Line in the sand game

[jatsad]

Tonight you all witnessed everything that's wrong at Pieland.

Lack of discipline, horrible foot skills, even worse handball skills, no aggression at the ball for long enough and no footy smarts.
It pains me to say this as I have defended Bucks for the past 2 years, but after tonight, I can see that this team, even despite all the injuries, is going nowhere fast.
Yes there are a lot of young players, yes there are injuries and yes, in patches during games, they play well.
But in today's game, you need to be able to run, kick and handball. Sounds funny as they are footy basics, but we don't do any of them well.
Under Buckley, there has been no consistent development and improvement. Same old mistakes, same old game plan or lack of one, same old players doing the same old things.

This tonight needs to be the game where management finally says that is it. Things change from here. Everybody comes under the microscope. The team cannot be allowed to meander along with the same approach.

All coaches need to be looked at.
All medical needs to be looked at.
All players need to be assessed. Who realistically is going to be part of a premiership team in the future.

Let me start the process and let me know if you agree or not. Some may seem harsh but you need to move something to get something.

Coaches: Mostly all gone.

Buckley has had his 5 year chance and it just isn't working.
Rocca, Lockyer are not up to it. Rocca cannot put 2 words together and Lockyer is a failed VFL coach.
Ben Hart as defensive coach is the mastermind behind the backline bungles witnessed tonight. And I'm not talking about skill errors. It's all in the structure which breaks down too often.
Steve Grice as the forward coach. Who???
Robert Harvey. Even St Kilda didn't want him as a coach.
Scott Burns - Possible keeper

Medical:

Enough said.

Players:

Traded: If anyone will have them.

Jesse White - I backed him for a long time but makes far too many mistakes and just isn't aggressive enough for a big bloke.
Travis Cloke - is getting on in age and may not be part of the next assault. Get what we can now.
Jarryd Blair - Don't give me this "tackling machine" stuff and that he tries hard. Doesn't do anywhere near enough and misses too many goals he should kick. Tonight was a good example. If he kicks that goal in the last quarter, the margin is 10 points with half the quarter to go.
Nathan Brown - I have also been a big fan and have defended him, and some will say that his opponents don't kick too many goals. But his time has come. He is slow, cumbersome and only has one disposal; a high kick.
Marley Williams - Too undisciplined and awful disposal.
Tyson Goldsack - Time has passed him by - get something for him now if possible
Jarrod Witts - Grundy hs passed him by and have Cox as a second ruckman
Tom Langdon - has some good points but has regressed from his first year. Takes too long to dispose of the ball and is rather slow
Adam Oxley - Solid but may get something for him as still quite young
Jack Frost - Doesn't have many good points and has no disposal skill
Tim Broomhead - Would love to see him get a go and stay injury free but doesn't look like that will happen
Lachlan Keefe - Just because we may get something for him.

Delisted:

Ben Sinclair - For his own good - retire. 4 concussions in 12 weeks is a tell tale sign. Tonight's wss caused by a shoulder bump - no head contact.
Corey Gault - Enough is enough
Brent McAffer - Too slow and no tricks - would be a very good VFL captain though
Alan Toovey - Gone
Dane Swan - Breaks my heart but doesn't seem likely he'll be back
Josh Thomas - Just a player in my opinion.

That's a huge change in anyone's language, but if you remember, this is exactly what Hawthorn did after Clarkson was appointed. He was smart. He identified which players were not up to it, no matter who they were ,and moved them on. Look where they are now.

Drafting:

Draft smart. Players who can run and have elite disposal skills, even under pressure are a must. Need to find another tall forward and back option. Yes sounds easy, but can be done. Throw everything at Michael Hurley. There is talk about Will Hoskin-Elliot and Caleb Marchbank. Give it a try. We have a history with GWS, good and bad, but we now have Gubby Allen. Time to let him loose.

I know there has been a lot discussed here and some will say it is out of raw emotion after a bad loss, but I've watched this closely all year and am tired of the same old, same old. We have a really good win then follow up with crap, displaying the same old disposal blunders and horrible decision making. It is as if the players are trying too hard to stick to a game plan that just isn't working.

The time has come Eddie. Make it happen, or move yourself on.

[Bkash]

It's ed... And ed's bucks and ed's bucks' choaching staff that's the final ... Line in the sand. After today it was horrible and atrocious to watch the a team that didn't have it at all at clearances and stoppages .... That my sir/ madam is the coache's area ( FAULT )

[inxs88]

Fantastic article. Seemed to articulate everything I felt whilst watching tonight at the game. Expect to hear some Assistant Coaching departures in 9 days. Why? The Coaches Association have said that come August 1st all Assistant Coaches in last year of a contract need notification about their possible re-signing.
Clear them all out except for Burns and Bucks.

[think positive]

[The Boy Who Cried Wolf]

Just watched the presser, I'd love to see a highlights reel of Bucks pressers from the last 3 odd years.... not.

Honestly he should just put up a cardboard cut out of himself and roll the tape....

[MightyMagpie]

I think your 4 delistings from the primary list are probably correct, but Swan and Sinclair would only be on the basis of medical/player decisions (but not looking too hopeful for them).

[yin-YANG]

Jessie White played as well as any other big guy on the ground and was aggressive - I think he has turned a corner with his career.

Moore didn't do much but did mark in the fwd 50 and kick a few goals - like Jessie and other key forwards he provided something - Cloke was the exception - he did nothing that impacted on the game and for some strange reason when we needed him to throw his body around like Petrie did for them, Cloke did very little of the vital 1% stuff.

You don't get rid of Brown, Frost and Keefe - just stupid stuff - if you get an opportunity to trade you consider your options but overall some of the suggestions are just ridiculous and not worth considered reflection and response. That is the best way to end up a basket case like Melbourne for the last decade…

The real facts are…

The Pies were jumped that is an issue given it has happened the last 3 weeks - in fact it was an issue even going on back to the pre-season! - We were not accountable in the centre when it was clear their players were getting on top and enjoying to much space. Up forward our work at ground level was terrible - Faz had a shocker really and the positioning of our smalls has been a problem for most of the year. Who is the forward coach?

Too often down back we were too slow and kicked it about with little penetration - Sinkers run and carry was missed and we need to ensure we have players who take the game on - when we did we managed to make a game of it! When we take the game on we move it well. The Pies still had a sniff mid way through the last qtr which given the silly give away goals and some poor umpiring highlights we are not too far away!

Bring in DeGoey for Sinclair and give Cloke the heads up that he is close to another demotion! I think we will bounce back at our real home game coming up…

[think positive]

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

[woodys_world69]

sinclair got BOG last week for the pies....
short memories.

and marley had a higher disposal efficiency then (crisp/greenwood/sidebottom/reid)

http://www.afl.com.au/stats

[mattys123]

[woftam]

[think positive]

someone needs to let bucks know a line in the sand game isnt a game on the beach in Tahiti

[5150]

Or Buddy in the offseason at Bondi.

[think positive]