Our best team

[DJarman]

I have heard a lot of people complain about the way we have been playing in the past few weeks (including myself) but another thing that I am not happy about is us not fielding our best side.

What a stupid move not play Bassett, showed a complete lack of respect to the Kangas (great win by them to come over and beat us again here, must give credit to them).

Welsh and Stevo weren't fit and even if we were to play one or two of them surely they should have been used off the bench, what a strange move to play Stevens on Sav, I agree with easing Stevo back through the backline but to play him on Sav was hardly easing him back in.

Burns, does he deserve a spot in the team? How come last week against Collingwood Schuback was the preferred small forward yet when a few players come back into the team he is the one that goes out and not Burns?

McLeod, is he putting in? he is a superstar but must learn to man up when we don't have the ball, he has to lift.

There are a few players who are only in the team on their reputation, guys like Ben Nelson who are putting in the SANFL must wonder what do some players have to do to be dropped.

As Monty Python say, "Always look on the bright side of life", this was not a final.

Finnishing in the top four is overrated, if we are good enough (many crows supporters are questioning) we will beat anyone anywhere, even if we finnish out of the top four we still are a chance of getting a home final in week one which is just as important as a double chance.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Please do not mention the name Ben Nelson around here He is not up to AFL standard. He is too slow and his disposal is not up to scratch at AFL level. The only way he would get a game is if we have MASSIVE injuries to a LOT of players.

I am a firm believer that in this system you must finish in the top 4 if you are to be a genuine chance for a premiership. If you finish outside the top 4 you are just making up the numbers and the furthest you could go is a prelim final.

Fit and firing both Welsh and Stevens are in our best 18 but when underdone they are definetly NOT. Now that they are in the side we might as well persist with them. we got nothing to lose now.

INS: Bassett, Hart, Edwards
OUT: Begley, Burns, Ladhams (inj)

 

[Nige_Bix]

I think Burns should be on the ground more - because he is capable of creating a goal out of nothing.

Bassett - more to this than meets the eye - Yes Stevo on Sav was a joke.

Nelson is one of our best performed players in the SANFL but it would seem that he is out favour and probably number 1 for delisting - just how we view SANFL form is interesting - just depends on the individual players and where they stand in the selectors' eyes - you obviously want them all to play well but its how they can step up that matters

re Macca - i just posted that I dont think he is mentally 100% focussed atm

 

[DJarman]

The point I was making about Nelson was that there is a few players who are currently in our team on reputation, you may believe Nelson isn't up to AFL standard but what about some of the players who are currently in our team.

I reckon finnishing outside the top four isn't that bad, we may still get a home final where we could be playing Essendon (when was the last tiome they won outside Victoria?) or maybe Freo or West Coast, I like our chances of beating those teams.

 

[Nige_Bix]

Originally posted by DJarman
I reckon finnishing outside the top four isn't that bad, we may still get a home final where we could be playing Essendon (when was the last tiome they won outside Victoria?) or maybe Freo or West Coast, I like our chances of beating those teams.

I don't disagree with this - its just that if we lose next week then we go into the finals on a 3 game losing streak - not good for confidence.

 

[DJarman]

Is Ladhams injured?

We looked terrible coming out of defence today, Edwards, Hart and even Bassett were big losses in terms of drive out of defence.

What are Hart and Edwards chances of coming back next week?

 

[Nige_Bix]

I never heard what was wrong with Edwards.

 

[lozstar]

Originally posted by dezzmo
I never heard what was wrong with Edwards.

I heard 3 things.. not sure which one it was.
either he had the flu, he did a corky or his wife went into labor.

 

[DJarman]

Originally posted by dezzmo
I never heard what was wrong with Edwards.

Edwards pulled out with a quad strain, I think.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Phil Harper said that Edwards had a bit of soreness in his claf I think. Its definetly one of his leg muslces. He woke up this morning and it was worse so he was not able to play. he should be OK for the Showdown.

Apparently Ladhams injured his knee and thats why he didn't take part in the 2nd half.

 

[DaveW]

Stevens was on Sav? Watching on TV, I thought Smart was playing on him for most of the match.

Stevens got most of his possessions around the wing. I don't know where he was actually playing.

 

[DaveW]

Originally posted by DJarman
There are a few players who are only in the team on their reputation, guys like Ben Nelson who are putting in the SANFL must wonder what do some players have to do to be dropped.

In the early rounds of 2002, I think Benny was wondering what he had to do to get dropped.

Hack.

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by DaveW
Stevens was on Sav? Watching on TV, I thought Smart was playing on him for most of the match.

Stevens got most of his possessions around the wing. I don't know where he was actually playing.

Stevens started on Sav and couldn't handle him, so Smarty got moved onto him. Stevens moved like a guy who had missed 15 matches at this level - his decision making and reflexes were soooooooo slow.

In the second half he got moved up forward with little impact.

 

[MarksGirl-kbcrowgirl]

Originally posted by DaveW
Stevens was on Sav? Watching on TV, I thought Smart was playing on him for most of the match.

Stevens got most of his possessions around the wing. I don't know where he was actually playing.

Stevo started on Sav, kept him quiet in the first quarter, but he got away from him early in the second so Smarty was moved onto him. Stevo ended up down forward and came off half way through the last quarter. Not his best game, but when he got the ball he at least gave it to a fellow Crow.............not like many of his team mates.

I am just so desperately dissapointed. We had everything to play for and to serve up that **** - really miffed me. I sat there cold, wet and miserable - I don't like spending an afternoon like that They will need to pull there fingers out this week or Port will kill us and we will end up about 6th or 7th.

k
xx

 

[GoalsFrom50Out]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
I am a firm believer that in this system you must finish in the top 4 if you are to be a genuine chance for a premiership. If you finish outside the top 4 you are just making up the numbers and the furthest you could go is a prelim final.

Didn't we win a Grand Final from 5th?

 

[CrowBoi]

It was easier to win from 5th back then though... the final 8 system has changed

 

[PrideofSA]

I just hope our recent bad form is due to training extremely hard atm b4 we taper off in the next week or 2 for the finals...this and not playing our best team in their best positions. I hope they have got plenty of tricks up their sleeves.

Remember Collingwood last yr, they were average at best leading into the finals and could turn it on once they started.....are we the same?

 

[noddy]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18

Fit and firing both Welsh and Stevens are in our best 18 but when underdone they are definetly NOT. Now that they are in the side we might as well persist with them. we got nothing to lose now.

INS: Bassett, Hart, Edwards
OUT: Begley, Burns, Ladhams (inj)

Agree it probably (in hind-sight) was asking a bit to much bringing both Stevens & Welsh back in the same week & losing Edwards as well as no Hart or Basset in the backlines upset the balance to much, but it was in the midfield & around the stoppages where we lost the plot & that was just about the crappiest i have seen McLeod, Goodwin & Bickley play,

Why are so many calling for Begley to be dropped ?? i thought he was one of the few who put in!! Bode has been a favorite of mine ever since he crossed over but in my opinion Matthew would be on shaky ground for next week & after starting & playing most of the game in the midfield he looked slow & way down in confidence & spent the majority of the time on his bloody knees,

 

[MarksGirl-kbcrowgirl]

I was very angry last night. I did call for Begley to be droped. With a little more rational thinking and a good nights sleep I would like make some changes to my previous thinking.

Given that I beleive Hart, Bassett & Edwards will be back this week I think we need to really look at our "best" structure. We took a risk with Welshy & Stevo yesterday - I am not saying it wasn't warranted, but it was wasn't that successfull either.

My ins : Bassett, Hart & Edwards
My outs: Burns, Bode & Ladhams (inj)

Its all or nothing with Burns. He has no middle ground. A run with Port would do him the world of good. Bodey just isn't up to it at the moment. Not sure what is up with him but a run with Glenelg might shake him up. Ladhams is injured probably won't come up.

Run Welshy & Stevo off the bench in the forward line. This is where we want them to play so for heavens sake let them play there.

Bassett & Hart will solidify our backline. Edwards can play in the centre and drift forward/back when required.

All is not lost, but the road is steep at the moment and we don't want to stop pedling or else we will roll down hill.

k
xx

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by GoalsFrom50Out
Didn't we win a Grand Final from 5th?

2 main differences:

1. It a different finals system. With this new finals systemit is almost impossible to wina flag outside the top 4. Since this system has been introduced, the team that finished in the top 4 and won in the first week of the finals went on to play in the GF.

2. We had a much more effective game plan. We had to use the corridor at all costs and anyone that was using the flanks, delivering the ball to our forward line in pockets, or the player that led to the pockets was benched. If that was happening now we wouldn't have a side to put on the park.