-
IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
Just my 5c. I got home last night from a wonderful camping wekend at Gunlom in Kakadu National Park (it's the spot where they filmed the croc attacking Linda K's water bottle in Crocodile Dundee). Amazing spot, and out of radio/phone reception so I didn't know the result when I sat down to watch the game I recorded using my new obsession MyStar.
McMahon
Played his usual game to be honest. Just think Geelong hurt you more in that circumstance than other teams. We engineered the right set up in getting Jordy on the player we perceived would hurt us least. But the 6th best forward at Geelong is still a cracker - and we payed. For me, the question is whether Jordy was too unaccountable or whether he was playing to TW's instructions. We'll never know - despite what those who profess to have proof that TW is coaching to save his career think. Nonetheless - one of JM or TW got it wrong.
Jackson
Thought he had a red hot go. But his lack of awareness and ability to hurt the opposition by foot matter. Thought he was exposed as one of those players who don't quite get to AFL midfield (even as a tagger) level. He was present enough, but didn't impact. And if he was tagging Bartel, he failed miserably.
White
The opposite of Jackson. This boy proved he can have an impact against the best in the comp. He will be a finals player one day. Very glad he's on our team.
Edwards
I read this morning that he was "having a watershed game" before being concussed. (I'll cover that in a minute). Seems he is progressing towards being the rover Phantom was hoping he would be. Good on him. Seems to be much more than a potential goalsneak now. Just get to work on those kicking skills, lad.
Umpiring/commentating/our own psyche - versus the Cats
Imho, all three of these categories had a "starstruck" quality to them ...
* Umpiring - they umpired as though the Cats can do no wrong. If Harley chops the arms it's a clever ploy, but if Moore does it it's a free kick. If Selwood has 5 seconds to dispose of the ball it's a ball up, but if White has 3 secs it's holding the ball. I'm no umpire basher, but I reckon we were significantly disadvantaged by some "hollywood" type umpiring.
* Commentators - Voss in particular. We need to stop acting as though this bloke is the new oracle on football. This is the same bloke who was lauding the Lions' mental toughness to overcome the tiges surge last week ... just about 3 minutes too early. He doesn't like us, and looks for chances to sink the boots in. I dismiss his opinion a fair bit.
* We also played like we were a bit starstruck too. We've made ground - and I thought our attack on the man and footy was sound. But what happened to the goalkicking? This is the most solitary of skill executions under pressure. Playing Geelong is the big stage, and when it comes to making a statement with the ball in your hand we failed. *smile*, Edwards, Riewoldt and Bowden did this pretty poorly I thought.
Overall positives.
A pretty positive 10 goal loss if that makes sense. Brown was out, Richo was hurt, the umps were hurting us and with 6 mins to go we were 39 points down against the best in the comp - who are absolutely flying towards a consecutive flag. I agree with TW, that we should just let this one go. It's what we do after this match that will tell more about the current state of the Tiger nation. Newman also played his best defensive game in a long time on Johnson - and I've been one who's been critical of him for leaking goals. We were probably due for a "down" game and I though we had it. Morton, for instance, hasn't been so quiet in a month & a half. We now don't kick that badly in play or at goal as a general rule these days, so it's nice that this is now the exception not the norm. I didn't think there was a particular period of the game where it could be said we weren't competitive.
Negatives
Geez, there's still a long road ahead. A long, long way. And I'll say it - despite his golden boy status around here - Will Thursfield is struggling BIG TIME. I know he's coming back off a knee, and I know he's still young. But he is leaking like my mate's tinnie that came of second best with a sea turtle. I'm worried about him, now and as a future FB.
And now the Milburn tackle ...
I think he should go. Watch it closely - Milburn watches the ball spill free and after first grabbing Edwards. He then returns his attention to Edwards and deliberately slams him into the ground head first. In my book, clearly intentionally and undue rough play. Milburn's overall display on the night was very poor I thought - how "hard man" is it to take on a defenseless 71kg kid and then have a crack at another (White) after he kicks the ball over your head for a goal. Not the usual from him, but thought both acts were soft. And to return to an earlier point - Voss' comments about Milburn "making a statement" were a joke.
Summary
I thought we'd lose by about 10 goals and we did. I don't think it shed much light on where we are at. The next 4 weeks will however. The Cats don't tolerate young teams without the mature bodies to go with them all game. That's why a Collingwood (or even a North, St.Kilda or Sydney) will occasionally upset them but not the young developing teams like us, Essendon and Carlton. It's also why the Dogs might battle to get near them, particularly in a final. Stick at it Tiges, don't let a slap by the reigning champs remove the eyes from the light at the end of the tunnel.
McMahon
Played his usual game to be honest. Just think Geelong hurt you more in that circumstance than other teams. We engineered the right set up in getting Jordy on the player we perceived would hurt us least. But the 6th best forward at Geelong is still a cracker - and we payed. For me, the question is whether Jordy was too unaccountable or whether he was playing to TW's instructions. We'll never know - despite what those who profess to have proof that TW is coaching to save his career think. Nonetheless - one of JM or TW got it wrong.
Jackson
Thought he had a red hot go. But his lack of awareness and ability to hurt the opposition by foot matter. Thought he was exposed as one of those players who don't quite get to AFL midfield (even as a tagger) level. He was present enough, but didn't impact. And if he was tagging Bartel, he failed miserably.
White
The opposite of Jackson. This boy proved he can have an impact against the best in the comp. He will be a finals player one day. Very glad he's on our team.
Edwards
I read this morning that he was "having a watershed game" before being concussed. (I'll cover that in a minute). Seems he is progressing towards being the rover Phantom was hoping he would be. Good on him. Seems to be much more than a potential goalsneak now. Just get to work on those kicking skills, lad.
Umpiring/commentating/our own psyche - versus the Cats
Imho, all three of these categories had a "starstruck" quality to them ...
* Umpiring - they umpired as though the Cats can do no wrong. If Harley chops the arms it's a clever ploy, but if Moore does it it's a free kick. If Selwood has 5 seconds to dispose of the ball it's a ball up, but if White has 3 secs it's holding the ball. I'm no umpire basher, but I reckon we were significantly disadvantaged by some "hollywood" type umpiring.
* Commentators - Voss in particular. We need to stop acting as though this bloke is the new oracle on football. This is the same bloke who was lauding the Lions' mental toughness to overcome the tiges surge last week ... just about 3 minutes too early. He doesn't like us, and looks for chances to sink the boots in. I dismiss his opinion a fair bit.
* We also played like we were a bit starstruck too. We've made ground - and I thought our attack on the man and footy was sound. But what happened to the goalkicking? This is the most solitary of skill executions under pressure. Playing Geelong is the big stage, and when it comes to making a statement with the ball in your hand we failed. *smile*, Edwards, Riewoldt and Bowden did this pretty poorly I thought.
Overall positives.
A pretty positive 10 goal loss if that makes sense. Brown was out, Richo was hurt, the umps were hurting us and with 6 mins to go we were 39 points down against the best in the comp - who are absolutely flying towards a consecutive flag. I agree with TW, that we should just let this one go. It's what we do after this match that will tell more about the current state of the Tiger nation. Newman also played his best defensive game in a long time on Johnson - and I've been one who's been critical of him for leaking goals. We were probably due for a "down" game and I though we had it. Morton, for instance, hasn't been so quiet in a month & a half. We now don't kick that badly in play or at goal as a general rule these days, so it's nice that this is now the exception not the norm. I didn't think there was a particular period of the game where it could be said we weren't competitive.
Negatives
Geez, there's still a long road ahead. A long, long way. And I'll say it - despite his golden boy status around here - Will Thursfield is struggling BIG TIME. I know he's coming back off a knee, and I know he's still young. But he is leaking like my mate's tinnie that came of second best with a sea turtle. I'm worried about him, now and as a future FB.
And now the Milburn tackle ...
I think he should go. Watch it closely - Milburn watches the ball spill free and after first grabbing Edwards. He then returns his attention to Edwards and deliberately slams him into the ground head first. In my book, clearly intentionally and undue rough play. Milburn's overall display on the night was very poor I thought - how "hard man" is it to take on a defenseless 71kg kid and then have a crack at another (White) after he kicks the ball over your head for a goal. Not the usual from him, but thought both acts were soft. And to return to an earlier point - Voss' comments about Milburn "making a statement" were a joke.
Summary
I thought we'd lose by about 10 goals and we did. I don't think it shed much light on where we are at. The next 4 weeks will however. The Cats don't tolerate young teams without the mature bodies to go with them all game. That's why a Collingwood (or even a North, St.Kilda or Sydney) will occasionally upset them but not the young developing teams like us, Essendon and Carlton. It's also why the Dogs might battle to get near them, particularly in a final. Stick at it Tiges, don't let a slap by the reigning champs remove the eyes from the light at the end of the tunnel.