Post Match. Pies Sunburnt . All comments.

[Magpietothemax]

^^Thanks for analysis P2016. do you think that Dean needs to return to the backline?

[Magpietothemax]

dp

[Pies2016]

^^Thanks for analysis P2016. do you think that Dean needs to return to the backline?

I’d probably play Dean next week but that’s as much about having one eye on the future as it is the now. While Frampton and Dean are both very different players, I don’t think either of their contributions as last line key defenders would change the result of any game by much. Dean is the one with growth, while Frampton has reached his ceiling. ( I accept Frampton has more flexibility but he played as a defender all day anyway )
Assuming ( ? ) Dean was fit to play on the weekend, I didn’t like it that he didn’t play at all on the weekend. He’s the last player who needs to miss two weeks of footy after missing the previous two years at any level. If he was the carry over, then I’m guessing that means he’s close to selection anyway. Of course, you’re always about playing your best 23 but having coughed up 100 points, I would think the focus is fairly and squarely on improving the backline this week.

[derkd]

My thoughts from the game:

- firstly, no shame in losing to Gold Coast at they're home ground...they are taking the first steps (finally) to becoming a very good..that being turn your home ground into a fortress.

- Fly is clearly losing patience with this sides attitude of "come from behind every week" or being in a winning position and giving up big leads in short spaces of time, ah la the Freo game. For one key reason, the more you do this...the more time your opponent goes to school on it and eventually will work you out.

Lastly, I don't think Pendlebury is 100% still. Not sure if they are masking over the injury to get him to 400 games, but he didn't look right to me

[RudeBoy]

The suns looked faster than us for much of the game, particularly when they got the ball on the outside of packs and ran hard with great use of hand-passes.

Losing McCreery and Noble certainly contributed to us losing some run and leg speed, but let's face it, we allowed the Suns to get way in front before we lost those two to injury.

We desperately need Pendles to regain full strength in his arm, as his inability to tackle, may well have cost us this game.

Given our defensive weaknesses, I'd like to see Dean come back in, but I'm not sure we can play Moore, Frampton, Howe and Dean together. Unless Darcy Moore is carrying an injury, which doesn't seem to be the case, someone needs to give him a slap across the face and told "you're the captain ffs, start playing like one". It may be that our hope for finals success lies in his hands more than anyone else.

I agree with BOOT that Sullivan is really just a depth player. Now that we have Pendles and JDG back in the side, I'm not sure there's a need for him our team.

[swooper]

Just watched Fly's presser.
(Will wait for Jezza to make his usual summation...thanks Jezza, you are such a legend So much appreciate your efforts)
As I thought, Fly was suitably disappinted/balanced/resolute.
Bitterly disappointed that we found ourselves yet again at 3/4 time with a large margin to overcome
Frustrated that we play so brilliantly in final quarters to overcome the margin (why didn't we play like that earlier??)
Yet celebrating the capacity and will to win in making such come backs.
I love this guy.
Stays so calm and respectful.
Yet you sense from his demeanour the raging anger that we lost tonight.
He imparts this to our team.
His next challenge is to shift the time frame of our anger: don't leave it to the last quarter. Bring it to the second or third quarter instead.

Fly seemed really flat in that presser ...

[inxs88]

Last night was a bad loss in that it was a great opportunity to get a break on the rest of the competition for a top 4 spot. Loosing to the Suns at their home ground is not an unusual outcome this year but to hit the lead with 5 mins left in the game was disappointing to loose from there.
Couple of take-aways from last nights game;
1. Pendlebury is playing with a serious restriction to his injured bicep tendon. The missed tackle on the Suns player bursting through the center during the last quarter showed him reluctant to test the arm so he tried a backhand knock instead. That doesn't help and he and Sidebottom lack of speed is catching us out during game. Still he usually has lovely disposal and decision making.

2. Sullivan is not up to AFL level. There is a good reasons why he wasn't drafted until he got to 26. He is clearly a good footballer at the lower level but a depth player at best and if he is in the team there is a problem.
3. Harrison had a bad night. He's a young player with terrific upside and I'd continue to persist with him for now as what we have seen this year indicates he could be a really good player in the near future as he gathers some more experience and develops his craft naturally over the next couple of years.
4. Mason Cox's impact on the team structure and support in the ruck is being missed badly. The idea of playing Bobby Hill as the full forward is novel and worked against Nth Melb and nearly worked again last night, but it's not a sustainable team structure and will not be good for Bobby or Collingwood if we try to persist with it. Kreuger and Mihocek should be able to hold down the key forward roles when Cox comes back to support Cameron in the ruck. If Kreuger can justify maintaining his position when McStay becomes an option then that can only be a good news story.
5. Jack Crisp is always trying to take on the tackler to burst through the pack. Sometimes it comes off and adds to the Collingwood attacking flair, but gee wizz its frustrating when he does get caught and the umpires are a lot less forgiving on holding the ball decisions at the moment.
6. Joe Richards is continuing to surprise me with his form. He and Schultz being available next week should be sufficient coverage for an injured Beau McCreery.
7. The Daicos boys kept us in the game and nearly won it for us. We are so dependant on Nick Daicos now that I'm nervous that it will become a weakness to be so dependent on one player. Hopefully Nick continues to amaze the competition with his skill and impact on the game.
8. As others have committed on, we aren't getting the drive out of Darcy Moore that we need. Frampton is doing a job but is a player with some serious limitations that threaten to be exposed at any time. I too would prefer to see Charlie Dean persisted with as he may have more upside than Frampton. I'm hopeful that with another pre-season Tew Jaith will add some more athleticism to our defense which will replace Murphy's role.
5.

Great observations Boot. Add Markov to that list. He is a fumbler, not an accumulator and lacks finesse.

[shawthing]

That’s your opinion, I call it as I see it.

You think we can win the flag, that’s good for you.
I think we’re off the pace this year.

Look at the matches we got coming up, in a tight season we need every win, our % is also nothing to write home about.

Disappointing that we played about 20 minutes and nearly pinched the game. Not good enough after a week off. The most damning thing really was that we hit the front and then folded like a pack of cards again in red time.

I agree with ANNODAM. This not our year. And after today I'm afraid to say that Carlton is almost a certainty (given they will not have to leave the G for the finals and the Swans will fold there on GF day).

[lazzadesilva]

McCrea and the whole team looked flat which is a concern coming off the bye. Maybe they have lost their momentum after it. Without over dramatising it, this is a huge worry. The Collingwood of a few weeks back wouldn’t have given up the lead in the last quarter, in fact they would have increased it. They need to get a few wins and regain confidence over the next month but it is a tough draw. It’s good that a few Nicksters are not really concerned about us not making top four but I’m not part of that thinking. It will be very tough.

[piffdog]

I always need to remind myself that we are never going to win every game. Its also tough managing expectations - for the team, for individual players and also the opposition.

For example - I think "we should be better than them", after his last 6 weeks Crispy should be waaay better than he was, Darcy Moore is a former All-Australian and we used to have a solid defence that was regularly very stingy in conceding scores.

This weekend none of those things were true. They deserved to win. Its hard trying to determine if good players are having a bad day or if there is an emerging form slump. Thinking back to North getting up by 50+ points, I dop feel like its a bit of a form slump emerging. We shouldnt have won that game, probably got Melbourne when theyre in a bit of disarray. Maybe we were unlucky to not beat Freo and got rolled in the end by the Dogs who have their own form wobbles.

Others flagged the large list of changes and a whole bunch of guys returning form injury - that probably contributed.

The game from Jordy was pretty encouraging though - just a shame he had so few team mates able to actually get their hands on it. The posession stats were really quite dismal.

Oh well - we need to rally for the next couple weeks. Probably fortunate that other top 4-6 contenders also lost, but the ladder is really starting to compress. Hawks and Bris are coming with a rush. Port and the Cats wont die. Next couple weeks all of a sudden very, very important against other finals contenders

[orie]

Perhaps this loss is what they need as a wake up call.

eventually our poor form was going to catch up with us. Loss of key players was a reason but can't hide the deficiencies I our team.. Seems difficult to maintain intensity and everyone plays the grand final against us. The loss wasn't as bad as the way in which they lost.

Second to the ball and lack of a marking target in attack.

will see how they respond this week..

[lazzadesilva]

^^^^

One of the reasons we lost our intensity was because our deficiencies were harder to cover without the top players. It is a huge problem expecting the back up players to play as well as the ones they replaced, otherwise they wouldn’t be back up players in the first place. They need to reassess their pressure tactics and make sure they keep the intensity up most of the game instead of stopping and starting. Need to be stronger at the drop of the ball.

[aus50ford]

I know it's a long pre-season, I know it's a long season
Geez, I struggle to climb the stairs in level 4 Ponsford stand but

Why during the bye do they allow small holidays away to bali, Port Douglas etc ??
Surely we need to keep the training day, match day simulation 'routine' going ?

[winpies]

We have some real issues with this zone defence we play.

Agree, and why do we always go back off the mark outside the 5m? It just gives the oppo more space to run in to. I would have thought standing on the mark would be the better option to try and contain them. It does frustrate me that part of our game style.

[woodys_world69]

We have some real issues with this zone defence we play.

Agree, and why do we always go back off the mark outside the 5m? It just gives the oppo more space to run in to. I would have thought standing on the mark would be the better option to try and contain them. It does frustrate me that part of our game style.

it stops the checkers move. when you stand the mark the oppo can handball or short kick over the top.... and then do another over the top and another.. and another... all of a sudden they are getting a kick from 30 instead of a long bomb kick defused.