Positive Thread!

[Eastern Rangers]

Not sure. Im sure we will lose to Fremantle, a shock loss to North Melbourne is simple and as for Richmond. They beat Fremantle so they can beat us.

Whats our record losing streak 8 games? only need to lose another six games. Sigh.

 

[wirra44]

- LeCras is consistently getting 3 or more goals per game (average 3.4 over the past 5 games) and actually kicked some crumbed goals today.

how good was his first goal. when he snaps you just know he is gonna score.

 

[StonesThrow]

Good to see Bunga doing well!!

 

[Belgarion]

I thought Cockie had a good game and whilst not had huge amount of possessions his work around the ground was very impressive. He was tough today and hit players hard and hit the contest hard.

Brown was good though I am disappointed he was not played in the forward line a great deal today.

I agree on Cockie. Regarding Brown I reckon he was played in the back because we lost Mckinley before the game.

 

[swannies]

Agree with Anja - Hurn, Kennedy, Brown, Glass were super. I thought S Selwood looked better to me than some of the games where others have raved about him, just because he goes in head first like Langdon, whereas he did a bit more constructive disposal this week, I thought.

 

[spEKTre]

Synergy is missing big time. Regardless of who we keep talking about on our list "who will make it" and "who will be a gun" we still seem to lack flow. All it would take is one player to really step up and cut lines, run straight, deliver directly to either Lecras or Mckinley to lift the whole side.

I think that player isn't on our list at the moment sadly and until we can develop or recruit one gun mid who has genuine pace and can execute delivery with precision ( Like Judd did ) we will always look like a rabble and perform accordingly.

When/if this current team eventually clicks together things may change but they don't "Gel" together well and I could be wrong but it looks like the forwards, Mids and Backs link-up is lacking badly, easily falls down and that it could be a club culture problem atm.

 

[Double the Fist]

I would love to see Hurn pushed forward for a Trial. Sure he is enigmatic at getting the ball clear from the backline and works super well with Glass & Co. but that Potent foot and cool head could get a few sneak goals I reckon.

ATM im pretty sure Hurn is better back for us. Lets face it, the ball seems to be back there a fiar bit of late.
When we are winning more matches maybe they can tinker with Hurn going forward occasionally. But now I like him where he is.

 

[Double the Fist]

After the game today I thought I wish we had lost to Hawthorn so we were a more realistic chance for a PP.

We will no doubt win 1 or 2 games at subi still and miss out on it.

We were pathetic.

It was Melbourne FFS!!!

Really tough physical game played in wet conditions the week b4
Had to travel, icy cold at the G
Lost Jones first 5 minutes. A man down agianst a possessed Demons side.
Im not too distraught at the loss.


Tho when the drugs wear off..................

 

[bodazoka]

You know I wonder if by doing this we did not cut our nose to spite our face.

I would have like to have seen maybe (very left field thought) McKinnely go back and make him accountable. By sending him back we probably robbed ourselves of a half forward option.

Yeah but when we have Jones down and Spangher achieving not much, then we also experience a lack of run through the midfield you have no choice but to send Brown back.

He can back up the tall defence, and he likes to run and carry from HB.

 

[bodazoka]

We did have some good individual players most notably Hurn, Kennedy, LeCras and Lynch. Kennedy is really backing his performances up week in week out now and is making FF his own, contests hard and runs hard. LeCras is still a gun allthough Id like to see us either deliver it better to him or just kick it long and high to Kennedy and let LeCras crumb. Hurn is a weapon of mass destruction, we should sell him to the North Koreans. Lynch is a pretty good wingman and is starting to put Embley to shame, I think he is being used more at CHF but Lynch is just a great footballer in general that can play in pretty much every position and be a solid contributer.

We lost it in the midfield though, sure in the clenches we were tough and tackled well but we allowed Melbourne players to run into space too easily. When they won the ball they ran hard forward and we didnt not account for them defensively. Wether we didnt zone properly or were just lazy I dont know.

 

[bodazoka]

When/if this current team eventually clicks together things may change but they don't "Gel" together well and I could be wrong but it looks like the forwards, Mids and Backs link-up is lacking badly, easily falls down and that it could be a club culture problem atm.

I dont think its a culture problem, I think its a midfield/HF line problem. Hurn, McKenzie, Glass, Wirra, Nico, Brown sometimes are solid and can distribute the ball from the backline well. Our midfield doesnt run hard enough from defence to either handball running forward or be a kicking target from defence. If we get it to centre then its generally a long kick to the forward line because theres no one to kick it to around the arc.

The best forward movements are when our backline players run it through the midfield, or they kick it to the wingmen Rosa or Embley. Then we at least have a CHF target still in position to kick too. When our CHF is marking on the wing theres generally no one to link up on the arc.

Midfielders just need to run harder IMO.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

We simply cannot ignore the fact that we just did not work hard enough to win the game collectively as a team.
The AFL is a tough comp and if you are not switched on then generally you will lose most of the time.

Like a few others I think we should keep Hurn where he is, we have been crying out for him to become a consistant performer and he is achieving that. maybe down the track he can play elsewhere but for now don't fix what is not broken.

Lecras is a gun and Kennedy is becoming a very good player.
It is still mind boggling that our players move the ball and then choose to kick to Lecras as our only option when he has 3 players on him. Where are the other options? He stands up so well the guy but he must be surely asking Woosha for some help.

Lynch is also doing well recently but he is not the option long term in the midfield in my view. Still would be my first choice FF but for now is filling some holes.

Was impressed with Glass on the weekend and have been for last few weeks, he is starting to grow as a leader.

Cockie and young Selwood again showed some good signs and will continue to improve.

There are plenty of positives individually in my view. There are very few positives in a team sense though and that is still a concern.

I said after last week that the result against Melbourne was not relevant but its how we go about our business.
Unfortunately we played poorly as a team and looked all at sea again.

Not sure if its just the away thing, but as long as the way we play is a consistant pattern then we are heading in the right direction.
That pattern of play must be there in a general sense weekly.
This is what we are not seeing.

Will see what happens this week, but still there are positives in my view.

 

[eagledream]

Positives from the weekend

I didn't have access to a computer but went to the Melbourne game. It was the first eagles game i'd seen live since last season and although it's disappointing to lose i oveall walked away fairly satisfied.

Shannon Hurn is an absoulte gun. you had to watch him live to appreciate the value he had to the team. His kicking is sensational, he sets up the play, breaks tackles and has a massive body. This guy was easily our best player on the weekend and i'm stoked he's coming along the way he is.

It was the first game in the flesh i'd seen Scooter and i was pretty stoked with the way he goes about his footy. tough at the ball, had alot of touches and looks as though he's finding his feet in footy.

I never really rated Spangher but thought he had a decent game.

Stoked to see Josh Kennedy coming along well. 4 goals, with alsolutely horrible delivery, he's progressing just nicely and is slowly becomming decarltonised.

Yeah we lost, but we'll get there, some of these kids are going to be pretty special..

 

[KiLLSwiTchEnGaGe]

Re: Positives from the weekend

Personally, I couldn't take any positives out of the game except for the following guys:

Hurn - In line for B&F this season I reckon as well as being one of the AFL's most improved players. He as poise when he has the ball, runs through the lines and actually uses the ball sensibly when he has it. Not to mention the capacity to kick the ball a very long distance AND accurately. Underrated champion.

Kennedy - His ability to lead strongly, put his body on the line (without ANY help), and taking a strong overhead pack mark. I am in awe of the potential this young man has over the coming years. Build a forward line around the Fridge and we WILL be potent.

Lekker - Gun forward that never fails to kick 3-4 much needed goals for us each week; enough said.

Also, I don't mean to be a player basher but I believe that Chad Fletcher has seen his time. His disposal on the weekend was absolutely terrible. He is petrified whenever he gets the ball resulting in a turnover. I would much rather see a young kid out there like Swift then Fletch. Anyway end of that rant.

 

[worsfold]

Re: Positives from the weekend

It was sunny





on a more serious note hurns poise is something we all saw in Schofield in his first year in the back line surely he would be a better option than bones or Nicko going forward or are we just talking up their trade value ?