Rd 3 vs Melbourne Demons @ MCG, Sunday April 2 3:20PM - Match Thread

[Kafka's Ghost]

Although most of the negative points are quite valid, I thought we played well for large portions of the game. I didn't like the way we threw in the towel in the 4th quarter, but a lot of things just didn't go our way, which can be frustrating. We have to learn to keep trying, even when the end result is obvious.

We had a number of unexpected shocking games last year that were far worse than this one. There are plenty of things to fix, but the game plan is good; we just need to execute it on a more consistent basis. There's a lot to work on for the coaches.

Our VFL side won't do well this year. We have too many youngsters and there's a total lack of cohesiveness in the side, especially defence. I wouldn't judge Gould too harshly. He hasn't played a single AFL game and is now the leader of our defence, with a group of players around him that have no idea what to do.

We have a lot of players who are down this year, especially in our midfield group. I think we should bring Sheldrick in. He is an exceptionally hard worker and should bring energy to the midfield with his relentless attack on the ball.

Nothing against one of the greatest and most entertaining players of all time, but our team development will be stilted until Lance comes out of the side. He is not going to be the difference between winning and losing a premiership this year, so we might as well move on. I like the way Joel and Logan are playing. We should push that development further. I think Lance can be the sub. The team is more important than his ego. We did the same to Kennedy last year.

What I would really like to see is Lance take over the ruck duties until Hickey returns. Now that will make a big difference to the side. Ladhams has been okay, except his disposal has been dreadful. And his decision making has never been good. It will be interesting to see how Collingwood go without a ruckman for the next month or so.

We might try swapping Campbell and Cunningham. There's too much easy ball to the opposition's small players in our defence. Harry has been a good lock down defender and Campbell has played a lot of half forward. There will be more shifting of positions as we try to find game time for Fox, Sheldrick, Roberts and HHK. Corey Warner played quite well through the midfield in the VFL and might also be in line for a senior go.

I will be looking for how we progress this year, rather than worrying about individual games, so long as well learn from our losses and do better the week following a poor performance.

An excellent summation, Ludwig.


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[Ruck'n'Roll]

He is also our highest paid player, if the fwd line isnt working jump in the middle, wing or anywhere.

Couldn't agree more, unfortunately the coaching team seem averse to swinging the changes during a game - even such a relatively minor one as this.

[Blood Fever]

Agree he is a star and 50goals is hard to argue with

He is also our highest paid player, if the fwd line isnt working jump in the middle, wing or anywhere.

I expect the guys under 23/24 to have off days, we cant afford to be having them from Heeney.

Your criticism of him would be valid if he was a full time midfielder. Playing forward is very difficult if your midfield is underperforming and under pressure with ball in hand. Grand Final is perfect example of this and so was yesterday, to a lesser extent.

[lwjoyner]

a disappointing finish after clawing our way back. agrees with earlier posts re ladhams definitely need Hicckey back. More footy smarts and brain than Ladhams. No wonder Port were eager for a swap. Goalkicking definetly needs practice, kick straight and we would have nearly won. Buddy has lost the art almost others struggle with the moment. Umpires have improved they can shout out load "STAND" but they too have lost the art 0f umpiring and making the decisions where free kicks are warranted (but maybe they never had it), its not so much the frees against but its the frees not paid. I dont know the frees for and against but we should have got a lot mor. The desision of abuse if a joke some are paid and other are not. Chanel 0 footy show discussed the Blues free for in depth and they are lauhing at the inconsistencey, arms out in frustration sometimes par other not.

[Roadrunner]

Your criticism of him would be valid if he was a full time midfielder. Playing forward is very difficult if your midfield is underperforming and under pressure with ball in hand. Grand Final is perfect example of this and so was yesterday, to a lesser extent.

Our forward line didn’t function well in the 1st and 4th- though the team was under pressure all over the field. Our capitulation in the 4th was disappointing, as we came close in the 3rd. Credit to the Dees as they applied the pressure and pulled away. I think we ran out of legs, or it certainly looked like it!

Swap Cunningham and Campbell as Ludwig says, as Harry is better in defence. We played ok for 2 quarters but obviously not enough against top teams. More consistency and effort is needed from most of the boys and defo bring in Angus and Gould next week. Buddy will play but I would move him to centre bounces a few times. Maybe a bit harsh but we need to keep developing Joel and Logan up front. Or could he have a stint on the wing?

[waswan]

Your criticism of him would be valid if he was a full time midfielder. Playing forward is very difficult if your midfield is underperforming and under pressure with ball in hand. Grand Final is perfect example of this and so was yesterday, to a lesser extent.

I suppose my point is, he should go to the mids or anywhere like Paps, Dusty etc if the Fwd line isnt working.

He is too good to have a down day for us. Buddy is a fwd and fwd only, Heeney can go to mids, plug the defence, just needs to be moved if it isnt happening.

Totally agree with the GF

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Buddy is a fwd only too, he isnt agile enough to play up the ground, i cant remember the last time he ran around someone or broke a tackle.

At best he could play half fwd but i doubt many clubs would mind him running around up there

[Nico]

Farcical comment. Played first half up forward where the delivery was awful. Did some useful stuff on the wing......Played well in first two games - all australian last year. Get a grip.

Disagree BF. He looked lazy and disinterested. We had 52 inside 50's. I was about 70 metres from the Posford end and I can't recall him making any leads up that end. I just wonder whether he has become collateral damage with playing 2 and 3 tall forwards. Normally when he goes into the midfield he has some impact. Some of his disposal was ordinary.

[Nico]

Well, that was disappointing. Beaten all over the ground and also managed to kick poorly for goal, Papley aside (around the ground too, actually). Several skittish players. Mills and Florent stood up. Ladhams has limitations, but tried hard.

The Roberts sub thing is a bit odd. Surely this week he swaps with Sheldrick.

Longmire said in his presser that Mills went to Oliver at the start of the game. His stats were very low to half time, something like 8 possessions. Why did Longmire do this? He should know that they have tried to use Mills as a tagger/stopper with limited success. When he is left to play his own game he is a star. Probably had a decent impact on our slow start.

[RogueSwan]

The whole team had the fumbles yesterday. It did not look like the Dees were applying significant pressure, the boys just didn't have clean hands.
That, and a lot of missed tackles (apart from Rowbottom) stood out to me yesterday.
I would also like to mention that if we didn't have the McCartins the score would have been even more embarrassing.
And what was going on with Ramps yesterday? Unusually, he looked lost in the back line.
Campbell needs to move up the ground, as well as he battled yesterday he is not a defender. Although it is only early days in his career.

[Nico]

Our forward line didn’t function well in the 1st and 4th- though the team was under pressure all over the field. Our capitulation in the 4th was disappointing, as we came close in the 3rd. Credit to the Dees as they applied the pressure and pulled away. I think we ran out of legs, or it certainly looked like it!

Swap Cunningham and Campbell as Ludwig says, as Harry is better in defence. We played ok for 2 quarters but obviously not enough against top teams. More consistency and effort is needed from most of the boys and defo bring in Angus and Gould next week. Buddy will play but I would move him to centre bounces a few times. Maybe a bit harsh but we need to keep developing Joel and Logan up front. Or could he have a stint on the wing?

When Fox is back in I would move Campbell to the wing to replace McInerney. Campbell kicks it a mile whereas JMac has absolutely no depth to his kicking. He is far better at second efforts than Jmac.

My observation is that since Jmac had his injury he has been much less of a player prepared to go into the hurly burly of the game, and has become a very outside player. That wouldn't be so bad but his disposal is very ordinary.

[AB Swannie]

Not much has been said on here about Stephens being the guy who got subbed. It's very unusual for one of a team's best runners to be subbed without injury. My take is that he was not doing the job that was asked of him and was dragged. Selection could be interesting this week.

In regards to the sub, it seems like Roberts is playing that as the next best small. I don't think he suits this role. He is a good player but he is not going to have the impact that other dynamic players may have. I don't think Sheldrick is the ideal sub either. IMO, inside mids are not subs. They need a whole game to have an influence. A Hall-Kahan or Konstanty (when fit) are the better types of subs. Potentially Robbie Fox could be a good sub too with his run and marking prowess.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

When Fox is back in I would move Campbell to the wing to replace McInerney. Campbell kicks it a mile whereas JMac has absolutely no depth to his kicking. He is far better at second efforts than Jmac.

My observation is that since Jmac had his injury he has been much less of a player prepared to go into the hurly burly of the game, and has become a very outside player. That wouldn't be so bad but his disposal is very ordinary.

The depth of JMac's kicking is interesting, his long kicking was a feature of his when he arrived as was his willingness to go for a run. Both of these features seem to have dried up. With kicking he's more often going for a short kick, often to a player who isn't in a partcularly advantageous position. He looks very much like his priority is to get rid of the ball as soon as possible, rarely ever going for a run - a safety first mindset. Also his goal kicking has deteriorated as well, in his first 3 seasons he produced 12 goals and 2 points, he's fallen to almost 50/50. If it wasn't for his hugely extroverted yee-ha-ing, you'd amost think he's lost confidence.

FWIW Will Gould also stopped demonstrating his prodigious long kick in 2nd's games. Not suggesting it's related, but both disappointing.

[crackedactor 01]

Just an observation form yesterday's game. On many occasions when a Melbourne players was about to be tackled they just simply drop the ball. Not sure how that is judged as correct disposal?

[stevoswan]

Plays big majority of time up forward and kicked 49 goals last year which earned him a spot in all australian team. Not overly big but eas still the twelfth leading goal kicker in the competition ahead of such players as Shai Bton and Harry McKay. Great tavkler and one on one player. Delivery to him today wss awful. If he played on ball he would star but forwatd line talents like him are rare. Gun player.

Oh I see you've replied to waswan.

You are correct about his talents and former deeds.....but at the moment they are 'former' deeds so you can make that 'can be a gun player'.

He isn't at the moment and isn't consistently enough. As waswan said, he's been playing long enough to be a gun week in, week out like Mills....but he just isn't.

It's disappointing and frustrating to see the afore mentioned talents not on display regularly enough.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Not much has been said on here about Stephens being the guy who got subbed. It's very unusual for one of a team's best runners to be subbed without injury. My take is that he was not doing the job that was asked of him and was dragged. Selection could be interesting this week.

In regards to the sub, it seems like Roberts is playing that as the next best small. I don't think he suits this role. He is a good player but he is not going to have the impact that other dynamic players may have. I don't think Sheldrick is the ideal sub either. IMO, inside mids are not subs. They need a whole game to have an influence. A Hall-Kahan or Konstanty (when fit) are the better types of subs. Potentially Robbie Fox could be a good sub too with his run and marking prowess.

I think you're right about the reason Stephens got yanked. I'm a fan of his, but he was poor yesterday, particularly defensively.

But I wouldn't be dropping him on one game, as I think going all yo-yo on him will do no good. I reckon subbing him out will have made the point. It's also hard to maintain selection consistency and integrity when you're singling one bloke out for one poor game, whilst others get an extended run (even allowing for supposed credits in the bank).