I could say 'on tonight's performance, the only award/trophy we are going to win this year is 'Mark of the Year', but there were some positive signs late.....
The season may still deliver, it's early days but if the 'Bloods Culture' still exists, they'd better summon it now or we are in for a long season.
Not a great game. But there are positives for me, at least.
When we turn it on, we can match opposition (really, we played about 20 minutes of high intensity footy).
Forward line are likely getting to understand each other Sink barely played there last year. Blakey new. Sam hasn’t played in a decade has he? Bud also not at his best (at his physical best he is menacing & dominating, if injured he’d be better playing higher up where he’s not the go-to forward and can use his penetrating kick to either kick long goals or create deep opportunities for the big marking talks - you never know Reid might mark one on the goal line ... he can’t miss from there, right?)
The mids are now transitioning Heeney, Mills & Jones are going to take a little time to find their feet as the engine room.
For me, it isn’t all doom and gloom. When we can become a little 2 or 3 dimensional pressing forward, the forwards will gel.
Bring on the Crows!
Better that they were at least almost capable of coming back to steal it than not being capable...I guess.
Pretty ordinary first outing though. Still, there was the 0-6 2017 start, so not too despondent yet.
Very disappointing start to the season. Yes, we gave it a red hot go to come back but we really should never have been in that position.
Negatives (I'll give only 3):
* Howl me down but I think Lloyd is overrated. He gets so many cheap disposals but rarely (if ever) plays on quickly.
* Our young players - 13 possessions for Florent, 9 for Hayward, 14 for Dawson! In a game where we needed run and spread, they were found lacking.
* Melican - I'd rather see COR in the team.
Positives:
* Great fight. We were being dominated and yet still managed to fight to give ourselves a winning chance.
* Cunningham - I thought he was good.
* No injuries.
Not despondent either but why does it take 2 quarters of atrocious footy to inspire a manic response that nearly won us the game ? Why wasn’t that how we came out to play in the first place ? That’s the worst. Positives were Blakeys limited nice touches., Reid’s , and Allirs ( only in the last qtr ) Lloyd stunk it up , melican shouldn’t be playing ones , JPK looks to be on the slideOriginally Posted by neilfws
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Next week....COR for Melican, Ronke for maybe Clarke or Hayward?
Watching that, I just felt I was at the 2016 Granny again.
Only a 5 point different result.
The same walkover for three quarters.
Pretty grumpy.
Our midfield is a worry and has to improve or we will be killed in inside 50's every week.
The top five mids from each side and their possessions:
Swans: JPK 22 Parker 22 Jones 24 Heeney 19 Mills 20 = 97
Dogs: McCrae 32 Bontempelli 29 Liberatore 28 Hunter 26 Wallis 26 = 131
Difference 34
Inside 50's: 47 - 68
Difference 21
Therein lies our problem....
Slight positives - I thought Reid was OK - a viable target who will get better. Could be argued he should have kicked 3 which is Ok considering how much he has missed. Papley battled well, Jones OK. Aliir got into it as the game went on.
Yes Clarke and Melican where woeful tonight. That first half of football was the worse standard I have seen in the past 10 years. Towards the end they were exhausted and many players did not look 100% fit. Why? I am not sure. Maybe they are trying different tactics this year? Slow start and then build?
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I was wondering the same thing at the game. It only happened the one time so maybe he was involved in an incident that I missed.
Clarke was truly terrible!
No vision, gave short handballs to teamates who were standing, truly cap!
Melican was shocking; totally beating continuously over the game. Why he was even pick is truly beyond me.
But our coaches need to be sacked.
Steve Johnston as a forward coach???? There were no players leading away from each in the last quarter.
When we got close, all the players just sat in the goal square and the ball was just bomb in long.
And Kirky as mid coach; the players don't spread after a throw up, and they don't have any speed.
Instead of pin point passes we of course just bomb it long and hope for a miracle.
Time for a clean out!
doof-doof
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