Where to from here?

[whythelongface]

Re: Where to from here?

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.

Some doubts - that is an understatement. I think they have major doubts about themselves. You can see it in their body language. It may not be panic stations yet, but the situation needs to be addressed before it festers into the capitulation of last season. They really need to sit down this week and take a long hard look at themselves and question why and how this happened.

There is no comparison with Geelong. They have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that they are not mentally fragile. A Flag pretty much guarantees that. We on the other hand have to fight the demons from last year. That will be playing heavily upon their mind. If it isn't addressed this week we will suffer another loss and this time to the understrength Swans.

I will again reiterate that you can't lead an average side by 37 points midway through the 3rd and show no resistance for the rest of the game without it being a major issue, based on last years 2nd half of the season.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Where to from here?

I think we're in quite a bit of trouble.

I don't mind dropping a few games before September because at some point, it was always going to happen, but it's the extreme drop off that is very alarming. It's been getting worse each week and after tonight, I think the side needs to quickly figure out what's going wrong - and fast.

The forward half is a rabble; what happened to spotting up our leading targets? As stated, all we're doing is bombing long in hope that we 'arse' out a goal. We've been getting worse by the week with this, and it all started against Brisbane. Even though we played reasonably well and had a very comfortable win, we bombed away a lot, and since then it's been an obvious increase. I can't understand why? Why go away from what you were doing so well. It's as though our game plan has completely changed mid season.

The midfield has dropped right off, too. Constantly second to the ball, not working hard enough to provide team mates with adequate support and we're very, very un-accountable. The reason why our midfield was so deadly was our work rate; we had numbers at the contest, we ran the lines, we shared the ball around & we fought hard for the ball. For the last few weeks especially we've gone back to the way we played last year. Cooney has been incredibly poor; all he's doing is running around the back of Lake & co to receive cheap possessions in the back half. He's not damaging at all, I can't understand why he's changed the way he's playing? Cross, Boyd & Griffen haven't got that same 'fight' about them either. For the first half of the year, there was a purpose about the way the midfield played - they had something to prove. All that's gone out the window and we're simply playing second fiddle to the opposition. As for Eade not paying attention to Judd? Pathetic. What the hell was Rocket thinking? Cooney ended up on him and whilst he played poor, Judd put in a very solid performance.

The defense is strange too. Lake on Fevola? Why? Morris has done the job well the last few times we've played. Why bother changing that? It doesn't make sense. Everitt is a LONG way off AFL at the moment too. He's certainly not a defender by any stretch of the imagination. He's lacking serious awareness; he got caught just about every time with the ball. His decision making is either poor or very slow, and even his skills are second rate. He really does look a completely different player to the one we saw last year. It's not his fault though; he's out of form, he's very young & still has a lot to learn - including developing his body.

The last two weeks we've allowed the opposition spare man to murder us too; finally manned Waite up before it got too out of control, but it's another reason why the coaching staff need to be questioned too. They've made some strange moves (Lake up forward last week) and are coaching this football side completely different. At the moment, we're not prepared to run with the ball and share it around. We're too predictable; we're kicking the ball long aimlessly and because we have a lack of intensity, it looks even worse - we're getting hammered in the contests. Perhaps a few players are injured? I'm not sure, but I think bringing in Williams is a must if we want to get back on track. Higgins would have to be close too, and I hope West isn't far away - we really miss him.

Lastly, I want to ask about our team play - or lack of it. Ever since Akermanis' handstand up in Darwin, the side seems a little unsettled. A few of us have spotted arguments on the ground between players and amongst that, we have quite a few out of form since then too. Aker's words of "wanting to punch some of them out", referring to our team mates, really has to come into question now. Since Darwin we have played crap, individual football IDENTICAL to last year. Akermanis has played very poor; he looks dis-interested, and whilst he may be out of form, there's gotta be more to it. He's showing no intensity/desire to be out there. IMHO this whole saga is contributing to our severe downfall more than some may think.

I'm very worried about it, I've paid close attention to Aker & the team play (or lack of) since Darwin and it seems too much to simply be a 'coincidence'.

[whythelongface]

Re: Where to from here?

Excellent post TBB. I hate to say it but you are pretty much spot on, on your assessment of the team.

On another point it is really frustrating the ease with which the opposition are able to bring the ball back in from kick-ins after we have posted a behind. Time and time again there seem to be way to be many loose men across the oppositions half back line. Where is the forward defensive pressure.

[LostDoggy]

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.

Our forward line struggled when we can't get the ball there or we fail to deliver it well. When you can't run the game out, its not just your leg speed that goes, its also your disposal.

[Mantis]

Re: Where to from here?

As with mjp I think it was expected that we would go through a flat patch at some point.

We don't have the depth of talent as say Geelong across the field and it only takes 2 or 3 players not performing and it makes us look poor. At the moment we have 5 or 6 players not playing to there potential and yesterday is the result.

Where to from here? Who knows. It will be a huge test of character for this group over the remaining 5 games + final's. We will learn a lot about where we are headed and which player's will take us there.

[Sedat]

Re: Where to from here?

The forward half is a rabble; what happened to spotting up our leading targets? As stated, all we're doing is bombing long in hope that we 'arse' out a goal. We've been getting worse by the week with this, and it all started against Brisbane. Even though we played reasonably well and had a very comfortable win, we bombed away a lot, and since then it's been an obvious increase. I can't understand why? Why go away from what you were doing so well. It's as though our game plan has completely changed mid season.

Was the forward half not functioning in the first 2 1/2 quarters? Looked to be functioning alright from where I was sitting. We spotted up targets with relative ease, even had big Will clunking a couple. The forward half struggled the minute our midfield stopped supplying the ball in there - the midfield was the fundamental problem late yesterday.

Against the Cats agreed we had a dysfunctional forward line. But yesterday's loss can only be attributed to a complete and utter breakdown in the midfield. I thought we were matching their midfield in contested possessions and clearances up until the last 40 minutes but we were systematically blown apart from then on.

[SonofScray]

Re: Where to from here?

Was the forward half not functioning in the first 2 1/2 quarters? Looked to be functioning alright from where I was sitting. We spotted up targets with relative ease, even had big Will clunking a couple. The forward half struggled the minute our midfield stopped supplying the ball in there - the midfield was the fundamental problem late yesterday.

Against the Cats agreed we had a dysfunctional forward line. But yesterday's loss can only be attributed to a complete and utter breakdown in the midfield. I thought we were matching their midfield in contested possessions and clearances up until the last 40 minutes but we were systematically blown apart from then on.

Forward line in the first quarter was just about non existent, it seemed as though we were flooding a bit. Trying to run Carlton off their legs really early, unfortunately, we struggled to find the player to put a few goals away and they stayed with us early. The second quarter we got on top in most parts of the ground but then we shut up shop.

Goal for goal in the 3rd essentially and then a last quarter fade out leaving us all gutted. I want to put it down to something other than it all falling to pieces but this is really concerning.