Post match v Dorkers...comments here please

[sq3]

I am disappointed that the coaching staff put out such a very poor and inept team every week.

Second to tha ball - all the time - no leg speed or closing speed - is all poor conditioning.

Week after week we kick to stationery targets only to get the ball swept away, caught on the back foot and scored against.

Presti - not physically strong enough in the one on ones.

Most of the team are extremely poorly skilled in the disposal by foot - how the hell has the coaching staff let the skills get that bad.

Dockers were easily the best skilled team on the day and they ran all day - too many times the ball hit the ground (in the Pies forward line) with 3 or 4 Dockers around it.

How many times did the ball fall short or miss Bux completely - this is not acceptable at this level by so called professional players.

Most of these guys could not run out of sight on a dark night - Buttifant has got it way wrong again - all bloody year - as well as the soft tissue injuries at training last year. He needs help or another job somewher else.

The plusses - Bux, Wakes and Lica - nothing needs to be said, C1, Woey, Cheesey, Dutchy - all did a great effort and showed guts. Flash, Harryand Magic need to be played as they are showing glimpses of what they can do.

Fred was an absolute disgrace and if we don't have a ruck coach we better get one fast - he gave away so many frees by incompetent attempts at something other than ruck work.

There were at least 4 boundarty throw ins where there was no Collingwood ruckman !!!!

Taz needs to get a tape of the game and watch Pav - when he was on Presti he knew he could beat him with body strength - so he did, then when Jimmy was moved onto him he knew he had to run him around - so he did.

Taz needs to learn from these and not just try the one on one strength test when you do not get the frees from the umpire.

Maxwell not being able to keep pace with Medhurst was bad and MM reacted way to slowly.

There were countless times the ball came in the Pies forward line only to see the Dockers mark uncontested - piss poor effort - and showed how much we miss Dids, Pebbles and Josh (as well as a fit Taz).

Dockers kicked to a space and allowed their players to run onto the ball - Pies kicked like shit to sationery targets and got rebounded on badly.

Its about time the off field staff stood up to be counted and made some of the right decisions and actions.

[themilleys]

I think a few people need to keep things in perspective. Of course we arent going to perform to a top level as we just dont have the players on the park. Yesterday we had O'brien, Fanning, T Cloke, H Shaw and Egan all playing at once. How many other sides would be going around at the moment playing 5 first year players and two of those playing key positions and these guys have had to play for prolonged periods. We just dont have the players available to be able to nurse the kids along.

[sq3]

Pies have played 9 first year players and the Lions have played 10.

Big difference is the skill levels of the Lions players.

Off the field coaching - strength, skills, conditioning and application - the Lions are light years ahead of the Pies and one of our own 1990 premiership players is showing us up badly (and Buttifant) in the field of conditioning, recovery and rehab.

[Dark Lord]

The opening 6 minutes of the game was the worst display of umpiring I have ever seen. It continued periodically throughout the game.

I was livid when Tarrant got that free kick. It was as weak as piss. Tarrant is butchered non-stop and nothing is given, but when the game is all but over after being handed to Fremantle, they give him that. Bloody disgraceful.

I thought Windscreens had a good debut. He's a big lad!

[spoljar]

Pies have played 9 first year players and the Lions have played 10.

Big difference is the skill levels of the Lions players.

Off the field coaching - strength, skills, conditioning and application - the Lions are light years ahead of the Pies and one of our own 1990 premiership players is showing us up badly (and Buttifant) in the field of conditioning, recovery and rehab.

Good stuff, SQ3 as you are another person that can take the rose coloured glasses off for one minute and look at the reality of things!
The reality is that it's all about player development! Our 2001 and 2002 Draftees should be playing regular senior footy now and yet the majority are no where to be seen which I have proven in previous threads! It's our 2004 draftees that are having to play way beyond their years and are doing a great job at it to!

[HAL]

On and off.

[uuuuu..... The LoneSTAR]

Lica's marking ability is underestimated - Strong hands & courageous!!

[Magpie Since 1986]

Shane Wakelin must be the first picked player every week, has to be up there in the elite backmen of the league, can't remember the last time he had an off day. He has a hardness I hope the rest of the team should embrace. Onya Wakes, hopefully a Copeland isnt to far away from your mitts.

That would have been against Brisbane. Where even though Clement held Brown and Presti held Bradshaw, Wakes got towelled by Merret
Actually maybe it was the Essendon game? Was he meant to be controlling Lucas after Maxwell?

[Miz]

Way too many turnovers with J.Cloke, Buckley, Lica and O'Bree leading the game clanger counts although all of those guys worked hard.

Presti has looked down on form over recent weeks and Clemo looks like he is ready for the end of the year while Wakelin os still going strong.

Best were:

Holland
Swan
Wakelin

[DaVe86]

I dont think we played any worse than the dockers. Set shots cost us the game.

[melissa]

I think all the guys are waiting for the end of the year. It would not surprise me if half of them are carrying niggling injuries and have to continue just because we have no one left ie Brodie, Cara, Taz, Trav... the list goes on. I thought some of the heart had gone out of them too until yesterday. The fact that they put in an effort and didn't capitulate like last time against Freo was enough to at least partly satisfy me. Thought C1 did a good job in the ruck, Lica was brilliant, Brodie was good, as were Cheesy and Woey (at times), and for a first gamer I liked O'Brien's stuff.
Taz was robbed as usual and I can't say I was surprised that when it was all done and dusted the bloody maggot ump decided now was the time to give him a free. Typical. How frustrated must that poor bloke be? Give him a run in the midfield for a bit - when he gets back from suspension that is. Cos you know with the certainty of death and taxes that he will be suspended. He's in black and white, after all!

Bring on '06, get rid of 50% of the football dept (especially Butters, Cummings and whoever's idea it was to enlist the likes of Williams, who has done stuff all for three years) and for godsakes, no more frickin' injuries!!!!!!!!

[melissa]

BTW.. who would trade Lonie when we're lacking in footskills? Between him and Didak they are two of the most accurate left foot kicks in the team. Especially on the run. Poor bloke might be injured for the first time in three years but that's no reason to dump on him. I rate him above guys like Rowe who get shuffled around the ground and keep turning the Sherrin over to the enemy.

[stui magpie]

Pies have played 9 first year players and the Lions have played 10.

Big difference is the skill levels of the Lions players.

Off the field coaching - strength, skills, conditioning and application - the Lions are light years ahead of the Pies and one of our own 1990 premiership players is showing us up badly (and Buttifant) in the field of conditioning, recovery and rehab.

Actually, the big difference is that the Bears 1st year players are older than ours. Of the 10 first year players, 3 only played 1 game. 6 of the 10 have played 10 games between them.

2 of them, Selwood and Merrett were drafted in 2002 and are both 21. I wonder why they're bigger and stronger than 18 year olds, they've had 3 pre-seasons with the Bears.

Drummond is 22 and came from the 2003 rookie draft.

Of our first year players, fanning is 21 but only played 4 games last year. The rest are 18 and 19.

As far as skill level, the Bears senior players do not turn over the ball. They have set a much higher benchmark for getting in and then staying in the team than we have.

[DaVe86]

No point trading lonie now, his market value has just dropped from a second, third round pick or a decent player to a 4th, 5th round pick to nothing. May as well persist with him now. He is young enough, good enough and talented enough, plus has shown enough in the past 5 rounds to suggest keeping him.

[mudlark]

Mickey says the Pies are so so close to winning again that Mickey can feel it. May be less than a year till we win which is pleasing.

Mudlark think mickey wayne kerr