Autopsy Round 1, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Gold Coast

[Doashuey]

Richmond lost their first eight or so games, most by 40+ points, under new coach Hardwick in 2010 and then had a string of wins in the second half of the season (using them as an example as McQualter wants to copy their game style). I was melting last night but I think we best wait until mid season before being overly critical.

Who the **** are you and what have you done with our EP2018?

 

[WCEswift]

Cole had a decent crack yesterday. Was one of our best, although that's not saying a lot.

First quarter, games still on, cole recieves a handball, does a 180 to face gold coasts goal then handballs it to a suns player. ive seen under 5's do less ******ed shit. let alone a 28 y.o premiership player. inexcusable

 

[Matele]

First quarter, games still on, cole recieves a handball, does a 180 to face gold coasts goal then handballs it to a suns player. ive seen under 5's do less ******ed shit. let alone a 28 y.o premiership player. inexcusable

I can’t see a team where both Duggan and Cole are playing.

I’d ship Duggan back snd omit Cole.

 

[Monsterdarlz]

Utterly embarrassing to be an eagles supporter atm. Beaten comfortably in all important facets of the game. Can’t expect anything different if no one can touch the football. First time I’ve worried about the direction of the football club seriously hope I’m wrong but a lot needs to change otherwise mini is just a sacrificial lamb for our incompetence at this stage

 

[amazingjoshy]

So many broken tackles, all over the ground.

That's the key indicator our intensity wasn't up to GC's level.

Thought the boys would come out 100% firing on all cylinders, clearly not.

Expected challenges with new players, new game plan, execution, and the like.

Didn't expect a pretty piss poor effort.

This

Most of us can cop losses these days, but its the complete lack of effort that smacked between the eyes. A new season, new coach, new plan, several new players, but same old not giving a shit

Even at 3qtr time, with the game cooked. It's still the first game of the year, you have one qtr to try to take some positives and win a qtr or put some respectability on the scoreboard. Instead we let GC kick 5-6 goals or whatever it was in a row and get their biggest win ever

It just gets too hard for too many

 

[CountryLad]

If you think a bloke who had 70 taps is only worth a 7 point turn around I have news for you.
That is massively under selling the impact Witts had on the contest, he was enormous.
Having a good ruck wont fix all our mid field woes but it will give them something to build around. At the moment they cant have any confidence that our ruck will get a hand to it let alone have a good idea where it is going. They are caught in 2 minds and haveno idea where to go. Despite being in a better class, GC mids worked knowing with 80-90% certainty where the ball was going. How many times did you see one of them peel out the front of the contest knowing that the other two would win it and draw our 3 mids then pop it over the top and out?
We are pushing shit up hill without a decent ruck, just makes the centre clearance set ups for a young mid brigade more difficult to run with any certainty.

just makes the centre clearance set ups for a young mid brigade more difficult to run with any certainty.

We aren’t that young in there. Graham, Kelly and Duggan. Reid is in his second year and played all of last season as a midfielder so should know some of what’s required.
Would agree that Hutch is seeing its really his first few games in the midfield.

They are caught in 2 minds and haveno idea where to go. Despite being in a better class, GC mids worked knowing with 80-90% certainty where the ball was going.

Caught in two minds to what? Everyone knew that Whits was going to win the ruck yet we failed to rove to him or find a player. We had no plan B or didn’t follow that plan once it was apparent that Flynn wasn’t going to get his hands on it.

At the end of the day our mids were uncompetitive, lacked intensity, out bodied, outworked and absolutely smashed around the contest and yeah if we had Whitts on our side it would’ve made stuff all difference because there midfield turned up and ours didn’t.

Now whether that’s a one off due to a “bad” day or it’s to do with preparation in the preseason and pre game. Whether it’s on the senior players or coaching staff not implementing the right strategies or following plans. That I don’t know and I guess we will find out. Yeah we are short on class in there but we can still be a lot more competitive than that.

Xerri beat English easily in the Nth Dogs game btw 51 hit outs to 25 yet guess what……Dogs by 16 points

Gawn won the hit outs 51-26 yet the Giants won the clearances 48-36 and also won the game by 3 points.

West Coast got beaten badly in the ruck 77-19 and lost the game by 87points…..those extra 20 odd hit outs either way worth the extra 80 points compared to the above teams?

Eagles supporters convincing themselves if we get a good ruck it will be all okay.

 

[FKASC]

Like other's have said, it's the lack of intensity, work-rate and effort that is the worst thing about this group.

You can actually see when they're about to throw in the towel and get steam rolled. They drop their heads, they stop talking to each other and they start playing for themselves, all going for the ball and leaving free opposition player's everywhere.

McQualter has a hell of a job trying to fix that

Noticed this over the last 5 years with this team. As soon as the game’s clearly not going to be played on their terms, they throw in the towel.

I thought it was a Simpson thing, but who knows.

 

[Doashuey]

Caught in two minds to what? Everyone knew that Whits was going to win the ruck yet we failed to rove to him or find a player. We had no plan B or didn’t follow that plan once it was apparent that Flynn wasn’t going to get his hands on it

You realise that just before each CBD that the ruck talks in private to their midfield?
We may know Witts will win it, only their blokes know where he is going to put it.
I stated clearly that the ruck alone wont fix our midfield but pretending the ruck made a goal difference is disingenuous at best.
Just on our developing midfield, our mids are young and/or inexperienced in that HR is 19, Hutch has played 10 games, Duggan has played bugger all midfield and Bakes and Graham are playing their debut for the club and neither played a great deal of midfield at Tigers. Only Kelly was experienced and he CBF.
There may be some mid late 20s guys there but none of them have combined in the midfield and most havent played much of their career in the midfield.
If we had the dominant ruck yesterday we would have lost for sure but those midfielders would have operated with better certa8nty and wouldnt have been as badly thrashed as they were. Probably a 4-5 goal turn around.

 

[CountryLad]

You realise that just before each CBD that the ruck talks in private to their midfield?
We may know Witts will win it, only their blokes know where he is going to put it.
I stated clearly that the ruck alone wont fix our midfield but pretending the ruck made a goal difference is disingenuous at best.
Just on our developing midfield, our mids are young and/or inexperienced in that HR is 19, Hutch has played 10 games, Duggan has played bugger all midfield and Bakes and Graham are playing their debut for the club and neither played a great deal of midfield at Tigers. Only Kelly was experienced and he CBF.
There may be some mid late 20s guys there but none of them have combined in the midfield and most havent played much of their career in the midfield.
If we had the dominant ruck yesterday we would have lost for sure but those midfielders would have operated with better certa8nty and wouldnt have been as badly thrashed as they were. Probably a 4-5 goal turn around.

Mate I’ll side with the greatest of his generation and 4 time premiership coach Leigh Mathews that the importance of a good Ruckman is overrated. Let’s leave it that and agree to disagree with one another with me knowing that Lethal is right .

 

[Doashuey]

Mate I’ll side on the greatest of his generation and 4 time premiership coach Leigh Mathews that the importance of a good Ruckman is overrated. Let’s leave it that and agree to disagree with one another with me knowing that Lethal is right .

Reckon lethal would agree that Witts was worth more than a goal. But if you want to pretend he agrees with you go ahead.

 

[WCEswift]

Lloyd and Bartel both clipping tim kelly is pretty damning

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Sorry Mrs Sumich

Sorry for what? Being on good gear? Good luck to you mate. Whatever gets you through the day.

 

[WCEswift]

Jake Waterman Following a Gold Coast Hiding - Wide World of Sports 6PR

Jake Waterman joined Skeet and Jako in studio to face the music after a poor showing in the season opener against the Suns.

omny.fm

Per jake waterman the players had monday off, to back up their sunday off

 

[footy_basis]

Kelly really showed what he was made of in round 1. He gave his heart and soul.

 

[RookiePick]

Noticed this over the last 5 years with this team. As soon as the game’s clearly not going to be played on their terms, they throw in the towel.

I thought it was a Simpson thing, but who knows.

Mini absolutely needs to smash this shit out of the group at the selection table.

Kelly and Cripps/Hunt should be straight back to the WAFL side this week. The messaging needs to be clear and immediate. If you are a senior player and you dip out on the team values, new game plan, putting your head over the footy....you're gone.

It's probably the first time we are going to find out if:
A) mini has the stones
B) mini has the backing of the board

After that performance on the weekend the players have shown they are not capable of performing a hard reset of their own accord. If that's the case they need to be pushed through the process, even if they kick and scream.

If effort is a negotiable, we are never going anywhere.

 

[footy_basis]

Mini absolutely needs to smash this shit out of the group at the selection table.

Kelly and Cripps/Hunt should be straight back to the WAFL side this week. The messaging needs to be clear and immediate. If you are a senior player and you dip out on the team values, new game plan, putting your head over the footy....you're gone.

It's probably the first time we are going to find out if:
A) mini has the stones
B) mini has the backing of the board

After that performance on the weekend the players have shown they are not capable of performing a hard reset of their own accord. If that's the case they need to be pushed through the process, even if they kick and scream.

If effort is a negotiable, we are never going anywhere.

Kelly must be dropped.

 

[Seadog]

Mini absolutely needs to smash this shit out of the group at the selection table.

Kelly and Cripps/Hunt should be straight back to the WAFL side this week. The messaging needs to be clear and immediate. If you are a senior player and you dip out on the team values, new game plan, putting your head over the footy....you're gone.

It's probably the first time we are going to find out if:
A) mini has the stones
B) mini has the backing of the board

After that performance on the weekend the players have shown they are not capable of performing a hard reset of their own accord. If that's the case they need to be pushed through the process, even if they kick and scream.

If effort is a negotiable, we are never going anywhere.

It's a two way st. There was a fair bit of confusion yesterday about who was supposed to be where and what they were trying to do.
If the players don't trust or respect the coach things will really turn to shit, well it probably can't get shitter but things won't improve.

 

[Astro7]

The team might need a Dewie rev up?

183K views · 19K reactions | We had to bring this CLASSIC back with the season back up and running 😅🏉 #AFL #StewyDewSpray #MakingTheirMark #GoldCoastSuns #Suns #coachsprays | Prime Video Sport AUNZ

We had to bring this CLASSIC back with the season back up and running 😅🏉 #AFL #StewyDewSpray #MakingTheirMark #GoldCoastSuns #Suns #coachsprays.

www.facebook.com

 

[RookiePick]

It's a two way st. There was a fair bit of confusion yesterday about who was supposed to be where and what they were trying to do.
If the players don't trust or respect the coach things will really turn to shit, well it probably can't get shitter but things won't improve.

I understand this, we are trying to execute a new method under AFL pressure but how were Graham, Baker, Gibney, Hough et al able to look like they were busting a gut despite things not going as planned?

There just has to be accountability if we want to improve. A new system, a new set of personalities. It's inevitable that not everyone makes the transition.l

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Let's blow our draft picks on a HBF ruckman

FML it's the midfield stupid

 

[Jed Clampet]

I would move Hough to the middle, he’s a great defender but we need someone in the guys that hates getting beaten. We have no one else to bring in to help improve it.

B: Greggo Edwards Allan
HB: Ginbey McGovern Maric
C: Dewar Hough Hutchinson
HF: Graham Allen Brockman
F: Owies Waterman Ryan
R: Flynn Kelly Baker
I: A Reid Duggan H Reid Hewitt
S: Hunt

What round will Mini’s hair turn grey?

 

[bombard]

Mini absolutely needs to smash this shit out of the group at the selection table.

I get that sentiment and maybe even agree with it, but the question is: with who? Throwing the kids in and watching them get ****ed by the literal premiers doesn't feel like it benefits them or the scoreboard. Meanwhile, whoever you've dropped gets to avoid another hiding and stay at home.

I'm not arguing with you, truly, but I just don't know who you're dropping established senior players for right now. If we were functional, players like Graham would be fringe and the sort of person who you call up and he does a job. But as it happens, he'd be in our first four or five selected based on Sunday.

 

[Vargo hoat]

I’ve spent a lot of today wondering what the score would have been if the Suns midfield group (Witt’s, Rowell, Anderson, & Miller) swapped jumpers with with their eagles counterparts at half time.

The optimist in me suspects it would have been close to a draw, so I’m taking it as a positive that our forward and back lines performed admirably and that the area of the field we know needs fixing made it painfully obvious yesterday.

 

[Boohemian]

One negative - AFL 360 talked about the teams having a "nightmare" start to the season, and we weren't even mentioned out of complete irrelevance.

 

[Dylan82]

Warning: Long post.


The reason why so many are hurt on a visceral level with this match is that however deluded, there was still a small hope that with A.Simpson gone and a new coach in place, that the match-day malaise of the players would magically be corrected, and rainbows and premierships would naturally follow.

That hope is now clearly dead.


A preseason of positive vibes and practice matches against the two weakest opponents in the competition (fielding depleted teams), skirted around the practical reality of the road ahead. Even then, alarming signs were there. Over 100 less uncontested possessions against North suggested issues on the outside from the previous season (ranked last for uncontested possessions; averaging beyond 40 less such possessions than opponents). Just as concerning, despite so many fewer touches of the ball, the team still conceded 16 more turnovers against the Kangaroos. Against teams with superior pressure and clinical execution, such an outcome would ensure the continuity of results similar to the past 3.5 years.


Against Gold Coast, this fear was realised.


Smashed in the contest and destroyed on the outside. Possession was turned over far too regularly in dangerous areas and the Suns capitalised in the way a good opponent should.

Scores from turnovers were 17-90. Both teams were attempting to play turnover-game football. Let that sink in. If anything underscores how complete the demolition was, that does.

As so often happens in first encounters between master and apprentice, D.Hardwick knew exactly how A.McQualter was going to set the Eagles up, knew exactly where the weaknesses would be and how to expose them.

But this goes beyond tactical battles in coaching boxes. Despite shifting things around and trying different setups, A.McQualter’s Eagles could only manage 102 contested possessions – the next lowest for the round was Port Adelaide with 123. Similarly, the total of just 204 effective disposals wasn’t just last of all clubs for the round, but 30 less than the second-worst total of the round (St Kilda).

It was perhaps best summed up during A.Simpson’s commentary, when he highlighted that West Coast were pushing two extras around stoppage to counter the damage being wrought there. He described it, then tailed off abruptly, leaving a pause before another commentator took over. It was as if he was about to say, “It won’t work, I already tried that one”, before catching himself and enjoying his moment of schadenfreude in silence.


Because it was all too familiar. A ruck with the effectiveness of a baked potato, allowed the opposing midfield to setup exceptionally aggressively, whilst at the same time the midfield didn’t seem to take any notice, continuing to work on executing offence, when defensive lockdown was required.

Within a quarter, the gameplan that the entire preseason was built around went out the window as extras were thrown around stoppage to provide additional support. But it ended up like watching an U13s match, where the Eagles all get sucked in towards the ball – except the opposition maintain their width, and once possession comes out it becomes an easy uncontested chain for them and a deep attacking 50 entry.

Once you get to that point, all that is left is to go man-on-man, which is what J.Schofield essentially did during his caretaker period. Problem is, if you have a number of players who remain unaccountable and refuse to run as hard defensively as they do offensively, there will be holes everywhere and things then decay even faster.


Again, none of this is new. The match against Gold Coast marked the 26th occurrence since the bye in 2021 where the club has had 25 or less points at halftime and been down by 30+ points.

That’s 26 times in the last 82 matches – almost a third – where the match as a result is well and truly over with half of it still to play.


And there is no great mystery why – the club has nothing to offer in the midfield.

E.Yeo is 31, T.Kelly will be also before the season ends. Far too much is expected from these players for whom the cliff is rapidly approaching. D.Sheed’s ACL probably ends his career.

J.Graham is a defensive midfielder who has accumulated more than 25 disposals just three times in 132 appearances. L.Duggan is a defender. J.Hunt is a defender. R.Ginbey is a defender. L.Baker at 173cm, is too small to impact in the middle, he is a defender. J.Petruccelle has managed to get over 20 disposals in a match just once in 88 appearances, he will never be a midfielder. Likewise M.Owies, who has only gone beyond 15 disposals once in 73 appearances. All other possible options have played less than 60 matches, most of them less than 30: B.Hough (54), T.Brockman (37), C.Chesser (32), N.Long (27), H.Reid (21), E.Hewett (15), J.Hutchinson (8), T.Dewar (8), H.Johnston (6), C.Hall (3), B.Allen (0), H.Davis (0), L.Grego (0), T.Gross (0).

Is it really any wonder then, looking at the above, why the club struggles to accumulate possession? The damning part is, as we are all too aware, this is not something that just happened overnight – it’s been systemic for years – an indictment upon those who were previously in charge (particularly a former coach who seems to have forgotten his level of responsibility for this calamity):

​

And therein lies the panic that is now dawning among many fans – the last 3.5 years have been endured only for the future to be possibly even bleaker. Just two picks inside the top 10 taken – one is a defender; the other looks like his suitcase is already packed and is just waiting to decide upon which destination to go to. The rebuild, rather than finalising, may be just beginning.



So where to then?


Perhaps the best things about this result are that it happened in Round 1 and it happened with a new coach who has a desire to prove himself.

There remains plenty of time to assess and make changes with a new set of eyes that will be more objective than was seen during the long twilight of the past regime.

A.McQualter will watch the tape, and re-watch, and re-watch it again. He will see the mistakes, the times when efforts and commitment were lacking, the missed tackles, the times when players acted to look after themselves rather than the team. No doubt he will take note. Should he want to make a statement, he’ll use this as an opportunity to drop the hammer down hard for the first time since taking control.

What can we expect? Probably not the changes many will want to see after that embarrassment. The options are few. First off, T.Dewar needs to get the hell out of the backline and be played in the forward half where he excelled during preseason. That’s the easy decision.

J.Hunt simply cannot accumulate enough ball to be on the wing – unless he is in defence he shouldn’t be picked. Even then, it become arguable the R.Maric is a better option there. As for the wing, at the moment J.Graham presents as the superior option.

T.Kelly gets pwned whenever he is up against a 190cm+ bull, it’s always been that way – he doesn’t enjoy being physically beaten about by a larger body and starts to shy away, which has the effect of becoming less and less accountable. N.Anderson smelt blood and ran straight for it. Against the premiers with E.Yeo missing, J.Dunkley will likely be running against T.Kelly – another recipe for disaster. To avoid this matchup, I would be inclined to shift T.Kelly onto the forward flank, and task him to push up towards stoppage rather than N.Long. It also parallels with the way he was played at Geelong, which remain his best seasons.

Which leaves a hole in the middle that needs to be filled. The way I see it there are three options: B.Hough, C.Hall and B.Allan. Each have the size and competitiveness to have a potential impact. I’d be inclined to see what B.Hough can do if thrown on ball, and give B.Allan a start on the wing, moving L.Duggan back into defence where he belongs.


That may be wildly incorrect, but we can all acknowledge that something needs to be done, and additional midfield options that are ready to go need to be found from somewhere if this languishing ship is to be turned around.



As for individuals in the match, I don’t think you can say that anyone won their position in a performance like that. R.Ginbey, B.Hough, and the Richmond arrivals, L.Baker and J.Graham at least looked like they cared out there. T.Cole, aside from one glaring error early-on, was tidier in the face of opposition pressure than the majority of his teammates.



There is gloom in the outlook for sure. But I am confident more impactful changes shall be made in the coming weeks than what have been observed over the past number of years.

Hopefully some of those changes can find diamonds in the rough or catch lightning in a bottle. Hawthorn started 2024 going 0-5 – when things finally do change it can happen rapidly.


Because the alternative is too terrible to think about.




TL;DR – The result should be of no surprise. A.Simpson borked the midfield and now gets to talk about how borked it is. The midfield setup needs to change in order for the club to move forward.