Rather than talk about the obvious I will say this.
Dimma has lost the plot. In 2012 we were the best contested side in the comp and used the corridor regularly with quick ball movement in 2013 we complemented this adding defensive 50 pressure and forward 50 pressure.
Why does Dimma want to forsake this and reinvent the wheel?
The team philosophy that has held firm for his first four years in nowhere now. This stop start static option footy has reminded me of the Spud tenure added with this corralling bs reminding me of the Wallet era.
For a minute there I thought that the Ponsford was still under construction and it was 2003 such was the brand of footy we were playing.
Why sacrifice the game of a 2 time Coleman Medallist to make a pea hearted footballer in Vickery the focus.
Why keep playing blokes like Grigg Edwards Chaplin Newman Houli and such who have been abysmal. Our attack last year was launched from half back this year we have got nothing from Houli Newman or anyone.
Why make players do what is unnatural to them and get naturally attacking minded players and input a defensive mindset in them?
Houli squibbed it in front of me again in front of the Olympic in the second.
Titch, Petterd, Grigg I don't care how many times they get it, quantity will always loose out to quality no matter what.
This club is happy with 110% FTF and high membership bases with no on foeld return.
Port were 6 games worse off than us in 2012 yet the way things stand now they licked the Cats who in turn will annihilate us as they always seem to do next week.
The club is a constant annual failure who are lucky to have the supporter base they have. As much as a Cllingwood flag in September has a special mystique about it as their GF failures so are our annual failures given that even though last year may be regarded as a success being knocked out of the finals by a side that failed to qualify is a massive failure of sorts given we were also 5 goals plus up in the third quarter.
The apparent lack of cohesion, speed, constructiveness and ability to back up your team mate has totally devoid the side of any flair and continuity that served us so well especially in 2012/13 and for parts of 2011 when we realised that potentially we have a side that may play a sustainable brand of football that could take us well into September.
This club it seems is once again making the mistake of putting the cart before the horse and counting its membership base, profits and potential ucess rather than planning on sustainability. Dimma is coaching like a man who is bereft of any ideas and planning unnatural game plans for players who seem to be confused and bereft of inspiration themselves. We saw this with Frawley post 2001 when we made finals and despite any injury concerns to key players this should not be enough to set us back the way it has as 2003 we saw more of the same crap.
Dimma has really lost me after the Bulldogs game I was angry given how we lost and given where the two sides were on the table last year but that was the warning sign that now has turned into a full blooded DEFCOM 5 alert and we are really in danger and I aint talking about this year because I feel right now it is gone and given we have Geelong on the rebound next week but next year and 2016 the next two years of Dimma's tenure.
If it aint broke why fix it? Unless you want to be too smart and not play to your strengths.
I would rather isolate Jack and use Griff and have another tall third option by bringing Lennon into the side.
Vickery has lost me given his attitude. If Lids has an Achilles put him on the LTIL and promote Miles. Geez we need a small classy crumber who can play midfield we are so lacking in that area it aint funny. Has been for years since Naishy left for Port. Would retain Gordon and Lloyd as especially the former whilst making a blue at least presents and gut runs.
Arnot, McDonough, Griff, Astbury must play week in week out and when Dea is available play him too.
Would ratherlose with the kids than lose with the same footballers who give the same paltry output year in and year out. If Newman is a leader spend two years in the ressies and teach and nurture the kids. Add Houli, Titch, Grigg, Petterd just to name a few and add a few others like Chaplin, Hampson when Maric is fit as Griff on one leg is better than that spud of a footballer and we gave up pick 28 for this but hey Hawthorn give up pick 17 for McEvoy.
This season is salvageable and if it means playing the kids with a spine of senior players in the 80-150 core to guide us then so be it. Time for Cotch, Martin, Jack, and some lesser types like Ellis and Grimes and a few others to model themselves on Floss and see how he goes about it.
I could bear the floggings in 2010/11 because we were rebuilding from scratch given the retirements and the list degradation that set in by the time 2009 finished but our list is fast becoming if not already is the same failed list that tokenly made a finals series for the first time in a decade and if 2020 odd is the next time we make it because history is repeating and the same mistakes are being made then everybody in the club should be ashamed of this.
How can Port do it and overtake us and Bulldogs start a rebuild 2 years after us yet bear fruit against us already whilst we claim we are finals bound and get an 11 goal flogging from the reigning premier whom we beat by 62 and 41 points the last two times we met. Mindset and garbage planning, list management, coaching agendas and personnel selection in the team 22 has negated any opportunity we have had to build on the last four years of significant on and off field productivity and improvement.