Post Match. Cats outclass Pies - all comments

[This Random Guy]

Don't forget they have 2.7 years on average experience on us

Didn't they win a flag 2.7 years ago?

[inlandempire]

Will Collingwood now go back to, and in the future playing our more attacking style of football that we have been playing the previous month? Instead of changing our style (more defensive) to sides like Geelong and St. Kilda?
I believe we would have easily won if we continued to employ our attcking style.

[ThePieMind]

^^Yes. Cloke stood up last night. His first half was very good. Cats got on top of him in the second by double teaming him and using Hawkins to get into his space. Dawes was no threat, and Wood was doing nothing around the ground, so they had a free player to work on Cloke and only a need to focus on one forward. Would have been tough for any player to deal with.

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.

Agree with this. Don't think our midfielders ran forward as hard as they have been. Seemed too worried about the Cats scoring power. So, when players like Cloke marked 70 out, instead of being able to hand off to players running past, we too often bombed it in. With the Cats getting numbers back, this was a mistake.

Interesting the point was made when we got to the front in the 3rd QTR, that its was due to mids running forward - we're young and went back into our shell when they kicked a few goals.
If we had persisted with running forward as Carlton did when beating the Cats, the result could have been different.

I think MM should have gone all out with this offensive game plan for the last 15 minutes - we had nothing to lose, and could have learnt a lot about the cats for next time.

[rocketronnie]

One thing that impressed me last night from Geelong and which consistently stuffed us was their ability to triangulate at a contest. Many contests featured one Collingwood versus three Geelong and maybe another Collingwood player arriving late after his opponent. Their ability to read the play and make these contests is very good. I was unimpressed with the delivery into the forward line - too many old style Collingwood balls onto the big forwards heads and once again we were outnumbered at those contests. The club needs to take note of this and either play strict man on man or encourage players to use their instincts to read the play and anticipate the contests.

Oh and for those criticizing Jolly's game last night - I thought he was central to our period of dominance in the third quarter and we lost momentum when he went off and Wood came back on.

[watt price tully]

Oh and for those criticizing Jolly's game last night - I thought he was central to our period of dominance in the third quarter and we lost momentum when he went off and Wood came back on.

My criticism in particular relates to Jolly giving away too many frees against the oppsition - I think he is the highest in the AFL or close to it (although he received 3 & gave away 3 yesterday).

Also struggling against reasonably good to very good rucks like St Kilda, Footscray & now Geelong (I thought Blake did well for them & baby Huey (Hawkins) is relishing his role for Geelong. Also Jamar who is having a break out year this year.

[roar]

Still a bit of boys vs men when we play Geelong, I reckon. Mainly because our older guys go missing, and as a team, we go into our shell. That's OK, our "boys" will be men soon enough (one already is!). We just need to keep playing them.

[1eyedpie]

Oh and for those criticizing Jolly's game last night - I thought he was central to our period of dominance in the third quarter and we lost momentum when he went off and Wood came back on.

My criticism in particular relates to Jolly giving away too many frees against the oppsition - I think he is the highest in the AFL or close to it (although he received 3 & gave away 3 yesterday).

Also struggling against reasonably good to very good rucks like St Kilda, Footscray & now Geelong (I thought Blake did well for them & baby Huey (Hawkins) is relishing his role for Geelong. Also Jamar who is having a break out year this year.

I think opposition coaches have worked out Jolly. They instruct their ruck man to place their arm across Jollys upper chest area and jolly always instinctively tries to pull his arm down and the ump pings him for holding the arm.

Watch other games though and you will see other ruck men get away with the locking of arms with no penalty paid.

[AN_Inkling]

Two of the oddest stats for the night:

Tackles: Ball (1), Toovey (1)

[swoop42]

It's a two way street. Sure, the midfield need to pass the ball well, and last night we were unable to break forward into enough space to hit up a leading player. But, the forward also needs to get some space on his opponent, and be good enough to mark when a defender's in close attendance. Dawes did not do this last night. His contested marking has been ordinary all season. this is not unexpected for such an inexperienced player. I never expected him to stand up against the best at this stage.

Anthony was the same last year. But, he is a year older, though unfortunately lacking a bit of condition due to an interrupted pre-season. I think it's a close call between Dawes and Anthony. It could go either way. Mostly for experience, and accurate kicking, I see Anthony getting the nod by the end of the season.

Dawes has taken only 1 less contested mark than Cloke over the last 5 weeks and has gained a couple more contested possessions in that period.

He had a stinker last night no doubt but both players seem incapable of taking a contested mark in a pack and are better suited to being in a one on one marking contest.

Personally I think Chris has the potential to be a better pack mark than Cloke but this wont occur if he can't start holding on to marks when his arms are fully stretched above his head.

I suspect this has as much to do with timing as anything else or being out positioned by his opponent on occassions, either way when he gets to far under the ball he struggles to mark overhead so he needs to improve in this area so he's going for more marks when the ball is still out in front of his eyes.

[3.14159]

I was almost tearing My hair-out watching Us continually playing the flanks. Geebung were hip to this and simply blocked those areas on the ground. Fair-dinkum. WHY Players of the caliber of Didak and Swan honour leads to the boundary-50 metre arc is beyond Me! IF we had some-one of the calibre of Steve Johnson (and We nearly did) who can kick them from anywhere fair-enough but WE don't!
When we got a run-on in the 3rd We played down the centre and Geebung was forced to the wings! But that couldbn't last. The urge to hug the boundary was just too strong and the rest is history!

[3.14159]

I Blame My mother!

[understudy]

Our ball handling, kicking and decision making wasnt up to scratch across the whole paddock.

To suggest our failure was down to the midfield alone is off the mark imho.

[Usurper]

Love the map, just need a Richie Benaud voice over.

[Cangaru]

Very true and Geelong handpassed down the flank like how many times we not even close to em??? They handpassed and ran like nearly to the opposite back to front half then kick and mark come on!!! Kick would have been 1 to 3 handballs. when should be other way round!!! Or at least 1-2 but hmmm!!! Horrible style with kicks but done us in?? hmm... and that handball deadly almost like the 1979 grandfinal after halftime all over again.

[swoop42]

1. Leon davis - is showing nothing this year , must lift!
2. Alan toovey - does the job , but lacks courage. Backed away from a few contests.3. Cameron wood - Josh Fraser any day for me.
4. Shane obree - finished
5. Darren jolly - please lift.
6. Chris Dawes - don't drop him but tonight he got eaten alive.
7. Brent macaffer - them 2 misses cost us the game.

What are your thoughts?

Presti comes in next week as should Josh and tarks

Yep noticed that to.

He had a look and decided not to put his body on the line and take the hit.

Can someone please tell me who Toovey played on during this match?