Umpiring - I don't want to go there, but the numbers don't lie: we had 3 frees in three quarters of the game. That is just ridiculous.
The number of times I saw blokes take on the tackler, then get caught without a correct disposal, was considerable. Has been for weeks. Dropping the ball has also been diluted. Plenty of times over the weeks I've seen blokes, again take on the tackler, and the ball is dislodged in the tackle to fall without correct disposal by foot or hand resulting in play on or ball up.
Williams had significant game influence today, fans seem reluctant to give him credit where credit is due. For me his F50 success highlights a fundamental contributing cause of our failings over the last few weeks. How can it be a rookie SF like Williams gets in all the right spaces, while relatively more seasoned SFs like Fantasia, Owies and Durdin cannot?
Yep.
What Williams did as a small forward is probably what we were expecting/hoping from Fantasia, and Durdin. Opposition sides will put time into Williams now, so that's a hurdle to tackle. But what I really liked was his instinctual goal sense, and when it was time to hold the aggot in our forward line, his defensive work was front and centre. Ripper.
Should we find a fit and in form small forwards trio of Martin, Motlop & Williams... drool. As an opposition defense how would you like to have to quell Charles, H, Martin, Motlop & Williams? And add to that the hardness and tackling pressure of Fog... more drooling.
No, Tom didn’t get smashed in the ruck. Witts got more hitouts but few ended up as GC clearances. Most of Tom’s hitouts resulted in a clearance to us, and Tom’s second and third efforts at stoppages played a big part in that.
Tom had twice as many effective disposals than Witts and took important marks around the ground. Witts was a virtually a non-event around the ground, apart from the goal he was gifted.
From what I could see, Tom went to the bench for running repairs and because he had no gas in his tank.
Exactamundo. TDK looked like a man hungry for the contest; hungry to prove something - and he did.
But what a conundrum. Pitto is also a ripper. We love him. He is different to TDK and his point of difference is really effective in its own way. Perhaps a horses for courses situation? There might be times for both, times for Pitto and rest TDK, then vice versa.
I know it may open a can of worms, but we just look better with TDK as the solo ruck, it also allows H to get into the game more in the ruck and around the ground. Not so top heavy. An extra running small is oh so handy.
Our only lapse was the last 7 or 8 minutes. Huge step re persistence.
I saw why Fantasia was chosen over Durdin, narrowly.
McGovern so supreme in defense.
Walshy great but gotta clean up on disposal, handed them possession too many times.
I think we have to live with the fact that Charles is spasmodic, laconic and inconsistent... but when he's on, he's an amazing weapon and turns games.
Martin showed what a small forward can doing hanging around H and Charles. Too much talent to be used as a lock down defender. Great opportunistic goal sense.
Cincotta sacrificed his game to play his lock down role really well.
Got a beaut with E Hollands. Just used the aggot so well.
Crippa shone.
To be honest, I wouldn't make any changes for next week. Saady and Fog will be better for the run. Motlop needs another game in the Magoos. Maybe Billy for Jack as the sub.
But we don't learn it's the same old issues over and over
Don't worry, Professory, I agree it's a massive hurdle. Especially when the opposition counters our set-up. I hope, mmm... pray, we took a leaf out of the Dishlickers book in their game against the Fluffy Ducks, when the ducks dialled up the pressure, the Dishlickers responded with their own dialled up pressure and the ducks struggled. If not for the injuries to key personnel in that game I reckon the Dishlickers would have gotten up.
Saw something in that qtr you never want to see... Dom A is out marked at FF, his opponent turns and runs into goal and Dom A immediately gave up the chase - just turned and walked away. Yes, it was pretty inevitable (the goal) but to turn and walk away before his opponent had kicked the ball... not on.
