The Crows machine

[just maybe]

This word has been bandied round increasingly over the season...'machine'.

And I think it's quite true. We may or may not win the premiership, but at the moment it seems difficult to tell where our next loss will come from. Craigy, to his great credit as I was one of his self-professed critics before his appointment, has produced a unit that runs like a well-oiled machine. All his talk about 'process' seems absolutely correct - it seems like when one piece drops out, another one simply comes up to replace it, and the team ethic overcomes any deficiency of that particular piece. We have occasional splutters - like second quarters, but Craig has this team working beyond belief - how we can perform like we have been with at times a third of our best 22 absent is remarkable.

Looking at the ladder, we seem to have improved our attack efficiency and sit equal 4th in the competition and our defence is streets ahead of the rest once again, on record pace once again. Remarkable.

From the horror of our 141-point shaming by Brisbane I can't believe we've come this far, and with so many of the same players. It's an exciting season coming for Crows fans.

 

[bigman]

This word has been bandied round increasingly over the season...'machine'.

And I think it's quite true. We may or may not win the premiership, but at the moment it seems difficult to tell where our next loss will come from. Craigy, to his great credit as I was one of his self-professed critics before his appointment, has produced a unit that runs like a well-oiled machine. All his talk about 'process' seems absolutely correct - it seems like when one piece drops out, another one simply comes up to replace it, and the team ethic overcomes any deficiency of that particular piece. We have occasional splutters - like second quarters, but Craig has this team working beyond belief - how we can perform like we have been with at times a third of our best 22 absent is remarkable.

Looking at the ladder, we seem to have improved our attack efficiency and sit equal 4th in the competition and our defence is streets ahead of the rest once again, on record pace once again. Remarkable.

From the horror of our 141-point shaming by Brisbane I can't believe we've come this far, and with so many of the same players. It's an exciting season coming for Crows fans.

No arguments form me here JM

 

[Stiffy_18]

We certainly have come a LONG LONG way in a relative short period of time.

What concerns me is that we seem to struggle when oppositions plays man on man against us. We struggled against Eagles for 2 quarters when they played man on man. Stuggled against Collingwood when they played man on man, struggled against Port when they played man on man and we struggled against Roos when they played man on man.

Thos style of footy will win us a lot of games but we need to improve our man on man style of footy to take the next step. Its a long season and hopefully we get better and better at it.

Thats probably the only thing that has been a bit disappointing this year otherwise I have to pinch myself sometimes just to see if I am dreaming.

TO be 6-1 after 7 rounds, with a lot of injuries to key players and a tough month to kick off the season in terms of travel, thats just freaky.

 

[Crow-mo]

Our efficiency reminds me more and more of WC Eagles circa 1991/1992. Malthouse had them honed into a finely tuned machine. Efficient, ruthless, well drilled, almost mechanical. They had McKenna et al, setting up the play from down back, and then they moved the ball forward with precision. They also seemed 'bigger' and harder at it, than everyone else.

It may not always be pretty, but it sure was effective.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

I can't believe our depth. Out of yesterdays side injured were Bode, Bock, Perrie, Welsh, Thorney and Hudson, all first 22 players. Then you have Douglas, Maric, Vince and to a lesser extent Meeson all playing really good footy in the SANFL.

 

[macca23]

I can't believe our depth. Out of yesterdays side injured were Bode, Bock, Perrie, Welsh, Thorney and Hudson, all first 22 players. Then you have Douglas, Maric, Vince and to a lesser extent Meeson all playing really good footy in the SANFL.

Oii!!

Don't forget Bassett!!

 

[macca23]

This word has been bandied round increasingly over the season...'machine'.

And I think it's quite true. We may or may not win the premiership, but at the moment it seems difficult to tell where our next loss will come from. Craigy, to his great credit as I was one of his self-professed critics before his appointment, has produced a unit that runs like a well-oiled machine. All his talk about 'process' seems absolutely correct - it seems like when one piece drops out, another one simply comes up to replace it, and the team ethic overcomes any deficiency of that particular piece. We have occasional splutters - like second quarters, but Craig has this team working beyond belief - how we can perform like we have been with at times a third of our best 22 absent is remarkable.

I reckon Craigy talks about "structure" more than process.

Ayres was the one that used to dribble on in a monotone about process.

 

[afc9798]

This word has been bandied round increasingly over the season...'machine'.

And I think it's quite true. We may or may not win the premiership, but at the moment it seems difficult to tell where our next loss will come from. Craigy, to his great credit as I was one of his self-professed critics before his appointment, has produced a unit that runs like a well-oiled machine. All his talk about 'process' seems absolutely correct - it seems like when one piece drops out, another one simply comes up to replace it, and the team ethic overcomes any deficiency of that particular piece. We have occasional splutters - like second quarters, but Craig has this team working beyond belief - how we can perform like we have been with at times a third of our best 22 absent is remarkable.

Looking at the ladder, we seem to have improved our attack efficiency and sit equal 4th in the competition and our defence is streets ahead of the rest once again, on record pace once again. Remarkable.

From the horror of our 141-point shaming by Brisbane I can't believe we've come this far, and with so many of the same players. It's an exciting season coming for Crows fans.

it is exciting and not wanting to get too far ahead, but my concern is how our gameplan will hold up in finals. We are definitely better at executing the plan than last year, but when the game is man on man for the whole contest, will the plan stand up under finals pressure.

Our style is unemotional and clinical at times and finals are where more than ever, you need that extra adrenalin provided by the emotion. I have total faith in Craig and his assistants and I believe that Craigy has also conceded that our plan needs changes for finals type football, but I just hope that no radical re-working is required as this can upset the balance quickly. My faith has been rewarded this year to date and I don't see any reason why Craigy can't come up with an alternative style for finals, but it would be a shame to see the effort go to waste with another quick finals exit. There I've said the 'F' word, now you won't hear me say it again until late August.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

it is exciting and not wanting to get too far ahead, but my concern is how our gameplan will hold up in finals. We are definitely better at executing the plan than last year, but when the game is man on man for the whole contest, will the plan stand up under finals pressure.

Our style is unemotional and clinical at times and finals are where more than ever, you need that extra adrenalin provided by the emotion. I have total faith in Craig and his assistants and I believe that Craigy has also conceded that our plan needs changes for finals type football, but I just hope that no radical re-working is required as this can upset the balance quickly. My faith has been rewarded this year to date and I don't see any reason why Craigy can't come up with an alternative style for finals, but it would be a shame to see the effort go to waste with another quick finals exit. There I've said the 'F' word, now you won't hear me say it again until late August.

Are we making something out of nothing with this issue though. If sides think they can beat us with man on man football why wouldn't they be doing this now, why wait to finals. I think our game plan (s) will stand up under finals pressures.

Here's the real reason we lost both finals last year:

St Kilda - no Roo, no Bock.
West Coast - 2 trips to Perth in 4 weeks.

I would be more concerned if we went into the finals without a few of our big bodied midfielders ( Roo, Thompson, Goody, Shirls etc )or without our key structure players ( Roo, Rutten, Trent H etc ).

 

[afc9798]

Are we making something out of nothing with this issue though. If sides think they can beat us with man on man football why wouldn't they be doing this now, why wait to finals. I think our game plan (s) will stand up under finals pressures.

Here's the real reason we lost both finals last year:

St Kilda - no Roo, no Bock.
West Coast - 2 trips to Perth in 4 weeks.

I would be more concerned if we went into the finals without a few of our big bodied midfielders ( Roo, Thompson, Goody, Shirls etc )or without our key structure players ( Roo, Rutten, Trent H etc ).

Craig himself picked up on this point and believed that changes would be required. Man on man works against us, but there are few sides that can apply that pressure for a full game. West Coast can, St Kilda at their best can and probably Geelong also, who always seem to trouble us.

I'm not suggesting that the plan won't hold up, but it's more a case of if a side can apply that pressure, what do we do to change the momentum. Holding the ball up won't work against these sides as they will constantly pressure the man with the ball. We don't have the forward firepower to kick long to a contest with any result and we don't want individuals over posessing the ball and taking on their opponent when it gets tight.

Just giving some food for thought and it is obviously also a topic that Craigy is giving some credence to. At least this year he knows he's got a group that are capable of carrying out his instructions and that we have sufficient depth to cover injuries, which makes a mockery of those that said we had no depth and got lucky with very little injury concerns.

I'm confident, that should we hold together, our best is good enough for most, but what do we do to find that bit extra when the real pressure comes ala St Kilda last year?

 

[Damp Squarie]

The standard measure for machines across industry is a thing called OEE or Overall Equipment Efficiency.

85% is considered to be world class when using this formula:

OEE = Availability x Quality x Rate

Availability or Uptime is pretty straight forward. You cant run the machine to optimum if its broken down ( Perrie, Bock, Welsh etc)

Now how we define Quality could be debated all day including (delivery, decision making, shots on goal etc)

In terms of Rate or Intensity, just conjure up thoughts of McLeod giving and receiving and delivering to our forward line in the first quarter. It probably doesnt get any better than that....or maybe a Marty Mattner run down tackle

Therefore the Crows machine probably looks similar to this...

OEE = 75 X 62 X 73 =34.0%

The Crows Machine has a long way to go.

Here endeth Lesson One on OEE

 

[bigman]

Our efficiency reminds me more and more of WC Eagles circa 1991/1992. Malthouse had them honed into a finely tuned machine. Efficient, ruthless, well drilled, almost mechanical. They had McKenna et al, setting up the play from down back, and then they moved the ball forward with precision. They also seemed 'bigger' and harder at it, than everyone else.

It may not always be pretty, but it sure was effective.

I love it when you talk like Robert Walls.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

The standard measure for machines across industry is a thing called OEE or Overall Equipment Efficiency.

85% is considered to be world class when using this formula:

OEE = Availability x Quality x Rate

Availability or Uptime is pretty straight forward. You cant run the machine to optimum if its broken down ( Perrie, Bock, Welsh etc)

Now how we define Quality could be debated all day including (delivery, decision making, shots on goal etc)

In terms of Rate or Intensity, just conjure up thoughts of McLeod giving and receiving and delivering to our forward line in the first quarter. It probably doesnt get any better than that....or maybe a Marty Mattner run down tackle

Therefore the Crows machine probably looks similar to this...

OEE = 75 X 62 X 73 =34.0%

The Crows Machine has a long way to go.

Here endeth Lesson One on OEE

So if our machine is only running at 34%, where would Ports rate at the moment- machine still under assembly in Quantuk village, China?

 

[Glenno23]

So if our machine is only running at 34%, where would Ports rate at the moment- machine still under assembly in Quantuk village, China?

GOLD

if we are at 34% at the moment, how long will it take to get to the 85% required to be a "working machine"?

and when we get to 85%, how scary will we be? i have seen nothing this year that bothers me, outside the fact that we seem to turn off for 1 qtr each game.

anyone else have any concerns you think need addressing before we get too deep into the season?

 

[ant]

Not that I am really old enough to make a completely accurate comparison, but for those bball sages amongst us, Craig reminds me of North Carolina's legendary coach Dean Smith.

The calm, measured approach, the structure, the discipline, the selfless, team play, plus the squad really seems to love him.

Chuck Daly described Smith's NC program as "a cult; most cults are bad, and this is a good one, but it's a cult nevertheless."

Craig's on the same track.

On the whole Crows machine thing, the media seem to be referring to us like we're some sort of cyborg, sent from the future to destroy all opposition teams.

And the words they now use to describe us- relentless, ruthless, clinical- I just love it.

 

[marvin]

Craig himself picked up on this point and believed that changes would be required. Man on man works against us, but there are few sides that can apply that pressure for a full game. West Coast can, St Kilda at their best can and probably Geelong also, who always seem to trouble us.

Great point.

Also worth mentioning that the Kangas essentially tried man on man in the first term but the ball movement was so good that all each player needed was a metre of clear space and it was enough.

In response to a post earlier in the thread, Collingwood didn't trouble us with man on man, they flooded and did it well. Our possession game was used to break down their flood.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Gee ant, thats a MASSIVE rap for Craigy.

Dean Smith after all is a legend

 

[NikkiNoo]

I reckon Craigy talks about "structure" more than process.

Ayres was the one that used to dribble on in a monotone about process.

Listening to craigs press conference last night and when a question was asked about our forward line and immediately I thought Craig would use either the words understanding or structure - he then came out with "we have a better structure and a better understanding'. I got it wrong and he used both!

 

[Crow-mo]

I love it when you talk like Robert Walls.

muffin pots, you said you'd never tell

 

[WaynesWorld19]

muffin pots, you said you'd never tell

What's this....a secret relationship...nepatism?

 

[jc67]

bump

 

[just maybe]

Thanks jc67.

maccasno1, your question has been answered by a helpful poster.

 

[maccas_no1]

Thanks jc67.

maccasno1, your question has been answered by a helpful poster.

What question I havent posted on this thread until now

 

[just maybe]

What question I havent posted on this thread until now

About a positive thread, what the hell do you think

 

[maccas_no1]

About a positive thread, what the hell do you think

Good to see your wrecking your own thread