AFL Autopsy Round 16: 25 Point loss to North Melbourne

[yodellinhank]

Not sure I can buy into criticism if the game plan. To be competitive for so much of the game with the personnel available I'd say the plan worked alright.

 

[eth-dog]

Another thing. That brawl was just very unsatisfying, not much action, just one big lump instead of several spot fires of 6-7 players going hard at each other.

 

[Stopher]

To be so comprehensively beaten at the starting point for so many plays throughout the game, yet still end up with the same number of scoring shots as a team with 1000 games more experience (or roughly 2 years more per player) is a really good sign.

 

[Darealrath]

why complain about the free kick count? they were there for Goldstein, he is the best ruck in the comp and he took advantage against the undersized McKernan. we only have ourselves to blame

It was the ones we didn't get that pissed me off moreso than the ones north got. Stanton in the back (x2 or 3), Stanton tripped, Daniher held etc. And that's just the ones in our F50.

 

[Yoda_]

It was the ones we didn't get that pissed me off moreso than the ones north got. Stanton in the back (x2 or 3), Stanton tripped, Daniher held etc. And that's just the ones in our F50.

Wasn't the free kick count like 21 - 9 at 34 time and ended up 22 - 17?

 

[Darealrath]

Wasn't the free kick count like 21 - 9 at 34 time and ended up 22 - 17?

Yep, or very close (might have been 20-9).

 

[yaco55]

1st half was fun to watch. Not so much the 2nd.

Heppell tagged out of the game.
Zerrett's disposal was poor all game.

Limited support. 12 disposals from Howlett not good enough. 22 nothing disposals from Zaka.

Edwards was lively. Got burned a few times when open & free in the fwd 50.

Ashby's decision making & disposal was poor. A little to casual at times.

Too many disappearing acts in the second half.

People saying we are missing half of our best 22 are way off the mark, would be closer to 6.

Even though it was an inexperienced 22 on the park, there is a better balanced inexperienced 22 available for selection.

In the firing line; Ashby, Steinberg (if Carlisle is available), Howlett & Ambrose.

Fact is that Essendon's 22 was the second youngest for Round 15.

 

[MiguelM]

Was pulling my hair out the amount of frees McKernan gave away all at crucial times too.

I suspect our tactic was to crash into Goldstein early in the contest to nullify his height. Unfortunately this meant we gave away too many high frees, so backfired miserably.

Giles has to come in as first ruck. Especially now we are not looking for wins. Could not do any worse IMO.

 

[srobbo]

Giles BOG in two's yesterday. 22dis, 7-8 marks, 6 tackles. Good response big fella, an out of sorts Lobbe awaits.

 

[silk]

One thing that's been frustrating me a lot and I noticed it again last night is how easy it seems for team to go coast to coast on us when we score a behind. Friday night, norf got at least 4 goals by doing this. Our teams needs to get better and quicker at setting up after a behind is scored, and secondly need to work on accuracy. That game could have easily been won with a bit better accuracy. Hooker is playing like a beast up forward, but he is doesn't improve his accuracy he is a liability more than an asset down there.

I also hate the fact that we never seem to spot targets in the forward line or pass to better options. I saw howlett try a long bomb from outside 50 he was never going to get when he could have easily passed to an open Edwards if he was a bit quicker to turn around and pass.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

You look at West Coast when they defend a point kick in there is a real in your face frontal pressuer and closing down space which makes the oposition rush thier kicks or handballs.

Our players dont do that they just jog and man the mark not good enough.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

One thing that's been frustrating me a lot and I noticed it again last night is how easy it seems for team to go coast to coast on us when we score a behind. Friday night, norf got at least 4 goals by doing this. Our teams needs to get better and quicker at setting up after a behind is scored, and secondly need to work on accuracy. That game could have easily been won with a bit better accuracy. Hooker is playing like a beast up forward, but he is doesn't improve his accuracy he is a liability more than an asset down there.

I also hate the fact that we never seem to spot targets in the forward line or pass to better options. I saw howlett try a long bomb from outside 50 he was never going to get when he could have easily passed to an open Edwards if he was a bit quicker to turn around and pass.

Our forwards never get any seperation its always 1v1, 2v1 or 3v1.what makes it even more frustrating we have no crumbing/goal sneaks he can keep the ball in when it hits the deck very frustrating.

 

[60sbomber]

One thing that's been frustrating me a lot and I noticed it again last night is how easy it seems for team to go coast to coast on us when we score a behind. Friday night, norf got at least 4 goals by doing this. Our teams needs to get better and quicker at setting up after a behind is scored, and secondly need to work on accuracy. That game could have easily been won with a bit better accuracy. Hooker is playing like a beast up forward, but he is doesn't improve his accuracy he is a liability more than an asset down there.

I also hate the fact that we never seem to spot targets in the forward line or pass to better options. I saw howlett try a long bomb from outside 50 he was never going to get when he could have easily passed to an open Edwards if he was a bit quicker to turn around and pass.

Agree and agree.
The kick outs at both ends have long been a problem. We kick to ourselves, run 10m, then bomb long to a contest. Other teams frequently get it moving and we end up chasing tail all the way down the ground. Whether it be the zone we use, or the alertness of the players in setting up, it needs to be fixed.
And it is just such a regular issue that we enter 50 with a kick to a contest rather than taking the short option. Kicking 15 to 20m to someone's advantage, is much more effective. The shorter the kick, the less time there is for opposition players to move into the space to intercept. We regularly miss opportunities to do it. Allied to it, is the lack of awareness by those forward of the ball to just push off their man and come back to the ball carrier for a short kick. Joe just never does it. They are the easy kicks and the easy opportunities for a set shot from 40 or so (not that we seem capable of kicking many of those!)

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Agree and agree.
The kick outs at both ends have long been a problem. We kick to ourselves, run 10m, then bomb long to a contest. Other teams frequently get it moving and we end up chasing tail all the way down the ground. Whether it be the zone we use, or the alertness of the players in setting up, it needs to be fixed.
And it is just such a regular issue that we enter 50 with a kick to a contest rather than taking the short option. Kicking 15 to 20m to someone's advantage, is much more effective. The shorter the kick, the less time there is for opposition players to move into the space to intercept. We regularly miss opportunities to do it. Allied to it, is the lack of awareness by those forward of the ball to just push off their man and come back to the ball carrier for a short kick. Joe just never does it. They are the easy kicks and the easy opportunities for a set shot from 40 or so (not that we seem capable of kicking many of those!)

The whole gameplan needs to be scarapped and started all over again in the off season.

 

[DapperJong]

 

[DofA]

Wow - a thread of mass hysteria in patches.

Goldstein - he killed us. plain and simply destroyed us. He is however the number 1 ruckman in the competition at the moment and I'm not sure that Giles would have done any better than McKernan. McKernan has been very good for us since coming in a few weeks ago, has a crack and people want to delist him after being beaten by the number 1 ruckman in the comp. Please...

Steinberg - not his worst game i've seen (final last year would be) but has done nothing to convince me he's a long term option in our backline. Similar to others I would assume he is lucky to be on the list and ASAGA is a main reason why. I do question where is Pears in all of this? His first two years he looked to be a long term full back option but it bemuses me why he can't get a game now. especially considering how poor we've been this year.

Stanton - again amazes me how people love taking pot shots at this bloke. I'm far from a Stanton apologist however I would say he was close to our best friday night.

Memo to the Velvet Sledgehammer - please work your magic on Hooker. If he could kick for goal he would have kicked 4-5 last night and we may have potentially won. His mark on the wing up against 3-4 of them was epic. love the way this bloke just puts in 100% every week.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

North probably would have lost if it weren't for Goldstien kept North in the game in the first half.

 

[Doss]

Yeah but that's almost like saying we'd only have just beaten Sydney by 81 points in 1999 if the Swans didn't let Lloyd kick 13 goals.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

It's why I said probably.

 

[Kakkle]

North probably would have lost if it weren't for Goldstien kept North in the game in the first half.

How do you know?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

How do you know?

I felt every time Essendon had some momentum Goldstien got in the way the bloke was everywhere.