Nearing half time

[NMWBloods]

Yes - I knew there was another - I'd slot him in as one of the first line.

[Alibi Monday]

What is there to say. I hate west coast so much now that it almost makes me physically sick to lose to that scum again by one point.

Having said that, some of our lads aught to be @@@@ing ashamed of themselves. The scum had three of their four best out tonight and we couldn't beat them at home. Forget one point - that is the reality. Not a good start to the season.

Everitt - looks unfit - was blowing like a pair of bellows all game.

Hall - looks frustrated and tries to muscle his way out of packs too much. Could come under scrutiny for an undisciplined hit on Kerr

J Bolton - cannot kick. Overrated played IMHO, a player who is just not what he was.

Jolly - wouldn't be sad to see the back of him in truth. A lazy lazy player.

Goodes - what the @@@@ was that game all about. Why Roos played him on Judd who tore him apart whilst limiting Goodes output is beyond me (@@@@ coaching Roos)

Barry - I am starting to wonder if this year is going to be a disaster for him because of rule changes.

McVeigh - basically cost us the game several times

Kirk tried his guts out. Richards was outstanding. Dempster was good. Malceski has his moments, as did Kennelly.

I am @@@@ing @@@@@@ off.

We were actually outcoached tonight.

For mine:

Players that can sleep well tonight - Kennelly, C Bolton, Kirk, Richards, O'Keefe, Ablett

Players that need a real look at themselves - J Bolton(!), Jolly(!), Barry, Mathews, McVeigh, Davis

[NMWBloods]

How stupid to put Goodes on Judd yet again! It doesn't work and tonight was the perfect time to make them chase us!

[Carolyn]

The scary thing is West Coast were missing quite a few of their Premiership players and still won.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

The scary thing is West Coast were missing quite a few of their Premiership players and still won.

We've beaten them with those players available before, and we can do it again. Sydney just take forever to dust off the cobwebs, and it's SO frustrating!!

[KirksSocks]

I am truely guttered. Its just relived the gf of 06 all over again. Same scneario and too think that we couldnt even beat their lowly ruck division and they had key players out!!

I think this is the start of Leo Barrys end. Either playing on the half back flank or just retire him. How can we have such a slow small player in such a key postion baffles me.

Jude Bolton is useless. And Paul Roos hang your head in shame..had chances to be proactive with Goodes and continued to play him on Judd.

I am let down by Spider. All the talk all the press and the game is just too fast for him. They had a 3rd grade ruck division ffs!
Some players really need a hard long think about what they want to archive in 07 because teams will run over us.

Words cannot describe how guttered i am feeling atm..words cannot describe. The missers made the comment "it's only a game" and no its not when we play the eagles.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

We all feel ya pain KS, every loss hurts, but even more so when the players just don't do the basic things right, and then add that to fact it was against the Eagles, and it hurts even more. I agree with you on the point you made about Everitt, definitely not the debut we wanted from him, and their 'no-names' made us look silly. Having said that, we won the clearances easily, and the inside 50's, but wasted too many chances in the end.

[Nico]

What annoys me about that loss is the WCE were so undermanned. Sure we get beaten almost every first game of the season, but from what I saw it wasn't a fitness thing this year.

My take on the players.

Barry Hall - I thought he was very selfish. Tried to barge through so many times when players were deliberately standing off him, in the right spot, for a handball. Then he tried to run around a player on the mark and of course it didn't come off, it never does for him. Turned over and I believe a goal resulted.
Mathews - gave us nothing as usual. Never tries to get a handpass off. How he doesn't get pinged for holding ball fascinates me. Sack him and get someone in who is creative. Also pulled out a couple of times. Very weak and let his opponent "go first" instead of putting his body on the line. Gutless player for mine.
Davis - Why was he not on the ball when we needed some run. I feel sorry for him. Just not used to advantage.
O'Keefe - one of the few who played 4 quarters.
MOL - so, so. Led late so always had someone on him. Gee players were getting criticised for blazing away, but who led up.
Everitt - I thought he was OK. Someone said he was slow. He has always looked slow.
Kirk - great as usual, was instrumental in our comeback.
Buchanan - wasted a lot of ball.
Goodes - Off night, might have been poorly coached.
Fosdike - courageous as usual but disposal poor.
Kennelly - clearly our best. How is it that he was in Ireland for 3 months, misses pre season games, but looked the fittest player. But son did you handpass to the pedestrian McVeigh instead of going through with the ball in the dying seconds. The pack opened up for you, 99 times out 100 you take the chance. Why oh Why?
C Bolton - ordinary first half, top last Q.
Dempster - if only they used him an attacking role rather than a negater.
Richards - Pretty good.
Malceski - not used enough as the go to link man. Played well.
Barry - lamentable. See Kennelly re fitness to play the game. Dumb footballer 10-20 metres off his man all night.
Ablett - Should not have played.
Jolly - enough said about him already.
Phillips - Just got to get more ground time.
Vogels - enigma.
J Bolton - Has got to be on borrowed time. Did this dud do a pre season. Looked fat, slow, untidy both in look and play and if he wasn't fit to turn up which was patently obvious, why was he plonked in a forward pocket. Is now too slow for the modern game, his reaction time hasn't started yet in the midfield and has now missed 3 set shots in a row from point blank, and has had a big hand in both the last 2 loses.
McVeigh - Horrible finisher and I reckon now he is too slow to be a genuine midfielder.

PS. One of Mathews and/or J Bolton must make way for Schmidt who does have some claim to being a midfielder.

[KirksSocks]

The only way Benny Ball up will ever be dropped is through injury. Is a vital clog in creating the "stoppages" that Paul Roos has developed as part of the game plan. Does nothing at all and is the luckiest bloke to be playing AFL footy. Would have been delisted many many years ago but obviously Roos holds him in high regard.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I say we give a few young blokes a game against the Tigers. Schmidt and White for mine! Drop Mathews or Jude, make them EARN a spot for once.

[KirksSocks]

I say we give a few young blokes a game against the Tigers. Schmidt and White for mine! Drop Mathews or Jude, make them EARN a spot for once.

I can safely put my house up and say Ball up benny won't be dropped. He just won't. And Jude won't either.

How would you feel if you were Schmidt eh?

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I can safely put my house up and say Ball up benny won't be dropped. He just won't. And Jude won't either.

How would you feel if you were Schmidt eh?

I know, wishful thinking right? If i were Schmidt i'd be asking to be traded if i didn't get a game this year.

[Nico]

I say we give a few young blokes a game against the Tigers. Schmidt and White for mine! Drop Mathews or Jude, make them EARN a spot for once.

What we needed tonight was creativty. These 2 blokes are stagnant footballers who cant kick, when they do, well you could hardly call it kicking. Bolton has no defensive side to his game whatsoever and Mathews is a squib.
Wirra ran off Bolton all game. No point dragging him back to the square if he justs picks off easy kicks against Bolton and runs 50 metres to deliver.

It really worries me that we hang onto these blokes when we should be building to avoid what happened to Brisbane. Bolton and Mathews never stand up when we are under the pump.

[stellation]

Did they mention on the telecast what was wrong with Davis? He looked like he hurt himself and went to the rooms for quite a while in the first half, then seemed to only be used in very short bursts (did they actually have him sitting on the bench when the siren sounded in a game that close?)?
My only other thought for now- send Leo to Canberra. He was metres behind every person he played on all night. Crap job, and crap coaching to leave him on Lynch.

[NMWBloods]

Barry is now slower than Schauble when he retired!