Id like to think this is a win for us but there is always:
1. "Dead" coach bounce.
2. Carlton doing Carlton things.
Might even be no changes this week. Its must win.
I remember when we picked up their father there was a photo of him taking a huge speccy for Woodville West Torrens in the newspaper. Don't recall him taking any big marks in the AFL.
Just as an aside, i don't know if anyone saw it but deep in the last quarter there was a stoppage on the far side forward flank/wing.
May even have been in the last few minutes.
Cripps was in there directing traffic like a captain should.
His main focus was telling Harry to go back, essentially clog up space.
He starts waddling back with very little urgency. Cripps yells at him again to clear out and go back. He hears him but barely makes it out of a walk.
Ball is brought back into play and someone gets the clearance, camera goes to a wide shot where you can see Harry still slowly wandering back, now about 30m off the contest, back to the ball in no mans land.
Thankfully the ball went our way and he was not required but this REALLY bothered me because.....
1. The game was on the line, show some bloody urgency
2. The captain had to tell you, at least twice, and you still couldn't do it.
3. You had your back to the ball and it could've been kicked to you and the moment you realised was when it hits you in the back of the head.
4. Had we have lost the game, i guarantee you that would've been highlighted as to how we lost it.
Now i appreciate Harry had worked hard and is playing more ruck than he is used to over the past month, but from a senior player, that was very poor and i expect better and the rest of the playing group should demand better.
Cripps and Hewett will not last forever. Our player development process has always been our achillles heel - hence we rely far too much on bringing in ready-to-play troops at high cost, unlike the top teams that uncover and develop their own talent.
Think Ben C will be a decent player for some club, just has too many in front of him with his style of play with us. He'll win a bucketload of clearances, get his hands on it plenty of times but we have many of those. Hence why Kennedy isn't with us. Like to look at him in the seniors though before the year is out. Right now though he won't get in.
Ben C is the perfect example. In 2-3 years time when Crippa and George are done or needing a rest, we can have a ready-to-go replacement, provided he gets the right development over the next 18 months. I can see a midfield of Jagga, Cody, Walsh, Ison, Lord and Ben C from 2029 onwards.