Positives and Negatives vs Carlton

Sep 8, 2011
10,963
10,889
AFL Club
West Coast
You're not allowed to be spin 360 in a tackle. Otherwise it's generally immediate HTB. With good umpiring anyway.

Nothing to do with Shueys strength. He doesn't shrug anything, he's being tackled the entire time and was spun 360 and took 2 more steps to boot.

How is it NOT a free, is the question?

Fairly certain that interpretation got scrapped a few years back.
 

Jiggyman

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2010
4,156
4,189
AFL Club
West Coast
Final clip dump (starts on page 3)

Q4 bonus clips:

Ah Chee creates the turnover
AhChee1.gif


Allen drifts in front of the pack
allen1.gif


Kennedy, Allen and Sheed. Absolute dart of a kick, pretty sure it left a smoke trail behind.
kennedysheed1.gif


More Shep goodness
shep1.gif


Allen tap, Sheed look-away handball & we're out
team1.gif


Kelly's clean hands find Shuey and he almost hits Jamie lace-out.
team2.gif


Great connection, starts with Sheed
sheed1.gif



That's all folks :footy:
 

Jiggyman

Premiership Player
Apr 1, 2010
4,156
4,189
AFL Club
West Coast
I'm surprised that Yeo's synergy with Nic Nat hasn't been as great as the other two. Sheed's got a good snergy with Nic Nat but he isn't getting used as much.
Just wanna touch on this. Yeo's strength is utilised to protect and create space for the other lads to run through, and he's a tackling machine. He gets a hand on the ball at most clearances, similar to Nic in a way; so much of his work doesn't go on the stats sheet.
 
The one with Allen and Casboult in the ruck, Allen is wrestling trying to get to the drop of the ball. I'm not sure what Casboult was doing as it landed behind him. If he had been facing the ball and been where it landed it probably would be fine.

It’s a free every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

His issue is he completely fails to get the ball. You can be the stronger man and just body your opponent away from the contest, but you have to contest the footy too. If he knocked Allen into the grandstand then tapped it down it’s beautiful ruck work. If he spends the contest bodying him then the ball hits the deck, it’s a free.

Carlton fans still whinging about it need to realise they’ve got massive problems away from the umpiring. The SPS free was as bad as you’ll see. Ryan should have been HTB. Yeo took it out of the ruck illegally. These things can still be true and Carlton can still be in strife for giving up another five or six goal swing in a game. Again.

Umpires didn’t make them kick two goals in a half. A goal thirty seconds into the third quarter then one again for the remaining 50 odd minutes of time...no whistle in the world fixes that.
 

wc_eagles_since86

Team Captain
Apr 25, 2019
346
579
Perth, Australia
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Boston Bruins, Liverpool
It’s a free every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

His issue is he completely fails to get the ball. You can be the stronger man and just body your opponent away from the contest, but you have to contest the footy too. If he knocked Allen into the grandstand then tapped it down it’s beautiful ruck work. If he spends the contest bodying him then the ball hits the deck, it’s a free.

Carlton fans still whinging about it need to realise they’ve got massive problems away from the umpiring. The SPS free was as bad as you’ll see. Ryan should have been HTB. Yeo took it out of the ruck illegally. These things can still be true and Carlton can still be in strife for giving up another five or six goal swing in a game. Again.

Umpires didn’t make them kick two goals in a half. A goal thirty seconds into the third quarter then one again for the remaining 50 odd minutes of time...no whistle in the world fixes that.


I don't think there's a team in the league that gets the VFL crowing more than us, especially if there's anything slightly auspicious our way. They can't let it go and it hurts them so much to think we beat one of their precious sides. Nah screw the 30 point lead Collingwood had and blew. Has to be the umps. Nah screw Carlton's 20 point lead.. has to be the umps. They never look at their own.. and now the media are in a frenzy about it. I can't see it being such a big deal had it been a Vic side who lost, or us as the losing side on the weekend.

Btw, thanks Badger for your stat-ammo against Carlton & Eagle-hating nay-sayers. Been using that ammo left right and centre.
 
Last edited:

Kempy the legend

Debutant
May 5, 2019
77
58
AFL Club
West Coast
Phew.

+ Sheed clutch
+ Nic Nat beast mode yet against
+ Kennedy extends the lead atop the Coleman
+ Allen and Waterman really grew into the game
+ Rotham much better, very reliable
+ Brad Sheppard. What size jacket do you wear mate, cause you’re getting one this year.
+ TB got some grief for dropping marks, but he was getting chopped a fair bit I thought. Needs to play smarter regardless - BUT when he decided to go the spoil consistently we looked impenetrable.

- Small forwards quiet again. I crave Willie :)
- Our structure was horrendous in the first half in the exact same way as it always is vs Carlton. They play the same double spare every time. We don’t man it up every time. First half should well have been our undoing. We rarely get beat structurally and yet you can put it in with biro that we will against Carlton.
- Bizarre umpiring. We got some, they got some, it was a general head scratcher of a time. If an opponent got that Jack Darling HTB and goal I’d riot. Cannot be this hard, everyone has a good sense of what the rules are in that we all know the howlers when we see them. It just can’t be this hard.

Survive and advance. Six in a row. Fourth place with a game in hand on Brisbane in second and just 2% behind them. Fire up campaigners.
I think waterman is trying to be Fraser Gehrig
 
Aug 14, 2004
5,130
20,183
Brisbane
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Cardiff City
This is a match that has left me with some mixed emotions. The team did what was necessary to get another win, but it did so whilst playing below average football for extended periods.

On one hand, the team once again withstood everything the opponent could throw at them and was able to turn the match on its head in six minutes of brilliance. On the other, the team were ordinary for more than two and a half quarters, attaining only 8 scoring shots during that period and a total of just 35 inside attacking 50 entries for the entire match.

This match provides a sixth win in a row for the club – yet it has also trailed in each of them.

Carlton to their credit, came to play. They had embarrassed themselves earlier in week by throwing away a five goal lead to an inferior Hawthorn team and were looking to atone against one of the competition benchmarks. They chased, they tackled, got players to contests and piled the pressure on. Their total of 77 tackles in this match is the highest for the season, with 25 of those coming during the second quarter alone. The pressure from the Blues was elite and in combination with their tactics, completely put the Eagles off the game that they wanted to play.

Recognising that the clearance battle against Naitanui was unlikely to be won, Carlton instead focussed upon congesting the stoppage outlets, which led to poor decision-making and poor disposal from West Coast players that was too easily picked off by the Blues’ defence. With ball in hand, they emulated Geelong’s ploy of kicking short through the zone before pulling the trigger to gain a deep entry inside their attacking 50. Undersized against Carlton’s tall forwards, the Eagles’ defence overcommitted at the marking contests, leaving the small forwards of the Blues unchecked at the resulting ground level spillage. All of Carlton’s 7 goals in the match came from non-key sources.

At half time Carlton were 13 points up, had 9 scoring shots compared to 6, and led inside 50s 23 to 17, despite losing the clearances by 9. They won marks 16-9 during the second quarter, as they completely stifled the West Coast gameplan.

20 seconds into the second half, Fisher kicked his 4th goal and Carlton were in front by more than three goals when West Coast themselves had only kicked three goals in total.

And then, just as they seemed poised for an improbable upset, Carlton ran out of steam. The tackles started to slip, the defensive running was not getting back as quickly – and that is all that this West Coast team needed. From that moment the Eagles scored 8 of the remaining 9 goals in the match, finishing it as a contest.

There is familiarity in this – since the tactical shakeup that occurred after the three hub losses, this Eagles team has become one that grinds down opponents and ruthlessly dispatches them once they break.

Naitanui is keeping his feet not solely as a result of his injury history, but because he is setting out to physically work his opponent over at every opportunity. When assuming the ruck, Allen runs himself into the ground, taking the opposing ruck with him. By the latter stages of the match, the opposing ruck can barely compete and Naitanui is able to assert total dominion over stoppages in a manner that is unmatched among his generation. His performance in this match of 41 hitouts and 7 clearances marks the first time that he has gone 40+ and 6+ respectively in the same game since before his first ACL in 2016. That this match was also reduced in length makes the performance all the more remarkable. It’s almost unfair that when the team starts to generate momentum and scores a goal that the ball goes back to the centre bounce where Naitanui is waiting.

The team is full of endurance runners and the deployment of the three amigos (Duggan, Nelson and Cole) enhances this further. A lot of ground is being covered in both directions and opponents are struggling to keep pace over the distance. This Eagles team is brutal in the way it wears down an opponent.

In order to contain West Coast, opposition teams are pushing themselves to the limit. But such efforts over the past six matches have proven impossible to sustain for an entire match. Once those levels drop and the opportunity presented to the Eagles, the game is over.

That is why this team is so dangerous and has the capability within it to progress so far – to be beaten the opposition needs to play perfect football across an entire game, whereas West Coast are able to underwhelm for more than half a match and still win convincingly.

Playing the Eagles is like trying to wrestle a giant anaconda – opponents can hold out for a while, perhaps even inflict some damage, but as soon as they lapse it throws another coil around, tightening further and continues to do so until there is no life left within them.

It can be seen in each of the last six matches, the opponent has come out early, only to be broken later on:

R11-BreakingPoints.jpg


Carlton were +30 for tackles over the first three quarters (35-65). In the last quarter however, they were -9 in this statistic and it is indicative of the drop in pressure that was being applied. Likewise, the Eagles were able to gain as many marks in the last quarter as they did during the second and third quarters combined as the relaxation in pressure allowed the trademark possessive game style to become more effective.


This match wasn’t all good news, however. The team finished the match with 9 less entries into attacking 50 than their opponent, despite winning the clearances by 11. The efficiency of 8 goals from 18 attacking entries in the second half is what ultimately separated the two sides, with the defence being relied upon to cover the faltering of others as Carlton could only manage 2 goals from 21 attacking entries over the same period.

There was a clear dysfunction between winning the ball and getting it into attack. Carlton had a spare player in their defence and used it to allow other defenders to position aggressively in front of their counterparts. 26 of the Blues’ 57 intercepts for the match came from just four players – Jones, Plowman, Petrevski-Seton and Docherty. A significant reason behind this was the lack of performance from members of the forward group.

Ah Chee managed just the 7 possessions but also played a negating role upon the dangerous Docherty and held him to his lowest disposal total in a match since 2014. Ryan and Cameron however gained just 3 disposals each and offered little else whilst their opponents were able to zone off them and impact play elsewhere. Ryan looked hampered in his movement and despite scans not picking up anything during the week, with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that he should have been rested instead. Cameron was already fortunate to retain a place in the team despite not showing any kind of form and he did himself no favours here either. In 5 matches this season he has a total of 24 disposals, with 14 of those being clangers. Over the past two matches he has had just 3 effective disposals, but 5 turnovers. I rate him highly, but his current state of performance is a recurrent liability to the team.

It could be argued that without the passengers up forward perhaps an additional ten forward entries may have been gained during the match, obviously leading to more goal scoring opportunities and posing the question whether the club would have fallen into a deficit at all before Carlton broke.


From Round 5 onwards, the club has averaged a clearance differential of +8.5, more than double that of the next best placed team. It is an amazing level of dominance, which continued in this match. The key now, as also highlighted from this match, is in converting more of those clearances into effective attacking movements. The club happens to be ranked first over the same period for average goal differential, despite coming up fifth for the average differential of inside attacking 50 entries.

In other words, getting a greater conversion of clearance dominance into territorial gain will take this team to another level – which seems extraordinary as they already are among the best teams in the competition and are the current premiership favourites.

But it is there, in spite of how good it may already be, there is a lot of improvement left in this team that is still to be achieved.
 

Avalor

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 15, 2009
13,130
8,974
Jakarta
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
East Perth, Donnybrook, Chelsea
This is a match that has left me with some mixed emotions. The team did what was necessary to get another win, but it did so whilst playing below average football for extended periods.

On one hand, the team once again withstood everything the opponent could throw at them and was able to turn the match on its head in six minutes of brilliance. On the other, the team were ordinary for more than two and a half quarters, attaining only 8 scoring shots during that period and a total of just 35 inside attacking 50 entries for the entire match.

This match provides a sixth win in a row for the club – yet it has also trailed in each of them.

Carlton to their credit, came to play. They had embarrassed themselves earlier in week by throwing away a five goal lead to an inferior Hawthorn team and were looking to atone against one of the competition benchmarks. They chased, they tackled, got players to contests and piled the pressure on. Their total of 77 tackles in this match is the highest for the season, with 25 of those coming during the second quarter alone. The pressure from the Blues was elite and in combination with their tactics, completely put the Eagles off the game that they wanted to play.

Recognising that the clearance battle against Naitanui was unlikely to be won, Carlton instead focussed upon congesting the stoppage outlets, which led to poor decision-making and poor disposal from West Coast players that was too easily picked off by the Blues’ defence. With ball in hand, they emulated Geelong’s ploy of kicking short through the zone before pulling the trigger to gain a deep entry inside their attacking 50. Undersized against Carlton’s tall forwards, the Eagles’ defence overcommitted at the marking contests, leaving the small forwards of the Blues unchecked at the resulting ground level spillage. All of Carlton’s 7 goals in the match came from non-key sources.

At half time Carlton were 13 points up, had 9 scoring shots compared to 6, and led inside 50s 23 to 17, despite losing the clearances by 9. They won marks 16-9 during the second quarter, as they completely stifled the West Coast gameplan.

20 seconds into the second half, Fisher kicked his 4th goal and Carlton were in front by more than three goals when West Coast themselves had only kicked three goals in total.

And then, just as they seemed poised for an improbable upset, Carlton ran out of steam. The tackles started to slip, the defensive running was not getting back as quickly – and that is all that this West Coast team needed. From that moment the Eagles scored 8 of the remaining 9 goals in the match, finishing it as a contest.

There is familiarity in this – since the tactical shakeup that occurred after the three hub losses, this Eagles team has become one that grinds down opponents and ruthlessly dispatches them once they break.

Naitanui is keeping his feet not solely as a result of his injury history, but because he is setting out to physically work his opponent over at every opportunity. When assuming the ruck, Allen runs himself into the ground, taking the opposing ruck with him. By the latter stages of the match, the opposing ruck can barely compete and Naitanui is able to assert total dominion over stoppages in a manner that is unmatched among his generation. His performance in this match of 41 hitouts and 7 clearances marks the first time that he has gone 40+ and 6+ respectively in the same game since before his first ACL in 2016. That this match was also reduced in length makes the performance all the more remarkable. It’s almost unfair that when the team starts to generate momentum and scores a goal that the ball goes back to the centre bounce where Naitanui is waiting.

The team is full of endurance runners and the deployment of the three amigos (Duggan, Nelson and Cole) enhances this further. A lot of ground is being covered in both directions and opponents are struggling to keep pace over the distance. This Eagles team is brutal in the way it wears down an opponent.

In order to contain West Coast, opposition teams are pushing themselves to the limit. But such efforts over the past six matches have proven impossible to sustain for an entire match. Once those levels drop and the opportunity presented to the Eagles, the game is over.

That is why this team is so dangerous and has the capability within it to progress so far – to be beaten the opposition needs to play perfect football across an entire game, whereas West Coast are able to underwhelm for more than half a match and still win convincingly.

Playing the Eagles is like trying to wrestle a giant anaconda – opponents can hold out for a while, perhaps even inflict some damage, but as soon as they lapse it throws another coil around, tightening further and continues to do so until there is no life left within them.

It can be seen in each of the last six matches, the opponent has come out early, only to be broken later on:

View attachment 933225

Carlton were +30 for tackles over the first three quarters (35-65). In the last quarter however, they were -9 in this statistic and it is indicative of the drop in pressure that was being applied. Likewise, the Eagles were able to gain as many marks in the last quarter as they did during the second and third quarters combined as the relaxation in pressure allowed the trademark possessive game style to become more effective.


This match wasn’t all good news, however. The team finished the match with 9 less entries into attacking 50 than their opponent, despite winning the clearances by 11. The efficiency of 8 goals from 18 attacking entries in the second half is what ultimately separated the two sides, with the defence being relied upon to cover the faltering of others as Carlton could only manage 2 goals from 21 attacking entries over the same period.

There was a clear dysfunction between winning the ball and getting it into attack. Carlton had a spare player in their defence and used it to allow other defenders to position aggressively in front of their counterparts. 26 of the Blues’ 57 intercepts for the match came from just four players – Jones, Plowman, Petrevski-Seton and Docherty. A significant reason behind this was the lack of performance from members of the forward group.

Ah Chee managed just the 7 possessions but also played a negating role upon the dangerous Docherty and held him to his lowest disposal total in a match since 2014. Ryan and Cameron however gained just 3 disposals each and offered little else whilst their opponents were able to zone off them and impact play elsewhere. Ryan looked hampered in his movement and despite scans not picking up anything during the week, with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that he should have been rested instead. Cameron was already fortunate to retain a place in the team despite not showing any kind of form and he did himself no favours here either. In 5 matches this season he has a total of 24 disposals, with 14 of those being clangers. Over the past two matches he has had just 3 effective disposals, but 5 turnovers. I rate him highly, but his current state of performance is a recurrent liability to the team.

It could be argued that without the passengers up forward perhaps an additional ten forward entries may have been gained during the match, obviously leading to more goal scoring opportunities and posing the question whether the club would have fallen into a deficit at all before Carlton broke.


From Round 5 onwards, the club has averaged a clearance differential of +8.5, more than double that of the next best placed team. It is an amazing level of dominance, which continued in this match. The key now, as also highlighted from this match, is in converting more of those clearances into effective attacking movements. The club happens to be ranked first over the same period for average goal differential, despite coming up fifth for the average differential of inside attacking 50 entries.

In other words, getting a greater conversion of clearance dominance into territorial gain will take this team to another level – which seems extraordinary as they already are among the best teams in the competition and are the current premiership favourites.

But it is there, in spite of how good it may already be, there is a lot of improvement left in this team that is still to be achieved.

Very well put together and also enlightening. Thank you.
 

wc_eagles_since86

Team Captain
Apr 25, 2019
346
579
Perth, Australia
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Boston Bruins, Liverpool
This is a match that has left me with some mixed emotions. The team did what was necessary to get another win, but it did so whilst playing below average football for extended periods.

On one hand, the team once again withstood everything the opponent could throw at them and was able to turn the match on its head in six minutes of brilliance. On the other, the team were ordinary for more than two and a half quarters, attaining only 8 scoring shots during that period and a total of just 35 inside attacking 50 entries for the entire match.

This match provides a sixth win in a row for the club – yet it has also trailed in each of them.

Carlton to their credit, came to play. They had embarrassed themselves earlier in week by throwing away a five goal lead to an inferior Hawthorn team and were looking to atone against one of the competition benchmarks. They chased, they tackled, got players to contests and piled the pressure on. Their total of 77 tackles in this match is the highest for the season, with 25 of those coming during the second quarter alone. The pressure from the Blues was elite and in combination with their tactics, completely put the Eagles off the game that they wanted to play.

Recognising that the clearance battle against Naitanui was unlikely to be won, Carlton instead focussed upon congesting the stoppage outlets, which led to poor decision-making and poor disposal from West Coast players that was too easily picked off by the Blues’ defence. With ball in hand, they emulated Geelong’s ploy of kicking short through the zone before pulling the trigger to gain a deep entry inside their attacking 50. Undersized against Carlton’s tall forwards, the Eagles’ defence overcommitted at the marking contests, leaving the small forwards of the Blues unchecked at the resulting ground level spillage. All of Carlton’s 7 goals in the match came from non-key sources.

At half time Carlton were 13 points up, had 9 scoring shots compared to 6, and led inside 50s 23 to 17, despite losing the clearances by 9. They won marks 16-9 during the second quarter, as they completely stifled the West Coast gameplan.

20 seconds into the second half, Fisher kicked his 4th goal and Carlton were in front by more than three goals when West Coast themselves had only kicked three goals in total.

And then, just as they seemed poised for an improbable upset, Carlton ran out of steam. The tackles started to slip, the defensive running was not getting back as quickly – and that is all that this West Coast team needed. From that moment the Eagles scored 8 of the remaining 9 goals in the match, finishing it as a contest.

There is familiarity in this – since the tactical shakeup that occurred after the three hub losses, this Eagles team has become one that grinds down opponents and ruthlessly dispatches them once they break.

Naitanui is keeping his feet not solely as a result of his injury history, but because he is setting out to physically work his opponent over at every opportunity. When assuming the ruck, Allen runs himself into the ground, taking the opposing ruck with him. By the latter stages of the match, the opposing ruck can barely compete and Naitanui is able to assert total dominion over stoppages in a manner that is unmatched among his generation. His performance in this match of 41 hitouts and 7 clearances marks the first time that he has gone 40+ and 6+ respectively in the same game since before his first ACL in 2016. That this match was also reduced in length makes the performance all the more remarkable. It’s almost unfair that when the team starts to generate momentum and scores a goal that the ball goes back to the centre bounce where Naitanui is waiting.

The team is full of endurance runners and the deployment of the three amigos (Duggan, Nelson and Cole) enhances this further. A lot of ground is being covered in both directions and opponents are struggling to keep pace over the distance. This Eagles team is brutal in the way it wears down an opponent.

In order to contain West Coast, opposition teams are pushing themselves to the limit. But such efforts over the past six matches have proven impossible to sustain for an entire match. Once those levels drop and the opportunity presented to the Eagles, the game is over.

That is why this team is so dangerous and has the capability within it to progress so far – to be beaten the opposition needs to play perfect football across an entire game, whereas West Coast are able to underwhelm for more than half a match and still win convincingly.

Playing the Eagles is like trying to wrestle a giant anaconda – opponents can hold out for a while, perhaps even inflict some damage, but as soon as they lapse it throws another coil around, tightening further and continues to do so until there is no life left within them.

It can be seen in each of the last six matches, the opponent has come out early, only to be broken later on:

View attachment 933225

Carlton were +30 for tackles over the first three quarters (35-65). In the last quarter however, they were -9 in this statistic and it is indicative of the drop in pressure that was being applied. Likewise, the Eagles were able to gain as many marks in the last quarter as they did during the second and third quarters combined as the relaxation in pressure allowed the trademark possessive game style to become more effective.


This match wasn’t all good news, however. The team finished the match with 9 less entries into attacking 50 than their opponent, despite winning the clearances by 11. The efficiency of 8 goals from 18 attacking entries in the second half is what ultimately separated the two sides, with the defence being relied upon to cover the faltering of others as Carlton could only manage 2 goals from 21 attacking entries over the same period.

There was a clear dysfunction between winning the ball and getting it into attack. Carlton had a spare player in their defence and used it to allow other defenders to position aggressively in front of their counterparts. 26 of the Blues’ 57 intercepts for the match came from just four players – Jones, Plowman, Petrevski-Seton and Docherty. A significant reason behind this was the lack of performance from members of the forward group.

Ah Chee managed just the 7 possessions but also played a negating role upon the dangerous Docherty and held him to his lowest disposal total in a match since 2014. Ryan and Cameron however gained just 3 disposals each and offered little else whilst their opponents were able to zone off them and impact play elsewhere. Ryan looked hampered in his movement and despite scans not picking up anything during the week, with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that he should have been rested instead. Cameron was already fortunate to retain a place in the team despite not showing any kind of form and he did himself no favours here either. In 5 matches this season he has a total of 24 disposals, with 14 of those being clangers. Over the past two matches he has had just 3 effective disposals, but 5 turnovers. I rate him highly, but his current state of performance is a recurrent liability to the team.

It could be argued that without the passengers up forward perhaps an additional ten forward entries may have been gained during the match, obviously leading to more goal scoring opportunities and posing the question whether the club would have fallen into a deficit at all before Carlton broke.


From Round 5 onwards, the club has averaged a clearance differential of +8.5, more than double that of the next best placed team. It is an amazing level of dominance, which continued in this match. The key now, as also highlighted from this match, is in converting more of those clearances into effective attacking movements. The club happens to be ranked first over the same period for average goal differential, despite coming up fifth for the average differential of inside attacking 50 entries.

In other words, getting a greater conversion of clearance dominance into territorial gain will take this team to another level – which seems extraordinary as they already are among the best teams in the competition and are the current premiership favourites.

But it is there, in spite of how good it may already be, there is a lot of improvement left in this team that is still to be achieved.

It's like reading something my small football brain couldn't even dream of putting together. Love it.

Why do you not have your own football desk? F-k Zempilas, you should take all his hours (also run for Mayor).
 

Mattman93

high ceiling
Jun 13, 2008
5,596
1,296
Fremantle
AFL Club
West Coast
Ah Chee managed just the 7 possessions but also played a negating role upon the dangerous Docherty and held him to his lowest disposal total in a match since 2014. Ryan and Cameron however gained just 3 disposals each and offered little else whilst their opponents were able to zone off them and impact play elsewhere. Ryan looked hampered in his movement and despite scans not picking up anything during the week, with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that he should have been rested instead. Cameron was already fortunate to retain a place in the team despite not showing any kind of form and he did himself no favours here either. In 5 matches this season he has a total of 24 disposals, with 14 of those being clangers. Over the past two matches he has had just 3 effective disposals, but 5 turnovers. I rate him highly, but his current state of performance is a recurrent liability to the team.

Clearly match committee is acutely feeling the absence of any appropriate small forward replacements.

At this point all we have left is Reid or a young mid played forward. I think Cameron has to go, but none of the options are particularly good.

Edit - actually, Treacy as well. Not sure what the deal is with him. Going into the year you would have thought he'd be the prime contingency candidate for this sort of situation, but he doesn't seem close to a game based on what the club puts out.
 
Last edited:

Avalor

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 15, 2009
13,130
8,974
Jakarta
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
East Perth, Donnybrook, Chelsea
Clearly match committee is acutely feeling the absence of any appropriate small forward replacements.

At this point all we have left is Reid or a young mid played forward. I think Cameron has to go, but none of the options are particularly good.

Edit - actually, Treacy as well. Not sure what the deal is with him. Going into the year you would have thought he'd be the prime contingency candidate for this sort of situation, but he doesn't seem close to a game based on what the club puts out.

I reckon Mitch O'Neill would ace this role, but he's a way off yet fitness wise. Give him another 3-4 weeks, he could be a candidate for the small forward role.
 

The Dodger

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 12, 2010
7,287
7,225
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Trying to say
This is a match that has left me with some mixed emotions. The team did what was necessary to get another win, but it did so whilst playing below average football for extended periods.

On one hand, the team once again withstood everything the opponent could throw at them and was able to turn the match on its head in six minutes of brilliance. On the other, the team were ordinary for more than two and a half quarters, attaining only 8 scoring shots during that period and a total of just 35 inside attacking 50 entries for the entire match.

This match provides a sixth win in a row for the club – yet it has also trailed in each of them.

Carlton to their credit, came to play. They had embarrassed themselves earlier in week by throwing away a five goal lead to an inferior Hawthorn team and were looking to atone against one of the competition benchmarks. They chased, they tackled, got players to contests and piled the pressure on. Their total of 77 tackles in this match is the highest for the season, with 25 of those coming during the second quarter alone. The pressure from the Blues was elite and in combination with their tactics, completely put the Eagles off the game that they wanted to play.

Recognising that the clearance battle against Naitanui was unlikely to be won, Carlton instead focussed upon congesting the stoppage outlets, which led to poor decision-making and poor disposal from West Coast players that was too easily picked off by the Blues’ defence. With ball in hand, they emulated Geelong’s ploy of kicking short through the zone before pulling the trigger to gain a deep entry inside their attacking 50. Undersized against Carlton’s tall forwards, the Eagles’ defence overcommitted at the marking contests, leaving the small forwards of the Blues unchecked at the resulting ground level spillage. All of Carlton’s 7 goals in the match came from non-key sources.

At half time Carlton were 13 points up, had 9 scoring shots compared to 6, and led inside 50s 23 to 17, despite losing the clearances by 9. They won marks 16-9 during the second quarter, as they completely stifled the West Coast gameplan.

20 seconds into the second half, Fisher kicked his 4th goal and Carlton were in front by more than three goals when West Coast themselves had only kicked three goals in total.

And then, just as they seemed poised for an improbable upset, Carlton ran out of steam. The tackles started to slip, the defensive running was not getting back as quickly – and that is all that this West Coast team needed. From that moment the Eagles scored 8 of the remaining 9 goals in the match, finishing it as a contest.

There is familiarity in this – since the tactical shakeup that occurred after the three hub losses, this Eagles team has become one that grinds down opponents and ruthlessly dispatches them once they break.

Naitanui is keeping his feet not solely as a result of his injury history, but because he is setting out to physically work his opponent over at every opportunity. When assuming the ruck, Allen runs himself into the ground, taking the opposing ruck with him. By the latter stages of the match, the opposing ruck can barely compete and Naitanui is able to assert total dominion over stoppages in a manner that is unmatched among his generation. His performance in this match of 41 hitouts and 7 clearances marks the first time that he has gone 40+ and 6+ respectively in the same game since before his first ACL in 2016. That this match was also reduced in length makes the performance all the more remarkable. It’s almost unfair that when the team starts to generate momentum and scores a goal that the ball goes back to the centre bounce where Naitanui is waiting.

The team is full of endurance runners and the deployment of the three amigos (Duggan, Nelson and Cole) enhances this further. A lot of ground is being covered in both directions and opponents are struggling to keep pace over the distance. This Eagles team is brutal in the way it wears down an opponent.

In order to contain West Coast, opposition teams are pushing themselves to the limit. But such efforts over the past six matches have proven impossible to sustain for an entire match. Once those levels drop and the opportunity presented to the Eagles, the game is over.

That is why this team is so dangerous and has the capability within it to progress so far – to be beaten the opposition needs to play perfect football across an entire game, whereas West Coast are able to underwhelm for more than half a match and still win convincingly.

Playing the Eagles is like trying to wrestle a giant anaconda – opponents can hold out for a while, perhaps even inflict some damage, but as soon as they lapse it throws another coil around, tightening further and continues to do so until there is no life left within them.

It can be seen in each of the last six matches, the opponent has come out early, only to be broken later on:

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Carlton were +30 for tackles over the first three quarters (35-65). In the last quarter however, they were -9 in this statistic and it is indicative of the drop in pressure that was being applied. Likewise, the Eagles were able to gain as many marks in the last quarter as they did during the second and third quarters combined as the relaxation in pressure allowed the trademark possessive game style to become more effective.


This match wasn’t all good news, however. The team finished the match with 9 less entries into attacking 50 than their opponent, despite winning the clearances by 11. The efficiency of 8 goals from 18 attacking entries in the second half is what ultimately separated the two sides, with the defence being relied upon to cover the faltering of others as Carlton could only manage 2 goals from 21 attacking entries over the same period.

There was a clear dysfunction between winning the ball and getting it into attack. Carlton had a spare player in their defence and used it to allow other defenders to position aggressively in front of their counterparts. 26 of the Blues’ 57 intercepts for the match came from just four players – Jones, Plowman, Petrevski-Seton and Docherty. A significant reason behind this was the lack of performance from members of the forward group.

Ah Chee managed just the 7 possessions but also played a negating role upon the dangerous Docherty and held him to his lowest disposal total in a match since 2014. Ryan and Cameron however gained just 3 disposals each and offered little else whilst their opponents were able to zone off them and impact play elsewhere. Ryan looked hampered in his movement and despite scans not picking up anything during the week, with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that he should have been rested instead. Cameron was already fortunate to retain a place in the team despite not showing any kind of form and he did himself no favours here either. In 5 matches this season he has a total of 24 disposals, with 14 of those being clangers. Over the past two matches he has had just 3 effective disposals, but 5 turnovers. I rate him highly, but his current state of performance is a recurrent liability to the team.

It could be argued that without the passengers up forward perhaps an additional ten forward entries may have been gained during the match, obviously leading to more goal scoring opportunities and posing the question whether the club would have fallen into a deficit at all before Carlton broke.


From Round 5 onwards, the club has averaged a clearance differential of +8.5, more than double that of the next best placed team. It is an amazing level of dominance, which continued in this match. The key now, as also highlighted from this match, is in converting more of those clearances into effective attacking movements. The club happens to be ranked first over the same period for average goal differential, despite coming up fifth for the average differential of inside attacking 50 entries.

In other words, getting a greater conversion of clearance dominance into territorial gain will take this team to another level – which seems extraordinary as they already are among the best teams in the competition and are the current premiership favourites.

But it is there, in spite of how good it may already be, there is a lot of improvement left in this team that is still to be achieved.

Thanks Dylan82. That write up did highlight what I had been thinking about. The second half fadeouts by the opposition. I was putting this down to them hubbing but that write up where you describe the impact of the 3 amigos is perfect. The team has looked a lot better since they were assembled for the Sydney game.

Thanks again for your insight.
 

The wily weagle

Premiership Player
Oct 16, 2014
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West Coast
Cole seems to be the main target now for some reason.

I think its because opposition teams have worked out that in terms of speed off the backline, he is the weak link. Ideally, they seek to try and put their fastest forward one out against him, because the moment they get goal side of him, he's done. And when that happens, it almost always costs us goals.

Definitely not cause to be dropped however, by and large Cole has is been very serviceable. Just needs to make sure he is goal side of his opponent at all times and he is fine
 
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