OK we won

[Jeffers1984]

i'm ready to eat humble pie on Matthews

[Rizzo]

Williams didn't look good at all....here's hoping he is back on track as with Micky and Saddo.

LRT - His first kick was a shocker but soon made up for it. The crowd was really behind him giving an encouraging clap after his first kick was a point. Two goals in his first game - not bad son! Looks like he will be useful in the ruck in the future as he can really jump.

Bolton - Great leading, kicking and hard at the ball stuff

C. Bolton - Looks so a home you'd think he had been our backmen for years.

Powell - Nice defensive mark and great bump. He's got skills and mongrel.

Warfe - Best game for a long time. Well done.

Schneider - I thought I'd change the little statement under my avatar but don't see the point at the moment.....

[Bron]

I thought Nick Davis played well .... he seemed to put more effort in today rather than just relying on his goal kicking skills (which would have been hard given his position on the field most of the day ). Not a star performance, but certainly an improvement in effort and commitment.

[Steve]

Sure, I doubt anyone said in the one post (at the end of last year) "OK, let's get rid of Goodes, Bolton, Mathews, O'Loughlin etc, which should get us ...".

But if over a season, at different times, someone has called for each of them to go, is there really a difference?

I agree that many people would be making comments that they either don't really believe or at best haven't really thought through, just as an emotional reaction to a loss or poor performance(s).

And that's a shame.

[Nico]

Talking about HUMBLE PIE, who was that DROPKICK who, on seeing one training session about 2 months before the season started, sprouted from the top of the highest hill in Sydney, that we were woeful and were in for a shocker of a season. Also this luminary said, from memory, that Roos was obviously an ordinary coach.

If I recall this thread went on for days. Anyone want to own up?

By the way, I have said for the last 6 months that Bolton was already a rejuvenated player under Roos in 2002.

[NMWBloods]

But if over a season, at different times, someone has called for each of them to go, is there really a difference?

Yep - huge difference. Calling for a number of players to improve doesn't mean you think they should all be traded.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Nico
Talking about HUMBLE PIE, who was that DROPKICK who, on seeing one training session about 2 months before the season started, sprouted from the top of the highest hill in Sydney, that we were woeful and were in for a shocker of a season. Also this luminary said, from memory, that Roos was obviously an ordinary coach.

If I recall this thread went on for days. Anyone want to own up?

IIRC that was London_Swan... enough said...

[SWANSBEST]

That dropkick was LONDONSWAN .He has / had an obsession about Roos.

[Jimmy C]

I wouldn't say the match was exactly "Champagne Football". I was really impressed to see some of the younger guys having a go. Powell seems to be having a real crack. Schneider looks like part of the furniture for much of the season. Loved LRT's debut-look forward to seeing more of him. He'll be a cracker for the future.

I thought our blokes started to look shagged by the 2nd half, and like the match against Collingwood, nobody went crazy and allowed them to get over the line. Hopefully things will go alright at Manuka.

[NMWBloods]

I think the big thing on J Bolton this year is that he keeps his feet more often and goes to the ground less frequently when he doesn't need to. Also, he has become more of a one-touch player, fumbling less and thus able to obtain clean possession and get it moving.

His goal in the first qtr was outstanding and is exactly the sort of thing I've been waiting for him to do.

Regarding our defence, I agree with Lizz's comments. The backline has really acquitted itself very well this year, but every week we have trouble with a tall, strong forward. I don't know what Barry was thinking in the last qtr trying to outmark Graham from behind though!!

[Steve]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But if over a season, at different times, someone has called for each of them to go, is there really a difference?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep - huge difference. Calling for a number of players to improve doesn't mean you think they should all be traded.

You'll note I said "to go" and not "improve".

Personally I think a comment like 'if they don't improve they should be traded/delisted, which I acknowledge is the way some people worded it, is just pretty basic/redundant/meaningless.

You'll (and I'm speaking generally) get some nasty splinters making comments like that.

Either the player flounders and you can say "See, I was right to question them wasn't I", or the player comes good and you can say "well they were playing poorly and all I did was question them - I'm glad they've finally proven themselves".

I think I'd rather people make outlandish statements that are just wrong than sit on the fence and use a lot of words to say nothing - at least the former is a statement.

[hardluck_harry]

I had my doubts about J Bolton, but he playing with more confidence now and hopefully taken the big step to being a consistently good player.

Like that kid Powell, really hard goer. LRT great debut, really impressed at his skill at picking up the ball below his knees which is plus for a 6'5" player.

Think all the kudos Tighe Kennelly has been getting recently has worked wonders for him. Today I think was his best game for the club, not flashy but 4 quarters of good consistent football. I think he's learning fast that he's good enough.

[Donners]

Much as I enjoyed the win, it looks like Hall needs to take the whole side into the gym and take them through weight exercises. It was downright embarrassing to see how easily our defenders were just shoved around, and far too many tackles were broken, particularly in the second quarter (though the umpires didn't seem to be paying holding the ball anyway).

I've been saying for weeks our defence is dangerously weak in the physical department compared to many other forwards, but this is the first time it's been really obvious. Unfortunately, there isn't much they can do about it during the season, so we'll just have to hope that other sides fail to exploit it, like Collingwood and Brisbane did.

[floppinab]

The backline has really acquitted itself very well this year, but every week we have trouble with a tall, strong forward. I don't know what Barry was thinking in the last qtr trying to outmark Graham from behind though!!

I've noticed this one also, it's not just Barry (in the same breath, that match up was always going to struggle), Schauble missed a couple trying to outmark rather than spoil. Schaubs has improved with the winning form over the last few weeks but is a shadow of his B&F form. Just goes to show when the midfield is firing a solid rather than excellent back six is all that is required.

[Sanecow]

I definitely like it when our backmen talk and go for marks when they outnumber the opposing offense (it reminds me of dunks), but if it's one-on-one and you are behind the forward (especially if he is half a foot taller than you), PUNCH THE BLOODY THING!