Brisbane were ready for us.

[mjp]

Just a quick point on game-style.

Our rapid fire handball - particularly out of contested situations and PARTICULARLY from inside the contest killed us today.

We do this thing where the ball is on the ground, we are 'over it' and we 'throw it outside the contest' where the runners are. Today the 'runners' wore maroon and blue.

Watching on TV, I just found myself shouting over and again 'just hold it in' as we were tackled and indiscriminantly handballed it to the outside...one by Liber in q2 and another by Hunter in q4 will live long in my memory...we aren't going to be called for holding the ball, so just hang on to the thing and force a stoppage/restart.

But. That's how we play. And the Lions saw us coming. And they surrounded the contest. And they HURT us on the breakaway.

It is a big strength of ours (handball) but when there are numbers around the ball, it really is a roll of the dice and today it came up snake eyes too many times. Oh yeah, and whilst I'm at it if Maclean isn't going to knock Berry out of bounds in the last quarter of a close game and is going to forget the percentage play and instead try to lay a tackle but miss the tackle, well, I don't think he can play for a couple of weeks. Sorry, but some things are non-negotiable and that was a BIG moment.

[Bulldog Joe]

Mike, as usual you are spot on.

We had a great opportunity and we showed we can compete, but we gift it to our opposition WAAY too often.

[bornadog]

When Brisbane had the ball, they controlled the pace and tempo, and we really didn't like it. We need a plan for when this happens, so we can get the ball back.

[Twodogs]

When Brisbane had the ball, they controlled the pace and tempo, and we really didn't like it. We need a plan for when this happens, so we can get the ball back.

Just a thought but maybe not kicking it to them every time we got the ball might help?

[Cyberdoggie]

Just a thought but maybe not kicking it to them every time we got the ball might help?

Hunter says hello. He butchered the ball today worse than I've ever seen him do. So many times they just banged it on the boot when they had time, and when they actually had time they missed easy lay up passes that just had to be in the general vicinity.

[Ghost Dog]

Hunter provides options and gut running, that's true. But I get so frustrated because he often gets the ball, then tries some party-trick only to undo the chain. He looks a million bucks until the kick that matters most. I feel a bit disappointed, and hope I am not being too hard, but today was particularly bad!

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Hunter provides options and gut running, that's true. But I get so frustrated because he often gets the ball, then tries some party-trick only to undo the chain. He looks a million bucks until the kick that matters most. I feel a bit disappointed, and hope I am not being too hard, but today was particularly bad!

You are not being too harsh on Hunter but it equally applies to a number of others as well. Against the Lions, Hunter Macrae and Dunkley would have accumulated over 100 disposals between them with little result on the scoreboard. Their ability to win the ball isn’t matched by disposing of the ball correctly. As a result we are becoming hard to watch as a team. There is a trend that has emerged that is proving unhealthy. I personally think that the team is in need of a shake up. Others on Woof that players are gaining regular selection without earning it, which is becoming a concern. Losing games to the likes of GCS, Carlton and St Kilda simply highlights our lack of professionalism. Bontempelli is an exception. We need more to follow his lead.

[Axe Man]

You are not being too harsh on Hunter but it equally applies to a number of others as well. Against the Lions, Hunter Macrae and Dunkley would have accumulated over 100 disposals between them with little result on the scoreboard. Their ability to win the ball isn’t matched by disposing of the ball correctly. As a result we are becoming hard to watch as a team. There is a trend that has emerged that is proving unhealthy. I personally think that the team is in need of a shake up. Others on Woof that players are gaining regular selection without earning it, which is becoming a concern. Losing games to the likes of GCS, Carlton and St Kilda simply highlights our lack of professionalism. Bontempelli is an exception. We need more to follow his lead.

Macrae had 9 score involvements, Dunkley 10 (Bont 12). They don’t have to kick goals themselves to have scoreboard impact.

[mjp]

Macrae had 9 score involvements, Dunkley 10 (Bont 12). They don’t have to kick goals themselves to have scoreboard impact.

Yes...but Bont's miss from inside the goal-square counts as a score involvement. As does Hunter running inside 50m in q2, not taking the shot and somehow also missing both Lloyd and Smith (both open ahead of him) and the ball rolling through for a point.

I know what you are saying, but Macrae and Bont had 30% of our inside 50's...and I think we all feel delivery inside 50 was a significant problem for us...so - be careful of lies and damned statistics as they only tell half the story.

[Axe Man]

Yes...but Bont's miss from inside the goal-square counts as a score involvement. As does Hunter running inside 50m in q2, not taking the shot and somehow also missing both Lloyd and Smith (both open ahead of him) and the ball rolling through for a point.

I know what you are saying, but Macrae and Bont had 30% of our inside 50's...and I think we all feel delivery inside 50 was a significant problem for us...so - be careful of lies and damned statistics as they only tell half the story.

It was a response to the assertion that Macrae, Dunkley and Hunter get lots of possessions but apparently all have terrible disposal and don't impact the scoreboard at all. I think that is completely incorrect, especially in regards to Macrae and Dunkley.

Of course our delivery inside 50 remains an issue, but I actually felt our decision making was a bigger problem than skill execution against Brisbane. Your Hunter example a case in point.

[Bullies]

Yes...but Bont's miss from inside the goal-square counts as a score involvement. As does Hunter running inside 50m in q2, not taking the shot and somehow also missing both Lloyd and Smith (both open ahead of him) and the ball rolling through for a point.

I know what you are saying, but Macrae and Bont had 30% of our inside 50's...and I think we all feel delivery inside 50 was a significant problem for us...so - be careful of lies and damned statistics as they only tell half the story.

Too true. Stats can be over rated and read what you want into them. Perfect example was the other week. Freo had more inside 50's than West Coast and lost by 90+ points.

[Danjul]

Macrae had 9 score involvements, Dunkley 10 . They don’t have to kick goals themselves to have scoreboard impact.

Great players - but many of their score involvements should be goals they have kicked.

A midfielder getting 40 possessions should have a few goals.

If Dunkley gets a set kick 40 metres from goal he is likely to look for a pass.

There must be someone at the club who can turn them into goal kickers.

It would take a lot of pressure off the team.

[Axe Man]

Great players - but many of their score involvements should be goals they have kicked.

A midfielder getting 40 possessions should have a few goals.

If Dunkley gets a set kick 40 metres from goal he is likely to look for a pass.

There must be someone at the club who can turn them into goal kickers.

It would take a lot of pressure off the team.

Why? Does it matter who kicks goals, as long as they are kicked?

Some absolute champion midfielders have not been goal kickers. Macrae in particular is not going to magically become one. We all wish he would pull the trigger more when in position to have a shot, but it doesn't make or break him as a player.

If he's getting the ball +30 times and setting up other for goals that's just fine with me. Where his inside 50s are going may be a different discussion.

[jeemak]

Just a quick point on game-style.

Our rapid fire handball - particularly out of contested situations and PARTICULARLY from inside the contest killed us today.

We do this thing where the ball is on the ground, we are 'over it' and we 'throw it outside the contest' where the runners are. Today the 'runners' wore maroon and blue.

Watching on TV, I just found myself shouting over and again 'just hold it in' as we were tackled and indiscriminantly handballed it to the outside...one by Liber in q2 and another by Hunter in q4 will live long in my memory...we aren't going to be called for holding the ball, so just hang on to the thing and force a stoppage/restart.

But. That's how we play. And the Lions saw us coming. And they surrounded the contest. And they HURT us on the breakaway.

It is a big strength of ours (handball) but when there are numbers around the ball, it really is a roll of the dice and today it came up snake eyes too many times. Oh yeah, and whilst I'm at it if Maclean isn't going to knock Berry out of bounds in the last quarter of a close game and is going to forget the percentage play and instead try to lay a tackle but miss the tackle, well, I don't think he can play for a couple of weeks. Sorry, but some things are non-negotiable and that was a BIG moment.

Great post, thanks for the insight.

It was clear that not only at the first contest after a stoppage but those subsequent Brisbane were able to put enough pressure on the ball but keep a balance on the outlet to ensure they had cover as you mentioned. A couple of contests Dickson was involved in showed this up.

With a bit more care using the football we could have adjusted a little better earlier, which we eventually did anyway, as we had the opportunity to pressure them on the scoreboard and reset but it wasn't to be. As a result it was a genuine weekend wrecker of a game because we fluffed our lines so clinically early that Brisbane was able to get a good lead and give the likes of Charlie Cameron an opportunity to kick straight due to point blank opportunities.

I'd actually forgotten that Toby was on the ground until that contest you mentioned, that and Macrae's overrun to be faked out for a Brisbane goal early stood out for me as key defencive moments where players just needed to be a bit smarter. Well not just a bit smarter, but more in tune with what is important which is neutralise a situation and hold up the game because we were done for speed.

While you were shouting at the TV for your own reasons, I think I was shouting at the stupidity of our decision making and execution forward of half back pretty much all game. You're right the Lions did us next ball out, but we won enough footy to hurt them back and we failed to do it at critical times. Plus while everyone was slipping over all game, we seemed to do that more and it really pissed me off.

[AshMac]

Agree - they had a better structure than us all game. Every time the camera panned out there seemed to be more of them than us.

I thought the core difference was how innefective we were with turnovers. There were 3 instances in the first, and a couple in the second where we had numbers running with the ball but either second guessed ourselves or just missed a target in space.

You could see the momentum switch each time they transitioned and scored easily.


Side point - I have absolutely no issue with the bump from Robinson on Dunkley, but for god sake I’d like a couple of the boys to remonstrate and bloody well do the same thing to their top mids!! We don’t match up well when teams bring aggression.