You can have the greatest backline.....

[NSWCROW]

But if you don't have the cattle down forward it's all for nought , isn't it !!!!

 

[King Elvis]

No shit.

 

[ThePeckers]

Bring back Wayne Carey...

 

[Sedat!]

Fear not my Crow friends, help is on its way in the shape of the Bulldogs. If they can make Ben Holland look like a potent key forward, imagine what they will do to your forward line this week. It will be a Backyard Blitz style renovation.

Testimonials:
Luke Vogels - "Before I played against the Bulldogs, I thought I was crap. I ended up being a match winner against them. I've hardly played a game since, maybe I am crap"
Marty McGrath - "I once kicked 5 goals against the Dogs, then I got delisted 5 weeks later. If opnly I could play them every week"
Nigel Fiegert - "The only 3 goals I ever kicked in my AFL career were against the Dogs"

So fear not. We will turn Luke Jericho into Peter Daicos for one week. Rest assured.

 

[KUNG FU]

Bassett out and both Truck & Bock were coming back from injury. We didn't have the greatest backline today.

Forward line, well thats another story.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Bassett out and both Truck & Bock were coming back from injury. We didn't have the greatest backline today.

Forward line, well thats another story.

And that backline was bloody sensational today considering the amount of good entry Geelong had.

If it wasn't for the backline, we would have been trashed by a much greater margin than we did.

 

[KUNG FU]

And that backline was bloody sensational today considering the amount of good entry Geelong had.

If it wasn't for the backline, we would have been trashed by a much greater margin than we did.

Yeah I totally agree. These were my votes today:

5 - Johncock
4 - Bock
3 - Porplyzia
2 - McLeod
1 - Goodwin

3 - Bock
2 - Rutten
1 - Massie

 

[bus24]

Give me Sellar, Griffin, Meesen, Walker, Pavlich anything but what we've got now.

It hs to be the WORST forward line in the AFL. I've really just degenerated to laughing at it. When Nick Gill, rejected by 2 AFL clubs and recruited as an insurance policy, is leading the forward setup, you know it's a sad state of affairs.

I like Nick Gill, he provides something, but he should be the 3rd tall up there. Our best forward shouldn't be a guy thats been rejected by 2 AFL clubs (albeit as a defender) and who struggles to kick.

Perrie is useless, I've had enough. There's room for one of him or Gill and presently Gill is leading this race. By some distance.

Get someone big up there. Someone who can take a mark without getting moved aside like a pillow.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Yet getting smashed in the midfield was probably our biggest problem...

 

[fightingdreamer88]

Give me Sellar, Griffin, Meesen, Walker, Pavlich anything but what we've got now.

It hs to be the WORST forward line in the AFL. I've really just degenerated to laughing at it. When Nick Gill, rejected by 2 AFL clubs and recruited as an insurance policy, is leading the forward setup, you know it's a sad state of affairs.

I like Nick Gill, he provides something, but he should be the 3rd tall up there. Our best forward shouldn't be a guy thats been rejected by 2 AFL clubs (albeit as a defender) and who struggles to kick.

Perrie is useless, I've had enough. There's room for one of him or Gill and presently Gill is leading this race. By some distance.

Get someone big up there. Someone who can take a mark without getting moved aside like a pillow.

I agree with your views on Gill. Imo he is someone who could make an impact if taken out of the limelight somewhat; think Bassett when Rutten arrived on the scene - he was suddenly able to roam and do what he does best; he has blossomed since then. The thing is, we haven't the gun forwards to give someone like Gill that luxury. It sucks and we can only hope that guys like Sellar develop as hoped, and Hentschel fully recovers from his injury.

 

[OzSparrow]

Fear not my Crow friends, help is on its way in the shape of the Bulldogs. If they can make Ben Holland look like a potent key forward, imagine what they will do to your forward line this week. It will be a Backyard Blitz style renovation.

Testimonials:
Luke Vogels - "Before I played against the Bulldogs, I thought I was crap. I ended up being a match winner against them. I've hardly played a game since, maybe I am crap"
Marty McGrath - "I once kicked 5 goals against the Dogs, then I got delisted 5 weeks later. If opnly I could play them every week"
Nigel Fiegert - "The only 3 goals I ever kicked in my AFL career were against the Dogs"

So fear not. We will turn Luke Jericho into Peter Daicos for one week. Rest assured.

Classic!

Looking forward to our Elim Final next week.

Hope it is you guys who are booking your September holidays next Monday.

Cheers

 

[jackster83]

Everyone bags the crap out of our forward line, especially after a loss but with the exception of a clearly unfit Perrie, I think that anyone who blames our forward line for the predicament we're in is full of crap. Our forward line is not great but our players up there are no worse than those in top 8 sides Port, Kangaroos and Collingwood.

The problem is (and was during Gary Ayres time too) is the MIDFIELD. Our midfield is surely in the bottom 4 in the AFL: how many f#cking times do we see ordinary opposition midfielders rack up 30 poss, 6 inside 50s, etc - players like Birss, Peverill, Wocjinski, etc

Firstly we get smashed in the clearances which means that the other team gets the first attacking foray after each center bounce and can get the ball in there before we can get numbers back.

Secondly, when we do get possession of the ball, our ball movement is like a bottom of the ladder SANFL team. We appear scared when moving the ball forward and fart about playing hot-potato with stupid handballs often to a team mate about to be tackled. We also appear scared to use the center corridor. That kick by Mcleod yesterday to a 3 on 1: what the f#ck did he hope to achieve by doing that? He would've been better off turning around to face the grandstand and booting it out on the full as hard as he could then at least they would have been held up a little.

Thirdly, when we inevitably cough up the ball at half forward, our on ballers just stand there with hands on hips while their opponents run forward uncontested. We have gotten used Bassett and co. repeatedly getting us out of the shit every week, taking courageous marks and effecting desperate spoils.

Finally, the tackling...where has it gone? 42 tackles versus Geelongs' 63 when they had a lot more of the ball. Anyone except perhaps Neil Craig can put 2 and 2 together and see that we're not working hard enough.

With the sole exception of Goodwin, our on-ballers need a huge kick up the ass...even the wonderful, overrated Scott Thompson...

Well, that's my rant over and done with. I just hope that we make a huge improvement over the pre season...

PS it was great to see Johncock hit some good form

 

[fightingdreamer88]

Everyone bags the crap out of our forward line, especially after a loss but with the exception of a clearly unfit Perrie, I think that anyone who blames our forward line for the predicament we're in is full of crap. Our forward line is not great but our players up there are no worse than those in top 8 sides Port, Kangaroos and Collingwood.

The problem is (and was during Gary Ayres time too) is the MIDFIELD. Our midfield is surely in the bottom 4 in the AFL: how many f#cking times do we see ordinary opposition midfielders rack up 30 poss, 6 inside 50s, etc - players like Birss, Peverill, Wocjinski, etc

Firstly we get smashed in the clearances which means that the other team gets the first attacking foray after each center bounce and can get the ball in there before we can get numbers back.

Secondly, when we do get possession of the ball, our ball movement is like a bottom of the ladder SANFL team. We appear scared when moving the ball forward and fart about playing hot-potato with stupid handballs often to a team mate about to be tackled. We also appear scared to use the center corridor. That kick by Mcleod yesterday to a 3 on 1: what the f#ck did he hope to achieve by doing that? He would've been better off turning around to face the grandstand and booting it out on the full as hard as he could then at least they would have been held up a little.

Thirdly, when we inevitably cough up the ball at half forward, our on ballers just stand there with hands on hips while their opponents run forward uncontested. We have gotten used Bassett and co. repeatedly getting us out of the shit every week, taking courageous marks and effecting desperate spoils.

Finally, the tackling...where has it gone? 42 tackles versus Geelongs' 63 when they had a lot more of the ball. Anyone except perhaps Neil Craig can put 2 and 2 together and see that we're not working hard enough.

With the sole exception of Goodwin, our on-ballers need a huge kick up the ass...even the wonderful, overrated Scott Thompson...

Well, that's my rant over and done with. I just hope that we make a huge improvement over the pre season...

PS it was great to see Johncock hit some good form

And in the few games when the entire midfield has worked hard, we've looked awesome. Killed the Bulldogs in round 2, smashed the Hawks a few weeks ago....I don't think the quality of the midfield is a problem; we have very promising youngsters and some top-tier senior players; it's their work rate.

 

[King Elvis]

Secondly, when we do get possession of the ball, our ball movement is like a bottom of the ladder SANFL team. We appear scared when moving the ball forward and fart about playing hot-potato with stupid handballs often to a team mate about to be tackled.

Thirdly, when we inevitably cough up the ball at half forward, our on ballers just stand there with hands on hips while their opponents run forward uncontested.

Both of those comments are a result of a poor forwardline.

We move the ball forward with no confidence, and when our mids bust their arses to get the ball and deliver it to the forwards, when it does come straight back out (as it often does), they then have to go defensive without any respite.

When we had a decent forwardline last year, there were no problems with our midfield. Our midfield hasn't all of a sudden gotten super shithouse, but our forwardline has - which then makes our midfielders look balls.

 

[fightingdreamer88]

Both of those comments are a result of a poor forwardline.

We move the ball forward with no confidence, and when our mids bust their arses to get the ball and deliver it to the forwards, when it does come straight back out (as it often does), they then have to go defensive without any respite.

When we had a decent forwardline last year, there were no problems with our midfield. Our midfield hasn't all of a sudden gotten super shithouse, but our forwardline has - which then makes our midfielders look balls.

Then why isn't our midfield generating its own goals?

 

[jmorg1]

And in the few games when the entire midfield has worked hard, we've looked awesome. Killed the Bulldogs in round 2, smashed the Hawks a few weeks ago....I don't think the quality of the midfield is a problem; we have very promising youngsters and some top-tier senior players; it's their work rate.

Their work rate is made to look bad by the forward line.

 

[jmorg1]

Then why isn't our midfield generating its own goals?

Because of the forward line.

 

[jmorg1]

Bassett out and both Truck & Bock were coming back from injury. We didn't have the greatest backline today.

Forward line, well thats another story.

We didn't have the greatest backline today because of our forward line.

 

[crowsarethebest]

THe problem is- the forwards. We are really really reallly really missing Bode. He was absolutely fantasic in the small forward role- He wasn't quick but he ran and ran and chased the defenders. All this pressure made the defenders panic- and turn it over to us. We got many cheap goals this way in 2005 and 2006 even. THe forward pressure is crap. We bomb it in, goes to ground level because our forwards don't take the contested grab, the opposition defenders pick it up, it goes straight out. Our midfielders NEVER get to rest because our forwards don't chase... the ball just rebounds straight out. Thats why we use so many midfield rotations, expecially for our youngsters because they haven't got the aerobic capactiy yet. Give us two Bodes this year and we would be a much better side.