Autopsy Some promising signs but Hawks too good

[Adnico26Parker]

Well, IF the VFL practice match went ahead this morning, there might be one or two who get chance for next week?

But knowing our media team, we'll never know if said game was even played...

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

The AFL ladder has us in 2nd place.

At the end of opening round, we can’t fall below 4th.

Great start to the season.

Well, we’re proven performers at coming second

 

[SSwans2011]

Feeling a bit better about how last night went with more time to ruminate on it. A few of the newer guys and players that aren't locks struggled but I think it was senior players down on form or just unfit (Grundy, Paps) that really hurt us.

We know that the unfit duo, Heeney and Rowbottom have far more to offer than what they showed last night.

McCartin is still getting used to the new position, but I thought he looked promising, and 7 marks is a very good sign.

Amartey has evidently improved and was really good. Wicks flourished in his new role, Paton got better as the game went on, Jordon seems to have improved as well.

Sheldrick was disappointing but should improve with more time in the team. I've made my thoughts on Campbell's game and how I didn't think he impacted enough clear but I think we should back him in, and that he certainly could have something to offer up forward if he's able to get more of the football (even 12+ touches a game is enough for him to do a lot of damage).

Players like Florent and Hayward need to be made accountable. Hayward is crucial at his best so I think he should be backed in for a few more weeks, but Cox needs to make it clear that 5 touches from a senior player simply isn't good enough. I think Florent just needs a role change, and should be playing as a forward with maybe the occasional stint in the midfield or on a wing. That's a pretty simple adjustment if Adams is injured.

I can't see Rampe being dropped for a while yet but I think Hamling or Francis would have offered more last night.

I think for such an average performance overall, there's a lot to work with and a lot of scope for improvement. I wouldn't make any major changes next week, but if Grundy and Papley still aren't fit, they shouldn't play.

If that were the case, I'd go Francis/Hamling, Mitchell (sub) and Ladhams in for Grundy, Adams and Papley. Hayward to be instructed to try to shut down Andrews' intercept marking game. Florent spends more time forward. I'd lean towards Hamling over Francis because he could be given a defensive forward role if we're coughing up too many intercept marks - the Lions key forwards aren't particularly threatening anyway.

See how that goes, look at making bigger structural changes if we're still struggling.

 

[SSwans2011]

The AFL ladder has us in 2nd place.

At the end of opening round, we can’t fall below 4th.

Great start to the season.

Geez, worst case scenario of 4th place after a performance that felt far closer to our floor than ceiling?

I could be getting ahead of myself here, but the lid might be off.

 

[rustycrate]

I felt like we also were hard done by for more “play on not [emoji637][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]” kicks that were called a mark [emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]]/[emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]] times prior to this year.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Very artistic.

 

[The King!]

Rampe into the midfield ???

Can he ruck

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I'm starting to think we should return to a 3 tall forward line but one of the talls' primary jobs should be to simply cut-off the most damaging intercept mark from the opposition.

I don't think McLean has the speed to do it. Maybe McCartin could, but his marking is probably too useful. Maybe he's a good option for that role when McDonald returns.

Perhaps Ladhams could do it in the meantime? Gives us a second ruck, he's not a great mark anyway, and he's more mobile than McLean.

It's been a massive problem for us for a few years, especially since we lost Reid, and regardless of whether we've had 2 or 3 tall forwards.

More importantly what did you think of Trump congress speech

 

[The King!]

More importantly what did you think of Trump congress speech

Rather re watch 2014, 22 and 24 on a continual loop

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Rather re watch 2014, 22 and 24 on a continual loop

 

[rustycrate]

Cox has laid down his marker with that first team. Assume Adams is out but everyone else is fit next game:
Plan A: Hanily in, Mitchell sub. Direct swap, don't like it myself, missed opportunity.
Plan B: need at least one more tall. Francis/Hamling in, Florent for Adams, Hanily sub. Better.
Plan C: Plan B but Hanily replaces either Campbell or Corey to sub. Better still. Yes please.
Guys who could have performed better should get another go around after some blunt feedback.
Ignores lack of second ruck

I like the rewarding of good performances IN.
Shit performances OUT. Especially early in the season.
Players might pull their finger out totally.

 

[Ticky009]

 

[The King!]

Teams just drag the Lizard as close to goal as possible , I know we love him kicking in and creating and running at the ball, but I would love to see him try more of an Adam Goodes type midfield role

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

My thoughts there is another Port ish performance coming within the first month that midfield performance terrified me.

We should of been blown away last night

 

[caesar88]

Florent will cop it for that kick and rightfully so, but there were a lot of shit efforts last night, and this was the shittest of them all for me.



I don't know if Tom Papley thinks this counts as "pressure", or if he just wanted to impress Sicily with his interpretive dance steps. But this was emblematic of the exact kind of half-baked version of "defence" that was on display last night.

Oh I'll just reach for the Hawthorn guy's jumper... ahh damn, too far away, oh well.

Should I lunge to smother the Hawthorn guy's kick? Nah I might just hover around him and hope that spooks him.

 

[The King!]

Florent will cop it for that kick and rightfully so, but there were a lot of shit efforts last night, and this was the shittest of them all for me.

View attachment 2243770

I don't know if Tom Papley thinks this counts as "pressure", or if he just wanted to impress Sicily with his interpretive dance steps. But this was emblematic of the exact kind of half-baked version of "defence" that was on display last night.

Oh I'll just reach for the Hawthorn guy's jumper... ahh damn, too far away, oh well.

Should I lunge to smother the Hawthorn guy's kick? Nah I might just hover around him and hope that spooks him.

Papley is keen to do the flashy shit and carry on, without a willingness to do the hard work when it gets tough, it showed his one time as captain. His good attacking stuff is wonderful, but shitful efforts like that are common, he should look at Hanily and learn how to apply pressure on defence.

Grundy had a similar effort in a similar spot when Day just walked past to goal, gave a token ehh like someone leaning in to grab more peas.

 

[caesar88]

Papley is keen to do the flashy shit and carry on, without a willingness to do the hard work when it gets tough, it showed his one time as captain. His good attacking stuff is wonderful, but shitful efforts like that are common, he should look at Hanily and learn how to apply pressure on defence.

Grundy had a similar effort in a similar spot when Day just walked past to goal, gave a token ehh like someone leaning in to grab more peas.

To me that sort of "pressure" is what's typified sides like Essendon and GWS over the journey, and I do not want us to become one of those sides. Once you get that in your team's DNA it is hard to get it out.

You've got an opponent standing like a deer in headlights. That should be the golden ticket for any footy player. Charge in and take them down, win the ball back for yourself and your team. That that wasn't Papley's mentality in that moment says a lot.

What ends up happening? Sicily ends up dishing it off to a teammate who hits another lace-out and they have a shot on goal.

A shot at goal allowed by one of our players simply choosing not to compete.

 

[The King!]

To me that sort of "pressure" is what's typified sides like Essendon and GWS over the journey, and I do not want us to become one of those sides. Once you get that in your team's DNA it is hard to get it out.

You've got an opponent standing like a deer in headlights. That should be the golden ticket for any footy player. Charge in and take them down, win the ball back for yourself and your team. That that wasn't Papley's mentality in that moment says a lot.

What ends up happening? Sicily ends up dishing it off to a teammate who hits another lace-out and they have a shot on goal.

A shot at goal allowed by one of our players simply choosing not to compete.

There are only a couple I trust to stick a tackle mind you, the amount who just fall for a shimmy by an opponent and miss a tackle or just get shrugged aside is baffling to me/

 

[caesar88]

There are only a couple I trust to stick a tackle mind you, the amount who just fall for a shimmy by an opponent and miss a tackle or just get shrugged aside is baffling to me/

I hope it was just an off night in that regard, because Cox emphasised defence a lot over the summer and it felt like our defensive efforts last night were the worst I can remember.

 

[stevie26]

Wish Grundy could take a mark around the ground a la Max Gawn. Got into great position many times only for the ball to slip through his fingers. Would relieve a lot of pressure off our defence. Took one overhead mark iirc.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Wish Grundy could take a mark around the ground a la Max Gawn. Got into great position many times only for the ball to slip through his fingers. Would relieve a lot of pressure off our defence. Took one overhead mark iirc.

Most of the team looked like they had massaged Vaseline into their hands before they ran out, and I mean before the rain.

 

[chads_shoe]

Florent will cop it for that kick and rightfully so, but there were a lot of shit efforts last night, and this was the shittest of them all for me.

View attachment 2243770

I don't know if Tom Papley thinks this counts as "pressure", or if he just wanted to impress Sicily with his interpretive dance steps. But this was emblematic of the exact kind of half-baked version of "defence" that was on display last night.

Oh I'll just reach for the Hawthorn guy's jumper... ahh damn, too far away, oh well.

Should I lunge to smother the Hawthorn guy's kick? Nah I might just hover around him and hope that spooks him.

This is equal to pretending to do a lot of work in front of the boss without actually doing anything. Terrible by Paps, but a few others were doing the same last night.

And it's been a feature of this group for a few years. I don't think it's going to improve and I would say maybe oppo coaches single this out during the week. Just stand back and let the swans blokes expend energy allowing them to come at them in 2s and 3s (as per that clip) and then handball to a teammate who will then find the player further ahead with no defender and off you go for an easy inside 50.

 

[The King!]

Compare Grundys opening rounds last year to this just a simple stats comparison

Night and day

 

[BLOODS FOOTY]

Teams just drag the Lizard as close to goal as possible , I know we love him kicking in and creating and running at the ball, but I would love to see him try more of an Adam Goodes type midfield role

I reckon he would be a weapon on the wing. Errol on one wing (when he’s back and fit enough) and Lizard on the other

 

[strauchanie59]

Wish Grundy could take a mark around the ground a la Max Gawn. Got into great position many times only for the ball to slip through his fingers. Would relieve a lot of pressure off our defence. Took one overhead mark iirc.

Think it was in the third quarter, he had the chance to take a good mark on the O'Reilly wing. But, he ducked his head a little bit expecting contact, dropped it and it ended up going out of bounds.

 

[Bloods86]

Very thoughtful B86 and agree with most of it. I was there at the Randwick end and got a good look at the defence. I might add a little to your comments in order.
I saw a lot of Paton and he was extremely nervous. He lacks physicality and is too easily pushed aside, in contrast to Wicks, who is similar in size. For an experienced defender I was very unimpressed.
I've said about a million times that we need a second KPD. So ditto.
For mine Florent and Hayward both had very poor games. Lots has been said about Florent but I got a good look at Hayward on Sicily. Sicily was laughing at him - with good reason. Hayward made zero impact on him. He is not strong enough in the contest. Sicily just brushed him off. I'm not sure we have a player strong enough to play that role.
Pretty sure Heeney was tagged by Maginness.

Fair enough re: Hayward.

I think Fox on Sicily might have worked, but obviously not available and would have hopefully been put down back from the start or soon after Paton looked unlikely. Paton I thought got better, but might be suited to skinnier types. In any case, he and Wicks are it for small/med defenders until Mills, Cunners and Fox return. Not sure we should debut Leidler yet.