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Trezegol wrote:The problem when we play both Geelong and St Kilda is that we stop playing to our structures.
As soon as we do this, the skill level drops remarkably.
The two teams that defeated the Cats this year were no match for us. Why? Because we still played the game on our terms. Therefore, even when Carlton and Freo came at us, we still had the confidence to keep on playing our style of game.
Against both Geelong and St Kilda, there have been large parts of the game where we were the better team. But we still never looked that great going forward. This is as much about us as it is our opposition. I think mentally, we did not believe that we could beat Geelong. The Cats gave us plenty of chances, and i can see why the Blues towelled them up.
As for Leon - for his sake as much as the teams, he needs 2-3 games at the VFL. His confidence is shot. In the past, he may have lacked the intensity, but you could never question his skills. Watching him now, he looks like he doesn't want the ball. Against Freo last week, in the last qtr he passed the ball to a teammate after marking the ball 20 metres from goal. Result? A behind. Fast forward to the Geelong game and in the first qtr he marked the ball on fifty with no one around him for 10 metres. Rather than run to 35 and kick truly, he passes to Swan near the boandary line. Result? One behind.
Have his poor finals games got the better of him? It certainly looks that way.
That is a terrific summary Trezegol! I agree 100% and especially with your take on Leon Davis. I said exactly the same thing when he didn't run on for goal last night. His mind is shot and he needs a break (a long one).
If he is playing injured then the coach has to take the flak. Whatever happened to the idea that you don't play injured players for big games? Swan shouldn't have played either. It's not as if our cupboard is bare. Poor selections, and you still have to question Mick's judgment.
I'm disappointed but not too worried. We improved from last year's prelim. Expect to see steady improvement from here til September. As long as that happens, we're on the right track.
This is a lesson that the team, especially the kids, will learn from. After this and the St Kilda game I would expect much less choking going into the forward 50 in future. We have 2 more cracks at those teams this year, and it's only May.
There were very noticeable differences between the two teams and these clearly show why the Cats may be taking home another piece of silverware this year.
All of their defenders and midfielders are very good at disposal by foot and when you compare that to the Pies with - Maxwell, Shaw, Harry etc., - most of the time they get the ball they are kicking it long - and normally to a contest.
Johnson seems to be an exception - surprisngly.
If you then add to that:
Wellingham's missed handballs in the forward line,
Heath Shaws turnovers,
Maxwell's last kick that resulted in a goal,
Macaffers poor attempts at goal kicking,
Ball and Davis short passes inside the attacking 50,
Swan's out on the full.
etc.,
The Pies are a lot closer to the Cats in game day mode than last year - simple fixes need to happen plus some personnel changes - and the Pies can play the Cats in the GF this year - and be a chance to win it.
Last edited by sq3 on Sat May 22, 2010 12:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Coaches give you direction but skills win you matches.
i totally agree - i dont want to give up on davis yet - when he is good he is soooooooooo good - hopefully its around the corner. i felt he was a bit overwelmed by the hieght last night, cant remember which game but i remember him copping a bit hit in the last game or three from a big guy (hes not very big) maybe a week or two in the twos would help - as for big game jitters, i think it effected the whole team - except Ball - Man i bet the saints are kicking themselves - i know the supporters are - he is brilliant hard working and getting better every week
You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either!
If we won last night, we would have been flag favourites and all the jokes about not winning flags in May would be flying around.
Still a young side and still have lots to learn. We will get better, the key is to peak in September. I have said that my feeling is we are pacing ourselves this year. Experienced players being played in the 2's, game time to kids etc. Seems to me we are aiming not to peak in August like we did last year.
Remember 1990.
Essendon beat us by 5-6 goals first time around, then 1 goal second time and come finals they were our biatches.
The bad Collingwood came out last night. The bad Collingwood that bombs it long to a stagnant forward line, the bad Collingwood that has a stagnant forward line, the bad Collingwood that fumbles when under the slightest pressure, the bad Collingwood that stuffs up it kick-ins, the bad Collingwood that misses simple shots on goal, the bad Collingwood that has superstars aplenty against lesser lights but fail time and again once the pressure is ramped up.
Leon........the club, the supporters have waited 9 rounds for you to show redemption for your finals series failure last year. Your forward pressure has been the only thing keeping you in the side. Last night it was non-existent. You are lucky that Brad Dick will sit out this weekend.
"And that effort by Ezard was pathetic" - Don Scott.
perthmagpie wrote:We found it much harder to play to our structures and game plan as Geelong always kept three players back. When we forced a turnover and went to sweep the ball forward to two forwards in space like we have been doing we looked up to see us being outnumbered. As the game went on we gradually moved less and less away from our structures. With that, everything else fell away including the aggressive playing on, the running bounces, the 'sneaky' handpass chains, the huge tackle counts. We played like last year. Credit to Geelong for doing their homework and making it hard for us to continue the game plan we've had almost all year. They made it uncomfortable for us to stick to our structures and in the end we didn't. The crap kicking for goal was once again a huge problem. Don't forget they have 2.7 years on average experience on us and that's around 60 games. Our fwd line is still a work in progress while their's is not. We have improved but it's a matter of when a team with 60 games less experience can catch a much older experienced team that will eventually decline due to age. In 4 months (2010) or 16 months? (2011)
just about sums it all up for me, well said, very good post. i dont think the cats will decline until next year, nothing lasts forever, hopefully that will be our time to go to that next level, and beat this mob when it counts.
Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor, but because we cannot satisfy the rich.
Chess and Vodka are born brothers. - Russian proverb.
Piesnchess wrote: just about sums it all up for me, well said, very good post. i dont think the cats will decline until next year, nothing lasts forever, hopefully that will be our time to go to that next level, and beat this mob when it counts.
you had all but written the cats off. make up your mind.
all mm had to do before the game started was to put fraser in as another tall forward. at the start of the game he had wood as ff. if mm was going to do that why didn't he just put fraser in, and then have wood as the other 2nd ruck. that way we would of had the 3 talls that we needed to beat the cats
Piesnchess wrote: just about sums it all up for me, well said, very good post. i dont think the cats will decline until next year, nothing lasts forever, hopefully that will be our time to go to that next level, and beat this mob when it counts.
you had all but written the cats off. make up your mind.
Wrong Jock, i never wrote them off, but after losing to Carlton, beating the swans on their own dunghill, then beating an undermanned Lions, I thought they were ripe for the picking by us. And i dont think i was robison crusoe in that department either,far from it.
Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor, but because we cannot satisfy the rich.
Chess and Vodka are born brothers. - Russian proverb.
Monco Matt wrote:Worst part was watching us drop our heads after we didn't score a goal in the first 7 minutes of the last qtr. You could just see us give up. We lack so much belief in our ability to beat the best sides, so much so that I fear we never will.
Understandable though after we missed so many gettable chances & then they take it down the other end & kick a gold. Very deflating.
colin_wood wrote:Reid was very good tonight. Brown not so good.
I thought both did OK. They were only 4 goals half way through the third quarter. Considering how much more of the ball they had, I thought the backline stood up as well as could be expected.
Only two from my lounge chair I thought showed anything were beams and pendles at times. Apart from that thought the rest were sub par.
On the whole thought we were ok for most of the game when we didnt have the ball.
Where we let ourselves down for most of the game was when we had the ball with second rate ball handling, foot skills and decision making in comparison to Geelong.
All in all much like the performance against the Saints.
To hit the scoreboard and hurt top quality opposition is going to require vast improvement in ball handling, foot skills and decision making.
Id be looking at bringing in Anthony and Dick (when ready) but unfortunately apart from that the cupboards looking pretty bare ...
