we shouldnt have to put up with half arsed efforts like saw today. only cotchin deledio griffiths and 1 or 2 others could ask for their wages the rest played like a pack of overpaid bludgers on the gravy train.
That's just garbage. You really think players went half arsed ? We went hard but we just didn't execute and couldn't really get going all night. We had 11 inside 50s to 2 in the first 10 mins of the last. We scored nothing , they scored 2 goals from 2 entries. That's when momentum swung. And even then , if Dusty gets that free we're a goal down with a minute to play.
We reverted to Wallace football last night - take possession, immediately prop, stop, run back, handball further back to a stationary option, then give no support or back up to that option. Repeat until 30-40 mts further away from your goals and under growing pressure then cough the ball up and watch the opposition run hard into clear space and deliver with urgency and precision to a one-on-one contest in their forward line. Simple and effective - worked brilliantly for us for the 5 years it took Wallace to ingrain it into our psyche.
Our biggest deficiencies last night imho:
Absolute refusal to run forward with the ball in hand.
Absolute refusal to provide a running option upfield to the ball carrier.
Disgraceful delivery into the forward line by our mids.
Complete inability (or desire) to keep our feet.
Zero pressure on their ball carrier.
And the annoying, frustrating and disappointing part is that these are all old traits; a direct consequence of attitude that I thought we had largely eliminated from our game. It has nothing at all to do with ability, skill or conditions.