Large class gap compounded by dreadful umpiring in the second quarter.
We have a core of talented players but there are far too many VFL types running around in blue particularly in defence, which let you down at critical times.
A couple of own goals worth mentioning - (1) these conditions would have suited Hewett perfectly. (2) when McKay is getting pneumonia at FF how about a run on the ball and ask HOK to play CHF & get the ball to ground (3) What about Kemp back or on the ball? we’re just not getting the most out of this bloke.
Enough has been said about our problems, but what about solutions? We’re clearly on track for a spoon and need to act, without having the luxury of a change in personnel..
Some left field ideas to consider (1) Ainsworth as a back pocket/lockdown small forward defender . We don’t have one and I don’t really rate him as a great high HF. (2) Hayward to HB? We need some pace and class off HB and for whatever reason, he’s not getting a touch in our system. I’d also be hoping that Billy Wilson comes on as we lack leg speed coming out of defence (3) McKay back - let’s face it he’s not a great forward and we need to find a way to purge the Yoings/Derksens from our side. He has some pace and can surely follow his man around? (4) Cripps full forward? He’s 195cm and playing about as badly as I can recall. Need to freshen him up and work with him to improve his kicking. HOK & Reidy don’t really strike me as great options but are also worthy of consideration at this stage. (5) Hollands x2 - I keep saying if, but their good is outweighed by their bad. Critical turnovers or poor decisions cost us so dearly with these two. I’d be dropping both permanently and finding others to play their role. (6) Florent/Saad into a new roles - both are sadly out of form. Can we find a way to freshen he other up, pinch hitting up forward or at centre bounces?
Would love to hear others views on changes that we can make. As a starting point I’d suggest that removing Young/Derkson & both Hollands is a step in the right direction & I know lots will disagree with me in Elijah’s case, but that’s my view.
Certainly left field JD. At the end of the day, anything might be worth a try. Cripps would need some serious work on his kicking if he is to play FF. Harry back would be a concern for me, you need abit a crap about you to play down back, thats not in H's DNA unfortunately. It seems to me those issues he faced last year which forced him to have time off might not be fully resolved, he isn't a patch on Coleman H, its actually quite sad as he should be in the prime of his career and should be taking games apart. As I said, anythings worth a go.
Re Harry it is sad, but he’s just not firing a shot and he’s had a good go. Moving Harry is as much about taking Young/Derkson off the field as much as it about freeing Harry to play without the mental pressure of finishing the teams hard work with a goal, which we can see he struggles with.
The Hayward situation is similar and it can’t be fun for him running around headless in our forward 50, which inevitably leads to acts of frustration that we saw yesterday. A move to HB would free him up.
Enough has been said about our problems, but what about solutions? We’re clearly on track for a spoon and need to act, without having the luxury of a change in personnel..
Some left field ideas to consider (1) Ainsworth as a back pocket/lockdown small forward defender . We don’t have one and I don’t really rate him as a great high HF. (2) Hayward to HB? We need some pace and class off HB and for whatever reason, he’s not getting a touch in our system. I’d also be hoping that Billy Wilson comes on as we lack leg speed coming out of defence (3) McKay back - let’s face it he’s not a great forward and we need to find a way to purge the Yoings/Derksens from our side. He has some pace and can surely follow his man around? (4) Cripps full forward? He’s 195cm and playing about as badly as I can recall. Need to freshen him up and work with him to improve his kicking. HOK & Reidy don’t really strike me as great options but are also worthy of consideration at this stage. (5) Hollands x2 - I keep saying if, but their good is outweighed by their bad. Critical turnovers or poor decisions cost us so dearly with these two. I’d be dropping both permanently and finding others to play their role. (6) Florent/Saad into a new roles - both are sadly out of form. Can we find a way to freshen he other up, pinch hitting up forward or at centre bounces?
Would love to hear others views on changes that we can make. As a starting point I’d suggest that removing Young/Derkson & both Hollands is a step in the right direction & I know lots will disagree with me in Elijah’s case, but that’s my view.
As if we needed any more evidence the first half showed that we are so average. Unfortunately, all of these players are VFL or therabouts
Derkson Boyd Hollands x2 Florent (I’ve seen enough of this bloke, constantly being caught and turns into traffic - swans have skinned us alive) Lewis Young
Jury is out on Ainsworth
Makes life very difficult. No cattle and the guys we thought were providing more depth are proving to be list cloggers.
That was as brutal a day at the footy as the Collingwood loss to miss the finals. For a moment I was thinking that the Syd and Richmond games were simply a case of some early season rust, but the 66 point turnaround against a very average opponent took that hope and stomped it into the ground. It feels like 26 is already done.
On the positives, I’m not a fan of Lewis Young or Elijah Holllands but both played as well as I can remember, as did another of my favourite whipping boys Mitch McGovern. Byrne, Smith, Dean, Weitering, Evans & Carroll (mostly) were also serviceable throughout.
Our senior playing group were poor when we needed them to stand up. Gawn showed us what champion leaders do when their team needs them. Cripps, Walsh, Hewett and Mckay simply didnt respond when the momentum shifted and we simply allowed wave after wave of attack and barely raised a wimper in the last three quarters. The logic of Hewett on Pickett in parts of the second half has me totally confused - how does that matchup make any sense??
Chesser is a ball butcher as is Oliver Hollands. Both are simply not good enough.
McKay is way too passive and the passage of play where he ignored three free players streaming by him to kick to a contest in front of goal sums him up - he’s no A grader and never will be.
I also expected so much more of Kemp, Ainsworth and Hayward - all had very little impact which isn’t good enough. How is it that Hayward simply can’t find the footy at the Blues?
In the coaches box Voss had another shocker - soundly out out coached by Yze last week and now King. When the momentum shifted there was no obvious structural shift to slow momentum and tighten the game.
For the record I’d prefer either Campo, Cottrell or Acres ahead of either Hollands - I can’t believe how many critical mistakes the Hollands brothers make.
Perversely the issue is that they do a lot of things right, but theh don’t seem to be aware of they’re limitations, which tends to result in them going for low probability kicks or trying to channel Michael Conlon by crashing through a tackle (without the muscle) and it often goes horribly wrong at the wrong time!
The positives - Carroll was excellent and McGovern forward has been good, keep him there! Good performances also from Jagga, Pitto and Florent
The negatives - Elijah & his brother have good moments but they make so many mistakes it’s just not worth having them out there. Cripps needs to be a lot cleaner, as does Chesser. Fogarty is a VFL player - why we wouldn’t invest in Byrne is beyond me.
Walsh, Hewett, Ainsworth, Williams all need to do a lot more in the second half
[1] Plan to take Nankervis out of the picture. He isn't a jumper, so he won't be able to jump all over Pitto and Reidy, but he was the difference last year. We squash him and we go forwards.
[2] Saad goes out with injury. Hopefully, Cowan is fit enough to replace him. Otherwise, Billy Wilson, who has the pace and run we lacked. As for Cowan, he might be able to do a negating job on one of Richmond's mids. If so, we will be improved by it.
[3] Zac Williams: he had 5 clearances in the first quarter last night, but lacked impact thereafter. I wouldn't have him in defence: small forward with turns in the middle.
[4] Fog goes out. Have Ainsworth, Flynn Young or Byrne do his job. All have more pace and are much faster. All can kick a goal from more than 10 m out, something that Fog doesn't do.
[5] Move McGovern forward or out. As a defender, he is too loose. He has brain fades. Moir to the bench or the VFL.
[6] L. Young: do we need him as a defender against Richmond's forwards? Derkson deserves a chance. It will be interesting to see what forwards Richmond present us with.
All agreed, it should be obvious to our brains trust
Side looks well balanced however it’s clear that unless one of McGovern, Haynes, Dean or Kemp stands up as a key defender we’ll be exposed. Other concerns are our ability to defend clever/strong small forwards & the durability of Cottrell & Chesser who could provide much needed pace.
All of Cripps, Weitering, Smith, Hewett, Walsh, Kemp, McKay, Cerra, Hayward, Saad and possibly McGovern have the ability to make the AA squad so let’s hope we see at least half of them get there.
Unlucky not to make the side - Okeefe (could swap with Kemp), Dean (could swap with Haynes or McGovern), Lord, Pittonet, Acres, Boyd, Hollands, Moir & Evans
Hey dorotich you're short one on the interchange
Thanks I wasn’t across that - I’d add Okeefe in that case
Side looks well balanced however it’s clear that unless one of McGovern, Haynes, Dean or Kemp stands up as a key defender we’ll be exposed. Other concerns are our ability to defend clever/strong small forwards & the durability of Cottrell & Chesser who could provide much needed pace.
All of Cripps, Weitering, Smith, Hewett, Walsh, Kemp, McKay, Cerra, Hayward, Saad and possibly McGovern have the ability to make the AA squad so let’s hope we see at least half of them get there.
Unlucky not to make the side - Okeefe (could swap with Kemp), Dean (could swap with Haynes or McGovern), Lord, Pittonet, Acres, Boyd, Hollands, Moir & Evans
Still don't get the fascination for Evans, Young & White.
I’m with you, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel
A minimum of 3 (more likely 4) of Durdin, Fogarty, White, Motlop, Young and Evans will need to be replaced this offseason. I’d be leaning toward keeping Motlop and Evans only - time to find the next Eddie, Kozzie, Cyril which is obviously easier said than done.
Dekoning complete lack of effort - unforgiveable McGovern, Docherty and Acres decision making and composure simply awful Pittonet, Fantasia, Hollands, Motlop, Evans, Fogarty VFL cannon fodder at best. Harry O’Farrell a bit too green Cerra no impact
Curnow badly down on form and confidence but looked like he was trying
Cowan and Moir were the only positives for me
Game plan is awful but let’s face it, even if we had Collingwoods game plan, we couldn’t execute it.
