AFL Autopsy Rnd 7: Loss to the Cats

[84859300]

The concerning part is the lack of effort after 10 days off.

Meh. I saw this week, just like having a bye. Remember all those teams that couldn't win after a 14 day break in their routine.

I think we just had a bit of that in our mindset.

 

[BrunoV]

I can't believe Jade was so confident this is a totally different Geelong team to one we beat the last two times

I don't know how they have this reputation of being paper thin.

Dangerfield, Selwood, Kelly, Duncan, Hawkins and Blicavs are all guns and A graders at least in their positions (Hawkins is still one of the best key forward and Blicavs is now in the top 3 or 4 key defenders).

Ablett (as a forward), Dalhaus (seems to be getting back to his best as a forward) and Tom Stewart are all very arguably A graders in specialist positions (even if they are not renowned stars of the game).

The rest of the team is rock solid and much better balanced. Rohan fits their forward structure perfectly because he's is a leading key target and he's gas so he's a dangerous ground level player. Stanley is playing solid football.

Henry, Kolodjashnij and Parfitt all seem to win more contests than they lose. O'Connor and Clarke add run to their defence which has been lacking in recent years.

They're a young combination. Lost of new players, some guys who have been around a bit longer but have struggled for form and/or with injury. Joel Selwood and Tuohy can be added. It would be a huge mistake to think that they will not get any better.

 

[scottmclaren]

Looking at the ladder, 4th down is noticeable weaker.

We were outworked today but we were win the mix for a while. We won't have any problem with the next 2 weeks.

 

[Squeaky]

I should have Lloyd's job... We are not top 4 material. Haven't been since 2001!
Not even remotely close.

 

[thaibomber]

my 2 cents ...drop langford, give Draper and mynot a go. let Joe sit at center half forward. Belly or Draper resting In the pocket, maybe Francis on the flank...gives us some marking options. We have been hit hard by injuries. i reckon we make the 8.

 

[JDavey]

Cats were great. Our forward line really struggled by not having one of McKernan, Brown, Stewart or Laverde over Francis. We also desperately need Raz.

Thought this was the difference maker.

Some thoughts on players:
- Zaka goes missing again in a loss. Surprise surprise - can't ask effort from your younger players if we roll out tired old vets who can't chase or tackle

- Langford looks slow and is missing something between the ears. Pretty sure the midfield infringement was against him

- Francis has flashes of brilliance mixed with zero percent effort. Hope it can be ironed out because we could use him.

- Ridley forgettable game

Let's not overreact given who we just played. They and GWS are the benchmark.

IN: Myers, Raz, Clarke
OUT: Langford, Francis, Zaka

 

[yodellinhank]

Meh. I saw this week, just like having a bye. Remember all those teams that couldn't win after a 14 day break in their routine.

I think we just had a bit of that in our mindset.

I'll add "long break" to the list. Have we already used "short break' or can i have that ready for next week?

 

[citizen-erased]

Forward line largely ineffectual against the best defence in the league
Midfield outworked and outclassed

Pies and the Cats are the standard. We are a class below at the moment
Need to build some form and confidence going into the bye

Parish was excellent. 3 straight weeks being played, and played in position, has done his confidence a world of good
Time to do the same with Langford and Francis.

Get Francis into defence.
Get Langford onto the HFF.
When Raz is ready, get him in for Bags

And stick with them for a bit. Mistakes will be made. They will have bad games. But they have scope for improvement.

 

[Bombermania]

Geelong deserve to be seen as premiership favorites, defensively they are well drilled and they have the attack to take teams apart and they have overcome a challenging draw to be top of the ladder.

 

[CBombers17]

Geelong deserve to be seen as premiership favorites, defensively they are well drilled and they have the attack to take teams apart and they have overcome a challenging draw to be top of the ladder.

I'd add that they have the pedigree and experience as well. A lot of their list has seen finals (despite not winning many lately) and senior players have gone all the way.

Full credit to them for their list additions and development. They copped quite a lot of flack but have kept at it and are positioned nicely.

 

[citizen-erased]

Geelong deserve to be seen as premiership favorites, defensively they are well drilled and they have the attack to take teams apart and they have overcome a challenging draw to be top of the ladder.

they're winning at the G and beating teams who move the ball quick. this was once their achilles
Now, i can't see a weakness. Stanley isn't a great ruck, but it doesnt matter.
If they had a Grundy, they'd be damn near impossible to stop.

credit to them. its been an example in list building.

 

[Bombermania]

they're winning at the G and beating teams who move the ball quick. this was once their achilles
Now, i can't see a weakness. Stanley isn't a great ruck, but it doesnt matter.
If they had a Grundy, they'd be damn near impossible to stop.

credit to them. its been an example in list building.

The fact they can rest Selwood with no substantial impact tells you how well their mids work, image if we rested Heppell or Merrett.

 

[Shane Heard]

A few people just need to have a cup of tea and a lie down.

Lemon sorbet is nice

 

[Milanista28]

We're on the right track imo, It's being built and the click isn't far away. Keep the faith.

Our comeback story wasn't exclusive to 2017...

 

[Wangawuti]

Systematically beaten on field and in the coaches box by a much better team.

 

[Bombers_95]

We lost this tactically today. I knew that if we bombed long the cats would cut us off all day and thats exactly what happened. This tends to be an issue for us when we pick smaller forward lines with runners we bomb long instead of trying to lower our eyes. If we wanted to bomb it in then we should have picked Draper instead of Francis. Puzzling that Zaharakis spent a lot of time in defence and Parish after dominating the midfield went forward over Langford, who might have played himself out of a career this afternoon. Too many missed tackles and missed kicks, McKenna had a mare but clearly one of our more important players so willing to give him a pass. Walla isn't the same player without Raz, Stringer is leading our BNF. Bellchambers was feasible but honestly cannot wait for the day Draper takes the no.1 spot. Francis competed hard and if he kicked those two set shots its a different game for him.

 

[Shane Heard]

I won’t watch the replay but it’s clear we just couldn’t stick a tackle to save ourselves time and time again.

When lil ‘old’ gaz was shrugging the hips and getting out of tackles with ease early on in the game on numerous occasions, I knew we were in for a tough day.

We just weren’t switched on and quickly became rattled as the goals piled on from Geelong while we could only score from scrambling snaps that were lucky at best.

Onwards and upwards...at least we know from the last two games we can match it if everyone is in tune.

As others have pointed out ...Fantasia is so important to our forward structure.

But today it was the entire team who wilted under the extreme Geelong pressure.

We weren’t smashed..just soundly beaten by a very very disciplined team.

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

Unpopular opinion but Selwood out helps them immensely. They can easily cover his ball winning ability but they gain heaps from his lack of defensive running especially in a game that was all about outside control.

I would agree on a weekly basis but I think there is an element of truth in this in a match up wth you blokes. You've burnt us for pace the last two times we played you.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I’m genuinely surprised how Cats have turned things around this season. Also thought Ablett was gone. Were just too good, even without Selwood and Danger hobbled.

How good was that play by Kelly in first(?) quarter where he got the ball out of middle, ran wrong way and found Atkins with low burner edge of the square.

Anyway, didn’t like Francis being selected up forward but if he kicked his two set shots and ball had bounced right way he could have had three. Led ok a couple of times in the third. That tank though is a problem.

Huge few weeks coming up, capable of being 6-5, 7-4 before the bye.

 

[avignon]

So over Zaharakis...not a club leader. Langford not up to it. Joe...OMG! Our forward line is a rabble. Geelong really showed us a solid game all over...and I don't care about the scores at the end...Geelong miles better, more accomplished.

 

[avignon]

When you are paid to perfom at your maximum for 2 hours a week and earn upwards of 400,000 a year, you don't have bad days! Our footballers are soft in general and don't deserve their wages. What other job can you keep while only working at your best for 2 hours a week occasionally?

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Annoying, but if the opposition today is the best the competition has to offer then anything is possible.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

We won't win a final/grand finals with our current our gameplan.

When the opposistion takes our run away we are nothing.

Coaching staff need to go back to the drawing board.

 

[windyhill]

Raz, we’ll never get a full season out of him. 15-16 tops. Illness, injured whatever. Body not suited to the game. Gifted, body can’t cope.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

When you are paid to perfom at your maximum for 2 hours a week and earn upwards of 400,000 a year, you don't have bad days! Our footballers are soft in general and don't deserve their wages. What other job can you keep while only working at your best for 2 hours a week occasionally?

Every week half of the league loses. That’s sport. You don’t think that half tries to win?