Watching Melbourne against Geelong was an almost better side than when they won the last flag. Hard to find a weak link. If our pressure is just slightly off for a short period and if we continue to bomb long expecting talls to take a mark by chance, we will be given a lesson in how to lose another match.
who Melbourne or Geelong? Had Cameron kicked like last week Geelong would have won.
What Melbourne didn't do is attack the ball carrier leaving players free in defensive 50. They worked backwards to cover options which artificially creates panic and makes players kick longer to a contest.
We didn't change this against Geelong until it was far too late, and paid dearly for it.
He gave away 2 or 3 frees for holding plain and simple, his opponents had him bluffed. Not a defenders a-hole. I called out Walsh immediately and will continue to.
Those frees were garbage. He gave them away...
Let me kill that argument slightly.
Elliott engages his opponent to push off and create separation. They grab each other. Ump sees it pays a free kick. Watch every single duel and tell me that they aren't all identical. I watched Rhys Stanley do similar to Max gawn (and arguably worse) and it was play on.
The subjective nature here is what the problem is. They ping Williams twice and then don't pay another free like it until mason Cox gets a bit of the same.
That equated to about 3 goals. There was also the cripps handball paid holding the ball and then the jack crisp "drop" handball that was paid play on.
These things are a frequent occurrence, and I don't really debate the action I debate the consistency. It's a free in our defensive 50 but you won't find a similar free for essentially the same action in our forward 50. Why?
The blocks that occur that take walsh off daicos and at other times cowan off Elliott.
They're not illegal. Their blokes get on the bike and run around others who are there to hold illegally but no one cares about those holds.
I think Voss might have been eating a bit of humble pie, we went into that game with a perceived advantage that the Filth turned into a weakness.
Out coached?
Out coached is interesting. I cant really take it when you lose by a goal and the scores were level with 2 minutes left.
Do you get outcoached in that circumstance? Pues had extra rest too after anzac day. The second quarter was our worst and where we let the game slip but our handballs and errant kicking had more to do with it than being out coached.
Irrespective of what we say we played last seasons premiers who have started hitting their stride recently. It had danger game written all ober it from the get go.
Ill start with some very ordinary free goals gidted to the pies by the umpires. In a 6 point game when we were on top that was important. Particularly when we dont get them back for holds.
Now going back to the teams and the systems or lack thereof. We are relying on a lot of overlap run and handball. It worked for a quarter and then the pies setup differently. Their system gives team space to hang themselves unless each disposal is perfect. We got through enoigh to keep playing that way but they were effectively able to build pressure on the ball carrier as time went on because we kept running it through the corridor and couldnt get the release kick forward.
This results in the dump kicks, and lack of ability to see free targets up field.
The pies systems in the centre are interesting. The rucks actually dont attempt to win the tap. They play to halve it and then dictate where the ball lamds ofd either ruck. They also position themselves so that the ball will land to our advantage inside the contest and theirs outside. This results in more repeat stoppages, and lack of ability to break through. You find space at the back, where their high half forwards run back to pressure the clearance. Results in more ball going their way more often.
Fundamentally they are a better drilled and smarter football team. That being said the amount of illegal holding, shepherds that they get away with is outrageous including simply dumping the ball out of a tackle.
Realistically they could have put us away with netter kicking. We could have pinched it bbut when the scores are level harry takes a good strong mark in front of moore and inexplicably kicks it across the top of fifty to no one in particular. Pies rebound. Repeat forward stoppage and the eventual setup to get daicos clear and kick the winning goal.
Its a shame, they ran that play earlier and it worked then for a snap goal. We need to get smarter in a hurry.
I think you guys dont realise just how much management types in the public sector seem to be more like dictators who like to surround themselves with "yes" people.
I want what I want, and make the numbers work would have been the guidance.
Im a little concerned with Ollie Hollands lack of development. Not sure whether he is star struck and head got too big but been underwhelming. Ginbey, McVee, Wilmot and many others are hitting some PBs but Ollie has stagnated and even gone backwards.
Needs to regain touch and confidence.
Second year blues or potentially just shouldering a much bigger load than last year.
Maybe we should change his number back....
Personally, i think these things are just a function of opposition knowing more about him and matching up accordingly.
Theyve not been travelling well this season, and despite our defensive woes, we have been scoring heavily, and dominating play but have shot ourselves in the foot a lot. I think we are favourites for good reason, and will start favourites most weeks, unless we start playing like Brisbane where we dont even look like winning.
Geelong never really looked likely to lose on Saturday, but you cant say we were ever out of the game and we lost it more than they won it IMHO.
Im just spewing this one is overlapping Good Friday for the Orthodox Christians. Expect a lower crowd as a consequence (or they can be heathens like me and skip the good friday service).
They rebound, we see a half back leave his man to pressure the ball carrier. Separation about 40 metres, so in effect the "presssure" is non existant and then its a short kixck to a team mate whos now free.
This hekps teams go coast to coast a lot against us, and i think that players need to pick their moments better on when to stay on their man or leave to pressure the ball carrier.
A long kick to a contest or making them run it, is more desirable. Leave your man later when you can get back or theyve run into trouble.
We lost this one in the first quarter. Yes it was crucial but copping 4 goals in a row staright after was worse. We conceded every time they went forward.
Its like blaming the 50 against harry for losing which gave geelong a free goal. Thats not why you lose when you kick so poorly early. Put the scoreboard pressure on and see the difference.
