JLT Practise Match 2 v Collingwood

[SonofScray]

Saw enough early that I am confident we'll contend in 2018. Putting most of the fade out to use of the bench, Roughead hobbled, holding firm on a handful of changes that didn't work.

Didn't like the lack of aerial competitiveness across CHF & and the back line deep. That broke down horribly after the 1qtr.

[The Underdog]

If Schache is ahead of Boyd right now..how bad must Tom be going? Schache is flat out not AFL ready right now so to be getting time ahead of Boyd is quite concerning.

It’s a massive concern. Boyd’s lack of progress and ability to nail down a spot which is his to take is a problem.

[Greystache]

That was excruciating to watch, much like most of last year. You could be forgiven for thinking last season only finished 2 weeks ago and we've rolled straight into the next year. Horrible horrible skills, particularly kicking, blindly bombing the ball in to the forward 50m exclusively to the opposition's advantage, and getting out marked routinely in defence.

I have no idea what we've tried to work on over the preseason, what our plan is, or if we're even mildly concerned about some of the glaring weaknesses we have, but it looks like we're in for more of the same as last year.

[bulldogtragic]

That was excruciating to watch, much like most of last year. You could be forgiven for thinking last season only finished 2 weeks ago and we've rolled straight into the next year. Horrible horrible skills, particularly kicking, blindly bombing the ball in to the forward 50m exclusively to the opposition's advantage, and getting out marked routinely in defence.

I have no idea what we've tried to work on over the preseason, what our plan is, or if we're even mildly concerned about some of the glaring weaknesses we have, but it looks like we're in for more of the same as last year.

I missed watching it today. The good, it sounds like a root canal without anaesthetic so I'm happy to miss it. The bad, it sounds like it could be like that for another 22 games. Bizarre to think last year was us playing the 'right way', ergo, try it again this year.

[divvydan]

Wouldn't be surprised if Schache only came on today because of Roughy going off injured. Seems like we were only planning on playing 22 this week and sticking with the interchange cap or at least close to it.

[Twodogs]

How can an AFL player kick the ball 2m over the head of a guy 15m away?

The foot skills of AFL players, in general, are bloody ordinary.

I have no idea how an AFL footballer could be that bad by foot. We used to be able to hide the bad kicks but the game is too fast to be limited to disposing of the ball by hand. Players have to kick the ball these days and kick it well.

I wonder if the property steward is still the skills coach as well?

Love how we still somehow think Dahlhaus is 6ft 4...and a viable overhead target inside 50..

It's a Brad Johnson thing maybe? We used to be able to do it with Johnno so obviously we can do it with Dal too.

Saw enough early that I am confident we'll contend in 2018. Putting most of the fade out to use of the bench, Roughead hobbled, holding firm on a handful of changes that didn't work.

Didn't like the lack of aerial competitiveness across CHF & and the back line deep. That broke down horribly after the 1qtr.

We only started with four on the bench according to the radio.

That was excruciating to watch, much like most of last year. You could be forgiven for thinking last season only finished 2 weeks ago and we've rolled straight into the next year. Horrible horrible skills, particularly kicking, blindly bombing the ball in to the forward 50m exclusively to the opposition's advantage, and getting out marked routinely in defence.

I have no idea what we've tried to work on over the preseason, what our plan is, or if we're even mildly concerned about some of the glaring weaknesses we have, but it looks like we're in for more of the same as last year.

Maybe that's why we can't get into training anymore these days.

[Remi Moses]

Please wait until the actual season for the hand wringing and wrist slashing

[always right]

Talk about an over reliance on Bont and JJ as matchwinners.....and Caleb and MaCrae as playmakers. Talk it down as much as you like our evenness is also our weakness. We look like a bottom six team.

[AndrewP6]

I wonder if the property steward is still the skills coach as well?

Jayden Shea works with the women's team, he is not the skills coach for the AFL side.

[Twodogs]

Jayden Shea works with the women's team, he is not the skills coach for the AFL side.

Cheers Andrew. My bad.

With the improvement the AFLW team has shown he's been a good appointment! Maybe the AFL team should make a left appointment to teach their players to kick as well...

[S Coast Simon]

I think you will find after the great first quarter they took there foot off the gas a bit. Not a good thing but still a practice match. Good to get that out of the way. Won’t be doing that again in a hurry. Bring on the plastics round one.

[GVGjr]

Not what I was expecting or wanting to see today but there was once again some positive signs.
Naughton was impressive again, Dahlhaus was back into some form, Dunkley wasn't as good as last week but founds to contribute.
Trengove and Liberatore were good contributors again.

There are some reason why we didn't finish the game strongly mainly the number of rotations Collingwood enjoyed but despite the early start to training for this season we still have some work to do before round 1.

[SquirrelGrip]

Finally got home from our day trip to Moe. Extraordinary oversupply of mullets, tattoos in irregular places (it was hot, so they were more exposed than usual), plus some amazing skills with the numbers of cans held by individuals from the bar to their spots leaning on the fence. The Slurpee and Slushie van man could retire to the Bahamas after his takings today.

Did I say it was HOT!

Admittedly a lot of things would be clearer on TV than from where I was wandering around the ground, but here is some of what I noticed:

- Darcy Moore’s hair is orange in the daylight
- I think they had something like 27 intercept marks in their defence. Our entry into the forward 50 remains as poor as recent years. It’s just different deck chairs with different players. Don’t blame Dahlhaus that they kick to him. He’s at least leading into the right direction. But is the problem the targets or those delivering?
- the forward line seems unstructured. Maybe the mayhem creates more challenges for the opposition but none of our team know where to kick it or who to kick it to. Tom Boyd and Schache in the same forward line would at least make other defenders accountable and stop their tall guys taking the easy intercepts.
- why recruit all these tall blokes then not play one on Mason Wood whose only asset is, er, being tall.
- it was very hot
- I suspect our rotations were down on Collingwood’s. We slowed down across the field as the game went on.
- there was a reasonable breeze going into one of the forward pockets but we just didn’t adjust our kicking and attacked down that side of the ground.
- The Bont can do whatever he likes. Will have an incredible year.
- Libba is hitting other bodies harder than last year. Ferocious attack on the ball.
- Jack Macrae is up and about. His hand balling is sublime in close.
- Missed Caleb today.
- Naughty is the best first year player I’ve seen since the Bont. Will become the league’s leading defender very soon.
- Suckling caught on his right foot is not pretty to watch.
- with all the juggling of defenders to the forward line, still surprised we don’t try our premiership centre half forward up there, as he has shown he can do the job better than most.
- our midfield doesn’t run as deep as we’d like. When Bont, Macrae, Libba not there, then praying is our only hope.
- Schack will be Ok once he figures out his role, which should be up the ground. Has elements of Riewoldt with his run.

[Twodogs]

Don’t blame Dahlhaus that they kick to him. He’s at least leading into the right direction

Yeah, they kick it to him because he leads at the ball carrier.

[bornadog]

- our midfield doesn’t run as deep as we’d like. When Bont, Macrae, Libba not there, then praying is our only hope.

Thanks for an enjoyable read.

I thought Mclean did well in the midfield racking up lots of possessions. Jong needs to find more of the ball.

Every year people get heated up about the practise matches, it will be different come round one.