Lessons learned

[qldmagpie67]

Now before I get into this to deeply I would first like to praise my favourite kicking boy Steele Sidebottom.
People accuse me of being harsh on him but after watching last night that's the performance I expect from him. When the game was to be won in the first half he was our most influential player. Popped up everywhere we needed someone.
I think the changes in our team structure last night suited him.
Wtg Sidey your back on my Xmas card list !!
I will happily eat all the humble pie thrown my way

Ok now let me preface this by saying Travis Cloke at his best is in any sides best 22. Last night showed we are to Cloke focused or Cloke clogs our forward line. Either way last night we looked dangerous every time the ball went inside our forward 50. We need to learn from last night and develop a style where Cloke is in the team but we don't just look to him every time going forward.

Ben Reid is a backman full stop. Brown Reid Langdon Williams Maynard form the nucleus of our back line going forward. After that it's a horses for courses approach depending on who we are playing and what's needed. Frost Marsh Scharenberg Oxley Sinclair etc come in depending on who we play. Starting Pendles back was a master stroke. It not only gave the back line composure with his elite skills, added confidence to the young players around him releasing them to just play football but also allowed our generation next midfielders to work together for 4 qtrs.

The forward line looked mobile, threatening and balanced. Moore got the ball to ground, Elliott was everywhere, Fasalo looked dangerous (just do the simple things well all the time lad you don't have to be a show pony). Swan Sidey Varcoe then could force feed the ball down there throats.

The midfield WOW. Grundy competed at every contest gave us better than 50/50 chance at first use. Adams DeGoey in & under work was that of of what dreams are made of. Greenwood's shut down role on Selwood was exceptional. Crisp hit contests hard and gave us run & link very impressive.

Overall it's hard to be critical of any player last night.
Very good 4qtr effort all round

Looking forward I would love to see Aish added to the side playing the Blair role. His far more skilful and a much better kick.
Also love to see Treloar come in and be our new Swan in the midfield releasing Swanny to play a role I would consider to be go where the ball is get it use it punish the opposition.
Imagine a midfield featuring Crisp, Adams, Greenwood, DeGoey, Aish, Treloar, Pendles, Swan, Sidey, Varcoe, Scharenberg, Freeman rotating through it would be hard to find a better dozen on any list.

Ok were not playing finals and that's disappointing considering our position at 8-3 it's a hard pill to swallow. But there are plenty of positives to come out of the season.
We lost 6 games by under 2 goals in the second half of the season. With some luck and a better goal kicking display we could have easily been 3 or 4 wins better off.
Our best football is very competitive against any team.
Last night we fielded the 4th youngest team this round behind GWS Lions and Suns (and the lions list is shite)
We are staring to get several players coming into that 50-80 game bracket.
We have the best 21yr old ruckman in the comp who is still learning and developing and will be in 5yrs the games best ruckman.

In finishing I watched the pre match & after match on Fox Footy. Healy & King were both positive in the pre match that we had been working to a plan and it would come out ok. Bomber Thompson tipped us saying they have something to prove tonight that wasn't the Collingwood we have seen all year last week that was a young side who just had one of those nights it happens with young sides tonight we will see what there made of. He then said I would hate to be coaching against them tonight I have this feeling they will come out firing on all guns. The they said Cloke was out and asked Thompson did he want to change his tip ? He said why Cloke out White in it's still 22 players each right ?
Post match King & Healy were even more glowing in there appraisal of the side and King said "Buckley started this rebuild it cut deeper than he had thought I imagine" he said those who doubted the reasoning behind it should look at the Shaw Adams deal now. He said 2016 might not be the year but 2017 onwards when other teams were on the slow slide we would be rising quickly.
Interestingly they did a poll pre game asking each panel member if Geelong and Collingwood both got there rumoured trade targets were would each side finish in 2016. Everyone bar McClure had us in around 6-8th and Geelong on the slide mainly just missing the 8. All of the panel said there was a far bigger upside in Collingwoods list than most others in the comp.

[RudeBoy]

Can't argue with any of that qm67. The only thing I'd maybe add, is that the rise and rise of both Grundy and most recently Moore, certainly opens up the possibility that Witts may seek a trade to a club where he can be the number 1 ruckman. This could very much work in our favour.

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

Agree with your comments about Aish replacing Blair in the side. Blair had a poor game last night. Struggles against taller stronger opponents and doesn't possess the pace to outrun opponents or ability to take contested marks. Aish is a natural outside player with run and carry qualities which places him on par with Elliot. To summarise our year, we are a work in progress. Our forward line is still a bit iffy. White was OK last night but doesn't do enough, while Cloke is a confidence player. Our one shining light in the forward line is Moore who possesses maturity beyond his years. Can a three prong talls forward line consisting of White, Cloke and Moore work? The jury is still out. Can we play Grundy and Witts together with one rotating out of the forward line. So far that hasn't worked. Do we play a forward line with only two talls and have an an agile small mix of forwards? That leaves us with no cover in the ruck. Do we keep Reid down back after last night or use him as a swing man to rotate with the forwards?

[RudeBoy]

[Pies2016]

[rand corp]

I think everyone bar Bux and the inner sanctum got a little carried away this season with where we are really at, even some of the media had us in the grand final early on there.

Easy too forget just how young our list is and kids will rise and fall on momentum and this will happen collectively and sometimes almost inexplicably, world beaters one weak, weak as piece the next. Experience, hardening up and getting used to the demands of being an elite, professional footballer will sort most of that out for most of them with 50 or 60 games under their belts.

I maintain this is one of the best young lists I have seen at the club and I am very exciting about watching us over the next 2, 3, 4 seasons as these kids come on and come into their own.

Grundy
Moore
DeGoey
Adams
Crisp
Marsh
Scharenberg
Maynard
Langdon
Williams
Elliot

There is half a side, very exciting to think all these kids have their best footy in front of them