Our Captain - down on form?

[slangman]

I find it fascinating that there is a thread about the poor form of Darcy Moore and calls by some to drop him for a few games whilst in the game day thread any mention of a players poor form or performance is lambasted by the rose coloured glasses brigade irrespective if it’s a valid opinion or not.

All of you that have expressed anything but positive comments about our captain in this thread are not “real supporters” 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Btw, I agree that Moore hasn’t been great this year. The loss of Murphy has impacted our entire defensive unit more than most would have expected. Frampton has been very good so far even though he had a tough night against the Suns and the omission of Dean for me was not a good decision. I have liked the trio of Moore, Frampton and Dean and I feel that we have been at our best when they have all played.
The issues imho are on the opposite side of the ground. The forwards have been average and quite wasteful with the opportunities that they have had. Coupled with their poor pressure which has resulted in greater reliance on the midfielders to kick goals. The amount of times that the ball has rebounded from our F50 without us touching the ball resulting in an opposition score is a major concern and on Saturday night it happened way too many times which did nothing to help our defenders.

[jonmac1954]

[piffdog]

I'm not hanging anything on the forwards. They have had a revolving door up there the last 8 weeks.

Meanwhile the defence has basically had the premiership crew down there (remember Murphy missed a bunch of that big game).

I'm not sure if its Moore who is down on form (seems like he is) or if he's a beacon for our frustration because he is an All-Australian and therefore we have high expectations of him.

I think we also need to sheet some home responsibility to the midfield.

[Pies2016]

^^^
I don’t see where our forwards are the problem when our last four final scores have been 82, 89, 119 and 90 points. ( 2 wins and 2 losses ) We’ve done that on back of having nowhere near our starting six forwards available at one time and yet our defence has remained intact all season ( Murphy retirement aside ) If you’re suggesting the mids are overcompensating by getting to far forward and contributing on the scoreboard, rather than helping out in defence, then that’s a transition conversation and not about an individuals form line. The real problem is the entire backline and not just Moore. Once you scrutinise every individual in the back six ( possibly Maynard aside ) and accept most have either gone backwards or at best stagnated, then it’s totally understandable why we have become easier to score against.
What might happen in the medium term when we get the likes of Shultz, Elliot and McStay back who are all regular goal kickers, is the mids may set up to add more numbers in the backline, rather than go forward to assist on the scoreboard. At some stage of any game, when the mids aren’t winning around the contest, all defences are required to stand up on their own 12 feet and at worst, halve the contest until the cavalry arrives. With most of our backline below their best and seemingly lacking cohesion, we’re just not seeing them win those contests as often in 2024.
Personally, I think Leppitch being needed in other areas of our footy Dept in 2024 is one of the key factors as to the above. At Richmond, he was considered the best in the business as a defensive strategist and developing defenders. Clearly, he’s done similarly at Collingwood. His absence from that role in 2024 shouldn’t be underestimated.

P S Pffdog just got in before me.

[slangman]

[joemamone@gmail.com]

Like everyone on this board I love our captain and can forgive the odd error. But his errors are too frequent leading to goals. Furthermore, I am tired of reading how his current form and apparent penchant for errors is because Murphy is no longer in the team. The inference is that he needs someone to cover his back otherwise he is unable to produce by his own merits. If this were the case, he would be of little value to the team and I would be calling for him to be sacked. Naturally, I do not accept this premise of his current form. He is naturally gifted and courageous player. I am more inclined to suspect that he has not recovered from his poor performance in last year's grand final ( I am not a psychologist)!! In any event, he is a very good captain who needs to find the path to his best.

[Magpietothemax]

[inxs88]

Having started this thread and copped much abuse for committing the heresy of questioning our captain's form, I do wonder whether the 2023 finals hand/wrist injury he endured and carried is affecting his touch. So many dropped marks, fumbling ball skills and ball drop issues that make Presti's kicking seem Jarman-esque in comparison.

Shall be watching closely again this Friday night.

[Culprit]

The opposition game plans have now catered for the likes of Dary and Tom Stewart, They leave their players as they can intercept more than one contest. Quick turnover leaves them open to be bypassed and removing their impact in a contest which creates scores for the opposition. It's not rocket science.

[piffdog]

Getting a bit more external focus this week. He’ll find a way through, but there’s no denying he’s off his best - for whatever reason.

[think better]

Not taking away from a general concern about his form, from what I've seen I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of leg injury.

One of his great strengths has been closing speed to kill a contest and he's not making anywhere near as many of these. It might be his burst speed that is affected.