Point Proven?

[Johnny Member]

As a supporter you can't be upset about the overall effort of the players last night. There were some ordinary efforts at times, but overall it was very good.


But..... I think tonight proved a point - pressure and effort isn't enough.


Port made 87 Clangers, and were -9 in the Free Kick count. Their Disposal Efficiency was only 61% and they usually go at 70%.


Yet we lost!

They are the sort of numbers that a 'high pressure' game causes. That's the point of 'pressure' - to reduce the efficiency of your opponent.



But....we had 54 Inside 50s and only scored 61 points.

We had 50 Rebound 50s and only scored 61 points. Essendon are number 1 in the comp for Rebound 50s - and they only average 40 per game. We had 50! 50 Rebound 50s and 54 Inside 50s and we only scored 61 points??!

To put that into perspective, Gold Coast only scored a feeble 65 points yesterday against Richmond. But they only had 30 Rebound 50s and 34 Inside 50s.



The real problem is, that isn't an aberration. It's becoming the norm. It's becoming the norm to see us rudderless coming out of D50. It's becoming the norm to see us look like headless chooks through the midfield and turn it over. And it is the norm to see us 'bomb it in to the hot spot' time and time again without reward.


We're either well drilled, because we do the same thing every week, and we're so lacking in talent that we can't execute it well enough.

Or we're really poorly coached and the players are doing what they're asked to do.


Either way, we have a problem.



Pressure, being 'strong', being 'solid' and having 'effort' is not enough.

[longtimesaint]

You have to take into account that it was wet and slippery and a lot different to playing at Etihad.

[borderbarry]

Next week against WestCoast we should have two big marking players return, Roo and Marshall. Surely they would have been handy yesterday.

[Bruce G McAbee]

You have to take into account that it was wet and slippery and a lot different to playing at Etihad.

We don't score well at Etihad either. We can't apply enough scoreboard pressure.

[takeaway]

It was a messy game. I think the weather had something to do with it. Stats are only any good when you are comparing like with like.
I agree there are some problems, but that comes with a developing team.

[Johnny Member]

Jake Carlisle wasn't too bothered with the conditions.

[takeaway]

Jake Carlisle wasn't too bothered with the conditions.

Agree, he played fairly well, but a number of his intercept marks were due to poor entry by Port, and the conditions were part of that.

[Johnny Member]

Jake Carlisle wasn't too bothered with the conditions.

Agree, he played fairly well, but a number of his intercept marks were due to poor entry by Port, and the conditions were part of that.

Not necessarily referring to his game overall, just the fact that he was clean. He one-grabbed the ball, and hit targets.

[bigcarl]

we had 54 Inside 50s and only scored 61 points. [/b]

Story of the season unfortunately. How many times have we had more of the ball and lost? Putting it on the board - building scoreboard pressure - has to be a priority over summer.