The crunch game has arrived

[SunnyErnie]

Opinion is divided down the middle regarding our performance against the Lions. Half the posters are saying we did very well considering all of the injuries to keep up with Brisbane right to the end. Yet the other half of the supporters (me included), can see the red flashing lights and hear the alarm bells ringing very loudly. Make no mistake, if we don't make the correct changes this week we will lose to the Bombers and our season will be shot.

The performance by Mason Wood has to be the worst performance I have seen by an experienced player in years. Everytime he touched the ball it was to the advantage of Brisbane. Hill played ok but the couple of times he s*** his dacks cannot be ignored. I'm not saying he should be dropped but for f*** sake, don't play him in defence, he is a winger.Half forward.

My critical changes for next week would be....

Out

Wood
Owens
Windhager
Jones
DMac

In

Clark
Billings
Sharman
Highmore
Byrnes

Hill plays on the wing!!!

[Wayne42]

Highmore is not playing at the moment due to Health and Safety protocols, or so i read.
If he's just had covid he might not be up to playing AFL straight after it.

Will Leinert be in trouble for his whack on a Lion's player ?

[WellardSaint]

Agree on Wood being effectively a 19th Lions player.
DE of 44%

Disposals, 18 or so I believe.
Turnovers- 10.
If he doesn't get dropped, there's sonething rotten in Denmark.

Hill in defence has to be the most ridiculous move ever.
Against Dockers (IIRC) he stuffed up early in the game in defence, he got moved to the wing, and Sincs went down back.
Because Sincs actually gives a and won't panic, and usually makes good decisions

[SunnyErnie]

Alarm bells are ringing loudly IMHO. If the players think they did ok because of all the injuries (just like half of the posters on here), then I fear we will lose to the Bombers.

[Impatient Sainter]

Last night was the crunch game and injuries/illness or otherwise the club failed dismally. One loss is not the end of the season, but it was a test of our ability to stand up against quality opposition and we failed (again). Until we get Steele back and in form, we basically have a 3rd rate midfield.

Ross had 30 disposals in the least effective game I have seen last night.
Crouch if you were to compare the number of disposals he gets - to metres gained he would be in the bottom 10% in the game.
Jones broken down again, but wasnt having an impact on the game anyway.
Gresham goes missing for long periods in games.
NWM/Owens/Windhager kids learning the game.
DMac has been good but unfortunately misses games.
Wood has had his good games but was really poor last night.
Marshall is ridiculously out of form.

Ratten and his crew refuse to try new players through the middle so thats our lot. That midfield is not going to win us finals let alone a Grand Final. Last night affirmed one thing, that our list has a long way to go before we can consider ourselves in flag contention. Hopefully Lethlean, Gallagher and Co realise that and do something to address our continued midfield void - which has only been an issue for about 15 years.

[Wayne42]

If we play Essendope back into form in the next game and lose, this place will implode.

Unfortunately, a loss like that won't be the draw's fault, Ratts better batten down the hatches and not read the forum.

[SunnyErnie]

If we play Essendope back into form in the next game and lose, this place will implode.

Unfortunately, a loss like that won't be the draw's fault, Ratts better batten down the hatches and not read the forum.

In all honesty, I reckon we will drop the game against Essendon and our season will spiral out of control.

[Laurie]

It is going to be a hard run home .
If we drop the Injectors game and yes they are due for a scalp definitely be good bye 8.
BOOM BOOM

[spert]

We haven't really been able to put lower teams away this season with any conviction on the scoreboard, and winning more a result of our good defence. We have midfield and forward issues. When you play a top team like Brisbane, you need our experienced players to be leading the way, and against Brisbane they mostly did bugger all. In no specific order, Paddy, Marshall, Ross, Hill, Gresh just went missing too often. Jones isn't setting the world on fire although hamstring issues don't help. Higgins and Butler were just bit players.

[WellardSaint]

We haven't really been able to put lower teams away this season with any conviction on the scoreboard, and winning more a result of our good defence. We have midfield and forward issues. When you play a top team like Brisbane, you need our experienced players to be leading the way, and against Brisbane they mostly did bugger all. In no specific order, Paddy, Marshall, Ross, Hill, Gresh just went missing too often. Jones isn't setting the world on fire although hamstring issues don't help. Higgins and Butler were just bit players.

Agree.
Norf beat us in clearance.
We won by 53 or something, but the margin flattered us- we didn't really win, they handed the game to us.
The only games where we seemed to have any control, were Tigers, Hawks, and Cats.
Tigers+Hawks are now much better than when we played them, and we've gone backwards.
How does a team get worse during the season?
Do they think they're better than they are?

[SunnyErnie]

We haven't really been able to put lower teams away this season with any conviction on the scoreboard, and winning more a result of our good defence. We have midfield and forward issues. When you play a top team like Brisbane, you need our experienced players to be leading the way, and against Brisbane they mostly did bugger all. In no specific order, Paddy, Marshall, Ross, Hill, Gresh just went missing too often. Jones isn't setting the world on fire although hamstring issues don't help. Higgins and Butler were just bit players.

Agree.
Norf beat us in clearance.
We won by 53 or something, but the margin flattered us- we didn't really win, they handed the game to us.
The only games where we seemed to have any control, were Tigers, Hawks, and Cats.
Tigers+Hawks are now much better than when we played them, and we've gone backwards.
How does a team get worse during the season?
Do they think they're better than they are?

They drink their own bath water. The selectors need to make a huge statement this week otherwise the Bombers will beat us.

[WellardSaint]

We haven't really been able to put lower teams away this season with any conviction on the scoreboard, and winning more a result of our good defence. We have midfield and forward issues. When you play a top team like Brisbane, you need our experienced players to be leading the way, and against Brisbane they mostly did bugger all. In no specific order, Paddy, Marshall, Ross, Hill, Gresh just went missing too often. Jones isn't setting the world on fire although hamstring issues don't help. Higgins and Butler were just bit players.

Agree.
Norf beat us in clearance.
We won by 53 or something, but the margin flattered us- we didn't really win, they handed the game to us.
The only games where we seemed to have any control, were Tigers, Hawks, and Cats.
Tigers+Hawks are now much better than when we played them, and we've gone backwards.
How does a team get worse during the season?
Do they think they're better than they are?

They drink their own bath water. The selectors need to make a huge statement this week otherwise the Bombers will beat us.

Ratts says 'you're never as bad as you think you are, and you're never as good as you think you are'

Ratts needs to live up to that.
2 concussions mean 2 ins...
Don't stop there, drop Wood, Long, Hill.
Let Hill know that he's no longer the Messiah, he's just a naughty boy.

[Impatient Sainter]

If we lose to Essendon this week does the club ask the question whether Ratten is the man to lead us forward? Ratts has some big games ahead and IMO he finished the 1st game after the bye running 'dead last' in the coaching stakes. A few more losses and watch Lethlean and the club back flip on Ratten being our future coach. Whether he likes it not there is now expectation and if he doesnt deliver, we know how our history is written.

Time to deliever Ratts!

[WellardSaint]

Ok, Pies beat the Dees.
St Kilda being St Kilda, we could lose to the Bombers.
Then Swans win...
And we keep losing games, we drop down the ladder because those below us, are winning. They begin playing to their potential, and our stupid F50 entries and inability to choose the correct option, will lose games.
Inaccuracy from King and Snags will hurt.

The slide has started and our wins vs Richmond, Hawks, Cats will be the games replayed on Kayo and watched through teary eyes, by the fans who need to know why TF we couldn't sustain that sort of form.

Merde

[Scollop]

Last night was the crunch game and injuries/illness or otherwise the club failed dismally. One loss is not the end of the season, but it was a test of our ability to stand up against quality opposition and we failed (again). Until we get Steele back and in form, we basically have a 3rd rate midfield.

Ross had 30 disposals in the least effective game I have seen last night.
Crouch if you were to compare the number of disposals he gets - to metres gained he would be in the bottom 10% in the game.
Jones broken down again, but wasnt having an impact on the game anyway.
Gresham goes missing for long periods in games.
NWM/Owens/Windhager kids learning the game.
DMac has been good but unfortunately misses games.
Wood has had his good games but was really poor last night.
Marshall is ridiculously out of form.

Ratten and his crew refuse to try new players through the middle so thats our lot. That midfield is not going to win us finals let alone a Grand Final. Last night affirmed one thing, that our list has a long way to go before we can consider ourselves in flag contention. Hopefully Lethlean, Gallagher and Co realise that and do something to address our continued midfield void - which has only been an issue for about 15 years.

Good post. We seem to be addicted to trying to bring in cheap delisted free agents as if that is the answer to winning a flag. It isn't

2020 was a good year. We needed to add some elite talent to propel higher if we wanted to do it quickly.

They recruit Brad Hill as a gun wingman with a reputation for his kicking inside 50 and then they stick him in the back line in 2021 to save face

We have a guy like D Butler who is killing it as our gun small forward in 2020 (with AA nomination) and they recruit another small forward - J Higgins - who disrupts the balance of the forward line (in my opinion)

I don't mind if they sign Ratts now because I reckon after our 2021 year they probably realised it was going to take 2-3 years to be a genuine top 4 contender.

I just hope all decisions are based on getting elite talent or using draft picks on 18 year olds. I don't mind finding the players who are killing it at State level like we've seen with Wilkie and Hayes, but ease up on just filling list spots with ready made players from other clubs for the time being

[Impatient Sainter]

When in form kicking goals and leading up marking the ball Higgins is a ripper. Otherwise his lack of speed to create pressure becomes an issue. Unlike Butler & Long he is not a reliable tackler, this year in his 8 games he has layed 11 tackles. He rarely causes turnovers and his direct opponent are often used as the spring board out of defence. Hence we need him being dangerous and in form.

That said we need our entire forwardline to refind some form, Membrey has been below par in the past weeks. Marshall's overhead marking has been really ordinary all year. This season remembering what he is capable of, he has been out of form and just going. I understand he played through a corky for a couple of weeks, but the only games he has produced anything in was when he was 1st ruck. Perhaps Ratts should look at rotating he and Paddy's for a game or two, to see how they go?

It seems we rarely get Marshall, King & Membrey all firing in the one game??

[repta]

team balance is an issue

without Steele we need Clark and Billings in the team.

We have too many average (Wood / Long / Linert) and new (Owens / Windhager / Wang-Mil) playing at once.
We need to blood the emerging players. However we need to be careful on the extra load on the better players.

We get found out coming up against better competition.

[CQ SAINT]

When in form kicking goals and leading up marking the ball Higgins is a ripper. Otherwise his lack of speed to create pressure becomes an issue. Unlike Butler & Long he is not a reliable tackler, this year in his 8 games he has layed 11 tackles. He rarely causes turnovers and his direct opponent are often used as the spring board out of defence. Hence we need him being dangerous and in form.

That said we need our entire forwardline to refind some form, Membrey has been below par in the past weeks. Marshall's overhead marking has been really ordinary all year. This season remembering what he is capable of, he has been out of form and just going. I understand he played through a corky for a couple of weeks, but the only games he has produced anything in was when he was 1st ruck. Perhaps Ratts should look at rotating he and Paddy's for a game or two, to see how they go?

It seems we rarely get Marshall, King & Membrey all firing in the one game??

Higgins has taken 22 marks inside 50, been awarded 7 free kicks within range and had over 30 shots at goal, in 9 games, most of them were kickable. 17.16. If he gets his aim right, he is a very dangerous small forward. They can't all be defensive forwards.

[Banger9798]

If we play Essendope back into form in the next game and lose, this place will implode.

Unfortunately, a loss like that won't be the draw's fault, Ratts better batten down the hatches and not read the forum.

If we lose to Dopers I seriously fear for my phone's safety.

[asiu]

ahhhhhhhhh yep

think i'd lose my rag as well
if we lost to those muppets

not an option

[Yorkeys]

How the forum has matured. Remember when the equivalent thread was "Big game this week".

We have graduated to having crunch games, the suggestions of tanking well behind us.

[CQ SAINT]

Essendon are killing their coach and playing for draft picks. They wouldn't win this game even if they could.

[SunnyErnie]

Essendon are killing their coach and playing for draft picks. They wouldn't win this game even if they could.

I sincerely hope you are right.

[thejiggingsaint]

Essendon are killing their coach and playing for draft picks. They wouldn't win this game even if they could.

I sincerely hope you are right.

I sincerely hope you are wrong!

[SunnyErnie]

Essendon are killing their coach and playing for draft picks. They wouldn't win this game even if they could.

I sincerely hope you are right.

I sincerely hope you are wrong!

Thanks.