AFL Autopsy Round 19: 5 goal loss to Western Bulldogs

[darrenbewick#8]

Well you either get a W or a L at the end of a match.

Really geez who would have thought???

Not strictly correct ...BTW you can also get a D...just saying there have been a few lately, I understand...

 

[DapperJong]

Duh.

So when it's an L people tend to discuss why it's an L.

 

[Doss]

So when it's an L people tend to discuss why it's an L.

Of course. But there are losses where no real positives can be drawn. Say the Brisbane game.

And then ones where, while disappointing to lose, it's not necessarily all doom and gloom. Hence nuance. See this week, or the Sydney game, for example.

Same goes for wins. Very few negatives come to mind with games like St Kilda, Port or West Coast - great performances. The win against North - said it at the time after the game and this week has borne it out, we got the win but we weren't particularly impressive.

Hence nuance.

 

[darrenbewick#8]

Nope - we'll lose to Adelaide and we'll drop one of the Carlton, Gold Coast or Fremantle games.

yeah nah mate , tipping that doggies loss WILL STING and badly ,we clearly had our chances to win, and threw them away.
For mine we win the last 4 and get to 13 wins with a home final first week at the G

 

[Teflon Dons]

dude, so much.

See the thing is, in a football match almost all the time there's a winner and there's a loser. And the line between the two is a ****ton narrower than people seem to think.

Had we got just one of those last quarter goals, we might have then snagged another, and not had that bit at the end. Result? We win, and everyone on this board talks about how ******* awesome we are.

Footy can be a game of literal inches. That kick that Heppell fired off that went over the head of the receiver by literally a centimetre or two. That's a bit lower, a mark is taken, goal results, we hit the lead.

Yet a few things go wrong and we're s**t, lazy, unskilled, no chance. It's just lol

Always pointing out the obvious like it's a revelation. We're footy fans lance, not robots, there's going to be emotion. All part of it mate sit back and relax for a minute. Everyone knows how close we are, cue the frustration.

 

[DapperJong]

Of course. But there are losses where no real positives can be drawn. Say the Brisbane game.

And then ones where, while disappointing to lose, it's not necessarily all doom and gloom. Hence nuance. See this week, or the Sydney game, for example.

Same goes for wins. Very few negatives come to mind with games like St Kilda, Port or West Coast - great performances. The win against North - said it at the time after the game and this week has borne it out, we got the win but we weren't particularly impressive.

Hence nuance.

I just don't see the point in complaining about people who don't post positives in with the negatives. Really weird thing to worry about.

And I'm sure we're all aware of certain posters' nuances too.

Let people complain if they wanna, that's how some people cope with a loss.

 

[EnolaGay]

I'd agree with this. I can predict them every time.
Kick to a player in a bad position behind the play while giving a taller defender dominant position

Every week without fail

2 of those rushed were probably Hooker's brain-fart play on and kick into Young and when Joe nearly got his boot studs to one in the last quarter after a good spoil in the goal square from Cordy. Both could've easily been goals (the Hooker certainly should have).

 

[yodellinhank]

Of course. But there are losses where no real positives can be drawn. Say the Brisbane game.

And then ones where, while disappointing to lose, it's not necessarily all doom and gloom. Hence nuance. See this week, or the Sydney game, for example.

Same goes for wins. Very few negatives come to mind with games like St Kilda, Port or West Coast - great performances. The win against North - said it at the time after the game and this week has borne it out, we got the win but we weren't particularly impressive.

Hence nuance.

I was fearing a 10 goal blowout loss after our effort against north. Historically we continue to slip after getting by in those unconvincing performances. We didn't need the foot up the arse this time around and i was actually happy with the players effort.

Execution and planning were what cost us against the 'scray.

 

[Doss]

I just don't see the point in complaining about people who don't post positives in with the negatives. Really weird thing to worry about.

And I'm sure we're all aware of certain posters' nuances too.

Let people complain if they wanna, that's how some people cope with a loss.

Yes but by the same token, taking a s**t on any positives drawn out of a loss like that strikes me as pretty strange too.

 

[DapperJong]

Yes but by the same token, taking a s**t on any positives drawn out of a loss like that strikes me as pretty strange too.

Absolutely.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

The L is compunded by the fact that the breaking points were 12 (or 11) point turnarounds, and that those missed goals were painful, not exactly shots from 50 on the boundary. The worst being Hooker's play-on in the goal square. You do that against any opposition and it'll drive you nuts. I was angrier during this game than any other one, including the Carlton one at the start of the year and Sydney because less of it is pure arse, and more of it stems from chronic impatience.

 

[Despair]

This has just been a s**t season to watch. Ive felt uncomfortable and nervous from Rd 3 onwards once I realized how good we can be.

Even when we're 40 points up, I can't sit back and enjoy our boys putting on a clinic. I'm too busy biting my nails wondering how we're gonna screw it up.

Complete opposite of last year where I just enjoyed watching all the new exciting players gain valuable experience and play their hearts out.

 

[Despair]

Now that i've got that off my chest. I must admit that we do play a really attractive style of football. Probably the only redeeming value of this season.

 

[Killer_Mike]

So when it's an L people tend to discuss why it's an L.

My favourite is when you get the W but people still think its a L

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I just don't see the point in complaining about people who don't post positives in with the negatives. Really weird thing to worry about.

And I'm sure we're all aware of certain posters' nuances too.

Let people complain if they wanna, that's how some people cope with a loss.

lol who has said people shouldn't complain? Bit ironic, don't you think, to complain about people you think are complaining about what you post???

Where have I or anyone said people shouldn't be allowed to complain exactly? You are entitled to express your opinion as much as you like, just as I am entitled to express my opinion, which is what I did. And I won't apologise for recognising nuance, or laughing when the same people who say they'll win easily crack the sad's and say how terrible we are when that doesn't eventuate.

Seems like there's only one person here trying to dictate how people should post, and it's you

 

[blitzer]

Now that i've got that off my chest. I must admit that we do play a really attractive style of football. Probably the only redeeming value of this season.

At least our forward line has been exciting this year. If nothing else we will go into next year with a forward line on paper that's been better than anything we've had since the golden days of Lloyd, Lucas and Hird.

 

[Doss]

Now that i've got that off my chest. I must admit that we do play a really attractive style of football. Probably the only redeeming value of this season.

The only one?

Boy, some people are hard to please.

 

[Beerfish]

This has just been a s**t season to watch.

Better than last year.

 

[Killer_Mike]

At least our forward line has been exciting this year. If nothing else we will go into next year with a forward line on paper that's been better than anything we've had since the golden days of Lloyd, Lucas and Hird.

I think that you could argue most of the youngsters have improved as well.

 

[Despair]

Better than last year.

I loved last year. Going into games with no expectations and knowing that we're blooding lots of potentially great players. All wins were bonuses.

 

[Summer Nights]

A few final observations:

- McLean blatantly throwing the ball
- Umpires constantly failing to award us a free kick from Dogs players diving on/dragging in the ball then failing to attempt to dispose
- Some terrible umpiring decisions really hurt us
- Some awful mistakes by some of our players
- Hurley may not be the best stopper in the game but he's the the cleanest with respect to no scragging, holding, pushing, cheating. That's why he's #1 for me. If others refrained from cheating, they be even more exposed. The fact he's considered in the top handful of defenders despite this is unbelievable
- Parish is really coming on
- Merrett was a bit lazy
- Stewart was great
- Loved seeing Daniher kick a bag, including that grab above Bont
- We badly need another central defender to support Hurls and Hartley
- Our defenders understand each other on the ground but not in the air. They really need to work on this with their coach (Harvey), particularly when to spoil and when to palm it down. Gleeson missed a key spoil in the goalsquare, which cost as a goal as Bont crumbed a goal out the back
- Hooker is looking slower. How damn short are his hamstrings?? Can't get full leg extension on the run or kick.
- Our mids were too slow to react off the tap; failed to cover the gaps to the preferred side of the Bulldogs' ruckman
- Merrett (again) - tackling pressure/ strength was off
- Kelly was okay but didn't bring his A game
- Laverde was useless but mainly because his role wasn't natural to him. Didn't know where to run or how to contribute.
- Loved our team's endeavour to take the game on.
- Would've liked to have seen more physical aggression.
- Many things cost us this game. Umpiring was one factor and you're lying (IMO) if you pretend it didn't hurt any momentum we had that could've taken us home (just).

 

[DapperJong]

lol who has said people shouldn't complain? Bit ironic, don't you think, to complain about people you think are complaining about what you post???

Where have I or anyone said people shouldn't be allowed to complain exactly? You are entitled to express your opinion as much as you like, just as I am entitled to express my opinion, which is what I did. And I won't apologise for recognising nuance, or laughing when the same people who say they'll win easily crack the sad's and say how terrible we are when that doesn't eventuate.

Seems like there's only one person here trying to dictate how people should post, and it's you

You post with a lot of authority Lance, and to use phrases like "self flagellating circle jerk" and whatever the wrist slitting one was is a bit superior given what you've just told me.

One person my arse.

 

[JayJ20]

I'm not saying we should be happy losing, or that we shouldn't try and improve.

Just that maybe we shouldn't be cutting our metaphorical wrists over losing a high quality game to the reigning premiers...

The side they fielded wasn't premiership material. They had pretty much their first string forwardline missing. There is a reason why they were bottom 4 for scoring this season yet we conceded 127 points. Their backline was fairly young as well, although we did get the better of their backline. They didn't play the standard of footy that they played last year. They only had 38 tackles for the entire game, so they hardly put pressure on us.

The loss to GWS was a high quality loss IMO. I was okay with that loss. Didn't mind the loss to Richmond as much either as they clearly outplayed us. We were lucky to be in that game.

This loss was much more our doing than Bulldogs. Our kicking and decision making was uncharacteristically terrible, our kicking for goal was uncharacteristically terrible and our midfield were defensively terrible.

We took them on expecting to win a shootout and didn't come in willing to run the other way. We didn't send anyone to run with JJ and he carved us up (like almost every other side has since the bye). Those points to me irk me about this game.

Had we have lost by say 10 points, I'd be less disappointed, but to blow it out to 30 in a close game against a rival for a top 8 spot is very disappointing.

Considering what was at stake and the mindset that we showed up in, it wasn't a good game

 

[Lord Nicholson]

 

[ezard15]

We did have someone on JJ the whole game, he just beat everyone he played on.

What we didn't do is rough him up like everyone else has.

The side they fielded wasn't premiership material. They had pretty much their first string forwardline missing. There is a reason why they were bottom 4 for scoring this season yet we conceded 127 points. Their backline was fairly young as well, although we did get the better of their backline. They didn't play the standard of footy that they played last year. They only had 38 tackles for the entire game, so they hardly put pressure on us.

The loss to GWS was a high quality loss IMO. I was okay with that loss. Didn't mind the loss to Richmond as much either as they clearly outplayed us. We were lucky to be in that game.

This loss was much more our doing than Bulldogs. Our kicking and decision making was uncharacteristically terrible, our kicking for goal was uncharacteristically terrible and our midfield were defensively terrible.

We took them on expecting to win a shootout and didn't come in willing to run the other way. We didn't send anyone to run with JJ and he carved us up (like almost every other side has since the bye). Those points to me irk me about this game.

Had we have lost by say 10 points, I'd be less disappointed, but to blow it out to 30 in a close game against a rival for a top 8 spot is very disappointing.

Considering what was at stake and the mindset that we showed up in, it wasn't a good game