Review Round 11, 2018 - North Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions

[Len S]

Just analysed the heat maps and disposal counts and I think Keays went on him some time in the third. Kept him to 2 disposals in the fourth.

Keays' is such an easy target on this forum, but I think we need to remember that going from NEAFL all year to AFL and not only have to adjust to the pace of AFL but doing so when the team is getting pantsed is a hard ask for a veteran let alone a third year player. Give him a few weeks and see how he goes. If he doesn't do enough he won't keep his spot and someone will push him out of the side. The kid deserves a chance.

The question arises,why did it take so long to shut down this front runner?Fagan,has a serious issue as a selector, and match day coach.Its an extraordinary achievement to lose every first quarter ,and put us so behind scratch,in every game.The obvious disaster area,is the centre square....Beames should never be there.Anyone who wants to see this now traditional typical, disaster area in all its frozen inaction,should watch last years Richmond game...and its still the same.The handball circus,that inevitably turns it over is also typical....Christensen and co.did that well on Saturday, and why he is in the square god knows.Martin and McInerney,need to be more aggressive ,and vary the hitouts,and we need to find a more aggressive combination. Rayner,Bailey and Bailey/McLuggage may as well ,start,they are the future, and couldn't be worse.Essendon,has a pathetic midfield, so it would be a start to change things this week.I wonder if Hodge could do a few minutes there in the first quarter ,to focus things.The current combinations have been found wanting.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Tell a greedy developer Docklands is heritage listed and then just wait until it mysteriously burns down

 

[scott_the_man]

The North board is in total meltdown mode about Jy Simpkin's 2 game ban. It's an entertaining read.

 

[Stevo7]

A timely reminder

I'll always be ready to jump on this bandwagon.

 

[bungalow_bill]

The North board is in total meltdown mode about Jy Simpkin's 2 game ban. It's an entertaining read.

A few think a call was made at half time to the umpires to prevent it being a 100 point thrashing

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

The question arises,why did it take so long to shut down this front runner?Fagan,has a serious issue as a selector, and match day coach.Its an extraordinary achievement to lose every first quarter ,and put us so behind scratch,in every game.The obvious disaster area,is the centre square....Beames should never be there.Anyone who wants to see this now traditional typical, disaster area in all its frozen inaction,should watch last years Richmond game...and its still the same.The handball circus,that inevitably turns it over is also typical....Christensen and co.did that well on Saturday, and why he is in the square god knows.Martin and McInerney,need to be more aggressive ,and vary the hitouts,and we need to find a more aggressive combination. Rayner,Bailey and Bailey/McLuggage may as well ,start,they are the future, and couldn't be worse.Essendon,has a pathetic midfield, so it would be a start to change things this week.I wonder if Hodge could do a few minutes there in the first quarter ,to focus things.The current combinations have been found wanting.

What about trying Hipwood in the centre?

 

[Scubaveg]

Just analysed the heat maps and disposal counts and I think Keays went on him some time in the third. Kept him to 2 disposals in the fourth.

Keays' is such an easy target on this forum, but I think we need to remember that going from NEAFL all year to AFL and not only have to adjust to the pace of AFL but doing so when the team is getting pantsed is a hard ask for a veteran let alone a third year player. Give him a few weeks and see how he goes. If he doesn't do enough he won't keep his spot and someone will push him out of the side. The kid deserves a chance.

Absolutely, I’m in his corner and have been keen on him getting an extend run. He brings some aggression and a good size body. Play him as an inside mid where he is more natural. Judge him after an extended run in a position that suits him.


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[dlanod]

Yeah he said they made a decision not to tag Higgins in the first half and that it was probably a mistake in hindsight. Sent Keays to him for the second half. Would at the very least have given Keays an education on the running patterns of one of the smartest footballers going around.

I think amongst coaches of young teams, using a tagger is viewed as a negative (a POV which I can understand). A tagger is inherently an exception to a system, so when you're trying to drill zones and structures having one person run around doing their own thing (in effect) can make it more difficult. In a more mature and well-drilled team it's a different story as the team can more easily cover for that missing body.

 

[Cockliff38]

Haven't watched OTC but at the game it looked like Mitch Robbo was trying to get to Cunnington as much as possible too. Perhaps another reason as to why we didn't tag Higgins earlier...

 

[jackess]

In the hawks game we saw Merrett instructing Robbo to go to Mitchell late in the first

 

[lioninthesand]

We criticise players without knowing they just might be doing a job ask for by the coach.....as it turns out Keayes was.

...saw Fages on OTC, how brilliant is this guy?..and how lucky (for once) are we to have him?

Could not ask for a better coach to bring us out of the doldrums. Huge respect for him.

Not sure what Keyes job was in the second quarter. I watched him directly for 20 minutes from level 2, front row behind the goals, he was playing forward and he gave away 2 cheap lazy free kicks, missed about 5 tackles, didn't look to know where to run when the ball was coming forward and had bad body language for the entire quarter. Good to know he stopped Higgins once he took his foot off the gas after half time though.

Kangas clearly had the Perth trip and Geelong next week in mind after half time.

 

[lioninthesand]

Fages was so good one the couch, I am entirely comfortable to give him a full 5 year run at re-building our club. Only thing I think we need (whi I have been calling for since Harvey left) is a serious senior assistant, out coaching ranks are still incredibly inexperienced and thin.

 

[Cockliff38]

Keays, it's Keays

 

[werdna78]

Fages was so good one the couch, I am entirely comfortable to give him a full 5 year run at re-building our club. Only thing I think we need (whi I have been calling for since Harvey left) is a serious senior assistant, out coaching ranks are still incredibly inexperienced and thin.

Is Hodge going to be an assistant and Brisbane when he retires or is going back to Melbourne. Great football brain would be awesome to keep at Brisbane.

 

[MacMum]

Fages was so good one the couch, I am entirely comfortable to give him a full 5 year run at re-building our club..

Agree whole heartedly Not so sure about the coaching part, seems to be working as it is right now.

 

[lioninthesand]

Is Hodge going to be an assistant and Brisbane when he retires or is going back to Melbourne. Great football brain would be awesome to keep at Brisbane.

I agree, hope he stays, it will come down to how much his wife and children have enjoyed being out of Melbourne and in the warmer weather one would think. He will have clubs lining up for his services. Gee - imagine him doping an apprenticeship with us with the view of taking over the reigns somewhere down the track? He reeks of the sort of character type that players would love to play under.

 

[lioninthesand]

I think amongst coaches of young teams, using a tagger is viewed as a negative (a POV which I can understand). A tagger is inherently an exception to a system, so when you're trying to drill zones and structures having one person run around doing their own thing (in effect) can make it more difficult. In a more mature and well-drilled team it's a different story as the team can more easily cover for that missing body.

Yeah I think Fages said this on the couch last night, taggers throw your structures out in other areas, with players trying to go to other players etc.

 

[MacMum]

I agree, hope he stays, it will come down to how much his wife and children have enjoyed being out of Melbourne and in the warmer weather one would think. He will have clubs lining up for his services. Gee - imagine him doping an apprenticeship with us with the view of taking over the reigns somewhere down the track? He reeks of the sort of character type that players would love to play under.

Not sure I go along with your idea there, leads to a lot of angst

 

[jackess]

"We're just lacking composure with the ball and really letting ourselves down," Zorko said.

"With the heat of the game, the boys probably don't realise how much time they do have.

"The opposition pressure is hot early, our pressure is hot early, we just feel like teams are working through that better than what we are at the moment.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-05/the-reason-the-lions-are-011-in-first-quarters-zorko

Zorko's reason for the slow starts.

Not good enough given it's the experienced players just as much as the younger blokes who let us down.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I'm sure Fagan has used taggers (or perhaps more accurately 'run-with players') from time to time, but we don't have anybody of the quality of Jacobs for the role. At the start of the game we either opted not to or didn't think to tag Higgins - perhaps because we had higher priorities. Can't really be critical of that call. But the reality is that when we did tag Higgins in the second half it worked and our performance overall would suggest it didn't hurt us too much structurally.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

"We're just lacking composure with the ball and really letting ourselves down," Zorko said.

"With the heat of the game, the boys probably don't realise how much time they do have.

"The opposition pressure is hot early, our pressure is hot early, we just feel like teams are working through that better than what we are at the moment.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-05/the-reason-the-lions-are-011-in-first-quarters-zorko

Zorko's reason for the slow starts.

Not good enough given it's the experienced players just as much as the younger blokes who let us down.

Our slow starts have been accompanied by some woeful kicking for goal including set shots. Interesting to speculate how many of those starts would have been nipped in the bud if we had kicked goals instead of points. And yes the culprits aren't just the newbies.

 

[jackess]

I'm sure Fagan has used taggers (or perhaps more accurately 'run-with players') from time to time, but we don't have anybody of the quality of Jacobs for the role. At the start of the game we either opted not to or didn't think to tag Higgins - perhaps because we had higher priorities. Can't really be critical of that call. But the reality is that when we did tag Higgins in the second half it worked and our performance overall would suggest it didn't hurt us too much structurally.

Even if he wasn't tagged we shouldn't have allowed Higgins to of had more than twice as many disposals as our best mid in the first half.

 

[jackess]

Our slow starts have been accompanied by some woeful kicking for goal including set shots. Interesting to speculate how many of those starts would have been nipped in the bud if we had kicked goals instead of points. And yes the culprits aren't just the newbies.

It's not just that we're getting smashed on the scoreboard but we're getting smashed all over the ground. North were ahead in clearances 12-3 midway through the first term. If the scoreline had been 3.4.22 to 3.0.18 it wouldn't have changed the fact we'd been smashed all over the ground.

 

[carnthemlions]

I'm sure Fagan has used taggers (or perhaps more accurately 'run-with players') from time to time, but we don't have anybody of the quality of Jacobs for the role. At the start of the game we either opted not to or didn't think to tag Higgins - perhaps because we had higher priorities. Can't really be critical of that call. But the reality is that when we did tag Higgins in the second half it worked and our performance overall would suggest it didn't hurt us too much structurally.

In our position we can't be allowing the opposition's most damaging midfielder to have 40+ every week. I maintain that failing to stop Macrae was the main difference in that game.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

It's not just that we're getting smashed on the scoreboard but we're getting smashed all over the ground. North were ahead in clearances 12-3 midway through the first term. If the scoreline had been 3.4.22 to 3.0.18 it wouldn't have changed the fact we'd been smashed all over the ground.

Maybe not but we would have been in touch. In most of our games we get the stats back to acceptable levels late in games but we are too far behind on the scoreboard to catch up. It's a point made by Fagan in just about every post-match press conference. I agree though that we have more issues to remedy early in games than just our scoring.