gerry atric wrote:
We were quite competitive, but I felt if the cats didn't lairise so much, and if they had not eased off in the last, we would have been blown away. We are a 10th to 7th side, and when you have invested a couple of mill in paid out contracts and a quick fix coach, that is not where the committee expected us to be (which shows what good judges they are!)
What stood out for me is that Juddy is still our best player. Garlett needs to do more of the hard things. Simmo is in career worst form. Tuohy played his best game for a long time. Walks is a very talented player, and the only guy running from defence. Sam Rowe is showing a bit. Yarran has sublime talent, can he become a midfielder? McLEan is honest but doesn't hurt the oppo, how many winning sides has he played in since he became a regular. Hammo looked tentative, which is reasonable. Hope he gets a good go in the ruck while Big K is out. I'd bring in CAsboult and play Hammo in the ruck. Warnock can continue to be the most expensive player in the VFL.
What most stood out is our lack of cohesion and leadership across the ground. Juddy was a do as I do captain which lifted training standards, but he is not an extrovert. Murph is an excellent player but doesn't seem to have the authority of other captains, and we don't have enough real leaders around the ground. Of the 4 guys up for captaincy who didn't get it, Carrazzo and Duigan seem to be the best most authorative leaders, but Duigan can't get a game. I like Waite, but he is still a potential player and he has been playing ten years, he is subject to brain fades, and only plays every now and again. And Simmo has been a great player, but to me seems an unlikely captain. Who are our leaders on the field? Our average drafting has meant that few of our picks aside from the #1s, are still at the club, and we just don't have many leaders in the 22-28 bracket (or anywhere really). The guys who seemed the most natural leaders haven't been good enough players -Bentick for instance.
You need strong leaders across the field to win flags. Think of us when we were good. There were half a dozen guys who could have been captain. In the last ten years we haven't had any born leaders. When Yarran kicked the first goal of the last qtr, there was no excitement from him or the team.
LOved seeing Buckley, like many here I remember his old man, I saw Jimmy at Vic Park in 1976 on what I think was his first game. He was 16 and we got flogged, but he was a terrific, tough nasty player, and at least Dylan looked excited when he kicked a goal. There just don't seem to be personalities in the team who bind the side together.
A very fair summation. Just finished watching the game. Leadership is such a concern. You watch Geelong and they ooze leadership, we look timid. Andy Walker was one of the few who was prepared to stand up. Yes too many are introverts.
The skill level and class is just not there. Clear evidence of that in the last quarter with all those missed shots at goal. Despite the fact that we have played past finalists in the last two games, we will be struggling this year and it will require significant improvement from many players if we are to be final aspirants. Just looking for improvement. Still believe that the lack of class and skill (and confidence) across the team will be our undoing.
Great to see Dylan Buckley show some spark and Touhey have a better game. I thought AJ tried very very hard but he is the one of an unfortunately large group of our players where lack of skill and class will tell in the end.
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