R1: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. St Kilda

[FR0GGY]

There was a couple of times Curtin sprinted to the square and just wasn’t quite the chosen option.
It’ll click one game.

 

[1970crow]

We are a really good midfield but we are still a bit off the best like GWS, Brisbane, Swans ect.

I think the important thing is that we've got players that can deliver the type of clearances that have defenders sweating bullets. Back when it was Laird, Sloane and Crouch, it was just high hack kicks that are easy to defend.

 

[VKCrow]

The good - finally wanting to tune into 360 and On the couch

 

[Scorpus]

Initial thoughts are this was a full strength middle team beating up on a bottom 8 team with lots of of players injured. I'm not taking anything from this win until we play a good side.

We didn't play that well except for a few patches. Outside of those patches we managed to kick goals just through better quality players beating up on average replacements.

Thought the first half was full of fumbles (even from the likes of Crouch and Rankine) and poor kicks/decision making. Looked very rusty. Also some poor set ups at ruck contests around the ground.

Second half was better, but as the game went on, Saints pressure dropped.

There were some good signs from key players though:

TT. Dropped some marks, but his ground work stuff is fantastic. Well rounded player.

Rachele. Excellent start to the year! Got plenty of it, used it well, used his body well, kicked goals.

Hinge. Didn't get much of a mention, but he worked his way into form. Tough and provided dash. Used the ball well. He's really important to us this year I think. If he can be AA quality then we'll go a long way to make the 8.

Worrell very good and dependable.

I liked ANB. He'll be really good for us over the next few years.

Dawson and Soligo were excellent, but expected.

Average:

Rankine was sloppy imo. Stats look good but could really tear a game apart and continues to tease a bit. Hopefully just rusty.

Crouch was good and bad. Thought he was also sloppy at times especially in the first half.

Murray and Keane good in the air, some poor foot skills though.

Cumming and Peatling were good and bad. Didn't look as good as in the pre season, but showed some good signs.

Milera wasn't bad, but still no way he should have come in before Nank.

Interesting take. I actually thought we looked quite sharp at times and were finally starting to see productive ball use to get out of congestion in the midfield.

Our entires into the 50 were also quite good on a number of occasions. This is often where we've fallen down even against poor opposition as we just turn the ball over inside 50.

I think some of the worse periods of ball use from us came from long periods of us tackling the Saints, them throwing the ball without penalty and us having to quickly clean up the mess

 

[1970crow]

Yeah, underdone for Marshall and Sinclair.

But to say there were seven important players not out there just isn't true. What they dished up is pretty much what they are

No one said "important", what was said was "7 best 22". The degree of importance is more arguable. We had zero. If you think that makes no difference then you're even less able to view objectively than I originally thought. I bet you were all in on our injury excuses last year.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I think we'd be improved playing Bond to shut down or Nank to shut down, intercept and run off. If the role is to maximise disposals whilst minimising positive impact, then Laird is first choice across the entire league.

At times agree , today not re Laird impact

 

[Jeffcrowe]

There was a couple of times Curtin sprinted to the square and just wasn’t quite the chosen option.
It’ll click one game.

Spot on

 

[Scorpus]

The positive from Laird today is he actually seemed to try, which he definitely didn't do at the back end of last year.

With his best mate Smith being dropped from the team now, maybe reality has sunk in that there's competition for spots and you can't just run around putting in lazy half assed efforts and keep your spot even as a senior player

 

[MRB37]

I don't remember us pushing ROB into defense so hard last year, was a few times he ended up at CHB. Wasn't the worst at it, I know he played some back there with the Cannons, but I wonder if that's just a way to add some height down back since we're not playing the traditional two talls down back?

 

[MRB37]

The positive from Laird today is he actually seemed to try, which he definitely didn't do at the back end of last year.

With his best mate Smith being dropped from the team now, maybe reality has sunk in that there's competition for spots and you can't just run around putting in lazy half assed efforts and keep your spot even as a senior player

Smith was suspended, so hasn't been dropped yet this year.

 

[Scorpus]

Smith was suspended, so hasn't been dropped yet this year.

He's dropped. Nicks didn't pick him for the trials before he was suspended (he got suspended playing the Bs against Port) and the trial team is Nicks round 1 team

 

[StonesThrow]

Interesting take. I actually thought we looked quite sharp at times and were finally starting to see productive ball use to get out of congestion in the midfield.

Our entires into the 50 were also quite good on a number of occasions. This is often where we've fallen down even against poor opposition as we just turn the ball over inside 50.

I think some of the worse periods of ball use from us came from long periods of us tackling the Saints, them throwing the ball without penalty and us having to quickly clean up the mess

Happy to watch again, but I was super frustrated at how sloppy we were. Maybe I was being too harsh

 

[119others]

No one said "important", what was said was "7 best 22". The degree of importance is more arguable. We had zero. If you think that makes no difference then you're even less able to view objectively than I originally thought. I bet you were all in on our injury excuses last year.

Guys, it’s a happy day surely. We just looked the best in round one than we have for years. And excited for what comes next.

No reason for dragging thread down with personal attacks.

Can’t we all just be on the same (happy) page for one day?

 

[Scorpus]

Happy to watch again, but I was super frustrated at how sloppy we were. Maybe I was being too harsh

There was some sloppiness in the back half and a few harsh holding the balls.

In the front half I thought we were on. Thilthorpe was single grabbing everything and both Rankine and Rachele dominated outside of some poor misses. Soligo was maybe 10% off but still performed really well

 

[1970crow]

I don't remember us pushing ROB into defense so hard last year, was a few times he ended up at CHB. Wasn't the worst at it, I know he played some back there with the Cannons, but I wonder if that's just a way to add some height down back since we're not playing the traditional two talls down back?

It was nice seeing him behind the ball deep in defence. Much better use of his energy than pushing deep forward to compete in the air with our forwards.

 

[ams4crows]

The positive from Laird today is he actually seemed to try, which he definitely didn't do at the back end of last year.

With his best mate Smith being dropped from the team now, maybe reality has sunk in that there's competition for spots and you can't just run around putting in lazy half assed efforts and keep your spot even as a senior player

He also played to his strengths, I didn't see many high bombs, he mopped up at the back of the stoppage alot and got things moving forward or cleared the ball from congestion with handballs back to space. I thought he played a great game an underated game, I probably owe him an apology too as I did bag him a bit this preseason but I'll be happy if he consistently plays the way he did today for the rest of the season.

 

[FR0GGY]

There was some sloppiness in the back half and a few harsh holding the balls.

In the front half I thought we were on. Thilthorpe was single grabbing everything and both Rankine and Rachele dominated outside of some poor misses. Soligo was maybe 10% off but still performed really well

I haven’t watched the replay but I didn’t think he did that much today?

 

[spenze]

Ugly : My son was cleaning his fish tank and pulled out the cord to the modem so I had no internet. My wife informed me I could just watch it on the TV as that isn't connected to the internet.

Me, knowing it is a smart TV looking at my wife...

 

[Scorpus]

Also, three things I didn't see today:

Kicking up the ground to a small forward in a one on one with a 195cm defender forcing the small to fly for a mark they'll never take, instead of having a tall at that contest

Small forwards flying for marks inside 50 they'll never take instead of staying at ground level to crumb like they're meant to

Reilly O'Brien standing 10m away from a ruck contest inside the forward 50 in a useless position where he is guaranteed to have no impact

 

[Scorpus]

I haven’t watched the replay but I didn’t think he did that much today?

Thilthorpe was excellent. Extremely clean ball handling and use when it was his turn

 

[FR0GGY]

Thilthorpe was excellent. Extremely clean ball handling and use when it was his turn

On the ground you talking about?
He definitely spilled and multi grabbed some marks.
Thought he was very good though.

 

[Samcro24]

On the ground you talking about?
He definitely spilled and multi grabbed some marks.
Thought he was very good though.

Yep.

Second touches are elite for a tall. Needs to clunk more of the first.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

The positive from Laird today is he actually seemed to try, which he definitely didn't do at the back end of last year.

With his best mate Smith being dropped from the team now, maybe reality has sunk in that there's competition for spots and you can't just run around putting in lazy half assed efforts and keep your spot even as a senior player

Yep his body language was different to last year

 

[Betts are off]

There was a couple of times Curtin sprinted to the square and just wasn’t quite the chosen option.
It’ll click one game.

Oh it will click. Keep selecting him, keep playing him, and keep not sub-ing him IMO.

Unicorn players don't fit traditional roles, they re-invent them. You just need to give them time to do it.

 

[Scorpus]

On the ground you talking about?
He definitely spilled and multi grabbed some marks.
Thought he was very good though.

Yes though I don't expect elite tall forwards to take more than 2 or so clean contested marks a game