I.T.K.S. (It’s the kicking, stupid!)

[thompsoc]

[thompsoc]

Dp

[CarringbushCigar]

I honestly think this is more of a game plan issue then recruiting.

I believe the best sides get the ball in the hands of the best disposers. We do it with Pendles, we get it to him as often as possible and we sometimes try to create some space for him I'd like to think.

We used to give it to Dids and Daisy and Heater and work hard for them to be freed up.

Last week at the most crucial time of the game was a glaring example of what the best sides would not do.

Brown storming down the middle with De Goey in an even better position screaming for the handball.
Browny could not have not seen him - its impossible.

Why in Daicos' name was the little risk free handball not forthcoming?

The only reason I can think of is BAD BAD coaching.

Either Brown thinks he is a better user of it entering 50 then DeGoey, or the punishment for not doing so is insufficient.

Do u think Lake would not have given it to Suckling?

There needs to be rules and strategies for giving the ball to the best users and every player needs to know it and do it.
Then we need strategies to allow our best runners/users to get the space to maximise their talents.

Remember Gary Ablett at the Cats - even now at GC.
They give it to him and make space for him.

We seem to look for Pendles and think the job is done. So far this seems to be the extent of our game plan for transitioning and entering the arcs.

Swanny is handballing a lot more which is good. Crisp and Varcoe are showing signs of being clean by foot. Langdon and Maynard are going to help.

Its much more than recruiting and elite foot-skills.
A player who tackles shepherd smothers and blocks is just as valuable if he is freeing our elite ball users to get it and have space when they got it.

Sammy Mitchell has had horror years by foot.

Brown to DeGoey - glaring evidence of a system failure.

[35forever]

Look, there are lots of things which could be improved, but then there always are, at every club, but ponder this:
You saw Collingwood (currently 11th) beat the pants off the cleanest, most well drilled, and certainly most in-form side in the game. They weren't having a bad day either! They were playing as well as I've seen them play all year, and I've watched most of their games. Certainly they were playing at least as well as in the 2014 GF.

Now, the FACT is that we were 9 points up halfway through the last and the game was well and truly going our way, if we had kicked more cleanly and accurately and managed the next two, who here thinks we would have lost? Anyone?

Our game does not need 'rebuilding'. We had won 4 straight and only lost 3 when we met Freo, and we ALWAYS suck after the bye, if theres 2 games I'd bet against us every season, regardless of opponent, it’s the first after a bye, and the last of the H&A season. (and I would've made quite a pile this century!). If we hadn't had to cop the two best sides on crappy days at crappy times and on crappy grounds, things could look quite different now. If we'd won either of those 2 things could look quite different. Even as it turned out, and even though we played relatively poorly against Port and West Coast we took both sides to the last quarter, we should have won against Port quite easily, but we butchered three shots, any of which would have given us the lead and the momentum, and against Wet Toast, the other side who are flogging everyone they meet, we were 9 points behind with 9 minutes to play. We had shot after shot, and kept the ball in our 50 for ages but couldn’t kick the damn goal, finally after so many attempts West Coast went Coast to Coast (npi) and kicked a goal against the run, and our guys simply stopped to a walk, heads down, and let WC pile on several more in the dying stages to take a 31 point win which was no reflection of the actual game at all. By now we were a rabble and had forgotten how to win, but still took the much improved Footscray into the last and still could have and should have won, but again we missed shots and the players were visibly shot, their confidence blown to hell.

So DONT tell me we're building for a tilt in 2016-17. If we play our best game and kick straight for the rest of the season we can still win the flag, even though we'd have to do it from 6th to 8th at best. Incredibly difficult, but not impossible. We SHOULD be top 4, we aren't. And can no longer get there, but if our mental game turned suddenly we could and would go ALL the way.

Problem is, we have no way to do that. We have no structures in place to get the players heads right, we have no inspirational off-field leaders, no specialist kicking or psychology staff, and therefore no way to turn the season around.
As it stands Melbourne would consider themselves a good chance when three weeks ago they simply would've put a line through that game. We should have the structures in place that would allow us to cruise through the games against Richmond and Sydney, and the rest should be 70 point thrashings.

But it won't happen, and it is NOT because our game isn't good enough, no way on earth! Its because our mindset and self-belief aren't good enough. Again go watch the Hawks game and tell me our best isn't good enough, it is easily good enough just give us the mental tools, unfortunately Buckley neither understands nor cares much about that side, to him the answer is work harder. He has done a far better job of coaching and implementing a game plan in 2015, but he is no game-day tactician, and will never fully grasp the mental game.
I know it sounds terribly insulting, but Buckley simply isn't a truly intelligent guy, in the academic sense, he has mental toughness however, and he expects his players to have it also, and has no plan to deal with those who don't. Training Harder is NOT going to get it done.

[September Zeros]

[September Zeros]

[35forever]

Well, we do appear to be going after kids with actual footy skills rather than just big 'tanks'. Of course with the emphasis on Forward defense a big tank is pretty much a prerequisite these days, but the idea of getting young Sam Weideman, (yes, son and grandson!) who is apparently an amazing mark, and Josh Daicos who is said to be a lot like the greatest magpie ever, his dad!

But waiting for this player or that game plan, or this rebuild or that "Window" is horseshit, A side like Collingwood should and must be seeking to win the premiership each and every year. That other crap is for the Footscrays and StKildas who are only ever competitive one or two years per decade or two.

But it aint good enough for us! We have 80K members and a million plus fans screaming for success, and we have the resources and the list to provide it. If we'd won just one of those two or three big games our season would be looking very different, but like last year we've lost the will to win halfway through. Who can possibly do something to address this problem other than the coaching staff? Come on Nathan, DO something!