I've never been one to really hang it on our club coach. I've grown up in an era where our club/supporter base have blamed everything on our coach and sacked him. So I've tried to always seen the glass half full with our coach. Even with Wallet. I'm a huge fan of Hardwick for what he is done, the AFL circles can gloat about how good a Ross Lyon is but the reality of a Ross Lyon legacy is that he inherited 2 teams who had a wide open premiership window and hasn't delivered a premiership yet. Dimma inherited a basketcase and got us to a top 8 finish yet recieves very little credit. Dimma hasn't achieved anything yet, but either has Ross Lyon. The reputation between the 2 is large, that aside.
Can anyone explain the diabolical team selections and Russian roulette player positions? I get the fact that we need to improve and to try new things but I feel like we find something that works for a season and next season we need to change it to get better. Few examples:
- Hate Jack Riewoldt all you want, he's a 2 time Coleman medalist and would be snapped up by any club in the competetion in seconds. Why is he playing 2nd fiddle to Vickery? Why is he playing up the ground? The treatment of him pre season has been embarrassing.
- Chris Newman half forward? Please. I've had a number 1 on my jersey for 7 years and have loved watching Newman play. He isn't a forward, he's played backline his whole career if he doesn't have a spot on the backline then he should have been moved on and we should have recruited a small forward. Surely Knights when fit takes Newman's spot in the forwardline.
- Dustin off half back. Isn't going to work. The man is a contested football bull. Why play him as a loose man in defence. His skills aren't that good and his decision making is only OK. Not to mention taking away the weapon of 60m goals on the run. Idiotic decision to do this by the club. I get trying new things but this is stupid. If its because of his tank, surely playing him forward would be a better option?
- Houli? Where was the run off half back? Non existent cause Houli was playing up the ground. Again, stupid.
- 3 Key forwards picked for a humid, sweaty Queensland night in March. Basic primary school stuff. Shamble of a selection. Griff been fantastic but having no genuine small forward was embarrassing. Not to mention the lack of forward pressure. Would love to know the amount of inside 50s to shots on goal. GC rebounded out of our half far to easily. Jake King, Sam Lloyd would have been handy.
- Foley the sub, doesn't look right,
- Red Vesting anyone but Vickery. Enough said really. Was awful, Griff looked OK. Why wasn't Vickery pushed up the ground to get into the game a bit more?
The players were off last night, which shows we aren't really top 4 yet. Can't begin a season and not be up for it, In front of 20k as well. Not exactly deer in the headlight excuse we've used before for the Carlton games. As much as the players were poor the decisions the coaching staff have made pre season look ridiculous in my opinion.
Where has the rolling zone gone? The run off half back with Houli, Newman, Ellis? Jack as the main focus of the forward line?