What is wrong with this team?

[comrade]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Well we better get our skates on or a top 4 berth will be out of reach before we know it. Our window is more geared to this year than next. With Johnno, Aker, Eagle and even Harbrow (please not) likely/possible departures it will be a new look again for 2011.

If we win next week, we're in the same situation as last year. If we then go on to beat the Saints (tough ask but not impossible), we'll actually be one win ahead.

Yes, we're not playing well, but I still have enough faith to be believe that we'll get it right in time to secure a top 4 berth. I'd rather we play badly now, than in August.

Hopefully a second poor loss is the catalyst for some players to start working harder.

[Jasper]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

The most annoying thing for me is that watching TOP sides like Geelong and St.Kilda that we are suppose to be as good as play 4 qtrs every week and are switched on every second. For some reason we never play 1st quaters properly and in some games it really hurts us on the scoreboard.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

My theory is that if you play Hawthorn one week you lose the next week especially if you are playing interstate the following week. Check it out. This works especially if you beat Hawthorn. Note Melbourne nearly beat Collingwood after being beaten by Hawthorn. Don't therefore pick the Pies to beat Essendon next week!!! Although this game is another Collingwood home game at the MCG.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

The most annoying thing for me is that watching TOP sides like Geelong and St.Kilda that we are suppose to be as good as play 4 qtrs every week and are switched on every second. For some reason we never play 1st quaters properly and in some games it really hurts us on the scoreboard.

I don't think you are watching enough Geelong and St.Kilda games. I would argue that they don't always play 4 quarters and they are not always switched on. Look at the Saints v Collingwood game or even the Prelim against us as examples.

I would argue that the big difference is that these teams seem to be able to weather the storm and minimise damage better when they are down. Last night we could not do that and with the blink of an eye we went from being 30 points up to being level and, well, you know the rest.

[Remi Moses]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

I've come to the conclusion, that as a side we are unable to maintain the intensity at the contest we would like for 22 rounds + finals. Its like the group we have do not have the mental toughness to week in and week out be primed for a tough contest. My conclusion is based largely on watching us over the last 4 years.

Whether this will prove to be our undoing I do not know. Despite being up and down we have managed to win enough games to make the top four in the last two years and also played well enough in finals to make the PF in both years. Only time and fortune will tell if we are lucky enough to make the GF, whether we can string 6 -7 games of high intensity football together.

I don't necessarily hold Rocket or whomever might be our captain accountable for this, I think it is just peculiar to the group of blokes we have.

Bingo! Thinking the same thing we just cannot maintain the same intensity that Geelong or Stkilda do!!Needs to change immediately

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

We were extremely fortunate to be beaten by only 22 points. Seventy two forward entries to 39 sums up the difference betwen the two sides. We can't blame the forward line and the new struture for being bashed when the ball doesn't get into their area.

Brisbane were without their number one ruckman and their best mid-feielder yet they smashed us in that area. In the last quarter in particular, we couldn't get our hands on the ball.

Hargrave was back to his form of '95 giving away stupid free kicks. I thought he had risen above that. Moles is too slow at this level and we don't help ourselves by playing Hudson and Minson on the ball together. Hill still lacks the endeavour and intensity to compete one on one unless it is a marking situation and needs to go back to Willy until he can learn how to play the modern game.

I'm not sure whether it was the game against Hawthorn or some other issue but we were dead on our feet from three- quarter time on. No running into space and no running with the ball. Over the four games the players appear to be no where near as fit as last year.

The bright spots for us among a dismal lot were Lake in particular, Morris (until overwhelmed by sheer weight of Brisbane forward thrusts) Williams (who got in the hole to make life hard for the big two) Giansiracusa (who could teach most of the side how to dispose of the ball to the team's advantage) and Hall who could have kicked anything had we got the ball into his area with some regularity.

We are a long way from playing at our best and unless this improves markedly and quickly we are consigned to another season of ordinariness.

[Mantis]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

The bright spots for us among a dismal lot were Lake in particular, Morris (until overwhelmed by sheer weight of Brisbane forward thrusts) Williams (who got in the hole to make life hard for the big two) Giansiracusa (who could teach most of the side how to dispose of the ball to the team's advantage) and Hall who could have kicked anything had we got the ball into his area with some regularity.

Yeah he can dispose of it efficiently, but he can only get it when someone else gives it to him.

At present more than half of our forwards are unable to exert any influence unless the ball is deleivered to them on a silver platter and that isn't good enough.

[Mofra]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Playing Hawthorn, physical encounter, 6 day break, travelling and a resulting loss to an unbeaten side.
That was Geelong last week, and us this week.

I don't see a need for panic yet - Geelong were 2-3 after round 5 in 2007 and their season turned out pretty well in the end.

We have Johnno & Aker to come back, Ward & Picken will be pushing for selection in the 2nd half of the year and we will click with Hall the more games we play.

I wouldn't write off the Bulldogs yet, the game on the weekend was nowhere near as bad as the 2nd WCE loss last year and we were one dive & one straight kick from the GF last year (with Welsh instead of Hall).

[Go_Dogs]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Playing Hawthorn, physical encounter, 6 day break, travelling and a resulting loss to an unbeaten side.
That was Geelong last week, and us this week.

Except for the part where we got absolutely dominated in play, where as Geelong broke even or perhaps even had an advantage in general play against Fremantle. Apples and oranges IMO.

[Mofra]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Except for the part where we got absolutely dominated in play, where as Geelong broke even or perhaps even had an advantage in general play against Fremantle. Apples and oranges IMO.

Not really - we were in control for most of the first half, tired in the end and continually turned the ball over with tired kicks to contests as we couldn't run & create space.

You don't think we looked tired?

[Topdog]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

If we win next week, we're in the same situation as last year. If we then go on to beat the Saints (tough ask but not impossible), we'll actually be one win ahead.

Yes, we're not playing well, but I still have enough faith to be believe that we'll get it right in time to secure a top 4 berth. I'd rather we play badly now, than in August.

Hopefully a second poor loss is the catalyst for some players to start working harder.

Thats how I'm thinking at the moment.

[Topdog]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Except for the part where we got absolutely dominated in play, where as Geelong broke even or perhaps even had an advantage in general play against Fremantle. Apples and oranges IMO.

Freo smashed Geelong in the last quarter. They kicked 6.5 in the last quarter.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Yeah he can dispose of it efficiently, but he can only get it when someone else gives it to him.

At present more than half of our forwards are unable to exert any influence unless the ball is deleivered to them on a silver platter and that isn't good enough.

Mate, if you can't get it in there, not much point in blaming the forwards. The trouble was further up the field eg look at how useless we were at getting the ball out of the backline especially after a kick out

[Mantis]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

Mate, if you can't get it in there, not much point in blaming the forwards. The trouble was further up the field eg look at how useless we were at getting the ball out of the backline especially after a kick out

Agree with that.

The behind the goal vision showed a lack of movement for our kick outs even in the first qtr..... It was shitful. Gilbee & Harbrow would have been incredibly frustrated with the lack of options they had.

The fact still remains that players like Gia and Hill and to a lesser extent Higgins still need to find a way to get into the game even when the ball isn't getting into our forwardline. If this means they have to push into the back half to create an option then do it, sure beats getting bored up forward waiting for the ball to come down.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is wrong with this team?

The current side is good enough to beat any team in the competition and we have shown it.

The problem is the massive gulf between our best and worst, Saints and Cats dont seem to have this issue. There really has to be a level of application questioned, the second quarter we were flying, why cant we do this a bit more regularly? Not sure if I should watch another dogs first qtr, whats with that? Thats not a team skill issue. Do we need a scratch match before the game starts?

I dont think there should be too many excuses after the Brisbane and Collingwood games we just need to thump the crows and beat the Saints with a four quarter effort, well in the realms of possibilty, in fact, we should be favourites with Roo missing. In my mind anyway.

My man Will needs a break in the VFL.