Calm down - we lost by 4x goals.

[mjp]

What has happened on here in the past 24-hours?

Players and teams can't be 'in form' forever. We had a pretty good crack last night and - as I think everyone would acknowledge - our frustrating inability to 'finish our work' cost us...Geelong on the other hand had a lot (including a couple of critical umpiring decisions) go there way.

Now we're all calling for the head of Aaron Naughton (who actually seemed to be busting his arse in terms of effort, intensity, commitment etc), apparently a young player (McNeil) is now on the never to play again list because he missed a goal...Jones was poor to be sure - and he probably DOES need a rest.

The team has been 'UP' for a long time and last night was not a St Kilda type capitulation...we tried hard, we fell short...it's not grand final week. Geelong were EXTREMELY motivated having lost to the Giants last week and played incredibly focussed footy after the break...and their BEST PLAYERS (Cameron, Hawkins and Stewart) beat us. Our BEST players - Bont, Naughton, English - well, English played a ripping game. The other two? Not so much...but they still led well and delivered effort. They seemed DESPERATE to keep trying and Naughton was still competing in the air (and took a fantastic contested mark on the wing late that wasn't paid) right to the end...

It's frustrating when we don't win every week (I feel it as well) but as long as I see EFFORT I'm not going to throw darts at the players. A skill error is a skill error...you can't do much about that! Geelong kicked some goals early because of our errors...no point losing sleep over it. And no point blaming the coach for it either...if the decision made looks right (and it did last night) then what do you want Bevo to do? Kick it for them?

I honestly don't know what everyone expects right now. They busted their butts and it wasn't good enough. Their heads were in the game 100% - but skill execution wasn't QUITE there. Team cohesion wasn't QUITE there. We lost by 4-goals and were in a position to win at 3/4 time...isn't that what you want EVERY week? For the plays to bring effort and energy? Didn't they do that?

[bulldogtragic]

I’m debating where Naughton plays and if he’s worth the money to keep him, in line with a rumour. And McNeil has three years of sub par footy. Just to be clear of what I’ve been posting.

We should’ve won. We didn’t, again. These two losses could and probably will cost us dearly. The opportunity lost is gone. It’s the season ramifications that are bigger than the loss itself. I’m not as forgiving. We should’ve won the last two weeks and cemented ourselves in the top four. We didn’t and watch other results for half a season now.

[GVGjr]

I don't think it's as dire as you are indicating MJP. It's always going to be some vigor in people sharing their views after a winnable loss and especially after two winnable losses.

Like last week I'm not devastated but a bit disappointed that we couldn't control our destiny but I'm really looking forward to the clash with Port Power. Onwards and upwards from my perspective.

[westbulldog]

The skill errors in terms of goalkicking have cost us dearly this year and in previous years. The coaching group appear to have done nothing to fix that. We also seem to apply a revolving door policy to players who will not make the grade.

[GVGjr]

The skill errors in terms of goalkicking have cost us dearly this year and in previous years. The coaching group appear to have done nothing to fix that. We also seem to apply a revolving door policy to players who will not make the grade.

It's losing the same way with goal kicking conversions and skill errors that sap peoples confidence.
The club needs to do something about it and potentially getting some experts in could be a good thing.
I was talking to someone last night and he said before during and after the game that we need someone like Tory Dickson to work with a few players. I'm not sure of Tory's ability to coach and teach but there must be some who could do it and add some value.

[Topdog]

We outplayed Geelong for 3 quarters and in the 2nd half kicked 2.8 vs 7.2. It should be fairly obvious why we lost. No need to throw the toys out.

[mjp]

We should’ve won. We didn’t, again. These two losses could and probably will cost us dearly. The opportunity lost is gone.

But WHY should we have won?

I've had a couple of people say this to me...you don't get to 'win' just because you try hard. Geelong were better and cleaner when it mattered and got the result they deserved. WE think we *shoulda* won because we are seeing things through r-w-b lenses...all I know is that I thought we played with great effort and whilst the skill errors were frustrating, ultimately that's what they were...skill errors.

The idea that it will cost us? Well - it COULD cost us. We don't know what the rest of the season holds but I can tell you right now I am 100% happier with the past two weeks than I was with the first two weeks when we played dis-spirited footy and simply didn't seem to care...we played with effort and passion but - well, you don't get to be in your best form all the time. Some of our team play last night - to attack and defend - was absolutely breath-taking and if you didn't see that then I'm not sure what you were watching.

I feel sometimes we all want to look at each game as if it is some kind of referendum on where the team/each player is at...it doesn't work that way. We play a SEASON of footy and it all works it's way out in the end.

Do I understand the frustration? Of course. Do I think it's a good idea to switch the ball back to Gardner inside D50 when that's clearly what the oppo want us to do? No - I don't. But that's just something to work on now isn't it?

I said before the Carlton game that we had won essentially 8 in a row (the loss to PA was in there) and that we were up against it...since then, we have been to Ballarat and Darwin. Is anyone surprised it's been hard to play at anything more than 95% capacity right now? Does anyone think that 95% is going to be good enough if the oppo is INTERESTED (which GC and Geelong clearly were).

[The bulldog tragician]

What has happened on here in the past 24-hours?

Players and teams can't be 'in form' forever. We had a pretty good crack last night and - as I think everyone would acknowledge - our frustrating inability to 'finish our work' cost us...Geelong on the other hand had a lot (including a couple of critical umpiring decisions) go there way.

Now we're all calling for the head of Aaron Naughton (who actually seemed to be busting his arse in terms of effort, intensity, commitment etc), apparently a young player (McNeil) is now on the never to play again list because he missed a goal...Jones was poor to be sure - and he probably DOES need a rest.

The team has been 'UP' for a long time and last night was not a St Kilda type capitulation...we tried hard, we fell short...it's not grand final week. Geelong were EXTREMELY motivated having lost to the Giants last week and played incredibly focussed footy after the break...and their BEST PLAYERS (Cameron, Hawkins and Stewart) beat us. Our BEST players - Bont, Naughton, English - well, English played a ripping game. The other two? Not so much...but they still led well and delivered effort. They seemed DESPERATE to keep trying and Naughton was still competing in the air (and took a fantastic contested mark on the wing late that wasn't paid) right to the end...

It's frustrating when we don't win every week (I feel it as well) but as long as I see EFFORT I'm not going to throw darts at the players. A skill error is a skill error...you can't do much about that! Geelong kicked some goals early because of our errors...no point losing sleep over it. And no point blaming the coach for it either...if the decision made looks right (and it did last night) then what do you want Bevo to do? Kick it for them?

I honestly don't know what everyone expects right now. They busted their butts and it wasn't good enough. Their heads were in the game 100% - but skill execution wasn't QUITE there. Team cohesion wasn't QUITE there. We lost by 4-goals and were in a position to win at 3/4 time...isn't that what you want EVERY week? For the plays to bring effort and energy? Didn't they do that?

Great post. I think our emotional reactions and disappointment were related to the fact that we are so sick of losing to Geelong. They have had our measure for such a long time. And I think that the fact the effort was indeed there…but still wasn’t enough…can make it feel worse! It is a very frustrating way to lose.

[Topdog]

It's losing the same way with goal kicking conversions and skill errors that sap peoples confidence.
The club needs to do something about it and potentially getting some experts in could be a good thing.
I was talking to someone last night and he said before during and after the game that we need someone like Tory Dickson to work with a few players. I'm not sure of Tory's ability to coach and teach but there must be some who could do it and add some value.

It is soul destroying for sure but I worry that people lay the blame at the wrong people often or at the very least target the same players all the time. It is across the entire playing group and not just 1 or 2.

This is fairly poor reading.
https://finalsiren.com/Fixture.asp?S...%20Desc#player

[angelopetraglia]

I kind of agree with the sentiment.

The frustration comes from that this a very typical way to lose in the Bevo era. This isn't new. We have seen this movie before. Many times. Yet it keeps on happening and undermining our ability to grab a top four spot. Why does it keep on happening? Why have we not fixed it?

(Also. This was a Geelong team without Danger, Duncan, Guthrie, Holmes and Stanley. There were missing their starting four in the centre bounce.)

[angelopetraglia]

Is Bevo a master coach getting the most out of a group of not so talented players? i.e. the game plan and preparation is so good that we build a dominant position in game play but can't finish it off due to a lack of talent?

Or does Bevo just have a game plan that is too hard to execute? Does it rely on too much skill? Is it inevitable that via his game plan and coaching strategy that we will not be able to execute the final killer blow of the plan?

[Jeanette54]

I guess the reason there is so much angst, is that we keep loosing for the same reasons, with no change in sight. Forward half turnovers and failure to convert scoring opportunities continue to be our Achilles heel. And yet either our players can't (or won't) learn, or the coaching staff are incapable of changing things.

We are also choosing to play TWO men short. Its one thing to invest games in young players, but put brutally, Arty and JOOD are not worth their place in the side based on current performances.

[bulldogtragic]

But WHY should we have won?

I've had a couple of people say this to me...you don't get to 'win' just because you try hard. Geelong were better and cleaner when it mattered and got the result they deserved. WE think we *shoulda* won because we are seeing things through r-w-b lenses...all I know is that I thought we played with great effort and whilst the skill errors were frustrating, ultimately that's what they were...skill errors.

The idea that it will cost us? Well - it COULD cost us. We don't know what the rest of the season holds but I can tell you right now I am 100% happier with the past two weeks than I was with the first two weeks when we played dis-spirited footy and simply didn't seem to care...we played with effort and passion but - well, you don't get to be in your best form all the time. Some of our team play last night - to attack and defend - was absolutely breath-taking and if you didn't see that then I'm not sure what you were watching.

I feel sometimes we all want to look at each game as if it is some kind of referendum on where the team/each player is at...it doesn't work that way. We play a SEASON of footy and it all works it's way out in the end.

Do I understand the frustration? Of course. Do I think it's a good idea to switch the ball back to Gardner inside D50 when that's clearly what the oppo want us to do? No - I don't. But that's just something to work on now isn't it?

I said before the Carlton game that we had won essentially 8 in a row (the loss to PA was in there) and that we were up against it...since then, we have been to Ballarat and Darwin. Is anyone surprised it's been hard to play at anything more than 95% capacity right now? Does anyone think that 95% is going to be good enough if the oppo is INTERESTED (which GC and Geelong clearly were).

I appreciate your perspective Mike. But if we keep dominating I50 and shots on goal and losing to teams below us on the ladder because primarily our skills are poor in finishing, then it will continue to hurt us. It’s losing the same way that’s frustrating. It’s losing a rolled gold opportunity that’s frustrating. As I’ve said several times, the game and the loss in and of itself isn’t what has got under my skin. It’s the lost opportunity because of a basic skill we’ve not addressed and it keeps coming back to hurt us.

But if you want balance, yes there was good things. English was fantastic. Daniel was excellent. We did a lot of ok to good things. But we shoulda won not just ‘because’, we should a won by converting easy shots on goal for the last two weeks (9 more shots across both games, for 7 less goals across both games) and be sitting pretty in the top 4 playing Port, taking a well earned rest and running home hot. That was our opportunity to take and we fluffed our lines. It’s not all bad, sure. But I’m not satisfied either. The game was just the game, what it means for the season is way bigger. Watching highly skilled guys butcher goal shots and our chance to win never stops tiring me. I get you can’t win all the time, but we should have won the last two weeks straight up.

[kruder]

It's the predictability of the loss is the frustrating part and the way we give up easy goals on the turnover that hurts more than the goal kicking for mine.You don't give up 97 points and win many AFL games these days. Prior to the Gold Coast game I was saying we need to win this one as you can lock in a loss to the cats.

In the last round of the season we play at GMHBA, it could very well be Hawkins last game at the venue and all woofers know what the result is going to be. It could cost us top 4 maybe a place in the finals? When it comes to the cats effort isn't good enough for mine and I reckon it was laziness and lack of application that lost us the game last night. Oh and one bloody big mental block!

In saying that we can get our season back on track by beating the power and we have the ability to do it.

[GVGjr]

But WHY should we have won?

Because our best was/is very good and against quality opposition like Geelong are you need to be precise in those decisive moments and we failed to capitlise on our hard earned chances.
I think that and some questionable match committee selections are a constant source of frustration amongst the fans.
People can see that we aren't quite performing to our ability and it's costing us in close games.

We play some very good football and it's close to working and we just need improve in a couple of areas.