2018 VFL Rd 15: Northern Blues vs Williamstown

[Robblues]

A lot of players look like they can't wait till the end of the season already, but you would think a spot on the list would be enough to keep them interested. Maybe the doom & gloom is seeping in or has been for a while

[PaulP]

Just checked on twitter : 98-59. Bugger.

[crashlander]

Northern Blues 9 - 5 - 59
Williamstown 14 - 14 - 98

Goals: Graham 2, le Bois 2, McCabe 2, Lobbe, Mullett, Wilson

[townsendcalling]

How was Lobbe??  Is he ready to step up this week??

[ElwoodBlues1]

How was Lobbe??  Is he ready to step up this week??

Lobbe was reasonable. think he went off under the blood rule and had to get some treatment but did ok when he came back on.
Would be in our better players IMO not that we had many.....

[LP]

Nothing of stand out there today.

Generally poor structures, lack of run, general disinterest from many players. Coach all you like, they can't run or tackle for the blokes out there, I've not seen a Fraser coached team look so disorganised, so I cannot blame the coach!

The usual suspects, lots of footy for players like Graham and Mullett highlighted by awful ball use and even worse decision making. Players like O'Shea on multiple occasions kicking to a static Le Bois surrounded by three Willi defenders.

Very little work ethic from Levi, that's about all I can say and I was hoping and expecting some dominance.

Plenty of work ethic from Kerr but awful disposal and decision making.

Lobbe average before being bandaged up, OK after that but little or no impact on the result.

Byrne, little of no impact.

Best players were probably not AFL listed players, not what you want to see when AFL spots are clearly up for grab, nobody looks like they want to be in our AFL side! :o

[Professer E]

Fine.... Go at half rat power.... The out door is on your right.

Quickly sorting out who isn't going to be here next year.

[blue4life]

They were all giving it their best shot as far as I could tell but they were hopelessly undermanned, the only two who looked above the level were Byrne and Kerr.
Graham, Casboult, O'Shea and Mullet had a crack but they aren't anything startling at the best of times and when the team is being spanked they don't look any better.
Shaumaker (?) kicks it well and shows a bit of promise, Le Bois has skill but doesn't get the ball, that he battles away is about the best you can say about Lobbe.
It was never going to be pretty.

[LP]

I feel for Graham, he works hard and win heaps of the footy, but the lad cannot hit a barn from arms-length away even when he is under zero pressure!

Anyone watching the replay will need a calculator to tally the number of times our guys missed open targets at barely a legal kicking distance away, even when under no immediate physical pressure. How so many 15m passes regularly bounce in front of the target is just beyond me, even if the kicker is standing still or walking backwards we should expect and demand far more from AFL listed individuals, it is just unacceptable and has become a joke!

Are we better off with a player that gets the ball half as much but hits targets?

As an aside, another blight on our player development, the lack of players capable on both sides of their body is a joke! The stupid outside foot kicks rarely come off, they are highlight reel bullcrap that works once in a dozen attempts! How can it be that full-time trained AFL listed players cannot kick a 15m pass on their non-preferred leg?

[blue4life]

Our foot skills yesterday bordered on criminal, Byrne and Wilson were the only exceptions.
It isn't only our senior listed players, the VFL is second only to the AFL in the country and anyone playing at that level should have the basics covered.
I'm told that there were half a dozen or so who have been playing VFL seconds but that still leaves 16 or 17 players who should do better.
I thought that Kerr's kicking in general play was OK but three points from three set shots isn't good enough.
Nevertheless the senior experience seems to have done him good, he presents well, butters up and generally looks as though he wants to be involved.