Post Game Passion: AFL 2019 Rd 13: Carlton vs. Western Bulldogs

[cookie2]

Work in progress turning the good ship PP onto a new course.

This loss may actually help in disciplining the side to learn to 'clamp' sides when they have the ascendancy. Also quietens the fairy story fans.

What the boys have learned is that they have some serious offensive threats and can score quickly and constantly - two weeks in a row of strong scoring in burst. Just a process now to harness and channel that for more consistency.

I saw far more positives in that game, when viewed as an education in offensive skills/learning, than the few obvious negatives. The strong comebacks were especially positive considering Cripps had little influence.

To me the one glaring negative is, and we all know this, too many runts in the midfield. Just need another big body or two in there to support Cripps.

Yep, we need players who can make the likes of Dow, SPS, Fish and LOB really have to strive a lot harder to get a berth.

[laj]

Our third quarter where we were on top was all Matthew kreuzer.

He took English to town for a quarter after having lowered his colours in the first half.

English lifted in the last.

That was all she wrote.

Our forwards were as bad at locking it in for most of the game as they have been all season aside from that third quarter.

That last run of goals came in junk time after the Bulldogs went 5 goals up.  They hit 15 goals 13 and put the queue in the rack a little too early.

Once we got a run on we stormed back into the game and they rallied and went into a mark kick scenario to kill the momentum and the clock.

People searching for positives will find them.  People searching for negatives will find them.

That wasnt a rmgame we looked like winning for most of it and felt like the north game with one difference.

The Bulldogs are crap and actually turned it over in the third quarter which contributed to us getting back into it.  Typified by caleb Daniel's turnover.


I've seen a trend emerge over the last fortnight.  We are becoming downhill skiers who run harder offensively than they do defensively (backed up by the afl app).  That can be a product of the plan.  It depends on whether or not it requires teams to work harder to attack than defend.  The Bulldogs have the opposite statistic.

Trying to learn a  new plan will take a while, especially with the balance of attack and defence. We did it much better against Brisbane after 45 min and held them to 9 goals after they kicked 6 to 0 in the 45 min period. Last night we were better on the offence, but patchy, but let them kick them easily when the intensity/concentration dropped, hence we kicked 100 and lost. Getting 100 was certainly encouraging for what we are looking for but not so good when the other mob kicks 103. So, yes, there work needed on the balance as you alluded to.

[PaulP]

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Our forwards were as bad at locking it in for most of the game as they have been all season aside from that third quarter.

That last run of goals came in junk time after the Bulldogs went 5 goals up.  They hit 15 goals 13 and put the queue in the rack a little too early.

Once we got a run on we stormed back into the game and they rallied and went into a mark kick scenario to kill the momentum and the clock.

People searching for positives will find them.  People searching for negatives will find them.

That wasn't a game we looked like winning for most of it and felt like the north game with one difference.

The Bulldogs are crap and actually turned it over in the third quarter which contributed to us getting back into it.  Typified by caleb Daniel's turnover.


I've seen a trend emerge over the last fortnight.  We are becoming downhill skiers who run harder offensively than they do defensively (backed up by the afl app).  That can be a product of the plan.  It depends on whether or not it requires teams to work harder to attack than defend.  The Bulldogs have the opposite statistic.

Yes, tend to agree. There's definitely a bit of "back to the future" happening with a strong resemblance to the Ratten era teams, when we were the comeback kings, at least for a time. It makes for a thrilling ride, but last minute mad scrambles are not really the way most coaches would like to win, and I'm sure Teague, Bolton or anyone else would concur. The R5 win was a much superior performance is most aspects, with us being in control most of the game, and dictating proceedings, exactly as most coaches would like.

The tackles v disposals was a concern last night. At a simplistic level, you can understand less tackles if you have more disposals, as in R5. Last night, we had less disposals and less tackles, both by a fair margin, which is a concern for mine.

[laj]

Yep, we need players who can make the likes of Dow, SPS, Fish and LOB really have to strive a lot harder to get a berth.

We need a couple more big bodies so those guys don't have to be the prime midfielders. Ideally couple of those would have more VFL to help their development along but, while he have plenty of depth forward and back, there not so much in the midfield. A couple of those aren't ready to be our prime mids yet.

[shawny]

The one player who consistently disappoints me is Petrevski Seton. 

Lots of class, but 4 quarter endeavour for his talent far below what it should be. 

Lackadaisical

Agree. SPS is a one way runner that is jogs around when we don’t have the ball to mind  space as it’s easier then running hard and applying a tackle. Lazy footballer.

Dunkley ripped our mids a new one last night and the thing is he is a ‘KID’ in his 4th year. Only played 50 something games.

Yet he isn’t talked up anywhere like our midfield kids are.

Dow for example does a nice side step in traffic or a burst out of congestion once a game but butches the ball most of the time yet fans think they have seen enough for him to be ‘developing nicely’.

Fish is another who can look good with ball in hand but goes missing for long periods, just doesn’t seem capable do it for long enough. His small frame makes him just too weak when in close or in any overhead marking situation. Saw 5 foot nothing Daniel out position him one on one last night.

These kids might make it as regular good quality afl footballers but also might not. We count them in like its just a matter of time.

[cookie2]

@ Shawny

I like Dunkley - really puts in and is a strong tackler among his other talents.

[Barbs]

My concern is that Dow, SPS and LOB each seem to have acquired the bad habit (from some players I won't name) of casually running along side the opposition ball carrier to give the impression of applying pressure instead of charging full throttle at that prick like you want to break him in half. For guys with good leg speed they really don't use it enough in defensive situations.

[PaulP]

My concern is that Dow, SPS and LOB each seem to have acquired the bad habit (from some players I won't name) of casually running along side the opposition ball carrier to give the impression of applying pressure instead of charging full throttle at that prick like you want to break him in half. For guys with good leg speed they really don't use it enough in defensive situations.

This has been raised many times by many posters over the years, and one of the issues I have is that by simple inference, one senior coach after another is either blind, corrupt or incompetent, or possibly all three, because there can be no other logical explanation if your observations are correct.

Imagine the coaches box over the last decade - supposedly Murphy and Gibbs lead the way, but no coach (senior, assistant) ever did a thing ? I can see it if we had one coach over the journey, and he was either hopeless or played favourites, but 6 senior coaches have seen Murphy play, and 2 or 3 have seen SPS, Dow and LOB play, but don't notice these bad habits emerging ?

EDIT : in fact Teague was visibly please to have Murphy back in the pre match interview.

[cookie2]

My concern is that Dow, SPS and LOB each seem to have acquired the bad habit (from some players I won't name) of casually running along side the opposition ball carrier to give the impression of applying pressure instead of charging full throttle at that prick like you want to break him in half. For guys with good leg speed they really don't use it enough in defensive situations.

Shouldn't the MF coach be right onto this?

[capcom]

Agreed Paul ... seems many players are not instilled with the same ethic to work together as a team.  Chasing the easy kicks is useless, pitching in when the damage is already done and when you're capitalising on the work of others is damning.

Many times last night, I saw some of our players tell others to provide cover and prevent downfield opportunities

That's a natural instinct ... or should be.

I also disliked Teague's pre game comment regarding placing of some responsibility on the group.  That's his duty.

He should know a better message than that !!.  He's got the car keys, he shifts the gears