Analysis Why did we stop running in 2nd half? (2nd Showdown 2019)

[John Who]

Unfortunately there’s a lot of changes that probably need to be made before Pyke. We have a non-football Chairman and CEO, which leaves Ricciuto as “king maker” from a footballing sense, especially since he’s installed an inexperienced/incompetent mate as head of football. We’re then stuck with a rusted on senior assistant who’s on his 5th senior coach, having spent time as caretaker himself as well. We’ve then got a forward line coach who couldn’t find a job anywhere else despite >10 years experience as an assistant and was only out there because we couldn’t find anyone else. Then we’ve got Mattner and Godden as 1st year assistants.

Chapman’s not going anywhere unfortunately and I’m happy with Fagan as CEO as long as we have a strong and capable Head of Football.

From there it gets really complicated. Given Pykes experiences, he’s someone who as senior coach would probably want to effectively assume the role of “head of football” anyway, answering directly to Fagan, with “head of football” reporting to him(it’s probably more Football operations manager), if we even needed one. I would expect similar would already be happening at Hawthorn with Clarkson.

From there though we need a senior assistant who probably needs to be able to take on the “day to day” coaching stuff and would be the 2ic in the structure. This is where Campo’s at currently, but probably needs to be moved on and we need to invest heavily IMO in a “senior coach in waiting”. Depending how things go, this person could potentially assuming senior coaching duties with Pyke moving into a more senior “head of football” role down the line. It would need to be well paid to attract the ideal candidates which is where we fall down I suspect.

Essentially id look at:
Out: Campo, Hart, Burton
Shuffle Clark perhaps to the “head of football” role reporting to Pyke directly.
Not sure re Godden. Mattner stays.
From there we’d bring in a senior assistant, forward +/- midfield coach.

I agree with most of the sentiments. Just on Pyke, whilst we’re making the Finals, it’d be hard to see us part ways with him. If we don’t make it then it’s certainly an agenda to ponder.

Though really the game last night, the first half we were the better and dominant team. This showed Pyke was being listened to by the players. Just errant kicking kept the Power in the game. Then we saw in the second half players were basically chasing their opponents when not in possession, or fluffing it up when handling the ball.

To me, the second half showed we are lacking in mental/physical stamina as a team, rather than the coach being crap as the main reason for the loss and lack of 2nd half run.

 

[Morning_Fog]

Essentially id look at:
Out: Campo, Hart, Burton
Shuffle Clark perhaps to the “head of football” role reporting to Pyke directly.
Not sure re Godden. Mattner stays.
From there we’d bring in a senior assistant, forward +/- midfield coach.

I would keep Clarke as a line/ruck coach. His performance with the AFLW and now with the raise of ROB ha shown he is an outstanding performer in his role.

However, I would not appoint him at head of football as we are going from one inexperienced person to the next. Doesn’t make sense. Saying that, Burton still must go.

Maybe we should look at Brenton Phillips who has been the under 18 coach. He has football experience, he know the underage system and drafting environment but right now, we are completely void of people in this state who could fill this role.

Could Neil Craig be an option?

 

[Slippery Pete]

The players have given up on the coaches it seems.

Is that an opinion or a fact...

 

[John Who]

Why?
Mate, if you/we could figure out the answer to your question we'd be rich.
Is it mindset, all between the ears? Looked like complacent laziness and an unwillingness to run/chase/harass to me. The Crows are running around as if they are still producing 2017 Rounds 1-6 footy.

Note to the players: 2017 first 6 rounds we were running as a unit and were overrunning teams in the second half. Nothing like in yesterday’s game!

 

[CrowBloke]

Philosophically, we design a structure that we think works and regardless of anything else place foot soldiers into each position. We value experience and continuity above everything else because our philosophy is purely that of structure and process. We’ve seen this before and we know that it is a failed methodology.

This!
Very good analysis. Insightful.
What you've described is the Crowbot Syndrome, but the Pyke version.
Our Admin and Coaches reward Club loyalty but only when it comes to their own appointments. Nepotism is rife (Ricciuto/ Burton/ Hart, all Club stalwarts, with Campo in an apparent job-for-life scenario and Hass retained even after the 2018 injury fiasco) and it seeps down to player selection (Douglas/ Mackay/ Jacobs-until-injured are examples). The selections of some senior players is a mystery to me. Our new talent is made to wait and wait until underperforming seniors are injured, or until disenchanted seniors leave.
Consider Jones/Douglas, Stengle/Betts, McHenry/Mackay (there are probably other possibilities) where we might well wonder if the former would have done any worse than the latter in the last 2 games.

The Crows are playing without a sense of joy, or fun. Players are arguing on the ground, finger-pointing, scowling, blaming each other, not playing on or running/overlapping for each other. The Crows were rotten in the second half yesterday. Rotten.
Anybody could have missed that goal that Tex missed in the first minute 2nd half, but miss he did and within minutes we were 14/20/26 points down. The Crows stopped challenging, kicking a measly 3 points after that, and PA ran us out of the game.

 

[CrowBloke]

Is that an opinion or a fact...

Opinion, clearly, encouraged by the OP's question.

 

[Crow_68]

This!
Very good analysis. Insightful.
What you've described is the Crowbot Syndrome, but the Pyke version.
Our Admin and Coaches reward Club loyalty but only when it comes to their own appointments. Nepotism is rife (Ricciuto/ Burton/ Hart, all Club stalwarts, with Campo in an apparent job-for-life scenario and Hass retained even after the 2018 injury fiasco) and it seeps down to player selection (Douglas/ Mackay/ Jacobs-until-injured are examples). The selections of some senior players is a mystery to me. Our new talent is made to wait and wait until underperforming seniors are injured, or until disenchanted seniors leave.
Consider Jones/Douglas, Stengle/Betts, McHenry/Mackay (there are probably other possibilities) where we might well wonder if the former would have done any worse than the latter in the last 2 games.

The Crows are playing without a sense of joy, or fun. Players are arguing on the ground, finger-pointing, scowling, blaming each other, not playing on or running/overlapping for each other. The Crows were rotten in the second half yesterday. Rotten.
Anybody could have missed that goal that Tex missed in the first minute 2nd half, but miss he did and within minutes we were 14/20/26 points down. The Crows stopped challenging, kicking a measly 3 points after that, and PA ran us out of the game.

Correct weight.

I don't think I have seen the players express frustration with each other as much as the second half yesterday.

It's pretty clear there is a complete breakdown in the connection between the backs, mids and forwards. And when players change positions during a game, they seem confused as to their role.

Whose fault is that? The line coaches? The Senior Assistant? The Senior Coach? Perhaps we need a mid-season shuffling of the chairs, similar to what Melbourne have just done.

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[Alwaysacrow]

That 2 half capitulation was 1 of the worst performances from the Crows I've ever seen. They all deserve to be dropped for that. Obviously that won't happen but at minimum players Douglas, Atkins and MacKay.
I'd also give Betts a rest and try Stengle. A message has to be sent to this group. I never want to see that again.!

 

[WetCrow1991]

Watching Sloane just stand still and not even motion to pressure was pretty disgusting to see.

 

[WetCrow1991]

I used to notice that as well, it was like they had the ball on a string. You are correct, they just worked harder and smarter to be first at the ball.


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That and positioning and movement. We are always so stagnant and out of position. Like we don't have any effective system and just rely on individuals being in good form.

 

[Murray2503]

We currently have a post-mortem vent thread, and a changes thread for this second Showdown.

I’m currently interested in understanding how and why we suddenly stopped running/scoring/giving-a-damn?

Did anyone else sense that Tex was going to bust the game open with 2 shots for goal within the first minute of the 3rd quarter? Did we not look like a million bucks at that exact moment?

So...wtf happened? Please stick to analytical posting in this thread and the vent posts for elsewhere.

Your missing the point. Currently the team is not playing as a team. I have seen enough football to know a team that plays with pride and passion for the guernsey and one another. There is something inherently broken at this club. The club has slowly decayed over a long period of time propped up by a large supporter base that hopes for success but demands very little. Sure we have had the occasional year where we get our hopes up only to be dashed when it comes time to deliver. Unfortunately while you have people running an organisation who are inherently selfish you will find that this attitude permeates through the whole organisation including the playing group. The whole afl industry knows we are a franchise with no heart and that hurts as a supporter. Many of us are sick of it and ready to move on from supporting this club. You can discuss our lack of run infinitum but until the real problems which exist from chairman down are dealt with you are just wasting your time and mobile phone batteries discussing it.

 

[21knights]

I personally think it’s all a fitness issue. Fitness always plays a much bigger part than people realise. We have always had outstanding fitness people at the club in our good years and slide back down the ladder when they leave and we get someone average instead.

 

[Golumless]

Too many in this player core are finished, and are either incapable now or have had the fight knocked out of them.

Time to look at 2022.

 

[PrideoSA]

I personally think it’s all a fitness issue. Fitness always plays a much bigger part than people realise. We have always had outstanding fitness people at the club in our good years and slide back down the ladder when they leave and we get someone average instead.

Port definately looked the fitter side, with their physicality, spread, and numbers around the ball, as per v Geelong

 

[Mattrox]

....
Then when we did actually turn the ball over we had nowhere to go.

Meaning the ball eventually went back to Port for them to score another goal.

After awhile we simply wore ourselves out.

I don't know if it was player driven or coach driven, but it was beyond stupid.

This, and this again.... and once more for good measure.

Sick of losing games in this manner.

When we get a break, there is no one to kick to. Infuriating. It's our structure. It sux when we are under the pump.

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[kirky]

Your missing the point. Currently the team is not playing as a team. I have seen enough football to know a team that plays with pride and passion for the guernsey and one another. There is something inherently broken at this club. The club has slowly decayed over a long period of time propped up by a large supporter base that hopes for success but demands very little. Sure we have had the occasional year where we get our hopes up only to be dashed when it comes time to deliver. Unfortunately while you have people running an organisation who are inherently selfish you will find that this attitude permeates through the whole organisation including the playing group. The whole afl industry knows we are a franchise with no heart and that hurts as a supporter. Many of us are sick of it and ready to move on from supporting this club. You can discuss our lack of run infinitum but until the real problems which exist from chairman down are dealt with you are just wasting your time and mobile phone batteries discussing it.

Sounds like a typical SA attitude - happy to dominant in this state without actually dominating elsewhere.

Some of our players are only interested in their own game and getting possessions to improve their dream team/fantasy stats/score i.e. a half back flanker comes to mind easily.

 

[Flying_as_One1991]

Don’t know about you guys but I rate tackles high on my list as proves work rate when you don’t have the ball and when I look through that stat every week it’s pretty disappointing.

Also is laying a shepherd a thing of the past

 

[Dc9798]

I agree with most of the sentiments. Just on Pyke, whilst we’re making the Finals, it’d be hard to see us part ways with him. If we don’t make it then it’s certainly an agenda to ponder.

Though really the game last night, the first half we were the better and dominant team. This showed Pyke was being listened to by the players. Just errant kicking kept the Power in the game. Then we saw in the second half players were basically chasing their opponents when not in possession, or fluffing it up when handling the ball.

To me, the second half showed we are lacking in mental/physical stamina as a team, rather than the coach being crap as the main reason for the loss and lack of 2nd half run.

Agreed. The drop-off in the second half was staggering, given that we should of had a 4-5 goal lead at half time. The midfield for the second week running got absolutely torched leaving our defence under siege.


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[Golumless]

Don’t know about you guys but I rate tackles high on my list as proves work rate when you don’t have the ball and when I look through that stat every week it’s pretty disappointing.

Also is laying a shepherd a thing of the past

I find tackles a weirdly used stat seeing it doesn't actually indicate work rate. Just tackles which cause a stoppage/turnover. After all, you could lay ten tackles and not have a single one count due to not impacting the disposal, even though you've impacted the play, and working hard.

Work rate is better off in the realm of pressure acts stat. That would be the closest thing we have to a true workrate indicator, but even that one is somewhat flowed.

 

[LoBu]

Yep, that was a “coach killer” performance. The type where you question if the players are still playing for the coach. Able to get up for occasion initially, but once challenged, there was no fight, we just capitulated. Does not bode well for the rest of the year.

If we did get a new coach, Bassett should be top of the list, he is the coach players love, and did in awesome things at Norwood

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[Flying_as_One1991]

I find tackles a weirdly used stat seeing it doesn't actually indicate work rate. Just tackles which cause a stoppage/turnover. After all, you could lay ten tackles and not have a single one count due to not impacting the disposal, even though you've impacted the play, and working hard.

Work rate is better off in the realm of pressure acts stat. That would be the closest thing we have to a true workrate indicator, but even that one is somewhat flowed.

Yeah no accurate stat for defensive work rate but when players are landing 1 effective tackle a game pretty poor.

 

[Golumless]

Yeah no accurate stat for defensive work rate but when players are landing 1 effective tackle a game pretty poor.

Well that depends on how highly you rate an effective tackle. Lets say, hypothetically, they've landed 1 effective tackles but 5 ineffective tackles end up resulting in turnovers. It's not good on the stat sheet, but that player has done more good for his side then landing 6 effective tackles.

 

[WetCrow1991]

With our focus on ultra contested game plan, we clearly miss CEY in the middle as a big body.

Amazing.

 

[Crowhorse]

Not much said here on selection policy. I picked this would happen pre game based on the Geelong fade out.

CEY went out and still no midfielder has come in, Wilson keeps carving it up but can’t buy a call up. And if we’re expecting Mackay and Dougie to fill the void then f*** me.

Also JJ just doesn’t play injured, either play some else till he’s fit or remove him from the list completely, just don’t play him injured.

Another thing, no cover for Lynch at all. Bring in the highly unlikely Davis, one of the more confusing debuts in the clubs history, spuds it up - back to the drawing board with nothing but the Dougie/Mackay solution.

After two weeks of trying absolutely nothing to improve our game questions must be asked. And this coming off a bye too. GC game is now more interesting than it needs to be, a loss will draw the worst kind of attention for all concerned.

 

[mistylake]

One obvious factor is the loss of Gooch early during the match. One less rotation certainly hurt us. Also Port has the fresher legs and quicker speed.

ROB also seems to be down in this game. He was playing against Lycett with a strapped knee and was beaten. This was disappointing.

Didn’t we just have a bye to freshen up.?