What we learnt...

Teflon · Post: # 1045603Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:12pm

Its NAB Cup so context required...BUT notwithstanding there are some fundamentals about competing in any game of footy that should be maintained:

1. Foot skills/ability to hit a target - deplorable and usual suspect aka Raph. Honestly, we carry so many sub standard by foot its no wonder we are a "grunt and bustle"side. I watched turn ocer after turn over cost us and in this day and age its just suicide.

2. Ball speed movement - I can handle being beaten but if you are using the game for practice/experiment then FFS......EXPERIMENT.....I mean we looked stodgy, slow, static, unsure..........go down trying something...

3. Archer as a ruck Im prepared to call it now.......no.

4. Role players - guys like Dempster are never going to get any better....Mqualter looked lost to me...Geary also turned it over under pressure......

5. Fumblesunder pressure were dreadful and is Brett Peake back from holidays or still o/s?

Spinner · Post: # 1045621Post **Spinner** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:23pm

Raph is a good kick.

Players that can't kick imo Geary, Gilbert, Jones, Blake, Ray, Peake.

Our movement and disposal by hand is beyond pathetic and has been the last three weeks.

st_Trav_ofWA · Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:25pm

Spinner wrote:Raph is a good kick.

Players that can't kick imo Geary, Gilbert, Jones, Blake, Ray, Peake.

Our movement and disposal by hand is beyond pathetic and has been the last three weeks.

four of those mentioned do enough in their other roles to excuse their somewhat hap hazzard kicking

Teflon · Post: # 1045627Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:25pm

Spinner wrote:Raph is a good kick.

Players that can't kick imo Geary, Gilbert, Jones, Blake, Ray, Peake.

Our movement and disposal by hand is beyond pathetic and has been the last three weeks.

If Raph is a "good kick" his decision making is ordinary and we all know has been for some time.

I am a huge Raph fan - but lets face facts, he has the ability to really hurt his own team in a big moment in a big game.......he must know its his time to improve in this area....

Agree the disposal by hand.....but we constantly hand ball to players standing still.....thats inexcusable...

desertsaint · Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:29pm

His decision making skills are very ordinary - I don't see an improvement there in the future - which would be a pity - has potential but it's time to show it consistently. Let's hope it's his breakout year.

Teflon · Post: # 1045636Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:35pm

desertsaint wrote:His decision making skills are very ordinary - I don't see an improvement there in the future - which would be a pity - has potential but it's time to show it consistently. Let's hope it's his breakout year.

The weird thing to me is that in a truly natural footballer skills like "awareness" "decisions under pressure" and "foot skills" are IMHO virtually impossible to correct. I do beleive marginal correction is possible, and there will be great days....but what worries me is at times of intense pressure.....the old natural tendancies surface..........

Geary is a talented kid I like - gets to a contest, seems to read the game ok......and just time and again lets himself down by foot.

I contrast with a guy like Gwilt who has ALWAYS had the footskills and now we see him excelling.

IMO Gilbert could be a superstar - never will be because he will never be an A-Grade kick.

BigMart · Post: # 1045638Post **BigMart** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:36pm

It's only the pre season....we cannot take anything from it....especially when we lose....

We can say positives...even in intra clubs, even in training sessions, even in time trials....not in losing nab cup games

Teflon · Post: # 1045642Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:41pm

BigMart wrote:It's only the pre season....we cannot take anything from it....especially when we lose....

We can say positives...even in intra clubs, even in training sessions, even in time trials....not in losing nab cup games

I dont have a problem in dissecting the game and the areas for improvement - as long as its not chicken little time.

saintbob · Post: # 1045644Post **saintbob** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:44pm

Nothing new, just confirmed that Mini and Peake are the luckiest blokes in the AFL.
Neither of these blokes would be on any other teams list in the AFL, so why the f&@k are they still on ours.
Mini can't find the F&@king thing and Peake butchers it on nearly every occasion that he gets it!!!!!

Teflon · Post: # 1045645Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:45pm

On the kicking/footskills issue...what does worry me is introducing guys like Polo...who everyone knows main problem at Richmond was that he turned the ball over to much....again, another grunter....not great decision/footskills.......we carry a few.

Thinline · Post: # 1045646Post **Thinline** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:46pm

NAB.

Who gives a s***?

Seriously...

Essendon were running around like a team with a new, young coach who a are probably buzzing around their change room giving high fives to each other in the nude and going 'woo-hoo aren't we so awesome'.

We were running around like a team playing a trial game having played reasonably well in a trial game already.

Yes, we could have been better, but we weren't.

Consequences?

None as far as I can tell.

st_Trav_ofWA · Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:47pm

saintbob wrote:Nothing new, just confirmed that Mini and Peake are the luckiest blokes in the AFL.
Neither of these blokes would be on any other teams list in the AFL, so why the f&@k are they still on ours.
Mini can't find the F&@king thing and Peake butchers it on nearly every occasion that he gets it!!!!!

honestly i did our best 22 thing on the Hun website today and i could fit either of them in ... with Gamble and Armo moving into the first 22 and the likes of steven smith ledger cripps stanley heyne lynch all knocking on the door i would be suprised if they were still getting games by round 6 without marked improvment

Teflon · Post: # 1045651Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:49pm

Thinline wrote:NAB.

Who gives a s***?

Seriously...

Essendon were running around like a team with a new, young coach who a are probably buzzing around their change room giving high fives to each other in the nude and going 'woo-hoo aren't we so awesome'.

We were running around like a team playing a trial game having played reasonably well in a trial game already.

Yes, we could have been better, but we weren't.

Consequences?

None as far as I can tell.

True.

I guess the dissapointing aspect is Essendon have been runnign round giving each other "high fives" the last 5 times theyve smacked us.....the same way EVERY time.......you'd think we be aware of the trick by now...

But yer....its NAB Cup...

st_Trav_ofWA · Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:49pm

Teflon wrote:On the kicking/footskills issue...what does worry me is introducing guys like Polo...who everyone knows main problem at Richmond was that he turned the ball over to much....again, another grunter....not great decision/footskills.......we carry a few.

would you have Polo in the best 22 ? .... i think he is insurance only a step up from Smith on the injury list all of last year ..who was a step up from Xman on the injury list all year the year before

degruch · Post: # 1045653Post **degruch** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:51pm

Teflon wrote:I guess the dissapointing aspect is Essendon have been runnign round giving each other "high fives" the last 5 times theyve smacked us...

I guess they're super happy we haven't beaten them by 110 points again.

Teflon · Post: # 1045655Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:52pm

degruch wrote:
Teflon wrote:I guess the dissapointing aspect is Essendon have been runnign round giving each other "high fives" the last 5 times theyve smacked us...
I guess they're super happy we haven't beaten them by 110 points again.

I cant console myself with a win that long ago after weve been smacked by them last 5 times.

degruch · Post: # 1045656Post **degruch** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:56pm

Teflon wrote:
degruch wrote:
Teflon wrote:I guess the dissapointing aspect is Essendon have been runnign round giving each other "high fives" the last 5 times theyve smacked us...
I guess they're super happy we haven't beaten them by 110 points again.
I cant console myself with a win that long ago after weve been smacked by them last 5 times.

Me either, but I can't take them very seriously. Let 'em roll us another couple times this year, as long as they don't beat us in the GF!

st_Trav_ofWA · Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:57pm

Teflon wrote:
degruch wrote:
Teflon wrote:I guess the dissapointing aspect is Essendon have been runnign round giving each other "high fives" the last 5 times theyve smacked us...
I guess they're super happy we haven't beaten them by 110 points again.
I cant console myself with a win that long ago after weve been smacked by them last 5 times.

thats ok as long as we dont face them in a final we should be fine ...... and seeing as though they struggle to beat anyones except us ...we should be safe

Teflon · Post: # 1045659Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:57pm

st_Trav_ofWA wrote:
Teflon wrote:On the kicking/footskills issue...what does worry me is introducing guys like Polo...who everyone knows main problem at Richmond was that he turned the ball over to much....again, another grunter....not great decision/footskills.......we carry a few.
would you have Polo in the best 22 ? .... i think he is insurance only a step up from Smith on the injury list all of last year ..who was a step up from Xman on the injury list all year the year before

Insurance or not.....thats not to say he wont play.

Im sure at one point we all thought Clint Jones was "insurance"...now starting 22......still not a good kick.

BTW Jones looks to have really dropped off for mine...

CURLY · Post: # 1045661Post **CURLY** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 9:58pm

Who would you like them to kick it to we had one marking target play tonight and that was Riewoldt who played deep forward.

Teflon · Post: # 1045664Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 10:01pm

CURLY wrote:Who would you like them to kick it to we had one marking target play tonight and that was Riewoldt who played deep forward.

I wouldve said the guys with white on their jumpers for a start.

Only a fool would try to pretend our footskills were good tonight......at one stage it was kicking efficiency: Bombers -75%, Saints 59%.........blind freddy could see that.

matrix · Post: # 1045665Post **matrix** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 10:02pm

fourth qtr is just about to start here
i think ill go to bed and watch Grand Designs

farking rubbish really
ok no rukman
chips injured
but seriously im all for "its only NAB" but if i see one sign of that crap doing the season ill be right royally pissed off

st_Trav_ofWA · Fri 04 Mar 2011 10:02pm

Teflon wrote:
st_Trav_ofWA wrote:
Teflon wrote:On the kicking/footskills issue...what does worry me is introducing guys like Polo...who everyone knows main problem at Richmond was that he turned the ball over to much....again, another grunter....not great decision/footskills.......we carry a few.
would you have Polo in the best 22 ? .... i think he is insurance only a step up from Smith on the injury list all of last year ..who was a step up from Xman on the injury list all year the year before
Insurance or not.....thats not to say he wont play.

Im sure at one point we all thought Clint Jones was "insurance"...now starting 22......still not a good kick.

BTW Jones looks to have really dropped off for mine...

jones was insurance until he changed his came and became a solid tagger ....

you think the fact he had his head knocked off miight have an impact into him dropping off ??

Teflon · Post: # 1045668Post **Teflon** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 10:03pm

st_Trav_ofWA wrote:
Teflon wrote:
degruch wrote:
Teflon wrote:I guess the dissapointing aspect is Essendon have been runnign round giving each other "high fives" the last 5 times theyve smacked us...
I guess they're super happy we haven't beaten them by 110 points again.
I cant console myself with a win that long ago after weve been smacked by them last 5 times.
thats ok as long as we dont face them in a final we should be fine ...... and seeing as though they struggle to beat anyones except us ...we should be safe

I dont like forfeiting games to Essendon each year.

They arent a top 8 side and these are games we should win.

How would you like to drop the Essendon games and miss top 4 or 2 by a few pts?

saintkid · Post: # 1045670Post **saintkid** » Fri 04 Mar 2011 10:04pm

McQualter and Peake are a waste of of list space. They are nothing more than bum chasers and masters of the clanger. We need running playmakers ffs to make a difference this year.