by Booney » Tue May 14, 2019 9:51 am
Same same, but different. Another week of missed opportunities ending in a disappointing result. This one hurts more, I think we all know why.
We lost our shape forward of the ball Saturday night, all too often we moved the ball from defence only to see Adelaide with one or more defenders free to make 2-on-1 contests or mark the ball uncontested. Adelaide’s key backs took 11 marks between them, our key forwards 5. The forwards were up the ground looking for the ball, a sign for me that they were chasing touches and not playing to our structure. As in years gone by this creates congestion at half forward when the ball comes back our way, the forwards look for space wide and our entries come from wide out on the wing in positions that make goal scoring difficult and intercept marking easier. These wide entries allowed Adelaide to either switch the play with space at the back or chip their way through the midfield with their mids racking up uncontested touches, mostly handball chains to move the ball forward.
If not for some midfield pressure applied by Powell-Pepper ( 10 tackles ) we may have seen Adelaide’s midfield create more scoring opportunities. SPP seems to have built a tank that is helping him run out games, he’s setting the standard for defensive pressure and two weeks in a row he’s led the way with that inside heat. First off, defensively, Howard took some marks, spoiled and kept the Adelaide key forwards out of the contest, when he moved forward late we saw the craft he worked on early in his career come to the fore, will we see him forward this week? With Wines sidelined Rockliff racked up another 40+ (4 centre clearances in the last quarter resulted in 3 goals), Boaky was held early but fought back later in the game and Lienert showed his willingness to attack from the back half. DBJ, much maligned by our fan base, kept Betts out of the game so much that he was rarely sighted.
I don’t want to talk about that game anymore.
Boon's best – SPP, Howard, Lienert, Rockliff, DBJ.
Something has got to give, in our 4 losses this year we’ve won key indicators that suggest the match has been played on our terms. We’ve won clearances and I50’s ( bar the Collingwood game where we lost I50’s ) in all those losses. There’s plenty going right, especially defensively, but there’s plenty going wrong when moving the ball forward and, at least from a fans perspective, enough is enough. Change must take place, structurally or personnel?
In the last fortnight we’ve looked almost inept in attack. Putting Westhoff’s 8 mark effort against Collingwood aside we’ve barely had an aerial target offer a presence in the attacking half of the ground.
In the last 2 weeks :
Marshall 17 touches, 6 marks, 1 goal, no goal assists.
Ryder 23 touches, 3 marks (none on the weekend after none against North), 1 goal, no goal assists.
Lycett 24 touches, 2 marks, 2 goals, no goal assists.
Westhoff 41 touches, 10 marks, 1 goal, 3 goal assists (all in the Collingwood game).
In the last two weeks our four pieces of tall timber forward of the ball have combined for 21 marks (8 in one game from Westhoff), 5 goals and 3 goal assists, no wonder we can’t put a winning score on the board. 68 and 69 points in the last two weeks shows our forwards ability to give our mids reward for effort isn’t there. We need to change.
Meanwhile at SANFL level in the previous fortnight Billy Frampton has had 30 disposals, taken 15 marks and kicked 9 goals before having the weekend on the couch with the SANFL playing the WAFL in Perth. You see what I’m driving at here? Change.
Westhoff, he’s always been an option in attack, not a target. Marshall, whilst he’s got a future ahead of him isn’t doing enough to hold his spot. Ryder, if he’s not fit then he needs a rest. Frampton has made a case for selection, be it as a fwd/ruck or ruck/fwd and needs to be given an opportunity. Whether it be for Marshall or Ryder he must come in this week.
With Jonas and Ebert already ruled out of a return against the Gold Coast it seems changes will be fewer than expected. The Magpies had the weekend off so Butters should come back in after a rest and I really want to see Frampton given an opportunity. My concern is he won’t as the coaches see him as a fwd/ruck not key forward.
My changes :
*Edit*
Trengove or Garner for Burton
Out – Johnson, Marshall ( Farrell )
In – Butters, Frampton ( R.Gray )
Last edited by
Booney on Tue May 14, 2019 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PAFC. Forever.
LOOK OUT, WE'RE COMING!