TOPIC:

First half was good. We were able to run hard and put pressure on Claremont even though their ball handling skills were better than ours. At times I actually thought we ran too hard and could have slowed it down a bit and made better decisions with the ball.
Third quarter was a complete turn around. Claremont's run and ball skills were too much for us and we were not able to put the same pressure on them.
Our fitness must be a query. Time and again we allowed the opposition to beat us to the ball with hard running.
It was an ominous sign that the ressies were totally outclassed. Seems that we have very little depth.
It is early days and scratchie form is not often a good indication but I was disappointed with what I saw after half-time in the league game..
Still some work to do.

Stand the Test wrote: Preseason game v a top side, it was fine.

And there lies your problem

Yep it's called denial.

Demons Forever wrote: Yep it's called denial.

Sure is.

I saw the last 3 quarters and I didn't think Garstone was out there. Did he play the whole game?
Also I thought Dekota played ok in the ruck, still very raw but might be worth playing both ruckmen and resting them as a tall option forward.

PD1899 wrote: I saw the last 3 quarters and I didn't think Garstone was out there. Did he play the whole game?
Also I thought Dekota played ok in the ruck, still very raw but might be worth playing both ruckmen and resting them as a tall option forward.

Garstone No 43, kicked a nice long goal to the city end in the last qtr I think.

DD wrote:

PD1899 wrote: I saw the last 3 quarters and I didn't think Garstone was out there. Did he play the whole game?
Also I thought Dekota played ok in the ruck, still very raw but might be worth playing both ruckmen and resting them as a tall option forward.

Garstone No 43, kicked a nice long goal to the city end in the last qtr I think.

I must admit my attention was drifting half way through the 3rd quarter onwards.

DD, our ruck is a real problem for us (and has been for a while), but I don't think playing DBW will help. It would just mean two ruckmen who get very few disposals and take few, if any, contested marks. That is why neither is an option to rest up forward. That said, we have no viable option for a second ruck, other than taking someone like Garstone or Giblett out of a key forward/defence position. Whilst not pushing the panic button over a scratchie, I am concerned at the 8-0 third quarter. Being unable to stop opposition teams getting a run on and scoring quickly and heavily has been an enduring problem. Surely pre-season is the time to try out a few strategies to slow the game down and limit the damage? I don't agree it is a fitness problem. I can't imagine our players doing a pre-season that is significantly different to other teams. I just think when you lose as often as we do it creates an impression that we are slow and not working hard enough.

Ted Nugent wrote: DD, our ruck is a real problem for us (and has been for a while), but I don't think playing DBW will help. It would just mean two ruckmen who get very few disposals and take few, if any, contested marks. That is why neither is an option to rest up forward. That said, we have no viable option for a second ruck, other than taking someone like Garstone or Giblett out of a key forward/defence position. Whilst not pushing the panic button over a scratchie, I am concerned at the 8-0 third quarter. Being unable to stop opposition teams getting a run on and scoring quickly and heavily has been an enduring problem. Surely pre-season is the time to try out a few strategies to slow the game down and limit the damage? I don't agree it is a fitness problem. I can't imagine our players doing a pre-season that is significantly different to other teams. I just think when you lose as often as we do it creates an impression that we are slow and not working hard enough.

Agree with most of what you say Ted. TBH I would rather we persist with a younger DBW or Chapman-Hill who is 205 cm and played in the ressies than go the safe option and put all our stocks in Eyres again. Hopefully one of these young bucks or both of them will turn out to be another Rhett Baynes. I remember he had little impact in his first year or two then suddenly it was like he went from a boy to a man in one summer and was good enough to get picked for WA. Sadly ended his life after an unsuccessful stint with Carlton.

Garstone is proven and has runs on the board but is a bit injury prone. Hopefully his body has matured and he can have a good year. We need him to. We also need a lot more steel down back. I'd like to see Mitch Lague in there. Brodey Eades in the twos looks like a hard nut.

smokey wrote:

Demons Forever wrote: Yep it's called denial.

Sure is.

On today's results Subi and Claremont no good.