I wonder if Abbott or Rudd can recite the second verse of Advance Australia Fair, or if they would ever want to?
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We'll toil with hearts and hands; To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands; For those who've come across the seas We've boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine To Advance Australia Fair.
I think the individual player problems stem from cultural problems at the club going back a long, long time. It was highlighted way back when the now infamous "We don't rebuild!" statement was issued. As yet I haven't seen any major improvement that I can identify.
We may have been penalised for "Not Rebuilding", but we haven't learned the lessons yet! Ironically I think the cheating Bumbers stalled our progress, because that juiced up result early last year made us question if the direction we were heading in was the right one!
Some of these "World's Best Practice" training and fitness techniques are a worry as well. This to me relates to the "Train Smarter, Not Harder" ideology, and the warning bells for me are the "Not Harder" part. Winners will do both, the smarter techniques should just be seen as the icing on the cake not a complete alternative!
I can understand the "Smarter Not Harder" ethos, if your a 50 year old and want to run your first marathon the "Smarter Not Harder" stuff might help you get across the line where a hard training regime might just kill you. But you won't win the marathon not by a long way!
So why do I think this is important relative to someone like Yarran. Because often the "Train Smarter, Not Harder" ethos is part of the lazy trainers lament!
Did you see Sandilands float forward and bury his knees into the backs on quite a few occassions, we have nobody with any mongrel by comparison. Twice Watson tried to spoil Sandilands by punching, Freo deliberately put the ball high to the big fella, a team like Hawthorn would puncture his lung!
I apologise to Watson, he looked a spud in the VFL but capable in the AFL. He just needs to find his role and for his team mates to actually look for him!
Kreuzer will not progress as long as the relief ruckmen is a spud. Kreuzer did well in the opening, but Clarke and Sandilands rucking against Rowe is as good as giving them a rest on the bench. One ruckmen will never work, and the only other half feasible ruck option Hampson is injured anyway. We have no other option, but we must have two rucks and one less Amigo in my opinion.
When SpecialK did push forward, we kicked it at his toes. A 200cm player and we kicked it at his toes 4 or 5 times inside F50!
Sandilands showed why Warnock is useless, half fitness yet Sandilands still wins probably 90% of his CMs inside F50. Warnock has probably never beaten a player like Jamison, Henderson or Watson in his life! Plus Sandilands has some mongrel, he buried that big knee into defenders ribs three or four times. We did nothing to him in return!
Murphy is injured, but most players must play injured as some time or another and as captain you have to find a way!
Gibbs was doing OK in the midfield early in the season, why he has been dealt out of the rotations is beyond me.
Robbo should be a defensive forward, never to play midfield again!
I agree with pretty much all MM said, becoming apologists for the output of certain players won't help us move forward as a club. A number of them have to go!
It isn't rocket science to work out who and what went wrong last night. Freo are famous this season for scoring in bursts, this happens because they eventually wear down the opposition who stop for a breath and by the time they catch that breath it is too late, game over. We were happy to go hard at Freo for 8 out of 10 minutes, provided we got a minute or two rest. Freo played for 10 out of 10 and rested after the final siren! Watch the replay, see a few of our guys strolling along half a kick behind play, it is very revealing.
Being hard as a player isn't just about belting blokes or putting your head over the ball. It' as much about leaving no stone unturned, Freo do not want to give you a thing, we are happy to share everything!
When the pressure is on we become "Cliquey", there is a group of players in our team that first look for each other then if it is still not too late look for the best option. Freo are a good team, they go the correct way every time regardless of who is getting the ball, they are not about looking after your mate with some cheap stats or kicking it to your buddy.
One of the worst offenders is one of our better players, 1AW keeps kicking the ball to Betts and Garlett in 2 on 1 or contested marking situations. Despite him cleaning up across HB he is the cause of so much of what goes wrong. We work hard, but one poor 1AW choice turns the ball over and the chase starts all over again. In the end frustration and despair take over and the team ethic is lost. Worst of all he is not learning from his mistakes, he has already cooked the careers of Casboult and Hampson with his poor choices, and Rowe, Kreuzer and other potential resting or full time forwards will suffer as well. 1AW is an incredibly talented, incredibly dumb AFL footballer.
Betts and Yarran. The only time they do not have goal vision is if there is a chance they can handball backwards so that they get a chance to run into forward space. Otherwise it's "Goal, goal, goal for me" thinking. Tonight like so many games this year you can see instances when Simpson, Armfield, McLean and Lucas worked hard to get into free space only to be completely ignored. For professional footballers this is disgraceful behavior, child like decision making! They are unprofessional!
The amigos game plan is useless against better sides at Etihad, they are too big of a liability in and around stoppages. Freo made them look like they were made of fairy floss.
A high ball comes in, four Freo players run at it, three Carlton players watch one teammate compete.
We'll all be watching Rowe closely this week. Last week he was very close to being a liability, whilst Casboult from all reports was very good again in the Reserves.
Graham is also unlucky, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is only considered as a replacement for McLean.
Where are McInnes and Waite?
Graham's problem is pace...good ball winner and you need your in and under types but Cachia, Curnow, Mclean, Carrazzo in the one team is in cricket terms very medium paced. I think Graham will be a good senior player but may have to wait his chance...
re: Rowe...fair points, dont know about a liability...he didnt have the ball enough to be a liability and was more of a passenger. However he has been signed for next season and Casboult would be thinking he is now fighting for his spot on the list unless both Hampson and Warnock get traded out.....
Sam Mitchel is slow
So were Greg Williams and Leigh Matthews, but I try and fit them in!
Glad to see Curnow get some sugar for his game, it was the best for the club by some margin.
He actually started hurting the opposition not just tagging Ablett, and this was good to see. Even when Ablett did get off the leash it was well away from anywhere he could do us any real harm.
As for this week, bring Duigan in and issue one clear instruction to the HB and midfield group. Sit the ball on Sandilands head at CHF, and clear a path for Duigs!
