03-18-2023, 12:50 AM
I've had a few days to consider my reaction to the game, now, but I haven't changed my mind much from the night.
[1] Richmond appear to want the ball more as a unit than we do. They'd gut-run to make a contest. Some of our guys are like that. I recall 2 fantastic efforts from Saad and one from McGovern that really stood out. But our forward were really lacking in intensity.
[2] Our ruck situation is not helping us. Tome de Koning worked hard, competed well and did his best, but he didn't get the taps and didn't direct the taps he got. He doesn't do that well against the really strong rucks, and Nankervis is one of those.
Jack tried his guts out, but he isn't a ruck and it shows. Time for a different plan.
Reading that Pittonet did well for the 2nds makes me think it will be sooner rather than later when he returns to the senior side. I am quite happy about that.
[3] Considering that we never had the ball delivered to our mids in a reasonable fashion, our midfield actually stood up quite well. George Hewett was excellent all night. Cripps lifted when it mattered. Cerra, Kennedy and Docherty were more than serviceable, everything considered. But we really didn't get much from our few centre breaks, as they were not the high quality things we had early last year.
[4] Tom de Koning is improving as a ruckman. I loved his attack on the ball. He made a few clearances out of nothing. However, he isn't strong enough to handle guys like Nankervis. he took a couple of brilliant marks, but fumbled a lot of others and his kicking was ... debateable.
[5] When your 2 key defenders take 19 marks between them, it says something about how they played. Kudos to Young and Weitering. But for a few push in the backs that were not paid, Lynch would have had 1 goal, not 3.
[6] It was very obvious that we lacked match practice. In season past there would be 4 games to hone the skills and get used to the contact. Nothing like that now. It really showed. We were seriously underdone and it was obvious in a lot of ways.
Is it worth having this 'Gather Round' idiocy to abandon the pres-season? Personally, I don't think so.
[7] I hate Thursday Night football. It really doesn't suit me in any way. I had to miss one tutoring session (I usually work until 19:10 on Thursdays). The trains weren't running. Instead of getting on at Ringwood, I had to drive to Syndal to get a train. The food at the MCG is pathetic. I never have enough room to straighten out my dodgy knees. I didn't even get the see the first bounce, or the first 3 goals. Then I have to wake up for work the next morning after getting to bed well after midnight, and I always find it hard to relax after the game.
The whole thing just doesn't suit me, and hasn't from the start. The first time they tried this thing I had a parent -teacher night on the same night. It doesn't allow people from the regions to get to the game and get home, even though I no longer have to go to Bendigo to get home. I really hate it.
[8] Fisher, Silvagni, Jack Martin and Charlie Curnow stood out as having poor games. This even with Charlie kicking 3 goals. Martin didn't put any pressure on at all, and allowed his opponent to run off him with little regard. Fisher likewse. Owies was quieter than he can be as well. That is not good.
[9] O'Brien wasn't that bad when he came on. He ran hard and made a contest. But his football intelligence is questionable. He had H on his own, but ran on until H was covered by 3 players. That just wasn't smart. Mind you, H should have marked the ball: it wasn't that bad a kick. he take that mark and the game is over.
[10] Cowan and Hollands were great first up, but neither were they that bad. Both did things that made you think they have a future. Not sure they will hold their places, assuming the fitness of their possible replacements, but they will be better for the run.
[1] Richmond appear to want the ball more as a unit than we do. They'd gut-run to make a contest. Some of our guys are like that. I recall 2 fantastic efforts from Saad and one from McGovern that really stood out. But our forward were really lacking in intensity.
[2] Our ruck situation is not helping us. Tome de Koning worked hard, competed well and did his best, but he didn't get the taps and didn't direct the taps he got. He doesn't do that well against the really strong rucks, and Nankervis is one of those.
Jack tried his guts out, but he isn't a ruck and it shows. Time for a different plan.
Reading that Pittonet did well for the 2nds makes me think it will be sooner rather than later when he returns to the senior side. I am quite happy about that.
[3] Considering that we never had the ball delivered to our mids in a reasonable fashion, our midfield actually stood up quite well. George Hewett was excellent all night. Cripps lifted when it mattered. Cerra, Kennedy and Docherty were more than serviceable, everything considered. But we really didn't get much from our few centre breaks, as they were not the high quality things we had early last year.
[4] Tom de Koning is improving as a ruckman. I loved his attack on the ball. He made a few clearances out of nothing. However, he isn't strong enough to handle guys like Nankervis. he took a couple of brilliant marks, but fumbled a lot of others and his kicking was ... debateable.
[5] When your 2 key defenders take 19 marks between them, it says something about how they played. Kudos to Young and Weitering. But for a few push in the backs that were not paid, Lynch would have had 1 goal, not 3.
[6] It was very obvious that we lacked match practice. In season past there would be 4 games to hone the skills and get used to the contact. Nothing like that now. It really showed. We were seriously underdone and it was obvious in a lot of ways.
Is it worth having this 'Gather Round' idiocy to abandon the pres-season? Personally, I don't think so.
[7] I hate Thursday Night football. It really doesn't suit me in any way. I had to miss one tutoring session (I usually work until 19:10 on Thursdays). The trains weren't running. Instead of getting on at Ringwood, I had to drive to Syndal to get a train. The food at the MCG is pathetic. I never have enough room to straighten out my dodgy knees. I didn't even get the see the first bounce, or the first 3 goals. Then I have to wake up for work the next morning after getting to bed well after midnight, and I always find it hard to relax after the game.
The whole thing just doesn't suit me, and hasn't from the start. The first time they tried this thing I had a parent -teacher night on the same night. It doesn't allow people from the regions to get to the game and get home, even though I no longer have to go to Bendigo to get home. I really hate it.
[8] Fisher, Silvagni, Jack Martin and Charlie Curnow stood out as having poor games. This even with Charlie kicking 3 goals. Martin didn't put any pressure on at all, and allowed his opponent to run off him with little regard. Fisher likewse. Owies was quieter than he can be as well. That is not good.
[9] O'Brien wasn't that bad when he came on. He ran hard and made a contest. But his football intelligence is questionable. He had H on his own, but ran on until H was covered by 3 players. That just wasn't smart. Mind you, H should have marked the ball: it wasn't that bad a kick. he take that mark and the game is over.
[10] Cowan and Hollands were great first up, but neither were they that bad. Both did things that made you think they have a future. Not sure they will hold their places, assuming the fitness of their possible replacements, but they will be better for the run.
Live Long and Prosper!