Rd 19 v Crows

[Nico]

Oh how we miss the run and hardness of Wicks and Jmac.

[mcs]

I believe that game may very well have been lost at selection. We were up against the best defensive/contest team in the comp and they bring in 2 of our softest players in Rosas and Bice. Rosas is a deadset sponge cake. He hates body contact and got beaten one on one every time. How about at the end of the 3rd quarter when he actually looked to have is opponent cold and out the back, when he inexplicably tried to turn on to his left foot and slipped over. He was away with only the goals in front of him. Then Bice; he despises body contact and gives us no run at all. That soft kick late in the game sums him up. Takes a mark, is clear and tries to spot up a 30 metre pass when all of Australia knew he had to kick it long. Where in the hell was he in the first quarter when they ate goals off the ruck contest. You you can almost see him whince when he goes near a contest. He had one tackle.

We may have spent our petrol tickets in the 3rd quarter but it doesn't excuse the fact that they slaughtered us out of the centre like they did in the first quarter. What in the heck was McLean doing when he kicked it sideways.

That's close to Heeney's worst game. Yet he had 29 possessions. Not questing his endevour, but some of his really poor decision making. Every week he gets a clean possession at a centre bounce, gets around his man, then handpassess backwards. Everyone knows quick centre clearances are vital with the 666. Oh no, not us. Warner was the only player trying to get clear. It drives me spare that this has been our Achilles heel for years. In the last quarter Heeney has the ball on the HFF, clear on his left side and he tries to get back on to his right foot. He could have darn near kicked a goal on his left.

Another thing I noticed; very close to half time, I saw on the AFL app who was on the bench, Campbell for 8 minutes. He was playing a great game. Meanwhile Rosas was nowhere to be seen.

Mills and McCartin played terrific games, but Roberts was back to his 2025 static game. Warner is an absolute star as is Papley.

Hall-Kahan is one that got away.

We hang on to second by our finger nails.

Funny how we all see footy differently. I thought McCartin had good moments, but several really poor ones early, a couple of which cost us goals.

Our player management in terms of Time on Ground is a bit all over the place - but certainly not being helped by the fact we have a midfield in and under player that can't play more than 66% game time in Sheldrick. Can't be good for the rotations at all.

Bice is frustrating - all the ingredients there to be a Marty Mattner style player. Except for, as you point out, the bloke just doesn't like the contact it seems.