Round 16 - vs Eagles

[SimonH]

Top 4 is not completely gone.

Despite a couple of poor results for us today (brightened up only by Hawthorn's loss), there's still at least a 50% chance that we will make it if we go 6-0. Playing consistent footy, we should be favourites to win the first 4 (with St Kilda being the big danger game). I have few fears about us being able to beat Hawthorn in a possible death-match in R22 if it comes to that.

The potential huge showdown game, if all else goes well for us, is Collingwood in R21.

[Robbo]

Just heard on the 5th quarter that Ben Cousins has been fined by the Eagles for not wearing a club tie to the game.

[Nico]

Yep, in the 2nd half at least. Judd and Kerr were relatively quite in the first half. Kerr lifted in the 3rd term and the Judd got a whole new lease of life in the last qtr.

We went down hill when ROK and Malceski went out of the game, during the 3rd.

Hell Scott a few others went missing. Try Goodes who I thought was as weak as water tonight, Schneider found it just too hard in the midfield, Richards was appalling, Ablett might as well have been in the stands drinking pi55 and that little twerp J Bolton conveniently went to ground at almost every contest, and his number was very conspicuos on the outside of clearance contests with the odd helping hand after the ump blew the whistle.

[Robbo]

Despite a couple of poor results for us today (brightened up only by Hawthorn's loss), there's still at least a 50% chance that we will make it if we go 6-0. Playing consistent footy, we should be favourites to win the first 4 (with St Kilda being the big danger game). I have few fears about us being able to beat Hawthorn in a possible death-match in R22 if it comes to that.

The potential huge showdown game, if all else goes well for us, is Collingwood in R21.

I can't believe people are still talking about top 4.

No chance.

[Casey36]

Australia just lost to Japan! Too many losses for one night.

[ScottH]

Hell Scott a few others went missing. Try Goodes who I thought was as weak as water tonight, Schneider found it just too hard in the midfield, Richards was appalling, Ablett might as well have been in the stands drinking pi55 and that little twerp J Bolton conveniently went to ground at almost every contest, and his number was very conspicuos on the outside of clearance contests with the odd helping hand after the ump blew the whistle.

Yeh but,

Those that you mention were missing for most of the game. the other two starred early, then went missing then slowly worked their way back into the game.

[Nico]

How can we be effective when we attack if our forward structure/strategy isn't up to scratch? You got it right the 2nd time; we had an amazing proportion of forward 50 entries:scores tonight.

It worked nicely tonight because our lack of potential goalscoring forwards meant that ROK had to play closer to goal, which in turn meant we couldn't rely on him to manufacture his usual glut of forward 50 entries. So we relied on smalls to carry the ball through the middle and deliver the ball on the break, which created a few marks, but a lot more sharking opportunities for our small forwards.

Our 'tempo' chipping game didn't work tonight partly because of poor execution, and partly because a team as professional as the Weagles can often see where the next short kick is going, push numbers up and shut it down. It's horses for courses; against some teams (particularly many of the defensively-minded Victorian ones who are happy to fall back when we have the ball) it works fine.

Simon, our forwards dont get enough ball from the midfield and what we get is not quality. We had 12 inside 50's at one point for 5 goals 5 points. Thats great conversion just not enough going in there.

[NMWBloods]

Exactly, so why did they keep focussing on HIM all night - from the intro, throughout the game and afterwards? They seemed to be treating him as someone who was coming back from adversity, which is what irritated me.

Yes - this is the part that annoyed me. He played a great game, but they should have focussed purely on that.

The bigger issue is that the AFL should have had some guts and suspended Cousins for the rest of the year.

[NMWBloods]

I can't believe people are still talking about top 4.

No chance.

I don't think this game really makes a difference to our top 4 chances. It was pencilled in as a loss - the next half dozen rounds are the critical ones. If we had won it would have been a bonus.

[hammo]

Goodes was very disappointing tonight. As an elite player he should be as omnipresent in games as Cousins, Judd & Kerr are for West Coast.

Goodes is good at drifting in and out of games but lately is not stamping his authority on them.

Perhaps he should be used more in the ruck.

[sWAns63]

Just back from the game
We were chasing tail all night it's time to bite the bullet now if we want to be a force in the finals.


Vogels out
Grundy out
Matthews out
Bevan out

Hall in
Buchanan in
LRT in
Kenelley in

[NMWBloods]

Goodes was very disappointing tonight. As an elite player he should be as omnipresent in games as Cousins, Judd & Kerr are for West Coast.

Goodes is good at drifting in and out of games but lately is not stamping his authority on them.

Perhaps he should be used more in the ruck.

Yes - this was one of those games where Goodes does not live up to his reputation unlike other Browlow medallists.

[hammo]

Just back from the game
We were chasing tail all night it's time to bite the bullet now if we want to be a force in the finals.


Vogels out
Grundy out
Matthews out
Bevan out

Hall in
Buchanan in
LRT in
Kenelley in

I'd leave Mathews in and get rid of Ted Richards instead.

[ugg]

I'd leave Mathews in and get rid of Ted Richards instead.

Yes that's 2 weeks in a row that Teddy has been poor.

[NMWBloods]

Richards has been average to poor for most of this year.