Post Match. Pies lose to Dogs. All comments, please.

[Raw Hammer]

We also have the 4th best defence.

No one’s denying how good our defence is.

But ask Ross Lyon what a defence-first, -second and -third game plan achieves.

[mattdally]

This is true - he should have won 3 flags.
Unfortunately was unlucky twice and Freo couldn't kick straight in the 3rd.

[Piesnchess]

Pies currently have the lowest score of the round (we played in the most perfect conditions you could want), including a game played on torrential rain. With one more game to go.

That’s all you need to know about our forward line under Buckley’s regime.

Least we lost to a quality team, and not the wooden spooner as the Cats did, or did we cough up a 40 point lead as the Dons did. Nth got belted with their boom recruit, Stephenson. Its Rd 1, shit happens, but we werent the worst performed side. I will wait a few more Rounds before passing my judgement.

I don’t care who we lost to.
We can’t score.
Haven’t been able to for 2 years.
It’s OK though. C.Brown and Cameron will come I my o that forward line and all will be swell.

I actually do care WHO we lose too, id rather lose to a very good Dogs team, than a rabble who were last years wooden spooner. Get real.

[Mr Miyagi]

Dogs had the ball in their forward 50 for 70% of the game at one point. The problem isn’t our forward line.

[Born to Pie]

There is another way to look at it, instead of 0.3 from DeGoey and Thomas, they both snag 1.2 and if Mihocek dosen't hit the post we win! Yep we play like crap and win. Yes it didn't happen but we still had very real chances that could have resulted in victory in a very dismal display.

[Abdul The Bull]

Dogs had the ball in their forward 50 for 70% of the game at one point. The problem isn’t our forward line.

Correct. We were smashed in the guts. Or, in Buckley vernacular... "We were nutted at the clearances". This area of concern was mooted by the club in the off season when they mentioned their desire to recruit midfielders. The results of that were underwhelming however, and now we are in trouble in that department. Until we get our midfield right we will continue to struggle.

[The Boy Who Cried Wolf]

So no forwards or midfielders now.... wow lmao

[Abdul The Bull]

I personally am far less concerned about our forward line than I am about our midfield. The midfield is a huge issue and will continue to become more so unless action is taken now. Unfortunately, that won't translate into positive results for a number of years.

[robevpau1]

I personally am far less concerned about our forward line than I am about our midfield. The midfield is a huge issue and will continue to become more so unless action is taken now. Unfortunately, that won't translate into positive results for a number of years.

.

Indeed. Midfield is a disaster. Major lack of connection between Grundy and the midfielders. More often than not, Grundy has to gather and clear his own hit-outs! De Goey has a mind of his own and not disciplined enough to be a designated mid-field role. Sier too slow and cumbersome. Try some of the kids, I reckon ....

[PyreneesPie]

Well, "On the Couch" tonight surely was interesting. Did anyone else see it?

They basically identified Collingwood as being "in trouble". Problem areas identified were of course, the forward set up and the midfield, along with slow ball movement.

The stat was trotted out that Stephenson attended 10 centre bounces for North and had not been started in the middle ONCE in his whole time at Collingwood. In the absence of Treloar, they thought that Stephenson would've been more than an adequate replacement in the middle. Gerard Healy said in fact, the midfield is the major problem, with Pendles showing that he should be playing in the forward line as he enters his twilight years.

They argued that Coxy was being played out of position far too much, in that he often travels up the ground to be the kick out target coming out of defence. This means he cannot get back to full forward to be a target there, with the current speed of the game, so he ends up loitering on the fringes of the forward line. Apparently Bucks justified this use of Cox, but the panel said it was a mistake to use him that way.

Lastly, Gary Lyon brought up the hugs that our players enjoyed with Adz after the game. He interpreted this as the players saying they did not agree with the decision to shove him out. Riewoldt said the lack of niggle and pressure on Treloar was pathetic and questioned whether the players were given any direction from the coach to make him feel uncomfortable.

[Rosolino_Leone]

The Western Bulldogs will be 6-0 or 5-1 going into a RD7 blockbuster against Richmond in which they will win

The Bulldogs will go on to win the Premiership


Martin and Treloar are giving me Jolly and Ball vibes...

[Rosolino_Leone]

I am still trying to understand how Bontempelli spun out of Maynards tackle on the wing. The way he did it, its as if he invited Maynards challenge for fun

[Cruisinwithdids]

Well, "On the Couch" tonight surely was interesting. Did anyone else see it?

They basically identified Collingwood as being "in trouble". Problem areas identified were of course, the forward set up and the midfield, along with slow ball movement.

The stat was trotted out that Stephenson attended 10 centre bounces for North and had not been started in the middle ONCE in his whole time at Collingwood. In the absence of Treloar, they thought that Stephenson would've been more than an adequate replacement in the middle. Gerard Healy said in fact, the midfield is the major problem, with Pendles showing that he should be playing in the forward line as he enters his twilight years.

They argued that Coxy was being played out of position far too much, in that he often travels up the ground to be the kick out target coming out of defence. This means he cannot get back to full forward to be a target there, with the current speed of the game, so he ends up loitering on the fringes of the forward line. Apparently Bucks justified this use of Cox, but the panel said it was a mistake to use him that way.

Lastly, Gary Lyon brought up the hugs that our players enjoyed with Adz after the game. He interpreted this as the players saying they did not agree with the decision to shove him out. Riewoldt said the lack of niggle and pressure on Treloar was pathetic and questioned whether the players were given any direction from the coach to make him feel uncomfortable.

That analysis is spot on, and it has been going on for years. Players are under-utilised in single positions - this reflects poor one dimensional coaching. Roughead & Howe are 2 more examples. Buckley is the worst coach in the AFL.

[simon tonna]

We did this to ourselves by leaving Grundy to do what he wants. I can’t imagine our coaching panel would not be trying to generate clean ball use from stoppages. Grundy is the master of body position and is generally first to touch the footy but he cannot use this to our advantage. No one knows what the hell he is doing out there. Are we better of with a traditional set up where Cameron comes in, does the ruck work and Grundy learns to lead and mark or crumb?
We need to fix this problem. We need first ball use. It was our yard stick and it used to stamp out most of our wins not so long ago. It’s a fundamental of football and our dopey ruckman needs a rocket.

[Pies4shaw]

The only thing that's changed is that our midfielders have declined and their ranks have thinned. Grundy is doing what he always did. The suggestion that Grundy is doing "what he wants", rather than playing according to the game plan is, with respect, actual drivel.