Post Match. Swans thump Pies. All comments.

[lazzadesilva]

Yeah on the way back to Bendigo after that bloody horrible game. Two things — the Swans played well and the mongrels always seemed to score whenever we got a hint of a chance at catching up with them. We tried hard and played well only in patches. You cannot beat good teams by playing well only in patches. I unfortunately questioned their passion at certain times when Sydney applied heat. Like others have said, we don’t have the big guy at CHF to mark the ball or provide the crumbs. I got the feeling that if this was a final, Craig McRea would have moved Moore to CHF in a desperate attempt to win. However it was probably the right call not to do that.
After the game on my way back to the Bendigo supporters bus I came on, I bumped into some players heading into the Club Centre and they looked absolutely buggered. However McStay for some reason looked extremely unhappy and angry in his Collingwood suit. I said good luck with your comeback and I thought he was going to punch me up 😳 I got the hell out of there. I’m a tad concerned about the team’s mindset and how they will handle the inevitable media backlash after the loss. They honestly looked out of ideas and strategies to combat the marauding Swans and I have to say that Leppa had a stinker as strategy coach. Overall I think they can improve heaps more and I wouldn’t write them off yet. But geez it would be nice to have a win.

[Magpietothemax]

TBH, can hardly wait for P2016's take on this game. He is the voice of reason, and his analysis is what I need right now.

[Jezza]

[Boot]

I think we looked like an old side tonight, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise because statistically we are the oldest team in the competition.
Sidebottom at 34 had a shocker of a first half and was only marginally better in the 2nd Half.
Pendlebury at 36 looks slow and seems to have lost his disposal ability.
Jack Crisp 32 seems to have lost his mojo and isn't half the player he was last season. Maybe he isn't suited to playing the CHB position?
Howe 34 seemed short of a run, hopefully he will get better with that game under his belt.

Darcy Moore also looks to have lost his nojo with continuing to be too loose in defense leading to easy opposition goals.

I thought Maynard was brillent tonight with some typical strong attacking football and glorious foot passing. Other positives from tonight were Finn Macrae's brief time on ground showing that he is ready to be a regular serior player. Tom Mitchell is behind Finn Macrae in the pecking order I think based on Finn's form tonight. Darcy Cameron played well to be the best ruckman on the ground.

I think Fly McRae needs to make a statement and drop Jack Crisp for Ben Allan to get a game next week. Bring back John Noble who adds desparation to the team and has good disposal skills as a replacement for Markov (not Oleg's fault that an umpire had a brain fart and paid a free against him in the 2nd Quarter instead of giving him a deserved 50 meter penalty but Markov's not great for one vs one contests and his disposal is average at best) Reef Mcinnes in the team as a replacement for Ash Johnson, who needs to really dominate a couple of games in the VFL before being considered again. Ed Allan needs to be brought into the team to replace Sidebottom next week.

Collingwood can still recover this season to be a serious contender but they need to respond to the challenge of Saints at the G next Thursday.

[Jezza]

After tonight, there's a lot more questions than answers. Is this a blip and we'll gather momentum as the season progresses? Is our age profile catching up with us? Are we becoming the 2024 version of Geelong 2023?

A lot of these questions will be answered in time, but tonight's performance isn't something we can brush under the carpet. I wasn't overly concerned by last week but tonight was another story. Fly expected a response, and we didn't get one.

The biggest difference from tonight compared to the last two years was how slow and lethargic we looked. Never seen a team coached by Fly look so flat and slow with their spread and transition. I'd gather that was his biggest concern of the night. Have to give credit to Sydney for cutting off our ability to use the corridor and transition smoothly, but it was aided by some shocking turnovers on our behalf.

Losing Murphy indefinitely is haunting us. It's left Moore exposed one on one when he's never been that type of defender, and we lack height against big marking forwards. I can't understand why Frampton hasn't been selected. I feel sorry for Charlie Dean as you can see his potential, but he looks raw and undersized for what we need at the moment.

Ash Johnson was deplorable. Might seem harsh on him, but he was lucky to remain in the team and he showed nothing that justified the coaching staff's faith in him. At least the other forwards got on the scoreboard, albeit they were quiet themselves.

I think going into next week against St Kilda, we need Frampton down back for some size and McInnes would be Johnson's obvious replacement. We get some much needed height and we inject some more youth into the team in the form of Reef.

Disappointed that Macrae was the sub. He needs game time and it's not helping his development for him to sit on the bench for three quarters. Why "manage" our clearance king in Mitchell if you're unwilling to use his replacement to its full potential?

We set the tone early in the last two years with big wins to start off the season. You could see from early on that the team was on its way to producing something special. This year has been the opposite. It's more hope than real evidence, but I'm hoping that this is a slow burn and we'll be gaining momentum later in the season.

After tonight's performance, I'm left pondering what 2024 will deliver for us.

[Jezza]

[lazzadesilva]

[pietillidie]

Fair comments, all. Over to Fly and the boys. The coaches should have the info to know now whether to persist a smidge longer or call a quick pivot with haste; the team is either a few weeks behind or not; it's not something that should be a mystery to the coaching and fitness people.

One thing I am certain of is that it most definitely wasn't wise to rely on the older players in the first half of the season; them getting back to the standard let alone top form is a bonus, not a foundation for a new year. Moreover, them being there as first choices takes the responsibility off the next generation, which is the wrong mindset on entering a new year.

[Jezza]

Fly's presser

Is it fair to say it's a fairly rude awakening after the first two games?

[princem007]

We are 2 games into a 25 round season.

There’s a long long way to go.

It hasn’t been a great start but things can turnaround quick , I remember the Freo game in 22 kickstarted our year after successive losses to Richmond and Bulldogs by similar margins.

Fly knows what needs to be done and I feel we can bounce back from this quick starting next week against Saints.

[Big T]

Let’s take the positives. We aren’t the hunted after these losses. We can become the hunter again. We can go back to basics and do what we do best. Fly is right. Two red hot teams that would probably beat every other team in the comp and we are off the boil.

The only thing we can’t control is a lack of quality talls. Whether that can be fixed in time to qualify, that will be the difference.

[warburton lad]

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

[qldmagpie67]

As Jezza said there’s more questions than answers right now
There is recent history of premiership winners coming out them next season and really never getting started the following year
For mine the thing that really stands out is our lack of desperation
We aren’t sticking tackles, opposition players are running past our players to get lose balls or to get to contests, our kicking is horrendous at all parts of the ground.
I love stats because stats generally don’t lie
Here’s the damning stat from last night
We had 18 turn overs in our or exiting our defensive 50 a total of 13-5 (77 points)
Main Culprits
Moore 4
Markov 3
Sidey 3
Crisp 2

For those thinking things will be ok when Murphy comes back think again.
He isn’t the answer to all our defensive issues
Defence starts up the field which in our case is non existent and barely recognisable from what it was last year which masked some of our aggressive push up field style
Also Murphy is one accidental knock at training or a game from being done for good. (🤞🤞🤞it doesn’t happen)

This is the biggest challenge of Fly’s coaching tenure
He needs to have a few conversations and make a statement or 2 here’s how it should go
Conversations

Firstly Charlie Dean mate it’s easy to see you’ve missed so much football the past couple years your a couple steps behind the pace. Go back to the VFL find some form and then we can bring you back buddy.

Darcy Moore your our captain and need to adjust your style. You can’t consistently sag off your man so much, you’re getting burned. Time to play hard man on man.

Josh your our reigning best and fairest and so far you’ve had your colours lowered. You need to bring that work ethic from last year back mate. I’m backing you to show me the leadership in your own game to get back to your best.

Crispy mate you’re making some really poor decisions. You can’t break every tackle sometimes you’ve got to trust your team mate is in a better position. Your going back into the middle of the ground and I want to see you tackle everything in an opposition jumper that moves.

To the entire group.
Ok last year is done and dusted. If your satisfied with what we achieve and think that’s enough then tell me know and I’ll find some young hungry players who want to taste success.

Statements
Ash you done. You’re in the VFL until further notice. Your effort is second rate and you’re showing me nothing to warrant a spot in this 22.

Sidey mate the game has passed you by. Last night your 1st 7 touched resulted in 2 free kick 3 turnovers and not a single effective possession
Your not sticking your tackles and not going hard at consents. Your standing outside waiting for a team mate to do the hard work and give you the ball for a soft stat.
You’re taking short cuts heading defensive side of the play so your opponent doesn’t run past you. Your opponent is then going to the contest making the extra man and we are getting beaten at the contest.
You’ve had a good run maybe take a few weeks off we will tell them you’ve got groin or calf issues. Pick a game for a fair well game or if you don’t want to retire go back to the VFL for a couple months and show me you deserve a place in this team because right now your a liability to this team
Last night your incompetence cost us directly from your turnovers or free kicks 4 goals 3 and that’s unacceptable from someone of your experience