Where to from here?

[GVGjr]

Re: Where to from here?

I actually think Ray may be worth a shot at this kind of job. He's developed a reasonably strong body and has good fitness and pace. I agree that we should have given someone the task of trying to curb Judd but winning the football would have been a pretty good start.
Todays game highlighted some deficiencies that became apparent last week. We are very much out of form also, perhaps including the coaches box.

I nearly wrote the same thing about Ray but I'm just not sure that he would be as effective in the centre square.

[The Underdog]

Re: Where to from here?

I nearly wrote the same thing about Ray but I'm just not sure that he would be as effective in the centre square.

Maybe running off the square and picking a player up from there then following him.

[whythelongface]

Re: Where to from here?

Every season has a flat spot...ours has been going for a month or so now and to be perfectly honest Carlton are a bad match-up for us.

There might be another couple of losses ahead of us between now and the end of August.

I had previously thought that, but I am convinced that it is more than that. How can we lead a team, and an average one at best, by 37 points midway through the 3rd and yet still lose by over 20 points. That says more than a form slump. There is seriously something amiss with their mental state of mind.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Where to from here?

Against Geelong were were in the game until the last quarter. Similar story today, except we fadded after half time. What was missing? Midfield intensity, pace, pressure, accountability and hardness.

Still today the team persisted in participating in a shoot out, when what they could have done was revert to the mark, pause, slow and find an option style that they player earlier this year.

The guys look flat, and slow...missing tackles and getting outrunned isnt the Dogs of 08...

Possible Rocket needs to try something a little left field for the midfield, which is our major problem. Not sure who the team could try in the middle to add some pace/intensity/pressure to the team.

[Rocket Science]

Re: Where to from here?

Rocket had Cooney running with Judd at one stage...not sure whether that was (a) a genuine attempt to account for Judd...(b) an attempt to break a tag on Cooney...or (c) an attempt to help Cooney find more of the pill.

Few teams boast a stopper with the pace to go with Judd on the burst, but would have thought Boyd could make a good fist of curbing Judd in traffic, preventing him getting some of those touches which end up being so damaging once he finds space in the first place.

[The Underdog]

Re: Where to from here?

Every season has a flat spot...ours has been going for a month or so now and to be perfectly honest Carlton are a bad match-up for us.

There might be another couple of losses ahead of us between now and the end of August.

Agree but the alarming thing is that when they had an ordinary one earlier in the season they had a real belief that they were still in it. Today they rolled over when it got hard. I always thought we'd drop a couple coming into the finals but the lack of fight in some of the Dogs and the apparent lack of team unity was the worrying part.
We aren't a perfect team, if we're going to take advantage of this opportunity then we need to be a completely focused unit come September.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Where to from here?

Paul Roos would be happy with what he saw today. If we don't radically improve our midfield pressure and clearances, they will smash us next Sunday.

[The Underdog]

Re: Where to from here?

Paul Roos would be happy with what he saw today. If we don't radically improve our midfield pressure and clearances, they will smash us next Sunday.

They're hardly setting the world on fire atm. I think Roosy's got his own problems.

[Rocket Science]

Re: Where to from here?

We've gone from thinking we can win from anywhere to going into our shell pretty damn quick.

That's the thing...of course all teams have their ups and downs over the course of a season but we're positively bipolar at the minute.

The ease and rapidity with which we swing from one extreme to the other is a real worry and speaks of more than a simple form slump. I thought we'd knocked this stuff on the head.

[whythelongface]

Re: Where to from here?

That's the thing...of course all teams have their ups and downs over the course of a season but we're positively bipolar at the minute.

The ease and rapidity with which we swing from one extreme to the other is a real worry and speaks of more than a simple form slump. I thought we'd knocked this stuff on the head.

Pretty much sums it up. We are mentally fragile. We need a witchdoctor to exorcise our demons.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Where to from here?

Lack of attention to Judd was outstanding. Getting Ray or whoever to tag him would've been worth a go.

[mjp]

Re: Where to from here?

I had previously thought that, but I am convinced that it is more than that. How can we lead a team, and an average one at best, by 37 points midway through the 3rd and yet still lose by over 20 points. That says more than a form slump. There is seriously something amiss with their mental state of mind.

When Carlton had a run on in the second half, we never looked like slowing them down...that has not been 'us' all year. There is no need to panic because a side featuring Judd, Stevens, Murphy, Gibbs, Scotland, Simpson and Fevola got hold of us for a bit.

What is wrong with the mental state of mind is that they had set themselves for Geelong, and fell short. They have some doubts about themselves and whether or not they belong...they took those doubts into today, and when Carlton got a run-on they reacted by trying to do things individually to 'prove it' rather than trying to work as a group and consequently got done.

The coaches and the leading teams stuff will get it sorted...Geelong got beaten by Collingwood by 86 points...it happens every now and then.

[Madone]

Re: Where to from here?

I'd like to know what has happened with our forward structure? Too many times we just bombed it down there or turned the ball over with some serious inaccurate kicking that the only thing that was accomplished was a forward 50 stat. Carlton tonight were left to run in 3's & 4's which I thought was lazy checking by our guys

[1eyedog]

Re: Where to from here?

Sorry, should have put it here. Our forward line is struggling to work as a system, we were heralded as the most effective forward line in the competition six weeks ago now the ball comes into F50 and we look like a rabble. There appears to be only two sure moments forward lately the first is to Bob Murphy (who I think has lost a bit of touch personally) and the other is a long bomb to Will. The forward line with the most options six weeks ago has now turned into the most predictable in the competition.

Akermanis is running at 60% he is a liability out there. He is clearly injured and needs a week off. Young Everitt needs to go back to Willi and put his head over the ball. He also made some bad fumbles and cannot stick tackles. Why I don't blame a young player for not being able to make tackles the way he fumbled tonight clearly showed he is suspect under pressure and he is not ready. He is a liability in the back half and must make way for Wight until Williams is ready. I thought Welsh was a good player when moved down back and I gave him votes in the Marmo for it but it is a worrying sign that your forwards are sent back and then (with the rest of the back line tonight) are amongst your best players. I though Welsh should have gone to Everitt's match up and Everitt should have gone forward. Eade needed to try something but he seems to be out of ideas at present when the opposition gets and holds onto momentum. I think the coaching staff are as much to blame as the players for tonight's performance but I'm not going to bag any of them, I'm sure they don't want to lose and are doing their best as individuals, I think they need to start doing their best as a team again.

Our midfield is also obviously not as effective as it has been over the first 12 weeks. Carlton moved the ball so much better than us tonight I was almost jealous of it and this from a team in a re-building stage, at times it was embarrassing. Cooney and Griffen are well down on form and I do not like Gia in the middle, he does not apply enough pressure.

I am shattered after this loss and quite deflated when I look at the fixture for the next month, even though I think we play our best football away from the Dome (last week an exception). I am still confident we can turn our form around but we better do it sooner rather than later or the 5 teams on about 34 points below us may be biting on our heels by round 20.

[Sedat]

Re: Where to from here?

Canberra...
Seriously though folks there is something afoot. The midfield intensity has dropped off markedly. Our decision making going into the forward 50 has been awful and our lack of forward movement and quick leading (Murphy aside) has contributed to this. Cooney is in and out of games, Griffen is lucky to hit a target and Akermanis hasn't played a decent game since the handstand. I actually think our backline was good today but got NO help from upfield after half time. Lake was good on Fev when the ball was coming in with pressure on, but he can't do much when Judd and Stevens are delivering it lace out on a platter. I just hope it isn't a deeper division in the ranks.

Agree with all of this. Not time for panic stations just yet, but panic stations are fast apporaching if we cannot address the on-field regression in recent weeks. I'm hoping that the increased workload at training is a contributing factor, but nothing should really justify what we served up in the last 40 minutes today. Easily the worst performance by our miefield all season.

That Gibbs is going to be an outstanding player in the competition for many years to come.