Only taken a month but Voss gets to see first hand the sh#t we're capable of serving up....and more often than not, against teams lower on the ladder than us and in games we should win...think back to the game against North late last year.
Apart from the opening minute or so, it was another one of those Carlton games where, 10 minutes in, you could just see we weren't on at all. Back to the fumbling, poor skills, poor disposal. They have so many ordinary types who were just carving us up and running around unchecked in the forward line. Most of our best players were defenders, but who was on Rosas....kid has played about half a dozen games and made us look silly.
I'm a huge fan of the way Pittonet plays for us and it showed how important he is to us and the structure. TDK is a totally different sort of player and won a few taps but gets pushed off the ball too easily and isn't having any impact around the ground.
I've been one to defend Plowman at stages but he surely can't stay in that team....he's just a dumb footballer! The spoil on Kennedy when trying to mark was the "pinnacle" yesterday.
Setterfield might've got 20 possessions but mostly ineffective IMO. Similary, Fisher is another who hasn't really fired a shot this year and needs as a spell in the VFL.
Losing Cripps would've hurt but our contested ball and other 4 mids have been a highlight this year.....but not yesterday. Thrashed by Rowell, Anderson, Miller, Weller etc. Hewett was good but Kennedy hardly sighted and probably one of Walsh's poorer games...but hard to be critical of him given what he's done since his very first game.
Gone was the pressure, tackling and chasing that were a highlight in the first 3 games. Obvious question, but did they rock up just expecting to win? Would've thought we've been so sh#t in recent years that we don't get that luxury.
Hopefully Pittonet and Durdin are right to go next week.....they'll be in along with probably Stocker, Kemp, Dow. Outs will be Cripps for sure and likely Fogarty, Plowman, Setterfield and Fisher. I think Owies stays....he was poor yesterday but his role alongside Durdin has been good this year so deserves another chance.
LP....a reason why I think we'll miss Durdin this week....his work when the ball hits the ground is really good. Puts a bit more pressure on Owies this week. Might be in Jack Martin's favour....he might be the IN for Durdin.
Agree EB. Voss would know a fair bit about them too which will surely help?
Hard not to get ahead of ourselves after so long in the wilderness but the GC and Port games give us the perfect opportunity to set up a genuine finals tilt this year. If we can get to 5-0 and have guys like McGovern only a few weeks away, as well as guys like Dow, Motlop etc in good form in the VFL, then we're in a good place.
But we've lost to GC before when we should've won.....humid, slippery conditions won't help us but with our midfield grunt we should have more opportunities to score than them.
Motlop would've been the obvious choice so Fogarty probably gets another shot. Did someone mention earlier that it was forecast to be damp/wet up there for the game? If so, not sure they'd take Mirkov in if Pittonet doesn't come up....might just go with TDK and Silvagni as backup?
With Durdin out it would've been a perfect opportunity for Motlop but he's around the mark for a debut.
Agreed Tonyo....remember a game up there a few years ago early in the season too. We led pretty much all day in a low standard game only for them to kick the winning goal in the last 30 odd seconds...might've even been Holman who kicked it. I reckon it would be the focus by Voss for sure....not to let this one slip or take it for granted. Luckily another Sunday game so a decent break.
Not sure Motlop for Fisher is a good idea? We have two pure specialist forwards in Durdin and Owies and that's exactly what Motlop is. Fisher, while form hasn't been great, can play up the ground a bit more. Durdin and Owies have played their roles pretty well so I'd stick with them.
Saad obviously in for Boyd.
Not sure McDonald comes back in either....Young probably holds his spot...unless they want 3 talls down back?
Stocker probably needs another week or two.
Maybe Martin for Fisher is the only other change....assuming Pittonet is right to go.
We looked to try and be a bit cute after 1/4 time was how I saw things.....but obviously just from the TV. Gone was the precision kicking into the forward line and a bit of the old fashioned panick kicks and handballs crept back in....Williams a culprit for sure.
But wins over the Hawks have been few and far between over the years so I'll take the 4 points. We've found a way to win all 3 games....twice when we've been behind in the last quarter....and against the Dogs (last year's Grand Finalists) when they were coming hard. In recent years we probably would've lost all 3.
I thought Young showed some really good signs with some confident marks and big spoils. Long term he's probably the second key defensive bloke with McGovern more of an intercept role.
Boyd didn't look up to the tempo at all so probably goes back out for Saad assuming Saad is right to go.
Probably sound like a broken record but Silvagni is just such an important player for us. He plays the perfect 3rd tall option but he's ferocious when it hits the ground and/or if we haven't got the ball. His non-stop running and chasing and tackling sets the example and it was fitting that he kicked the winning goal IMO.
Weitering and Docherty huge down back and I thought Newman was a lot more composed today.
Anyone else notice how good Hewett is at keeping his feet and getting his arms free when tackled so he can still get rid of it? He's been a huge bonus and, along with Kennedy's form, is one of the reasons we're 3-0. Walsh wasn't up to his usual lofty standards but when Hewett and Kennedy step up, it doesn't hurt us as much.
GC won't be an easy one either, especially up there but we've got the forward line and midfield more than capable of winning....dare to dream of a 4-0 start.
Danger game, but on paper, we still look much stronger than them. If the midfield fires like the in the first two rounds we should get way more scoring opportunities. Unfortunately it's these sorts of games in recent years, ones we should win, where we've fallen over. Win this week and one of only 3 undefeated teams and GC next week. None are gimme games but a 4-0 start is achievable and would set us up for a real crack at finals footy.
Funny how we were calling for Stocker to play more midfield in the last couple of years.....but now with Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Kennedy & Hewett as the main blokes, it's hard to see how Stocker gets a crack in the middle unless there's injuries or if it's just for short bursts.
I think his best role now is down back as a lock down small defender.....he's got some mongrel about him but can also run and carry a bit too. It might come down to horses for courses and a decision between him, Newman and Plowman.
Williams hasn't been outstanding in the first two weeks but IMO has played his role.....not trying to be a midfielder. He could possibly play off a wing at times?
Tend to agree EB....could be as straight forward as Young, Cerra and Martin in for McDonald, Fogarty and Setterfield......and maybe Plowman for Newman....but 4 changes in a winning lineup would be strange. Newman's last quarter last week was horrendous.
Said the same thing to a mate during the game as we were texting while watching it. Showed a level of maturity I reckon that Voss has clearly stamped on the playing group already. Gone were the panic kicks or handballs to a stationery team mate just to get rid of the ball.
The Dogs play a fast brand of footy but we frustrated them at times by slowing the game right down and just winning possession back a bit.
Very early days indeed and injuries/COVID could derail things quickly but from the 2 practice games and the first 2 rounds, the difference between this year and last few years is chalk and cheese IMO.
And agree with another comment somewhere in one of these threads......listening to Ash Hansen speak after the game....very, very impressive and can see why the club went after him.
Cerra a certainty but not so sure on Martin. I doubt we'd drop Fisher and Owies and bring in more mid-size forwards. I think Owies and Durdin are working well together and offer plenty of ground ball pressure.
Newman was terrible in the last quarter so could make way for Plowman.
Think I read somewhere that Wingard is out for a few weeks with a hamstring.
Assuming McDonald is fit I'd say maybe just Cerra in for Fogarty and possibly Plowman for Newman. If Martin comes in, probably at the expense of Setterfield.
First half is possibly some of the best footy I've seen us play in 5 years or more....and against the team that played off in last year's GF and tipped by a few to go all the way this year. We absolutely took them to the cleaners and dominated in the middle and with contested possession. At times our ball movement looked as slick as what the Dogs have become famous for.
Yes, we tapered off a bit after half time but we got the points....that's what matters. In years gone by we probably would've just stopped completely.
So many contributors across the field. Cripps/Walsh/Kennedy/Hewett of course....Pittonet dominated the ruck and gave us first use out of the middle so many times. Weitering/McGovern combination down back looked better again....and the Harry/Charlie combo worked a treat. Add in the usual Silvagni 100% effort and the pressure stuff in the forward line from Owies/Durdin.
At times it was hard to believe it was basically the same 22 out there as last year....apart from Hewett. Apart from that last quarter, our skills looked completely different to what we've been used to.
Not sure what was happening with Newman though...usually very good with ball in hand but 3 horrendous blunders in the space of about 5 minutes in the last quarter nearly cost us the game.
I'm hoping a bit of a return to form for McKay....Richmond defence is usually always pretty good....Dogs are a bit light on down back and with TDK playing forward too I reckon we can stretch them.
I had kinda been hoping to see Kemp in for Martin....not sure what his VFL/pre-season form was like but a bit of X-factor and can play in a variety of positions....he's probably a good all round choice as a medical sub these days.
