The Domino Fall

[tony74]

Like a classic domino fall it only takes one misplaced domino to make the trick look very poor. At the moment probably every move we make we either have a misplaced domino or a domino that doesn't do what is is intended to do. And the trick doesn't work and in fact looks really poor. Our team is similar to that at the moment.
There are a few dominoes/players that are just in the wrong spot and/or don't do what they are intended to do. So the trick/gameplan falls flat and looks really poor. It's not the entire team or the gameplan. It's just a few specific pieces that are letting the whole plan down.
You may wish to disagree, but these things can turn around very quickly. Be prepared for some " failed " tricks however don't be surprised if you see some genuine exciting developments. It can turn very quickly.

[mr six o'clock]

I prefer crust's to domino's

[plugger66]

Like a classic domino fall it only takes one misplaced domino to make the trick look very poor. At the moment probably every move we make we either have a misplaced domino or a domino that doesn't do what is is intended to do. And the trick doesn't work and in fact looks really poor. Our team is similar to that at the moment.
There are a few dominoes/players that are just in the wrong spot and/or don't do what they are intended to do. So the trick/gameplan falls flat and looks really poor. It's not the entire team or the gameplan. It's just a few specific pieces that are letting the whole plan down.
You may wish to disagree, but these things can turn around very quickly. Be prepared for some " failed " tricks however don't be surprised if you see some genuine exciting developments. It can turn very quickly.

It cant turn if you dont have the players and we just dont have the players. I would be pleasantly surprised if we won another game this year. Every team looks clearlt better than us. The only way it could possibly happen is if we played every single experienced player, when fit, and dropped as many young kids as possible and im unsure there is any point in that at all.

[Teflon]

Play the kids - all is well and don't panic
IF in 2 years we still sit where we now are.... ok panic

[SemperFidelis]

Play the kids - all is well and don't panic
IF in 2 years we still sit where we now are.... ok panic

I'd be interested in Tony's view of whether the errant dominos are beaten up old bricks, or shiny new pieces.

[cwrcyn]

Well, I hope you're right Tony. A slow team like ours makes it even harder to get the job done. Geary, Wright, Roberton, Templeton, Gilbert, and an in form Stanley would go a fair way to helping us in that department. Unfortunately, players like Ray, Dempster, and Jones, although experienced, have their limitations. Jones and Ray with their kicking, and Dempster with his constant fumbling below his knees. So half of the few experienced players in the team at the moment are providing us with little. The cupboard is quite bare. I can't see us looking cohesive anytime soon.

However, we'll just have to tough it out and hope that some players show improvement. We've seen it come in small increments from Ross, and I hope we'll see similar improvement from Murdoch. Our kicking efficiency is beyond appalling at the moment, and if it can get up to around 70% (instead of 45%), we'll be more competitive.

[Sobraz]

Wonder if one of those domino's name is Tom Lee?
And cwrcyn, what does an in form Stanley look like? Never seen it myself. Not sure it exists.

[lloyd21]

Like a classic domino fall it only takes one misplaced domino to make the trick look very poor. At the moment probably every move we make we either have a misplaced domino or a domino that doesn't do what is is intended to do. And the trick doesn't work and in fact looks really poor. Our team is similar to that at the moment.
There are a few dominoes/players that are just in the wrong spot and/or don't do what they are intended to do. So the trick/gameplan falls flat and looks really poor. It's not the entire team or the gameplan. It's just a few specific pieces that are letting the whole plan down.
You may wish to disagree, but these things can turn around very quickly. Be prepared for some " failed " tricks however don't be surprised if you see some genuine exciting developments. It can turn very quickly.

just hope AR changes things things think he is smart guy. Roo's has done it at Melbourne think Alan will do same
Mentally some guys are shot playing same role for long time need to Free them up.

Free up Dempster mentally shot playing defence play him on wing for 1 quarter then midfielder run with role.
Play Jack Steven of Half back Webster on wing Newnes as a forward pocket defensive half forward, play Roo in the square 1 out
Demand changes to old guys position wise to educate the guys around ground .

Joey forward ...definitely would not play Lenny anywhere but in the guts & around stoppages get Dunstan Billings on ball with Dog teach where to stand coach em on the groundwork a few stoppages it is about learning every game is worth 10 to young guys particularly home games.

Play the kids Maister Jones Ray are not the future hope we see it nothing to lose. 8-

[Bluthy]

Players have to play together - A LOT - to learn how each other plays and for things to come together as a flowing, smooth unit. We have had so many new players come in, including new draftees who are first trying to learn what AFL is like, it's been a real mishmash of old and new. Even player like Gwilt, Montagna, Jones etc don't have their trusty old war buddies out there on the field that knew their movements like the back of their hand and could relied on to have their back. We have very much been the sum of our (inexperienced) parts. Coaches in particular love a steady back six which becomes the teams rock of Gibraltar and ours is still a work in progress.

[Toy Saint]

The secret to a domino trick is to place the domino's in the right spot. Wnen our mids get the ball they raise their eyes in search of a leading forward, but alas they are not there, there is nobody at home, so the mids look sideways, handball, stuff around and eventually turn the ball over. Leave a couple of forwards in the forward line, and the trick may work!

[WellardSaint]

Oh goodie.
Dominos. They fall over in sequence and in a structured orderly pattern.

The players (not all, but a lot of them) act like witches hats, not dominos.
And there is no structure.
But there is definitely a pattern.
Look at the scores vs Crows, Hawks, Pies, Power, Cats.

[WellardSaint]

The players seem to have trouble kicking accurately.
Or making the right decisiion on disposal, resulting in quick turnovers.

This cannot be fixed magically overnight, especially with young players who haven't yet developed the hardness that only appears after 1 or 2 solid preseasons, including weights.

Unless you fast track using the popular cutting edge protocol designed by Dank and Dr Ageless.

[gringo]

We were a much stronger team with Geary, Gilbert, Armo,Schnides, gwilt etc. playing. When those guys come back and if we get something out of Fisher, Wright and Eli we might pinch another game or two. We had 10 players under 20 games last week end- hard to do much but try to not look overwhelmed when that's the case. We saw some good signs from another kid in Ross. At some point all the pieces fall into place and you start believing again.

[tony74]

Play the kids - all is well and don't panic
IF in 2 years we still sit where we now are.... ok panic

I'd be interested in Tony's view of whether the errant dominos are beaten up old bricks, or shiny new pieces.

Probably on the weekend we had 5 dominoes that are letting the gameplan and execution down. Put any 2 of those in a Swans, Port , Hawks or the Cats team and they get absorbed and don't effect the outcome as much. Sure they cause systems not to work but they are not always in the play. When you have 5 or so there is a very good chance that 1 will always be in the play. That's why recently we look very, very ordinary as nearly everyone of our plays involves someone who at the moment just isn't up to it.
It doesn't mean the whole team. That's why things can turn around very quickly. Three to four player turnaround can make a huge difference. We haven't got the depth to replace integral players. As 1 or 2 come back watch the turnaround. You'll see a recognised game plan ( which has been there all the time but not executed ) We will look fitter and faster. It will turn around faster than you think.
And Semperfidelis to your question. 2 old bricks and 3 shiny new ones.

[SemperFidelis]

Good on you Tony, thanks for the insight. Looking forward to seeing some missing pieces back in the team as they return from injury.

This year, it's a bit like someone's annoying little brother stole a few bits out of the family set ...

[saintspremiers]

Wonder if one of those domino's name is Tom Lee?
And cwrcyn, what does an in form Stanley look like? Never seen it myself. Not sure it exists.

Tom Lee is a permanently damaged domino. doesn't fit into any gameplan sequence.

[saint-stu]

What's going on with Monty? He was one of our best at the start of the year, and I hardly saw him in the last couple of games.

[cwrcyn]

Fair point Sainstpremiers. A hard working Maister is more value than a quick Stanley

[saintly]

Like a classic domino fall it only takes one misplaced domino to make the trick look very poor. At the moment probably every move we make we either have a misplaced domino or a domino that doesn't do what is is intended to do. And the trick doesn't work and in fact looks really poor. Our team is similar to that at the moment.
There are a few dominoes/players that are just in the wrong spot and/or don't do what they are intended to do. So the trick/gameplan falls flat and looks really poor. It's not the entire team or the gameplan. It's just a few specific pieces that are letting the whole plan down.
You may wish to disagree, but these things can turn around very quickly. Be prepared for some " failed " tricks however don't be surprised if you see some genuine exciting developments. It can turn very quickly.

Tony74, that's a bit too obscure for me why don't you explain in plain English what you mean.

[Animal Enclosure]

Totally agree Tony.

Take yourself back to the last time we were in a similar situation. GT had a game plan that eventually worked (to a point) but just didn't have the cattle to carry it out. He eventually tried to limit the damage by going ultra defensive (the infamous draw vs Swans when Daniel Wulf hit the post from a metre out).

Even Ross struggled for at least a year in getting a game plan implemented & then allowing it to become 2nd nature to the team. And he had a mature list of players in their prime to work with.

It may be because I expected the season to pan out a bit this way that I am not panicked in any way at all. My only slight concern is that young players aren't scarred by the experiences of getting belted...hopefully it will make them battle hardened & determined to never go back to mediocrity once they mature as a team.

[saintspremiers]

Fair point Sainstpremiers. A hard working Maister is more value than a quick Stanley

True but neither appear long term options. Hopefully finishing stone motherless last this year and next and possibly bottom 4 in 2016 will deliver something from the draft.

[spert]

When I was playing junior footy and basketball a long time ago, I played in some terrible teams who lost badly on a regular basis, and it was demoralising and you didn't want to turn up to play some days, and things go from bad to worse. I don't know how some of our younger players are feeling right now- I'm sure if the team was at least competitive in their losses, then they would see hope and be motivated to do better, but continual floggings creates a culture that is hard to turn around. The lack of motivation across the team is obvious when you watch them play now- there is no extra effort to do that little one percenter that is so important, and once they fall behind, the foot goes well and truely off the accelerator. The sad thing is that there is a whole atmosphere around the club of having written the season off, even weeks ago- not good

[philtee]

That's a pretty good metaphor tony74!
Just watch the chain of events that led to the Demons' winning goal against the Bombers on Sundee.
http://www.afl.com.au/video/2014-06-15/ ... wo-minutes
Every player had to know their role and be in the right spot at the right time.
IMO - Aussie rules can look almost random, but a lot of it comes down to well-honed drills,
capped off by skill and instinct. We're a bit short in all 3 at the minute!

[magnifisaint]

I don't play dominoes so I have idea what all of this means. Whats wrong with saying something instead of hiding between smoke screens?

[Animal Enclosure]

I don't play dominoes so I have idea what all of this means. Whats wrong with saying something instead of hiding between smoke screens?

The domino analogy was pretty clear IMO.

I don't play dominoes either by the way.