Outside game?

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Our wingmen aren't finding much of the ball. Our half back flankers aren't providing much drive. Our half forwards Keays and ANB aren't getting involved lately.

Why?

Have we become an inside mids + tall forwards team?

Since the "reset" we've seemingly taken fewer risks with the ball, worried about turnovers. Fewer attacking options, fewer handball chains through traffic. Is this impacting our outside guys?

Are we trying to become a grunt team?

 

[George CantStandYa]

Our wingmen aren't finding much of the ball. Our half back flankers aren't providing much drive. Our half forwards Keays and ANB aren't getting involved lately.

Why?

Have we become an inside mids + tall forwards team?

Since the "reset" we've seemingly taken fewer risks with the ball, worried about turnovers. Fewer attacking options, fewer handball chains through traffic. Is this impacting our outside guys?

Are we trying to become a grunt team?

Nicks

 

[pjcrows]

Nicks hates an open, attacking game style and does everything he can to prevent it if he can. If we score goals from inside/defence then great (see Carlton game) but his ideal game was the GWS win.

However this is why we get bogged down against better sides, fall into habits and fall behind, and then the players "open it up" (play on instinct) when it's too late.

Ultimately I don't think he trusts the players.

 

[WeeBlake]

Our wingmen aren't finding much of the ball. Our half back flankers aren't providing much drive. Our half forwards Keays and ANB aren't getting involved lately.

Why?

Have we become an inside mids + tall forwards team?

Since the "reset" we've seemingly taken fewer risks with the ball, worried about turnovers. Fewer attacking options, fewer handball chains through traffic. Is this impacting our outside guys?

Are we trying to become a grunt team?

Maybe other sides have seen how we want to play, and aren’t letting us anymore?

 

[Coopers]

I think other teams have realised we have a gun forward line, and a pedestrian midfield.

So to do us in, it they are clogging up the corridor, putting extra players near stoppages and turning it into a scrap. The idea being the ball shouldn't get to our forwards. Port did it well (but lost), Collingwood too. They back their midfields against ours and force us wide so we can't go direct.

So our players all over the middle of the ground aren't getting free time to execute well. Also seems Nicks thinks we can beat other teams at that game and make it more contested, which is weird. Wherever our free guy is, he's not helping as much as they should be.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Nicks hates an open, attacking game style and does everything he can to prevent it if he can. If we score goals from inside/defence then great (see Carlton game) but his ideal game was the GWS win.

However this is why we get bogged down against better sides, fall into habits and fall behind, and then the players "open it up" (play on instinct) when it's too late.

Ultimately I don't think he trusts the players.

That’s why his go to is to blame the players

 

[Brasher]

Our wingmen aren't finding much of the ball. Our half back flankers aren't providing much drive. Our half forwards Keays and ANB aren't getting involved lately.

Why?

Have we become an inside mids + tall forwards team?

Since the "reset" we've seemingly taken fewer risks with the ball, worried about turnovers. Fewer attacking options, fewer handball chains through traffic. Is this impacting our outside guys?

Are we trying to become a grunt team?

He plays not to lose not go for the win.

On the weekend sure Collingwood wanted to turn it into a boundary line arm wrestle but McRae isn't the one telling Crows players to clog one side of the ground

 

[Bob Neil]

I wonder if there’s an opportunity to try Dawson in the ‘Ollie Dempsey role’ as a hybrid wing/forward? Might maximise his kicking skills on the outside and then try to isolate him on the fat side to use his contested marking skills one on one.

 

[maxlilly]

I wonder if there’s an opportunity to try Dawson in the ‘Ollie Dempsey role’ as a hybrid wing/forward? Might maximise his kicking skills on the outside and then try to isolate him on the fat side to use his contested marking skills one on one.

I think we tried this when we first started with Nankervis on the wing.
Unfortunately, it didn't pay off and shelved the idea.

Nicks is just too risk averse to play attacking footy

It feels like our game plan is now based around outmarking other teams with our height around the ground
But we are stuffed when the ball hit's the ground

 

[feenix67]

You've got to trust your players if you want to open the game up. Nicks hates open, high scoring games. He wants it in close and crutches on the three talls. It's about as conservative as you can get.

In the first half last week we switched the play twice by my count. Collingwood switched 13 times. Make of that what you will.

 

[imagifED]

Nicks made the game on the weekend where every set shot felt like life or death. And of course our players choked with the fear instilled in them and our history of choking under him.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Our wingmen aren't finding much of the ball. Our half back flankers aren't providing much drive. Our half forwards Keays and ANB aren't getting involved lately.

Why?

Have we become an inside mids + tall forwards team?

Since the "reset" we've seemingly taken fewer risks with the ball, worried about turnovers. Fewer attacking options, fewer handball chains through traffic. Is this impacting our outside guys?

Are we trying to become a grunt team?

What you are describing is Nicks 101. He wants defense first play, so if we have fewer attacking options thats the sacrifice so we have more at the back. He has been running the same playbook for years and he is merely hoping he will fluke wins with increased talent in the side.

 

[AFC979810]

The issue is that we have about 8 Half Back Flankers. Hinge, Cumming, Milera, Laird, Nankervis, Edwards, Smith, Ryan.

We have about 5 players - IMO - that can be wingers - Sholl, Dowling, Jones, Dawson,Soligo.

The club obviously doesn't want to use Dawson/Soligo as wingers as they are our 2 primary inside midfielders.

That leaves us with Sholl, Dowling, Jones in the 2's and forcing us to play Cumming and Nank on the wing.

Are we better off playing a weaker player who is much better at the actual role (sholl) than a stronger player who isn't a natural at the role (Cumming).

Have been saying it all year, but really want to see Hinge / Cumming as our 2 HBF. Lets give Dowling a crack as our winger alongside Sholl.

Get rid of Milera & Taylor.

 

[FR0GGY]

The issue is that we have about 8 Half Back Flankers. Hinge, Cumming, Milera, Laird, Nankervis, Edwards, Smith, Ryan.

We have about 5 players - IMO - that can be wingers - Sholl, Dowling, Jones, Dawson,Soligo.

The club obviously doesn't want to use Dawson/Soligo as wingers as they are our 2 primary inside midfielders.

That leaves us with Sholl, Dowling, Jones in the 2's and forcing us to play Cumming and Nank on the wing.

Are we better off playing a weaker player who is much better at the actual role (sholl) than a stronger player who isn't a natural at the role (Cumming).

Have been saying it all year, but really want to see Hinge / Cumming as our 2 HBF. Lets give Dowling a crack as our winger alongside Sholl.

Get rid of Milera & Taylor.

These aren’t even big changes yet the bloke is shit scared or has no thoughts of changing things up.

 

[AFC979810]

These aren’t even big changes yet the bloke is shit scared or has no thoughts of changing things up.

Just criminal to waste to Cumming the way we have.

2021 - Giants finished 7th, won a final and he was 6th in their B&F playing off half back. He averaged more inside 50s per game that year from half back than he has with us playing up the ground on the wing.

His DE% is the lowest it has been during any of his 8 seasons on an AFL list.

#saveisaac

 

[MRB37]

Nicks made the game on the weekend where every set shot felt like life or death. And of course our players choked with the fear instilled in them and our history of choking under him.

That's the big problem with choking the game to death. There's no margin for error on our scoring, we had to play picture perfect in front of goals to win and rely on Collingwood doing the opposite.

I get the "If Rankine and Curtin kicked the goals we win!" talk, but if Collingwood do the same they still win it.

 

[Cromulant]

You've got to trust your players if you want to open the game up. Nicks hates open, high scoring games. He wants it in close and crutches on the three talls. It's about as conservative as you can get.

In the first half last week we switched the play twice by my count. Collingwood switched 13 times. Make of that what you will.

Youve got 2 guys sitting at half back who are "safe" kickers of the ball. Compare that to your Bailey Dale, Josh Daicos, Kiddy Colemans of the world.

Its like the attacking way that we played for the first month scared the shit out of Maffew and weve completely shut down.

 

[feenix67]

That's the big problem with choking the game to death. There's no margin for error on our scoring, we had to play picture perfect in front of goals to win and rely on Collingwood doing the opposite.

I get the "If Rankine and Curtin kicked the goals we win!" talk, but if Collingwood do the same they still win it.

I mean, Nicks said as much in the first minute of his presser, words to the effect of "we knew we couldn't make many mistakes if we're going to beat them, they're a good side."

He sets them up for failure.

 

[feenix67]

Youve got 2 guys sitting at half back who are "safe" kickers of the ball. Compare that to your Bailey Dale, Josh Daicos, Kiddy Colemans of the world.

Its like the attacking way that we played for the first month scared the shit out of Maffew and weve completely shut down.

100%

He's ultra conservative, work harderer.

 

[Cromulant]

100%

He's ultra conservative, work harderer.

Fancy bringing in an attacking half back on a big deal only to sit him on a wing, which we dont use.

Ironically when we WERE playing all out attack, he was playing his best footy of the year. Weve barely seen him in a month since.

 

[StonesThrow]

Maybe other sides have seen how we want to play, and aren’t letting us anymore?

I was going to post this. Last week was seemed like a ploy against Collingwood where both teams shut down the corridor and were happy to go down the line.

Other recent games looking at the ground, teams have been clogging the centre when we have the ball from half back and wing.

I think we've been figured out and haven't been able to overcome it. Feels like the same thing happened in 2023.

The bigger issue on Saturday was ground balls. We seemed to get smashed once the ball hit the ground (don't know the stats). They pounced on everything and distributed out to the likes of Daicos.

 

[Cromulant]

I was going to post this. Last week was seemed like a ploy against Collingwood where both teams shut down the corridor and were happy to go down the line.

Other recent games looking at the ground, teams have been clogging the centre when we have the ball from half back and wing.

I think we've been figured out and haven't been able to overcome it. Feels like the same thing happened in 2023.

The bigger issue on Saturday was ground balls. We seemed to get smashed once the ball hit the ground (don't know the stats). They pounced on everything and distributed out to the likes of Daicos.

Thats been a strength of ours this year too, they took that away and we couldnt work out another way.

Last quarter that changed, but we couldnt capitalise

 

[feenix67]

I was going to post this. Last week was seemed like a ploy against Collingwood where both teams shut down the corridor and were happy to go down the line.

Other recent games looking at the ground, teams have been clogging the centre when we have the ball from half back and wing.

I think we've been figured out and haven't been able to overcome it. Feels like the same thing happened in 2023.

The bigger issue on Saturday was ground balls. We seemed to get smashed once the ball hit the ground (don't know the stats). They pounced on everything and distributed out to the likes of Daicos.

Ground ball stats were pretty even. The damning stat was turnovers.

This thing about being worked out - we never looked to play aggressively. the players rarely attempted to stretch Collingwood or make the ground big. Collingwood didnt force us to play that way, we did it voluntarily.

And yet we allowed Collingwood to play their style - you'd think we would have them "worked out" by now...

 

[MarcusP2]

That's the big problem with choking the game to death. There's no margin for error on our scoring, we had to play picture perfect in front of goals to win and rely on Collingwood doing the opposite.

I get the "If Rankine and Curtin kicked the goals we win!" talk, but if Collingwood do the same they still win it.

Pies xScore, although not perfect metric, was 5 more than ours. So the goal kicking evened out.

 

[MRB37]

I was going to post this. Last week was seemed like a ploy against Collingwood where both teams shut down the corridor and were happy to go down the line.

Other recent games looking at the ground, teams have been clogging the centre when we have the ball from half back and wing.

I think we've been figured out and haven't been able to overcome it. Feels like the same thing happened in 2023.

The bigger issue on Saturday was ground balls. We seemed to get smashed once the ball hit the ground (don't know the stats). They pounced on everything and distributed out to the likes of Daicos.

GBG were 96 to 88 Collingwood's way, but I reckon that we were way behind until the last quarter when Berry came on (he had 5, 6th best for us).

Post Clearance GBG we were 60 to the Pies 70 and that's where guys like Josh Daicos, Jack Crisp, Quaynor and Perryman hit us and we basically had Rankine and Laird in return.

Handball receives were also heavily weighted to Collingwood too, Daicos bros had 14 each, then Pendles and Maynard on 12 each before we get to Dawson on 11. I'd question how good the tag on Nick Daicos was if he can lead the game in handball receives (and clearances).