Opinion Sliding Doors: If we're to play finals, then...

[frizzle]

Is Dunn a confirmed out? Or is it an assumption?

Assumption with a little injury pessimism thrown in. Can’t catch a break

 

[ClaytonM]

We need to fix these issues.

1. Centre clearances
2. Slow starts
3. Complacency/laziness when a game is won

These three things are killing us. We should be clinical.

Centre clearances - yes. Slow starts - yes. But when the game is won who cares how they play. It is a final. It’s a binary result. Stick it up all they want as long as they win.

 

[TradeDraft]

I made the same list tonight. We are in deep s##t. The injuries are going to bite hard during the next few weeks. Mihocek goes back and we have Cox as the only tall option. When will this injury curse end?

When Bucks goes as we had this Curse since he Took Over

 

[domus]

Assumption with a little injury pessimism thrown in. Can’t catch a break

Given what happened to Treloar when Bucks was so optimistic, Dunn could be gone for the year cause Bucks is concerned .

 

[manicmagpie]

Centre clearances - yes. Slow starts - yes. But when the game is won who cares how they play. It is a final. It’s a binary result. Stick it up all they want as long as they win.

The fact that percentage could turn out to be crucial aside, I love that we’re back to the stage where we complain that our wins aren’t big enough.

 

[Bard]

Yeah fair post. Probably shouldn't have used the F word, I know better than that.

Injuries are also a massive discussion point. As they always are.

But the point of the thread certainly wasn't about that, in fact it probably lends itself to what I was really getting at which is if we want to be a finals bound team we need to fix the issues. The footy we are playing right now is not indicative of a finals winning team. Particularly centre clearances.

We start a lot of centre bounces with Grundy, Pendlebury, Sidebottom and Adams and we lose them at a guess 3:1. How does this happen? Is this Robert Harvey's doing?

Have never really rated Grundy, Sidebottom or Adams for centre clearances. They dominate other stoppages but we really rely on Treloar/Pendles/De Goey for centre square. Hopefully Sier can improve us there.

 

[Apex36]

Assumption with a little injury pessimism thrown in. Can’t catch a break

I reckon Dunn will be ok. He was walking around at the end of the game without even an ice pack on. The club was just being super conservative imo, given he’s our only genuine experienced KPD that’s fit right now. I’ll be pretty surprised if he doesn’t line up next week.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Assumption with a little injury pessimism thrown in. Can’t catch a break

We catch all the breaks

 

[Saintly Viewed]

When Bucks goes as we had this Curse since he Took Over

Straight to the pool room

 

[Ricky90]

Have never really rated Grundy, Sidebottom or Adams for centre clearances. They dominate other stoppages but we really rely on Treloar/Pendles/De Goey for centre square. Hopefully Sier can improve us there.

I'm with you there, but they need to be better all things considered.

I love Crisp where he is, but I recall a stat from a couple of years ago about his influence at centre clearances. We won something like 30% more when he started in the middle. Maybe he's the one? Maybe we could just start forcing a secondary stoppage at each centre clearance? We excel at around the ground stoppages.

Centre clearances - yes. Slow starts - yes. But when the game is won who cares how they play. It is a final. It’s a binary result. Stick it up all they want as long as they win.

It hasn't proven to be a problem yet this year, and if the game really is "won" as I put it, then you're right it won't matter. But we seem to be in two minds (heck even more than two minds on Saturday night). I watched some players play on through the corridor. Others hold the ball up. Others go long down the wing. We were outscored by 20 points from 10 minutes to go in the third quarter to the end of the game, against a team that doesn't score in that final 40 minutes. I'd like to see us continue to play our brand until three quarter time, receive the message from Bucks, and then play a game plan that we're all on board with. Whether that's hold play maintain possession or otherwise.

Maybe I'm being pedantic, but it doesn't seem too much to ask.

 

[Bard]

I'm with you there, but they need to be better all things considered.

I love Crisp where he is, but I recall a stat from a couple of years ago about his influence at centre clearances. We won something like 30% more when he started in the middle. Maybe he's the one? Maybe we could just start forcing a secondary stoppage at each centre clearance? We excel at around the ground stoppages.


It hasn't proven to be a problem yet this year, and if the game really is "won" as I put it, then you're right it won't matter. But we seem to be in two minds (heck even more than two minds on Saturday night). I watched some players play on through the corridor. Others hold the ball up. Others go long down the wing. We were outscored by 20 points from 10 minutes to go in the third quarter to the end of the game, against a team that doesn't score in that final 40 minutes. I'd like to see us continue to play our brand until three quarter time, receive the message from Bucks, and then play a game plan that we're all on board with. Whether that's hold play maintain possession or otherwise.

Maybe I'm being pedantic, but it doesn't seem too much to ask.

The biggest issue with Saturday was probably having no interchanges for 20 minutes in the third.. killed our momentum and would have killed our legs in the fourth. Mind you I missed the game and am only going off of the post game interview

 

[domin8tors]

I would like to see Langdon halve the time between taking possession and disposal

The extra step or two; the unnecessary baulk; the long look back at 45 degrees; the feigned handball before kicking etc all need to go and the fast first option should be selected

yeah agreed he needs to play more to his strengths. his such a good interceptor. but he should then given it off to Howe/ Shaz or Crisp.

 

[domin8tors]

We are no certainty to make finals yet. Don’t count your chickens.

At some stage these injuries are going to bite us hard. We are playing too many players without experience.
We have no choice. It’s been one hell of an effort to get where we are, but if we had not played Carlton & The Suns the last 2 weeks we probably wouldn’t have got the chocolates.

We will be playing the bombers next week without

Elliott
Moore
Reid
Treloar
Wells
Dunne
Fasolo
Varcoe (perhaps)
Aish
Goldy

Lots of talent & experience there.

Instead we have to play too many players with less than 20 games experience.

Finals aren’t done & dusted yet IMO.

I'd almost agree. although you know that we have hit breaking point if Blair comes back into the side.

 

[TradeDraft]

With Dunn gone for the Season I can see us Missing the Finals

 

[Carringbush2010]

I was counting chickens.

Yes I know. But.
I was counting the chickens and my count showed.

We’ve played 14 games with a 10 - 4 scorecard.

Eight games left and basically we have to get 3 chickens of 8; on that the chickens will come home to roost.

(Interruption: what a cracking cracking goal by Argentina.)

Back to the chickens, well make finals but from what position, that I don’t yet bucken know yet

 

[BEEG]

We have a month to get Elliot right