Post Match v Port...All comments here thanks

[BBHS]

This game was hard fought all day and was won and lost in a 5 minute span in the last quarter. The boys played there hearts out and it was 4 very class players that took the game away from us in the last quarter the Cornes and the Burgoynes. I really like where our club is going all the kids this year have impressed. Travis Cloke is still learning the game so I would leave him in the team. We realistically aren't going to win the flag this year so what good is it going to do to play him at Willi? He needs senior games and confidence.

Guy Richards strongest asset is his tap work and he got handed a lesson by Brendon Lade yesterday. Josh does'nt look 100% and another game on Wednesday is'nt going to help. Chris Bryan must be a chance.

Remember it's very easy to look at all the negativse but unfortunately you will continually miss anything positive.

[RudeBoy]

Our poor performance in the ruck cost us the game. Something has to be done, and we obviously don't have many options.

Clearly Richards has to be replaced with Bryan.

Secondly, Cloke is not damaging at CHF. I've been a defender of his, but I now acknowledge some of the criticisms of his performances this year. For a key forward, the only thing that matters is scoreboard pressure, and he is not delivering it. We could persevere with him there for a few more weeks, but by then we might be out of the race for a top 8 spot.

With Presti unlikely to play on Wednesday a hole has opened up at CHB. Rather than bringing in Wakelin, why not play Cloke there. Down forward we can use Pebbles, Medhurst, Maxwell, Didak as well as Josh, when he's not relieving Bryan in the ruck.

[Culprit]

This game was hard fought all day and was won and lost in a 5 minute span in the last quarter. The boys played there hearts out and it was 4 very class players that took the game away from us in the last quarter the Cornes and the Burgoynes. I really like where our club is going all the kids this year have impressed. Travis Cloke is still learning the game so I would leave him in the team. We realistically aren't going to win the flag this year so what good is it going to do to play him at Willi? He needs senior games and confidence.

Guy Richards strongest asset is his tap work and he got handed a lesson by Brendon Lade yesterday. Josh does'nt look 100% and another game on Wednesday is'nt going to help. Chris Bryan must be a chance.

Remember it's very easy to look at all the negativse but unfortunately you will continually miss anything positive.

There is no excuse for crap football. The turnover kings lost the game again. Mistakes cost you games and we did plenty as they did, they just capitalised on ours more. We lost that game by the sheer amount of errors in their forward line. Weather a factor? Maybe, the first 3 rounds we had similar turnovers.

[luvlicca]

I wasnt calling for clokes head, I thnk heneeds confidence, so if he could get it from Willy, then thats what should happen.
During the NAB cup, didnt Trav play in the backline?? I know I seen him down there at some point this year, and I think he looked a lot more comfortable there than he does in the forward line.

[RudeBoy]

I wasnt calling for clokes head, I thnk heneeds confidence, so if he could get it from Willy, then thats what should happen.
During the NAB cup, didnt Trav play in the backline?? I know I seen him down there at some point this year, and I think he looked a lot more comfortable there than he does in the forward line.

With Presti injured, here's an opportunity to play cloke at CHB on Wednesday.

[Cam]

This game was hard fought all day and was won and lost in a 5 minute span in the last quarter. The boys played there hearts out and it was 4 very class players that took the game away from us in the last quarter the Cornes and the Burgoynes. I really like where our club is going all the kids this year have impressed. Travis Cloke is still learning the game so I would leave him in the team. We realistically aren't going to win the flag this year so what good is it going to do to play him at Willi? He needs senior games and confidence.

Guy Richards strongest asset is his tap work and he got handed a lesson by Brendon Lade yesterday. Josh does'nt look 100% and another game on Wednesday is'nt going to help. Chris Bryan must be a chance.

Remember it's very easy to look at all the negatives but unfortunately you will continually miss anything positive.

Spot on. Great post.

[Nutmeg]

Was listening to yesterday's game on the radio so can't really comment.
Must say though, Drew Morphett came up with a couple of pearlers yesterday, one deliberate, one not:

"Dick...goes long...no it's more high than long"

and in reference to the Leon Davis 50m penalty
"And the fifty is given by umpire Matthew Head....perhaps he was given the wrong christian name"

[molloymagic]

why do people complain about certain players, when they should really question, why in every game this year, why is there constantly ONE collingwood player getting the ball to TWO opposition players esp:near the boundary? They don;t seem to help each other all the time(doesn;t happen all the time), no wonder players get bagged, of course your going to look bad,if your team mate is no where near for you to hand ball off to. Thats what make teams good,they play as a team and hence are there for their team mate to give the ball off to. Sorry about the spelling errors.

Also we don;t pressure enough at certain times in games.

[Joel]

You idiots always need a scape goat and this year it is Travis. Effectively a second year player with just over 30 games.

It's his third year and he ahs progressively got worse, that is what everyone is worrying about. IT has nothing to do with needing a scapegoat, because people mentioned it last week aswell.

[Joel]

Also we don;t pressure enough at certain times in games.

I thought our pressure for most of the game yesterday was one the biggest positives. I have to disagree with your comment there.

[Lone Ranger]

The last quarter SHOULD have been irrelevant ... we should have been 7 or 8 goals up at three quarter time. Unfortunately, our turnovers, port making the most of their opportunities, and 2-3 cheap goals from the umpires kept port in the game.

[HAL]

Who was that?

[mudlark]

stole your list added my own comments, hope ya don't mind dave

Here's a summary of how I saw the pies' 22.

Scott Burns: Continues to defy logic...He is simply Collingwood
James Clement: Definately still not 100% I think Clem is having some trouble adjusting to the "No hands in the back rule" I am sure he will rebound well against the Dons though.
Travis Cloke: What do you do with him? so much potential but suffers from severe brain farts at times, I would like to see him go down back at CHB to see whatg he might be capable of, I mean his disposal is not fantastic which is the only thing letting him down, so why not turn him into the next Billy Picken?
Shannon Cox: He is still a kid and made some kid errors, I think he will get better, but you might see him dropped soon, if not before Anzac Day
Leon Davis: Really went missing, wonder if this was due to player management?
Brad Dick: I still think this kid is going to be a champion, just needs to put his head down, bum up and have more confidence in his ability, a few times there I am sure he could have slotted them himself but chose to centre it and his light frame did not help him in the wet conditions as he certainly did not involve himself in the ground contest at all, may be dropped, but I hope not, he is a great kid.
Josh Fraser: Will be good to see him at CHF one day and not having to be relied upon to sholder the whole rucking responsibility. Just not strong enough for Lade.
Ben Johnson: Solid match, really wonder if he is 100% has got into a terrible habit of running sideways and kicking accross his body, was much more effective when he was going front on and running in a direct line
Paul Licuria: Workhorse and I suspect had a tagging role as well. why do people constantly bag him?
Tarkyn Lockyer: This guy is so hard at it, almost made my top 3 this week, just getting better and better, his work ethic is amazing.
Nick Maxwell: Went forward, set up one and kicked one, was going Ok and then moved to the bench then to the backline? I wonder why MM does that? played ok down back but failed to get back for a contest on anumber of occasions leaving Ports forward line way to open.
Shane O'Bree: Needs to lift, worked hard but the old clangers set in again, which cost us possession and in the wet it is all about trying to keep as much of the footy as you can.
Harry O'Brien: Beaten, but still good, I don't know, he seems very laconical at times and other brilliant, just needs to use his footy head a bit more in some situations.
Scott Pendlebury: Great Performance, this kid continues to get better each week, has a great mind for footy,some nice goals as well.
Simon Prestigiacomo: Never thought that I would say this but Presti cost us the game in the last Qtr, on 4 occassions he just could not deliver which all resulted in a minor or major score for Port. Can never ever question his endeavour, work rate and courage but his skill let himself and the Pies down today.
Guy Richards: I recommend a hot bath, a massage and to be shown the door....certainly not AFL standard to me.
Anthony Rocca: Hard at it, just no real delivery to him, hard to be best on ground when the breakdown is at CHF and you are deep in the forward line...wodl have liked to see him rotate through the ruck, but how good is his kicking for goal lately, dead straight!.
Heath Shaw: Looked a little lost at times, i think alot of clubs have done their homework on him and he will have to adjust qucikly to a different style of play, still I mean sheez he is a great kid.
Rhyce Shaw: 30 Disposals, majority hit the Tit for me he was best on ground today.
Dane Swan: As Fev said on the Footy Show..He must Stink? he just keep racking up the possessions, I like him in the forweard line but I would have liked it if Medhurst was there and Swan in the midfield.
Dale Thomas: Superb game, courageous and he is everywhere, buckle up boys and girls we have the next Nathan Buckley in our midst!.
Alan Toovey: Was a bit quiet, but was given a different role to last week and did not really hold up that well to the challenge, really liked him as a 2nd option down forward but I guess MM has to see if a player that young isn't too one dimensional.

Over all still not bad to be 2-2, a tough game might see us be challenged by the Bumers, but i think yo might see the inclusion of Bux this Wednesday, possibly Dids as well...

For Wednesday:

Out: Richards, Cox, Toovey

In Bryan, Buxs & Dids

My best for today

3-R.Shaw
2-D.Thomas
1-S.Burns

My best for Port

3-Central Umpire
2-The other Umpire
1- Lade

My prediction against the Bummers....Pies by 11 points with Bux kicking 4 on return.

Cheers

Im very glad you said Presti cost us the game in the last Qtr NP. Totally agree and I'll add ,the game has passed him by. Our most senior defender should, under any circumstanses , be relied on to get us out of tight spots, but he was woeful and I will repeat what I've said for years. Collingwood will not win a flag with Presti at full back.Also James Clement played possibly the worst game I have ever seen him play. He cost 5 goals directly through shocking mistakes and poor kickout options. A one off I hope.
And to anyone who reckons Rhyce is not in our best 22, you are dead right. He's in our best 5.

[magpie57]

It will be good to get Bryan in just to see how he measures up, to be honest I have always felt that Josh would be far better suited at CHF and Guy Richards would be far better off at Williamstown- they are far too light in the body to be our first choice as ruckmen and that certainly showed up on Saturday.
They play mostly to the best of their ability but really they are or should be second string ruckmen.
Put Josh at CHF and move Travis to CHB, who knows it may just work.

[jackcass]

Just adding to Lukes comments.
The umpires are killing this game by over doing it. They draw way too much attention to themselves. Also, and I have said this before where do they get off calling players by names and nick names. To me this is the first sign of unprofessional attitude. Sure we all know who is who in the Footy world and yes they spend a lot of time with players but they are not team mates and thus should be calling them by number and team not 'your kick johnno'. It may seem trivial but it does help to maintain a sense of impartiality towards certain players or teams. The other thing floating around is the Umps interpretation 'THERE IS NONE' the law is the law and that is it. For instance I am forever getting pissed off with players being tackled and dropping ball at their feet only to have called play on and an opposition player allowed to come in and scoop up the ball. This happened yesterday on many occasions and went unnoticed. But then in the 3rd in the Snorts 50m arc pendles picks up ball tackled by Cornes ball comes out...Burns was away with it, Pendles called for dropping cornes passes off to mahony and port goal. This is what is frustrating in that this was done all day and only called up once in a crucial time at a crucial position on the ground.

Also what is this crap with Rocca being reported. I will say it was great hip and shoulder and should not have even been penalised. But alas the umps see as dangerous(even though legitimate). Basically these kind of hip and shoulder hits have been eliminated in AFL. However watching a VFL game the other night I saw a similar hit and went unnoticed. The Umps are killing this great game and as soon as someone recognises this fact we may see the game return to its past glory. And the sooner we get rid of this ridiculous hands on player in front the better, and each week we see a different interpretation of it. So either enforce it on every occasion or scrap it.

Agree, umpires arbitrarily interpreting the rules is the biggest blight on the game. The number of times players take on apponents and the ball is incorrectly disposed of is amazing.