Review The Grand Final Disaster of 2017.

[Roovolution]

I know Richmond were better. They were just manic. But everything just went right for them today. The bounce of the ball. Some fluky marks. Fringe players playing out of their skin.

I reckon if the Crows just had a bit of luck in the third it would have really woken them up and who knows? BTW I picked the Crows in a rout.

Umpires.....

 

[GROTTO]

I hope that Richmond were just as honourable in your eyes as the Crows were in ours.
I cried in our victory.
Crows supporters were noble to me in their post-game congratulations.
We both deserved to win but that doesn't happen.
All the very, very best to you for 2018.

There is a lot of frustration in here. Some anger too. However, Richmond deserve all the credit for a great win.

We have no excuses. The best team won the grand final.

 

[GROTTO]

wow I've lost complete faith in this team.
Take me awhile to ever believe again.

I was tired of "some" posters saying we should have faith in this team. Well this same team really dropped the ball in the biggest game of the year.

To be honest there were signs that this kind of performance may happen.

We have lost inexcusable games this year. Richmond have been in the mix to win every game bar just 2 games, the worst irony is one of those games was against us. We have lost 5 games in 2017 by almost 4+ goals.

 

[pjcrows]

People talk about Richmond's "spuds" and how they don't deserve flags.

Read these names:

Clay Sampson
Chad Rintoul
Aaron Keating
Shane Ellen
Kym Koster
Troy Bond
Matt Connell
Tyson Edwards (20 games)
Simon Goodwin (10 games)
Andrew Eccles
James Thiessen

Flags are more often than not won by brutal, well coached units who get fit and in form at the right time.

We weren't.

 

[asdfasd]

I just wonder how anyone could think that this loss will fire up the playing group or make it stronger. Weren't we already fired up after a pathetic end to the season last year? Wasn't being in a Grand Final enough? What about all of the other heartbreaking finals losses? What about the Phil Walsh footage they played on the ****ing screens at the ground, (twice, no less) after the Crows ran onto the ground? If the group wasn't fired up today, they never will be. The now guaranteed yearly event of losing talent in the off-season also won't help us to come back stronger. I'm all for being optimistic but ****, there's no way this loss helps us in any way. It will ****ing hurt us.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Teams that have been spanked in grand finals over the last 20 years - are these the heaviest defeats in that time? Not too many rebounded back to win one soon after.
Sydney 1996
Carlton 1999
Melbourne 2000
Collingwood 2002
Brisbane 2004
Port 2007
Fremantle 2013 or 14... whenever it was
West Coast 2015

 

[Big Crow]

I know Richmond were better. They were just manic. But everything just went right for them today. The bounce of the ball. Some fluky marks. Fringe players playing out of their skin.

I reckon if the Crows just had a bit of luck in the third it would have really woken them up and who knows? BTW I picked the Crows in a rout.

That's true, we didn't have much luck. Didn't seem to be our day.

At the same time, they ran much harder and were fiercer at the contest. This often makes it seem like the bounce is going your way because you've earned it.

 

[pjcrows]

You make your own luck.

 

[Altum Volantes]

TV still running. Just staring at screen blankly for the last hour or so. Now Raiders of the Lost Ark is on

Things looking up!

Just don't stare into the Ark mate!

 

[ftmch]

I know there's always alot of what-ifs in a game, but bugger me - can't help but think what difference it makes if Tom Lynch and Tex kick those set shot goals in the 2nd qtr, putting us 3-4 goals up.

Not good enough, particularly Tex.

 

[NSWCROW]

The TRUE blame lies with these bell-ends for not playing this !!!

 

[skoobydoo]

I said after last years loss to the Swans that if Mackay and Douglas were still in the first 22 by Round 5 this year i wouldn't be watching.

Fair play to both of them, they have been good the second half of this year but today they absolutely were putrid. They weren't alone though.

Atkins was horrible for mine, not sure there is much more development to come from him, would prefer Milera in his spot. Milera at least has elite disposal.

Key to this game was stopping Tom Lynch. Tigers did that perfectly and we broke down around half forward. Tex, Jenkins and Eddie all non-existent out there.

Abig YES to your Atkins/Milera observation !

 

[SC26]

Teams that have been spanked in grand finals over the last 20 years - are these the heaviest defeats in that time? Not too many rebounded back to win one soon after.
Sydney 1996
Carlton 1999
Melbourne 2000
Collingwood 2002
Brisbane 2004
Port 2007
Fremantle 2013 or 14... whenever it was
West Coast 2015

Geelong 2008? Got done pretty well by Hawthorn and recovered well.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I know there's always alot of what-ifs in a game, but bugger me - can't help but think what difference it makes if Tom Lynch and Tex kick those set shot goals in the 2nd qtr, putting us 3-4 goals up.

Not good enough, particularly Tex.

Three things stick in my mind

1) Walker wins a free in the corridor. Playing in front, chance for an early touch, best user of the ball in the league. Atkins flies in and tried to take the advantage with a player 1cm behind him. Holding the ball.

2) The fast break where Cameron/Knight botch a simple goal

3) Laird wins a crucial contest at half back, we rebound the footy or were going to, except Lynch's kick gets smothered.

All crucial, momentum sapping incidents in the first half. Just the sort of things that happen in games you lose.

 

[Pugsley]

Mackay. I was right.

 

[Mootsy]

Embarrassing effort. Didn't show up, senior players playing like garbage, no tactical response.

Utterly annihilated.

Should be ashamed

As a neutral i don't really get it either and the low score in the GF, sorry you guys couldn't make more of an even game of it, better luck in the future, a great season anyway!

 

[Mike Smyth]

To choke we would have to be better than Richmond , yeah? I don't know that that's the case after today. They may just be the better team. We showed nothing that suggested choking. Just outplayed everywhere after qtr time.

That's not choking, thats being beaten.

On Paper we are a better side than Richmond so there's no denying that 90% of the team and the coaching group choked on the big stage or perhaps wilted in the spotlight is a better description.

 

[Pugsley]

Wow, Hardwick is a premiership coach.

There's some words I never thought I'd hear.

I hope the Richmond supporters send Gale an apology after hanging Hardwick last year.

 

[Miss Vanessa]

Have just rewatched the last quarter of the 97 GF to make myself feel slightly better, and it kinda worked... but if there's one thing that game can teach us, it's that for us to win another flag, Ben Jarman needs to be fast tracked into our best 22. A Crows side without a Jarman is clearly not good enough to win it. Make it happen Pykey.

I'm sad.

 

[Pugsley]

When it's over it's over

Have you been listening to Sugar Ray ?

 

[Crows25]

Does anyone think that the AFL will ever be even a remotely fair competition? I struggle to think it ever will be. Way too much Victorian bias!

 

[asdfasd]

Enough of this nightmare of a day. I'm going to bed. Just a real pity I'll wake up tomorrow and realise it wasn't all a horrible dream.

 

[SugarShane]

1) Walker wins a free in the corridor. Playing in front, chance for an early touch, best user of the ball in the league. Atkins flies in and tried to take the advantage with a player 1cm behind him. Holding the ball.

I know, we don't blame umpires. But it baffles me that the umpires can still override players' advantage. Atkins takes advantage, sure, and gets done. Fair enough. But a few quarters later, desperate to kick start something, we get a free and Matt Crouch (I think) steams away about 15m, umpire yells out "No advantage, bring it back." Classic case of "It's up to the players to decide when they take advantage, except when it isn't, to be decided at seemingly random times."

 

[Infra Ted]

My missus is at home and my family were at the game with me all said please don't get in fights I'm not violent but I wasn't going to stand for abuse. Just back at my mates place now quiet night ahead.

Strong post to username ratio.

 

[hey shorty]

Hurts to do this so early.

Brouch - Tried all day but the Brad of the last month was replaced by the Brad of the first. Fumbly, deer in the headlights stuff.

Knight - plays as a winger or a half forward. Not big enough to play middle.

JJ- I've defended this bloke but not today. Pathetic.

Leaver- Bye bye, hope that massive salary helps you perform.

Kelly- Great all year, poor as hell today.

Sloane- One of the best first quarters you'll see. Not much else, needs to find a way.

Seedsman- Felt like he was in for a big day, but when we failed inside he was always going to struggle.

Talia- Get his body right during the summer and develop another string to his bow.

Tex- One of the worst days he's had, our structure kills him too.

Mackay- He tried, he failed. Depth only next year please.

Harto- Great performance, can hold his head right up.

Brown- Smashed Rioli, was outpointed by Dusty. Had his hands full with no help.

Eddie. Should have had 2 goals at HT and who knows. After that he wasn't great.

Greenwood- Has to add another string to his bow but can't help but feel he was too sore and shouldn't have played. Started well but the jab wore off IMO.

Rat- See Seedsman. Started well the Rat but faded.

Otten- I'm so sorry we trotted you out there today Andy. Plays the Thommo role next year.

Charlie- He tried too hard at times and for the love of all that's holy you don't need to bounce every 2 steps

Sauce- Lionhearted and very good again. Was let down by flatfooted mids.

Douglas- They put alot of work into him and he didn't pass the test

Lynch- Our barometer was well off today. Got lost on the bigger ground.

Laird- Solid but can't help feel he was stat padding at times.

MCrouch- He holds up a midfield at 22 years of age. Needs others to help him out he will get belted from pillar to post and shorten his career.

Pyke- Needs to be more fluid pregame. It's fine to back in structure but when you face a totally different style, on a different ground, you need to change it up