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Thought I saw you on the way in Brad! Should have said hello in hindsight, but I figured with all your disdain at the starting time you missed out.
I missed the first 10 to 15 minutes, but very much a tale of two halves despite a strong second quarter on the scoreboard, and that may have had something to do with a string of injuries to Adelaide.
Defensively we were inconsistent but mostly in the area of team defence; individual defensive assignments were carried out well with the exception of Taylor Walker, who had 4 different opponents I believe. We rolled down a little too eagerly to some extent but again left a gap at the centre Adelaide's 50 arc through to about 40 out which Craig always get us doing in our fixtures, and that opened up a lot of scoring opportunities both in set shots and on the run. The coaching staff need to focus on this repeated lapse for the next fixture.
Offensively we were regularly messy and it was just about a guaranteed turnover if we were trying a long ball to the corridor in the 30-50 m range, regardless of whether we had a clear target. We're still beaten by a loose man if we're not prepared to spear the pass or break the zone with smarter leads, and this applies through to movement from HB, where we had some tunnel vision efforts from some of the lesser likes. Late in the game there was a huge opportunity for the switch with 5 players up and ready to lead us straight up to HF and all the player in possession (I forget who now) had to do was look to his right and see a couple of blokes waving at him. Instead he went up the line to a congested wing that Adelaide had stacked, the ball came back and eventually he worked the switch through along with Duigan in a very substandard fashion. Sure enough, the ball went up the wing and we got an inside 50.
The switch is a big part of a clean run of possession as Adelaide, Geelong & Collingwood have demonstrated in recent seasons, but it takes a willingness for the man with the ball to run through what NFL quarterbacks call progressions. In AFL game this is a relatively simple task when you're on a flank as it involves simply looking across the field and checking for a team mate before focusing on a favourable contest.
Away from that the conditions meant for a greasy ball in the first half as well as an inconsistent surface that would have tested the core of most players and the boots of others. Our complete lack of intensity didn't help, and a complete lack of competency from the umpires set us back at times too (eventually a few poor decisions fell our way too).
From Adelaide's perspective Taylor Walker was impressive in all aspects of his role as was Johncock, Tambling looks set to be operating through midfield and then sitting a kick behind play as something of a defensively-minded playmaker in the traditional association football sense (he will surprise a few with his willingness to throw his body around), and Brodie Smith was just OK in a role off HB.
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Walker - Andy was used in a variety of roles through the forward line in both a key position role out of the square and as a 3rd tall, then pushed into midfield in rotation with Judd; this is the sort of stuff he should have been allowed to do 2 years ago. Wasn't as prominent as he had been in earlier fixtures but still plenty to like about what he does for our forward line. Needs to bring a bit more physicality into his play. Had a brief stint at half-back and I suspect Ratten was using this match to ensure he is competent in roles he may be called upon to play through the season.
Russell - Did not play, which perhaps makes him in doubt for round 1
Murphy - Played the first half only; worked hard between the arcs and showed a little more intent than his team mates but most of his early work was undone by the greasy ball. Seems even more intent on running in a straight line and has the body to hurt a few in the process. Laid in a couple of nice shepherds that stood out amongst the play.
Gibbs - In and amongst but didn't get a huge share of possession, seemed to suffer due to the more congested midfield, which is reflective of both the conditions and the pre-season nature of the fixture. Not panic stations but if his head isn't in the game next week then it's time to be concerned with his intensity. Could perhaps be the product of learning some of his stoppage duties or his first year following a senior fitness program (is it 1st-3rd years or 1st-4th years?).
Judd - Provided physicality and dash in midfield as well as clean hands when the ball was still a bit of a soap bar, along with a dash of quality defensive pressure right up to HB; rotated with Walker to provide a good deep target from the square.
Simpson - His usual hard working self; coming along just fine but a fair bit of rust in his set shot radar, some of which he worked off through the match with about 3 tries through the game.
Lucas - Somewhat off the pace in the first half as he couldn't seem to keep his feet in the conditions, but much better in this respect in the second. Didn't seem to get a lot of disposals off by foot but his run and his sharing of possession by hand was inventive. Seems to enjoy setting up play rather than being on the end of it delivering into the forward 50.
Warnock - The dominant ruckman on the ground, and perhaps tied with Taylor Walker as the dominant big man. A difficult match-up up forward for most defenders and gets to a surprising amount of ground balls when the ball is in dispute. His positioning at the contest was first rate but he gets a lot of his own tap attempts redirected by the opposing ruckman, and even when that isn't the case our stoppage structure doesn't seem to be overly built on hitting to a zone so much as down the throat of individuals.
Robinson - As was always going to be the case the slower conditions brought Mitch into the mix and he was impressive and his kicking was certainly sharp but I still find him a frustrating player as you know he won't be able to provide enough defensive pressure for a forward role, but he will be too aggressive at times when passing in midfield, as evidenced by a horrible turnover on the Pratt stand wing. Had a good spell in a stoppage role and seems more than happy to lower the shoulder in possession, doing a good deal of damage to his opponent. Still plenty to work with, and will be in consideration for round 1.
Yarran - Excellent disposal and running coming off HB and looks as though he will be super damaging in the role. Probably BOG today. The impressive thing is the defensive side of his play which is considerably up and he is intelligent about where he needs to run and who he needs to tackle. Too often we will swarm the ball carrier and forget those in the vicinity who he can dispose to but if we forget this basic discipline Yarran will certainly set an example to follow. Didn't have a lot of 1-on-1 defending to do in the first half but showed he could man an opponent well enough in the second. This will always be the thing he needs to be mindful of. Will definitely play as part of the defensive unit and through midfield this season.
Laidler - Like a lot of team mates he lacked intensity and physicality in the first half but brought more in the second stanza. A naturally laconic style in his running and disposal but he will lift to close and reads the incoming ball well and works hard for the ground ball despite something of a flexibility issue (perhaps it's just his gangly nature). Kept his feet well and Will seemingly compete with White for the 3rd defender role (more on White later).
Collins - Like Laidler he was a bit out of sync in the first half in a marking HF role despite showing clean hands and a penetrating kick, but swung into midfield in the 3rd where he lifted his intensity and helped pick up the tempo of the game when in possession. Will run down to provide a link option and to disrupt possession to compensate for his lack of pace and looks a solid option in round 1.
Bower - One of many victims of Taylor Walker through the day, he initially showed a lack of his physicality in his play despite being one of the more physically imposing individuals on the ground. Still as creative as ever off HB and looks to have worked on his disposal by hand, giving a lot more loop and directing the receiver where to run. Can occasionally fire one off short in a congestion situation leaving his team mate under pressure but you can at least see the thinking he has in mind, especially when you watch him side step two oncoming tacklers himself before disposing. Started making a lot more spoils and hits in the second half, much to the delight of the crowd.
Betts - As far as I can tell he didn't feature until the 2nd quarter but had an immediate impact including an attempted hanger on the wing. Worked very hard and got involved with the play, particularly through midfield, leaving Garlett to work the crumbing role a bit more than perhaps we've seen in the past. Clearly taking it a bit easier after going on a rampage in the GWS fixture. Perhaps shouldn't have looked to centre the ball at times due to lack of a clearly better option, including a pass where he fired across the goal mouth almost to the exact opposite position to him; would normally cut in and snap on his right. The waywardness of his kick suggests he was thinking the same thing up until the last second.
Hampson - Again, like most of the side it was a tale of two halves from Hampson, after showing a clear lack of physical presence despite being one of the three heaviest players (and factoring in his pace, probably the deadliest) on the field he responded with some fantastic clean hands on the aerial ball and some bone rattling pack crashes. His intensity also lifted in his defensive pressure and he generally makes more ground than Warnock, which has me confident that the opposition won't have an easy time of it no matter who the oncoming tackler is. Didn't get to see a lot of his kicking today due to the congested play.
Armfield - An excellent game from Armfield today in that while not game-breaking, you couldn't fault his performance. Didn't get beaten overhead, provided a solid option off HB; ran; handballed; kicked; created; didn't miss a beat when pushed forward and lead well to the ball. He gets better with every season. Should play off HB with stints in midfield as tagger that can do a bit of damage on the hop.
Scotland - Solid and the usual pre-season effort from Scotland who looks to be in good nick and will likely have another good season, although he did concede some silly free kicks from arriving late and sliding the arms high with his tackles. An understandable lack of concentration when the game is for shits and giggles. Seems set for a midfield role again.
Davies - I believe he only appeared off the sub bench at 3/4 time (our bench & subs were somewhat confusing) for Collins but as I and others have noted has upped his pace and clearly looks more confident for it when in possession. Really didn't have much of an opportunity to settle in but didn't seem to miss a beat. Will be handy in defence when called upon.
Thornton - Along with Warnock & Adelaide's Walker was the dominant big man on the ground in a CHF/FF role. Showed all his work over the years on marking the ball has paid off big time as he hits the ball in stride, and his years of defensive work mean he knows where to go to stop the opposition run. He (and a few others) did suffer early on from what I like to call the VFL shuffle, where one trots back after taking a mark outside 50 rather than turning immediately while back-pedalling to identify any options further afield. It's a simple thing that a player can take out of their game without much effort, and it can improve a chain of possession dramatically. Shortly after the aforementioned gaffe, he hit something of a purple patch from about halfway through the 2nd quarter through to close to 3/4 time, including a Fev-esque one handed grab on the lead and a long bomb goal which surprised more than a few in the crowd who had come to believe he was a weak chess piece in possession. The Fev comparisons didn't stop there with some more strong leads and one-grab marks, but rounded out with some solid assists after he dared to drop the short/sideways disposals from his game and kick to some 1-on-1s. Very impressive from Thornton who is putting up his hand for a forward role in a big way. May start at CHF in round 1 at this rate.
Duigan - As I have noted through the pre-season, he continues to show excellent aggression at the ball and laid two exceptionally brutal (but legal) tackles, while reading the incoming ball fairly well. His literal strength is also his weaknesses as he still shows some flat-footedness in his play but deals well with the aerial ball for a player of his height. Still floats kicks a little which makes him only an average option to deliver the ball inside 50, but his smart defensive play makes up for these (hopefully temporary) deficiencies. With Russell in doubt he should feature round 1.
Curnow - Got to suit up against some of his former team mates and I believe he was our other sub (for Murphy), although Joseph appeared for the first time at the beginning of the second half as well. Moves quickly enough, stands up in a tackle, has clean hands and disposes well by the same method. Lacks confidence in the depth of his kicking but his technique isn't sub-standard, with perhaps a tiny bit of drift/loop/air in his kicks. Plenty of skills sessions will iron that out and if he can run out games I like him as not just a nominated rookie but an option in round 1.
Garlett - Worked hard at the crumb and in defensive application and was rewarded with 4 goals. Looked much more willing to take than shot than one E. Betts, but was also happy to move right down to defensive wing to provide an option and disrupt opposition play as well, which while in the context of an excessive roll down is bad, can only be a good thing when our defensive positioning is better, like in the second half. Will likely be the more permanent fixture in the forward line of the three amigos, but will provide excellent run through midfield when called upon.
Twomey - Did not play, although should be in the mix for what I believe is one of two nominated rookie slots.
Jamison - Was another scalped by Taylor Walker at times, again by being out-bodied but otherwise was solid in defence and showed a few new tricks bringing the ball out, although the crowd seemed more impressed by his old one of selling candy to the oncoming tackler. Much more confident in possession and harking back to his early days coming off the rookie list under Pagan. Is a mechanically clean kick and simply needs to invest the hours in refining his judgement for the pass.
Casboult - Did not play, and on the back of Thornton's string of performances he probably won't be in line for a nominated rookie spot.
White - Was impressive in the first half when the pace of the game better suited him, but looks to have improved his speed in comparison to last year's showing. His running off HB was the same impressive effort, and his kicking was also excellent, delivering his passes with good zip. Tired in all aspects of his game in the second half but kept battling against his opponents and showed some capacity to direct assignments, something a good portion of our defensive unit seem to be willing to do now, which can only be a good thing. Once match fit he will definitely give Laidler a run for his money.
Joseph - Appeared in the second half but I believe like Betts he was on the team sheet to begin with. Never really seemed to get into the game but ran well enough and like Armfield wasn't shown up in the overhead stakes. Was positioned through midfield as well as a small defensive role and acquitted himself reasonably well but given the form of Armfield & Yarran and the superior nous of guys like Duigan & Russell it's hard to see him playing much football without others getting injured. Needs to show more rapid improvement in all aspects of his play bar fitness.
Ellard - Quick enough, fit enough, sharp enough in possession and uses his body well for his size but still lacks that wow factor though I still consider him now to be of AFL standard. Was used mostly in a defensive HF role, rolling down although he did most of his damage in the first two quarters and then may have even been unsighted after three quarter time (perhaps he and not Collins was the sub @ 3/4 time). Will be solid when called upon but with the likely addition of Walker, Russell, Robinson, Gibbs & Curnow to the midfield mix as well as the impending returns of Carrazzo & McLean, you wonder where he's going to fit in, as he isn't capable of out-shining any of them in my book. The key to his fortunes comes in the fact that his worst is significantly better than that of several of those names.
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