Post Match. Pies down to Roos . All comments please.

[Jezza]

Very poor performance from start to finish.

No intensity, no desire and very lethargic all evening. The Roos made us look slow and were running around us like we were witches hats. North's hard-bodied midfielders led by Cunnington killed us.

There was nothing of significant note that could leave supporters positive despite a bad loss. I think we were lucky to lose by only 44 points. This felt like a 10+ goal loss, and it would have been if North had been accurate in front of goal.

It didn't help we were down two rotations, but it's no excuse for the performance we dished up. Some will say this result had been coming for a number of weeks. We're definitely not playing with the same intensity and passion as we were last year, and with us being the hunted, it seems opposition sides are baying for our blood. We need to start becoming the hunters again.

We were smashed in the inside 50 count, and the inability to win the majority of clearances despite arguably having the best ruckman in the competition is concerning. The loss of Sier and the ongoing absence of Adams has exacerbated this problem.

Big month of football coming up with some tough tests along the way.

[PyreneesPie]

https://www.afl.com.au/video/2019-06-29 ... ag-went-up

[35reasons]

We need to get back to hunting the opposition. Lately we have been too passive, allowing the opposition too much time and space waiting for turnovers (playing bruise-free if you will). Tonight we were hunted and we didn't bite back. You have to be aggressive whether you like it or not.

Couldn’t agree more.

[Magpietothemax]

Wow. Good point PP. Why did Bucks not move Levi onto Cunnington? Levi was one of our best tonight, with his will to impose his physical presence. Cunnington sliced us open like a soft loaf of white bread on so many occasions: why wasnt Levi matched up with him??

Maybe some "journalist " will ask that question - why was Cunnington not tagged - in his presser. Yep, Levi is certainly not afraid pf physical pressure!!

A bit of a random thought - we need another tough nut in the middle until Adams can get back. What about Maynard? I know he's great value in the back line, but maybe that could be covered with IQ, assuming Aish does not get up. Or even Varcoe - at least he can lay a good tackle. What would you say MTTM?

Desperate times require desperate measures. Callum Brown and Josh Daicos just do not stack up right now. (In fact, maybe Callum Brown and Josh Daicos was in itself a desperate measure??? In retrospect, seems so). Yes, I agree, one of Callum and Josh out next week, IQ in, and Crisp/Maynard to rotate through the centre. Who replaces Reid and Sier? Maybe we have to bring in Max Lynch for Reid, and as for Sier, who replaces him? Don't think we have a replacement..so maybe we have to keep both Brown and Daicos,.... If Aish is OK, i'd select him and drop Josh D.

[Haff]

I agree. Alot of truth in this. I think we changed our playing style to avoid the injury crisis we had last year. The irony is: we still have the injury crisis (even worse), but are playing with far less vigour and intensity.

I reckon this is valid point MTTM. Getting a few to play more like Levi would be help!! That frontal assault on Goldstein was pure G and D!

Then he pussied out of another attack on the ball..

[Magpietothemax]

I agree. Alot of truth in this. I think we changed our playing style to avoid the injury crisis we had last year. The irony is: we still have the injury crisis (even worse), but are playing with far less vigour and intensity.

I reckon this is valid point MTTM. Getting a few to play more like Levi would be help!! That frontal assault on Goldstein was pure G and D!

Then he pussied out of another attack on the ball..

What??? Yeah, maybe because he felt demoralised due to the lack of effort from others. He was one of our best, in a very embarrassing performance.

[PyreneesPie]

Desperate times require desperate measures. Callum Brown and Josh Daicos just do not stack up right now. (In fact, maybe Callum Brown and Josh Daicos was in itself a desperate measure??? In retrospect, seems so). Yes, I agree, one of Callum and Josh out next week, IQ in, and Crisp/Maynard to rotate through the centre. Who replaces Reid and Sier? Maybe we have to bring in Max Lynch for Reid, and as for Sier, who replaces him? Don't think we have a replacement..so maybe we have to keep both Brown and Daicos,.... If Aish is OK, i'd select him and drop Josh D.

For sure, MTTM. Desperate measures are called for.

Sadly, I don't think young Daics did enough to hold his spot. It will be a real selection head-ache this week, but I'm heartened that you think Maynard could be useful in the middle, even on a rotational basis. I thought of Crisp too. I agree that Callum has preference in the small player department. Perhaps Reid being injured will end the experiment with the "three talls" and another small, someone like Crocker, may come in. I don't know enough about Max Lynch.

Who could've guessed that we'd be in this position of delving so deeply into our 'reserves" ? Big sigh.

[PyreneesPie]

Then he pussied out of another attack on the ball..

I recall the play you are talking about Haff. Maybe he was just plain exhausted??? The backs didn't have an easy night of it. Levi wouldn't pussy out of anything! Perhaps you made the mistake of thinking the commentators are always right?

[Magpietothemax]

Then he pussied out of another attack on the ball..

I recall the play you are talking about Haff. Maybe he was just plain exhausted??? The backs didn't have an easy night of it. Levi wouldn't pussy out of anything! Perhaps you made the mistake of thinking the commentators are always right?

This. Perfect answer PP. Greenwood was great tonight. I recall the pathetic commentators on Fox criticised Levi for that play. But as you say, he was exhausted, given the massive efforts he made in our defence.

[bally12]

North literally monstered us. It was a deliberate tactic and it worked. The Eagles do the same to our midfield. That's why they easily wrest control from us, no matter our lead. It doesn't help when Razor Ray is plucking frees and 50's from his arse.
The concern is that North stopped us from switching to the fat side of the ground, and we just went down the line all the time, where they killed us at the fall of the ball, and in the clinches. At this point, we needed to change tack and take chances through the middle like the Doggies do. Sadly, doesn't seem we are a smart enough team to do this.

Some pretty harsh player reviews, but what the hell we've been rubbish for a few weeks now..

Philips - Seedsman was tougher. North targeted him because they know he he's soft in the contest. Zero tackles for the match. Embarrassing.

Treloar - under pressure he just throws the ball to anyone. Mostly the opposition. Worst 40 possession game I've seen.

Cox - Just waves spahgetti arms in the air. Someone show him how to take a strong mark for chrissakes. Or bring his parents back to watch, or get Riewoldt to sledge him every week...seems the only time he pulls his finger out. One of those players that needs to play angry, but it doesn't come naturally to him. Psychologist needed please.

Reidy - he's been a good Pies man, but his body is done. We can't afford more brreakdowns mid-match. Every mark these days he second-grabs, and he can't jump. Time to move on.

Shazza - needs to get fluidity into his game instead of mark, stop, kick down the line or kick seideays. Zero tackles also. Needs to improve on this. Concerns on his pace and kicking penetration, no doubt injury related.

Sidey - had a shocker. When other midfields target us physically, Sidey goes missing. He's just not that kind of player. He shouldn't be in our midfield rotations. Instead we need to free him up outside of the contest.

Thomas - just not getting it done. In the last quarter we started with JDG, Pendles, and Thomas in the middle. Bucks has too much trust in this guy. He hasn't repaid that trust...needs a spell in the 2's. Part of our midget brigade problem.

Moore - he'll never be a forward because he doesn't have the kicking ability. Leave him back please. Prefer him in the ruck than forward actually.

Brown / Daicos - agree with many on here who bracket them together because of their small size. I'd give Daicos another go and drop Brown, only for the fact that Daics would improve faster in the firsts than running around the reserves. Similarly I don't think we would have seen Brown's improvement this year if he was getting played in the 2nds all year.

So what to do about our fizzer of a midfield? In a strange kind of way, it's good we have been glaringly exposed now, in the chance that we may be able to do something about it. No doubt we have sorely missed Adams. I know Bucks has alluded to giving JDG more midfield time. Probably a fitness issue holding him back? Also a good time to give Quaynor a go. I don't care where he plays, just get him in the kid deserves a go. Our team selections have been boring and conservative...much like the timid way we've been playing. We need to become daring, aggressive, and unpredictable again.

[Magpietothemax]

Bally, your review of Schazz is way too harsh. It is his first game for over a year, and was not meant to occur tonight anyway.
But yeah, most others were pretty accurate.
Everything was way down tonight. Such a loss was building, and our injuries made it even more inevitable.

[E]

When Howe, Elliot, Adams, Beams, Aish, Wells, and now Reid and Sier are out due to injury and Stephenson suspended. Most of these would be in our best 22. Ive probably missed one or two too the list is that long.

Hopefully tonight’s an aberration.

you might have also missed Langdon. I think we are seeing how much more easily we get opened up down back without our general back there. Such a shame his knee has degenerated. not sure he comes back. big loss.

[E]

Adams comes in even if he has to hobble around on1 leg, we might then win a hard ball.....

boy, Daicos and Brown really get exposed when the game gets tough! Not just them, but it was pretty glaring today regarding those two.

one piece of good news is that Scharenberg got through unscathed, and i was glad to see him play very one paced and within himself.

I had been thinking Reid might have played too many games in a row. That old man injury has come back again.... such a shame for him.

[E]

Then he pussied out of another attack on the ball..

I recall the play you are talking about Haff. Maybe he was just plain exhausted??? The backs didn't have an easy night of it. Levi wouldn't pussy out of anything! Perhaps you made the mistake of thinking the commentators are always right?

i agree. That was not weak. That was just a failed attempt to be creative. if you watch it agin, Levi wqas trying to take the ball (unfortunately he wiffed at it). If he had of got it, he was breaking a line and likely it would have been a goal. Unfortunately, after he missed it and the kanga got it, it did come accross as very soft, which might have been why they criticized him.

I will say, Brown can barely contain his hate for Collingwood. At one point he was mocking us for the fact that someone else said we had an all time great midfield division. it was said with such smugness. I still dont get why Eddie McGuire cant be biased in his commentary, but dopes like him can.....

[E]

Bally, your review of Schazz is way too harsh. It is his first game for over a year, and was not meant to occur tonight anyway.
But yeah, most others were pretty accurate.
Everything was way down tonight. Such a loss was building, and our injuries made it even more inevitable.

yep. Schaz's only goal today was to get through the game. I dont want him tackling and dont want him stressing his legs. Need to build very very slowly (hence why i am in favor of him doing that in the reserves so that dopes dont criticize his game unfairly).