Player Watch Reilly O'Brien - Re-Signed to End of 2028

[George CantStandYa]

Definitely.

But we also lost the clearances in the majority of our wins against top sides. It’s not a new thing so I’m not sure where the idea that he’s had this big drop off post re-signing that is costing us has come from.

We’ve been smashed in clearances in two of those games and his opponent has scored 10 votes in the last 2 games and we are ranked last for clearances in the last month, maybe from there

 

[Soggy2112]

We’ve been smashed in clearances in two of those games and his opponent has scored 10 votes in the last 2 games and we are ranked last for clearances in the last month, maybe from there

But we have been a poor clearance team all year?

Also, ROB comfortably won the hit outs against Cameron. He got smashed around the ground, but attributing the loss at clearance to him there feels harsh.

 

[George CantStandYa]

But we have been a poor clearance team all year?

Also, ROB comfortably won the hit outs against Cameron. He got smashed around the ground, but attributing the loss at clearance to him there feels harsh.

Have we been ranked 18th all year?

In both games the opposing ruckman had 7 clearances, ROB 2. He may have won the taps against Cameron but they clearly sucked.

Irrespective getting smashed in clearances is one area ROB sucked at in the last 2 games, it’s his around the ground work too. Clearly he’s just sucked and was smashed by his opponent. Are you arguing the opposite? If not, no point going on about it.

 

[AFC979810]

We gave up 71 inside 50s because of those clearances, we can’t expect our defence to withstand that barrage.

Clearances are not a concern for me. We haven't needed to win the clearances all year to win matches.

In the match we gave up 71 inside 50's it wasn't clearances that hurt us. Collingwood scored 2.3 from stoppages. Collingwood scored 6.5 from turnovers. (we scored 5.2 from stoppage and 4.3 from turnovers).

We are 18th clearances over the last month.

We are 4-0 over the past month with two of those wins against top 8 sides.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Clearances are not a concern for me. We haven't needed to win the clearances all year to win matches.

In the match we gave up 71 inside 50's it wasn't clearances that hurt us. Collingwood scored 2.3 from stoppages. Collingwood scored 6.5 from turnovers. (we scored 5.2 from stoppage and 4.3 from turnovers).



We are 4-0 over the past month with two of those wins against top 8 sides.

We are extremely efficient. Which is scaring everyone. We maybe losing the clearances but our team defence is working brilliantly. Then when we move it forward we are able to score at an unbelievable rate. You have to hand it too all the coaching staff. They have made this board look foolish. Well some of us...ok me. but thats not hard.

 

[1970crow]

But we have been a poor clearance team all year?

Also, ROB comfortably won the hit outs against Cameron. He got smashed around the ground, but attributing the loss at clearance to him there feels harsh.

Have we though? For a fair part of the year we’d won beaten our opponents in clearances more often than not, last 7 rounds we’re 2-5. And it’s not Crouch either, we’re 3-3 in games with him. Absolutely it’s not the be all and end all in terms of winning the midfield battle, but we have definitely been getting beaten more often in the last 3rd of the season.

1-0 Saints +4
1-1 Bombers -1
2-1 North +3
3-1 Suns +11
3-2 Cats -3
4-2 Giants +13
4-3 Freo -8
5-3 Blues +8
5-4 Port -27
6-4 Pies +10
7-4 Eagles +10
7-5 Swans -13
7-6 Lions -19
8-6 Hawks +5
8-7 Tigers -7
9-7 Dees +6
9-8 Dogs -8
9-9 Suns -1
10-9Port +7
10-10 Hawks -9
11-10 Eagles +11
11-11 Pies -14
11-12 Roos -21

 

[BRL121]

Have we though? For a fair part of the year we’d won beaten our opponents in clearances more often than not, last 7 rounds we’re 2-5. And it’s not Crouch either, we’re 3-3 in games with him. Absolutely it’s not the be all and end all in terms of winning the midfield battle, but we have definitely been getting beaten more often in the last 3rd of the season.

1-0 Saints +4
1-1 Bombers -1
2-1 North +3
3-1 Suns +11
3-2 Cats -3
4-2 Giants +13
4-3 Freo -8
5-3 Blues +8
5-4 Port -27
6-4 Pies +10
7-4 Eagles +10
7-5 Swans -13
7-6 Lions -19
8-6 Hawks +5
8-7 Tigers -7
9-7 Dees +6
9-8 Dogs -8
9-9 Suns -1
10-9Port +7
10-10 Hawks -9
11-10 Eagles +11
11-11 Pies -14
11-12 Roos -21

It's interesting that all the big clearance losses (except the last round) coincide with the nailbiting manically defensive games where we held on to the line. It's a matter of cause and effect, perhaps. Were we losing mass clearances because we
thought we needed to be manically defensive, or were we manically defensive because we were losing mass clearances?

 

[hugecannon]

The quality of the clearance is the biggest issues for me.

Theses aren’t hack kicks forward under pressure that allow our defenders to intercept and then attack from that.

It feels like the last few weeks the opposition have been able to really cut through the midfield with far less pressure.

This isn’t sustainable against teams with quality forwards.

 

[Soggy2112]

Have we though? For a fair part of the year we’d won beaten our opponents in clearances more often than not, last 7 rounds we’re 2-5. And it’s not Crouch either, we’re 3-3 in games with him. Absolutely it’s not the be all and end all in terms of winning the midfield battle, but we have definitely been getting beaten more often in the last 3rd of the season.

1-0 Saints +4
1-1 Bombers -1
2-1 North +3
3-1 Suns +11
3-2 Cats -3
4-2 Giants +13
4-3 Freo -8
5-3 Blues +8
5-4 Port -27
6-4 Pies +10
7-4 Eagles +10
7-5 Swans -13
7-6 Lions -19
8-6 Hawks +5
8-7 Tigers -7
9-7 Dees +6
9-8 Dogs -8
9-9 Suns -1
10-9Port +7
10-10 Hawks -9
11-10 Eagles +11
11-11 Pies -14
11-12 Roos -21

I bolded the games against top 9 opponents as I feel they are the most relevant.

Overall, we are 6-5 in those games. When we win clearance we are 1-3. When we lose clearance we are 5-2.

It’s a small sample size, but from that I think we can take that when we play our best footy, simply winning the clearance is a lower priority.

As you point out, post bye we have seen a drop off in the plain clearance numbers, but we’re also 9-0. We can also see a bit of a link between us becoming worse in clearance, but better as a defensive unit.

This leads me to think that the clearance numbers are more to do with the way we are setting up, than the impact of one player.

Have we been ranked 18th all year?

In both games the opposing ruckman had 7 clearances, ROB 2. He may have won the taps against Cameron but they clearly sucked.

Irrespective getting smashed in clearances is one area ROB sucked at in the last 2 games, it’s his around the ground work too. Clearly he’s just sucked and was smashed by his opponent. Are you arguing the opposite? If not, no point going on about it.

My point was that the original claim that we’re losing clearances is because of ROB, is IMO invalid (see above). I’m not arguing that ROB was beaten the last two weeks, however, Cameron will beat most rucks around the ground, and Xerri when he’s on is capable of bullying the very best rucks.

It’s been suggested that he has been beaten because he’s switched off after signing his contract which I think is really unfair. I thought he had a great game against Hawthorn and helped us over the line, and that game was after he re-signed as well.

It's interesting that all the big clearance losses (except the last round) coincide with the nailbiting manically defensive games where we held on to the line. It's a matter of cause and effect, perhaps. Were we losing mass clearances because we
thought we needed to be manically defensive, or were we manically defensive because we were losing mass clearances?

I don’t think you can say it is one or the other.

I will say against Collingwood, while we lost the clearances, I don’t recall us conceding too many clearances out the front or a whole lot of clean ball movement out of the stoppage from the Pies. That’s kind of the trend across a number of teams this year, where teams are less focused on just winning the clearance, and more focused on being set up will to win that first contest after the clearance.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The quality of the clearance is the biggest issues for me.

Theses aren’t hack kicks forward under pressure that allow our defenders to intercept and then attack from that.

It feels like the last few weeks the opposition have been able to really cut through the midfield with far less pressure.

This isn’t sustainable against teams with quality forwards.

Agreed

Posted elsewhere that it feels like we've been winning games the hard way recently.

Great that we can do it of course, but we need to make things a fraction easier for ourselves. Have been bailed out by elite defending and efficiency going forward.

Only need to break even (or lose by a manageable amount) and I think we can beat anyone in this finals series, home or away.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I bolded the games against top 9 opponents as I feel they are the most relevant.

Overall, we are 6-5 in those games. When we win clearance we are 1-3. When we lose clearance we are 5-2.

It’s a small sample size, but from that I think we can take that when we play our best footy, simply winning the clearance is a lower priority.

As you point out, post bye we have seen a drop off in the plain clearance numbers, but we’re also 9-0. We can also see a bit of a link between us becoming worse in clearance, but better as a defensive unit.

This leads me to think that the clearance numbers are more to do with the way we are setting up, than the impact of one player.




My point was that the original claim that we’re losing clearances is because of ROB, is IMO invalid (see above). I’m not arguing that ROB was beaten the last two weeks, however, Cameron will beat most rucks around the ground, and Xerri when he’s on is capable of bullying the very best rucks.

It’s been suggested that he has been beaten because he’s switched off after signing his contract which I think is really unfair. I thought he had a great game against Hawthorn and helped us over the line, and that game was after he re-signed as well.




I don’t think you can say it is one or the other.

I will say against Collingwood, while we lost the clearances, I don’t recall us conceding too many clearances out the front or a whole lot of clean ball movement out of the stoppage from the Pies. That’s kind of the trend across a number of teams this year, where teams are less focused on just winning the clearance, and more focused on being set up will to win that first contest after the clearance.

So rucks don’t impact clearances, even when the opposing ruck is getting 7 a game, right.

And throw in being smashed around the ground, so what is ROB actually bringing?

 

[skam85]

And throw in being smashed around the ground, so what is ROB actually bringing?

Good vibes

 

[Soggy2112]

So rucks don’t impact clearances, even when the opposing ruck is getting 7 a game, right.

And throw in being smashed around the ground, so what is ROB actually bringing?

As I said, I think the lower clearance numbers is in large part a system thing, and for the most part, that system is working. If we had Gawn rucking it might be slightly better but I still think we’d be getting beaten in that area.

It hurt us against North, but IMO, it was more the fact that we were conceding a lot of clearances out the front of stoppage and allowing clean exits.

Against the Pies I think our forward set up, with a player behind the ball and Murphy tagging was a bigger factor in why we struggled to gain territory.

Cameron beat ROB around the ground, and I’d like to see an improvement from him there. However attributing this to him signing a new contract, when he played really well against the Hawks, also after that contract was signed.

ROB is fine, hopefully he’ll lift but he’s not as bigger problem as you’re making him out to be.

 

[George CantStandYa]

As I said, I think the lower clearance numbers is in large part a system thing, and for the most part, that system is working. If we had Gawn rucking it might be slightly better but I still think we’d be getting beaten in that area.

It hurt us against North, but IMO, it was more the fact that we were conceding a lot of clearances out the front of stoppage and allowing clean exits.

Against the Pies I think our forward set up, with a player behind the ball and Murphy tagging was a bigger factor in why we struggled to gain territory.

Cameron beat ROB around the ground, and I’d like to see an improvement from him there. However attributing this to him signing a new contract, when he played really well against the Hawks, also after that contract was signed.

ROB is fine, hopefully he’ll lift but he’s not as bigger problem as you’re making him out to be.

Are you actually reading what you’re writing? The ruck taps the ball to our mids to win clearances, that’s literally his job and to contribute around the ground.

Clearances are a concern, every football commentator is saying so just like Nicks has.

We are now playing finals and cannot win 3 possibly 4 finals against the top teams losing clearances, eventually one of these sides will get you.

And again I repeat we are ranked 18th for clearances in the last month, the worst in the competition.

 

[AFC979810]

Are you actually reading what you’re writing? The ruck taps the ball to our mids to win clearances, that’s literally his job and to contribute around the ground.

Clearances are a concern, every football commentator is saying so just like Nicks has.

We are now playing finals and cannot win 3 possibly 4 finals against the top teams losing clearances, eventually one of these sides will get you.

And again I repeat we are ranked 18th for clearances in the last month, the worst in the competition.

Really glad we addressed this tonight. O'Brien wins the hitouts and we win the clearances. Wait..........

 

[George CantStandYa]

Really glad we addressed this tonight. O'Brien wins the hitouts and we win the clearances. Wait..........

Imagine if we didn’t win the clearances…..

 

[AFC979810]

Imagine if we didn’t win the clearances…..

You mean like two weeks ago when we lost the clearances 52-38 and won? Would have been catastrophic.

 

[WeeBlake]

Really glad we addressed this tonight. O'Brien wins the hitouts and we win the clearances. Wait..........

We won the clearances on the stats sheet but it was clear their midfield killed us. Not sure how much of that is ROBs fault tho.

 

[Mutineer]

Imagine if we didn’t win the clearances…..

How many clearances did Darcy Cameron get tonight?

 

[pjcrows]

Won't win a premiership with this guy there. Simple.

I'm not blaming anything on him - he just has massive limitations.

 

[George CantStandYa]

You mean like two weeks ago when we lost the clearances 52-38 and won? Would have been catastrophic.

So you’re saying the way the Pies played tonight, if they also won the clearances we wouldn’t have been smashed?

 

[AFC979810]

Won't win a premiership with this guy there. Simple.

I'm not blaming anything on him - he just has massive limitations.

ROB?

 

[George CantStandYa]

How many clearances did Darcy Cameron get tonight?

0 compared to 2. I’ll take Cameron’s goal though.

 

[Swan97]

ROB?

Nah David Pittman

 

[moogerfooger]

ROB's form certainly seems to have gone to shit since 1) he signed a new contract and 2) he learned we were still chasing Draper.