Thoughts On The Melbourne game

[CROW36]

We are struggling at the moment.

Have we played above ourselves over the last two years? Or are we so well drilled and disciplined that we have up until now been able to make up for weaknesses that are obvious on our list and are just beginning to show. The next few months will tell us a lot.

Some things that concern me and I would do. I said a number of weeks ago that Bock had to go back to CHB. He has been a weak conributor for many weeks now and his wide turning circle is better suited to the back half. Stevo should start up forward next week and Kenny needs to come in for Perrie. We have few backups with Sellar, Tippett not ready or fit. Gill may get his chance if he can show something over the next few weeks.

I have been a big fan of Mick Doughty but his form this year has been not up to the stndard of previous years. His lack of marking ability has cost us at key times this year and he appears to have slowed up a little. He needs to use every possession well and he made a few critical errors today. On this performance i would replace him with Massie. He may get a reprieve with the possible loss of Radar.

The Knight Rider annoyed me today. He had a lot of possessions but a lot of his kicks did not hit targets. He had a chance to kick a few goals but he did not have the confidence to go for the goal or he kicked poorly with is execution. He needed to keep his head over the ball at a few key times.

Scott Welsh should not be happy with his efforts today -run down twice for near certain goals - you need to have more peripheral awareness. Not enough marking attempts stuck and not enough defensive pressure.

Our second tier mideild failed today. Thommo had a quiet game, Knighter could not hit a target with is leg, Doughty did not get enough of the ball, Shirley had little impact and if he was on Cameron the Bruce he gave him far too much room. VB he too makes too many errors with his disposal.

Porps did some good things and can kick a goal -he must nearly be with Welshy the best kick in the team. However he is not a fast mover and he often gets caught with the ball. Great hands though.

Bassett - played a more defensive game on Robertson and did well.

Rutten - tried hard but Neitz shaded him on the day.

Stiffy -looks like he is overweight and he is not fully fit. Played well in th last quarter.

Torney - one of our better players today.

Stevo - must play forward next week.

Mattner - crucial miss in last quarter. He played a reasonable game but he gave Green too much room at times.

Thommo- worked hard but another notch on the belt for Godfrey.

Edwards, Goodwin our best on ballers today by a mile - its a pity this has been the case for the last 5-7 years.

Griffin - he is trying and showing promise but as you would expect he is not taking the game apart. he needs to work on the defensive part of his game when the oppostion has the ball.

Huddo - tried very very hard and he was one of the reasons we got back into the game in the last quarter.

Next week changes: Ins: Massie, Kenny, Jericho
Outs: Doughty, Perrie, Reilly

I agree with your in's & out's, but what's the story with Burton I thought that he was only going to be out for just two weeks.
The Crows tend to loose a lot of passion at certain stages of the game and have to learn to be more consistant.
They certainly have to be on there toe's this week against Geelong, who would have thought that we will be talking like this at AAMM stadium especially against Geelong.

 

[marvin]

Agreed.


2) Bock gives away a 'hands in the back' free in the goal square. I thought the umpire had to be in the right position to pay this, but silly me, it was Darren umpiring, and that plum pud wasn't. Easy goal despite it being a forearm, not hands.

Lucky for us Robbo hit the post.

3) Neitz from outside fifty. Great kick don't get me wrong, but that came directly after a Crows player was buried some 6-8 inches into MCG goalsquare at Punt Road end.

In the back?

Nah - try holding the ball.

Goldspink again - he was right between me and Welsh when it happened. Welsh got ploughed, Goldspink stuck the whistle in the mouth and mran towards the contest as if he was about to call in the back, changed his mind, then 5 seconds later pinged him for holding the footy.

 

[South East Young Gun]

Lucky for us Robbo hit the post.

Unlike Pudding head I can admit an error where I have made one. Alas, I did write this in my Football Budget incorrectly. Robertson did hit the post.

One I will admit to not seeing, so I don't have an opinion on it is Robertson's free in the second where Goodwin had been drilled into the ground into a marking contest. I take it Robertson got the free kick for a push or something. Can anyone fill me in?

 

[marvin]

Stevens was behind Robbo, and the people I went with said Stevens gave Robbo a shove into Goodwin. The replay didn't show it clearly, and I missed the shove myself.

 

[OzSparrow]

as entertaining as it was if all our players played so well we should have won the bloody game!

we were awful yesterday! wen we have a team as skilled as we have why do we not take teams on and try and actually win the games ourselves? we waited til the last quarter to play any type of attacking football and i just dont get why we didnt take the game on from the word go. yes melbourne has a reasonable side despite their record but we are a much better side and we have to learn to play to win not block the opposition out then try and kick just enough of a score.

take on the bloody game craigy! sick of watching the crap you dish up each week. we played the 3 bottom sides the last week and have looked awful in every one of them. it was only a matter of time bfor we lost. i left the game at the 20min mark of the 3rd quarter it was that boring, embarrrassing and frustrating to watch.

i would rather see us lose taking the game and opposition on than watching us lose in a slow boring way. i could tell in the warm up yesterday they didnt look like they came to play. they were mucking around and didnt seem to be as focused as usual. especially wen all week they said it was a danger game.

we will not win a flag playing this boring shit we keep dishing up. i love adelaide but i want us to show the skills we have. we have some very highly skilled players and i believe we can match it with anyone so why dont we start moving the ball fast, attacking the game and see how high a score we can kick, rather than how low we ca keep the opposition score. lets be an attacking team rather than defensive. if we attack the defense will look after itself.

come on craigy show a bit of faith in the side.

My thoughts on this quote:

I also subscribe to the theory that Craigy needs to let the guys loose to play some attacking footy. The flood put on during the first half against Melbourne (read 10 players lining up in our backline at one stage!) was damn embarrassing.

I continually get frustrated at a game plan that seems to always revolve around us kicking 8 goals to 7 to win the game. I am also getting tired of my mates referring to us as the Adelaide Socceroos.

We can play attacking footy when required (see last year and the last qtr on Saturday) and the guys should be let loose to do this continually.

So what if we lose 20 goals to 18? I would love to go to a game knowing that at least we had a gameplan that revolved around actually trying to kick 18 goals!

I know our forward line is non-functional ATM but we have traditionally not relied on a forward line to win us games since Mods left! We have always had a game plan that relied on our midfielders to kick us winning scores with the forward line chipping in as support roles.

I for one would love to see us get back to a less "tempo" style of footy which is defence dominated. However, I fear that we will continue to be the "boring" club for some time to come.

I expect that the AFC will shortly receive a similar spray from Andy D as he gave the Swannies in relation to the style of footy being played ATM.

Craigy...let the guys free to play attacking footy this week against the Pussies!

 

[macca23]

Look he got a lot of it and he always does but my god did he **** up a lot of it on saturday. His decision making under pressure was back to the rabbit in the head lights stuff. So often he would pick the wrong option and so often he would kick a floater to one on one option when he had a team mate open in a better position and in his view.

No doubt he is a good young player but we are pointing out his weaknesses that were apparent to anyone that was at the game and paying any sort of attention to the game.

If Knight can tidy up that part of his game he will be a superstar of the competition. He is no doubt getting better at it. Its a slow and painful process but when he has one of "those" games we are allowed to criticize it, just as we are allowed to praise his excellent games of which he had a few this year.

Well said ......we're all of the opinion he'll be a good player .....but his game against Meb needs to be critiqued not on quantity of possessions but there effectiveness ......it was an average game.

Yep - let's not let facts get in theway of a good slagging.

Read the facts.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7722844#post7722844

 

[South East Young Gun]

Stevens was behind Robbo, and the people I went with said Stevens gave Robbo a shove into Goodwin. The replay didn't show it clearly, and I missed the shove myself.

Didn't see it myself, but sounds like a logical explaination...though it wouldn't have surprised me if Plum Pud gave a free against Goodwin for 'tunnelling'.

 

[Cap]

would just like to add my thoughts re" Demons v Crows

we were crap - they were good

that sums it up for me

 

[conVINCEd]

Just wanted to add how frustrating it is that all week our boys banged on about how they wanted to focus on giving a four quarter effort, and then produced that performance on Saturday.

Maybe they didn't mean that all 4 quarters would be in the same match?

 

[Stiffy_18]

Well said ......we're all of the opinion he'll be a good player .....but his game against Meb needs to be critiqued not on quantity of possessions but there effectiveness ......it was an average game.

To be fair, the things that were quite obvious at the game looked different on TV because of the close in view.

If you re-watch the game on TV, his game looks good but at the ground you saw all those missed opportunities further down the field out of the view of the camera.

He will be a good player no doubt but his game on saturday was very average.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Yep - let's not let facts get in theway of a good slagging.

Read the facts.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7722844#post7722844

FFS mate this efficiency rating is a **** and nothing more. All that tells me is that he hit a target. Not neccessarily that his target took the ball but he hit a team mate in a contest or on his own.

Does that efficiency ranking tell me much about his decision making under pressure?! Does it tell me about his vision of whats ahead of him and him picking the right option?! Of course not!!!

All that you are telling me with those stats is that he didn't kick it to the opposition or out of bounds too often. I knew that without looking at the stats. What you didn't see on TV was Knights contstantly kicking to a contest when there was a team mate of his without an opponent and was well within his vision. He was panicky for most of the game on saturday and no crappy little selective efficiency stat will tell me otherwise.

One thing I absolutely hate the most in any sport is stat whores. Stats don't tell the whole story. They onyl tell part of the story and they can be spun and interpreted the which ever way you like. Sometimes that you actually see on the ground is very different to what the stats tell you.

I just can't understand this preciousness! If a player has a bad game we can comment on it. When he has a good one we can comment on it. As long as the comments are not personal and over the top and are of constructive nature, then there is nothing wrong with giving them.

Seriously, some of you are acting like we took the kid and hung him by his balls in the middle of the Federation square

 

[Cap]

To be fair, the things that were quite obvious at the game looked different on TV because of the close in view.

If you re-watch the game on TV, his game looks good but at the ground you saw all those missed opportunities further down the field out of the view of the camera.

He will be a good player no doubt but his game on saturday was very average.

extemely average - i was diappointed by his match this week

it was a Kane Cornes effort - a lot of stats for no real impact. Even one of the TV commentators said that Knights has had a lot of the ball but no much impact.

 

[Cap]

But unlike Kane he has produced some damaging games this year and should continue to do so with increasing consistency throughout his career.

i agree

 

[Bring-Back-Powell]

Thoughts...

No Burton = Melbourne win

That boy owns Melbourne. Thrilled he didn't play.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Delist Knights. Mind you, better delist the 16 or so players that he played a better game than as well.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Delist Knights. Mind you, better delist the 16 or so players that he played a better game than as well.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

To be fair, the things that were quite obvious at the game looked different on TV because of the close in view.

If you re-watch the game on TV, his game looks good but at the ground you saw all those missed opportunities further down the field out of the view of the camera.

He will be a good player no doubt but his game on saturday was very average.

I agree ....you see loose player forward and all a player has to do is move the ball on ..... but several times on Staurday, and NOT just Knights ....the run of play OUR way was stalled and reversed by a sloppy handball, kick dropping 5 mtrs short of a player, some GREAT tackles by Melbourne and with Knights just not quite there with decision making and disposals .....it cost us ....but he wasn't alone

 

[Markthirtytwo]

I agree ....you see loose player forward and all a player has to do is move the ball on ..... but several times on Staurday, and NOT just Knights ....the run of play OUR way was stalled and reversed by a sloppy handball, kick dropping 5 mtrs short of a player, some GREAT tackles by Melbourne and with Knights just not quite there with decision making and disposals .....it cost us ....but he wasn't alone

Not by a long shot.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Not by a long shot.

he was one of a half dozen players I criticised on Saturdays effort .......yet becuase the Adelaide media are starting to spindoctor the lad .....he has become the untouchable as far as our youth .......what horse....

If he played bad he played bad .......as Stiffy said Iam not advocating him being traded or delisted ..... in fact he'll be a VERY good player for us ....... but not if he gets pats on the back for an average display.

BTW Macca if your so much into stats ....have a look at Knights various opponents ......

 

[King Elvis]

He didn't play poorly.

He played well - he's a young kid, he put in a good performance when the rest of them didn't stand up.

 

[Kickin_Goals]

Unlike Pudding head I can admit an error where I have made one. Alas, I did write this in my Football Budget incorrectly. Robertson did hit the post.

One I will admit to not seeing, so I don't have an opinion on it is Robertson's free in the second where Goodwin had been drilled into the ground into a marking contest. I take it Robertson got the free kick for a push or something. Can anyone fill me in?

never mind that every score Robbo got was a gift, two false out of position umpire in the back calls which were played for and a throw for his soccer goal.
Basically robbo jumped up on the guys back then played as if he was pushed, pretty sure the ball went over his head anyway which would make for a free kick perhaps for goodwin.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

He didn't play poorly.

He played well - he's a young kid, he put in a good performance when the rest of them didn't stand up.

What does young kid mean ....that he gets concessions re how he played???

As I said , which started all of this off ......there were 6-7 players who played worse than knights .....yet we've heard very little from anyone about those performances ...just that of an up and coming star

Lets not get too precious

 

[TooFar]

I’m not too worried. I just finished watching the game. Yes Melbourne were the better team and was way more desperate. But, with a little luck and a couple more frees, we would have not been so far down at the beginning of the last quarter. It was just one of those days when nothing went right. I would rather the team be inconsistent at this time of year. The past 2 years when we have set the world on fire early have not panned out so well.

It is still early days.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

Agree with many of the posters on here....after having been at the Melb game and the previous match with Carlton. One of the key problems I noticed was the amount of uncontested ball each of these teams are getting (at one point Melb had something like 90 more disposals). This tells me we don't have the leg speed to close down opposition sides (best example was the Collingwood game, where they really exposed us - often marking unopposed in space).

To me this seems to be primarily the forward line pressure (our back line seems OK and are often able to make a contest...but the forwards don't seem able to (a) break free and (b) pressure the opposition coming out of defence...hence easy movement into their forward line. We have been lucky to get out of the previous two games before the Melb game, and at this point I can't see us making any impact on the better sides, unless there's a significant restructure up forward. The Matty Bode type pressure up forward is sorely missed. As much as I hate to admit it we need the pace of a Jericho, Burton (when he's fit) and some smaller crumbers (BV or Douglas?) to get to the fall of the ball when our larger, slower forwards have the ball knocked away (all too often....but a fact, given their lack of pace).

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Agree with many of the posters on here....after having been at the Melb game and the previous match with Carlton. One of the key problems I noticed was the amount of uncontested ball each of these teams are getting (at one point Melb had something like 90 more disposals). This tells me we don't have the leg speed to close down opposition sides (best example was the Collingwood game, where they really exposed us - often marking unopposed in space).

To me this seems to be primarily the forward line pressure (our back line seems OK and are often able to make a contest...but the forwards don't seem able to (a) break free and (b) pressure the opposition coming out of defence...hence easy movement into their forward line. We have been lucky to get out of the previous two games before the Melb game, and at this point I can't see us making any impact on the better sides, unless there's a significant restructure up forward. The Matty Bode type pressure up forward is sorely missed. As much as I hate to admit it we need the pace of a Jericho, Burton (when he's fit) and some smaller crumbers (BV or Douglas?) to get to the fall of the ball when our larger, slower forwards have the ball knocked away (all too often....but a fact, given their lack of pace).

I think most of the other coaches have worked out our plan A and we are a bit slow in reacting. Combine that with our injuries, it certainly hasn't helped.