Selection error

[plugger66]

A mistake tonight was not having the courage to drop Blake. To many backmen meant he had to be sub nd even though Gamble is no star he provides a link to the forward line. Also playing a 7 man backline was always going to happen but it really hurt. it allowed Davis to be Bog and he really killed. Doubt either of these things lost us the game as the pies are a great side but it didnt help.

[Sam23]

100% on the money.

We lacked another lead up target and playing Blake as the sub just screamed "I wanted to drop him but couldn't after 31 disposals!"

I like Blake, but he is a terrible tactical choice for the sub and Gamble should've been in the team.

[plugger66]

Dont want to sound negative but another, which a lot wanted on here, was puting BJ forward. Will never work against a good side. He is and always will be a running HB and that is where he plays his best footy.

[bigcarl]

Doubt either of these things lost us the game as the pies are a great side but it didnt help.

Poor delivery in general and poor kicking at goal cost us the game.

Or maybe it was the Pies' excellent kicking. 14.5 to 10.10.

[Richter]

On the money Plugg. We were short a half forward. Why wasn't Lynch or Walsh selected if Gamble wasn't fit? Odd.

BJ was never in the game, but wasn't moved to half back where he has rediscovered his form this year. Strange.

[Devilhead]

Yet we had more scoring shots

[Devilhead]

Doubt either of these things lost us the game as the pies are a great side but it didnt help.

Poor delivery in general and poor kicking at goal cost us the game.

Or maybe it was the Pies' excellent kicking. 14.5 to 10.10.

Bingo - give the man a free slab

[The OtherThommo]

A contributing reason to why Walsh hasn't been given a chance is the 5 day breaks between Sandy games and us playing on a Friday night. It would be a tad tough on a first gamer (or any non-seasoned coot from the two's) to ask him to start at AFL level 5 days after playing his previous game. It's been the case for the last 2 weeks. They went for Blake because he's hardened.
The draw in the VFL has made life difficult for blokes like Walsh. 2 byes within 3 weeks, then 5 day breaks. In between times he played against Port at the Borough, got hurt in the first 15 minutes, and didn't reappear - no prep for an AFL debut.
I'm happy they aren't throwing blokes like Walsh to the wolves. It's called the Roos/Lyon apprenticeship. Besides, what chance he wants to head back to 18% unemployment in Ireland, just to play an amateur sport? Bugger all, I reckon. He's here to stay. We're happy with his progress and he's happy to be here. Ergo, weeze all happy.
And, I reckon he'll get a start before year's end.

[Devilhead]

On the money Plugg. We were short a half forward. Why wasn't Lynch or Walsh selected if Gamble wasn't fit? Odd.

BJ was never in the game, but wasn't moved to half back where he has rediscovered his form this year. Strange.

I agree here to a certain extent - by having Walsh or Lynch in there was a chance that Filth would have had to use O'Brien on one of these two rather than put him on Milne - Davis then would have had to cover Milne - or even to take Maxwell out of that defensive forward position on Fisher which have freed up Fisher

I guess by bringing in the extra tall forward it might have stretched the Filth

Does Ross have an extra trick up his sleeve come finals time??

Could we see a Gwlit like Finals debut from big Tommy???

[Saintersss]

Could not be 100% more right on Blake.

Also hopefully this puts to rest to the threads of 'Goddard should play forward to help out Roo'.

[plugger66]

Could not be 100% more right on Blake.

Also hopefully this puts to rest to the threads of 'Goddard should play forward to help out Roo'.

I hope you are right but I doubt it. Yep as hard as would have been after last week it had to be the first in the first out selection policy especially when we also played Chips back so from the week before we had 2 extra backmen. I always think the 22 player shouldbe sub but that really means if the 22 player is a running player, not backman and more of key one at that.

[bergsone]

Only reason i could see Blake as a sub is that we would have trouble with Jolly,having said that if Ben,Kosi cant do the job,cant imagine Blake doing it.Maybe looking for fresh legs in the ruck late in the game

[PJ]

Dont want to sound negative but another, which a lot wanted on here, was puting BJ forward. Will never work against a good side. He is and always will be a running HB and that is where he plays his best footy.

For all BJ's skill in kicking the ball he looks very uncomfortable going for set shots. Never looked like kicking it. BJ has a few psychological weak spots but I guess so does everyone, his strengths just magnify them.

[Johnny Member]

Doubt either of these things lost us the game as the pies are a great side but it didnt help.

Poor delivery in general and poor kicking at goal cost us the game.

Or maybe it was the Pies' excellent kicking. 14.5 to 10.10.

14.5 really is very good kicking isn't it.

[plugger66]

Doubt either of these things lost us the game as the pies are a great side but it didnt help.

Poor delivery in general and poor kicking at goal cost us the game.

Or maybe it was the Pies' excellent kicking. 14.5 to 10.10.

14.5 really is very good kicking isn't it.

It is very good kicking but at one stage in the last quarter it was 14.5 to 8.6. We had kicked only one more point than them. Obviously they were more accurate when counting shots at goal but really we werent going to win at any stage in the last quarter. 35 points down at the 17 minute mark.

[Junction Oval]

I hate the old "told you so" approach, but these were my brief comments on Thursday's team. They mirrored what many other Posters were thinking/ saying :

A clear focus on defence. A bit disappointing really, as I would have liked us to "take them on."
Weakens our not so potent forward line even further. I wonder who will move forward - BJ and Gilbert have not worked in the past and Blake is certainly no forward.
Why not Tommy Walsh, if Gamble is injured

Let's not get into the Tommy Walsh discussion now, but if Gamble was fit, why not play him ? The team gave their all. "It was the selectors" who let us down (apart from some errant kicking).

[Dr Spaceman]

A contributing reason to why Walsh hasn't been given a chance is the 5 day breaks between Sandy games and us playing on a Friday night. It would be a tad tough on a first gamer (or any non-seasoned coot from the two's) to ask him to start at AFL level 5 days after playing his previous game. It's been the case for the last 2 weeks. They went for Blake because he's hardened.
The draw in the VFL has made life difficult for blokes like Walsh. 2 byes within 3 weeks, then 5 day breaks. In between times he played against Port at the Borough, got hurt in the first 15 minutes, and didn't reappear - no prep for an AFL debut.
I'm happy they aren't throwing blokes like Walsh to the wolves. It's called the Roos/Lyon apprenticeship. Besides, what chance he wants to head back to 18% unemployment in Ireland, just to play an amateur sport? Bugger all, I reckon. He's here to stay. We're happy with his progress and he's happy to be here. Ergo, weeze all happy.
And, I reckon he'll get a start before year's end.

Excellent post.

The VFL draw this year has certainly done us no favours. 

[InkerSaint]

Take out the rushed behinds and it becomes 14.3 to 10.9... pretty much a reflection of the inside 50 entries.

Ross says the improvement can be made... I wonder what the plan is to improve the shots on goal... sound familiar?

Clearly a chronic issue... supposedly a fixable one...

[Johnny Member]

Ross says the improvement can be made... I wonder what the plan is to improve the shots on goal... sound familiar?

Clearly a chronic issue... supposedly a fixable one...

That's what worries me.

It's been an issue for 3 years. If it's fixable, who's asleep at the wheel?

[SainterK]

14.5 really is very good kicking isn't it.

Not being sarcastic here, but maybe that's because Cloke didn't have much of a night?

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Could not be 100% more right on Blake.

Also hopefully this puts to rest to the threads of 'Goddard should play forward to help out Roo'.

Why, because last night it didn't work, yet in other games when he's been played forward he's kicked bags of goals in just a quarter, or a half, despite not being used to playing the position, or others being used to where he leads, etc?
If you were going on just one game you would have to have said "BJ is not a backman" after he had a very poor one down back against Freo, or after his many poor games down back earlier in the year. Or after his poor games in the midfield earlier in the year would you be saying "BJ is not a midfielder", despite being AA the past two years playing predominantly in the middle and dominating a GF in there?
I guess after last night Milne "isn't a forward", either, if we go on just one game.
I would suggest the reason Goddard has really only performed well down back this year is due to the simple fact he has largely not been at his best this season and that is the easiest role of the 3 to play. In the last two years he was at the peak of his powers and form and would dominate while playing in the midfield and if sent forward he could look fantastic there, too, but he hasn't generally been at that level this year, which is why he's generally only played well down back, where he's largely playing on his own a lot of the time. It's surely the easiest role to play.
They rolled the dice last night by playing Goddard forward and on this occasion it didn't work and they seemed to stick with it for far too long, if their sole objective was to win the game. It cost us badly on this occasion and Gamble or Lynch could have done almost as good a job there, on this occasion, freeing up Goddard to play elsewhere.

[bergholt]

It's been an issue for 3 years. If it's fixable, who's asleep at the wheel?

i've heard that it's a point of tension between misson and the coaches.

the coaches would like to do more goalkicking training; misson says yes, but you'll see a massive increase in hamstring and leg injuries. the coaches decide that they'd rather have their best players out on the park and kicking badly, than have them good shots at goal and always injured.

not sure who's right, but other teams seem to kick better at goal without a corresponding increase in soft-tissue leg injuries.

[Dr Spaceman]

It's been an issue for 3 years. If it's fixable, who's asleep at the wheel?

i've heard that it's a point of tension between misson and the coaches.

the coaches would like to do more goalkicking training; misson says yes, but you'll see a massive increase in hamstring and leg injuries. the coaches decide that they'd rather have their best players out on the park and kicking badly, than have them good shots at goal and always injured.

not sure who's right, but other teams seem to kick better at goal without a corresponding increase in soft-tissue leg injuries.

But are the other teams practising more, or are they just naturally better at it?

[Thinline]

Doubt either of these things lost us the game as the pies are a great side but it didnt help.

Poor delivery in general and poor kicking at goal cost us the game.

Or maybe it was the Pies' excellent kicking. 14.5 to 10.10.

14.5 really is very good kicking isn't it.

It is very good kicking but at one stage in the last quarter it was 14.5 to 8.6. We had kicked only one more point than them. Obviously they were more accurate when counting shots at goal but really we werent going to win at any stage in the last quarter. 35 points down at the 17 minute mark.

Personally I thought Swan and Davis kicked arsey ones, Krak kicked one from a free that maybe was, maybe wasn't there (ie often they don't get paid, even if there) whereas BJ, Schneider, McEvoy, Milne and Polo all missed very gettable shots.

There was little in that game other than polish in front of the sticks.

Our I50 count was terrific given the opposition.

We kick the same ratio to them and we win.

We can beat them. I didn't think we could until last night.

Interesting prelim if we make it that far.

[SainterK]

That Swan one that was running towards the ouside point post, and turned at the last minute.

Grrrr!