Review Rd 9 vs North Melbourne: Post game discussion

[Mr Ripper]

CD, we have any number of players who have no idea of how to KILL THE BALL on the last line. The malaise has lasted for many a season.

 

[chopperduck]

Very true Ripper, Hanley has stood out to me this year. In most cases he has simply over ran the ball, it's just such a simple thing that he needs to fix up. He has found his attacking flair again the past 2 weeks which is great though.

 

[jackess]

Watching the replay Hanley was really shattered after giving up that last goal. Hopefully he's working on it.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

On the other hand, there were some seriously good smothers made in the last line

 

[blynd_freddie]

I often wonder about coaching guidelines that drill/prioritise defensive pressure into a team – sure I understand the reasoning behind building a team based on these fundamental foundations.
On one hand you have players watching and sweating over opponents more than making the ball the object of play [1st half]
Then in the second it was almost as if Voss had said – win the half with attacking play. Run, spread and create opportunities – use an attacking mindset and let’s see what happens… [2nd half]

At stoppages the ball becomes more the object, sure blocking and defensive setups are not totally neglected but the ball and not the player is our primary focus.

To me, it is almost a confidence thing – the guys have the skills and ability, this is why they have been selected to play at the elite level – maybe it will take another second half of the year, finals out of reach and ‘pressure off’ to see more of what these guys are capable of… , << maybe this should have more a raging red tinge?

 

[Clackers]

I can't understand those posters who lambast the side for their first half performance (rightly so) but then give no consideration of the second half comeback (as if it meant nothing given the first half). Of course we would love to dominate every game we play but if we are to get smashed in the first half I at least like the fact that the players have the intestinal fortitude to not let it turn into a full scale thrashing.

I was curious so I did some research. Below you will see the first half and second half point differentials for each match.

vs Melbourne +4 +37
vs Carton -21 -70
vs Fremantle -11 -18
Suns +8 +57
Geelong -40 +2
Essendon -35 -32
Collingwood -36 -22
GWS +46 +46
Kangaroos -52 +36
TOTAL -137 +36

So as we can see, the only team that has gone on to thrash us in the second half has been Carlton. We have won more second halves than we have lost this season. After the concerns of not running out games last year I actually find this a big positive. The million dollar question of course is how we get the first halves right ...

 

[kylegee28]

Can any regulars of the two's games fill me in about Yeo's kicking?

He definitely look a lively type, however, his kicking on the weekend was far from great. Even when he wasn't under a whole lot of pressure. Almost every kick from him seemed to be a hospital kick.

Was his kicking similar to this in the two's?

P.S. Despite questioning his kicking, I really do reckon we have a player on our hands here. His handballing skills under pressure are absolutely beautiful

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I can't understand those posters who lambast the side for their first half performance (rightly so) but then give no consideration of the second half comeback (as if it meant nothing given the first half). Of course we would love to dominate every game we play but if we are to get smashed in the first half I at least like the fact that the players have the intestinal fortitude to not let it turn into a full scale thrashing.

I was curious so I did some research. Below you will see the first half and second half point differentials for each match.

vs Melbourne +4 +37
vs Carton -21 -70
vs Fremantle -11 -18
Suns +8 +57
Geelong -40 +2
Essendon -35 -32
Collingwood -36 -22
GWS +46 +46
Kangaroos -52 +36
TOTAL -137 +36

So as we can see, the only team that has gone on to thrash us in the second half has been Carlton. We have won more second halves than we have lost this season. After the concerns of not running out games last year I actually find this a big positive. The million dollar question of course is how we get the first halves right ...

Good research. The more telling thing about your stats, in my view, is that the only three games in which we outpointed our opponents in the first half, we won. Funny thing that. Tells you about the importance of starting games well or at least competitively, which we haven't managed to do against any of the better teams and again on Sunday.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I felt like we had a bit more of a game plan on Sunday. We seemed to back our skills a bit more and takes risks when moving the ball. We are moving forward but our skills just let us down. We still really need to figure out what to do with the second ruck because Merrett is better off down back IMO. Clark leaving has really hurt us.

 

[patfullfankezz]

I felt like we had a bit more of a game plan on Sunday. We seemed to back our skills a bit more and takes risks when moving the ball. We are moving forward but our skills just let us down. We still really need to figure out what to do with the second ruck because Merrett is better off down back IMO. Clark leaving has really hurt us.

I wouldn't say Clark leaving, more like Leuey getting hurt.

That's what did us in.

 

[adey115]

Very true Ripper, Hanley has stood out to me this year. In most cases he has simply over ran the ball, it's just such a simple thing that he needs to fix up. He has found his attacking flair again the past 2 weeks which is great though.

Indeed!

Hanley's was a shocker, when he ran over the ball. He was shattered after, and I was disappointed that none of the other blokes went over to drag him to his feet, pat him on the back and tell him to get over it. He needed a bit of team support after it.

But there were others....
North cheer squad end. Lions tackled in front of the point posts, so handballed out into the middle of the goals - easy NM poach for a goal. If you're under pressure you can handball it through for a point.
BL cheer squad end. Three Lions fiddling near the boundary near the point post. Harper for North is on the ground crawling, yet manages to push through, get the ball, and kick the miraculous. He should never have got his hands on it, let alone got enough space to actually put it anywhere near his boot.

Frustrating. We need to be able to kill those situations with relative ease. We didn't - once hapens. Three times means it time for a re-education program.

 

[jackess]

Shuey offered a week with an early plea.

Has anyone seen the incident?

 

[troppo]

I noticed we had the highest losing score of the round. Playing at Etihad certainly helped but also good to see a mix of goal kickers with Brownie only kicking 2 of our 15.

 

[Ceebee]

If we had Leuy we most likely would have won.
He is such a big loss.

 

[JasRulz63]

Shuey offered a week with an early plea.

Has anyone seen the incident?

Swinging punch to Duffield's body behind play, Duffield stayed down for a while, probably explains the medium impact.

 

[Zhesty]

Good to see the boys fight on but it is a really worrying trend that we seem to struggle when the heat is on. The fact that we only seem to do well when the heat is out of the game or it's a non-contest, makes it hard to gauge how good that second half actually was. Any team can look good when their opposition isn't flicked on.

Hard to believe Golby is as inexperienced as he is. He is doing such a great job down back for us.
Yeo was impressive early but was burnt when thrown down deep into defense. Overall he showed some good signs for a player that has so much scope for improvement.
Hanley was solid but is still struggling to get to the form he showed in the second half of last season when I thought he was one of our most important players.
Feel very confident when Drummond has the ball in hand. Love having him back in the team.
Maguire is such a likeable guy so it was sad last season to see him struggling. However, this season he is doing a superb job for us and that puts a big smile on my face.
Rockliff and Redden aren't quite where they were at last season but do we maybe unfairly place such high expectations on such young players?
I wasn't a fan of recruiting Longer and still stand by that but you can't help but love the guy as a competitor. Ever since he got to the club he has impressed me with the way he holds himself, just so mature. Really enjoyed seeing him come in and fly the flag in that scuffle which wouldn't have surprised the reserve watchers. Has the personality and certain aura of a future captain.

 

[Sanchez365]

If we had Leuy we most likely would have won.
He is such a big loss.

I'm wondering what happens to our structure when Luey comes back? Will he play as the solo ruck as Longer has been doing? Or will he move forward and allow Merrett to move back?

I also know the huge amount of want for Merrett to go back, but I'm worried that's going to push Lester out of the team, who i think does a really good job coming out of the backline. Like Golby he seems really composed and just handles pressure really well. If Merrett goes back we have to make a choice between him and Patfull, which would be a very hard call to make.

 

[chopperduck]

Longer will take Merretts spot up forward with Bergs back in the ruck. Merrett going back means one does have to drop out. Lester is most likely, although, he can play forward as well. Patfull has been good this year, would like to see him stay in the back 6

 

[T Rick]

Any assessment of our performance against the Kangaroos needs the following reality check re games played to date:
Yeo (1)
Zorko (3)
Longer (5)
Green (7)
Lester (11)
Bewick (16)
Golby (17)
Cornelius (18)
Hanley (43)
Rockliff (49)
Redden (63)
Polkinghorne (68)
Rich (71)
Such a young list and such high expectations...

 

[luthor]

Any assessment of our performance against the Kangaroos needs the following reality check re games played to date:
Yeo (1)
Zorko (3)
Longer (5)
Green (7)
Lester (11)
Bewick (16)
Golby (17)
Cornelius (18)
Hanley (43)
Rockliff (49)
Redden (63)
Polkinghorne (68)
Rich (71)
Such a young list and such high expectations...

Excellent point.

Add 50 (games) to all of those totals and it gets pretty exciting.

Now all we have to do is keep that group together.

 

[Eons]

Any assessment of our performance against the Kangaroos needs the following reality check re games played to date:
Yeo (1)
Zorko (3)
Longer (5)
Green (7)
Lester (11)
Bewick (16)
Golby (17)
Cornelius (18)
Hanley (43)
Rockliff (49)
Redden (63)
Polkinghorne (68)
Rich (71)
Such a young list and such high expectations...

I agree, we have a young list. Can you do the same for North? Not 100% sure but I think they have a pretty young list too.

 

[whatboutbob]

Any assessment of our performance against the Kangaroos needs the following reality check re games played to date:
Yeo (1)
Zorko (3)
Longer (5)
Green (7)
Lester (11)
Bewick (16)
Golby (17)
Cornelius (18)
Hanley (43)
Rockliff (49)
Redden (63)
Polkinghorne (68)
Rich (71)
Such a young list and such high expectations...

Versus:

Black (2)
Delaney C (4)
Delaney L (15)
MacMillan (22)
Harper (23)
Atley (25)
Garlett (26)
Wright (40)
Cunnington (43)
Bastinac (43)
Greenwood (44)
Ziebell (52)
Adams (53)

The mids (considering that's where we were smashed):

Goldstein - 23yo (65)
Ziebell - 21yo (52)
Harvey - 76yo (332)
Wells - 27yo (179)
Swallow - 25yo (115)
Wright - 21yo (40)

Longer - 19yo (5)
Black - 75yo (304)
Raines - 26yo (88)
Rich - 22yo (71)
Rockliff - 22yo (49)
Hanley - 23yo (43)

 

[Haso]

So some of the boys are a bit out of pocket after the melee. Luke Delaney copped the most though for intigating.

 

[Haso]

Harvey - 76yo (332)

Black - 75yo (304)

Nice one

 

[BuntonRules]

IMO we are all forgetting North v Port. They were always going to come out playing 120%. No team is on top for the whole 100 minutes. 10 minutes in we were 20 points down, & we lost by 16. At least this week we did not capitulate. I am not happy, but I can live with it, considering where we are.One of those games we probably would have won at home.

Can any regulars of the two's games fill me in about Yeo's kicking?

He definitely look a lively type, however, his kicking on the weekend was far from great. Even when he wasn't under a whole lot of pressure. Almost every kick from him seemed to be a hospital kick.

Was his kicking similar to this in the two's?

P.S. Despite questioning his kicking, I really do reckon we have a player on our hands here. His handballing skills under pressure are absolutely beautiful

I thought it was more first game nerves than anything - just threw it on the boot. Will improve muchly with a few games under the belt, IMO.

Good to see Mitch G back up his RS nom with a blinder. We got a gem here. Looks comfortable up the ground too - will develop into a very nice defensive mid.

Billy L got flogged, but in the Long run will benifit. Good to see him start to take a contested mark.

Hanley will always make the odd clanger, due to his background. That said, what he brings more than comensates - gives us so much drive.

As I have said, Polks is not an A grader. Rather see Chinny get to 100 than waste any more games on him, at this stage.

Our feild kicking was 100% on previous efforts. Good stuff.

THe future looks good.