if we cant beat hawthorn

[reigning premier]

yeh but the team should of been in front and it wouldnt matter. Yes there are terrible decisions and you can say they shouldnt of got this goal or that. But the fact is we had too many players make mistakes and play poorly.

I agree but disagree......

An umpire doesn't change the result of the match. Only poor play or exceptionally good play does. had we played properly, we should of won by 30+. However, when lose by the smallest of margins when we are victim to such atrocious decisions, well it does tend to shake your confidence.

At the same time. I'm not complaining about losing to the illegals or the Crows and they were pretty tight margins as well. We got beaten by the opposition in those games!

[Triple B]

I might be thinking of one where Solomon took a grab in the last minute of the game to pinch a win after we had led all day.

You're not thinking Alessio by any chance?

[DeadlyAkkuret]

You're not thinking Alessio by any chance?

Oh god

[Industrial Fan]

I might be thinking of one where Solomon took a grab in the last minute of the game to pinch a win after we had led all day.

Kelly missed a sitter in that game just before 3/4 time from right in front after a great mark, the ball came straight back for an essendon goal. Changed the momentum. Alessio marked with four seconds left to kick the winner.

[goswannie14]

You're not thinking Alessio by any chance?

That's the one.

[Triple B]

That's the one.

I can't criticise you for wiping it from the memory. Apologies for bringing it back

[ScottH]

That's the one.

That was 2001.

The Solomon one was a disgrace.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

I'm not saying (maybe SR100 was) that the umpiring doesn't impact the result (best example I can think of was '05 Bulldogs v. Demons). However, it is rare that it's the main difference and I don't think Saturday was one of those cases. Yes, with better umpiring we may have won, but playing better would have had a bigger impact.

If we only had a Plan B when playing against teams insisting on flooding back to stifle our forward line, we mightn't have played like crap in matches like against Adelaide St Kilda & Essendon.If Barry Hall could take a mark when playing at night with a yellow pill, then guess what, he'd have more marks than he has now.
If a chicken was chosen to be taken as as egg, it could well have been in somebody McDonald Value Meal rather than clucking around the farmyard. We have to worry about playing games to our strengths, like we did against Port & the Doggies to get back into the thick of things, not cast up silly hypotheses about what could have happened if the cosmic biorhythms of the world were different.

Those saying we are without a chance of winning the flag if we fall to 5-6 on Saturday may as well hop off now. Because we have had similar seasons in 2005 & 2006 and are a finals-hardened September specialist.

I thinks the issues with the players at the moment are A) a mental issie with several of them & B) a lack of a Plan B when playing teams who opt to flood.

JF
PS:- By the way though, do you know that if Buchanan's kick was at another ground, we'd more than likely have won. Because the padding at the SCG is 15 odd feet up whilst at other grounds it is only 10 feet odd.

[ROK Lobster]

If we only had a Plan B when playing against teams insisting on flooding back to stifle our forward line, we mightn't have played like crap in matches like against Adelaide St Kilda & Essendon.

If Barry Hall could take a mark when playing at night with a yellow pill, then guess what, he'd have more marks than he has now.

If a chicken was chosen to be taken as as egg, it could well have been in somebody McDonald Value Meal rather than clucking around the farmyard.

We have to worry about playing games to our strengths, like we did against Port & the Doggies to get back into the thick of things.

Those saying we are without a chance of winning the flag if we fall to 5-6 on Saturday may as well hop off now. Because we have had similar seasons in 2005 & 2006 and are a finals-hardened September specialist.

I thinks the issues with the players at the moment are A) a mental issie with several of them & B) a lack of a Plan B when playing teams who opt to flood.

JF

Agree with you JF and some highly original insights there too. Sadly I think that some of the players have been playing on their premiership credits for far too long. It's time to repay the faith the club has shown or run the risk of becoming bad debtors. For those bankrupt in the skills department it's time for the leadership group to realise that in continuing to play them at the expense of the youngsters they are only robbing Peter to pay Paul and that it is time to come good on the investment that the club has made in youth, or ensure that some of the other mainstays get off their underperforming arses and paid their own way.

[hammo]

Agree with you JF and some highly original insights there too. Sadly I think that some of the players have been playing on their premiership credits for far too long. It's time to repay the faith the club has shown or run the risk of becoming bad debtors. For those bankrupt in the skills department it's time for the leadership group to realise that in continuing to play them at the expense of the youngsters they are only robbing Peter to pay Paul and that it is time to come good on the investment that the club has made in youth, or ensure that some of the other mainstays get off their underperforming arses and paid their own way.

If this season falls by the wayside, then the coaching staff must bite the bullet, cash in the premiership credits and trade some premiership players for early draft picks. We'll be cannon fodder in a couple of years without some serious rebuilding.

I'll return to this topic, if required, in round 15. I still believe we can make the top 4 once Goodes and Hall (and Roos!) get back to their best form.

[RogueSwan]

I'll return to this topic, if required, in round 15. I still believe we can make the top 4 once Goodes and Hall (and Roos!) get back to their best form.

Roos' has been in great (media) form. Just needs to bite the $20k bullet.

[hammo]

Roos' has been in great (media) form. Just needs to bite the $20k bullet.

I'm more worried about his form in the coaches' box.