02-28-2021, 12:15 AM
Without Maddie P outed, Chloe Dalton away, Brooke Walker recovering from injury and Katie Loynes being 'managed', We needed our rucks to get on top yesterday and it didn't happen. For the first time in a long time Moody and Downie were smashed. Without first access to the ball we were going to struggle and that was the case in spades.
I am afraid that this is Alison Downie's last season. She struggled and simply isn't having the impact we need from her.
Selina Gibbs looked reasonable, but appears, at this point, to be better as a forward rather than a ruck. She did some good things and was really unlucky. She should have had her mark in front of goal paid, as she had a lot more of the ball than Bannister did down the other end. Her kicking also looks reasonable.
I am not sure that the Elise O'Dea experiment is working. She has heart and guts, but she struggles with the pace of the game. I understand that she is there for leadership as well, but she has struggled to get a lot of the ball. Only once has she got more than 15 possessions.
Katie Loynes: I love Katie's attack on the ball, but injuries and time are catching up with her. Her leadership is great, but her numbers are not getting any larger. I think she may retire at the end of this season. That said, we missed her last night, especially in the middle. I don't know if she would have made the difference, not with the armchair ride the North mids were getting, but her leadership would have been inspirational.
Bree Moody: I love her attack on the ball and her athleticism, but she isn't a smart player. Unlike Downie, who is a cunning ruck with good body skills in the middle, Moody uses her athleticism and attack on the ball. Last night she ran into two players who were similar, but one was taller and the other more cunning. That's the way it goes, but with Downie spending so little time in the ruck, it left us on the receiving end. She'll be better next week, but it is an area we have to plan for now.
Mimi Hill was tremendous last night and close to our best player. She is the future for us, like Maddie P. her run and pace was excellent and her kicking for goal was good. if we got a plus out of last night, Hill was it.
Tayla Harris: Our transition to the forward line is one of our weaknesses at the moment and it isn't helping Tayla at all. We just don't deliver the ball to her, and when we kick long, we do it so slowly that she isn't one out. Also, it is so crowded that we don't get the crumbing goals.
In part that is a problem of the Pagan's paddock style without having the bodies to pull it off.
However, part is Tayla, who has stagnated as a player. Teams rarely give her a run at the ball to her use gifts in the air. They crowd her. But her game hasn't improved that much.
One of the reasons is obvious: she doesn't play a lot of footy except in the AFLW season or pre-season. The other is that her knees are nowhere near perfect.
What do we do? Well, one of the things to do is get another tall forward out there. Gibbs could be the answer, but she has considerable learning to do. Neither Vescio nor Stevens is the key forward, neither has the body for it, no matter how well they play.
We are effectively playing with one key forward every week. And we don't get crumbing goals.
We will be better with our players back and fit, but that may be next year.
I am afraid that this is Alison Downie's last season. She struggled and simply isn't having the impact we need from her.
Selina Gibbs looked reasonable, but appears, at this point, to be better as a forward rather than a ruck. She did some good things and was really unlucky. She should have had her mark in front of goal paid, as she had a lot more of the ball than Bannister did down the other end. Her kicking also looks reasonable.
I am not sure that the Elise O'Dea experiment is working. She has heart and guts, but she struggles with the pace of the game. I understand that she is there for leadership as well, but she has struggled to get a lot of the ball. Only once has she got more than 15 possessions.
Katie Loynes: I love Katie's attack on the ball, but injuries and time are catching up with her. Her leadership is great, but her numbers are not getting any larger. I think she may retire at the end of this season. That said, we missed her last night, especially in the middle. I don't know if she would have made the difference, not with the armchair ride the North mids were getting, but her leadership would have been inspirational.
Bree Moody: I love her attack on the ball and her athleticism, but she isn't a smart player. Unlike Downie, who is a cunning ruck with good body skills in the middle, Moody uses her athleticism and attack on the ball. Last night she ran into two players who were similar, but one was taller and the other more cunning. That's the way it goes, but with Downie spending so little time in the ruck, it left us on the receiving end. She'll be better next week, but it is an area we have to plan for now.
Mimi Hill was tremendous last night and close to our best player. She is the future for us, like Maddie P. her run and pace was excellent and her kicking for goal was good. if we got a plus out of last night, Hill was it.
Tayla Harris: Our transition to the forward line is one of our weaknesses at the moment and it isn't helping Tayla at all. We just don't deliver the ball to her, and when we kick long, we do it so slowly that she isn't one out. Also, it is so crowded that we don't get the crumbing goals.
In part that is a problem of the Pagan's paddock style without having the bodies to pull it off.
However, part is Tayla, who has stagnated as a player. Teams rarely give her a run at the ball to her use gifts in the air. They crowd her. But her game hasn't improved that much.
One of the reasons is obvious: she doesn't play a lot of footy except in the AFLW season or pre-season. The other is that her knees are nowhere near perfect.
What do we do? Well, one of the things to do is get another tall forward out there. Gibbs could be the answer, but she has considerable learning to do. Neither Vescio nor Stevens is the key forward, neither has the body for it, no matter how well they play.
We are effectively playing with one key forward every week. And we don't get crumbing goals.
We will be better with our players back and fit, but that may be next year.
Live Long and Prosper!