AFL Toast Rnd 1: 6 Point win against Freo

[sameolds33]

Very easy. Such a s**t ground.

My take away from R1 games: Home ground advantage lessened; Fast starting teams will be hard to run down due to shorter game time; Accuracy on goal never more important. If R2 goes ahead (govt recommendation today) we just need to execute better to win.

 

[pazza]

Adrian Dodoro is my toast this week.

To get both Cutler and Townsend across is already delivering.

 

[rumply]

ouch...

 

[Ambrosia]

Cutler genuinely worked two ways hard all day. That's a tick for me.

Beat his direct opponent as well.

 

[eth-dog]

Beat his direct opponent as well.

I honestly don't even remember who it was

 

[FlyingV]

We’re about to go through the season undefeated and people still arnt happy... nice melt guys.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

All those upset about a win, I'm guessing none of you will be watching the replay over the next few months?

 

[yodellinhank]

Ah, well actually, he could train for a while to increase his fitness before starting games. You know that thing most players at other clubs do in that thing called a preseason. Then he will not be so far off the pace.
No don't mind me, I don't know how I come up with these crazy ideas.

Individual>Team=Essendon

 

[JayJ20]

All those upset about a win, I'm guessing none of you will be watching the replay over the next few months?

And we've made it easier for everyone. Just watch the first 3 quarters.

 

[JayJ20]

We’re about to go through the season undefeated and people still arnt happy... nice melt guys.

It still takes us until June to realise that football started. We never learn

 

[Cold Sober]

See ya Woosh, thanks for everything you've done for us. Your family is calling.

 

[ant555]

All you can really say is that without a marking option to get you out of things are going to look ordinary. We played with good intensity and the team defence was good. Problem was a few poor turnovers and being unable to convert the inside 50's because we where so small in the forward half. Fremantle where bound to start defending the ground better at some stage and cut of the options...The upside of footy shutting down is if it returns we will have some tall forwards ready to play.

 

[ant555]

Still no plan b

Because plan B was on the side lines. What did you expect with a midget forward line and virtually no marking targets forward of the footy. It was not a great game but if you look into it a bit deeper you will see what they are doing. Throw two tall forwards into the mix and things are different as you can run plan B and change things up. I am happy with what they want to do with the game plan. Now we just have to add the marking component to it.

 

[citizen-erased]

Because plan B was on the side lines. What did you expect with a midget forward line and virtually no marking targets forward of the footy. It was not a great game but if you look into it a bit deeper you will see what they are doing. Throw two tall forwards into the mix and things are different as you can run plan B and change things up. I am happy with what they want to do with the game plan. Now we just have to add the marking component to it.

True. But i felt we played into Freo's hands by trying to play the same game plan in the 4th when they had it worked out.

Rather than run and gun through the middle, play possession, or play the wings, or flood back on them and block the marking options. Something other than what they were expecting us to do.

Perhaps the lack of onfield leadership (Hepp/Hooker out, Merrett probably feeling out of place barking orders, Hurley's hands full) was a factor.
Langford, McGrath, Parish and much of the backline are all still quite young.
Footy is more about momentum now than it ever was. Once they got a roll on, you could feel it coming that they'd reel us in. We were lucky not to lose that

 

[ant555]

True. But i felt we played into Freo's hands by trying to play the same game plan in the 4th when they had it worked out.

Rather than run and gun through the middle, play possession, or play the wings, or flood back on them and block the marking options. Something other than what they were expecting us to do.

Perhaps the lack of onfield leadership (Hepp/Hooker out, Merrett probably feeling out of place barking orders, Hurley's hands full) was a factor.
Langford, McGrath, Parish and much of the backline are all still quite young.
Footy is more about momentum now than it ever was. Once they got a roll on, you could feel it coming that they'd reel us in. We were lucky not to lose that

It took Freo 3/4 to start defending the ground properly.I knew it would come given their coach was the man who revamped Collgwoods defence in the last two years.
We actually did stop firing through the middle because they did get their zone set up. We where forced to go slow and then kick long where they out marked us in our forward line. There is only so much possession footy you can play before you get pushed into your own back half. The simple fact was / is without anyone forward of the footy to take a contested mark it is hard to hold a side up. They only have to get their defence set and you end up having to go sideways...It is how sides ended up shutting the Hawks down after their dominance and the fact they lost their tall forward options. It is also why the Bulldogs have not gone on with it and in the years since their GF win have tried to get KP forwards.
You can not try something else if you have not got it on the park. I have said for a few years one of our week points was a lack of marking power outside of our defenders. T Bell takes * all marks and our best contested marking player has been McKernan who has missed games and has issues with consistency. They have the right game plan. They just have fine tune the list. You will find Langford and Cutler on the wings will prove to be better marking targets when the opposition KP defenders have to actually man someone up rather than zone off and attack the footy.
Have said it before, the season depended on us keeping up the pressure all game not that it matter now.

 

[citizen-erased]

It took Freo 3/4 to start defending the ground properly.I knew it would come given their coach was the man who revamped Collgwoods defence in the last two years.
We actually did stop firing through the middle because they did get their zone set up. We where forced to go slow and then kick long where they out marked us in our forward line. There is only so much possession footy you can play before you get pushed into your own back half. The simple fact was / is without anyone forward of the footy to take a contested mark it is hard to hold a side up. They only have to get their defence set and you end up having to go sideways...It is how sides ended up shutting the Hawks down after their dominance and the fact they lost their tall forward options. It is also why the Bulldogs have not gone on with it and in the years since their GF win have tried to get KP forwards.
You can not try something else if you have not got it on the park. I have said for a few years one of our week points was a lack of marking power outside of our defenders. T Bell takes fu** all marks and our best contested marking player has been McKernan who has missed games and has issues with consistency. They have the right game plan. They just have fine tune the list. You will find Langford and Cutler on the wings will prove to be better marking targets when the opposition KP defenders have to actually man someone up rather than zone off and attack the footy.
Have said it before, the season depended on us keeping up the pressure all game not that it matter now.

fair points. And you're right. it really doesn't matter now.

I like Langford and Cutler on the wings.
Add McKernan and Daniher to the forward line and i think we structure up quite well.

Back line is solid.
Middle looked good for a long while until the pressure dropped off.
Replace Laverde with Daniher and a small with McKernan and the dynamic changes.

Shame, this might have been a decent year. Still, the risk of Daniher breaking down/not getting on the park now is mitigated.