Post Match. Swans thump Pies. All comments.

[Haff]

^Cameron is, after two games all be it, leading our B&F.

[Magpietothemax]

King wrote what I thought was a very good analysis on SEN sport.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/03/16/ ... woods-big/

Essentially, he said we were "1 metre off" compared to last year. While not so huge as to be unfixable, it is nevertheless a massive handicap at the AFL level.
He writes:


“I had a closer look this morning, Collingwood is a metre off from where they were last year and one metre is massive in our game at the moment.

“You don’t quite squeeze that player and force the fumble with pressure, you don’t quite arrive at the right time to get a handball receive and those metres everywhere kill you and that’s what Craig McRae has to fix.

“It’s not massive, but the lack of absolute investment may take a couple of weeks to get right, we’re seeing their backline exposed because of those metres and they’re easy to score against because of those things.

“Across the course of last year, they gave up a goal from every six entries and this year it’s close to every three.

“Those numbers are numbers that don’t take you to the finals let alone the promised land.

“He’s got to find that metre.”

That is what exactly this game looked like to me. I don't buy into the narrative that other teams have "picked our gameplan apart". I think they have known about our game plan for a long time, and in the final analysis why we won the flag was because we were able to execute it so brilliantly.
In the game against the Swans, it looked rprecisely as King called it: the accuracy and timing of those brilliant handballs, tap ons, was just slightly off, allowing the Swans to intercept.
Our defence is lacking that metre and is disconnected because it has to adjust to playing without Murphy. Dean has had a baptism of fire because he has been thrown into Murph's role, but without anything near the same level of experience, understanding of his role, both individually and in relation to the rest of the defence. Our defenders don't seem yet to have understood that because of the absence of Murphy, their role as well necessarily changes, and they have to be more attentive to assisting Dean, and perhaps taking the initiative to make adjustments on field (send Dean to the second forward while taking responsibility for the main forward).
King also pointed out that Darcy is playing very poorly atm, and his disposal has proven to be a liability on multiple occasions.
In 2022, we had problems with the connection and positioning of our defence, and were able to resolve it. I think we have a similar situation this year.
Finally, I found it a truly bizarre selection move to make Finn the sub, while at the same time managing Tom Mitchell. This just seemed to weaken the midfield, when it was essential for us to have it as strong as possible. I don't think that cost us the game-there were far too issues across the entire field, but it did seem to be a strange underestimate of the Swans' midfield and our need to have JDG, Crisp, NDaicos, etc running on the outside rather than combatting at the coalface.
I think Fly's comment at the presser was very, very true: we have huge scope for improvement. We looked extremely rusty in execution, simply not switched on.
I look forward to watchjng our team turn the switch back on.

[Magpietothemax]

^Cameron is, after two games all be it, leading our B&F.

Cudos to Darcy Cameron. Held his own against Grundy, who last game was in 2018 form.
Well done Darcy!
If he has lifted his game to a new level, this will be so important in driving up the impact of Cox and Cameron together. Cox might be more free to impact forward, or at least bring the ball to ground in our F50 etc.

[Piesnchess]

I would like to forget this game, and never mention of it again, for all time too come. Time too move on now, learn the lessons from this defeat, put them into practice, next match, onwards and upwards. !!

[Magpietothemax]

I would like to forget this game, and never mention of it again, for all time too come. Time too move on now, learn the lessons from this defeat, put them into practice, next match, onwards and upwards. !!

How do you learn the lessons if you don't mention it again?

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

its going for a sydney swans v gws giants grand final mark my words.

[Piesnchess]

I would like to forget this game, and never mention of it again, for all time too come. Time too move on now, learn the lessons from this defeat, put them into practice, next match, onwards and upwards. !!

How do you learn the lessons if you don't mention it again?

Fly said as much that we HAVE learnt some hard lessons from this debacle, the players now would know now , and now we put what we learnt into practice v the Saints. I expect, HOPE to see an entirely different Magpie team next Thurs night, in general attitude, grit, determination, accountability, minding opponents, hard tackling, no loose men, and back to basics, of forward an defensive craft, get back to what we do best.

[Pies4shaw]

What we need is to bring Ginni in to spark the forward line. How's his form been?

[Magpietothemax]

What we need is to bring Ginni in to spark the forward line. How's his form been?

Yep, never understood why we let him go so easily.

[Magpietothemax]

dp

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

What we need is to bring Ginni in to spark the forward line. How's his form been?

Went MIA in the second half yesterday

[Take_a_Screamer]

This is WHY Collingwood are 0-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLB5HWIuXA

[Culprit]

I am simply hoping that the unfurling of the flag helps put last season behind us. We should be playing better and all the hype does have a mental impact.

[Gerry Cooper]

What we need is to bring Ginni in to spark the forward line. How's his form been?

Went MIA in the second half yesterday

he played true to his usual form then.

[Magpietothemax]

This is WHY Collingwood are 0-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLB5HWIuXA

Interesting video, and correctly points out many individual errors. Presented irrefutable evidence that our incapacity to stick tackles was a massive factor in this loss - that to me suggests we have not started with optimum energy levels due to whatever (training loads, shorter preseason) and won't persist.
However, seemed too much focussed on presenting Charlie Dean as the culprit in D50, when I think that this was not the true picture. Dean was often left to fend for himself against quality opposition after our turnovers upfield, and the Swans'ball movement was pretty devastating.
Likewise focussed on AJ's lack of impact, but the lack of structure and incisiveness in our F50 was as much due to our lack of incisive ball movement.