WCE vs St.Kilda - Game thread.

[mitchzz]

radio just said masten limping off, any idea what happened from those watching

It was calf cramp.

Very disappointing last quarter, we should have put up a better fight. Maybe we were just out of fuel.

 

[WCE57]

Gee..we are really owning the 20-30 point losses.

For the all crap, Hansen gets. I thought he was was good today.

So off to Port, to lose by about 20+ points next week.

Our ability to hit targets and just general skills is that bad, I'm actually wondering if we can improve.

 

[Eagle87]

Gee..we are really owning the 20-30 point losses.

For the all crap, Hansen gets. I thought he was was good today.

So off to Port, to lose by about 20+ points next week.

Our ability to hit targets and just general skills is that bad, I'm actually wondering if we can improve.

As long as our side is set up in such a way the Rosa, Priddis, Lynch and one or two others are regularly leading our total possessions column, then NO, we won't improve because they have crab like disposal without any silk.

Masten is encouraging. He shows good disposal at times and has some creativity. He needs to improve but given the operation he is recovering from and his youth, there is hope there. Certainly 30 disposals from him v Priddis/Rosa is a good thing. We really really lack polish through the middle - we also lack speed ... the combination of those 2 things makes it hard .

We need to get with skills in the middle but we also desperately need players who see the creative option and who attack the game. Rosa, for example, seems happy with the obvious, safe disposal every time and he still misses a lot of them. Give me guys with Browns attitude, guys who want to take it on and have decent disposal.

 

[Crimson King]

^Yeh I'd go along with that, E87. Also once the confidence within the group increases, the skill level should increase.

 

[JeffDunne]

Even as an opposition supporter I was frustrated watching West Coast use the ball.

Thought their effort was fantastic until the last and probably would have won had they not fallen away. I certainly didn't get the feeling we'd lifted, more West Coast dropped off their work-rate.

We were lucky today. Got the benefit of some umpiring decisions and WC errors left us off the hook time and time again. A fit Kerr or an in-form Cox may have been the difference.

 

[wce_all_da_way]

Even as an opposition supporter I was frustrated watching West Coast use the ball.

Thought their effort was fantastic until the last and probably would have won had they not fallen away. I certainly didn't get the feeling we'd lifted, more West Coast fell away.

We were lucky today. Got the benefit of some umpiring decisions and WC errors left us off the hook time and time again. A fit Kerr or an in-form Cox may have been the difference.

Yep. Usually when a margin is like this vs a top team it's because we've played well but haven't been able to get over the line. I didn't think we played that well at all today, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

 

[Eagle87]

Gee..we are really owning the 20-30 point losses.

Its interesting, we are leading (or close) to contested possessions in the AFL and we seem to load up, at times, on inside mids - today we had Priddis, Ebert, Selwood, Cockie and McGinnity as hard inside players. That keeps in in with a real chance of winning the hard ball but then, when we win it, we have 4 or 5 really average kicks and average to slow pace.

Maybe it makes us competitive but doesnt give us the silk required to win?

 

[wce_all_da_way]

Its interesting, we are leading (or close) to contested possessions in the AFL and we seem to load up, at times, on inside mids - today we had Priddis, Ebert, Selwood, Cockie and McGinnity as hard inside players. That keeps in in with a real chance of winning the hard ball but then, when we win it, we have 4 or 5 really average kicks and average to slow pace.

Maybe it makes us competitive but doesnt give us the silk required to win?

A team built for finals really. Or will be in the future.

 

[placebo]

Its interesting, we are leading (or close) to contested possessions in the AFL and we seem to load up, at times, on inside mids - today we had Priddis, Ebert, Selwood, Cockie and McGinnity as hard inside players. That keeps in in with a real chance of winning the hard ball but then, when we win it, we have 4 or 5 really average kicks and average to slow pace.

Maybe it makes us competitive but doesnt give us the silk required to win?

And that's why we need some silky mids in this years draft. I think we have the inside mids good enough for finals but we won't get there until we get some class and silky skills in that midfield.

 

[WCE57]

Its interesting, we are leading (or close) to contested possessions in the AFL and we seem to load up, at times, on inside mids - today we had Priddis, Ebert, Selwood, Cockie and McGinnity as hard inside players. That keeps in in with a real chance of winning the hard ball but then, when we win it, we have 4 or 5 really average kicks and average to slow pace.

Maybe it makes us competitive but doesnt give us the silk required to win?

Spot on Eagle87. You would hope that in the next draft, we really focus on picking up players with good kicks. Watching Smith with Perth, you really hope that the kid wants it , because he looks like he has the pace and the kicking ability.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Its interesting, we are leading (or close) to contested possessions in the AFL and we seem to load up, at times, on inside mids - today we had Priddis, Ebert, Selwood, Cockie and McGinnity as hard inside players. That keeps in in with a real chance of winning the hard ball but then, when we win it, we have 4 or 5 really average kicks and average to slow pace.

Maybe it makes us competitive but doesnt give us the silk required to win?

Ultimatly players will have to justify there places going forward and balance will hopefully become clearer with time. Priddis and Rosa certainly have potential to be retained but for the likes of Butler he has been poor, hes contested efforts are poor and does not get enough ball to justify his position at the moment.

We still have Shuey and Swift to make impacts at AFL level but i think we are starting to build a decent engine room.

 

[JeffDunne]

Yep. Usually when a margin is like this vs a top team it's because we've played well but haven't been able to get over the line. I didn't think we played that well at all today, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

What annoys me with some teams is they don't back themselves. Thought the effort was there but they are trying to play a game they don't have the skill level yet to play.

Going man-to-man showed you could force plenty of turnovers, but rather than try and move the ball quickly to hurt us you often put yourself under un-ncessary pressure.

If you're going to go man-on-man then don't kick backwards to blokes who - amazingly - are manned up. IMO the Eagles would be far better served kicking it long and into space and backing the pace of your players or the desire to run harder.

 

[Gizza]

Its interesting, we are leading (or close) to contested possessions in the AFL and we seem to load up, at times, on inside mids - today we had Priddis, Ebert, Selwood, Cockie and McGinnity as hard inside players. That keeps in in with a real chance of winning the hard ball but then, when we win it, we have 4 or 5 really average kicks and average to slow pace.

Maybe it makes us competitive but doesnt give us the silk required to win?

I agree. It seems we really don't have anyone that can break the lines and get into some space. Probably a large contributor to our poor disposal as well. We really need some pace in our midfield.

 

[bigburger]

So how about that Freo game ey.

 

[placebo]

Goal kicking was a lot better today.

 

[mehow2g]

Saints played terrible until last quater.

Nice game by Chris Masten and Kennedy.

 

[Double the Fist]

And that's why we need some silky mids in this years draft. I think we have the inside mids good enough for finals but we won't get there until we get some class and silky skills in that midfield.

Geez, little bit late to be finding silky outside mids to finnish off the brilliant clearance work of the boys we already have. As people rightfully point out, not much point getting it out more than the opposition if we turn it over with lack of pace and precision.

We are also kings of the one quarter fade out....... The Saints were the ones supposed to be out of fuel by the end of the game after last week, not WC

Still, better than being belted.
Props to Kennedy