Squad for JLT game named

[PaulP]

Having read all the comments on here, Bolton's after match comments, highlights and the like, I think it's obvious that the boys were just going through the motions, almost certainly under instruction. Bolton didn't sound like he cared, the boys were just jogging around etc. Minimal effort just to show up and participate.

As Lods said, different teams approach the pre season differently. The Swans under Roos were notorious for treating the pre season as a joke, and Roos made this pretty clear on a few occasions.

So if we're serving this up for pre season, fine. If this is what we bring in Round 1,  watch out.

[madbluboy]

Agree with PaulP. Whether we're good enough to go through the motions is another question but we better give it a red hot go come round 1.

[LoveNavy]

I agree with EB on this one.
D's are a couple of years ahead of us in terms of list development. Although we have been their Achilles heel during recent times.

I really liked what I saw (TV fox) from:
big H - loved his chase, tackle, and below knees work
Charlie - couple of endearing little gigs with his bro. The Blues brothers
SOJ - quiet. That will be a great motivator for him
Cunningham - a few flashes, nice link up with little Zac
Weitering - almost forgot he's only a 2nd yr player. Solid.

Zac - good vision and lovely kick, didn't look intimidated by big body challenges
LeBois - aside goal of the year, positioned himself well (in what appeared a less than organized plan), looked dangerous. Enter 1AW - you have much to work with.

Smedts - OK, hope he'll build quickly with a few under his belt
Pickett - flashes of real class, looks composed and has good awareness
Marchbank - our future. He's a gun
Palmer - one threat around goals, otherwise... need to see more before I comment

Of our seniors:
Casboult created a consistent presence. Couple of nice marks, snaps, and improved set shot technique
Rowe, as above. Marked well (instead of spoiling) and even did a cheeky play on. I think confidence might be up under Bolts. Looking forward to see if he's got another string in his bow

What didn't impress me:
Thomas - sadly, looks like the end is now
Our senior stars were lacklustre. Hope to see good buildup to R1 in R2/3
Buckley, White, Kerridge need to work hard if they're to keep a spot

While our good patches were, well, good. They were short lived and too few. Our bad patches on the other hand were quite long. Our seniors didn't (perhaps under instruction) manage that. Understandably, this makes supporters anxious - hold on folks... It was great to see the new blokes, who mostly went alright. Our big challenge will be gaining consistency. Naturally that will take time with a rebuilding team. If our other new blokes are as good, we're heading in the right direction.

Go Blues

[Juddkreuzer]

The thing about our list and those of us who have been on this site for so long is it resonates in that old Bob Dylan Quote "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"
There is no magical quick fix.

The vets.
Murph
Gibbs
Kreuzer
Simmo
E Curnow
Armfield
Rowe
White
Levi


The solid core.
Cripps
Weitering
Docherty
C Curnow
Silvagni
Mckay
Marchbank
Plowman
Wright
Phillips
Byrne

Speculative.
Cunningham
Buckley
Kerridge
Palmer
Boekhorst
Lamb
Sumner
Smedts
Gorringe
Graham

Gone
Jaksch
Jones
Thomas

Youngsters

Petevski-seton
Fisher
Macreadie
Polson
Williamson
Pickett
Kerr

[shawny]

Gorridge done his Achilles.

Footage of him punching the table in the rooms indicated it was a serious injury.

Felt for him - had a small opening with Phillips out for a few months.

Cruel game sometimes. 

We better nurse Kruezer the rest of the pre season. Can't afford him to break down with no reasonable back up.

[SOS Rules]

I was at the game and concur with most of what has been said thus far. I wasn't going along to the game with great expectations but I was expecting effort. The fact that I could notice lack of effort from some very early in the game was disappointing. If this was by design then I don't get it.

A team in out situation needs to have naturally competitive players who despite any situation will provide maximum effort no matter what. It engenders an all in it together philosophy throughout the team and lets the opposition know that we're never out of it.

I can forgive skill errors and decision making but I won't accept lack of effort, especially from our recognised leaders. Murph and Gibbs were not providing the best example to our newbies and thats disappointing. By contrast I thought Simmo could say he provided maximum effort whilst on the  ground. Didn't he get the memo?

Marchbank, Fisher, Pickett gave some indication that they have something to offer going forward and Le Bois provided a nice highlight. I thought Kreuze moved well and did some good things, Weitering was solid, Ed tried with minimal impact, Charlie was OK without being spectacular. There were a lot of players that didn't contribute much. We clearly missed Crippa around the ball. Why are we persisting with Daisy?

The fact that some players can turn effort on and off and that this has been going on for too long is a worry and is one reason we've been crap for so long. I know its a pre season game in Summer and I didn't care about the result, but I expected better. Am I wrong to think this way? 

[DJC]

Having read all the comments on here, Bolton's after match comments, highlights and the like, I think it's obvious that the boys were just going through the motions, almost certainly under instruction. Bolton didn't sound like he cared, the boys were just jogging around etc. Minimal effort just to show up and participate.

As Lods said, different teams approach the pre season differently. The Swans under Roos were notorious for treating the pre season as a joke, and Roos made this pretty clear on a few occasions.

So if we're serving this up for pre season, fine. If this is what we bring in Round 1,  watch out.

It was all about the metrics Paul, as Craig said in his JLT preview.

One of the pleasing aspects was that blokes who haven't played much footy ran out the game and showed a bit.  Among that group, Marchbank was a stand out for me.  He started a bit slowly but found his rhythm and really started to look the part. 

On the flipside, while Thomas had a reasonable third quarter, he seems to have lost the ability to find space and time.  He seems to be always under pressure when he gets the ball and is rarely effective or creative With his use of the ball.  It was only one game but I suspect that the 5th year is looking shaky.

It was good to see Murphy back and not suffering any ill-effects from his ankle injury.  His bitch-slapping of Viney was unexpected but not unwelcome 

[PaulP]

My hope is that Bolts told the boys "Do what you like, just don't get reported, don't blow a gasket, and don't get injured."

My hope is that, just like the Swans under Roos, we can "flick a switch", and be ready to roll and play serious footy in Round 1, irrespective of what we dish up in the pre season. Hope springs eternal.

@SOS Rules - not wrong or right, just your perspective.

Feel bad for Gorringe. Hope, hope, hope it's only minor.

[Baggers]

Well that was pretty rank.


POSITIVES?

IT'S ONLY PRESEASON!!!

Melbourne did play last week so they're ahead of us and looked it. Important fact. And we didn't work hard off the ball at all.

Bolton seemed to be operating his minimal bench rotations in preseason to harden everyone's running ability so this will have contributed to the exhaustion our players seemed to be experiencing - and led to fatigue and many bad decisions and poor disposal.

Pickett!
Looks fit and looks like he's got the goods. Wish he'd played the whole game and further up the ground. Yep. Agree.

Smedts was ok I thought but didn't look best suited to the tight game. I like his agility. Yep, some very good signs with this bloke.

Backline and forward line almost get a pass from me today. It was impossible to judge how good/bad they were on today's effort from the midfield who should be embarrassed by what they dished up. Bingo!

I've been saying for some time - Weitering has to play forward. It's where we most need him. He looks a natural up there for me. Kicked 1. All but kicked a second (into the breeze) and played a big part in at least 1 more. Looks so much bigger than last year. Real presence on the ground. We might be the only two who would love to see him up forward.

Fisher looks like a real get. Thank god he's short otherwise he'd never have made it to pick 25. You got it, a good number of folks in the crowd thought the very same thing. His intent, attack on the aggot and man (opposite to Cuningham) was first rate.

Marchbank looks the goods also. Was probably our best. Right on Mr B (sorry, younger cats won't get the 'Mr B' reference' - Google Brashs).

Cripps didn't play and he constitutes half our team as far as I'm concerned. SPS was also missing. I also think A Silvagni has to play. Must be so far in front of White it's ridiculous SW played. A Silvagni is a must.


NEGATIVES

We were horrible. Reminded me of the games against StK last year when we got pumped. Mids were unable to apply any pressure and when that happens Bolton's system breaks down completely.

Docherty was absolutely putrid. If he did one good thing for the day I missed it. Dropped easy marks and generally played like he was wearing a pair of oven mittens. Was my worst on the ground mostly because I know he can be so much better. 100% agree, he caused many groans in the crowd, doubt we'll ever see a game like that again from the Doc.

Thomas is officially done. Close to Docherty in the 'putrid' stakes.

Kerridge is waaaay too slow as is Curnow, White, Wright and Gibbs and we can't play them all together. Guys like Polson / Williamson / Pickett should be played in front of the Kerridge/Thomas types. Tick.

Cunningham worries me. He has an unhappy knack of playing entire quarters with zero pos. Did start to look better late in the game but was COMPLETELY anonymous in the first 3 quarters. Lacks intent and that's been my knock on him since watching him in the twos. Does some nice things but then retires for a hour or so.

LeBois is still some way off (despite his goal of the year) but Pickett is way in front of him based on today.

Gibbs had little impact and Murphy less than zero. There has always been something uninspiring about those 2.

Cripps & Weitering should be our leaders sooner rather than later. Yep.

Well said. I don't know if you were at yesterday's game but it sure sounds like you were at the same game I was!

[cookie2]

Well said. I don't know if you were at yesterday's game but it sure sounds like you were at the same game I was!

Agree with the sentiments re. Weitering. We desperately need someone with some real footy nous in our F50 (as well as the ability to kick goals) and perhaps he'd be able to direct some of the lesser lights there as to what to do and where to go? Depends who we've got coming through for the defensive roles but we know that Marchbank and A. Silvagni are two options.