17th Premiership wrote:
bondiblue wrote:
CK95 wrote:
I've been avoiding the media all week but can still tell we've been copping it in the media
Mate, its such a pile on, its not funny.
Lucky I'm busy shopping for my OS trip.
Shopping for clothes and a property overseas to keep my mind off the media and some of the bias I and agendas I am ready here, and everywhere.
I can't believe how all the focus is on Voss. I'm not sticking up for him, but he was good whenthe going was good. Who let me down.
People are like over protective mothers. The players are not our kids. They are contracted to perform, not miss set shots, not handball to the feet of a team mate, not miss a team mate, not be, scared to take the game on, not......
Can all the Voss detractors please be honest and tell us how much blame have you apportioned to the players? At this stage, none.
I don’t consider myself a Voss detractor. I’m a huge fan of his. As a coach, I think there are not many who could better lead a group of men into a deep finals campaign as effectively.
However…
I do not believe that so many of our players are as bad as they look at the moment. And the same players look so good when we click into gear and play a fast, forward motion, bold game lowering our eyes to easily hit moving targets close to goal. (It really pisses me off when our ball carrier looks forward and nobody is moving!!)
Therefore, my best assessment (which I admit is one of several competing, valid criticisms of our club) is that something is breaking down with our game plan and/or our execution of it. If it is the game plan, that is largely on Voss, and his assistants to a lesser degree which he had the opportunity to change at the end of last season when the same problems were already evident. I believe that, with a better game plan that is better understood, the skills of our players would suddenly look a lot better because a good game plan allows for margin of error and relies more on receivers running onto a ball delivered into space which has been cleared out by other players etc… rather than a stroke of brilliance from an individual.
Or it’s a problem with how we respond when the opposition puts up some sort of roadblock on our plan A, which also mostly sits in the coaches box… either from a tactical perspective re plans B & C, or a motivational perspective (keep the faith, push through etc…).
So, i think the answer PRIMARILY sits with the coach and/or the assistants.
And yes, i also believe there are some players who are letting the team down through decision making and/footy IQ. For various reasons. They can be dealt with either by removing, better preparation/motivation, discipline etc.. but I think these cases are at the margins.
And there are basic skill errors that I don’t believe these players came to the club with… e.g. the hair thinning handball to a teammates feet or behind them as they run forward, or the coach killing grubber pass to an opponent instead of the teammate 3m away. I feel like this is a product of the poor game plan and the confusion/stress the players feel about what to do. When we had that run in 2023, Voss famously lifted the shackles, simplified the game plan and just let them play more freely. The problem was that once teams had a chance to work us out over summer, we needed other layers. And perhaps, we could practise the basics more during the week.
Now, it is important to note that I am not 100% sure about this, as many others are. Some of those others are very astute observers of the game; others are less so. But fine, there is enough evidence for me to believe it is the players more than the coach. Or that it comes down from the Board, the footy department or the culture of the club (we certainly seem to get ahead of ourselves after small samples of success…).
But, if I had to make a hard call from what I’ve seen over the past few years, my number 1 option would be. Keep Voss, replace some assistants, trade out some players, p
rioritise others who can run, kick and think.a) Make sure Voss is prepared to modify the game plan and prepared to get the right assistants in to help devise and execute that.
b) Bring in at least two fresh assistants, with the tactical chops and teaching skills required (This may be an ex-senior coach, and I’d even be open to bringing in someone like James Hird although I doubt Voss would accept that level of ‘threat’ to his position)
c) Gather the highest paid of our players and explain that everyone needs to take a smallish haircut if we want to win premiership(s). Like Brody Grundy, if you’re not prepared to do that, we’ll facilitate trades. Similarly, I’d set a firm ceiling on what we can pay for TDK which is a similar amount to what we would pay Charlie, Weitering, Walsh after their haircuts.
d) I feel like after several years,
it is time to move on Brad Lloyd. I’m not expert in this area like many others are, but it seems to me like our on-field performance, fitness, and recruiting/list management could all be doing better…e) I would move out a few players who are either past it, or not up to it, or surplus to need. I would look to trade up for a couple of
experienced players who can run and kick. If we can secure a top 10 pick, I’d use that on the draft. If our best option is after pick 20, I’d probably prefer another proven player.
My 2nd option would be to move on Voss.
3rd in line for me would be a large revamp of the list.
I very much hope that Wright has been developing a strong plan after close assessment throughout the year. Id suggest he has much better information and experience than any of us. Assuming he is not a Collingwood plant, I will back whatever decisions he makes.In the meantime, I am hoping to see better performances each week and snippets of future stardom from our several debutants and other youngsters.
I get all that 17th. Measured response. But you are putting the entire blame for skill errors on the game plan, stress etc. Making excuses for the players. Then, I highlighted, you acknowledge the need to find players with skill who can run, good decision making etc. You are admitting that the players we have drafted lack skills, and run and decision making, and that is admitting players shortfalls. That's what I'm saying. That is a List Problem. Players who can't run and kick straight were pick by List Managers. The List M<anagers are another problem.
Set shots have cost us 5-6 games. No way, can you blame that on Game Plan. Set shots. We miss more than we kick. Casual approachto goal is costly. Nothing to do with Game Plan. That's on the individual. That problem is within the List of players we have. We wouldn't be in this position if we had kicked straight. Again, nothing to do with the Game plan.
I'm not saying that the Game Plan is easy to understand. I don't know, but I'm suspicious that the adjustments post 2023 have contributed to the problem, but no way am I going to accept the game plan is the reason Crippas handballs dont hit a target, and therefopre slows down our ball movement, Cerra kicking the ball over the head of an oncoming lead. Simple lane work., Motlop missing a shot 35 out in fron when the game is on the line.
We looked great in the first quarter last week. Game plan looked OK. But, in that first quarter we missed 4 set shots. Confidence was high. What's the excuse for that? Its been our modus operandi all year with the exception of the Cats game. We have failed to reward all the effort further upfield.
Basic skills. The whole media aknowledge we are the worst skilled team in the comp. My eyes tell me when I just look at the basics. Kick, handball, mark, shepherd, tackle, talk...all the standard stuff individuals are responsible for.
If players were good at all those things in the TAC, then they couldn't replicate that at AFL level, or if they did show they could execute skills in 2023, well they obviously peaked then and its all been downhill ever since.
There's a reason why skilled running players like Marchbank, Cuningham and Martin were delisted. They couldn't handle the rigours of AFL: same point I'm making about most of our forwards and some others.
A separate issue if the Head of Football. He thought the List was great, like Austin. He also agreed to extend Voss's contract. He's the Head of Football. Its his department which has failed.
SOS and Austin backed the wrong horses.
Brad Lloyd backed the wrong horses
Vossy has been limited by the List he has at hand.
Vossy's tweaking goes from one extreme to another.
Vossy has backed the wrong Assistants
I am happy to say that maybe it is Vossy, but the big issues are deeper than that.
keogh focusses too much on supposed wasted first round draft picks for players, and not looking for players in the lower leagues.
The real problem is we haven't nailed our draft picks, and that's on List management.
The team last week is a reflection of the players we have drafted. We are relying on 20yo players to save the day. Where's all the 60 odd players we have traded in and drafted since SOS? What are we left with? Its embarrassing. After 7 years, our 2 KPFs haven't nailed a routine for a dependable set shot at goal.
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