Review Round 5 vs. Brisbane

[Hard Ball Get]

Track him down, ban him for life.

 

[Zgope1]

the second half was ecstasy. we put the clamps on and played friggin epic football.

this game was the best we've done so far this season combating the new ruck rule. we had two rucks do an ok job and a good list of mids to level things up. we'll need the stoppages to be at least a break even next week

 

[MKS70]

I recorded the game to watch later. I was lucky I could fast forward the scrappy first half. I still ended up with a headache by the end of the match. If we are going to beat GWS, we will need to lift for all 4 quarters. I am sure they know that already but the team really needs a lift. I would love to see some players come back from injury asap.

 

[Wetdog]

Not sure if mentioned, but a very good crowd (32k) given we were playing a bottom four interstate team.

 

[Daksian]

Track him down, ban him for life.

Well fwiw that wasn't the drum guy

 

[_Mike_]

Although it could be the case with Bont too - he hasn't quite been his dominant self.

I'll put money on Bont's hip still being sore. I think there's more to it as I can tell from the way he's moving based on personal experience

 

[perro_loco]

Indeed it did but in the end it is and always will be a potato.

...and the potato saves the day in quelling the hunger pangs...

 

[timtamWB]

I'll put money on Bont's hip still being sore. I think there's more to it as I can tell from the way he's moving based on personal experience

That was the end of 2015 though, not the end of last year. Surely it's not still bothering him?

 

[immortalmike]

Ah, well that makes sense. He's nowhere near as influential as he has been in the last couple of years and some had been saying it was because we had changed our game plan or because we were playing more 1-on-1 in defence.

Any idea when it happened? He would have had a normal full pre-season I think.

No idea when it happened. Assume it was from preseason which was interrupted by ankle surgery.

 

[_Mike_]

That was the end of 2015 though, not the end of last year. Surely it's not still bothering him?

It was still troubling him last year to a degree to which it's possible that he's had another flare up. From the way he moves and turns, he leans slightly to one side favoring the healthier hip. Once you've had a hip scrape, they are susceptible to inflammation - lesser degree than knee joints.

 

[True Dog]

I'll put money on Bont's hip still being sore. I think there's more to it as I can tell from the way he's moving based on personal experience

The first time I've seen Bont fumble was round one this year and he's done it every game since, the kid is far from 100% but he's so dam good you just have to play him.... There's 3 or 4 others not right atm.....

 

[Endless]

Yeah, also things like Biggs' dropped sitter that cost us a goal, wasn't a disposal or a free against so I don't think it goes down as a clanger. JJs deliberate out of bounds wasn't bad play, but it goes down as a clanger.

Change in personnel is a little different to structure, but Wood did change a bit. We also had Stringer as a spare for a few minutes before half time. Didn't get that one! Of all players, Stringer is instinctive so it's a risky spare.

Stringer is the perfect spare man when required
His field kicking is sublime
He is very good on the spoil
His instinct and vision get him in the correct places

 

[DelRe]

We were talking about Wood. Although it could be the case with Bont too - he hasn't quite been his dominant self.

Feels like there should be a 3 stooges gag in there.

Hip Wood? No Hip Bont, hipwood plays for the Lions, you're thinking groin wood.

 

[Sharkey66]

The club needs to get out of this "we are the premiers so we are the hunted " mindset we have and realise that we are not the best team in the comp at the moment.
Stop being the hunted and become the hunter again. Thats what served us so well last season and got us the flag.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Stringer is the perfect spare man when required
His field kicking is sublime
He is very good on the spoil
His instinct and vision get him in the correct places

Flying for Mark of the year when he should have stayed grounded while in that role yells me he's not. If he didn't do that stuff, I'd agree.

 

[Endless]

Flying for Mark of the year when he should have stayed grounded while in that role yells me he's not. If he didn't do that stuff, I'd agree.

I missed that one
Saw him go for MOTY at full fwd though

 

[SlimShaddy]

the second half was ecstasy. we put the clamps on and played friggin epic football.

this game was the best we've done so far this season combating the new ruck rule. we had two rucks do an ok job and a good list of mids to level things up. we'll need the stoppages to be at least a break even next week

Not sure why we can't put the clamps on from the first bounce. Since the beginning of last season it's become hit and miss.

Ironically , by getting numbers back and actually defending we had better transitions and more space in our forward line rather than pressing and creating our own congestion.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I'm sure everything has been analysed to the nth degree so just a couple minor points:

• At this point of his career, Murphy is most useful to us as a forward and team selection should work to allow this more frequently
• The above also applies to Suckling
• Adams forward was intriguing and worth further inspection at some point, but should not be repeated until we have another KPD
• Love that McLean is getting more mid time
• Something clearly not right with Bont, his movement is atrocious at the minute
• Stringer working his way into form =
• Loved seeing Stringer motion to everyone to get around Bob as he kicked his goal; really great touch
• Cordy had an amazing second half and was really, really important in the comeback
• Jong is surely the most frustrating player in the entire competition

 

[The Wonder Dog]

I couldn't stand to watch that first half and I was at the game, felt like some of our players were playing like rockstars. Missed tackles, stupid 50 meter penalties, continuously out numbered at contests which Brisbane would break from and go coast to coast, we simply wouldn't work as hard as them. Credit to Brisbane they are a very young team and we didn't show them enough respect and they nearly snatched it from us. Like every other week so far this season our team has looked so SLOW.

I know that's what good teams do..we're 4-1 with a number of players so very out of form so it's not all doom and gloom (since winning the premiership I have an unhealthy need for perfection) but a LOT things need to get better and next week is going to be a big test.

Macrae, Dahlhaus, Picken. 3 of our most consistent this season and 3 players who have been so underrated over their career so far up until now. Loved McLean in the guts, the best kept secret in the AFL. Kicked 2 and had 24 touches.

As it's been mentioned a few times on here brilliant game from Zaine. Props to Roberts and Adams (he has forward craft??) who are only getting better. The funny thing is it's been our lesser players who have stood up in recent weeks as apposed to some of our other 2016 most consistent players. Wood, Libba, Biggs, Smith. Severely out of form. Need them to be better against the Giants.

I'm a fan of Biggs, but should not of been brought back in after one game in the reserves, can we drop him again? I'd like to see Bailey Williams in next week.

Tom Boyd needs to do more. Needs to do more.

Zaine and Toby were the interesting things to come out of the game for me.

I was on level two (usually try for level 1) and it gave me a new perspective on the two mentioned.

Zaine has impressive closing speed for his size, and as others mentioned was consistently good all night. I really like his streak of mongrel as well.

Toby impressed me when he went into the middle, the energy and urgency he demonstrated in a number of centre bounces to make contest after contest was striking.

Looking forward to both these boys continued development.

While we are only just going at present, we are such a young side with a heap of improvement to come. Its a very good time to be alive

 

[doggies ftw]

I get what people are saying that we didn't play that bad if we kicked straight. But isn't that bad football? We were goddamn awful in front of goal, it happens and I could take it if it was uncommon but geez it's every damn week and seems to be getting worse. What's the issue? Something needs to be done.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

I missed that one
Saw him go for MOTY at full fwd though

That was a great leap. The one in the second wasn't mark of the year type but it was a fly where he should have stayed down. Was on the flank on the opposite side of the ground to the bench.

Just an aside, did anyone else notice both teams strongly favour playing that side of the ground? Most of the day was spent either out there or through the middle. Not as much on the coaches box and interchange side of the ground.

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

Observation so far this season, we are so slow in terms of leg speed and that cost us both in attack and defence.
We struggle to stop teams running through the corridor through chains of handballs. We cant keep up with them and as a result cheap goals out the back.

Our defenders always zone off their man, and allow easy marks and possession near the d50.
Im not sure if thats by instruction or laziness.

And in attack because of our lack of leg speed we get closed down way too fast and ruin any chance of an easy shot at goal.

we are 4-1, we shown last year we can match it with the best teams and worst teams

 

[MKS70]

Observation so far this season, we are so slow in terms of leg speed and that cost us both in attack and defence.
We struggle to stop teams running through the corridor through chains of handballs. We cant keep up with them and as a result cheap goals out the back.

Our defenders always zone off their man, and allow easy marks and possession near the d50.
Im not sure if thats by instruction or laziness.

And in attack because of our lack of leg speed we get closed down way too fast and ruin any chance of an easy shot at goal.

we are 4-1, we shown last year we can match it with the best teams and worst teams

Tom Boyd is very slow, pace wise. We are having too many turnovers and not clean at all. It is like the players are waiting for the other team to turn it over and have an easy game. No game is easy and we have to find space and kick goals.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

As much as I'm not denying Zaine played a solid game, I actually think off-the-ball he was responsible for a few of those 1st half over-the-top goals. He looked like he was getting lost a fair bit and his positioning behind the ball at times showed me he was almost confused at having to play the 2nd defender role without one of Morris and Adams back there.

One Adams moved back (obviously) our defence improved by goals per inside 50 and Cordy played an excellent second half, (as did Roberts improving), where Cordy seems like he played better because he was that 3rd defender role.

I think the experiment of taking Adams out of the defence won't last just because Cordy doesn't have the ability to play the 2nd defender role to hold up structures with his inexperience just yet, given that he's played the majority of his games at AFL level as a forward.

 

[Sharkey66]

I get what people are saying that we didn't play that bad if we kicked straight. But isn't that bad football? We were goddamn awful in front of goal, it happens and I could take it if it was uncommon but geez it's every damn week and seems to be getting worse. What's the issue? Something needs to be done.

Gia was asked on 7 game day on Sunday whether we have a specialist goalkicking coach after the had been talking about how Sav Rocca had helped Levi Casboult. His answer was no we don't.