Review Round 2 vs Richmond - The bad, ugly and abysmal

[CrowBloke]

Mathew Nicks has the game-day tactical nous of a brick.

You've inadvertantly insulted all the bricks of the world.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

To get those two we’d have had to trade four first rounders, blow our salary cap, AFL media would be screaming how did we manage to do that and we’d end up get done by the AFL for draft tampering or some other bs.

We don’t get to play by the same rules that the big Vic teams do.

This

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Hallelujah

This is Sydney-speak.

Speaking to the media on Monday ahead of Showdown 53, Dawson said it was up to the more experienced players, including himself, to lift the side.

“Us, as leaders, we need to be better at stepping up in those moments and taking charge of the group,” Dawson said.

“It’s probably myself, Doeds, Smithy down back… and everyone stepping up in their role and having clarity on what they’re doing.

“We’ll work through that stuff and I’m sure we’ll turn it around.”

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Hallelujah

This is Sydney-speak.

How very un-Adelaide like

 

[jackster83]

Watching how easily the opposition have cruised out of centre bounces in our two games, we'd almost be better off putting extra players back and intentionally conceding a free against for a 6-6-6 violation.

 

[kirky]

Did anyone see this on First Crack?


For a full two quarters we controlled the game. We need to do it for longer obviously but there is a base.

The fact Leigh Montagna

Leigh Montagna

Age

40

Ht

178cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.9

5star

K

14.8

5star

HB

9.0

5star

M

4.7

4star

T

4.0

5star

MG

482.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

5.0

1star

K

3.8

2star

HB

1.2

2star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

believes this side once it clicks for 4 quarters will be very dangerous gives me hope.

The issue is can Nicks be the on to deliver.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

How very un-Adelaide like

I wonder if he'll get the captaincy stripped?

 

[Interloperer]

For a full two quarters we controlled the game. We need to do it for longer obviously but there is a base.

two quarters in a stretch. Adelaide were outscored by Richmond in the "Goal rush" at the end of Quarter 2, and the tigers had already recovered to put the game to bed by the end of the cited period.

 

[SellarStardom]

Hallelujah

This is Sydney-speak.

We need leadership in the middle and unfortunately that's not Laird. Need a player that can go in there and at least nullify. That's likely to be Doeds, Dawson or even Fog because we have seen it's not any of Laird, Berry, Soligo or Schoey.

But it comes down to coaching. In the first two rounds it was clinical how the opposition did the same exit time and time again

 

[Bazz_27]

We need leadership in the middle and unfortunately that's not Laird. Need a player that can go in there and at least nullify. That's likely to be Doeds, Dawson or even Fog because we have seen it's not any of Laird, Berry, Soligo or Schoey.

But it comes down to coaching. In the first two rounds it was clinical how the opposition did the same exit time and time again

I'd love to see us rotate Laird & Dawson between defence / midfield. Assuming we don't need Dawson to play tall of course. Means Doedee is the intercept marker and Laird plays on his man (as Doedee seems to be playing on smaller guys this year)

 

[Southerntakeover]

People pretending that controlling a small part of the game against an average Richmond side is somehow impressive are demonstrating just how bad we are.

 

[Crow till I die]

Did anyone see this on First Crack?


For a full two quarters we controlled the game. We need to do it for longer obviously but there is a base.

The fact Leigh Montagna believes this side once it clicks for 4 quarters will be very dangerous gives me hope.

The issue is can Nicks be the on to deliver.

View attachment 1642285

Its the number of easy centre clearances the opposition have had against us in both games that is of huge concern. Most times they just walked the ball out it goes down under no pressure and ends up in a scoring chance. Its the centre square that is the biggest concern. When we win a centre clearance, rarely is it clean and allowing us to provide quality ball going forward - its usually under pressure and hack kick to a 50/50 contest

We need some real clever coaching to overcome our lack of A grade mids compared to the teams we are up against in the square

 

[DangerSloane]

Himmelberg needs to never play again.
Honestly who has he got noods of? He does 1 good thing every 6 weeks and somehow gets a game?

Other side of the coin, Pedlar has to stay for the next 200 games.
Guy is one of the few that looks like he gives a sh!t.

 

[kirky]

two quarters in a stretch. Adelaide were outscored by Richmond in the "Goal rush" at the end of Quarter 2, and the tigers had already recovered to put the game to bed by the end of the cited period.

Say what?

 

[kirky]

People pretending that controlling a small part of the game against an average Richmond side is somehow impressive are demonstrating just how bad we are.

I’m not happy with the first two weeks but if you can’t see what we are capable of then just hand in your membership.

I’ll take Leigh’s knowledge over most posters here any day of the week.

Richmond is average?

 

[kirky]

Its the number of easy centre clearances the opposition have had against us in both games that is of huge concern. Most times they just walked the ball out it goes down under no pressure and ends up in a scoring chance. Its the centre square that is the biggest concern. When we win a centre clearance, rarely is it clean and allowing us to provide quality ball going forward - its usually under pressure and hack kick to a 50/50 contest

We need some real clever coaching to overcome our lack of A grade mids compared to the teams we are up against in the square

Don’t disagree - coaching is a major challenge.

Put Laird back to backlines is a first step and his hack kicks from centre clearances are a sight to behold.

 

[texanmike]

This is 26 years ago, but I remember it well.
After 8 or 10 rounds, my best mate and I were talking about Blighty who seemed to be playing a lot of blokes out-of-position, in some ways like Nicks has been doing, but there are clear differences.
At the time I had a hunch that Blight was doing it so that if a player was injured, or not performing, then he could move the chess pieces (as you said) to fill the gaps. Blight did that brilliantly. Some of the positional changes Blight made were beyond odd (McLeod to half-back mid-way through 1997, Shane Ellen forward in the GF, then back again after he'd kicked a bag etc --- if ever Ellen was a pawn who became King for a day, it was him). They caught oppo teams and Coaches by surprise and they worked.

Nicks does not do that. Nicks could have a sleeve as long as the Adelaide Hills tunnel and there would still not be a trick up it.
Nicks played junior players out-of-position to accommodate rusted-on senior players who cannot be moved out of their tried-and-trusted roles, even when they are not working. Consequence? In and out of the team, the juniors' confidence is crushed while the seniors retain their places undeservedly and go on to play even worse.
Furthermore, look what he's doing with/to Dawson, turning him into a dour defender, crushing his flair and spontaneity as a beautiful two-way running wingman who can deliver beautifully into the I50 as well as kick goals himself when he goes forward. Nicks is forcing Doedee to be a KPD, which he is not. He dropped Butts when we were going in against a tall Richmond forward line, without replacing him with a tall KPD (why not try Keane? Hell, you're gonna lose anyway). He's persevering with Smith and Sloane who both need a kick up their collective arses and rewarding Laird for mega-possessions-without-effect, and on it goes (Blight would have dropped both, by now --- just ask Modra, or Pittman).

We might well ask why Nicks does what he does.
I think it's still a loss-minimisation tactic, so the Crows who are going to lose anyway don't get blown out of the water. Why else play Dawson back? To increase his repertoire or make Dawson a more-flexible player?
Nah.
Dawson plays his best, most effective, most damaging and game-changing footy on a wing with time as a mid.
It's loss-minimisation and job-saving for Nicks at the same time. I know that's a brutal call, but we've seen enough of his strange selections, odd player positioning, goal-runs-against and dead quarters to see through Nicks now.

Blight was a mercurial player; a blend of Russell Ebert and John Platten with a touch of unconventional Akermanis at their best. Blight was not afraid to try something different. 65-70metres out from goal with a kick after the siren to win the game? Hmmm, better try the torp, which sailed through at post-height! This kick has been estimated @ 76-80m. AFTER the siren (no pressure )!


Blight coached (the Crows, anyway) like he played. Intuitively. Instinctively. Unconventionally, and with flair, which brought out the best in his players who were encouraged to play and have fun.
The Crows are gonna have to find another Blight somewhere if they want this group to win a Flag and I fear it's going to take longer than I will ever see .
End of old fart's insomniac rant.

Brilliant post.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I’m not happy with the first two weeks but if you can’t see what we are capable of then just hand in your membership.

I’ll take Leigh’s knowledge over most posters here any day of the week.

Richmond is average?

If all you want to do is parrot television personalities why post? People can just receive their opinions directly from them.

 

[Interloperer]

Say what?

Adelaide really only controlled the 3rd quarter and the first 10 minutes (real time) of the 4th.

 

[Crow till I die]

Laird reveals Nicks’ half-time message that sparked 44-point Crows comeback

“When they’re allowed to play like that they’re pretty hard to stop.”

www.sen.com.au

 

[jackster83]

Laird reveals Nicks’ half-time message that sparked 44-point Crows comeback

“When they’re allowed to play like that they’re pretty hard to stop.”

www.sen.com.au

We turned a 44 point deficit into a 32 point deficit.

Outstanding stuff. Backslaps all round.

 

[jenny61_99]

And listening to him on radio the other week, he genuinely believes he still has a few years left

EVERY footballer says that. None of them want to acknowledge the inevitable.

 

[MsTopG]

So Nicks gives Laird 4.

We are ****ed as a club.

Nicks plays supercoach apparently.

 

[MsTopG]

Hallelujah

This is Sydney-speak.

What if the senior players have consistently been the ones letting the side down. Do you keep flogging a dead horse. Smith? An injured Sloane?

 

[Rags_118]

This is 26 years ago, but I remember it well.
After 8 or 10 rounds, my best mate and I were talking about Blighty who seemed to be playing a lot of blokes out-of-position, in some ways like Nicks has been doing, but there are clear differences.
At the time I had a hunch that Blight was doing it so that if a player was injured, or not performing, then he could move the chess pieces (as you said) to fill the gaps. Blight did that brilliantly. Some of the positional changes Blight made were beyond odd (McLeod to half-back mid-way through 1997, Shane Ellen forward in the GF, then back again after he'd kicked a bag etc --- if ever Ellen was a pawn who became King for a day, it was him). They caught oppo teams and Coaches by surprise and they worked.

Nicks does not do that. Nicks could have a sleeve as long as the Adelaide Hills tunnel and there would still not be a trick up it.
Nicks played junior players out-of-position to accommodate rusted-on senior players who cannot be moved out of their tried-and-trusted roles, even when they are not working. Consequence? In and out of the team, the juniors' confidence is crushed while the seniors retain their places undeservedly and go on to play even worse.
Furthermore, look what he's doing with/to Dawson, turning him into a dour defender, crushing his flair and spontaneity as a beautiful two-way running wingman who can deliver beautifully into the I50 as well as kick goals himself when he goes forward. Nicks is forcing Doedee to be a KPD, which he is not. He dropped Butts when we were going in against a tall Richmond forward line, without replacing him with a tall KPD (why not try Keane? Hell, you're gonna lose anyway). He's persevering with Smith and Sloane who both need a kick up their collective arses and rewarding Laird for mega-possessions-without-effect, and on it goes (Blight would have dropped both, by now --- just ask Modra, or Pittman).

We might well ask why Nicks does what he does.
I think it's still a loss-minimisation tactic, so the Crows who are going to lose anyway don't get blown out of the water. Why else play Dawson back? To increase his repertoire or make Dawson a more-flexible player?
Nah.
Dawson plays his best, most effective, most damaging and game-changing footy on a wing with time as a mid.
It's loss-minimisation and job-saving for Nicks at the same time. I know that's a brutal call, but we've seen enough of his strange selections, odd player positioning, goal-runs-against and dead quarters to see through Nicks now.

Blight was a mercurial player; a blend of Russell Ebert and John Platten with a touch of unconventional Akermanis at their best. Blight was not afraid to try something different. 65-70metres out from goal with a kick after the siren to win the game? Hmmm, better try the torp, which sailed through at post-height! This kick has been estimated @ 76-80m. AFTER the siren (no pressure )!


Blight coached (the Crows, anyway) like he played. Intuitively. Instinctively. Unconventionally, and with flair, which brought out the best in his players who were encouraged to play and have fun.
The Crows are gonna have to find another Blight somewhere if they want this group to win a Flag and I fear it's going to take longer than I will ever see .
End of old fart's insomniac rant.

Might have to also find Bight’s ruck & midfield options as well ….. you could argue we already have our Matt Connell.