I sometimes think it's better to wait until the next day before posting.
With emotions high the analysis usually turns to defending or attacking pet theories or a criticism of fringe players, while ignoring the poor performance of the star players.
There are multiple reasons why we lost.
We can give them a goal for the home ground advantage.
Carlton supporters (surprisingly, because there are many in Sydney) didn't turn up. Contrast that with the 80,000 crowds they've been playing in front of...and it must have been a strange atmosphere. When we started our move in the last quarter we didn't have that crowd support egging it on.
But that a minor factor.
That's the thing though.
The small factors are the ones that add up.
I always feel uncomfortable when we get out to a huge lead early in a game.
I'd much rather see us kick 8 in the third quarter than 8 in the first.
It was very similar to the Brisbane prelim game last year.
Is it a complacency that sets in, and a feeling that this is going to be an easy night? It’s probably something they are warned against but if players subconsciously think that it’s going to be a 'walk in the park' you’d better be prepared for a momentum change.
“Injuries are no excuse” is a football cliché.
It’s not true. Don’t believe it.
Injuries are probably the most valid excuse for a team’s performance that there can be. It’s cost us multiple coaches.
Weitering’s injury had a massive impact on our structure and although he played on, he was clearly not right for much of the game. There were a couple of rolled ankles in our game against Richmond. Those players played but were they 100%?
Other injuries at times through the game (DeKoning, McGovern) were also no doubt limiting.
Team selections are being questioned. Hewett should have played and would have been handy. Owies gave us something when he came on fresh, and should probably have also started. Cottrell may have been better coming back through the VFL.
The old two-ruck chest-nut has reared its head.
We played two last time we played this mob and won.
We played one this time and lost.
Pittonet is in good form and played well in the VFL.
But who would he have replaced.
The decision making was terrible at times with passes to players in a contested or worse position or turning back into trouble and losing the ball. The Williams one was a shocker but there were a few earlier in the game.
Curnow is a concern. I’m still not convinced he isn’t playing injured, because his second efforts are poor. No doubt he is attracting plenty of attention from opposition sides, but his contribution seems to be getting less as the weeks go by. If he’s not injured maybe a change of role for a week or two may benefit him.
Which brings us to coaching. Voss was clearly at a loss to combat the GWS surge. He basically had no answer. Perhaps his options were limited given a number of injuries we weren’t fully aware of, but that’s one of those hidden factors we’ll never know.
The biggest problem for me though was the pressure. When we are ‘on’ it is intense. You don’t need a stat to show it. It’s obvious in the number of players in tackles, the corralling, the forcing of rushed play resulting in turnovers. At times during the second and third quarter GWS was like a knife through butter. It was better in the final quarter but there was still a ‘half-heartedness’ up until it looked like we were a slim chance.
To sum it all up there were multiple reasons contributing to this loss. If you learn from your mistakes the Match Review should be a pretty full-on learning exercise this week.
With emotions high the analysis usually turns to defending or attacking pet theories or a criticism of fringe players, while ignoring the poor performance of the star players.
There are multiple reasons why we lost.
We can give them a goal for the home ground advantage.
Carlton supporters (surprisingly, because there are many in Sydney) didn't turn up. Contrast that with the 80,000 crowds they've been playing in front of...and it must have been a strange atmosphere. When we started our move in the last quarter we didn't have that crowd support egging it on.
But that a minor factor.
That's the thing though.
The small factors are the ones that add up.
I always feel uncomfortable when we get out to a huge lead early in a game.
I'd much rather see us kick 8 in the third quarter than 8 in the first.
It was very similar to the Brisbane prelim game last year.
Is it a complacency that sets in, and a feeling that this is going to be an easy night? It’s probably something they are warned against but if players subconsciously think that it’s going to be a 'walk in the park' you’d better be prepared for a momentum change.
“Injuries are no excuse” is a football cliché.
It’s not true. Don’t believe it.
Injuries are probably the most valid excuse for a team’s performance that there can be. It’s cost us multiple coaches.
Weitering’s injury had a massive impact on our structure and although he played on, he was clearly not right for much of the game. There were a couple of rolled ankles in our game against Richmond. Those players played but were they 100%?
Other injuries at times through the game (DeKoning, McGovern) were also no doubt limiting.
Team selections are being questioned. Hewett should have played and would have been handy. Owies gave us something when he came on fresh, and should probably have also started. Cottrell may have been better coming back through the VFL.
The old two-ruck chest-nut has reared its head.
We played two last time we played this mob and won.
We played one this time and lost.
Pittonet is in good form and played well in the VFL.
But who would he have replaced.
The decision making was terrible at times with passes to players in a contested or worse position or turning back into trouble and losing the ball. The Williams one was a shocker but there were a few earlier in the game.
Curnow is a concern. I’m still not convinced he isn’t playing injured, because his second efforts are poor. No doubt he is attracting plenty of attention from opposition sides, but his contribution seems to be getting less as the weeks go by. If he’s not injured maybe a change of role for a week or two may benefit him.
Which brings us to coaching. Voss was clearly at a loss to combat the GWS surge. He basically had no answer. Perhaps his options were limited given a number of injuries we weren’t fully aware of, but that’s one of those hidden factors we’ll never know.
The biggest problem for me though was the pressure. When we are ‘on’ it is intense. You don’t need a stat to show it. It’s obvious in the number of players in tackles, the corralling, the forcing of rushed play resulting in turnovers. At times during the second and third quarter GWS was like a knife through butter. It was better in the final quarter but there was still a ‘half-heartedness’ up until it looked like we were a slim chance.
To sum it all up there were multiple reasons contributing to this loss. If you learn from your mistakes the Match Review should be a pretty full-on learning exercise this week.