Autopsy Positives and Negatives v Adelaide RND 6 2020

I also hope simmo asks the AFL to explain some of elanis decisions.

Couple of lads got pinged with absolutely 0 prior opportunity
It's a massive f-up from the umpires at the moment. Prior is being adjudicated by giving them time after they have been tackled when prior should be assessed by time with the ball before the tackle is applied. A good tackle that pins the arms or deposits the player on top of the footy can result in a ball up but they seem to have decided it has to be a free to the tackler or nothing.
 

ziad

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I think ROB did what he said he was going to do. He took a lot of marks down back and racked up a fair few disposals.

Nic dominated hit outs and gave mids first use, and had 5 clearances of his own.

Personally I'd prefer Nic's game over ROB.
Nics down and dirty knock on in packs dont get a stat but are a massive boos for our mids. He is a tank in an infantry war
 

Rowan18

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I only watched from the pub, will rewatch again without distraction but I thought JK looked very dangerous and was moving well.

Redden, Cole, Nelson and Duggan did a lot of good things and Kelly and Yeo were good through the middle of the ground, Kelly below his knees was especially clean.

Some really good defensive efforts from everyone. Sheed with 4 tackles and leading the team in pressure acts is a great effort.
I agree on JK. Give him 5 shots a goal each game and we'll end up doing quite nicely. He wasn't accurate today, but he won't be like that every week.

Though JD was solid too. Looked more lively than last few weeks. Still not back to his best, but overall I felt the whole team was starting to look back into the swing of things.
 

Kempy the legend

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When Yeo was pinged for running too far, he was absolutely giving it to the forwards for giving him nothing to kick to.

Good on him.
I thought that was really telling, frustration with the forwards.. I think jk, jd and Cripps were bad again. This is jks last year, they should trade JD while they can. Should be at least dropped and told her can come back when he plays like he should for a guy of his size.
 

shooshka

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I thought that was really telling, frustration with the forwards.. I think jk, jd and Cripps were bad again. This is jks last year, they should trade JD while they can. Should be at least dropped and told her can come back when he plays like he should for a guy of his size.
I dunno, there were multiple times in in the 2nd half where the forwards led short and we bombed long. Unsurprisingly it got turned over.

It takes 2 to tango (forwards and mids), and as Simpson said post match, comparative to where we were the fwd/mid connection issues and fixing i50 efficiency are good problems to have.

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I dunno, there were multiple times in in the 2nd half where the forwards led short and we bombed long. Unsurprisingly it got turned over.

It takes 2 to tango (forwards and mids), and as Simpson said post match, comparative to where we were the fwd/mid connection issues and fixing i50 efficiency are good problems to have.

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Screwing up the entries but getting volume is an easier problem to fix I would have thought.

Our game style has always struggled with the f50 being flooded. Adelaide were flooding hard 4th quarter to try and stop the scoreline blowing out. We seem to rely on volume of entries eventually getting a score on the board which makes for ugly viewing if the talls aren't clunking it.
 

shooshka

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Screwing up the entries but getting volume is an easier problem to fix I would have thought.

Our game style has always struggled with the f50 being flooded. Adelaide were flooding hard 4th quarter to try and stop the scoreline blowing out. We seem to rely on volume of entries eventually getting a score on the board which makes for ugly viewing if the talls aren't clunking it.
100%

I was just trying to highlight that throughout the bashing of Cripps, Darling and Kennedy there seems to be quite a bit of latitude given to the mids because they are getting the ball (but delivering it poorly). Yes Yeo's one example showed that the forwards are also part of the issue, but Sheed burnt short leads at least twice for longer turnovers, and Yeo also at least 1 I can remember.

Still a good problem to have.

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100%

I was just trying to highlight that throughout the bashing of Cripps, Darling and Kennedy there seems to be quite a bit of latitude given to the mids because they are getting the ball (but delivering it poorly). Yes Yeo's one example showed that the forwards are also part of the issue, but Sheed burnt short leads at least twice for longer turnovers, and Yeo also at least 1 I can remember.

Still a good problem to have.

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For a long time we've had a super efficient forward line, and below par ball winners in the middle. So to see our midfielders actually getting their hands on it gives them a fair bit of latitude – at least, in comparison to what we're used to. That's how I feel about it anyhow.
 
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After watching the replay I can't say that JK and Darling were brilliant, but they weren't deplorable at all. Ryan, Cameron, Ah Chee and Waterman were all less effective than those two.

Darling - The better of the two. Does a lot of nice stuff with the ball in hand, is always on his feet, never goes to ground and appeared to be chasing in everything I saw. Took a few contested grabs and was the only multiple goal kicker for the game. He isn't dominating by any stretch but he did well enough to bring the ball down nearly every time except one where he tried to turn his opponent under the ball and it didn't come off.

JK - Good first half I thought. Found a lot of space on the lead, didn't kick well though which changes a lot for someone who plays a very low possession game style. He was busy, lots of movement and was providing really good leads. The last quarter was essentially a write off as far as I am concerned given that the players kept bombing it in despite The Crows having the ruckman resting down there. Manned the mark with aggression and threw himself into some big tackle attempts. Yes Allen gets more disposals, but a lot of these come from playing in the ruck.

Yeo / Kelly - Great games from them in the centre of the ground. Clearly using their feet more when there is a stoppage and they are coming under the ball drop zone at pace, rather than being flat footed. Both had some brilliant kicks (Yeo's opposite foot was both great and putrid) but also some pretty average kicks. Kelly in particular is great below his knees. Yeo is going all guns blazing towards i50 and looking to attack which is a dozen times better than being too cautious to maintain possession.

Duggan / Cole / Nelson - All played great, none are quite at Brad Sheppard's level but very few are in the AFL. I thought Cole was brilliant. Defensively he was the standout and offensively he is always a safe bet to hit a target. Duggan had a few turnovers, the issue was the decision making more so than the kicks being kicked poorly. Needs to tidy up those long kicks to choose better options.

Allen - Brilliant attack on the man, very good tackler and a very good player below his knees, regardless of size. Does handball to people's feet a bit in this game but I don't think it is a trait of his, just wasn't handballing too well for this game.

Redden - Best game he has played in a while. Looked really good stopping plays dead in the corridor with big tackles or just getting a mit in to break up a chain of handballs. The whole team did really well to get fingertips on handball chains and create a contested ground ball, normally which would then be tapped out cleverly to someone like Kelly who can pick it up cleanly.


Overall it was a good game, but not great.

We need to remember that we have only beaten the teams that are 17th and 18th on the ladder, we have been pumped by the better teams. Still it is good to see signs of improvement from that midfield especially.

Yes the team has looked better down back, but I think Jetta being out has very little to do with that and it is more an indication of the poorer teams that we have played since he was dropped. However the younger players are all probably more physical than Jetta, none of them can kick as well as him.

Freo will actually be more of a challenge, but being back at Optus might be all it takes for the team to click.
 
Everyone relax about Darling, he was never getting to that ball, only Ryan had the acceleration to have any play on the ball.

Also, he does go up to Ryan and they double high five and hug. So what is the issue exactly?


Because he literally jogged off in the opposite direction to Ryan and sulkily high fived his OTHER teammates?

Ryan was legit one of the last people he got to, despite being the complete architect of his goal.
 

FreeTK

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After watching the replay I can't say that JK and Darling were brilliant, but they weren't deplorable at all. Ryan, Cameron, Ah Chee and Waterman were all less effective than those two.

If the ball comes inside 50 and oppo tall defenders mark because our talls aren't up to scratch, not sure what you expect a small forward to do about that.

Kennedy and Darling have been very poor since round 1 back in March.

Would be very happy for Simmo to swing the axe and drop them both.
 
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It's a massive f-up from the umpires at the moment. Prior is being adjudicated by giving them time after they have been tackled when prior should be assessed by time with the ball before the tackle is applied. A good tackle that pins the arms or deposits the player on top of the footy can result in a ball up but they seem to have decided it has to be a free to the tackler or nothing.

Tackled with arm pinged and brought to ground and tackled and arms pinged should require opportunity prior to being tackled.

In the past the AFL just let players take two three steps and be dispossessed and call play on. They’ve swung from one extreme to another and are inconsistent at the same time.


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Because he literally jogged off in the opposite direction to Ryan and sulkily high fived his OTHER teammates?

Ryan was legit one of the last people he got to, despite being the complete architect of his goal.
Celebrated with those closest to him. Acknowledged Ryan's efforts with a word and a hug whilst both were smiling.

Making a mountain out of a mole hill.
 
Dec 18, 2005
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If the ball comes inside 50 and oppo tall defenders mark because our talls aren't up to scratch, not sure what you expect a small forward to do about that.

Kennedy and Darling have been very poor since round 1 back in March.

Would be very happy for Simmo to swing the axe and drop them both.
No, the ball came in like that because Sheed, Yeo, Kelly, Duggan etc. just gave up and kept pumping it in high when Adelaide had two spare players down there.

I don't expect the smalls to create goal opportunities from balls that don't hit the deck. I was referring more to them being part of the link up play further afield which I thought only Cripps really had a crack at doing with a modicum of success.

I also disagree with your last statement. JK passed the eye test to me in the past 2 games, was great against Port and looked good in this game. He isn't taking the most of his opportunities, that is for certain. He has looked to be in decent touch.

Darling has had an absolutely horrible game in his 200th, but the 2 games since then he has been serviceable.

There are games in there in which our team provided the forwards with inside 50 counts in the mid 30's for the entire game and they were of horrible quality. Early days it was our midfield who were to blame and it was impossible to judge exactly how the forwards were really performing.
 

wc_eagles_since86

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I thought ROB handled the situation post tweet pretty well - it clearly was an accident (why on earth would he do that on purpose jeez) and he put his hand up, apologized, and did pretty much what he actually said he'd do in the notes - get around the ground and take marks. Got slaughtered in the actual ruck taps and ground contests though but outread NN in the air a few times.

Plenty of rucks make notes on their opponents (NN does) and if I was going up against Nic that's pretty much what you would write, albeit lazy being a bit harsh. Nic isn't the fittest, that's not his style, and working around the ground to provide contests is probably the best way to go against him. You're not going to write down "just outjump him and win all the hitouts"

The whole situation for me was a positive - good sportsmanship from both players and in an age where one on one matchups in any other position are fairly extinct was nice to add another little story to the game, good entertainment

I think it was probably a mountain out of a mole-hill situation anyway. The news is creaming for anything that they can blow up for clickbait.
That being said, whilst they handled it with class, my main thing is that he claimed it was an accident. That's just a sad cop-out. Who the fk writes a message as long and detailed like that then sends it as an accident. Yeah, nah. That was mainly my point.
 

Rowan18

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I think it was probably a mountain out of a mole-hill situation anyway. The news is creaming for anything that they can blow up for clickbait.
That being said, whilst they handled it with class, my main thing is that he claimed it was an accident. That's just a sad cop-out. Who the fk writes a message as long and detailed like that then sends it as an accident. Yeah, nah. That was mainly my point.
I reckon he accidentally copied and pasted it and probably panic-pressed send.
 

Astro7

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Dunno if anyone realized, but Gaff played a sacrificial role hey.


Thanks. Cheers.
So did Darling, he's been playing a sacrificial role for weeks now,
not sure if he was even asked to, but goes ahead and does it anyway, such a team player!?
 

Astro7

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As for Darling, I expect we'll see peak AA Darling back home. I didn't think hub life would suit him, I remember a few years back he stunk it up big time on the Gold Coast when he had family dramas back home (I think his wife went into early labour or something), for a tent-loving playboy who slid to the second round, he's a homebody family man these days.
A big sook in a robocop outfit!
He'll come good soon on the perfectly manicured lawns of Optus with adoring crowds cheering him on...

Agree with others that worth remembering we got pantsed by Suns, Lions and Port and won our points against cellar dwellars around us...depending on which Eagles rock up, we should win the derby.
But then we face Cats and Pies sometime at home - for a good reality check of where we are really at?
 
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Positives:

- Kelly's best game. Seems to relish the lead role which is important as he will be our leading mid sooner than later.
- Ainsworth: Didn't do much wrong and as unco as his kicking is it worked. Tackled hard and was pretty good at dishing the ball out.
- Nelson, Duggo Cole trio: They are playing with some purpose and its great to see the mid tier players taking the lead.
- Barrass: He is taking it on and going for contested marks and killing the ball. This will help Gov play his role because in the past its annoying having two players be that intercept player who zones off.

Negatives:

- Just one for me and thats the mid - forward connection. The forward are working hard but with the way training is held the forwards dont get to train solid minutes with the mids and it seriously shows. This is league wide and have noticed most teams forwards and mid not working well.
 

twce13

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Ainsworth was pretty good, you can tell he knows how to play football.

Not sure what Healy been smoking when he claimed he's a great kick tho.
 

campaigner___

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The jury is out on Ainsworth for me. He was OK, but he didn't burn the house down.

He's clearly not confident kicking the ball yet. He seemed to look for the long handball when he should have kicked it.

Cameron was quiet as expected. I hope Simmo gives me a few weeks to work into it though.
 
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