (0 possies up to then) before the creative, football savvy Barlow returned.

Sometimes it's good to play a player in a new position, especially when there is a vacancy for a quality player. It worked for Crozier to move to the back line, it worked for Tarrant to go back, it even worked for G Ablett Jnr to move into the centre from the forward line. It didn't work for Barlow last year and early in this season. But at the time, it was either that or drop him, because of the improvement of Neale.
Of course, on Saturday Barlow played the enforcer role - that taken by C Pearce, Suban or de Boer last year and Crowley as a hard tagger previously. So he has changed his role (ie new position), and so far it is paying off. Barlow's football brain and big size help him with this role, while he doesn't need to spread as much so his slowness isn't such a problem. Yes, it could have happened earlier, but it didn't.

I just don't get how any of that can be termed "scapegoat" in any way. And then the follow up crap about Lyon being unenthused with Barlow's performance? Lyon has been remarkably honest about the discussions had with Barlow after he was dropped, and praise for the way he responded.

I realise that Neale pushed him out but I'd like to see both play mid. Barlow is still a gun as shown last night and was underutilized the last few seasons. There is no point playing a player that good in a role that doesn't suit him.

Crozier has adapted well to hbf which is great but Ross wouldn't play him there for 2 seasons if he didn't.

IMO there is room for both of them in the middle even when Fyfe returns.

 

[Clems Knee]

I realise that Neale pushed him out but I'd like to see both play mid. Barlow is still a gun as shown last night and was underutilized the last few seasons. There is no point playing a player that good in a role that doesn't suit him.

Crozier has adapted well to hbf which is great but Ross wouldn't play him there for 2 seasons if he didn't.

IMO there is room for both of them in the middle even when Fyfe returns.

Playing the same inside midfielder role? No. Barlow playing the enforcer or tagger role? Absolutely.

 

[Steinfreo]

Playing the same inside midfielder role? No. Barlow playing the enforcer or tagger role? Absolutely.

Does Barlow spaz out when opposition dont throw the footy back like Suban does? If not he cant take Nick 'the enforcer' Suban's role.

 

[PurpleReign95]

Forgot to add something about the commentators. Maybe I have managed to have selective hearing in previous games but I thought they were the worst we've had all year. Their bias was ridiculous. Every time Essendon got a free kick... "That's fair enough.", "Nothing that says you can't duck" etc.

Whenever we get a free kick... "Hmmm... not so sure about that". Absolutely horrible to listen to and for the second half of that first quarter I resorted to the mute button because it was so terrible.

Was it the C7 commentators
because they were horrible
I wish they just had some WA guys to do all WA games
Richo said Z Clarke was injured
they forgot players names
they didnt seem to care
clear vic bias
i listened with the sound off for the last half

 

[jedi mind tricks]

Playing the same inside midfielder role? No. Barlow playing the enforcer or tagger role? Absolutely.

I never said the exact role I said both play midfield.

Ross wasted him last season and it could of been the difference between a competitive preliminary final and a premiership win.

To play Suban over him was ridiculous.