What has changed from last year?!

[Stripes]

I usually pride myself on being a fairly positive poster and trying to cut through the emotion which is why I have waited until now until coming back to the forum...but I have some major concerns and major questions -

What has changed so much from last year to have us fallen so far away from last year?!

Here is the changes I can see -

1. Injuries
The impact of Maric's absence can not be denied. Over the last two years we have really struggled without him. His impact can be felt more around the ground than in the center clearances. Rance is another major out - he makes mistakes but his intent, athleticism and one-on-one work can not be questioned. Lids this week was huge too. Kingy has had his knee scrapped out every week lately so I have no idea why he had been playing.

2. Form/Confidence
I've lumped these two together because I think they are linked. Many of our key & senior players have been effected by interrupted preseasons and start to the season. Players like King & Jackson are very under-done. S.Edwards, Ellis, Conca, Ellis and Grimes have well below their 2013 standard too.

3. Structure/Role Changes
Injuries have forced some of the changes but the coaches have tried to experiment with players roles and our structure too. Vickery is not the answer as our No.1 forward target. He will be a great 2nd forward but at the moment I would rate Griffiths as a forward over Vickery. We can't rely on Jack alone though. Three talls in the forwardline means that teams are sweeping the ball out of their far too easily - something has to change and Marics return won't change that because Griffiths is actually far more agile, a better contested mark and kick than Ivan. I would prefer two talls and a rotating Lids/Cotch/Dusty plus either S.Edwards, Lloyd and King moving through there. It's time to concede this experiment isn't working and without Kingy's amazing forward pressure, we are wasting our forward 50 entries. Missing Maric and Rance has changed our midfield and backline structure too.

4. Our Midfield
Our backline was protected by the efforts and pressure of our midfield last year. Our goal output was magnified by the spread of scoring contributors in 2013. It is our midfield where we have fallen away the most. People aren't going to like this opinion but I don't think what Tomas is bringing to the team balances out what he takes away from the midfield. The midfield dynamics have changed and we have lost our spread, our disposal and our ball movement. We are not getting the ball out to our runners and we are not getting the overlap. Is this form? Is this lack of effort? Is this better defense from the opposition? Whatever the reason with our midfield down on output it is effecting every area of our team.

5. Our Game Plan
We don't have a Plan B. I think that is official now. The opposition not only knows exactly how we will be playing be know exactly how to stop us playing it. I think its more than that though because Hawthorn has a similar style yet they can work their way through tactics that oppositions enact to hinder their style - why can't we? We need to have a second game to work our way through the contested scrums that teams seem to be playing this year. Our game day coaching has been poor too. How we go forward from here will tell me more about Dimma and his assistants than our 2013 'success'.


Anyway just my take but I am starting to feel like we have gone backwards, our finals chances have slipped and we are reverting to our pre 2012 form. I hope we can turn it around quickly but I think we will turn it on after the break when it is meaningless.

Thanks for reading anyway. 

[cub]

It's mental and dimma needs to adopt different tactics instead of being a stubborn mofo

[dwaino]

6. Small nurries.

[Tigeritis™©®]

6. Fitness
Our fitness department is useless and aren't up to AFL standard. Vickery senior is a boxing coach but none of our players can box. Which leads me to the next item...

7. Soft
We are the softest team in the league FACT!. We don't fight for anything let alone each other or the jumper. No Pride, no belief, no team. Bunch of scared little sissy's.  Just a bunch of softcrock Pansy's that like to run around getting the easy ball. When was the last time we saw a shephard? Or a decent hip & shoulder? 
Every team still knows that we are like an egg break the shell and it's all soft inside.

8. Unforgivable
 We lost the final to a team that we allowed to finish 9th which was officially the worst loss in 32 years. Maybe the worst ever.

9. Big heads
We believe our own hype.

10. Horses hoofs
Bunch of pretenders with limp wrists....that like to do the kick line to the tune of the "French Mistake"

[bojangles17]

If I was to narrow it down
Maric, lids rance out
Ellis, grigg, king, Chaplin , Edwards , Newman , all playing at50% last years form

That's nearly half the team impacted, we practically need to rebuild the side from r5 for the future

[Lozza]

Players form is purely mental, we don't have any form players at the moment so it's like running a V8 on two cylinders. Until the confidence returns then we will struggle to win games. We need some youth and exuberance injected into the team as that does rub of on others. Time for Hardwick to make the tough calls and see who is up for the challenge. Brisbane got smashed so they will be trying to redeem themselves also, it will test our state of mind. Grigg, Ellis, Chaplin and Edwards are totally out of form at the moment and were last season providing much better run and carry, without that we have become a very pedestrian team, combine with a non functioning forward line and key player injuries then it's no secret we have issues, as we have all witnessed so far this season.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Loss of pace. TBH I thought we played our best football in 2012.  With an easier draw in 2013 we made it to the finals with greater consistency but our best in 2012 was better than most games in 2013.
Since then we have lost a lot of leg speed.  Our middle aged players are two years older have slowed down and we have lost Matty White and Nahas (who was ok in 2012).  This has resulted in loss of leg sped around the ground and we cannot break the lines like we used to.
We haven't injected pace into the line up.  In comparison, Hawthorn and Geelong bring in youngsters with leg speed AND stamina so they give the older guys that line breaking option.

Poor recruiting in other words.  Look at our three choices in the draft.  All played HF the year they were drafted.  None have leg speed.  All a bit too similar.  Not saying we shouldn't have got Lennon as I think he will be good but at least with our latter draft choices we should have added some variety - leg speed should have been a priority.

[Hellenic Tiger]

The year changed.
Last year we played finals.
It now is time to play some non-competitive footy in non finals years.
We have not made successive finals since 71-75.
It's the RFC hallmark of feebleness apathy and mediocrity.

[tigs2011]

Loss of pace. TBH I thought we played our best football in 2012.  With an easier draw in 2013 we made it to the finals with greater consistency but our best in 2012 was better than most games in 2013.
Since then we have lost a lot of leg speed.  Our middle aged players are two years older have slowed down and we have lost Matty White and Nahas (who was ok in 2012).  This has resulted in loss of leg sped around the ground and we cannot break the lines like we used to.
We haven't injected pace into the line up.  In comparison, Hawthorn and Geelong bring in youngsters with leg speed AND stamina so they give the older guys that line breaking option.

Poor recruiting in other words.  Look at our three choices in the draft.  All played HF the year they were drafted.  None have leg speed.  All a bit too similar.  Not saying we shouldn't have got Lennon as I think he will be good but at least with our latter draft choices we should have added some variety - leg speed should have been a priority.

dimma won't let them.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Loss of pace. TBH I thought we played our best football in 2012.  With an easier draw in 2013 we made it to the finals with greater consistency but our best in 2012 was better than most games in 2013.
Since then we have lost a lot of leg speed.  Our middle aged players are two years older have slowed down and we have lost Matty White and Nahas (who was ok in 2012).  This has resulted in loss of leg sped around the ground and we cannot break the lines like we used to.
We haven't injected pace into the line up.  In comparison, Hawthorn and Geelong bring in youngsters with leg speed AND stamina so they give the older guys that line breaking option.

Poor recruiting in other words.  Look at our three choices in the draft.  All played HF the year they were drafted.  None have leg speed.  All a bit too similar.  Not saying we shouldn't have got Lennon as I think he will be good but at least with our latter draft choices we should have added some variety - leg speed should have been a priority.

dimma won't let them.

Why not?

[Judge Roughneck]

We had the same problems last year

They were just covered up , somewhat

[Judge Roughneck]

Loss of pace. TBH I thought we played our best football in 2012.  With an easier draw in 2013 we made it to the finals with greater consistency but our best in 2012 was better than most games in 2013.
Since then we have lost a lot of leg speed.  Our middle aged players are two years older have slowed down and we have lost Matty White and Nahas (who was ok in 2012).  This has resulted in loss of leg sped around the ground and we cannot break the lines like we used to.
We haven't injected pace into the line up.  In comparison, Hawthorn and Geelong bring in youngsters with leg speed AND stamina so they give the older guys that line breaking option.

Poor recruiting in other words.  Look at our three choices in the draft.  All played HF the year they were drafted.  None have leg speed.  All a bit too similar.  Not saying we shouldn't have got Lennon as I think he will be good but at least with our latter draft choices we should have added some variety - leg speed should have been a priority.

Ya nah

[mightytiges]

I usually pride myself on being a fairly positive poster and trying to cut through the emotion which is why I have waited until now until coming back to the forum...but I have some major concerns and major questions -

What has changed so much from last year to have us fallen so far away from last year?!

Here is the changes I can see -

1. Injuries
The impact of Maric's absence can not be denied. Over the last two years we have really struggled without him. His impact can be felt more around the ground than in the center clearances. Rance is another major out - he makes mistakes but his intent, athleticism and one-on-one work can not be questioned. Lids this week was huge too. Kingy has had his knee scrapped out every week lately so I have no idea why he had been playing.

2. Form/Confidence
I've lumped these two together because I think they are linked. Many of our key & senior players have been effected by interrupted preseasons and start to the season. Players like King & Jackson are very under-done. S.Edwards, Ellis, Conca, Ellis and Grimes have well below their 2013 standard too.

3. Structure/Role Changes
Injuries have forced some of the changes but the coaches have tried to experiment with players roles and our structure too. Vickery is not the answer as our No.1 forward target. He will be a great 2nd forward but at the moment I would rate Griffiths as a forward over Vickery. We can't rely on Jack alone though. Three talls in the forwardline means that teams are sweeping the ball out of their far too easily - something has to change and Marics return won't change that because Griffiths is actually far more agile, a better contested mark and kick than Ivan. I would prefer two talls and a rotating Lids/Cotch/Dusty plus either S.Edwards, Lloyd and King moving through there. It's time to concede this experiment isn't working and without Kingy's amazing forward pressure, we are wasting our forward 50 entries. Missing Maric and Rance has changed our midfield and backline structure too.

4. Our Midfield
Our backline was protected by the efforts and pressure of our midfield last year. Our goal output was magnified by the spread of scoring contributors in 2013. It is our midfield where we have fallen away the most. People aren't going to like this opinion but I don't think what Tomas is bringing to the team balances out what he takes away from the midfield. The midfield dynamics have changed and we have lost our spread, our disposal and our ball movement. We are not getting the ball out to our runners and we are not getting the overlap. Is this form? Is this lack of effort? Is this better defense from the opposition? Whatever the reason with our midfield down on output it is effecting every area of our team.

5. Our Game Plan
We don't have a Plan B. I think that is official now. The opposition not only knows exactly how we will be playing be know exactly how to stop us playing it. I think its more than that though because Hawthorn has a similar style yet they can work their way through tactics that oppositions enact to hinder their style - why can't we? We need to have a second game to work our way through the contested scrums that teams seem to be playing this year. Our game day coaching has been poor too. How we go forward from here will tell me more about Dimma and his assistants than our 2013 'success'.


Anyway just my take but I am starting to feel like we have gone backwards, our finals chances have slipped and we are reverting to our pre 2012 form. I hope we can turn it around quickly but I think we will turn it on after the break when it is meaningless.

Thanks for reading anyway. 

Top post, Stripes  .


1. Injuries - the recruitment of older age rookies was done so as a means to cover injuries. This has clearly failed this year. You can't have Thomas and Jacko in the same side and especially at centre bounces  .

2. Form/Confidence - Plenty of selfish self-preservation out there this year which is reflected in our slow movement of the footy and breakdown of defensive structures. We lack grunt and are (mentally) soft! Hate using that word but we are.

5. Game Plan
Last year we were kicking to the forward pockets if there wasn't an open forward and so we at least created forward line stoppages which we were No.1 in the AFL in scoring from. This year we aren't scoring from forward line stoppages. Our forward line ground level play is pathetic with the opposition continually clearing from their defence far too easily. Whatever happened to building a wall across HF and our forward press? You would have noticed against Collingwood that whenever we quickly booted the ball out of our defensive 50, they would have a Pie player set up to intercept such a kick. On the other hand we didn't.

When we are coming out of our defence, opposition sides are immediately spreading across the ground and closing down the space on the fat side. So we aren't getting the switch of play and more importantly the easier kick to a free Tiger teammate. We either have to take a risk relying on executing good footskills or fall back on the 50/50 down the line kick along the boundary. So far this year we have turned the ball over with the former far too often and as a result we are seeing more slow play down the line kicks. Relating back to point (2), the trust and confidence has wilted away as a result.

Our disposal efficiency has fallen away big time. Our DE last year had significantly improved over 2012-13 but it's back to bad of rabble days. Less space and fewer options thanks to a lack of run and team commitment from selfish lazy teammates does that mainly but we are also making a heap of unforced schoolboy footy errors which are just plain unforgivable and unacceptable at this level. Missing straightforward short targets by hand or foot under no physical pressure, dropping sitters, slipping over under no physical pressure, going to ground in the contest,  trying to play high possession dry weather footy in slippery conditions rather than just getting the ball forward to gain territory and put the opposition on the back foot and under pressure.

[mightytiges]

Loss of pace. TBH I thought we played our best football in 2012. With an easier draw in 2013 we made it to the finals with greater consistency but our best in 2012 was better than most games in 2013.
Since then we have lost a lot of leg speed.  Our middle aged players are two years older have slowed down and we have lost Matty White and Nahas (who was ok in 2012).  This has resulted in loss of leg sped around the ground and we cannot break the lines like we used to.
We haven't injected pace into the line up.  In comparison, Hawthorn and Geelong bring in youngsters with leg speed AND stamina so they give the older guys that line breaking option.

Poor recruiting in other words.  Look at our three choices in the draft.  All played HF the year they were drafted.  None have leg speed.  All a bit too similar.  Not saying we shouldn't have got Lennon as I think he will be good but at least with our latter draft choices we should have added some variety - leg speed should have been a priority.

I'm with you YaBB in believing our best footy of 2012 was at a superior standard to 2013 except for the Hawthorn and Freo wins last year. To me what's fallen away is our team defensive structure. The overall unrelenting will to hunt in numbers and force turnovers has done. The press which was capable of trapping a top side like the Swans in our forward half and keeping them goalless for a whole quarter has disappeared also. Our kick-in strategies at both ends are a joke. Oppositions are finding free players at will with their kick-ins while we are aimlessly going to long 50/50 contests.   

[yellowandback]

In the end, it's a poor preperation in the off season which is the fault of the off field team.

There was much talk in the off season of a "fast start" there was the Brazil trip for the leadership team, there was investment in the footy dept, there was the pain of the final loss to spur them on this year.

Reality is, none of it worked which is a blight on the entire club.

I just wonder if we have fallen for the 2 card trick in football - finding it easier to be the hunter vs being the hunted.
We played some good footy in 2012 and 2013 with limited expectations and we were under estimated by many clubs.
Now the shoe is on the other foot, the bulldogs games was a classic for that, they clearly fancied themselves against us and we couldn't handle it.

I still think there is hope if we can find our confidence - the season is like the battery on the blackbox on the MH370, fading fast and we need to hurry up or it'll be gone for good!
Hey, does Dimma have a flight simulator at his house?