Written for the Floreat Pica Society by their gallant Perth correspondent Rory “Ripsnorter” Adams
The biggest tragedy about what happened today in Subiaco is that Matt Priddis and Jesse White both got paid for playing football today.
A great opportunity for the Magpies today ended in tatters today when they were blown off the park by a dominant West Coast who won by 10 goals and could have won by 20 such was their dominance.
For the pies our three midfielders Beams, Pendlebury and Sidebottom all turned up again and played well but could only count a handful of others who in any way helped.
We elected to tag Shuey and that didn’t really work and his mates in Gaff and Masten ran all over a ragged Pies midfield but the real damage was being done by Priddis inside and outside he racked them up at will, unchecked all day.
We used to have our plus one being Maxwell, Shaw or Harry ,today at times it was Tony Armstrong in his second game while at the other end Shannon Hurn was allowed to be theirs. All day it seemed we we outnumbered in the mids, back and forward.
The positives for the Pies were again some good games by some young players – Kennedy , Broomhead, Elliot and Frost all played good games but again let down by inept tall forwards and a midfield only willing to work one way.
I would think Buckley needs to keep playing the kids, Reid may need to go back while I would bring Grundy in for White. We have options in Seedsman, Thomas and Langdon but hard to see where the improvement really comes from. We have a couple of games we should win and then the Hawks which could be a game to decide our fate for 2014 – not a proposition we will look forward to on recent history.
The Horsborough votes will go in camera to Steve in but doubt the camera will be panning to Jesse White when these are read out at awards night.
I hope I get a decent Collingwood effort some stage soon at Subiaco as the last few have been hard work to write on.
Very fair report, Ripsnorter. The only thing I would question is your giving Jack Frost a pass mark. I could see that he has the size and skills to be a good key defender in time, and he was under constant pressure. But he looked lost to me yesterday, and his decision making and kicking under pressure was really poor.
The loss of Maxwell as a general down back was very clear.
I thought Ben Reid actually showed a bit yesterday after his long lay off, and was your most dangerous forward (damned with faint praise). As you say they could use him better at CHB now that he has some match fitness.