We have to send a strong message at the selection table that passengers need to buy some new tickets.
Having a handful of guys who are just making up the numbers is unacceptable on all levels.
We have been hit hard with injuries when we can least afford to with five very hard games coming up, it is not out of the question to go from 4-0 to 4-6 in the blink of an eye.
Last year we were cruising along with a great win to loss ratio. We then hit a combination of poor form and injuries to have too many lost games in succession. Then we had to reboot mentally and drag us back up to almost top 4 positions on the ladder. Only to be so fatigued that we could not come away with a preliminary win. We really cannot afford to lose all of our next 5 games. There is a chance it could actually happen. We need Voss to teach the players how to be mentally strong. Our hamstring injuries don’t give me faith that a weeks rest is enough to bring Cerra, Gov and Saad back into action. I don’t like our chances of winning more than one game in the next 5 weeks. One at best. Not being negative but more of a case of being realistic. Doc and Silvagni injuries almost killed our season before it really began. Two versatile players that could play in any position and play with passion and heart. Giving us cover we really needed.
Not an opponent you want to encounter unless you are close to a full list. Our recent injuries could be what ends up being a poor loss against the Giants. Probably the most improved side in the last couple of seasons. I will be happy if we get away with a loss of under 4 goals.
Next game is the start of the losing streak. Thank the gods it is earlier than last season. We are not top 4 contenders just yet. We had this one in the bag and in a way, I am glad we lost this opportunity. We are not top 4 material by any measure. Close only wins by the majority of games. Eventually you lose a few close game s by the rules of Karma. Our next 4 weeks could have us win not a single game. Back into the battlers group still struggling to get into the top 8. Voss needs to do some serious talking and motivating. A bad period could have us lose our next 5. At a guess we will be lucky to get 3 wins in the next 5 games. More likely to be 2. Maybe 1. Not doom and gloom, but we had this one game in the bag against a side that struggled to play any side so far this season. We need much more work between the ears. Better game day selection of players. Less need for Walsh to carry the entire squad. He is only playing his first game this season if I am correct? We need to learn how to keep a lead on the scoreboard. We need to learn how to defend better. We still need to work on endurance and how to find speed by foot when the going gets tough. Not happy with the result at all. Glad we lost if we learn from the experience. Adelaide of all sides. Really? GWS by 5 goals next game.
We probably should consider how many times we have been screwed over with umpires decisions. Either paying or not paying a result in the past. Karma has a strange way of working the other way years later. We just need to take the wins as we get them. While Adelaide could and probably should be a win for us, we need to consider the rounds to follow. GWS, Geelong, Collingwood and Melbourne will be a true measure of where we are at. Depending on the results. Just need some composure and finish on the scoreboard to start. It won’t be easy to finish top 8 and very hard to get into the top 4. Winning close games gives me faith we can fight to the death. Before the game I expected a 3 goal win our way. Listening to the game I expected a 3 goal loss. Isn’t it funny how the result ends up in the end. The die hard minutes of the contest. Load up. Next round.
I wouldnt want Pittonet leaving.....TDK isnt designed for continuous heavy duty ruck action imho and we would be left with nothing but rookie and ruck novices. Its not that easy to get competent second stringers who can actually compete and break even with most teams No 1 rucks and while ruckman can be overrated in terms of importance when you lose your main ruckman you find life more difficult vs the better teams.
Something funny about what I have seen lately. Harry and TDK get around the ground by foot very well for their size. They also play like ruck types that do better once the ball is in play both in the air as marking targets and getting the ball at ground level, rather than purely tap out specialist ruck type players. Harry isn’t a ruck. He can play there. TDK isn’t a specialised forward but can play there. Keep these two and swap to meet match up needs. Maybe we need mobile ruck and forward types with leg speed, endurance and ability to play the ball at ground level. Most sides learn how to play to the advantage of an opponent ruck tap style and intercept the tap out. The key tap out specialist might not be the best for a club. It works well at times but clever mid field players read their predictable taps. Their bulk makes them slow at ground level. Poor with endurance and their marking skills become their only fall back skill. If Jack wasn’t on a long term injury list, Pitts would probably not get more than two or three games for this entire season. I might be wrong and won’t claim to be an expert but it looks like things are about to change. How to inject speed at every level. Players that can get the ball below their knees and generate some transition the other way. Cripps might eventually just be used as a thug. Tough body to crash through smaller guts and hurt them or something else. Big body to absorb the pressure that would target the Double Dutch or Walsh and others. I just hope we get better with silly cute disposals. Just kick to targets with percentage play. Don’t be a smart arse. Back on TDK. He has huge potential. He needs to keep working. He is far from elite. He has many things to learn. He could be anything and is starting to show some real team benefits. I just hope he doesn’t get complacent as he has so much to show and he needs to deliver. I like what I am about to see. Let me see it young fella. Work hard buddy.
Next four games - three will be against teams in the top four. If we are deserving of top two finish then next month will shape that.
Freo Adelaide GWS Geelong
No easy games in this group. Walsh back soon will help us. We need all the help we can get. Considering no Doc, and no Jack. Plus limited ruck stocks. Our pressure will be put to the test. If that holds up we could win more of these games than we expect. Bring on the mental focus Voss. Bring that on.
Some great performances and some silly brain fade disposals. Acres had me worried in the second half. He can either be a freak and quality number one, or I just need to close my eyes when he has the ball. Not bagging him and he wasn’t the only player up and down like a yo-yo. Glad we won, and won well. I would have exploded if it ended up a goal or two result. Our list is far too good for close results against kids.
You can’t always blame the result on the players that are selected by abilities. Their attitudes are wrong at critical moments. Stark trying the belt the leather off every ball was not a great choice. Smith playing timid at the other end like he was protecting his batting average doesn’t show real leadership. If this was Steve Waugh as the other Steve in this chase, and maybe a late bowling batsman with more composure it was an easy win for us. The bowling was exceptional. It was very good. From a guy with a busted up toe and in hospital the night before. We can’t expect to win purely on past reputation. We lack proper leadership with the bat. When bowlers are on the run with momentum you need a level head to steady the ship. Steve Smith didn’t do this. He didn’t take control of the game the way Stokes, Waugh, Ponting, Border, Kholi and others would have. Don’t even dare state he wasn’t in the same caliber as the guys I have mentioned. His reputation is above what he could really deliver in my opinion. One of the best with the bat as an average in the world needs to show more leadership. The bowling was great. The batting response was one of expecting to win on reputation. Don’t underestimate your opponent. You last win isn’t a measure of your ability. Your last loss is now a measure of your future weakness. Fix it and do it now. Not always by a change in cattle. Maybe by a change in attitude and leadership. Don’t forget what junior group beat you. Not Viv Richards. Not Joel Garner. Not Walsh, Patterson, Lara, Holding, Anderson, Hames, Golmes, Lloyd but a junior list that is on the rise. It might not be a bad way to reconstruct the Australian squad. Look at a few that haven’t had the opportunity to be in the squad as young fellas. Otherwise rebuild the mental leadership. This was not an oops. This was what I would see as a wake up call. Our reputation is higher than our actual ability. The squad needs to learn how to switch momentum. How to be composed. I won’t question our captain but I am not sure he is what is best for this squad. Only my opinion.
We need the next generation of Silvagnis coming through.
Too soon?
Never too soon. Quite a few Silvagni names have played at senior level over the years. Can they produce some boys and girls to continue the tradition? I wish them both a wonderful life together.
Speaking of Chargers, my friend owned an E55 Charger. 340 V8 which was factory 275hp. Changed to a better camshaft profile and a set of Extractors, along with a big open air cleaner. Changed the diff gears to 3.23:1 if I remember correctly. It gave GT Falcon owners a hard time in Dandenong back in the late 80’s. Didn’t look as tough as the E49 but it went like stink. Not the best around corners and not the best brakes.
The most favourite car of all cars on this earth was the XY GTHO Phase 3. The fastest 4 door production car in its sat in 1971. The funny thing is it could be bought for around $5,500 dollars in its day new. Limited numbers but available. Ever since it was first sold, it never dropped in value. Not even 2 years later when it was second hand. It was never bought as a second hand car for less than the original price. Now a version full of rust and needing thousands to restore (80-150 thousand dollars) will still return more than $500,000 if not more than $1,000,000. Which has happened before. I own a 2005 Nissan Pulsar Q. Automatic if that counts. Electric windows, air conditioning, power steering, cruise control, factor sunroof, and a few more options. I hope as unwanted it becomes a car that someone might appreciate. Especially considering a 18 year old car had 45,000 original kilometres on the clock. NO, not wound back or a dodgy done here. I am not even sure what to insure it for. Definitely not a market value policy. Sorry guys. It isn’t a GT Falcon. Not a GTS Monaro. Just a Nissan with almost minimal genuine miles. Body and interior rates as at least 8 out of 10. Here is the funny thing. It is my every day driver. I don’t ever want to sell it. Not fast. Not exciting. Very economical. Zippy yes. Easy to park. Very clean and almost new.
The guy is a flog. Publicly said it's not for me to decide who my successor is then tore strips off of them for daring to challenge his apprentice. He was a great politician and great at winning elections but is Victoria better than it was a decade ago? No, not by any measure.
Don’t say Dan Andrews didn’t do much for the people of the state he represented. He did one huge thing that many people will appreciate and clap and cheer him for. He even gets my applause. He quit. Thank the lord. Don’t let the door smack you on the way out. At least I will never have to listen to “I don’t recall, I can’t remember, and it wasn’t my job task to address that issue”. It would be interesting for those experts here who could find out what his retirement entitlement would be, alone with all the other perks and benefits he will enjoy for the rest of his life. He announced a few times this since he won the last election that he might not try for another term in office. He also spoke to the public a few times that he might not stay for this full current term. Dan had to use his powers to win office and keep his party in power. He did that. He has had to go about business as usual to keep his constituents thinking he is still working for them. Unfortunately the financial position this state is in is in trouble like never seen before. We will all suffer as tax payers. At a guess our kids will too. Maybe their kids also. Missing out on funding in areas that will benefit those that need it the most.
Good luck to the new leader. You know you can’t continue your role based on the reputation of your past leader. You now need to dig deep and make some new changes and choices. A larger population of Victoria will not even know who you are. I wish you the best being given a huge task with the worst budget going around in the political world. I am seriously thinking of moving to Queensland. Way before my property has little worth.
I am sad for the missed opportunity but happy with the season recovery. If I had some say in how the board at the club operates I would demand Cook calls Voss into the office. I would have him ask what do you need from the board, coaching staff, medics, players, recruiting etc. You have the club in your hands. You tell us what you want and need for the next 2 seasons and I will see you get it.
Your job is to review all the players efforts and performances. We will review everything else and strive to be more unified at every level of the club and get the long term sustained results other clubs have achieved. We can’t expect a good result next season based on this season. We need to eliminate losses that repeat for 2, 3 or 4 games in a row. That is not a result of a true successful club. This is the foundation we have created. Now we build on it to be better. Not just next season, but every season to come. That is when multiple flags happen. Take a rest for ow, but the plan for the future is ready to begin soon. “If you fail to plan, you actually plan to fail”. Start on the new plan and get to work.
Cerra and Acres are two examples of players I thought were good at best, but lazy too often in the past. The roll up the sleeves and do the hard work was not in their DNA, rather than look fancy when they feel like it and let other players do the real work. I apologise for any original comments about my expectations with these players when they played for other clubs. They have leadership written all over their paperwork now. Sure they have quiet moments but they have got us out of trouble more often than not. Just like Saad. Find us a couple of fast by foot, ball carriers one in the middle of the ground and one more rebounding defender and a couple of potential small forwards with evasive abilities and we are well on the way to being a super threat. A special-k type ruck might be a good future project if there is something in the system or available to mature in the next few seasons. They take time to develop. So a junior project is a perfect start for the future.
I would like us to keep TDK as a part time ruck that can swing forward as a target or be an extra tall defender. That damaging utility that is hard to find. He just needs to keep working on getting bigger and stronger and keeping his feet. He is one that has the tools but chooses when to do what needs to be done. When he is hot, he looks like the real deal. Maybe it is a maturity thing. Maybe Voss can teach him how to be consistent.
