Postive And Negatives in GF

[JohnW]

Positive, making the grand final
Negative, having to drive 36 hours to get home

 

[ziad]

Negatives:
Masten needs to go, should of been sub and is scared of a contest.

Positives:
Sheppard

agree masten - he has not change just works harder, but not what we need to go forward. B grade skills as well.

 

[domo]

Negatives:
- People can crap on all they want about Priddis' improvement, his Brownlow, and how the 'haters' were all wrong like they've been doing all year, but at the core, the fundamental issue with him has always been that for a guy that spends all his time in the middle, is our focal point there and doesn't have the flexibility to play anywhere else, he's never ever been able to match it with the best midfielders in the game, and today was once again proof of that, he's never been able to match it with the best when it's mattered, and he never will. Absolutely terrible performance. Poor skills, poor decision making, and his inside work was non-effective and easily defended.

- Our midfield outside of Gaff and Shuey (made a couple critical errors, but tried to make things happen and got his hands on the ball early) was very poor. Hutchings, Masten, Sheed, the aforementioned Priddis, and the other rotations were simply way too poor. Terrible decision making under pressure, were smashed at the contest, and weren't clean enough.

- The midfield didn't give Kennedy a chance. I've seen some harsh criticism of JK today, but it's not his fault. Our midfield absolutely killed any chance he had. Slow, unclean ball movement or quick high bombs to an outnumbered contest. Our midfield should be ashamed with the delivery they gave him today.

- I've seen criticism of Simpson's game plan but that is way, way off base. Any game plan would have gone to pieces today if the teams midfield were getting smashed at the contest, were turning the ball over and making bad decisions constantly. The back line did the best it could, but they weren't helped in the slightest by our mids.

- Midfield, midfield, midfield. It's been the bane of our existence since 2008. We've got more depth there now, and better quality players, but we still lack class and we still lack composure. Sheed will be better for the run, Yeo will continue to improve and I'm super happy to have Duggan back next year, but we still lack polish and class. Some smart (miraculous) trading might be needed.

- There's too many other poor players to detail all of them. Darling obviously, but he wasn't alone, some really poor efforts from a lot of players today and if you can't execute basic skills, you'll never win a grand final.

- Sinclair has had a good year, but there is still the fundamental issue that his ruck work just isn't that good. We lose so much momentum when he's in the ruck, and he gets dominated way too easy. I hope Lycett's body and form returns next year, he's a better ruckman.

Positives:

- Sheppard. Goddamn, I love you. Great game, and easily our best player on the day. The only one that even remotely looked composed.

- Gaff. Our best midfielder on the day. Worked his butt off, and his disposal and decision making was generally pretty good.

- I thought Gov was pretty good too.

- That's about it. I'm extremely proud of how we've performed this year, and making the grand final was a huge achievement that shouldn't be overlooked, but there's still core, fundamental issues with our team that need to be fixed.

Amen. I thought old man Butler was great in addition to this post.

 

[swannies]

Negatives:
- People can crap on all they want about Priddis' improvement, his Brownlow, and how the 'haters' were all wrong like they've been doing all year, but at the core, the fundamental issue with him has always been that for a guy that spends all his time in the middle, is our focal point there and doesn't have the flexibility to play anywhere else, he's never ever been able to match it with the best midfielders in the game, and today was once again proof of that, he's never been able to match it with the best when it's mattered, and he never will. Absolutely terrible performance. Poor skills, poor decision making, and his inside work was non-effective and easily defended..

So what did you notice about Priddis that was different to games all through the year placebo?

 

[WCE Wizard]

NEGATIVES:
*NO home ground advantage. Will always be a tainted and unfair premiership
*Josh Kennedy. Biggest game of the year and he goes missing. What a surprise. Still a major flat track bully
*Mark Hutchings and all the other spuds lining up. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to let a WAFL standard player into a Grand final?
*Scott Selwood should have been playing
*Having to deal with Fremantle/Richmond/insert flog team supporters in the coming days

POSITIVES:
*Luke Shuey
*We still have better looking supporters than the Hawks do. About 50% percent of the Hawthorn supporters were fat ugly women
*At the start of the year we were lucky to play finals, let alone a Grand Final
*The FULL wings guernsey looked great.
*It was hilarious seeing VFL pets Hawthorn wearing white shorts in the Grand Final
*Could just be a 1991 like aberration for us.

Gee bit harsh on Kennedy, yes he was bad but the way the midfield was playing was no suprise, there was not one decent pass to JK inside 50

 

[kenasmarshall]

Was a turning point for the better when the club got rid of him (Chick).

Plenty of upside for the Eagles.If they are hungry enough there will be more grand finals for this group.

If we can get as hungry as Chick we might go undefeated

 

[ChampRevesby]

If we can get as hungry as Chick we might go undefeated

I laughed well played.

 

[Jiggyman]

First off, this is my perspective from behind the goals at the Hawks cheersquad end *shudder*.

Those lambasting Priddis, get your hand off it. Only guy willing to get at the bottom of the pack and win clearances when the game was hot. Hutchings worked hard too. Until Dugg and Sheed can fill Pridda's boots, we need him bigtime.

Classic case of being overwhelmed by the occasion. Uncharacteristic errors from our best ball-users over the last few seasons (e.g. Hurn, Shuey), dropped marks and fumbles, failure to put on any scoreboard pressure from our best forwards, haphazard transition from defence... In comparison the hawks showed their composure and took their opportunities right by the scruff. Multiple 12-point swings put the game to bed by half-time. Too good for us on the day.

I really gathered the impression that we'll come back hard from this, from post-game reactions to Hurn's rushed, pissed-off speech. For a team that's gone from flat-track bullies to grand finalists we always had to learn this lesson. As Simmo said, we must harness the pain; we finally understand why we play footy, not just to flaunt and make the big dance but to commit 110% when you reckon you have nothing left to give. He realises that the experience will teach him a few things, too...

I'm so excited to see what this group can achieve over the next few seasons. The lid is off, we're a contender, and we'll be back fitter, older and wiser.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that Darls and Masto are clearly underdone. NicNat as sore as anyone in the league, could barely run.

+ Those wallabies eh? Met Schoey at the Crown 6am this morning, shook my hand with bloodshot eyes and yelled "Fresh!", then moved onto the next bloke beside me and did the same.

Focker, out.... *collapses*

 

[The Passenger]

Although it's galling one big positive for mine is that despite being completely outplayed we had a major opportunity to drag the margin back to 3 goals and with some serious momentum with what would have been the last 4 goals. Yes the Hawks well outscored us over the next quarter after that dropped mark but it was a significant momentum killer and a lot of heads went down with that.

We aren't a million miles off the Hawks and you'd have to think we are in a position to improve next year.

NEGATIVES:
*NO home ground advantage. Will always be a tainted and unfair premiership

Stupid to think like this. If the Grand Final ever leaves the MCG (and it's a big if) it'll be to a pre determined venue, so getting home ground advantage will only ever be by chance anyway. It's far too big an event to not know the host city until 7 days in advance.

 

[MWPP]

Positives- we were there in the first place i.e. the season as a whole

I don't want to go into the negatives again too many to list

 

[larrikin]

Sorry guys not trying to intrude or anything, but what's with NicNat not getting enough marks. Is it him not pushing hard enough into space to find the ball? I find it hard to believe someone of his athleticism can't find uncontested ball. Absolute freak though.

Bad luck for today, you guys will come back stronger

If you want the actual answer the reason he doesn't take more uncontested marks is because that's not what we want him to do. All of Nick's strengths are in the contest, not just the ruck knock, but the follow up work on the ground, the blocking, tackling, creative handball, little knock-ons etc. Sure, we'd all like him to take more pack marks but he flies against 3 or 4 every time, and probably takes more of these sorts of mark than pretty much anyone else. If he went chasing uncontested cheap kicks and marks his stats may look better, but he'd have far less impact on the game and frankly would be playing to his weakest attribute, which is his kicking.

 

[Hawthorn23]

If you want the actual answer the reason he doesn't take more uncontested marks is because that's not what we want him to do. All of Nick's strengths are in the contest, not just the ruck knock, but the follow up work on the ground, the blocking, tackling, creative handball, little knock-ons etc. Sure, we'd all like him to take more pack marks but he flies against 3 or 4 every time, and probably takes more of these sorts of mark than pretty much anyone else. If he went chasing uncontested cheap kicks and marks his stats may look better, but he'd have far less impact on the game and frankly would be playing to his weakest attribute, which is his kicking.

Thanks mate

 

[The Passenger]

If he went chasing uncontested cheap kicks and marks his stats may look better, but he'd have far less impact on the game and frankly would be playing to his weakest attribute, which is his kicking.

This needs to be the first post in every NicNat thread. Those who can't see this don't properly understand football and the role he plays in our team.

I said a million times this year "You've got rocks in your head if you think NicNat taking two extra uncontested marks a game is the difference between him being the a gun ruckman and the best ruckman in the league"

 

[Pea Barrel]

-ve: The reaction in the coaches box after the PF victory. They were carrying on like they'd won the premiership. Conversely, Clarko cracked a smile, but that was it.

+ve: I stated here a few weeks ago that my wife of 25 years died in June. Since the funeral. the only times I've had any emotions was when thinking about her, or seeing our kids cracking up. Apart from that I've been completely numb. But yesterday I was as emotional and as passionate as ever. There you go. All it took for me to come back to life was my beloved Eagles playing like s**t in a grand final.

 

[larrikin]

+ve: I stated here a few weeks ago that my wife of 25 years died in June. Since the funeral. the only times I've had any emotions was when thinking about her, or seeing our kids cracking up. Apart from that I've been completely numb. But yesterday I was as emotional and as passionate as ever. There you go. All it took for me to come back to life was my beloved Eagles playing like s**t in a grand final.

Sorry to hear that mate, sounds like you've had an awful year and it helps to put how we are all feeling today in perspective.

 

[Moose1414]

Alot of players taking heat, Elliot Yeo worst on ground by a mile , 4 quarters for 5 possessions. Very ordinary.

Kicked a clutch goal though, unlike the majority of others who had shots. Regardless of possessions, and he spent time in defence, the fact he converted his opportunity had him amongst our best in my book.

 

[Moose1414]

Darling had a shocker. He tried his guts out no doubt but it was a poor performance. That dropped mark... Man, we had played pretty gash to that point, we finally got some momentum, Hawks came out at HT very flat and the margin would've been 3 goals if he slots that.... But wasn't to be.

The dropped mark was probably his most forgivable error on the day. I think the sun was in his eyes. By that point of the game he'd already cost us: Hawks first goal with an idiotic 50, then another goal shortly after with a turnover switching into the corridor in their half, and missed his first kick at goal that was very gettable. And something else I am forgetting. The scoreboard pressure Hawthorn piled on in the first quarter and a half that won them the game was done mostly on the back of his errors. Dropping the mark was just icing on the cake, the damage was done.

 

[javaguice]

If you want the actual answer the reason he doesn't take more uncontested marks is because that's not what we want him to do. All of Nick's strengths are in the contest, not just the ruck knock, but the follow up work on the ground, the blocking, tackling, creative handball, little knock-ons etc. Sure, we'd all like him to take more pack marks but he flies against 3 or 4 every time, and probably takes more of these sorts of mark than pretty much anyone else. If he went chasing uncontested cheap kicks and marks his stats may look better, but he'd have far less impact on the game and frankly would be playing to his weakest attribute, which is his kicking.

Plus it looks like his fingers were strapped, probably a broken one. Smashed quite a few packs anyway.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Gov's goals were great to watch, but truthfully they were in junk time. Still looking forward to seeing him in the forward line next year. Could be a 50 goal per year player.

 

[Moose1414]

He looked like carry some sort of injury as he seemed to kick poorly in the last few matches and today's warm up.

I think I saw him clutching his lower back in the warm up, appeared to be trying to loosen it up with a series of head high kicks on his right leg and then punching a spot high or above the right glute. His errors appeared to stem mostly from between the ears though.

 

[ndot]

positives: after grossly underachieving last year, we've equivalently overacheived this year. simpson is now back on par.

negatives: several reputations ruined and potential mental demons forged yesterday. perhaps if we hadn't squandered the chance for finals experience last year, we could have gone a step further this year?

 

[Biggie]

******* lol

 

[The Passenger]

******* lol

You know what's funny. The first post ndot made after quarter time in the PF was after the grand final.

What a dickhead. How is he not banned.

 

[Eagle got a win]

Positive is if you weren't playing in that Grand Final you probably would be a little happy with the result as you'd know you didn't miss out on an premiership.

Emac, Brown, Lycett. All our seconds would of been watching and you'd think it would be the ultimate spur on to improve yourself and break into the side for next year for a possible Grand Final opportunity maybe next year.

Lycett if there was ever a time to stamp your name on the game its next year. Sinclair was poor in the Grand Final and on potential I'd expect Lycett to overtake him next year with now that extra grand final motivation.

 

[Moose1414]

Have you watched this final series? Has been great to date. Today he still took 3 marks inside 50 on a very poor day (no player in the league other than him averages more than 3.1 a game fwiw). If he had shot from each one instead of being unselfish he probably would have ended with a couple of goals. Pretty good for a bad day.

He wasn't good, but your comment is just horribly wrong.

There's a reason he didn't take his set shot early, was no chance of kicking it and he knew it. Despite being a wonderful player the one aspect of his game that doesn't stand up is clutch goal kicking. The mark and goal against North was inspiring, sprayed 3 set shots to finish with 2 instead of 5. Big game players nail that stuff, he tends to kick big bags in easy games and small bags in tight games with a lot of misses he shouldn't have, and also goes missing more often than not in big games.

Personally I didn't have a problem with his game yesterday, Hawthorn made shutting him down a priority and dedicated 2 to 1 most of the day. He could of got more ball further up the ground but who cares, he drew players to him and battled and it was up to other forwards to capitalise on the space and opportunities created by that. Darling/LeCras let the team down a thousand times more than Kennedy.

His goal kicking is a concern though, needs to keep working on it. Has improved every season since arriving, needs to improve more to be elite.