Review R13: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Brisbane Lions

[George CantStandYa]

He's taking 1 part of the interview and extrapolating it to fit his narrative.

He's forgetting to mention the part where Curtin says words to the effect that they have to dig deeper when they get tired. I heard the interview live.
My read was not that it was a deliberate attempt to shut the game down for 9 or 10 minutes. Although there were patches of play that were like that. My read was the not getting the ball into our F50 was part of the review.

My read of the play from D50 Cathedral End on the day was that the flags were blowing horizontal at 90 degrees to the western grandstand and we were using it as shelter to try and take contested marks on the wing.

I think we got the jump on Brisbane and surprised them and then they responded when we started to fatigue. 5 goals in a quarter equalled our entire 3 quarters tally. That level of intenisty will never be sustained.

At any stage if they kick a goal rather than a behind the ball is back in the centre and 6,6,6. Every behind they scored, we were trying to launch from kick ins. The game is different. It's an irrelevant argument because the couse of the game completely changes.

I am not arguing that everything is roses and sunshine. I doubt there was an instruction to ice the game from 10 mins out. He is arguing this was a coaching instrution so he can use it as evidence to sack Nicks. It was never said in the interview that it was a coaches instruction and pretty much said they need to be better as player in that situation. Brisbane are a good team with a great midfield. They were always going to respond hard.

My only take away was we won a close game. We won ugly. We won when not playing particularly well for large patches. This is something we haven't done in the past.

Lol you accuse me of trying to fit my narrative and then go on to do what you’re accusing me of “my read” “my read”.

Tell me, when we push all our forward line up, are we trying to score?

When we don’t switch but instead kick down the line to a contest, what are we trying to do?

When we don’t look for players to pass to but instead kick down the line to a contest, what are we trying to do?

Why are football analysts talking about us slowing the game down and trying to save it?

Speaking of interviews, did you listen to the Worrell one yet?

 

[Mattrox]

Lol you accuse me of trying to fit my narrative and then go on to do what you’re accusing me of “my read” “my read”.

Tell me, when we push all our forward line up, are we trying to score?

When we don’t switch but instead kick down the line to a contest, what are we trying to do?

When we don’t look for players to pass to but instead kick down the line to a contest, what are we trying to do?

Why are football analysts talking about us slowing the game down and trying to save it?

Speaking of interviews, did you listen to the Worrell one yet?

I was talking about you not to you.

You lost me when you made up lies.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I was talking about you not to you.

You lost me when you made up lies.

Can you explain which lies I made up because that’s an ordinary accusation.

That’s also a pretty pissweak response. Now the other day you were carrying on about the context of Worrells comments, well his interview is up for you to listen, which I’m sure you’ve done but you are trying to figure out how to defend it.

 

[moogerfooger]

I'm not denying what we can all see. I just think it's possible that Nicks might be getting dragged along by Davis to play this style against his own instincts. We've all heard what he's got to say about footy, by his own admission he's a defense orientated coach. We've heard our own players say Nicks doesn't like attacking football. We've also heard Nicks say he's doing less now. I wouldn't be at all surprised if much of Nick's authority to govern our strategy was taken out of his hands over the off-season. He looked like a bloke under a lot of pressure late last year.

All of this is possible. But the bolded parts are assumptions and when they get repeated often enough quite a few posters start to treat them as facts. Bottom line is we don't know who's doing what and the assumption that Davis is the one creating everything good and Nicks is the one creating everything bad becomes repetitive and boring.

 

[jenny61_99]

He tried to mind**** Rachele too.

And yet both of them are a) still with us and b) performing very well. Is it as bad as you think it was, because it clearly wasn’t for either of them.

 

[rabidcrow]

I think the tone of your post is correct. I do think these are important attributes to teach young players

My concern is how we do it - only because my focus is us - my eye test over a long time is the players natural talent is deemed less important than this defensive learning

I think its led to the detriment of a few good players or projected good players

We nearly sent Curtin down the same road but thankfully someone had a word somewhere and he has blossomed

I don’t think we sent Curtin down any road. I assume you haven’t known any AFL footballers - many of the younger ones can’t get out of their own head when starting out. Feeling they should dominate like the did in juniors straight from the get go

It’s a major reason why many yo-yo out of teams in their first couple of years. Curtin is a classic for this. Has needed to get fully healthy and then relax and learn to just do his bit when his chance arises

 

[GreyCrow]

I don’t think we sent Curtin down any road. I assume you haven’t known any AFL footballers -

You would be wrong

many of the younger ones can’t get out of their own head when starting out. Feeling they should dominate like the did in juniors straight from the get go

So utilise this belief. Get them running hard and let them go. Find their own feet - then introduce concepts

It’s a major reason why many yo-yo out of teams in their first couple of years. Curtin is a classic for this. Has needed to get fully healthy and then relax and learn to just do his bit when his chance arises

They yo-yo because coaches dont trust them

Why do we pick high draft picks? Because we think they have something. Let it blossom

 

[adelaidecrows]

I don’t think we sent Curtin down any road. I assume you haven’t known any AFL footballers - many of the younger ones can’t get out of their own head when starting out. Feeling they should dominate like the did in juniors straight from the get go

It’s a major reason why many yo-yo out of teams in their first couple of years. Curtin is a classic for this. Has needed to get fully healthy and then relax and learn to just do his bit when his chance arises

playing deep defense clearly helped him in his current role.

 

[Huang LoWel]

What’s weird about it? The list has improved significantly in terms of personnel and the age and experience profile is now in a similar range to most successful clubs. The off field team has improved, as opposed to in 2024 when it got worse. We’ve had a dream run with injuries. Improving is pretty much in line with what you’d expect, while challenging for the top 4 in 2022 or 2023 with a super young and inexperienced list would have been very unusual. All our high draft picks except Curtin and Draper are coming into their AFL-ready years, everyone is fit, and we are winning games. Not weird or shocking in any way.

But my point was more about you saying how Nicks is ‘bashing his head against a wall with the defensive stuff’ because he’s worried about being ‘found out as a fraud’. It’s absolutely bonkers - the team is #1 for offence. On the couch did a segment yesterday about the scores from defensive half being the best for any team in the last decade, and they are an elite ball movement team. It’s a cult of anti-Nicks inventing conclusions to match an existing opinion with no reference to actual events.

Stats lie and are only useful when used in context - if even then. You can manipulate stats to suit any bias.
Champion data this week noticed the Crows are the 2nd worst team to offensively move the ball against the top 9 teams this year - 2nd worst in comp......... The Crows have benefited big time by a good draw this year, we have belted the teams we always have and have lost by small margins against those we cannot beat but we still cannot beat them - that is the real stat. That is why we are rate so highly offensively. Who cares if we can beat up on St Kilda, Essendon etc etc.

No one can deny the Crows strength is offensive biased. Wouldn't a good coach try to maximise their strength whilst minimising their weakness? Instead Nicks is not just neglecting our strength to maximise our weakness, but weakening our strength. Crows are winning bigger and more games this year due to talent, not due to better coaching or player development.

Do you even need to be an AFL coach to see how dumb that is?

Crows development of young players is historically woeful btw.

There is no anti-Nicks inventing conclusions cult, it is Nicks being Nicks and nothing else.