Toast Reality Check.....Round 9

[simpin68]

IT IS ROUND 9

We competed very well against the in form team, our defence was excellent for most of the game our mid field was beaten but much improved, our forwards were exposed as not good enough against the best.

We are improving...we have some areas to work on but we are heading in the right direction.

One or two players wont win the game, calling for blood is a poor excuse.

Give the boys some support, that's what is going to help them win games!

 

[mattys123]

Will we stay second the ladder unless Freo wins by a heap at the SCG (very unlikely) so it isn't "the end of the world".

But I can't blame anyone for being critical of tonight's game, we played the best, and some players were exposed big time.

 

[Didaics]

agreed 2.21 in the 2 second halves v saints and cats, turn that around in our second digs, and see what happens.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

We are a 6 goal better side than Fremantle, but 6 goals worse than Geelong.

If you're happy with that, good for you. I'm not.

 

[ThePheonix]

Seems like we are a long way behind Geelong, I mean they still have Ottens to came in to the team. And I don't know how we can break their defence.

 

[Swanny36]

Seems like we are a long way behind Geelong, I mean they still have Ottens to came in to the team. And I don't know how we can break their defence.

Not the best effort tonight I know, but Geelong couldn't really break our defence either.
We kept Geelong (the highest scoring team in comp) to 12 goals, if we played even a bit better than what we did tonight, anything could have happened.

I thought we were actually going to win when we were dominating in the first 10 or so minutes in the final term.

Our defence was exceptional, and our midfield was pretty poor with the delivery in to our F50.

 

[Shellz]

Geelong had their own troubles breaking through our defense for a lot of the night too!
Midfield is were we lost it.

At least it gives us a bench mark to where we need to be AND the boys don't get too comfortable thinking we are the shit

 

[Optimax]

We are a 6 goal better side than Fremantle, but 6 goals worse than Geelong.

If you're happy with that, good for you. I'm not.

More like ten goal better side then freo in freo and 3 or 4 goals worse then Geelong. Final margin in both flattered them.

At round 9 that's not a bad position to be in, would I prefer to be clear first oh hell yes but it's more important we are clear best in September not round 9

 

[Go_collingwood_]

We are a 6 goal better side than Fremantle, but 6 goals worse than Geelong.

If you're happy with that, good for you. I'm not.

thank god I'm not the only one

 

[Ant85]

We are a 6 goal better side than Fremantle, but 6 goals worse than Geelong.

If you're happy with that, good for you. I'm not.

I view it in the same way.

It was frustrating to watch the game last night.

Geelong's skills were impeccable. They were clean with their disposals, they were calm under pressure, and they had confidence in their teammate's ability to deliver.

We were awful with our disposals, we panicked under pressure, and we lacked confidence in our ability.

For me, that's where it all begins.

 

[ThePheonix]

We were awful with our disposals, we panicked under pressure, and we lacked confidence in our ability.

For me, that's where it all begins.

I have said it before and I say it again ofcourse we panicked under pressure because Geelong had men playing and we had boys, boys panick under pressure(but there are always expections, Beams).

And the men we did have Davis and O'Bree did not stand up.

The concern I have with Collingwood coming into the near future have we got enough big men to take the top teams on?

 

[Kirby]

I view it in the same way.

It was frustrating to watch the game last night.

Geelong's skills were impeccable. They were clean with their disposals, they were calm under pressure, and they had confidence in their teammate's ability to deliver.

We were awful with our disposals, we panicked under pressure, and we lacked confidence in our ability.

For me, that's where it all begins.

I have to agree with this. We lacked composure at vital times last night.

 

[Nesian]

Let's not take anything away from Geelong, they are a great side and their premiership status experience showed. We have in many respects a still young and developing team, who will only benefit from losses such as these. Yes it is a worry that there a considerable question marks over players such as Davis and Obree, but I am now confident with our depth that we do not have to have these players in the side. We got younger players knocking on the door that should now be given their opportunity while players like davis, fraser etc are given the opportunity to regain form and focus and force their way back in. Round 9, still a lot of footy to happen and we still got a way to improve.

Come next time I think our boys will rise to the challenge knowing what these games expect of them.

 

[Medders_7]

I don't think our forwards or defence are to blame, it was poor entry inside 50, and poor decision making from a lot of seasoned players who cost us in the end. But that was just a small part of the blame, at the end of the day bad goal kicking is bad football, we had an opportnity early in the 3rd term to really pull away from Geelong, and again in the fourth we had a chance to bring the game back to level terms, but we failed to capitlaise. Oh well, it's round 9, we are 7 & 2, bring on the Lions!

 

[didaka]

It's pretty simple to see where the difference lies.

We line up down the field with Dawes, Cloke, Reid and Brown compared with Mooney, Pods (who has an old head), Taylor and Scarlett.

Our youngest was Sidebottom, their youngest was Selwood. Look at the body difference there.

Our coaching staff has taken the direction of playing these younger players and getting experience into them. We're not going to get better as a side without playing these blokes and we'll be better for it.

The gap has closed a little, and it will keep closing. There is a lot more improvement in our side than there's, but if you think we going to improve so much to beat a side that creamed us in last years finals in 9 rounds of footy, then you're mistaken.

There's a lot of water to go under the bridge this year, but I think with the experience these young players are getting, in a side winning games, is going to hold us in real good stead. Maybe as early as this year, probably more likely next year.

We will win a premiership with this group IMO.

 

[ThePheonix]

but I am now confident with our depth that we do not have to have these players in the side. We got younger players knocking on the door that should now be given their opportunity.

Come next time I think our boys will rise to the challenge knowing what these games expect of them.

Though I hope you are right, I don't believe young players are the answer to win a premiership in a year or 2. Geelong did not put all its egg in 1 basket and rely on future talents, they got Podsiadly. Which to me shows that having a young team is not always a good thing.

I think we need more recruits like Jolly or Ball if we are to win a GF in the near future. Also I like to say we have got very good young talented players, just need acouple more experienced stronger bodies to support them.

 

[Snag Breac]

We gave them a hard time, but in the end Geelong made our players lose their composure and then their self-belief. They lost confidence with every turn-over, every free kick they gave away, every failure to take a mark, every time we were forced out to the boundary; and as we lost ground, they grew in confidence and just started playing even better.

It was a bitter, bitter lesson for our boys, which will be a useful learning tool. The game also raised questions re selection which are better dealt with now than later in the year.

We'll have to regroup hard and fast if we want to make up the deficit between us and the greatest team of all.

 

[Angelus512]

I feel confident that we will win a premiership with this group within the next 3 seasons including this one.
I think its entirely possible we could win the flag at the end of this year but that more heavily depends on "luck" than talent at this stage unfortunately. We have the talent thats clear but not necessarily the mental discipline and consistency teams like the cats or the saints do *as yet*, but that will come. By the end of the year? Maybe. Within the next 1-2 after, definitely.

All other teams far as I can see looking at their lists, nobody else will peak when we will peak except perhaps Carlton but thats unlikely. So premierships to my mind are highly likely.

Everything was fine, the 6 goal blowout is not a reflection of the majority of the match. I felt 5 minutes into the game we would lose probably. Cats were just cleaner than us, more level headed and could handle the pressure.
Some of our players can handle it, some can't. Its an experience thing and for others it may be something they can never handle and they need to be moved on.

Not going to suggest who those players might be as for many its early days in their careers. But for mine as on another thread Leon Davis needs to be put to VFL level for 2-3 weeks easily.
He just needs to find his form.

 

[Pie_fan92]

A very bitter loss and it is a huge reality check but at least we have closed the gap. Its still early days but i think we will meet them in the grandfinal. The cats are the benchmark but i believe we are able to knock them off next time.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

The other reason Geelong won is because their players did not pull out of physical clashes like several of ours did in the first half. You could see then that Geelong were going to win the hard balls ahead of us. Didak, Toovey, Davis and even Cloke all shied at a potential clash of heads, and the Geelong player had a clear run at the ball as a result.

McCarthy might have something to offer later in the year, and he is courageous. Barham looked impressive in the VFL last week against ordinary opposition. Presti will give us more stability down back. Keefe is not that far away from offering us another KPB option, maybe releasing Reid to the forward line. And Blight is probably a year away from ousting Toovey from his position.

Thomas and Sinclair could provide some grunt and speed to our midfield and Young and Hunter look to be very promising backline players.

Guys like Anthony and Macaffer hover around the fringes of success, but make you wonder if they have that next step in them.

Davis and Didak continue to disappoint in the biggest games. A couple of players, like Dawes and Sidebottom, seemed unable to perform in the heat of the battle.

It is hard to say what will happen from here. Only the premiership truly matters, and we just don't seem up to winning the cup this year. A lot will depend on how we are performing in August. We still have time to shuffle the cards and deal ourselves a new hand.

 

[daics_35]

We can win the flag this year and the cats are not better then us by 6 goals. IMO we have a few players that cant play under preasure i think they are Macaffer, Wellingham and Davis. Macaffer is a good kick at goal he kick 10 goal two years ago in the VFL which means he isnt a bad kick but i dont think he can at afl level. So for next week i think our out should be Davis, Macaffer and Reid and Ins Medhurst,Lockeyer and Prestigiacombo.

 

[Angelus512]

Wellingham? Come on....