Always Right Match Committee Round 10 vs GWS Giants

[Sedat]

We don't get our first two goals without JUH. First he gets a bit lucky with the time given to him but manages to get hands out so Bont can get on the end of one. That was a ball he'd usually not dispose of and give away a free kick with.

Second, he's up the ground and controls a contested ball, lowers eyes out of congestion with a modified kick that looks like a hack that actually isn't to find Darcy. An awesome show of skill.

He needs to lift but he commands a lot of planning, time and respect from the opposition coaches box. It definitely helped Naughton and Darcy get off the chain this weekend. It's not really about how many goals are kicked by Marra individually but about how well our forward 6 functions as a group - the 3 talls getting separation and creating mismatches, and the smalls providing the defensive heat to ensure repeat entries and stop the D50 tsunami wave that GWS started the season so strongly with (which has almost disappeared the last month).

Marra could easily get on the scoreboard if GWS spends too much time planning on Naughton and Darcy (as could English drifting forward, notwithstanding his shithouse set shot conversion in recent weeks).

Massive game for our midfield group/English.

[mighty_west]

Jamarra just had two weeks off. I know he should probably be dropped on form, but i wouldn't drop him

I wouldn't drop or rest him either, but if we did.

[Countrydog5]

Once again if Mara kicked straight this weekend we'd be lauding him for his game with 3 goals and a few score involvements. He'll come good and we have to keep playing him. He's understandably frustrated with some of our delivery into the forward line, and I reckon it's pretty fair to be getting ticked off when your advice / requests are repeatedly being ignored for another long bomb into congestion.

We lament it a lot, but if we played like geelong or sydney where quick ball movement and precision kicking left our forward line open for Mara to lead into he'd be having a field day every week. His playing style is not currently suited to our forward line structure, and that's on the coaching group to sort that out and get the best out of all our talls.

The criticism of Mara the last couple weeks has been harsh in my opinion. I agree his body language and effort has appeared poor recently when his form has been down, but we really are not using his strengths well at all. I've been to the last couple of games, and the amount of times he's comfortably beaten his defender on the lead only to be burnt entirely or for a propped kick sit on his head and allow the defender to catch up and spoil has been painful to watch.

[The Underdog]

He needs to lift but he commands a lot of planning, time and respect from the opposition coaches box. It definitely helped Naughton and Darcy get off the chain this weekend. It's not really about how many goals are kicked by Marra individually but about how well our forward 6 functions as a group - the 3 talls getting separation and creating mismatches, and the smalls providing the defensive heat to ensure repeat entries and stop the D50 tsunami wave that GWS started the season so strongly with (which has almost disappeared the last month).

Marra could easily get on the scoreboard if GWS spends too much time planning on Naughton and Darcy (as could English drifting forward, notwithstanding his shithouse set shot conversion in recent weeks).

Massive game for our midfield group/English.

I think realistically if we're committed to these 3 talls, then we just have to play them together as much as possible. The more they play together the better the forward line should function long term. Marra still had opportunities last week, but even if one of the 3 misses out, hopefully the others are getting chances.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

TBH long term I just don't like 3 talls in the forward half of the ground.

While they are all mobile, the reality is that on transition at least one of them is going to struggle. I'd argue all 3 of Naughty/Marra/Darcy are in the top echelon of contested marking, but they can't mark it ALL the time and when they don't, it can be a real problem.

You get away with it playing average teams (see Norf in pre-season last year, Richmond last week) but against the top 6-8 evidence suggests otherwise.

[Go_Dogs]

TBH long term I just don't like 3 talls in the forward half of the ground.

While they are all mobile, the reality is that on transition at least one of them is going to struggle. I'd argue all 3 of Naughty/Marra/Darcy are in the top echelon of contested marking, but they can't mark it ALL the time and when they don't, it can be a real problem.

You get away with it playing average teams (see Norf in pre-season last year, Richmond last week) but against the top 6-8 evidence suggests otherwise.

My counter to this is:

The group is still learning. How many times have we played the three of them (and without Lobb) together? I’m guessing but it must be less than 5 times? They’ll continue to improve.

Naughton has had a slightly down year (but is now improving) based on where we’d like to see him, while Darcy and Marra are very much still developing players who will frustrate with inconsistency still. Again, more growth here.

They’re slightly different players with their strengths and we need to be better at utilising them. Naughton further up the field seems to be working well, Darcy is hard to beat in a contested pack situation and Marra is a good short sharp lead player. They can all find a different pathway to goal.

I’m very much on board with playing the 3 keys and think it becomes a real difference for us compared to a lot of sides. If we get our ball use, structures behind the ball and mix of smaller / medium players right, no reason it isn’t our biggest strength.

[PR0408]

Love it. Arty averages 1.8 tackles a game. No strength to tackle especially at the next lever. McNeil averages two tackles but gives us nothing offensively.
Clarke averages 5.1 tackles a game and 2 goals a game. I get it was a nervous debut but it?s happened to champions. If VDM out for me Clarke comes in.
He could have dropped his bundle and went through the motions but had a good purpose and intent yesterday.
I expect no changes though and that?s great for some stability.

[bornadog]

Love it. Arty averages 1.8 tackles a game. No strength to tackle especially at the next lever. McNeil averages two tackles but gives us nothing offensively.
Clarke averages 5.1 tackles a game and 2 goals a game. I get it was a nervous debut but it?s happened to champions. If VDM out for me Clarke comes in.
He could have dropped his bundle and went through the motions but had a good purpose and intent yesterday.
I expect no changes though and that?s great for some stability.

VDM is not certain to play, so who would you promote.

[Sedat]

TBH long term I just don't like 3 talls in the forward half of the ground.

While they are all mobile, the reality is that on transition at least one of them is going to struggle. I'd argue all 3 of Naughty/Marra/Darcy are in the top echelon of contested marking, but they can't mark it ALL the time and when they don't, it can be a real problem.

You get away with it playing average teams (see Norf in pre-season last year, Richmond last week) but against the top 6-8 evidence suggests otherwise.

I'd share your concerns if there were 1-2 lumbering key forwards in that lot, but Naughton and JUH are agile and very good when it hits the deck (Naughton also elite at the pressure stuff). As a comparison, is it that different to Cameron, Hawkins and Henry? Our 3 are all extremely dangerous aerially, especially when we get it in there quickly and deep. I also love Bont spending more time forward where he is a huge problem for opposition defenders to match up on - one of the benefits of Richards spending more time in the middle and being trusted to do so.

Where we aren't at the level of the better teams is with our small pressure forwards and high half forwards. Clarke and Jones making it will address this, but both are nowhere near the finished article. VDM is what he is - he does a power of unrewarded running, and to be fair to him he has contributed much more/stuffed up less in recent weeks - but he is no Myers or Close.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

My counter to this is:

The group is still learning. How many times have we played the three of them (and without Lobb) together? I?m guessing but it must be less than 5 times? They?ll continue to improve.

Naughton has had a slightly down year (but is now improving) based on where we?d like to see him, while Darcy and Marra are very much still developing players who will frustrate with inconsistency still. Again, more growth here.

They?re slightly different players with their strengths and we need to be better at utilising them. Naughton further up the field seems to be working well, Darcy is hard to beat in a contested pack situation and Marra is a good short sharp lead player. They can all find a different pathway to goal.

I?m very much on board with playing the 3 keys and think it becomes a real difference for us compared to a lot of sides. If we get our ball use, structures behind the ball and mix of smaller / medium players right, no reason it isn?t our biggest strength.

I understand the sentiment and in theory it sounds great - target the one who has a mismatch - but with the way teams set up it's kinda rare you get 1-v1 or even 2-v-2. In simple terms, the ball is going to hit the deck more than they mark it.

Additionally, I think having 2 key targets is enough. It can be tricky getting enough service to 2 at times, but 3? I'd argue that's almost impossible. That means at least 1 has to play a decoy role, and given the money all 3 will be commanding / the type of ball each would want coming to them, I just don't think it works.

If Darcy is as good as I think he'll be, I want it kicked to him a hell of a lot, not 'shared' amongst 2 others because everyone needs a lick of the icecream...

I'd share your concerns if there were 1-2 lumbering key forwards in that lot, but Naughton and JUH are agile and very good when it hits the deck (Naughton also elite at the pressure stuff). As a comparison, is it that different to Cameron, Hawkins and Henry? Our 3 are all extremely dangerous aerially, especially when we get it in there quickly and deep. I also love Bont spending more time forward where he is a huge problem for opposition defenders to match up on - one of the benefits of Richards spending more time in the middle and being trusted to do so.

Where we aren't at the level of the better teams is with our small pressure forwards and high half forwards. Clarke and Jones making it will address this, but both are nowhere near the finished article. VDM is what he is - he does a power of unrewarded running, and to be fir to him he has contributed much more/stuffed up less in recent weeks - but he is no Myers or Close.

Naughton is a gun on the ground, I don't think Marra is near it. Solid efforts at times but he's often very reactive and getting rebounded on.

For Geelong, Henry is a good third option and has some decent wheels so I'm not sure if I'd group him in as a key forward. I get our trio are agile for their size, but besides Naughton, the other 2 are never going to be as agile as some third tall rebounding defenders (IE. think Redman from Essendon).

I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but I think when you're a quality key forward you want PLENTY of opportunity and responsibility, and having 3 genuine key targets goes against that.

[meenies]

Out VDM (only if doesn’t come up)
in Arty for Sir Doug Nichols round or Clarke
sub keep Cleary

[ledge]

Cleary deserves a start if room, he was extremely good when he came on.
Freijah had a good debut looked composed, the only issue I have is GWS are bigger bodied and he hasn’t got that yet.

[angelopetraglia]

Cleary deserves a start if room, he was extremely good when he came on.
Freijah had a good debut looked composed, the only issue I have is GWS are bigger bodied and he hasn’t got that yet.

He looks a decent size for a first year player. Not a skinny kid.

[bornadog]

Out VDM (only if doesn’t come up)
in Arty for Sir Doug Nichols round or Clarke
sub keep Cleary

Sanders also Indigenous

[angelopetraglia]