Sydney v Nth Melbourne Gameday Thread - Jetta sub

[nomae]

Don't get me wrong, Goodes is a superstar player. I beleive the worst aspect of his game is that he is a whinger. It's something that has bothered me a little in the past, but since he has become a captain it bothers me much more. He is constantly looking for free kicks with arms up and a sooky face. I think a good captain (and player for that matter) plays the game without counting on the umpires to get it right. You just have to go as hard as you can, and if you get a free, great. If not, then just get on with it.

I truly believe the umps would be more inclined to give him a free if he just stopped trying to tell them when he deserves one. it's not a good look for a captain and shows the opposition that you are frustrated.

Could not agree more. Wonder sometimes as to whether he even should be captain.

p.s. Grundy was best afield.

[Nico]

We had 4 hit outs to advantage for the game, which is why Pyke plays ahead of Seaby. Hurry back Mike.

They are hitouts to advantage only if the other players gain possession. That was as bad as it gets on centre clearances as I have seen and I thought last week was the worst. That is 2 weeks in a row where sides have done 2 bursts of multiple goal scoring from centre clearances. Our mids were non competetive at centre bounces all day and when we got the odd clearance it was scrappy and sideways. Opposition sides must just chuckle to themselves when assessing an upcoming game against us knowing that this is one area they know they will do us like a dinner.

One of my sons mates who is a North supporter who came with us yesterday. On the way in I was discussing centre clearances with him. After I said we were crap in that area he said it looks like a nil all draw. In the last quarter he looked at me and said after another centre clearance goal to North; " I see what you mean, you guys are as bad as it gets".

I don't get why people say to drop LRT. He is a backman, not a ruckman. He had 3 hitouts for the game and that says it all, and he was played forward a lot. To me this is coaching at it's worst. If a ruckman goes down during a game and you have no option, then sure put someone like him on the ball, but right now they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Put him at full back where he belongs and we will get far more value from him.

On Parker; I thought he did quite well. He found the footy and worked hard and I would rather they continue to play him because he has the goods and will only improve, and I think rather quickly.

[Nico]

I watched McVeigh a little closer today and could definitely see some good leadership signs from him.

I agree on Reg and Smith. Interesting remark by one of the commentators that Teddy looked a little nervous. He was playing behind a fair bit. That last line of defence must be an awful place to play in though.

Except when McVeigh did his cute little shimmy and stuffed it up in the last quarter (remember the GC NAB Cup loss) he seemed to blame everyone else but himself. I also enjoyed his out on the full in the last quarter. I could just see the RWOers and Big Footy bods saying; "McHack, Hack, Hack, Hack.

[Melbournehammer]

I simply dont agree that it is robbing peter to pay paul. Foir that to be the case he must be better than one of our existing defenders. I think the swans were correctly assessing that in our tall defenders it is grundy 1, ted and lrt eq 2. You would be hard pressed to say that Ted has been anything other than good this year. sure he was beaten in the first fifteen minutes yesterday but after that was good. It is much harder to play as a resting ruckman as a defender. You must follow your man and if they are smart the forward runs you around so there is no rest. As a resting forward you can actually sit in the goal square and not move unless you absolutely need to.

LRT can compete forward of the centre. He is not a natural forward but must replace one of the other two to get a run as a defender. Or we find a team with three quality forwards (west coast and perhaps essendon spring to mind - and I might also play him on Kreuzer if he gets into the ones when we play Carlton). The reality is that it is white, pyke or lrt who can play forward and swing onto the ball as a ruck - neither ted nor grundy can do that.

Perhaps if we play two quality rucks then we might have more of a chance there but that really does rob peter - you are taking a more mobile player who can swing backwards or forwards and replace them with a one-dimensional player.

fwiw I think seaby did fine. he competed well around the ground. took a good mark and goaled from it was completely spent shortly after 3/4 time (watching him struggle to run off was amazing) and his opponent hardly dominated.

Looking forwards brisbane belted adelaide and we will have to make an assessment as to the best structure for that match - but i'd find it hard to leave seaby out, but if mummy is available I'd be playing mummy and LRT given the injury to white. I am still in the camp that we probably had our best side in the initial rounds with white and mummy as the duo in ruck. as with all these things getting the balance right is difficult. And I thought Parker played well. I reckon he looks like a real find. I hope it gives lamb real hope that there is a spot there and if he playes well he will be selected.

[aardvark]

fwiw I think seaby did fine. he competed well around the ground. took a good mark and goaled from it was completely spent shortly after 3/4 time (watching him struggle to run off was amazing) and his opponent hardly dominated. .

Goldy had over 50 hitouts. I'm glad he didn't dominate.......

[wolftone57]

They are hitouts to advantage only if the other players gain possession. That was as bad as it gets on centre clearances as I have seen and I thought last week was the worst. That is 2 weeks in a row where sides have done 2 bursts of multiple goal scoring from centre clearances. Our mids were non competetive at centre bounces all day and when we got the odd clearance it was scrappy and sideways. Opposition sides must just chuckle to themselves when assessing an upcoming game against us knowing that this is one area they know they will do us like a dinner.

One of my sons mates who is a North supporter who came with us yesterday. On the way in I was discussing centre clearances with him. After I said we were crap in that area he said it looks like a nil all draw. In the last quarter he looked at me and said after another centre clearance goal to North; " I see what you mean, you guys are as bad as it gets".

I don't get why people say to drop LRT. He is a backman, not a ruckman. He had 3 hitouts for the game and that says it all, and he was played forward a lot. To me this is coaching at it's worst. If a ruckman goes down during a game and you have no option, then sure put someone like him on the ball, but right now they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Put him at full back where he belongs and we will get far more value from him.

On Parker; I thought he did quite well. He found the footy and worked hard and I would rather they continue to play him because he has the goods and will only improve, and I think rather quickly.

I agree with you Nico, LRT down back where he belongs, Teddy is starting to doubt himself again it is time for a rest in the 2's. Teddy has been very good since a rest in the 2's last year & it doesn't hurt to remind them or put them back to get confidence. Parker has to be perservered with as he has the talent & is reasonably solid, he reminds me of Barry Mitchel. I also agree on the coaching but I think Currie should come in as he is ready & he knows how to throw his weight around to protect his small players. We don't want to lose this kid I think he has ability if not consistency (better this year by all reports) & sometimes that comes with maturity.

[Nico]

A few more observations.

Kennedy is struggling. Malceski only played 78% and after the first quarter blinder seemed to struggle a bit. Maybe his value short term would be as the sub.
Smith's last quarter was special. He got a fingernail into contests a number of times that saved our bacon when North looked to be running away with the footy. He reads the play as well as anyone.
Someone on here has made the point a few times on ROK that he is wasteful. Sure was right this week. 58% effective and kicked a lot around the corner.
We clearly have a strategy to kick to the HFF flank or forward pocket to leads. We still did it in the last quarter when we were behind. Defenders easily pick off or knock the the ball away. Very frustrating and shows we don't have the guts to play the corridor when going forward lest it gets stripped away for a foray upfield. Even when we get the rare clean, centre clearance we seem to go sideways.
Parker goes alright as does Johnson and Reid, and leave LJ there up forward with Reid but don't play Reid so far up the ground.
Why don't they play McGlynn at centre bounces? He thinks and plays quickly which is what we lack. Probably not defensive enough is his problem.
Kennelly kept us in the game in the second quarter. Love his game style.
Our ball use is poor and insist on short field kicking.
What about Boltons shocking call to LJ in the last quarter when he led to a spot in the middle of a North Melbourne triangle of players. Was always going to come unstuck.
Overall it smacked of a game between to ordinary sides.

[Nico]

I agree with you Nico, LRT down back where he belongs, Teddy is starting to doubt himself again it is time for a rest in the 2's. Teddy has been very good since a rest in the 2's last year & it doesn't hurt to remind them or put them back to get confidence. Parker has to be perservered with as he has the talent & is reasonably solid, he reminds me of Barry Mitchel. I also agree on the coaching but I think Currie should come in as he is ready & he knows how to throw his weight around to protect his small players. We don't want to lose this kid I think he has ability if not consistency (better this year by all reports) & sometimes that comes with maturity.

I would rather see Ted used as a ruckman on the odd occasion and if goes forward we know he can take a mark and lead whereas LRT has always been a backman. I think maybe clubs are making Ted a bit more accountable but he has been good and LRT back there again takes pressure off him. I think Parker is more of a quick version of Sam Mitchell.

[swansrule100]

i wonder if ted was told to play petrie from behind yesterday or it was his own tactic?, ted shouldnt be asked to play on someone that big and strong anyway. Lrt ted and grundy should all be in defence, someone else can chip in as 2nd ruck, seaby/pyke stay as the forward ruck when mummy returns or perhaps lets see what currie can do given hes 22 now and been on the list since we relocated to sydney

[Melbournehammer]

Goldy had over 50 hitouts. I'm glad he didn't dominate.......

50 hit outs - wow amazing. (irony)

and goldy kicked how many goals, took how many marks, did so much link up.

dont get me wrong - north scored 4 goals from stoppages - 4 of 9 is 45% but 4 of 50 is 8%. The reality is that he won taps but thats about it - and the taps were helpful to north but didn't really make that much difference.

I simply dont think hitting the ball 50 times means all that much. it might have if the ball went straight down someones throat and went racing down towards goal. but it simply didnt. and around the ground seaby took some important marks and his opponent didnt.

he won a few taps. that is not dominating.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Who would you move out of our defence to put LRT in there ? Surely none of Reg, Ted or AJ ( who was good, again). If its none of those players, then we'd be going in quite tall in defence, and lacking the run of a rebounder who's spot LRT would need to take to fit into the backline. When Mummy returns, perhaps there' wont be a spot for him at all unless one of our regular big backs gets hurt. ?

[Melbournehammer]

[QUOTE=Nico;530629]A few more observations.

Kennedy is struggling.

I wondered about that as well. he played a fair bit of the game at full forward i presume with a view to breaking tags and stuff but he did seem a very long way from the action.

[liz]

I'm shaking my head at the suggestion that Ted should be dropped. He was the wrong match-up for Petrie, and it came at a time when our midfield couldn't get their hands on the ball and North were kicking well to a lead up target. Once he was switched off Petrie he was a solid contributor in defence. He certainly didn't drop his head after that first 10 minutes.

I think our defence would be better for having LRT there. He has the advantage of an extra inch or so over most of our other defenders, which is significant against forward/ruck types. It does create a problem in that all our tall defenders are in decent form. I was very impressed with AJ again yesterday. Maybe we can organise a mid-season loan to the Dawks. They can have one of our tall defenders and we'll take Buddy!

[Robbo]

Yet...

He will never be more than a decent backup ruckman. He is 27 and although his tap work is good he still lacks natural football instinct, and his disposal is below average for a ruckman. It's hard to become a quality AFL player if you don't play a single game of Aussie rules footy until you are 25.

[Scottee]

I'm shaking my head at the suggestion that Ted should be dropped. He was the wrong match-up for Petrie, and it came at a time when our midfield couldn't get their hands on the ball and North were kicking well to a lead up target. Once he was switched off Petrie he was a solid contributor in defence. He certainly didn't drop his head after that first 10 minutes.

I think our defence would be better for having LRT there. He has the advantage of an extra inch or so over most of our other defenders, which is significant against forward/ruck types. It does create a problem in that all our tall defenders are in decent form.

Agree Liz. It should be pretty clear by now that Grundy is best against larger, slower opponents who rely on their marking (even if they are a lot taller) he is simply gifted at reading the flight of the ball and jostling at the same time with his 102Kg.He is not so great agianst the more nimbe fowards but we now also hve Johnston to take on these guys. Grundy made a great combo with LRT down back last year until LRT was injured. With LRT back we could use Ted's ability around the ground or up forward where we are taking vey few marks.