Post Game v Crows - Disaster in Dubai - All comments here!

[Mr. Burns]

It's amazing to see peoples comments on a game that doesn't count for anything except to help some poor old clubs get some extra $$$$.

All those people who have made comments about our performance on the weekend - hang your heads in shame.

Premiership points lost = 0

I remember similar comments posted after last years so called debarcle against the Kangaroos.

Get real people - The real season starts in March

[DT]

I have spent 5 minutes reading through some absolute garbage about the Dubai game and what it means for the season.

Sure, we all want to see the Pies win every time they play.

Reality is that February is preparation time.

Mick Malthouse is a master of preparing the team for peaking in September.

Remember the Crows 2 years ago? They steamrolled us first round, were on top half way through the season and crashed to fourth by the end of the year when West Coast beat them.

Sides that are up early in the year generally, but not always, reveal a coach that is worried that his team will not be in the top echelon.

Sides that couldn't give a stuff about the pre-season are generally focused on finishing strongly in September.

You can't have a team up for 26 weeks, let alone 32!

South Africa will prove good for the team. Dubai was purely a marketing exercise for Emirates.

I will remember all of the negative posts about this game, and when it comes to the last Saturday in September, you will be feeling sheepish.

Go Pies!

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

I see the Tuesday experts are in early this week. You know, the ones that come in to bag the Mondayers who've gone out on a limb trying to dissect the weekends performance.

We football supporters are such predictable creatures, aren't we

[WKB]

I disagree re JA and Browny, I thought they both did a serviceable job for 1st timers. John played about 50% game time, kicked 1 goal from a total of 7 team goals and only had one goal kicked against him after having 3 opponents including Sellar & Tippet. Not bad against a team who kicked 19 goals and were pumping it into the forward line on a regular basis

John is that you with a new name? I agree i thought Jack was pretty good and as you have said he really wasn't on the field a lot. Of course we have to factor in it was his first competitive match since the neck injury and he showed it doesn't seem to be a mental hurdle for him.

Browny on the other hand, I still have my doubts.

[Big T]

South Africa will prove good for the team. Dubai was purely a marketing exercise for Emirates.

I will remember all of the negative posts about this game, and when it comes to the last Saturday in September, you will be feeling sheepish.

Go Pies!

That was a big disappointment, surely, not showing anything in our major sponsors home turf.

Re: going off the beaten track, I am not so sure. I live in rural China. You get sick here, you can be off colour for 2-3 months. I guess time will tell.

[JAJH1]

I disagree re JA and Browny, I thought they both did a serviceable job for 1st timers. John played about 50% game time, kicked 1 goal from a total of 7 team goals and only had one goal kicked against him after having 3 opponents including Sellar & Tippet. Not bad against a team who kicked 19 goals and were pumping it into the forward line on a regular basis

John is that you with a new name? I agree i thought Jack was pretty good and as you have said he really wasn't on the field a lot. Of course we have to factor in it was his first competitive match since the neck injury and he showed it doesn't seem to be a mental hurdle for him.

Browny on the other hand, I still have my doubts.

Yes Chris, it's me, for some reason my username and PW wouldn't let me in so had to re-register with a new nick.

[John Wren]

I see the Tuesday experts are in early this week. You know, the ones that come in to bag the Mondayers who've gone out on a limb trying to dissect the weekends performance.

We football supporters are such predictable creatures, aren't we

sotellmeaboutwednesdayandthursdayexperts.

i thought ja's goal was a beauty.

[Woods Of Ypres]

I see the Tuesday experts are in early this week. You know, the ones that come in to bag the Mondayers who've gone out on a limb trying to dissect the weekends performance.

We football supporters are such predictable creatures, aren't we

sotellmeaboutwednesdayandthursdayexperts.

i thought ja's goal was a beauty.

Agree Jock, i think JA will could be versatile player.

[Dr Pie]

I know that the pre-season cup doesn't matter and that we are probably better off not being in it. I know that at least half a dozen automatic selections weren't playing (Burns, O'Brien, Goldsack, Rusling, Holland and probably Wood). I know that a lot of the boys who were playing had suffered from Gastro and possibly Jetlag. All the same I hated watching us lose and read this thread after the game and on Sunday and couldn't bring myself to contribute.

What was most disappointing was watching the two young stars who sparkled last year barely get into the game at Dubai. I am referring to Pendles and Marty Clark. Our two stars of the Final Series, Cloke and Medhurst, were apparently the worst hit with Gastro, but they both managed to flash into the play and each kicked a goal (and Medders' goal was a beauty)

Of the younger players, I was impressed by Sam Isles who is closer to our best 22 than I had originally thought. Dick had a good first quarter, Reid and Anthony were certainly not disgraced and Cook tried hard (but did not get much result for his efforts) The only players who I thought performed 100% when on the ground were O'Bree and the Shaw brothers.

[Snoop Dog]

Look, we have never played well in these matches and have ended up in GF's at year end so i wouldnt worry at all about it.

Notwithstanding there were a couple of things to come out of it for me;

Clearances are still the issue. Dont blame kids in the back half when the senior blokes in the middle are getting there pants pulled down.
Anthony and Brown showed signs. Dont forget the way that ball was coming in neither of them had much hope. Not having OBrien, Goldsack, Presti down there didnt help either.
Stanley was strong in a few contests and looks like he could develop
Cook is not up to AFL standard
Dick needs to get front and centre a bit more
Bryan should not be in the 22 - I am sorry but he is terrible.
Maxwell should not be the capt - Josh Fraser should be with Heath Shaw his deputy.
Run of Rhyce was terrific but the skills need a lift.
Meddy was ok.

[Dark Lord]

Since when did we take the NAB Cup seriously?

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

Since when did we take the NAB Cup seriously?

when we win

[3rd degree]

Yeah if we had won by 81 points it would mean a lot.

[melliot]

Pretty disapointing effort. Gastro, travel tired, NAB game etc, etc. It all makes for difficulty, when trying to guage a performance. Bring on the real stuff. Not overly worried............................yet!

Still hard to take a smashing like that though even when it means squat!.

Positive : O'Bree's clearances
Negative: O'Bree only one getting clearances!

[jackcass]

Look, we have never played well in these matches and have ended up in GF's at year end so i wouldnt worry at all about it.

Notwithstanding there were a couple of things to come out of it for me;

Clearances are still the issue. Dont blame kids in the back half when the senior blokes in the middle are getting there pants pulled down.
Anthony and Brown showed signs. Dont forget the way that ball was coming in neither of them had much hope. Not having OBrien, Goldsack, Presti down there didnt help either.
Stanley was strong in a few contests and looks like he could develop
Cook is not up to AFL standard
Dick needs to get front and centre a bit more
Bryan should not be in the 22 - I am sorry but he is terrible.
Maxwell should not be the capt - Josh Fraser should be with Heath Shaw his deputy.
Run of Rhyce was terrific but the skills need a lift.
Meddy was ok.

That's just about the best summary I've seen.

Bit harsh on Cook even though I agree that he isn't up to AFL standard on that display I won't discount that there could be further development this year.

Bryan is an ongoing torment.

Would also add that I thought Daisy was absolutely sensational. He looks ready to tear games apart. Reid showed us a little more of his potential despite his poor conversion.

I also think that the way MM structured the team didn't give us the best chance to win. Obviously keen to trial a few configurations which ultimately left us exposed.

Also think that the Crows and the Doggies are the teams that we match up poorly with in terms of players type and game plan.