Round 10 v Carlton @ Marvel Stadium

[SwanSand]

So many of our key players are ridiculously young. Errol, Chad, JMac, TMac. Logan etc. Even Ollie is only 23. We expect a lot from them because of their precocious talent.

Warner lacked impact in the middle. He was the one we needed to stop those fast exits out of the middle with his power and run. I reckon he and we missed Rowbottom who probably makes players around him look good by taking away easy exits of the opposition.

The other thing was ground ball in our defensive half in the second quarter, after a couple of goals got kicked, the players gravitated towards the ball and lost reference to their direct opponents. And more goals were kicked as a result. Their forward half pressure in the second qtr was terrific Ala like ours against Richmond last year.

Bell had all the reason to do well today. Doug Nicholls round and all. He just runs around and lacks decision making. I would get Stephens in this team atleast he can run exactly as much as bell and probably will have no less performance than him.

We are going to get belted in the next 2 games if we allow such a huge margin to open up in a qtr if a game.

[dejavoodoo44]

Blakey, Heeney, Mills, Parker tick. Campbell did well when he came on and Ollie good second half.

We witnessed something special from Logan tonight and if he had time in the last few minutes he could have kicked five.

Our rucks stank. Nor Tom Mc’s best night.

The inability to stop there stoppage plan of a handball out the back drove me mad.

And yes, the umpiring sucked hard dogs balls

Yes, good comeback, led by those you mentioned. And that would have to Logan's best game. He's certainly ahead of the other tall forwards in his draft year, and ahead of quite a few high picks, in earlier draft years. Hoping that Buddy hangs around next season, as an even better Logan and a still classy Bud, should be a lot of fun to watch.

And on draft picks: the performance of De Kooning tonight, has me wondering, if we should spend one of our first round picks on the best available ruckman?

[COB]

Yes it is sickening to watch. They did it to us with the Bulldogs and they screwed us over again. Anyone that tells me the AFL is not a corrupt organisation can go and @@@@ THEMSELVES.

Sick of umpire whingers. Second half we won the contested possessions by 7 having being -31 at half time and we then win the frees by 1 having being -12 at half time. Easier to win the frees if in first at the ball or getting more inside F50 which won easily at f/t having been down by 14 at half time.

[mcs]

Bell should never have played another game for us after the final last year. Tonight comes us no surprise.

Ladhams isn’t what we hoped. Prefer Reid, McLean or Sinclair to him.

Logan is really coming along nicely. The boy will be a GUN!

Really wish he had of kicked that one he just missed in the 3rd and one of those ones in the 4th. Deserved 5 or 6 goals tonight.

While I'm happy if Buddy plays on next year (on a lot less $ of course), I sort of wouldn't be unhappy if he bows out too. Logan is coming along very well. What I love is his ability to impact a contest from any angle. Still 1 on 1 has some work to do as his body build strength, but he reads the game well, uses the ball well, and is a good kick of the footy in general play. He is going to be an utter beast of a player in the not too distant future.

On a completely unrelated note, devestated for Joey. Can't see how this year won't be his last, and he won't have any chance of reaching 300 like he deserves it seems

[Danzar]

Effort is never a probelm with him. He just isn't quite at AFL standard for mine - I want him to make it, he is by all reports a great bloke around the club and its a serious effort to get to where he has got to. But I just don't think he will be good enough, and certainly I'd prefer us to be playing someone like Stephens (or in tonight's case Campbell) over him (noting that would need some moving about elsewhere perhaps in terms of team balance) who have a much higher ceiling I suspect.

Had a decent start to the season, I was hoping he could stick it

[aardvark]

What a wasted opportunity. Comprehensively smashed out of the middle for the first half. Tom McCartin couldn't catch covid. So frustrating.

[mcs]

Sick of umpire whingers. Second half we won the contested possessions by 7 having being -31 at half time and we then win the frees by 1 having being -12 at half time. Easier to win the frees if in first at the ball or getting more inside F50 which won easily at f/t having been down by 14 at half time.

If umpiring was consistent across matches and between teams in matches, I would agree. It is certainly the more important story (contested possesions and similar) - but when umpiring is baffingly inconsistent as it consistently is now, I don't think its unreasonable to get frustrated by it.

Once upon a time, the adage of 'first at the ball - win the frees' may have stood when the game was more consistently umpired, the rules were clearer and easier to interpret, and the rules favoured the player trying to do the right thing and win the footy.

I don't buy it in the modern game however - I don't buy it about 2016, I don't buy it about what we see consistently now. The umpires are not helped by rules moving to ever more complex, and ever more focused on utter nonsense that doesn't matter.

But to try and always talk it away as it 'doesn't matter' ignores the fact that it does impact the contest, and in close games can make the difference. That is part of footy - always will be, but its infuriating to watch in modern day footy.

[The Big Cat]

Look, the main thing is, I am just happy that Fatso Taylor and Brayshaw got what they wanted

Frees 32 to 21.

Anyone who says frees don't matter come back at me when we have 25 plus

That’s 11 extra times the umps have handed the ball to Carlton. That’s more times than either Bell or Wicks disposed of it.

[Roadrunner]

Bell, Wicks out

Bell not to be promoted again - Wicks on performance in seconds.

I'd rather see Clarke have a bloody go than Bell - at least he won't stop.

Ronke for Wicks.

You’ve got it spot on Foreign Legion. I was really hoping these two would deliver but sadly it was not to be. I blame the selectors mainly as they should know better. Of course, they both did a few nice things- but compare them to their counterparts and the difference in quality is huge. We lost the game due to a very poor second quarter and most of the team were to blame for that, as well as some of the worst umpiring and there have been some shockers. But please don’t anybody talk about the pressure applied by these two- it is BS. Bell is simply not good enough- Wicks needs plenty of time in the ressies to show us he if should be considered again.

I was prepared to give these 2 the benefit of our 3 tough games, but after tonight I’d rather have Stephens and Clarke.
As for Rowy, he was sadly missed.

[Danzar]

Sick of umpire whingers. Second half we won the contested possessions by 7 having being -31 at half time and we then win the frees by 1 having being -12 at half time. Easier to win the frees if in first at the ball or getting more inside F50 which won easily at f/t having been down by 14 at half time.

I thought the free kick count was justified in the first half, you are going to give them up when you know that the Blues will likely convert any loose ball into a scoring opportunity. Most were legit, and we didn't earn any.

The second half was ridiculous though. The umps had two sets of rules on HTB, 15m kicks, in the back, protected area of the mark.

[dejavoodoo44]

Warner lacked impact in the middle. He was the one we needed to stop those fast exits out of the middle with his power and run. I reckon he and we missed Rowbottom who probably makes players around him look good by taking away easy exits of the opposition.

The other thing was ground ball in our defensive half in the second quarter, after a couple of goals got kicked, the players gravitated towards the ball and lost reference to their direct opponents. And more goals were kicked as a result. Their forward half pressure in the second qtr was terrific Ala like ours against Richmond last year.

Bell had all the reason to do well today. Doug Nicholls round and all. He just runs around and lacks decision making. I would get Stephens in this team atleast he can run exactly as much as bell and probably will have no less performance than him.

We are going to get belted in the next 2 games if we allow such a huge margin to open up in a qtr if a game.

Yes, I thought that we missed Rowbottom's defensive efforts around the contests. Although, that area improved in the second half. Campbell made a bit of a difference in the back half, when he came on. Harry Cunningham may have been useful tonight?

[Markwebbos]

Game was lost in the middle not by Bell or Wicks

[Southern Swan15]

2 rucks is a must for me, neither one can run out a full game, Ladhams only looked bad when he is picking it up off the ground.

Id play Reid as a roaming fwd and spare defender before i play wicks and bell again.

Parker more time fwd

Paps, parker, heeney, will are enough smalls down there, no need to waste a spot on a pair that get carried week in week out

Spot on

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

[mcs]

Had a decent start to the season, I was hoping he could stick it

Me too - but I think what will ultimately do him in is his basic skills are just not quite good enough at AFL level. When your a fringe player at this level (Brandon Jack is another one in this boat) you have to take your chances when you have them and make use of them - especially as a small forward in front of goal. To do that your skills need to be at a certainl level. Like BJ, just think Bell's going to fall short.

Still a damn good effort to make it to this point from where he started, and would love him to prove me wrong. But sense he is a holding piece in the jigsaw puzzle until someone comes along and scoots right on past.

[H2F]

Game was lost in the middle not by Bell or Wicks

Your not doing anything in finals with filler players like Bell or Wicks they are not even bottom 6 players they are not AFL standard.