The Good, Bad and Ugly

[TheLeftFist8]

GRAHAM JOHNCOCK...

A few others did ok against mediocre opposition, especially Maric and Douglas, but really Johncock was an absolute beacon of effort, talent, aggression and 100% intensity at every contest...stood out so obviously compared to his teammates.

Would be close to our only player selected in a top 4 side atm cos he is the only one who plays with the requisite intensity and effectiveness required.

Now he is injured

That would be right.

Ok, let's take the opportunity to get players into proper positions that suit them instead of trying so hard to build flexibility in young blokes to the point they are average in every position.

Petrenko to the backlines.

Cook to inside mid/forward pocket.

Jaensch to the wing.

Walker to full forward.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

GOOD:

- Myke Cook jumping as third man up, but in doing so, puts his hands in the back of Maric's neck/head to reach the ball and doesn't really get much higher than if Maric had jumped slightly off the ground. Maric gets knocked forward and Cook adds a hitout to his tally, but to no one in particular. i don't understand the reasoning behind third man up, when Maric/Tippett are dominating the ruck against an inexperienced Vickery and hitouts to advantage.

Great point.

I'm sure they must take the stats on the effectiveness of this tactic but for mine it fails way more often than it works.

Why do it if you are winning the rucks easily. To me it seems like a premeditated slog to cow corner when you often hole out or get bowled looking like a fool. Do it when your rucks are getting beaten, do it judiciously (ie when the ball up favours the opposition) and try to hit it somewhere near a teammate.

The best i saw at it was NM v Crows last year. Their 3rd men up were brilliant at coming in only when the throw-in, ball-up was to the Crows advantage and they negated it beautifully on multiple occassions yet when the contest was to their rucks advantage they stayed out of it. Actually showed some logic

 

[Punchy Bassett]

** This is what I'd call a wallpaper victory. The 50 point margin is likely to provide only a thin covering over what are some fairly large cracks (closer to gaping chasms really). I sincerely hope that the club doesn't read too much into this win, given that we were only 1 goal ahead, against easily the worst team in the competition, as late as the final quarter.

You wouldn't have liked the atmosphere at the Shed then last night, I couldn't believe the amount of sycophantic back slapping that was happening, we beat Richmond not Geelong and they pushed us for three quarters! This win means nothing if we don't back it up next week, which I have serious doubts about.

 

[brucetiki]

BAD:
- i hate twilight games...and i think so do the fans. it's dark when the game finishes and goes through most people's dinner time.

You must really hate night games when it's dark when the game starts as well

 

[Hodgy]

The Good:
- Maric's ruck work, so many taps to advantage last night, just needs to get involved more around the ground.
- Goodwin played his best game of the year by a mile. Real Captains game from first siren.
- Richard Douglas has real talent and is starting to believe it. Confidence is an amazing thing and like Knights last year he is quickly becoming very important to our side.
- Burton playing up the ground further as he is getting involved in a lot of our scoring, great decision making last 2 weeks (with a couple of exceptions), kick to Dogger for a goal was a gem and kept his player out, so Tippett could mark, several times very well.
- Stiffy's last two games have really stood out and is making our backline look a lot less fragile.
- McLeod showing how to finish under pressure. Still the main area we are struggling in and he needs to move forward more to show the way.
- Petrenko in the last quarter looked so much better as a flanker/wingman than when he is in the pocket, uses the ball well and finally looked AFL standard, well done.
- VB, I have never understood all the hype as he never tears a game apart but I thought he looked great forward of the ball last night, especially early, might be the spot for him

The Bad:
- Goalkicking is still killing us. Why do Burton and Tippett kick from 40 when they mark 20 out? both of them and Scott Stevens have let the side down in the last 2 weeks in this area, and they are not the only ones.
- Stiffy's injury will really hurt as he is not only our best player at the moment but is making our defence look a lot less fragile.
- Bocky and Dogger just don't look comfortable yet. Hopefully the last quarter, which they both improved in, will turn the corner for them.
- Turnover easy goals to the opposition are still a real problem as this was really the only way Richmond scored at all last night.

The Ugly:
- Some of the most bewildering and just plain awful umpiring I have ever seen. So bad I couldn't even work out if it favoured anyone. Looked like they felt that the crowd had paid to see them not the players, who several times had no idea who and why frees were being paid. Guys we will think you have done a good job if we don't notice you.

 

[Damp Squarie]

** This is what I'd call a wallpaper victory. The 50 point margin is likely to provide only a thin covering over what are some fairly large cracks (closer to gaping chasms really). I sincerely hope that the club doesn't read too much into this win, given that we were only 1 goal ahead, against easily the worst team in the competition, as late as the final quarter.

I was thinking this too.
Now if we can just string two wins together the third might look gettable.

 

[craig crowing]

Good
Finally going direct now and again and all last qtr giving Tipppett 1 on 1.
Douglas - Got some run happening and positioning for marks
Stiffy -- You are the defence . I have no idea how we will go without his prescence and pressure out there.
McLeod -- In first half kept trying to get run and direct kicking going well done Macca
Tippett -- We had to dig deep into our purse to keep him then we go all over the field rather than get him 1 on 1 . When we did he showed what a star this guy can be.
Bad
Our totally indecisive first half with so many unbelievable mistakes and our leading players decision making .
Our tackling we simply cant tackle the moving player .
Bock and Rutten these are AA players and agree with other poster re Rutten stay on your feet and how can anyone push you out of the way.
Cook -- keep watching what Drummmond, Craigy see in this guy cant kick cant defend cant tackle . Please prove me wrong Cooky
Vince - Thommo -- Hey guys you are stars not average players take opposition on and hurt the opposition not just get kicks and handballs.
Selection -- Why Petrenko in attack and Jaensch in defence.
Petrenko worked hard in last Qtr but doesnt know what to do .
Jaensch can create up forward and penertrate when comes up on a lead .
Ugly
Burton always been a selfish player that disrupts fwd area and put up with it for those brilliant things he could do but now cant do those anymore and dont wantb him,to get the ball as will butcher it one way or other.
Injuries to our 2 best players of last few weeks

 

[Vader]

You wouldn't have liked the atmosphere at the Shed then last night, I couldn't believe the amount of sycophantic back slapping that was happening, we beat Richmond not Geelong and they pushed us for three quarters! This win means nothing if we don't back it up next week, which I have serious doubts about.

Given the teams we play over the next month, I'm tipping us to be 1-10 at the half way point of the season. That's terrible, considering most people were expecting us to be around 10-1 or 9-2 when we saw how favourable our draw was initially.

 

[Smoooothy]

anything less than 3-8 from here would be a poor result IMO. there have been some good signs the last 2 or 3 weeks, yesterday admitedly was very poor until something clicked in the last quarter. but there are definately signs that things could be on the improve.

 

[Vader]

anything less than 3-8 from here would be a poor result IMO. there have been some good signs the last 2 or 3 weeks, yesterday admitedly was very poor until something clicked in the last quarter. but there are definately signs that things could be on the improve.

We might beat North, based more on our history than our current form (they're 3-4 to our 1-6, but we've won the last 8 encounters).

It is very difficult to see us winning any of the 3 games after that - Brisbane, St Kilda and Fremantle. Maybe Brisbane, at home? St Kilda and Freo are going to smash us.

 

[Smoooothy]

We might beat North, based more on our history than our current form (they're 3-4 to our 1-6, but we've won the last 8 encounters).

It is very difficult to see us winning any of the 3 games after that - Brisbane, St Kilda and Fremantle. Maybe Brisbane, at home? St Kilda and Freo are going to smash us.

yep, they are the two i'd atleast expect us to be competitive in.

is it ridiculous that i'm still harbouring some thoughts about making the finals??

 

[brucetiki]

We might beat North, based more on our history than our current form (they're 3-4 to our 1-6, but we've won the last 8 encounters).

It is very difficult to see us winning any of the 3 games after that - Brisbane, St Kilda and Fremantle. Maybe Brisbane, at home? St Kilda and Freo are going to smash us.

Also two of North Melbourne's wins have been against West Coast in Melbourne and Hawthorn, so like us their wins haven't been against the best.

 

[andrew23]

yep, they are the two i'd atleast expect us to be competitive in.

is it ridiculous that i'm still harbouring some thoughts about making the finals??

Yes

The Brisbane and Freo games are at home so I give us half a chance of winning those.

 

[Vader]

yep, they are the two i'd atleast expect us to be competitive in.

is it ridiculous that i'm still harbouring some thoughts about making the finals??

Yes, it's ridiculous. 5-6 wins for the season. Tops.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Given the teams we play over the next month, I'm tipping us to be 1-10 at the half way point of the season. That's terrible, considering most people were expecting us to be around 10-1 or 9-2 when we saw how favourable our draw was initially.

Exactly, but you wouldn't believe the club thinks this after last night. Couldn't believe the attitude espeically from the man who called us pathetic, he was joking around as if everything was all good now that we have won a game. I was staggered.

 

[Vader]

Exactly, but you wouldn't believe the club thinks this after last night. Couldn't believe the attitude espeically from the man who called us pathetic, he was joking around as if everything was all good now that we have won a game. I was staggered.

To be honest I would be staggered and disappointed if anyone at the club even acknowledged the possibility of going 1-10. This is the club which tries to win every game it can, even when they might (arguably) be better off by losing some games. The club will still be hoping to go 15-0 for the rest of the year, qualifying for the finals (and the top 4) in the process. Internally, they know that this is unrealistic and we as supporters all know that it's nothing short of ludicrous, but until they formally give up on the finals it is the facade which they have to continue showing to the public.

 

[Allefgib]

Yes, it's ridiculous. 5-6 wins for the season. Tops.

It would have been ridiculous to predict our currnet predicament at the end of last season. The problem is we still don't know why we've been SO awful. Without more inside knowledge it wouldn't be implausible we could turn things around dramatically.

Having said that - at this stage - it is ridiculous

 

[chigwidden]

I'm hopeful we'll be competitive for the North Melbourne and Brisbane games. More than that ... sadly not.

Once we get an 8-goal binge in the first, second, or even third quarter - THEN I'll start backing us to win regularly. Heck, I'd take a 5-goal binge.