Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final Bulldogs 5.5 9.6 13.9 15.14 104 Collingwood 3.4 7.7 9.7 13.8 86
Had Shane Warne been a commentator, he might not have been able to resist. "Can't kick, can't mark, can't handball, can't take clean possession." Sometimes the players tackled fiercely and successfully. Many tackles were impotent: either they tackled below the armpits, so the opponent was able to get off a handball without inconvenience, or they obligingly swung the opponent around until he was lined up where he wanted to deliver. There was a time when 360 degrees was automatically holding the ball; not any more. Someone forgot to send Collingwood the memo.
Collingwood took unforced errors to new heights. It became more and more frustrating to watch. The Bogan left at three-quarter time. The game at home was Melbourne St Kilda - much more satisfactory.
I didn't get the sense that the Bulldogs were outstanding. They were very good and they made the most of their opportunities - Collingwood supplied them with plenty, but I didn't get any sense of unbearable pressure, or superhero feats. I do get the sense that Collingwood players are uncomfortable at Docklands. Maybe I'm imagining.
The wrap
Now that our season is over, Buckley could do worse than to take stock.
Jesse White is never going to be part of a premiership team: give someone else a go. Cloke is a great mark, but his kicking can be demoralising: try him at CHB (it worked wonders for Tarrant, another left-footer with similar problems). Give Reid until next year, but if he can't get back on the park, sayonara.
From 9 disposals, Darcy Moore kicked 5 goals (I think I missed 3). Perhaps we can build a forward line around him.
If we don't have any obvious candidates for the forward line, improvise. West Coast used to play the undersized Phil Matera at full forward with considerable success (West Coast leading goalkicker: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 - Wikipedia). He was a late withdrawal from the 2005 AFL Grand Final due to injury. West Coast lost by 4 points. Who knows?
A small forward line makes most oppositions' tall backs redundant and messes with their team balance.
Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=6105
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Matera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_AFL_Grand_Final
Dear Mr TFB
ReplyDeleteYou left at three quarter time – you were so disheartened.
I didn’t even go – I loathe Etihad that much.
On the telly, it wasn’t the same team we had been watching for weeks, our team who were just missing on winning week after week. This time, the plot was lost. How were we even going to have any one player kicking a multiple number of goals? So the tyro comes up with a bag of 5.
However, we were light years behind in the detail of the play. The rapid fire handball, the spread, the accurate kicking, the plan of what to do. It was, dare I say it, un-Collingwood like. The number of players who should have done better but faltered was extraordinary.
I think the selection committee could have dropped half the team and brought in lots of the newbies.
I had hoped that White would have been tried in the backline rather being immediately axed.
The forward line of Moore, Elliott, Grundy and Fasolo doesn’t bring a smile to my face. There is nothing defensive there at all.
We remain hopeful for miracles.
Floreat Pica
M