Our biggest issue with wins/losses from here lies in the ladder, and not simply position, but the teams around us.
Sydney have top spot. Someone will have to travel to Sydney in week 1, they'll win and have the bye in week 2 and will host week 3 as well. Currently we are 2nd. 3rd-6th are all interstate teams (currenty - Port, Freo, Brisbane, GWS) and they will host 2 games at a minimum, possibly all 3.
7th is Geelong which has the option of hosting games down at KP.
There may not be a game at the MCG in week 1 of finals unless we get up 2nd, or fall to 5th.
We need to win games like this to avoid travelling interstate in the finals.
Agree.....dont want to miss top two and end up having to play the Swans or Lions interstate because thats just too hard in the finals especially with banged up key players. Imo the Swans are clear favourites unless they get massive injuries to their key players, have been the best team and have a terrific home ground advantage and recruited to win a premiership this season with Grundy and Adams. We are not the finished product and need more tinkering with list and some fresh kids like the Campos to give us a spark and some energy next season.
Yep EB, I'm at a loss with Young, has all the attributes to be a contributor but soft at the contest. I thought it was a confidence issue but doesn't play like it means anything to him. I'd pay out his contract and tell him to F off, that kind of attitude causes deep cultural issues at clubs. No passengers.
I think Walsh's back issues are a real issue, he's lost any burst speed. "Back related" hamstring used to be thing, and a real concern
Cerra needs a rocket as well. Play with intensity or piss off to Cramer Street.
Agree Prof, Im happy to trade Young out and try my luck with someone else as a KP tall defender, his intensity is zero and he looks cooked as far as wanting to contest hard and is a shadow of the player who impressed in his first season. Cerra is also wanting it bruise free and looking for the cheapie on the outside....one clearance , one tackle and only 4 contested out of his miserable 15 possessions isnt good enough for what we are paying him and he needs to support Cripps, Walsh etc better or learn about responsibility and workrate in the VFL. Too many players wanting it bruise free and for the usual suspects in Cripps and Walsh doing the hard yakka, wearing the knocks and those two looked jaded and tired at the end. Walsh looks really out of sorts and needs a rest but we cant afford it given we have nothing to replace him with. I can see Ben Camporeale playing a lot of footy next season....
I'd think about Lemmey as well. Right now we have blokes playing that have missed pre season and missed a chunk of the season. That includes Walsh, who is looking tired. We are playing premiership footy for a qtr then are cooked. We can't play more than a qtr right now. Just don't see why Cottell plays. Why bring him straight back after injury. Binns must come in, fresh and can go all day.
Id be promoting Binns this week for the extra run in his legs and to show the club will reward good VFL form. I'd be telling Lemmey too that if he can play consistent footy like Binns has he too will get an opportunity.
I'm done with Young and would prioritize Lemmey. The former was terrible last night and you would get more of a contest at a nursing home bingo night than we got from Young.
I'll give us one last chance, they are travelling about as well as us and are down on numbers being forced to play kids. They wont be playing finals and shouldnt have the motivation we should have and I expect a response from Voss and the playing group. Blues by 35 points....
Unfortunately our Cap was to full to get Harry's brother. That was the plan early last season.
Given we will be shelling out for more big contracts like TDK, Walsh etc that cap situation wont be getting any better even with increases and I think we will have to moneyball a solution from another club. I thought the McKay bros didnt want to play with each other anyway?
While.i was looking through the stats I noticed something interesting in regards to Kemp.
He played 100% TOG in quarters 1, 2 and 3. He played only 54% TOG in the last.
I noted before that I saw him on the bench in the last when we needed something from him and vossy didn't try much with him when we needed it.
Now to me that shows either.... 1. A severe lack of trust in Kemp to do what's required when it matters. 2. He got injured.
Either way, it's not good news for us and him.
Kemp isnt big enough to play CHB, we dont have a real deal CHB thats the problem...McGovern and Kemp are essentially the same type of intercept defender and there is probably room for one only and you can throw Marchbank in that group too. We need a 196cm/100kg plus strong CHB who can take the load off Weitering as you, I, and a few others have discussed ad nauseam. Our defense rebounds well but doesnt defend so well and allows too many opposition marks and when you get spuds like Esava influencing games down forward its time to rethink what we are doing and admit its not working.
Martin starred late last year when it mattered. He was vital. While he is on our list and he's not playing then.we miss that.
Cant trust him to stay on the park, we saw another chandelier in Cuningham injured and this whole thing with these perennially injured players has to end and move them on...Martins best can be very good but you cant build a team or system with players who dont play regular footy.
Lewis Young was horrendous and it was a good test tonight to see if he could come in and give us something when Harry was out but he was timid and a deer in the headlights and Id probably give Lemmey a run next time we need a fill in KP/ruck. Cerra was MIA and has been useless since returning and probably deserves a run in the twos and Jack Carroll can depart for WC as I cant see him in our future plans and thought his game was VFL standard. Ollie Hollands was equally disappointing and his decision making poor again tonight, yep he gives effort but he is making too many errors and needs some time in the twos and Id bring Binns in and then compare the two. Walsh needs a rest and maybe a new temporary position when he comes back(see Nick Daicos) to get the heat and taggers off him. Without a genuine CHB its hard for Weitering to hold the backline together each week and he must be hanging out for a managed rest too but thats impossible given the state of our backline.
Yep if you ever wondered who the number 1 ruck was that question has been more than answered. Pittonet is a C grade footballer.
Have to agree.....Sweet is a C grade ruckman and Pittonet lowered his colours in the hitouts and had no real effect around the ground either and we just cant afford to lose TDK's contribution in the middle getting clearances. Not scrappy clearances that are just stats but the meaningful ones at critical times when he bursts through the centre and sends the ball forward quickly.
Port are garbage thats why its embarrassing, dud players like Esava, Allir and Zerk Thatcher outmarking our blokes isnt on, we dont have any KP backup at either end and lets be honest we dont have a CHB either. Did I hear we average more opposition marks in our defensive 50 than any other team?...... Smashed at centre clearances, beaten in the hitouts, beaten in general clearances and outackled, they were better with the ball and with Cripps and Walsh both held again to average games we were never going to win. The loss of TDK has affected us badly as he impacts not only in the ruck but at clearances and in general play and its having a flow on effect to Cripps and Walsh who need to be extra dominant for us to win and thats not going to happen every week that TDK is missing.
I've a vague memory we had some poor efficiency despite winning, we burnt a lot if F50 opportunities, if we go in with some mids a bit sorry and sore we won't want to be too wasteful.
Did Wines and Cripps go separate ways last game?
Georgiades, a bit like Larkey, is a real pain in the ar5e for us.
Was it around Rnd 12 that the AFL fiddled with some of the "interpretations", was there some controversy about holding the ball in our game?
Wines and Cripps engaged at the stoppages/clearances then went their separate ways from memory.....everything went to Georgiades last game and we didnt give McGovern much help in terms of pressure on the delivery. Like Larkey if he gets the ball within range its more than likely going to be a goal, they also have Rioli back and Dixon although moving like a trackless T34 tank appeared to get some form last week so its going to be a bit more difficult than last time. Pittonet only has to break even and our mids should win the day and give us enough supply to feed Charlie and Harry and I dont rate the Port defense at all...Allir is soft, Zerk Thatcher and Ratogolea are C grade KP players and the latters disposal is horrendous and if we get our smalls firing like last week Im expecting a decent win given the game is in Melbourne. Might be a defining game for Hinkley too given WC appear keen to obtain his services and Josh Carr has pulled his name out of the contenders list and would be next in line for the Port job...a bad loss for Port and Ken might get the tap on the shoulder.
Port have a fairly heavy hitting midfield, Wines, JHF, Butters, etc, etc,. we wouldn't want to go too light in the rotations, I suspect Cerra and Kennedy will be back in the heat.
Been playing Houston further up the ground and Rozee if he plays while banged up may start on a wing to help preserve him. I'd expect Wines to play on Cripps and Drew on Walsh...
So the years worth of arguments on the matter and you still don't understand the concept of a 'backup ruck'?
You know, the blokes we are constantly talking about who take ruck contests when your solo ruck cannot for whatever reason. I'll give you a hint, their names start with McKay, Cripps, Kennedy.
Might need a new backup ruck with rumours the Dogs are targeting Pittonet if Tim English takes the big dollars West Coast are offering as the Dogs see Pittonet even though contracted as available.
