Bombertalk

Filthy wrote: - It pains me to say this but I think that Watsons foot "skills" are not up to AFL (EDFL?) standard. He is courageous, good hands, good tackler and gets under the packs. But JJ at his best does all this too. Go to Bendigo SOT and learn to kick. His kicking has cost us I think about 2-3 goals a game this year.

Would have benefitted from a few sessions with a psychiatrist to sort out his kicking nightmares rather than a trip to Japan finding out about leadership.

We are still in the 8. Win at all costs in 10 days please. And some grey matter used in the Coaches Box please. Yesterday, Sheedy... almost....showed some emotion bordering on frustration for the 1st time in 27 years after yet another stuff up in the last quarter. That new contract is VERY important to him.

I masochistically watched the game again when I got home (I taped it). I wish the cameraman would have panned across to Sheeds when Bradley floated a beautiful pass to Lockyer for a goal....

You can't blame the loss on Kep alone, no matter how badly he played. Lloyd and Lucas decided to stage for frees after half time anytime we went forward instead of leading to the pill. Was this because they were tired or injured (Lloyd had a corky)? Maybe, but in the end it was what cost us the most.

And Mark Johnson really needs a run in the magoos. His game was woeful. It's not good enough to point for someone else to pick up your man as he runs off you...

Maybe everyone's question about who the ideal preparation has been answered. Pies on the G in the rain or the Dons at the Dome. The curse of the dome strilkes again...

Filthy wrote:These changes will bring about the balance that we had in R1 & 2 where it suited our new game plan.

We really seemed to be achieving some team balance with virtually unchanged team for a couple of weeks. This is so important for the young blokes who nee to play alongside their peers and become accustomed to their style of play. Therefore, the loss of Hille, who I believed rucked very well against the Saints while he was on the ground, was sorely missed.
Laycock was very disappointing and appeared to be all at sea; frequently did not even contest. The inclusion of two talls in Bradley and Bolton further upset the balance, and they simply do not belong in the current scheme of things. I said to my old man prior to the gane that Bradley would cost us at least one goal!!!
Perhaps SOT cold just kick the ball long rather than trying to pass. He is a ball magnet but gives it up far too easily. MJ has struggled for 2 weeks now, but he will come good.
With hopefully a full list to choose from for Hawthorn, I hope they look back to the combination that worked in the opening rounds.

Doctor Fish wrote:You can't blame the loss on Kep alone, no matter how badly he played. Lloyd and Lucas decided to stage for frees after half time anytime we went forward instead of leading to the pill. Was this because they were tired or injured (Lloyd had a corky)? Maybe, but in the end it was what cost us the most.

And Mark Johnson really needs a run in the magoos. His game was woeful. It's not good enough to point for someone else to pick up your man as he runs off you...

Maybe everyone's question about who the ideal preparation has been answered. Pies on the G in the rain or the Dons at the Dome. The curse of the dome strilkes again...

Its not blaming the lose on him. Its pointing out that he has gone backwards since he drafted him. Pointing out he has no football brain and skills. Its pointing out that there are many different guy in the two's who deserve a spot ahead of him.

I'm relieved to see that most of us are on the same wavelength. That game was a watershed in that it revealed :

1. Laycock, Dyson and Kepler are not up to AFL standard. Dyson had his chance and blew it.

2. There are big question marks on Watson.

3. Our big problem is now in the centre. Time to take a lesson from the Pies and blood Hislop and Bacha.

That still leaves the ruck but I don't think we have too many options at the moment.

hillchaser wrote:I'm relieved to see that most of us are on the same wavelength. That game was a watershed in that it revealed :

1. Laycock, Dyson and Kepler are not up to AFL standard. Dyson had his chance and blew it.

2. There are big question marks on Watson.

3. Our big problem is now in the centre. Time to take a lesson from the Pies and blood Hislop and Bacha.

That still leaves the ruck but I don't think we have too many options at the moment.

Patience will be the key on points 1 to 3...

hillchaser wrote:I'm relieved to see that most of us are on the same wavelength. That game was a watershed in that it revealed :

1. Laycock, Dyson and Kepler are not up to AFL standard. Dyson had his chance and blew it.

2. There are big question marks on Watson.

3. Our big problem is now in the centre. Time to take a lesson from the Pies and blood Hislop and Bacha.

That still leaves the ruck but I don't think we have too many options at the moment.

1. Lacycok, had basically no pre-season. He played abd because his fitness was not up to standard. He is a pinch hitting ruckman. Dyson got run down, basically because he is supposed to break the lines. He, I think has trouble adapting the the pace of the game. I think we can persist with him for a few games.

2. Needs games in the twos to build up confidence in his kicking.

3. We ran out of legs. We need to bringing in fresh legs to run out the game.

id love to know how many minutes ricky d got yesterday? Maybe sheeds could leave him on the ground a bit longer.. he starts slow, finishes well imo

Point number three falls sqaurely on the match selection committee and their ridiculous decision to play Bradley and Bolton. If the plan was for Bolton to run his man ragged all day, then no arguments here, but it wasn't and he didn't.

Bradley on the other hand, when you have tired legs coming into a game the last thing you want to do is bring in a guy who runs slower than a turd rolling up hill (yes for those who don't understand that would be going backwards) when we need an injection of fresh, quick legs.

The ruck was always going to be an issue, but honestly, I don't think the actual tap work had any impact on yesterdays game.