Post Game Analysis: AFL 2021 Rd 12: Carlton vs West Coast

[Gointocarlton]

That is an inevitability, since I don't listen to anything he says, unless I come across it on these forums.

So, please explain to me the true meaning behind the great man's words.

I dont have a lot of time for Sellars in general however I think his main message and the message from other observers is for our players to:
- Stop thinking about ME and starting thinking about US
- Work for each other and demand high standards from your peers (whether you are a first gamer or a 295 gamer)
I found the comments about nice boys interesting not because of the messenger, but more from the point of view of what mindset is required to play football today. We hear of teams who play "unsociable" football (ie Geel, Rich, Haw and to some extent Syd) and many refer to our blokes as Choir Boys or the Von Trapp kids. I wonder if other teams think that of us also and take advantage of it.

[LP]

Sellars continual berating and attack of the club heavily contributes to the problem, it offers no cures.

[PaulP]

I dont have a lot of time for Sellars in general however I think his main message and the message from other observers is for our players to:
- Stop thinking about ME and starting thinking about US
- Work for each other and demand high standards from your peers (whether you are a first gamer or a 295 gamer)
I found the comments about nice boys interesting not because of the messenger, but more from the point of view of what mindset is required to play football today. We hear of teams who play "unsociable" football (ie Geel, Rich, Haw and to some extent Syd) and many refer to our blokes as Choir Boys or the Von Trapp kids. I wonder if other teams think that of us also and take advantage of it.

IMO, the me not us is a direct result of the behaviour of the board and executive over last 20 years, as LP has described elsewhere, players go into a certain self preservation mode. The other aspect is that the high list turnover means that you will end up with a whole bunch of me's and not one us. Our two biggest recruits since Judd have played about 10 games each, and they are supposed to propel us up the ladder.

Re our poor defence. is it down to the lack of synergy that I refer to ? Is it down to coaching instruction ? Does Teague let players off the hook too easily ? Most supporters would say the last option, because that's the standard supporter response, but I'm not convinced.

Our turnover / skill error issues are IMO, directly the result of the headspace and instability / lack of synergy issues that I mention. Let the team settle, give them stability, give them support, and watch things improve. That's my opinion.

[crashlander]

I haven't been able to watch the game until now. There was simply too much anger and disappointment with Sunday's result for me to tolerate watching another loss. But I am looking at it now. My observations:
[1] We were pretty damned good in the 1st Quarter. The only thing we couldn't do is kick a goal. Silvagni was excellent, as was Murphy. Setters was good except for his kicking. He should have had 3 goals. One shot didn't even get 35 m!
[2] MicNat was the difference. Simple as that. The guy is such a good ruckman when he is on.
[3] Tom de Koning showed a bit as a resting ruck. But he played almost purely forward after H went down.
[4] With H going off, we were rudderless. It robbed us in the ruck and it robber us in the forward line.

[LP]

I haven't been able to watch the game until now. There was simply too much anger and disappointment with Sunday's result for me to tolerate watching another loss. But I am looking at it now. My observations:
[1] We were pretty damned good in the 1st Quarter. The only thing we couldn't do is kick a goal. Silvagni was excellent, as was Murphy. Setters was good except for his kicking. He should have had 3 goals. One shot didn't even get 35 m!
[2] MicNat was the difference. Simple as that. The guy is such a good ruckman when he is on.
[3] Tom de Koning showed a bit as a resting ruck. But he played almost purely forward after H went down.
[4] With H going off, we were rudderless. It robbed us in the ruck and it robber us in the forward line.

Agreed.

I don't get some of the hate towards a few of our players, it's like the people doing the commenting did not watch the game!

[crashlander]

The last quarter was poor. No way around that. But we competed pretty well until then. And that goal from Betts was sheer Magic!

[1] We should have been well in from at 3/4 time. We had so many opportunities that we couldn't take.
[2] Doc had a shocker early. Things just didn't go his way, for all of his effort. The ball bounced off his head at one point. He was a guy whose game improved as the game went on.
[3] Martin was disappointing and should have come back through the 2nds. he was carrying more bandages than I do, and I do a good impression of the Mummy when I'm in the Gym. Braces all over me!
[4] Setters was so good early, but he dropped out of the game like he was shot. I am very disappointed by Setters. His 1st quarter was as good any anyone this year.
[5] Their goals cam much easier than ours did. We worked so hard for so little reward in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, while theirs came too easily. Goals from any angle.

[WASurfer]

Crash....I think where a lot of the frustration comes from for most of us supporters is that with all those things, they happen repeatedly...and have been happening repeatedly for awhile now.

1. Should've been well in front and didn't take opportunities.
2. Missing easy shots on goal.
3. Some of the bigger name recruits being disappointing and players fading out of games badly.

Not coming back around to the Teague stay or go argument but read a stat somewhere that in something like 29 of the 40 games under Teague, we've let opposition teams get a run on and kick 5 consecutive goals. I've got no idea what you put that down to but it supports your points.....in a lot of games, should've been in front, didn't take opportunities.

[crashlander]

Crash....I think where a lot of the frustration comes from for most of us supporters is that with all those things, they happen repeatedly...and have been happening repeatedly for awhile now.

1. Should've been well in front and didn't take opportunities.
2. Missing easy shots on goal.
3. Some of the bigger name recruits being disappointing and players fading out of games badly.

Not coming back around to the Teague stay or go argument but read a stat somewhere that in something like 29 of the 40 games under Teague, we've let opposition teams get a run on and kick 5 consecutive goals. I've got no idea what you put that down to but it supports your points.....in a lot of games, should've been in front, didn't take opportunities.

Oh, I understand the frustration. I have it myself. It is one of the reasons I don't post a lot immediately after a loss. The anger and frustration is not good for my health, so I am trying to minimize it. Pity our team is trying to maximize it.

I have come to the conclusion that our players have killed our coach. I cannot say it is anyone specific blame: there is so much to share around that no individual can possibly grab it all. But our coaching staff need to accept their share and do something about it. That doesn't appear to have happened.
For that matter, a few of our senior players need to take ownership of their failings and do something about it.

[WASurfer]

Absolutely agree....but history shows that when things aren't going too well, the players survive but it's the head coach who loses his job.

Hopefully this "review" gets to the bottom of some of the issues and things turn around in the second half of the season.

[Milhanna13]

The last quarter was poor. No way around that. But we competed pretty well until then. And that goal from Betts was sheer Magic!

[1] We should have been well in from at 3/4 time. We had so many opportunities that we couldn't take.
[2] Doc had a shocker early. Things just didn't go his way, for all of his effort. The ball bounced off his head at one point. He was a guy whose game improved as the game went on.
[3] Martin was disappointing and should have come back through the 2nds. he was carrying more bandages than I do, and I do a good impression of the Mummy when I'm in the Gym. Braces all over me!
[4] Setters was so good early, but he dropped out of the game like he was shot. I am very disappointed by Setters. His 1st quarter was as good any anyone this year.
[5] Their goals cam much easier than ours did. We worked so hard for so little reward in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, while theirs came too easily. Goals from any angle.

Interesting Martin played much more in the guts than previously.  Didn’t do anything, but played there.