Preview R14: Changes vs. Sydney Swans

[Mutineer]

You know ROB is bad when Ladhams is being suggested as an upgrade

ROB's averaged 3.0 marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 2.8.

ROB averages 1.5 contested marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 0.6

 

[conVINCEd]

Who was the last Crow to not have to be blasted out of the club? Who do we think there's a chance they went a year too early?

David Mackay.

 

[Afcprophet]

It would have been easier to count the targets he missed than those he hit...highlights are just that...you dont want to see the lowlights package. And I'm a Pedlar fan but no way can you lack the composure and wretched disposal like that and come in.

Why would it be easier to count the missed ones? Were there more or fewer of those?

because there were far more of them smart ass

I mean, it's easier to count lower numbers than higher numbers, right? Thought his little joke was a little funny tbh.

 

[CrowBloke]

During our 0-4 start to the season, ROB took 4 marks total.

How on earth we tolerated that as a club is beyond belief.

This.
It wasn't just ROB either. Many low-impact underperformers were selected again and again; most notably Smith (now finally dropped), McHenry , Murphy.

It takes much, MUCH too long for Nicks to act on mediocre and sub-standard players' games.
Nicks' inflexibility is his greatest flaw.

 

[Afcprophet]

ROB's averaged 3.0 marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 2.8.

ROB averages 1.5 contested marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 0.6

Ladhams is one of the only rucks who might be more infuriating to watch than Rob. One thing about rob is he never has a brainfade like ladhams does where he'll give a free away out of misplaced aggression.

 

[jackster83]

Watched a doco of how Geelong became a club that no longer accepted mediocrity in 2007.
Essentially each player had to be accountable for their own individual performance.

We avoid that at every opportunity at this club.
When players finish up they are shocked to learn what they had been producing wasn't good enough.

We're a shit club.

Up there with Fremantle, St Kilda and North Melbourne.

 

[Crowstar]

ROB's averaged 3.0 marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 2.8.

ROB averages 1.5 contested marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 0.6

Chris Ladhams?

 

[n4sir]

Watched a doco of how Geelong became a club that no longer accepted mediocrity in 2007.
Essentially each player had to be accountable for their own individual performance.

We avoid that at every opportunity at this club.
When players finish up they are shocked to learn what they had been producing wasn't good enough.

Geelong also grabbed Paul Haines from us after the 2006 season to head their fitness, a guy who had worked under Neil Craig & Stephen Schwerdt for six years... and they went from us ripping them an embarrassing, absolute gaping hole at Football Park in 2006 for which Bomber Thompson had absolutely no answers for after the game... to AFL Premiers in 2007.

Geelong revamp strength, fitness & rehab staff

Geelong has announced the appointment of three key staff in the football operations department.

www.afl.com.au

Our club needs to be equally as efficient and ruthless on and off the field to get somewhere again.

 

[MRB37]

I'm not sure I like VC of the club complaining about the fans on social media.
The senior guys are on good coin and are meant to be out there leading the way.
That comes with a degree of responsibility with your performance each week.
If the teams been terrible for a long time and you don't perform, don't get upset when you get called out for it

Part of the problem I imagine would come from the messaging from Nicks himself. Like we lose close games and he's all glowingly positive "I'm so proud of you guys", I can only imagine he's been telling Brodie all season "Don't worry, your form will turn, just keep putting in the work" and it's just steadily going south until they have to pull the plug and then Brodie feels like he's been sold down the river because we didn't set the standard early on what an acceptable performance was.

His "I'm just trying to help the kids" comments would probably also indicate that he's been told that's part of his role too, and his actual performance is secondary, so feels he's done his job adequately there, so why is everyone so angry?

 

[Schulzycrow]

Uninspiring changes. Murphy, please be the sub.

 

[CrowBloke]

Thanks for posting that. Interesting.

Smithers seems not to realise that his place in the team is (or should be) earned, never assumed. Instead of apologising for playing badly weeks ago, what he could have done was gone to Nicks and said, "Demote me, until i'm playing well enough to have absolutely earned my spot in the AFL side".
That, would have been 'leadership'.

Two ways to deal with the 'hateful' comments on Social Media:
1) easiest, don't read'em. Ignore them. People who post hatefully are not worth anybody's time.
2) harder to do, play better. BE the leader the team needs.

 

[relapse]

Some overrating of Peter Ladhams going on here..

No offence, but you said the same thing last year when I brought up Elijah Hollands as another potential cheap get.

After that you went and talked up a spud like Chris Burgess, saying he was far better than Chol.

Carlton paid about the same for Hollands and what we did for Burgess and it's blatantly obvious which player was the better get out of the two.

 

[1970crow]

Our mids are rubbish even with the hitouts R.O.B provides. They won't get near the ball without him

Oh well, even if we’re a lesser direct out him, it’s great that he’s being held accountable for the crap he’s been serving up this year. Deserved his dropping and another week out.

 

[spenze]

He mentioned the Cartel

 

[relapse]

ROB's averaged 3.0 marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 2.8.

ROB averages 1.5 contested marks across his AFL career, Ladhams 0.6

Are you really trying to compare stats from a ruckman who plays almost 100% game time to a guy who mostly shared the ruck duties and played up forward at both Port and Sydney?

What sort of puddle deep level of analysis is that?

 

[CrowBloke]

We were a very good attacking team last year, but turned defensive over the off-season and lost what we had.

I think Nicks and most, if not all, of the Assistants assumed that we'd be playing Finals.
Strongly defensive sides win Finals <== Nicks believes that, absolutely.
It looked to me in hindsight after the 0-4 start that the focus was on defence, which hindered if not stifled our attacking flair. Big mistake.
It was compounded by Nicks' inflexibility in refusing to make selection changes.

Anyway, good changes. Good to see Nick Murray back. Will be interesting to see how our back line takes shape with the return of Murray and then Worrell. I think the trio of Keane, Butts and Borlase have done well. I'd be tempted to try Murray forward on his return.

Murray is a bruising, hard, crash-pack and intimidating defender and will be our Tex in the backline, for years.
Borlase is the one I'd be playing forward --- he's far better skilled than Burgess and showed some flair last week when forward.
Plus, we need some muscle up there eg compare Himmelberg who looks like a scrawny tall boy next to Borlase who's got the shoulders of a swimmer/wrestler. Even his ears look muscled , he moves well and looks to me a better forward prospect than both Cook and Gollant.
While I'm at it, I've loved what Nankervis has shown.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

ROB's marking has completely deserted him this year. Not sure what's gone wrong. Is the best feature of his game when he's up and going.

His actual ruckwork has been good.

His kicking has always been a weakness but has deteriorated to possibly the worst of any footballer who has ever played the game this year. Amazing that it could get worse from such an unbelievably low base.

And his efforts in link up handball play continue to be disastrous, as always. Why so many of our handball chains go through him is a mystery.

That still photo someone posted of his kicking action... my God. Doc - what have you been doing the last 6 years?

He shouldn't been losing his spot to Strachan but has played badly enough that he is. Needs an absolute rocket. Blight would have gone to town on him

Blighty would never have played such an unskilful player in the first place.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Umpires
Robert O'Gorman (10), Curtis Deboy (11), Nicholas Brown (13), Hayden Gavine (14)

oh goody the Port cheat again

 

[BACCS]

It doesn't help when the coach publicly blames the players. Just leaves them open for abuse.

That was a bizarre interview. I know they edit it, but all he did was blame the players and didn’t take any accountability for the football department.

 

[whattagun07]

Timely reminder that this is our leadership group

 

[CrowBloke]

Watched a doco of how Geelong became a club that no longer accepted mediocrity in 2007.
Essentially each player had to be accountable for their own individual performance.

Have you got a link, please? I'd like to watch that.

I saw a really interesting doco on how Peggy O'Neal turned Richmond around; mighta been this:

Silvers/Roo/Kelly/Nicks could learn a lot from her.

While I despise Hardwick and his grubby tactics, his ability to look inside, make changes within himself that affected the team/players is something I wish Nicks would do.

 

[relapse]

Ladhams is one of the only rucks who might be more infuriating to watch than Rob. One thing about rob is he never has a brainfade like ladhams does where he'll give a free away out of misplaced aggression.

There's definitely some question marks over his attitude and discipline, but I saw enough of him at Port to see that there's definitely a player there.

Again it's only if he happens to be available as a cheap option that costs us next to nothing.

The cupboard is literally bare in terms of ruckman and we could do a hell of a lot worse.

 

[BACCS]

Why is he even reading the comments? Does he normally read social media feedback on team selection?

They also cop it in DMs. Some of the shit sports people cop these days is horrendous, usually due to gamblers having a bad day on the multi.

Anyone should be allowed to have social media without copping outright personal abuse for just doing your job.

 

[Mutineer]

Are you really trying to compare stats from a ruckman who plays almost 100% game time to a guy who mostly shared the ruck duties and played up forward at both Port and Sydney?

What sort of puddle deep level of analysis is that?

If ROB's not the answer then sure as hell Ladhams isn't the answer, not to mention he's an absolute Richard Cranium.

We can do much better than a 26 year old Ruck (27 before a ball is bounced in 2025) that's never going to be a lead ruck in the AFL.

 

[Mutineer]

oh goody the Port cheat again

I thought someone would pick that up...LOL