Post GF Floreat Pica thoughts

In hindsight, I’m not sure that the strategy to kick it long to thegeelongdefender was such a great strategy – just a thought.

Go Pies, 2012,

PS How bad was the ch 10 commentary?

 

Two injured players cost us big time!! The worst game Reid has ever played!!

 

Who would have replaced him. They were the form team and got us at a bad time for us. Good for bucks to fuel the fire for 2012 and for us to never allowGeelongto beat us over the next few years

 

Outplayed and outcoached – too many players didn’t get it enough, and dumb. dumb, dumb football when the game was in the balance!

 

Can’t forget that we are the second best team in the comp – no need to go into a mad panic – but some changes need to be made!

 

Go pies – sad but not without hope!

 

Outplayed by a very good team. While we were very competitive for 3 quarters in an outstanding game, from the time we got 15 points up in the second quarter it was 4 goals to 13.  We lost our run and seemed to think that it would happen for us after J-Pod went off and all the momentum was our way.  A couple of super goals by Bartel and Johnson kept them in the game, and they were a bit stronger and hungrier in the clinches and had a target up forward.

 

As for injured players, they played one as well and he was one of the best men on the ground.  Mick took too long to take Reid off Hawkins, as Taz had played well and still had some legs.  

 

It’s a long time until we get another crack at it.  I see Mick has announced he won’t be at the club, no great surprise there.  I reckon you’ll see Eade appointed to a role similar to Bomber Thompson in the next couple of weeks.

 

Premierships are bloody hard to win – you need a very good team and a lot of things to go right, and the last couple of months of the season a few things went wrong and we fell away at the worst possible time.  I agree that this is no time to panic, a very strong season and played some very good footy at times today.  I do take heart from a debutant coach winning a flag.

 

 

Yep – very dumb footy – very confusing really.

Oh well,

next year – now what the hell to do for 6mths w no footy?

 

This is not the first premiership that we have lost playing injured players. Let’s hope it’s the last. I should be able to talk and think about footy by next week’s Horsburgh medal dinner but I think I’ll go away and feel sad for a few days.

 

Very disappointed but I think our injury and suspension riddled season cost us in the end. Us and Geel a class above the others so we were good enough to get to the big one on 3 cylinders but met the cats who had better preparation. Bring on 2012 with new hunger new tweaked game plan hopefully some luck with injury some more new blood and Bucks ready to kick ass

 

Not the result we were all hoping for, but I am trying to remain positive!  Over the last three years, our boys have put in a mighty effort – probably have done so for longer than that, and I think today showed how hard on their bodies and minds it has been.  I suspect that some of St Kilda’s on-field issues this year have had a bit to do with being in 3 grand finals in 2 years and coming away with nothing – that’s got to be tough!  We have had injuries at the wrong end of the season, and an interrupted season for many key players.  Call me Pollyanna, but the fact we made the GF is to be celebrated – and they played 3 quarters of good footy, but I think the game against the Hawks especially, took it’s toll, and there just wasn’t much left in the tank!

 

I still believe we have a lot to look forward to – some great young players coming through, really solid seasons from some of our players in the middle of their careers, and real growth in others over the last 2 years.  Whilst the gala event next week may lack some of the gusto from last year, there is still much to celebrate – Swannie finally gaining recognition for the wonder that he is, being chief amongst them!  Have a great night – will be thinking of you, and humming our club song every now and then!!

 

Floret Pica – and bring on Season 2012!!!

 

We have lived in anAFLvacuum for a fortnight. Last week as the hawthorn game was being played we were driving acrossEnglandwishing that I could turn on the radio and listen to the dulcet tones of Dennis Commetti or even as  very last resort Rex Hunt describing the game.
We looked good for a while, but Geelong looked very good. Another very good year, but they beat us 3 times. 
I look forward to reading the backlog of e-mails when I get home.  Thanks for all the correspondence during the year. 
Enjoy the FP dinner

 

Apart from being gutted by the result I also felt a strange sense of relief. Watching from the stands the players themselves looked slightly flat, drained, “off” and playing more in hope than expectation. 

 

I can’t question their effort as they contested as hard as you would want them to but some of it was wasted effort and like many others have said, “DUMB”. For most of this year they have disposed to teammates in a better position or kicked to advantage but yesterday  many disposals were thoughtless.

 

I just wonder whether the mental drain on the players after such a long season with all that has transpired from the coaching speculation to Heater’s suspension, the pressure of success etc had already taken its toll.

 

Nonetheless I wake this morning devastated to have lost but prouder than ever to be a Magpie Fan. With Bucks calling the shots and another year’s experience for our younger players I look forward to next year with great anticipation.

 

GO PIES!

 

Some interesting stats :

 

First half 22 Inside 50s for 9.3 second half 29 inside 50s for 3.6, highlighting our “dumb play” and bombing in the second half

Last qtr inside 50s 14-11 our way, us no goals, cats 5 goals, highlighting that they had space, run and Hawkins

Clearances 8-2 their way in last 10 minutes of second quarter.  In many ways this was the most critical period of the game. We led by 3 goals and they lost a bloke for the rest of the game.  A couple of critical defensive errors (Maxy and Taz failing to get the ball over the boundary line, Selwood goals, Jolly knocks the ball over on the full, Bartel goals) and the Cats’ will meant that they went in 3 points in arrears rather than 3 goals or more.  

 

 

 

 

We lapsed in the last month and it may be the beginning of a dynasty or back to the fold loss. As has often been the case when we are on the rise there has often been a champion team. What can you say about someone like bartel. What an outright champion who I think won them the match. Our back six made stupid mistakes and the forward line became dysfunctional with Mick not adjusting to lonergan going onto cloke. I feel sad for tazdavisand krakouer. Today is always the hardest and I think of geelongs 3 out of 4 and our 1 out of 4 if we include 2002 and 2003. Love for the team to use this as a spur for some dominance over the next 3 years.

 

Went to Gosch's paddock at lunch time. We found it a bit healing. The main reason we went was to say thank you to Mick. He made a farewell speech and it is probably the last one that he will make to Collingwood
 supporers apart from at the Copeland (which I am not going to)
 
 I thought Mick's speech was good and gracious and I am optimistic for the start of Buck's term.

 

I was at the game. We made too many fundamental errors, Tooves, Taz, Harry all fumbling and failing to “one grab” the pill and clear it. They monstered us in the midfield with big bodies like ling, chapman, bartel and selwood. If we are going to win it next year we need to find another big bodied midfielder to help Luke Ball. Mick’s gameplan was unravelled late in the year and Geelongexposed it brilliantly. Chris Scott coached brilliantly and they had plans for all our key gun players. They continually blocked Swannie’s ability to run straight into the forward line and he was forced to go wide. Looking forward to Bucks implementing a new gameplan. Having the best contested mark in the AFLsurely means we go long and direct to him “one out”. 

All in all a disappointing day but to be honest, we never looked like winning after halftime. The 3 most annoying things of the  day; 
1. The Geelong Chant that came from the stands in the last quarter. Boy that hurt, especially as the majority of it came from the MCC Members (all the Carlton, Melbourne and Essendon fans). 
2. Steve Johnsons handball receive (1 inch) from Hawkins to goal in the last quarter. 
3. Alan Didak. 

Go Pies in 2012 and may the fire burn in our guts.

Can I ask why our coach did not make one positional change in the last quarter on Saturday?
 
 I could give you at least 6 changes that I would have made but then again I am not being paid over $800, 000 per annum.
 
 
  

 

 

 

Comments

  1. My three most truly glorious things of the day:

    1. The Geelong chant (particularly from the MCC Members, where this Carlton supporter happened to be watching)
    2. Steve Johnson’s handball receive… brilliant!
    3. Alan Didak – and that he was dressed as “Where’s Wally” on Mad Monday (although I always managed to find Wally in those puzzles in well under the 100 minutes that Didak went unsighted on Saturday).

  2. @Litza – “I always managed to find Wally in those puzzles in well under the 100 minutes that Didak went unsighted on Saturday.” :-)

    Reminds me of a Cood-a-been comment in the early 2000s though can’t remember when. Went along the lines of “The perfect hiding place for Osama Bin Laden is the Collingwood forward line because its impossible to find.” Not quite th case now though.

    To Magpie supporters, I know how you feel though at least the Cats were an even-money chance in this GF so not a huge surprise that they won. 2008 was as bad a feeling as I’ve ever had, and it still rankles me given we were “certainties” beaten.

    Here’s to resuming hostilities in 6 months time.

  3. 3 thoughtsfrom a relatively neutral observer in hindsight.

    1. Geelong looked like they were playing for each other. Collingwood played like they had something to prove.

    2. To say that the two GF-ists were a cut above is misleading. The Final 8 had 3 groups. Gee, Coll and Haw were a chance, although Gee consistently a slight cut above. Carl and WesCo below them, but a (significant) cut above the remainder.

    3. How much did the pantsing towards the end of the season play on the mind mentally (for both teams)when the game was in the balance?

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