Game Thread Sydney v Collingwood

[Hazcam]

Although LRT worries me at times when he has the ball, he played superbly in the 2nd half and made up for one or two typical clangers in the 1st. We severely missed Bolton to sure up the defence and I'm telling ya, something we seriously need is a classy midfielder. Hell even a 2nd tier classy type. Looking back in history, someone like a Williams, Maxfield etc. A bloke who'll mix in well with Goodes and ROK.

How badly are we missing the touch of a Nick Davis, the goal awareness and flair of Adam Schneider and the pace and kicking efficiency of Kennelly and a pre-op Malceski.

Woe is me!!!

I wish we never traded Schneids. I wish Davis didn't screw up. I wish Tadgh stayed here. I wish Malceski just had a standard bloody knee op. I wish we had made a full blown tilt for Fevola!

Hall, MOL, Fossie, Crouch, Ablett + others have to go.

Friggen hell that dynasty still had a way to go yet. I see a painful decline for a few seasons and maybe Roosy is on for 1 season too many??

[smasher]

I would like to see Roosy persist with our younger players from the game. I was impressed by Smith of the newer blokes.Reads the play well and from what I saw,most of his disposals were good.

[Hartijon]

I said earlier that a game not used to rebuild was a game wasted and this was not a wasted game.Sure we lost but we were not disgraced and if we ever got good umpiring we could easily have pinched a win.Ultimately the stuff ups (like Teddies,50 and over use of handball,failure to snare goals) cost us the game NOT Collingwoods play.This is a big +. The new players all did fairly well and if the team selection was based on form not favour,MOL and Crouch would not have been there.Still if we are rebuilding MOL might as well get his 300,on form he is a liability.Crouch was injured but he has a one dimensional use these days and his last game is fast approaching.So keep the changes coming ..lets build for 2012 our next shot at a flag. My idea is White to FF,Pyke in, all the youngsters keep their place!

[Legs Akimbo]

He destroyed Crouch. Who should never have been selected. And should now retire. His selection was a disgrace. Brabazon should have played.

Someone probably has linked it elsewhere, but Roos is seriously pissed with Crouch. He said after the game that Crouch said he was right to play on thursday night and that they trust senior players, but then criticised Crouch for being on one leg all night. Said he clearly should not have played.

We all know how Roos feels about selfish players...

[eggbeater]

fact of the matter is though, we still couldn't get over a team who was also down a player for the entire night

[ROK Lobster]

I think the effort was their tonight

Just as their skills are their tomorrow?

[Donners]

We have a lot of trade bait IMO. I would be willing to do trades for Buchanan, Malceski, Ablett, Barlow, Hall, LRT, Bevan etc.

I can't see another side trading for most of those, and we certainly wouldn't get much in return.

[connolly]

I can't see another side trading for most of those, and we certainly wouldn't get much in return.

We would get something for Bevo. Killed the mug lair last night. But why would you trade one one the few experienced mid twenties players, versatile (quarterbacks, plays up and down, tall and small) and a future captian? You wouldn't and we wont. One of the most hilarious sights on the field this season has to be the attempt by Thomas to play the tough guy with the Bevanator. After the lair gave Shaw a spray, the Bevanator moved in and ( relying on my lip reading skills) quoted from DH Lawrences Sons and Lovers. The furious fop tried to muscle the kid. Superman v Lois Lane.

[liz]

Did they phase out HTB for tonight?

Finally, the umps, have they been worse - seriously?

I thought the umpiring was pretty reasonable. They weren't whistle-happy and seemed to let a lot of soft ones go by, ones that would have been paid in previous weeks/seasons. I think both teams got one "head high" free where the recipient created the head high contact themselves.

The one glaring exception was the HTB rule where the rule seemed to apply differently to the two teams. Bird was pinged where I thought he just managed to handball as he was tackled. He'd certainly had prior, and those are often paid, even if the player kind of disposes of the ball. But then how on earth could the Didak one not have been HTB???!!! He had had eons of time and didn't come close to disposing of it correctly. The Pies scored a goal directly from that "play on call". There was another just as blatant later in the game.

On the other hand ROK was pinged having had no prior opportunity, had his arm pinned almost as soon as he took possession. The umpire who paid it was standing behind him and couldn't possibly have seen what was happening within the tackle.

[Bear]

The old MOL is just sneaking his way to 300 now.

His lack of pace is really hurting. Can't get away from his opponent on a lead, can't even turn and take off now, easily run off... and even his skills are ordinary

Add Moore into the mix and you have the two slowest small/crumber forwards in the comp - in the same forward line - a disaster. Two really weak links in the one forward line, and two really weak links in the one backline - Bevan and Grundy.

We actually did ok to be competitive!

[ernie koala]

A player like Ablett might attract interest. Ablett and a third rounder for a young-ish player (Goldsack? Cox?) and a second rounder?

Yes please....BSA5, if they could pull this one off it would be the trade of the decade. I love it !!

[BigD]

I thought the umpiring was atrocious again tonight. WTH has to happen for us to get a free for HTB. And that 50 metre penalty in the last qtr was a joke. Afterthat I knew we were done.

[Cheer Squad]

I think a lot of people are being too harsh on the team after last night's loss.

Considering that Collingwood have been playing well, travelling well, and we haven?t, and we were missing Craig Bolton, there was much to like about our performance last night. It was clearly our best effort against Collingwood since 2005.

I think a lot of it was due to changes in personnel. I don?t think we?ll be seeing much more of Buchanan and Ablett somehow. Once Vespremi is back on the park, we might not see much more of Crouch either.

[hammo]

The old MOL is just sneaking his way to 300 now.

His lack of pace is really hurting. Can't get away from his opponent on a lead, can't even turn and take off now, easily run off... and even his skills are ordinary

A month ago I would have thought he was a certainty to carry on next year. Not so sure now. His last two have been very ordinary games to the point where on current form he is probably one of the least effective key forwards in the AFL.

I am not writing him off, but as happens in all sports, the end for champion players can come quite quickly and unexpectedly.

[Flossie]

The old MOL is just sneaking his way to 300 now.

His lack of pace is really hurting. Can't get away from his opponent on a lead, can't even turn and take off now, easily run off... and even his skills are ordinary

Add Moore into the mix and you have the two slowest small/crumber forwards in the comp - in the same forward line - a disaster. Two really weak links in the one forward line, and two really weak links in the one backline - Bevan and Grundy.

We actually did ok to be competitive!

Don't write MOL off. He had no pre-season because of his injury and I think is trying to play himself into form. Last year he was playing like a much younger player and I think he will pick up as the year goes on. Either way, he deserves his place in the team.