Sharp Axes

[mjp]

Re: Sharp Axes

In hindsight, last night was not surprising at all.

I tried to tell you...

[1eyedog]

Re: Sharp Axes

He's too close to even with the ledger coming into the bye for him to be sacked now, and there's no way you can pin tonight's loss on him given our injury list, the fact we've changed structure/ approach (from one that clearly wasn't working) and are blooding kids against a side with two byes this season to our none.

At this point unless things really go pear shaped over the coming weeks he's with us to the end of the season.

And next season. He's with us until the end of his contract.

[1eyedog]

Re: Sharp Axes

I agree with a lot of what you have detailed and we haven't made the progress like we would have hoped for.
What the club needs to consider now is if we start canvassing some candidates or if we think there are some valid reasons for our inability to get on a roll.
It will be fascinating to see if the club is chips in with Bevo or not. From what we have seen in the media and some of his coaching moves is that he's got a great understanding of where we are falling short and it's more about if he can inspire the players to lift their performances.

It's been pretty clear we are all in on him. The previous month was far worse than this month. I think Soup said above Bevo is going OK. Wins against the Pies and GWS away were big for him and us. We lose Naughton and Richards against the Swans which swung the game against a 8/1 team on top of the ladder. Last night was a slow car crash. You can't compete against a top 4 list with 6 of your best 10 players out.

Bevo was on a hiding to nothing.

[Sedat]

Re: Sharp Axes

I tried to tell you...

I was too smart by half attempting to predict the potential psychology of Brisbane for the remainder of this season. They are clearly in it for all the marbles in 2024, and spent their bye week very wisely in planning and preparation for us.

[JanLorMill]

Re: Sharp Axes

Brisbane have been horrible all year. Against us they are stars again. Can’t lose at home to interstate teams then believe we are going ok

[Sedat]

Re: Sharp Axes

I agree with a lot of what you have detailed and we haven't made the progress like we would have hoped for.
What the club needs to consider now is if we start canvassing some candidates or if we think there are some valid reasons for our inability to get on a roll.
It will be fascinating to see if the club is chips in with Bevo or not. From what we have seen in the media and some of his coaching moves is that he's got a great understanding of where we are falling short and it's more about if he can inspire the players to lift their performances.

The bolded bit is a savage indictment on the entire club from the president down with regard to 2022 and 2023, but not at all in 2024. It has been obvious for a few months now that we are rebuilding on the run and regenerating both the game plan and the list - better late than never.

We wasted 2 years as a club post the 2021 GF but we aren't wasting time this year. Doesn't mean we aren't going to make mistakes, but I believe what we are doing in 2024 will give us a better team with more scope for sustained contention in 2025-2028. That means we will break a few eggs making that omelette.

[mighty_west]

Re: Sharp Axes

Brisbane have been horrible all year. Against us they are stars again. Can’t lose home to interstate team then believe we are going ok

I reckon a combo of factors, you look at the Brisbane team they had on the park last night and how can they have been so dismal up to this point? They played like they looked on field with a strong team across the board, their record at Marvel also says that perhaps last night was no shock given they love that ground yet aren't so great at the G, think it's something like 9 wins and 2 losses at Marvel in recent times.

Just think a few positional changes we didn't get quite right and the key outs hurt us in the end, apparently (not sure how i know) but the Pies last week may have had a few out which we were able to exploit given the changes in our overall game style to get on top, the master stroke by Bevo to pressure the next in line player after Daicos etc etc.

[mjp]

Re: Sharp Axes

Brisbane have been horrible all year. Against us they are stars again. Can’t lose home to interstate team then believe we are going ok

You watch far too much footy to believe this is true.

Brisbane have a lot of talent - 5x top 4 finishes in a row or something - and whilst they have had a poor start to the year they haven't lost their ability. They've just had their mid-year reset and would have spent a heap of time pulling together their goals/plans for the 2nd half...key to all of that would have been what happened at Marvel.

Couple that with a couple of key outs and just the fact that we have been playing with a fair bit of intensity really since the Melbourne game - we haven't really had a down week - this was 100% coming. Is all of this an excuse? Probs not I suppose but I just don't understand what we are all expecting...

The bottom half of our side last night was inexperienced at best and and not up to it at worst...hell, VDM who most on here would put into the 'barely competent' category held his place after being subbed out with a hammy last week...no way would he have played if those below were up to it...

I understand how this is all Bevo's fault and I'm happy enough with that, but one of this side's greatest issues remains the losses in close games. My take: If we wanted to beat Brisbane last night, then we should have looked at the game vs Sydney as a likely loss and taken the chance to rest a few...instead, that gallant display going into a wire-to-wire game against the Pies - both in prime time and THAT 100% matters - into another prime time game...pressure has been up for a long time, the fall was coming.

And yes, the boys in 2016 won 4x finals in a row which are of course prime time and all, but if we acknowledge for a second that was a special group and efforts like that are unlikely to be replicated, well...

[ledge]

Re: Sharp Axes

I think this loss wasn’t unexpected and if your wanting to axe anyone over this game your joking.
All teams have bad games. The side we played is proof of that , they also had 2 weeks to plan against us and know our injuries.
We have injected a few young players who are just getting used to AFL let alone the fatigue that comes with.
The bye is coming two weeks to late.
I was pissed off last night as we should be but the next day when we cool down and look at reality we are going ok.
Busslinger will come in next week I would think along with Richard’s.
Darcy and maybe Harmes and Weightman after the bye.
If we can get a win against Freo we are on even ledger and should be a lot better after the bye.

[JanLorMill]

Re: Sharp Axes

You watch far too much footy to believe this is true.

Brisbane have a lot of talent - 5x top 4 finishes in a row or something - and whilst they have had a poor start to the year they haven't lost their ability. They've just had their mid-year reset and would have spent a heap of time pulling together their goals/plans for the 2nd half...key to all of that would have been what happened at Marvel.

Couple that with a couple of key outs and just the fact that we have been playing with a fair bit of intensity really since the Melbourne game - we haven't really had a down week - this was 100% coming. Is all of this an excuse? Probs not I suppose but I just don't understand what we are all expecting...

The bottom half of our side last night was inexperienced at best and and not up to it at worst...hell, VDM who most on here would put into the 'barely competent' category held his place after being subbed out with a hammy last week...no way would he have played if those below were up to it...

I understand how this is all Bevo's fault and I'm happy enough with that, but one of this side's greatest issues remains the losses in close games. My take: If we wanted to beat Brisbane last night, then we should have looked at the game vs Sydney as a likely loss and taken the chance to rest a few...instead, that gallant display going into a wire-to-wire game against the Pies - both in prime time and THAT 100% matters - into another prime time game...pressure has been up for a long time, the fall was coming.

And yes, the boys in 2016 won 4x finals in a row which are of course prime time and all, but if we acknowledge for a second that was a special group and efforts like that are unlikely to be replicated, well...

I get that but We beat Brisbane last year when we were in worse form with a first gamer and mccomb as sub. Not saying it’s all Bevo’s fault just that we are going well at this moment. Last week vs Collingwood we were fortunate. No home team in afl cops 4-16 frees vs interstate sides. We are 6-7 out of the 8 and that indicates most how things are.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Sharp Axes

I tried to tell you...

That was some nostradamus level shit.

[jeemak]

Re: Sharp Axes

The bolded bit is a savage indictment on the entire club from the president down with regard to 2022 and 2023, but not at all in 2024. It has been obvious for a few months now that we are rebuilding on the run and regenerating both the game plan and the list - better late than never.

We wasted 2 years as a club post the 2021 GF but we aren't wasting time this year. Doesn't mean we aren't going to make mistakes, but I believe what we are doing in 2024 will give us a better team with more scope for sustained contention in 2025-2028. That means we will break a few eggs making that omelette.

I feel the 2022 season's outcomes should have resulted in more affirmative action from the club. The depth that performed in 2021 had every right to be backed in, and the senior core needed to be given another shot. But in hindsight 2023 should have had a different complexion with more player turnover and more senior cages rattled after the failings of 2022.

What I found totally irresponsible from the club executive was the mollycoddling of the media position about where the media thought we were at versus where we truly were - and what the club executive thought the members/ supporters wanted to hear. So much of the noise experienced these past eighteen months would have been cancelled out if they weren't so bullish about a list and playing group with issues across a wide spectrum.

And at an operational level it's clear egos got in the way of pragmatism almost resulting in a catastrophic shit show.

Things seem better now.....for now.

[SonofScray]

Re: Sharp Axes

I recall being OK with the contract extension because it would offer some certainty and cancel out a lot of media noise, letting the club go about its business of preparing for a change. My understanding was that it was not going to sting payout wise with the 6 month rule.

Was wrong on that front and the no. of years the extension chalked up in real terms.

That’s where Grant, Baines and KWW have come under fire from me too. I thought they should have been more brave and ran with that plan, effectively 18 months earlier than where they are now. Hated that they kicked the can down the road. But it seems that perhaps with the exception of Grant, it was a legit, all in on the coach. Not PR spin, just 100% job for life stuff. Which it is clear he has now. Bevo stays until he doesn’t want to be here.


Throw enough time and talent at it and it’ll work too. Probably win a flag in the 15th year of his tenure. Darcy kicks 10 in a grand final playing in the ruck. Marra 4.7 from CHF. It’ll be glorious.



But, most of us had finals this year as the decision point. Ladder prediction time!

I have us finishing 10th, with good percentage and missing by a slim margin.

The good percentage and slim margin will be tempting to folk who don’t want to see blood shed. Even for myself, the return of some joy into our footy, a bit of biff, pace and new faces taking on key roles has moved me from gleefully swinging the axe, to respectfully and solemnly doing it.


Roller coaster post but we are at a point now where:

1. Preparations start and the Bevo era ends when we miss finals
2. Extend him further this summer



Really don’t want to have this conversation all of next year too.

[GVGjr]

Re: Sharp Axes

I think it's more than fair to start conducting a review on what hasn't gone right for us so far this season and to see if Bevo is the right man to lead our list going forward. I cut Bevo and the players a lot of slack for the distractions of training at Skinner Reserve leading into the 2023 season but unless there is something else holding us back this year that we aren't aware of this was supposed to be a year where results started to come.
I'm not going to be distracted by the whole 'look at how many players that haven't played 50 games yet' excuse that gets rolled out because it's the path we have chosen. It's not a great measure anyway.
We recruited some players with senior experience to offset the lack of development of some of the younger players on the list.

This is a results business, the club said they rated the list so we do need to hear why we haven't quite measured up so far. We've had a rush with some injuries over the last couple of weeks but prior to that we had what would have been regarded as a reasonably healthy list.

I get Bevo is the front man and coaches normally cop it in the neck when they results don't meet expectations but the all the senior people at the club need to provide some clarity.
Bevo's done well at explaining our losses and fronting the media etc in the last 6 weeks or so and I remain in the camp that says lets wait until we see a lot more of the season before making any decisions regarding the coach.= but we can start having a look at what is and isn't working.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Sharp Axes

I have been in the sack Bevo camp since 2018.
The results in 2021 didn't reduce that as I believe he cost us the flag by allowing soft efforts against Essendon and Hawthorn that meant a significantly harder road to the GF.

Right now I am actually happier with his performance as we have made vast improvement.

The Brisbane game I can see as an aberration due to the compounded fatigue over the past month against a side with a chance to reset on what had been wrong with their season.

Unfortunately the Freo game has the same look to it, but we can certainly get rolling after the bye and be a real threat when we get some personnel back on the park.