Dean did not look right coming back on after his face knock. Was accidentally kicked by one of our own players I think.
Lewis Young was the culprit.
Had 3 kicks to 3/4 time, none of them effective.
His most effective kick was the one to Deans head....but that didn't make it on the stat sheet!
Dean did not look right coming back on after his face knock. Was accidentally kicked by one of our own players I think.
I think we went in with our best balanced team. That was until we saw the weather forecast.
In the end, Young was not needed and we needed an extra small.
Wet conditions, marking is more difficult, ball spend more time on the ground, you need more smalls to adapt.
I think the weather exposed our game plan.
I think it exposed our forwards as not good enough.
I think the poor performers from last week were the same this week. Young, Byrne, gov, Kemp.
We missed Hayward.
We missed Haynes.
Derkson was not up to same level.
We got exposed when Harry Dean went off.
Nobody told Frankie it was raining. Clone him.
I thought Walsh was clearly our best, Hewett had a lot of footy but I suspect little impact. Weitering was well on top before being smashed by Neale, just another accident. I suppose the usual suspects will role up here telling us how soft Weiters is and why he should be traded!
There is a toll paid when you try to better teams like the Handbaggers, they are willing to go that step beyond fair to get a result, and they are coached in it. They bury knees into hips and backs in marking contests, take legs out from under opponents, block hinder and push to the limits of the rules and often beyond, they happily give away the free if the opportunity to bruise an ear or two surfaces. All the time claiming an injustice at peak voice.
You can't defeat them by colouring inside the lines, we just never seem to learn that.
Personally, I've not really a fan of the "we're too nice" trope. I've been hearing this for years, and whatever other issues I have with it, it basically condemns several generations of coaches, players, administrators etc to the status of blind ignoramuses, scardey-cats, or an endless parade of placid, semi pacifist individuals of extremely high moral caliber.
I thought Walsh was clearly our best, Hewett had a lot of footy but I suspect little impact. Weitering was well on top before being smashed by Neale, just another accident. I suppose the usual suspects will role up here telling us how soft Weiters is and why he should be traded!
There is a toll paid when you try to better teams like the Handbaggers, they are willing to go that step beyond fair to get a result, and they are coached in it. They bury knees into hips and backs in marking contests, take legs out from under opponents, block hinder and push to the limits of the rules and often beyond, they happily give away the free if the opportunity to bruise an ear or two surfaces. All the time claiming an injustice at peak voice.
You can't defeat them by colouring inside the lines, we just never seem to learn that.
I think the players deserve to be judged on a full season. I would struggle to name one clear winner last night. Maybe a couple of break evens, and that's about it IMO. Most of our guys played average to poor. I wouldn't be kicking McGovern, Acres etc to the kerb based solely on last night's game. McGovern has absolutely earned his extension, looking at his full 2026.