The 3/4 Game

[CrowMagnum]

We're on a roll ATM and playing great footy, but winning hides a multitude of sins as they say, and even today after the first fabulous term against the Roos I said to myself " Wonder when our bad quarter is going to be this week, perhaps the second term".

This has been an ongoing problem almost since the Crows inception and despite the radical changes in game plans etc, will just not go away. We usually play well, very well or even fabulously well for 3 quarters but rarely for 4. It isn't mattering much on the scoreboard right now because when we play well we really play well, but in tight games and in finals it will matter. Why? I don't know. A challenge for the coaching staff.

 

[just maybe]

Definitely. Today's second quarter was truly awful, it's one of the worst quarters of football I've seen played by the Crows in many a year. It was difficult to watch, the skills were amateur and we could barely touch the ball for fear of coughing it up.

Definitely work to be done.

 

[Adam BK]

We're on a roll ATM and playing great footy, but winning hides a multitude of sins as they say, and even today after the first fabulous term against the Roos I said to myself " Wonder when our bad quarter is going to be this week, perhaps the second term".

This has been an ongoing problem almost since the Crows inception and despite the radical changes in game plans etc, will just not go away. We usually play well, very well or even fabulously well for 3 quarters but rarely for 4. It isn't mattering much on the scoreboard right now because when we play well we really play well, but in tight games and in finals it will matter. Why? I don't know. A challenge for the coaching staff.

I said the exact same thing to myself. Will be interesting in the next 3 rounds if a similiar pattern follows.

 

[Eggzoi]

I was actually kinda dissapointed in 3/4 of the game today. Apart from the first 1/4 I never really felt like the Crows had a decent run on. We kicked just under half the score for the entire match in 1/4 of the game.
Although the second was truely horrible.

 

[macca23]

It's a bit of a problem, but probably an inescapable one.

An old coach of mine used to always say that every team will have one good quarter for a game. The trick is to be ready for it and mimimize it when it happens.

The Kangaroos were always going to come really hard at us for at least one quarter. We just didn't handle it as well as we might have in that 2nd quarter.

The good thing is that Craigy is well aware of that as per his comments in the post-match press interview.

Just another thing for him to work on. He'll work it out with the boys.

 

[Stiffy_18]

I think it has a fair bit to do with opposition playing man on man. When that happens we seem to not handle it all that well. We definetly need to work on this aspect of our game. There is still 15 games to work on it.

 

[macca23]

I think it has a fair bit to do with opposition playing man on man. When that happens we seem to not handle it all that well. We definetly need to work on this aspect of our game. There is still 15 games to work on it.

That's also correct.

Port did it in the 2nd quarter last week which threw our game on its ear at the time.

St Kilda did that to defeat us in the finals last year.

Interestingly though, the lesser teams struggle to maintain the intensity to maintain that type of game on us.

As you say, to win a flag we will have to improve in the way we handle the one on one attention.

 

[Stiffy_18]

That's also correct.

Port did it in the 2nd quarter last week which threw our game on its ear at the time.

St Kilda did that to defeat us in the finals last year.

Interestingly though, the lesser teams struggle to maintain the intensity to maintain that type of game on us.

As you say, to win a flag we will have to improve in the way we handle the one on one attention.

This tendancy to struggle with man on man football is my major concern for us this year. As you say lesser clubs can't sustain it for four quarters but in finals there is no lesser clubs.

 

[FCAGJAT]

I was actually kinda dissapointed in 3/4 of the game today. Apart from the first 1/4 I never really felt like the Crows had a decent run on. We kicked just under half the score for the entire match in 1/4 of the game.
Although the second was truely horrible.

It seemed that way because we couldn't have performed any better than the first qtr. Yes the 2nd qtr was absolutely horrendous with us fumbling and not hitting our targets and our clearances were woeful. However our skills were perfect and sublime in the first and it was the extreme dream start that any team would hope for. We just couldnt match the quality of play in the qtrs following the first.

 

[CrowMagnum]

It's a bit of a problem, but probably an inescapable one.

An old coach of mine used to always say that every team will have one good quarter for a game. The trick is to be ready for it and mimimize it when it happens.

The Kangaroos were always going to come really hard at us for at least one quarter. We just didn't handle it as well as we might have in that 2nd quarter.

The good thing is that Craigy is well aware of that as per his comments in the post-match press interview.

Just another thing for him to work on. He'll work it out with the boys.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big supporter of Craig but doesn't "oops, I forgot to tell the boys the Roos will probably try a bit harder in the 2nd term" sound a bit comical. And why would he need to anyway, surely seasoned footballers should be able to work that out for themselves.

 

[bigman]

I think it has a fair bit to do with opposition playing man on man. When that happens we seem to not handle it all that well. We definetly need to work on this aspect of our game. There is still 15 games to work on it.

Our next best test Stiffy!!!!

 

[AdelaideFan]

It's a bit of a problem, but probably an inescapable one.

An old coach of mine used to always say that every team will have one good quarter for a game. The trick is to be ready for it and mimimize it when it happens.

The Kangaroos were always going to come really hard at us for at least one quarter. We just didn't handle it as well as we might have in that 2nd quarter.

The good thing is that Craigy is well aware of that as per his comments in the post-match press interview.

Just another thing for him to work on. He'll work it out with the boys.

Agree with this. It seems that in most games at AFL level no matter who is playing it will be hard for a team to dominate for all 4 quarters of a game. It might only be half a quarter the opposition gets on top but it will no doubt happen at some point during the game.

Laidley obviously picked up how we were dominating so much. Made the neccesary changes to his structure and fired the roos up and they came out a won a quarter. As per stiffies post telling them to man up made an immediate impact on the game. Plus they seemed to start moving the ball a lot faster out of defence and not wandering into our trap.

 

[RogerRabbit69]

I know this will seem like convenient timing .... but I've always thought the second quarter is an interesting time in the match.

The respective coaches have time to re-assess things at quarter-time and change match-ups, strategies, etc after watching how the teams have played for a quarter.

I reckon if you win the second quarter after a dominant first quarter, most times a very, very big win is on the cards.

 

[CrowMagnum]

Agree with this. It seems that in most games at AFL level no matter who is playing it will be hard for a team to dominate for all 4 quarters of a game. It might only be half a quarter the opposition gets on top but it will no doubt happen at some point during the game.

Laidley obviously picked up how we were dominating so much. Made the neccesary changes to his structure and fired the roos up and they came out a won a quarter. As per stiffies post telling them to man up made an immediate impact on the game. Plus they seemed to start moving the ball a lot faster out of defence and not wandering into our trap.

Wouldn't expect us to dominate 4 quarters, that's a rare event for any team. The problem is when we have a bad quarter we often don't get close to breaking even.

The Roos had 113 (64k, 49h) possessions to our 60 (40k, 20h) in the 2nd quarter, and some of ours were the uncontested tempo football possessions that pad up your total. They dominated us, and we're lucky it wasn't against a top team who could keep it up after half time.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big supporter of Craig but doesn't "oops, I forgot to tell the boys the Roos will probably try a bit harder in the 2nd term" sound a bit comical. And why would he need to anyway, surely seasoned footballers should be able to work that out for themselves.

There is your first error. You are assuming that footballers are smart

 

[-CG-]

Our second qtr was pretty bad, but I'm going to put a positive spin on it. They only kicked four goals, which is a lot if its a close game. But They had the potential to kick 6+, so our defence did well to keep them to four...

 

[mark73]

Our second qtr was pretty bad, but I'm going to put a positive spin on it. They only kicked four goals, which is a lot if its a close game. But They had the potential to kick 6+, so our defence did well to keep them to four...

Yeah!!! You tell 'em darling.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think our playing group is slowly learning how to control the tempo of a game. Years ago we would have conceded 8 goals in that second qtr.....yesterday it was only 4.
As others have said - sometimes the decision to play on at all costs is a puzzling one. 6 goals up early in the last qtr.....why would we want to play on ?? .........but then I can excuse 10 goals up at the 20 min mark of the last qtr....play on ???...WTFN !!!!

If we can just improve in the area of sensing when to play on - when not too...etc - I think it will be a mighty big string to the bow. !!

At the end of the day....we beat the Kangas by 10 goals at Telstra.....not alot to be too critical of.

 

[mark73]

At the end of the day....we beat the Kangas by 10 goals at Telstra.....not alot to be too critical of.

You certainly did.There's probably about 12 clubs that will be saying that this season.And I'm now going to become a Crows member.I assume they'll take Victorian money?

 

[Greatness23]

When it comes down to it the W is whats important, just as long as we are infront when that final siren sounds (and the umpire raises his hands).
But it is frustrating that we constantly squander our good leads.

 

[mark73]

When it comes down to it the W is whats important, just as long as we are infront when that final siren sounds (and the umpire raises his hands).
But it is frustrating that we constantly squander our good leads.

I see.I don't want to give the impression of being a serial pest like Crow-mo,but does that mean they'll except Victorian dollars or not?

 

[Mad Dog]

I see.I don't want to give the impression of being a serial pest like Crow-mo,but does that mean they'll except Victorian dollars or not?

just send the money - we'll discuss it and get back to you.....

 

[Greatness23]

Actually I wasn't directing anything toward you, I was just posting lol.

 

[marvin]

I see.I don't want to give the impression of being a serial pest like Crow-mo,but does that mean they'll except Victorian dollars or not?

Mark - fill this out and you are on your way. Conversion rate is V$1 - SA$1.

Mark Stevens, Scott Welsh, Wayne Carey and Evan Hewitt (thanks for that one!) all made the switch. Join them!

 

[mark73]

Mark - fill this out and you are on your way. Conversion rate is V$1 - SA$1.

Mark Stevens, Scott Welsh, Wayne Carey and Evan Hewitt (thanks for that one!) all made the switch. Join them!

Cool chum.I filled it out and faxed it off.Could do with never having to look at that hairy drumstick of Ricciuto again though.