WB Game Day V Adelaide R12 2020

[Eastdog]

Was a solid professional performance today. Need to build on it now.

[G-Mo77]

For those thinking this wasn't a big win. 57 points is the third highest loss in 12 games this year for the Crows and 4th highest loss in the past 15 games.

I think it's more of what could have been. We took the foot off late in the game and they kicked a few. I'm happy with it, we took care of business like we were supposed to and did it convincingly. Yeah there are still obvious issues and weaknesses and they'll be tested in the last few rounds.

[hujsh]

and none of those players had any impact

What have statistics done in your past to make you hate them so?

[Sedat]

For those thinking this wasn't a big win. 57 points is the third highest loss in 12 games this year for the Crows and 4th highest loss in the past 15 games.

On balance of play, we should have won by 80 points. The clearance, I50, contested ball and uncontested ball numbers indicated an absolute thumping.

Very happy with the method of ball movement and our work around the coal face. Still some work to do in defensive positioning and work rate when we don't have the ball.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

On balance of play, we should have won by 80 points. The clearance, I50, contested ball and uncontested ball numbers indicated an absolute thumping.

Very happy with the method of ball movement and our work around the coal face. Still some work to do in defensive positioning and work rate when we don't have the ball.

Yeah I thought Adelaide were down, even for them, on their recent performances in Adelaide. Their intensity wasn’t there today. 80pt win it should have been. Realistically today showed we’re a 9-14 team. As good as we looked at times today I think most of us know if we were playing a top 8 side it would have been a 5+ goal loss.

[bornadog]

On balance of play, we should have won by 80 points. The clearance, I50, contested ball and uncontested ball numbers indicated an absolute thumping.

Very happy with the method of ball movement and our work around the coal face. Still some work to do in defensive positioning and work rate when we don't have the ball.

It just isn't going to happen in this day and age.

Just be happy we had a solid win with some great performances. 57 points is nothing to sneeze at, especially with 16 minutes less game time.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

yeah i'm going glass half full. Will savour the win and thicken the skin for the games to come.

[bornadog]

yeah i'm going glass half full. Will savour the win and thicken the skin for the games to come.

I can't believe some people are never happy.

[soupman]

Haven't been that relaxed watching us in a while.

Daniel, Naughton and Bont might be three of the most enjoyable to watch players we've had in my time, all so fun and capable of doing so much. Bailey Smith probably joins them as well. All 4 were fantastic and our best 4, although Libba and Hunter were also magnificent.

Forwardline had so much more space. I don't know how much of that was Adelaide (i suspect a lot) and how much was no Bruce but it had movement and looked threatening in the air and on the ground. I thought our entries were a little different to usual, we did less bombs and more direct kicks. Probably to similiar areas but it felt less hopeful and more target driven, and it really put their tall defenders at a disadvantage as a result.

Cavarra barely had a touch, but was dangerous and i was impressed with his tackling in the last quarter. I'd want to see him perform against an AFL quality side but he was encouraging today and we need to persist with someone like him because we really lack a tenacious small forward like him. I'm thinking he will be kind of like Puopolo.

I've been saying this all year but we can't play a forwardline that contains all of Lloyd, Wallis and Dale. I actually think we can only carry one of them but two probably works alright, Lloyd was poor and i think I'm happy to move on from him. He's a nice player but doesn't offer the target ability or finishing of Wallis and Dale I think is a touch more dynamic.

Richards in defence was solid. His kicking was better and he is pretty competitive in the contest so I think we persist with him there for a couple of weeks at least and at least get his form trending upward again. Roarke Smith in defence was fine as well, but i question why we are still desperately trying to find a role for him. Would've preferred Lachie Young or even Butler were given a chance there to show they can develop in the role, as Smith doesn't really add anything and isn't strong enough in the contest or useful enough as a link up option to justify shoehorning him into the side.

Gardner was fine, dealt with most aerial balls pretty well. Still managed to pull of his trademark failed switch kick move, and I'm still thoroughly a non-believer, but I don't think it was a criticism worthy game which is a huge improvement.

English was ok. I really hope we are doing something to help him with his goalkicking. He has been doing that exact set shot every time his entire career. A nicely spinning drop punt which is perfect and dead straight except it's 15 degrees to the right. Every single time (excluding when he is shooting from outside 50 which doesn't count obviously). Still don't like the lack of ruck around the ground though, and Dunkley rucking in defensive 50 against O'Brien is idiotic.

Overall a pleasing win that doesn't really teach us anything other than to be a little optimistic, not many learnings you can take from anything involving that rabble.

[bornadog]

Overall a pleasing win that doesn't really teach us anything other than to be a little optimistic, not many learnings you can take from anything involving that rabble.

Good summary Soupaman, I hope what we get out of it is some confidence going forward.

[jeemak]

Yeah I thought Adelaide were down, even for them, on their recent performances in Adelaide. Their intensity wasn’t there today. 80pt win it should have been. Realistically today showed we’re a 9-14 team. As good as we looked at times today I think most of us know if we were playing a top 8 side it would have been a 5+ goal loss.

Even though we've lost to two of the top couple of sides by a couple and four goals in the last few weeks?

[Bulldog Joe]

Even though we've lost to two of the top couple of sides by a couple and four goals in the last few weeks?

My concern is that this win reinforces some things with the match committee and coaches.

1. Ruck is unimportant
2. Defensive structure allows us to get caught out by good ball movement.
3. We are really easy to score against on turnover.

None of those issues were absent, but Adelaide's uncompetitiveness allowed us to simply brush past our lapses.

We need to be much better to defeat organised teams.

[Eastdog]

Nice summary soupaman

[bornadog]

1. Ruck is unimportant

Did you get a chance to listen to Bevo's press conference.

[Bulldog Joe]

Did you get a chance to listen to Bevo's press conference.

Not as yet, but I will listen.


Edit

Have now listened and confirms that he doesn't really rate the ruck, although he might change if English becomes dominant. For now it is risk mitigation, so lets not worry about ruck because we prefer the extra midfielder.