3 things learned from Rd 1 vs Melbourne 2024

[muzzyahoy]

1. Sick of watching the entire team flood forward offensively, with a keenness to be involved in scoring (limelight), but then not as eager to push back defensively. Makes us look like an U16 team!
2. McNeil & VDM need to stay in the 2's until further notice. McNeil's taking off before he had the footy in the 4th was indicative to the fact he just isn't a Senior footballer, and VDM is NEVER in the right place at the right time.
3. Defensive confidence is a huge driver of offensive effectiveness. This is the main reason why Naughton should go back. Darcy could then play out of the square and Marra could then play Hi Forward with Weightman playing his true role of leading to the spaces. Still don't understand the stubbornness of playing a CHB at CHB.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Good point you make on the Saints - You can see the Saints are all in on what they want to achieve. Might not have the talent/list we have but they work together as a team and have the buy in. We just don't have the same unity and the players are not willing to get hurt for each other. Treloar just look likes he doesn't want to be there - Does what he has to but nothing more. 2016 there was manic pressure in our forward line and caused turnovers. Now guys are happy to stand in a zone and let the ball out.

The zone standing is hilarious. You can see exactly where the opposition will move the ball to next. Right over our guys head. The guy standing in no man's land. We guard space in the hope we've got good coverage inside defensive 50 but we've already lost half the battle at that point because we've allowed the most easy inside 50 a side can wish for. Who the hell came up with this shit and why do we persist with it when it clearly is a trash strategy?

[1eyedog]

Not true

It's not. I feel better today.

[macca]

1. Its only round 1, but how long do we persist with fringe players like VDM, McNeil and Buku? I cannot believe Daniels was the sub. Something is not right there.

2. Defensive effort was poor. Lack of 2 way running and Melb players just had sooo much space on the rebound. Is it a gameplan problem ? Is it just poor effort? Or we just genuinely slow.

3. I hate to say this, but I am worried about fundamentals of our game plan. 1. lack of effort 2. goal kicking 3. tackling in fwd line 4. Players playing out of position. Williams should be on the HB and told to become the best that he can, as an example.
Do we have too many players who are ordinary footballers, that we try to play them out of position ?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

1. Its only round 1, but how long do we persist with fringe players like VDM, McNeil and Buku? I cannot believe Daniels was the sub. Something is not right there.

2. Defensive effort was poor. Lack of 2 way running and Melb players just had sooo much space on the rebound. Is it a gameplan problem ? Is it just poor effort? Or we just genuinely slow.

3. I hate to say this, but I am worried about fundamentals of our game plan. 1. lack of effort 2. goal kicking 3. tackling in fwd line 4. Players playing out of position. Williams should be on the HB and told to become the best that he can, as an example.
Do we have too many players who are ordinary footballers, that we try to play them out of position ?

Your point 3 is interesting. You're right that all these problems we're discussing are fundamentals. How can we be so poor in fundamentals??