What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

They refuse to pick up a player as does Cooney & Griffen.

Cooney & Griffen are great attacking weapons.... However

Cross is a scaredy cat with the ball in hand, teams just sit off him and he stands still... It's embarrassing.

Boyd is a very good clearance player, but isn't a great kick, fumbles under pressure and refuses to pick up his man when the opposition has the ball.

This current midfield can't keep playing this run and gun style as we get torn to shreds by the gun mids of the leagues best teams.

I wouldnt say a scaredy cat but his roll is to get it out and without Cross we would feel the pinch as for Boyd he has his limits but still great support for Cooney and Griff. I would much rather stick with them both than take a punt on trading either for the sake of maybe improving. Especially at the risk of upsetting harmony. Our problems are not with the midfield its with our forward line and our heads.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

I think we have to consider it, if they are unable to perform roles that are asked of them. They both have some glaring deficiencies in their game, as well as some admirable traits.
I think if the right offer came for one of them, then we should look at it.
Would Gold Coast be interested in obtaining one of them, either of them would both help give them some grunt in the midfield, and their off field training abilities would set a great example to what would be a very young squad.

And on Riewoldt, he's just kicked his 5th and looks fine.

Just a niggle he will probably kick 10 now

[Hotdog60]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

If Higgins is done and dusted for the season, who gets his spot?
Would it be Hahn, Hill, Addison or ?

[Mantis]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

I wouldnt say a scaredy cat but his roll is to get it out and without Cross we would feel the pinch as for Boyd he has his limits but still great support for Cooney and Griff. I would much rather stick with them both than take a punt on trading either for the sake of maybe improving. Especially at the risk of upsetting harmony. Our problems are not with the midfield its with our forward line and our heads.

So if Cross's role is to get it out why the hell doesn't he do this and then go and sit on the oppositions best midfielder?

Eade was seen at the 3/4 time break (and not for the 1st time) having a dip at Cross for standing still and not taking the game on... He is scared of making a mistake and against good teams you need to move the ball on quickly. Other players get berated and dropped for making the same mistakes over and over again, but Cross seems to get off scott free.

As far as team harmony goes I agree it is a fine balance, but if we don't win a flag this year we need to find a way to improve our list such that we can move up the ladder.... We might need to make some extremely tough calls.

The problem is so with our midfield and it's with the players within this current team and their inability (thus far) to rise up that extra bit to take the next step... If these players can't make the jump it's time to develop some who might be able to.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

If Higgins is done and dusted for the season, who gets his spot?
Would it be Hahn, Hill, Addison or ?

Hahn at his best so probably Hill until we get Wood back

[Stevo]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

I feel that we are going to come up short again this year. The gap between the top 2 sides and us means we will have to have a lot of things go right to knock one of them off when it counts. We won't disgrace ourselves but I just feel that we will come up short again.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

So if Cross's role is to get it out why the hell doesn't he do this and then go and sit on the oppositions best midfielder?

Eade was seen at the 3/4 time break (and not for the 1st time) having a dip at Cross for standing still and not taking the game on... He is scared of making a mistake and against good teams you need to move the ball on quickly. Other players get berated and dropped for making the same mistakes over and over again, but Cross seems to get off scott free.

As far as team harmony goes I agree it is a fine balance, but if we don't win a flag this year we need to find a way to improve our list such that we can move up the ladder.... We might need to make some extremely tough calls.

The problem is so with our midfield and it's with the players within this current team and their inability (thus far) to rise up that extra bit to take the next step... If these players can't make the jump it's time to develop some who might be able to.

Sums it up well.

Cross really struggles against quality opposition. As Mantis said, they sit off him and he jumps/dances around in the same spot until he finally either uses his left boot and/or turns it over. He did this a number of times last night. Against the lower ranked sides, we get away with it ... but against Geelong and Collingwood especially - you shoot yourself in the foot.

For mine, Boyd simply tries to do too much. He's lost the defensive side of his game and is concentrating fully on trying to become an attacking weapon. He doesn't have the footy nous nor skills to pull it off and as a result, he turns it over and then finds himself out of position.

The team harmony is certainly an area you need to treat with care. The Monty/Eagleton saga is pretty well known, but we've failed miserably with the same cattle of players for a good 3 years now. We are here to win a Premiership; hard calls, as difficult as they may be, will need to be looked at to improve our list.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

So if Cross's role is to get it out why the hell doesn't he do this and then go and sit on the oppositions best midfielder?

Eade was seen at the 3/4 time break (and not for the 1st time) having a dip at Cross for standing still and not taking the game on... He is scared of making a mistake and against good teams you need to move the ball on quickly. Other players get berated and dropped for making the same mistakes over and over again, but Cross seems to get off scott free.

As far as team harmony goes I agree it is a fine balance, but if we don't win a flag this year we need to find a way to improve our list such that we can move up the ladder.... We might need to make some extremely tough calls.

The problem is so with our midfield and it's with the players within this current team and their inability (thus far) to rise up that extra bit to take the next step... If these players can't make the jump it's time to develop some who might be able to.

You make good points Mantis but what do you honestly think we would get for Crossy and if your only looking for draft picks who can step into his shoes and not leave a hole elsewhere?

[Hotdog60]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

You make good points Mantis but what do you honestly think we would get for Crossy and if your only looking for draft picks who can step into his shoes and not leave a hole elsewhere?

I like Cross, but would a fit Sam Reid do a better job in and under.

[Mantis]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

You make good points Mantis but what do you honestly think we would get for Crossy and if your only looking for draft picks who can step into his shoes and not leave a hole elsewhere?

I would be hoping we could get a late first round pick for him.

I would be looking to draft a quick ball carrier with this pick.

In the short term I would be looking for Reid & Ward to step up to fill his role, and then perhaps young Libba.

(This is all hypothetical as Cross may have a great finals series and put this whole idea to bed)

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

Sums it up well.

Cross really struggles against quality opposition. As Mantis said, they sit off him and he jumps/dances around in the same spot until he finally either uses his left boot and/or turns it over. He did this a number of times last night. Against the lower ranked sides, we get away with it ... but against Geelong and Collingwood especially - you shoot yourself in the foot.

For mine, Boyd simply tries to do too much. He's lost the defensive side of his game and is concentrating fully on trying to become an attacking weapon. He doesn't have the footy nous nor skills to pull it off and as a result, he turns it over and then finds himself out of position.

The team harmony is certainly an area you need to treat with care. The Monty/Eagleton saga is pretty well known, but we've failed miserably with the same cattle of players for a good 3 years now. We are here to win a Premiership; hard calls, as difficult as they may be, will need to be looked at to improve our list.

I dont disagree with making hard calls and I dont think we have failed miserably agreed we havnt taken the next step but a failure is straight sets. Boydy does seem to try to hard your right there.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

I would be hoping we could get a late first round pick for him.

I would be looking to draft a quick ball carrier with this pick.

In the short term I would be looking for Reid & Ward to step up to fill his role, and then perhaps young Libba.

(This is all hypothetical as Cross may have a great finals series and put this whole idea to bed)

Yep thats a fair ask but not sure we would get it and a second round just wouldnt be worth it. I guess we just hope he has a good finals and go from there. Not sure Reid or Ward could pull it off as soon as next year.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

If we come up against Geelong in the Finals, there is no way that we will win after last night. We were comprehensively and utterly smashed and as a group, i dont see how any statement game when we next play them will help, when we experienced what we did last night. In pressure cooker finals, you need to 100% believe that you can win and after last night - there will be some doubt in a lot of the guy's minds that they can match it with the cats.

These are just my thoughts - i do not think that we (or any team, for that matter) can recover within 3 weeks of getting beaten by 101 points - to mount any serious premiership campaign. It just doesnt happen.

One game .... players out and others coming off the flu ..hard wet game last week 6 day break little training... playing 2 short ( Eagleton Higgins)...knee jerk reaction. We play finals now with no pressure on us might take the monkey off our back.

[Mantis]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

One game .... players out and others coming off the flu ..hard wet game last week 6 day break little training... playing 2 short ( Eagleton Higgins)...knee jerk reaction. We play finals now with no pressure on us might take the monkey off our back.

We haven't won a flag for 55 years and counting.

Yep, no pressure.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

We haven't won a flag for 55 years and counting.

Yep, no pressure.

Not when everybody has written us off.I make a living betting against the obvious ( favourites)