Pies vs Blues
General - Meh, what a hard game to watch, if this is modern football and what the AFL want it's very hard to get around it, just nothing like the sport I grew up with and enjoyed. This game was just terrible to watch, the average netball game is more physical. Training drills involve more contact. Just circle work going around the ground and hitting a forward under no pressure, not even sure which team would be more disappointed with it to be honest, probably Blues given they lost but hard to be excited for the Pies either given witches hats present more challenge and they still struggled to win.
Blues - Absolutely putrid effort. They were bad last week and doubled down to be twice as bad this week. Williamson's "chase", Zac Williams all night, Pendles jogging through the middle for a couple of bounces with no one iota of pressure and then gets it a couple of uncontested touches later at F50, the shot where they zoomed out and there were 10 Blues and not one applied pressure in any direction towards the ball or the nearest man, just stood. If that's what they've been coached to do, they should just pull the trigger now, a garbage can could get more intensity out of them.
Docherty - Ratio was tough for mine, he was actually pretty good, love to know the intercept stats because it felt like half a dozen which given an 87% DE it's brutal to have a negative ratio. Also had a couple of good spoils. I've got him and given how utterly woeful the team was, especially their pressure up the ground, not a disaster but that's two underwhelming games from him with plenty of supply, for some reason the Blues seem happy to have Weitering and Plowman take kick-ins and kick it to the opposition, dat coaching ey...
Walsh - His ratio felt rough all night but actually kind of came good towards the end. Given how bad they were this is a pretty good result. Happy to have him but the team looks really bad and that's always a concern in SC.
Plowman - I don't get him as a player, it's too late to be referring to potential, he does some things where you think there's an AFL player in there but he's 27 this year and he still does so many woeful things. Surely there is someone staying out of the team that offers more.
Cripps - Putrid. Just doesn't look near it. Can't clasp a mark, no spread at all, inordinate amount of time rotting forward which for a guy with almost no forward craft can really only indicate how unfit he really is. Why did he have to be cheap enough to lull me in... Top of my trade out list right now and would take a bit for anyone (not just my players) to beat him, he just doesn't look near it and the new style doesn't suit him at all if he's not spreading or marking.
Saad - Struggled, Brown seemed to be tagging him to an extent and went with him very well.
Williams - One of the most generous ratios I can remember, he was terrible. Couldn't hit a target, every time he was nearby it was like a pressure relief for the Pies because he had no interest in trying to tackle or pressure, his stats were actually amazing from the eye test to the stat sheet. The positive is that he's not that bad a player and his ratio was so incredibly glorious that at least one of the CD guys clearly has him in their team so if you've got him when he plays well he's going to go HAM.
Pittonet - It was a good half and then he went to absolute pieces in the 2nd half. Not the only Blue, from two games I'd hazard a guess they're the least fit team in the league, but still for a senior body to fade like that...
Dow - What he did was actually really good this week, the problem is he had the stats of a mediocre half or a good quarter... for an entire game. The positive is Williamson put up the review fodder "this is why you're dropped", Casboult was awful, Setterfield did nothing, Newnes was a stinker. Basically the Blues have about 10 names they could drop and Dow at least has the case of "I played well I just didn't do enough" instead of "I was horrific and didn't do enough", still wouldn't shock me if he's axed, when a team plays that badly the young fringe guy pays the price even when he shouldn't... (For me at least if he's out he finances Cripps up to, well, a pot plant at this point would be an upgrade...
Pies - They won... that's about the best thing for them, that they couldn't stomp the Blues who clearly signed a no-contact deal before the game is a real worry. Their pressure was bad but looked outstanding in comparison. Just a better coached side but still not good.
Grundy - Very strong SC ratio, he wasn't good but at least he was trying this week. Still offering nothing around the ground so this was a pure ruck score in a game with a lot of stoppages compared to last week. I'll absolutely take the score and move on but I reckon I had as many negatives as positives from this one but he was trying at the contest so can't complain with the outcome!
Adams - Excellent game from him, shame he ruins his week 1 effort to be a great downgrade target! Also trying this week, copped a Curnow tag in the 2nd half which put the brakes on him to a certain extent but still finished well.
Crisp - Played a fair bit of midfield tonight, would have to be close to 10 CBA and took advantage of those then got into space and waxed the easy touches late in the game. He looks really solid so far.
Pendles - Same old, was almost hard for him, he kept trying to avoid pressure that didn't exist and genuinely looked confused a few times as to what was happening. Like the QB in the NFL with the pass rush clock bells going off and then nothing happens...
De Goey - Big first half, went home at HT. Was getting some midfield bursts and then pushing forward in first half, 2nd half seemed to be more pure forward. Solid game, shame he didn't go on with it for those with him. Won't get Plowman every week gifting him easy marks but can play.
Howe - Nice junk here, one of those never really in it and then scores well games. Hard game for him, he likes midfield pressure up field to get in position and sideways kicks to jail break, Pies weren't pressuring so that killed one and the Blues basically laid down a red carpet to whoever had it through the guts so no sideways. Still scrapped!
Moore - What a weird game, he was great and terrible. I mean anyone who lets McKay kick 4 on him has had a bad night and yet he's had a great night. Nonsensical modern football?
Sidey - Faded in the 2nd half, great first half. Few more of those and he starts to look a nice little upgrade target.
Cox - He was actually really good, Blues just had no answer for him and should have kicked a couple more.
C. Brown - Didn't realise he had that kind of speed, seemed to be tagging Saad and did a great job of it, he genuinely matched him when he was trying to break lines.
Maynard - Well that's an upgrade target price breaker. Didn't get near it all night, he actually scored a fair bit more than I expected!
Here's hoping the rest of the games are a bit better!