Review R8: The Good, Bad and the Ugly vs. Carlton

[Coopers]

Really? You do realise the job of a midfielder is more than to accumulate 30 crappy disposals right?

Our midfield mix was so much more dynamic yesterday. Reminded me of the mix and output of early 2023. You know, before Nicks shat the bed and injected Sloane and Crouch back into the mix along with Laird...

That said, we match up extremely well against Carlton. Our uncontested possessions were off the charts, whereas they've been under average the past few weeks. Carlton have no quality outside and had no answer to our spread. Let's see how we match Port and Collingwood mids in the next fortnight.

It was great to see fast ball movement, overlap running, use of angles and quick spread. It's the most dynamic and dangerous we've looked all year. Let's see if Nicks holds his nerve against better opposition.

Crouch was definitely doing that in the first two games of the season. He was one of the reasons we looked good.

That has gone away, didn't know he was that badly injured. Nuts to play him if he is.

 

[feenix67]

Crouch was definitely doing that in the first two games of the season. He was one of the reasons we looked good.

That has gone away, didn't know he was that badly injured. Nuts to play him if he is.

No, he really wasn't. He's been a defensive liability and a stat padder for at least 3 years.

 

[Cromulant]

Really? You do realise the job of a midfielder is more than to accumulate 30 crappy disposals right?

Our midfield mix was so much more dynamic yesterday. Reminded me of the mix and output of early 2023. You know, before Nicks shat the bed and injected Sloane and Crouch back into the mix along with Laird...

That said, we match up extremely well against Carlton. Our uncontested possessions were off the charts, whereas they've been under average the past few weeks. Carlton have no quality outside and had no answer to our spread. Let's see how we match Port and Collingwood mids in the next fortnight.

It was great to see fast ball movement, overlap running, use of angles and quick spread. It's the most dynamic and dangerous we've looked all year. Let's see if Nicks holds his nerve against better opposition.

You've never ever rated Crouch, so your judgement is heavily clouded.

His first 2 rounds were great, admittedly against poor oppo. Any mobility he has, went with the hip. We moved the ball incredibly quickly even with him there

 

[Cromulant]

No, he really wasn't. He's been a defensive liability and a stat padder for at least 3 years.

He wasn't a part of that ??

Please..... love your views in general, but Matt has clearly ran over one of your pets.

 

[1970crow]

That's the frustration for me.
The expectation is we win, the reality is that we generally don't show up when we are expected to win.
I have very little trust in the group.
We are just as likely to get pumped next week.
I now go into every game with zero expectations of how we are likely to perform

I don’t think we’re that difficult to predict. We’re a 5-12 type team that will beat most sides at home but probably will only beat the bottom half away.

 

[dogs105]

This thread would be double the posts by now if we’d lost…

Sack Nicks

 

[Coopers]

Milera went at 91%, Laird at 74% - average across both teams was 70%. So again, not the problem. But burying the lead - as people have done all year - that they’re cutting opposition small forward groups out of the game, and we’ve come up against some pretty good ones.

Probably Milera's best game for the season you'd think.

I wonder if it's no coincidence Hinge was out, as we seemed to get the ball in Milera's hands to distribute when we were moving it slowly out of defence. He did well. Usually it's Hinge that does that.

 

[feenix67]

He wasn't a part of that ??

Please..... love your views in general, but Matt has clearly ran over one of your pets.

Go and have a look at some of my analysis videos from those rounds. Yes, Crouch did what he's good at, but you cannot deny that, even at his absolute best, he's defensively inadequate. There's plenty of examples of that in those analysiseses... analysisees? Analysy? You know what I mean

 

[Coopers]

Dawson hasn't been effective as a forward option previously but he should be. Great overhead and a good kick, except on those days that he's the worst kick in the competition

If we can get him forward on a midfielder that is reasonably shit in the air, he is a marking weapon.
Exploited it yesterday and we should look to keep doing so.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Forgot McGovern played for Carlton until I got home and started watching the replay ..

we dodged a bullet with him

 

[AFC979810]

We are MUCH better this year. Blind bloody Freddy can see it

Nicks first 106 games we had 3 wins by 60+ points (all 3 against hapless bottom 2 teams)

In the first 8 games of 2025 we have 3 60+ point wins (all 3 against middle of the road teams).

 

[GROTTO]

Dawson hasn't been effective as a forward option previously but he should be. Great overhead and a good kick, except on those days that he's the worst kick in the competition

IMO his kicking accuracy is related to where he plays, in the midfield he has to rush his kicks, whereas off half back or up forward he has the luxury of time to execute his kick accurately.

 

[Fuddnuddler]

The Herald Sun’s Glenn Macfarlane knows his Crows

 

[Scorpus]

Nicks first 106 games we had 3 wins by 60+ points (all 3 against hapless bottom 2 teams)

In the first 8 games of 2025 we have 3 60+ point wins (all 3 against middle of the road teams).

Across the first 8 rounds it looks like we are getting better at beating the teams Nicks was already reasonable against, but little to no change against the sides he struggles against

Bigger margins against St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, GWS... basically the same against Geelong, Fremantle, Gold Coast

Are we attaining downhill skier status?

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Across the first 8 rounds it looks like we are getting better at beating the teams Nicks was already reasonable against, but little to no change against the sides he struggles against

Bigger margins against St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, GWS... basically the same against Geelong, Fremantle, Gold Coast

Are we attaining downhill skier status?

Collingwood game is going to be very interesting

Traditionally we have matched up very well but struggle to take the moment when pressure is on to win the game

Our weapons and talls ascendancy seems to worry them but we’ve gotta make the killer blow and also take the umps out of it

Nice for them that they get us the week after a showdown , just another little favour for them

 

[Jeffcrowe]

we dodged a bullet with him

But we were repeatedly told by sanders he was worth a top 5 pick

 

[Cleric]

Soligo's 19 disposals is not bad by any standards.

I actually thought he was ok. Reminded me of Sloane.

 

[Cleric]

But we were repeatedly told by sanders he was worth a top 5 pick

He played better football with us than he has at Carlton. He's a flog, so it was a great move in the end.

 

[Soggy2112]

Good: won contested footy and clearances against a side that’s normally pretty good in that area. Did so without Crouch and while giving Rachele significant midfield time.

Hopefully Nicks sees the lesson there.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

I actually thought he was ok. Reminded me of Sloane.

Thats what I said. I can't believe some posting he is down on form.

 

[Cleric]

Thats what I said. I can't believe some posting he is down on form.

I think its just that he was on fire early on, one of our best and the last couple of games he hasn't been "as good".

 

[CrowBloke]

I hear this a lot: that the good things are Davis and the bad things are Nicks.

I know it's not that cut-and-dried.
Nicks is still a nice bloke, but I'd prefer
--- a Coach with some mongrel (look at the way Clarko stood up for their player that copped THREE games for a falling-forward tackle).
--- a Coach who does not have, or play, favourites when it comes to Selection.
--- a Coach who learns from his mistakes, of which I saw little 2020-2024 inclusive.
What's the difference now? Davis.

But, these days I think coaches work as a team and tend to focus more on the relationships with their players - something that I think Nicks seems to do well, at least from the outside.

Let's go back in time.
When the Crows were 0-4, playing crap football, and a damn-near certainty to NOT play Finals, the people who extended him for 2 years probably went:
"Oh Hell, we're ****ed. What are we gonna do?".
What they did, was put up the barricades, put a protective shield around Nicks and DIG IN, hoping he would justify their appalling, premature decision.
Late last year, they recruited well; I'm loving what Cumming, ANB and especially Peatling have brought in.
They added Davis to the mix.
WHY?
To prop up the losing-est, worst Coach in the Club's History whose appointment and re-appointment are on them.

It's fine to say that our Coaching panel is now working more as a team --- great --- and Nicks appears to be heeding external advice (Davis, maybe some chats with Balmey),
BUT
while the AFC might be a training ground to develop young players and help a team to gel and play good footy,
the AFC is not a training ground for inept, failing Coaches.

Whatever they are paying Davis and Nicks, they could put that together, sack Nicks, and really reward Davis OR some other experienced, tough, exciting Coach who does more on Game Day than sit and watch.

We were paying Nicks to succeed and when he didn't, we needed to get a better Coach. We still do.

It sounds like I blame Nicks entirely but I know he's just earning a (very good) living and wants to keep on doing that. Those that re-signed him are at fault and don't have the decency or sense of responsibility to own it and move on.
If we want a Flag we must get a better Head Coach.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Nicks would be a multi-premiership winning coach if we played Carlton each week

 

[AFC979810]

Across the first 8 rounds it looks like we are getting better at beating the teams Nicks was already reasonable against, but little to no change against the sides he struggles against

Bigger margins against St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, GWS... basically the same against Geelong, Fremantle, Gold Coast

Are we attaining downhill skier status?

Don't think so. At least not in my opinion.

Feel that title fits our little brothers much better.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

I think its just that he was on fire early on, one of our best and the last couple of games he hasn't been "as good".

He has set a high standard for himself. Yesterday he was more than serviceable but also ROB smashed De Konig in ruck and he brought all our midfielders into the match. Soligo played more of a defensive rebounding game.