What a frustrating game.
So many issues to address.
In the middle we are just so static. You see it week after week. Opposition players running past the ruck contest to get the ball and our players just moving a lot slower, I don't now what they are doing to be honest, they constantly seem to be where the ball isn't. Our mids just don't seem to hunt the ball, not sure how they expect to get it.
Up forward there was no separation, they all just seem to be in the same place. Everybody knows that Sydney will try to clog up your forward line, you have to stretch them, you have to present, but our forward line is so static. No movement No-one to kick to.
In pack situations, time after time you see multiple Richmond players contest the mark and none stay down. Marking contests in our back line where there were Sydney players out the back with no-one on them, clear space to the goal. In our forward line, same story, plenty of Sydney players who can gather the crumbs, barely a Richmond player in sight.
Game plan? Do we have one? I could see no evidence of one tonight. There are some attempts to go sideways to find space, which is a premium the way football is played these days. But this is reactive. Defences are set up to nullify forward movement, we don't have the skills to pick our way through, we end up kicking backwards but still no avenue forward. What exactly is the set-up, what is the strategy to move the ball forward? The only strategy I can see is to try not to be the one who causes the turnover. Plus, when we do go sideways the execution and awareness are lacking.
Some players are in real trouble.
Vlastuin is a shadow of the player he was before Danger ironed him out. I think it was in the last quarter where Vlastuin had a little space to himself but instead of marking he punched the ball away from goals. He would have just marked it in years gone by.
Cotchin looks to be a spent force, but get him to 300, he does deserve that.
I am willing to persist with Ryan and Miller, both need to improve a lot, and both need some serious skills training, but they could be good.
Balta has totally lost me. It wasn't just a brain fade that intercepted handball. The Sydney player knew exactly what Balta was about to do but Balta did not have the awareness or, to be honest, the ability to think fast enough, to react. Once he saw the Sydney player about to come past him he could have decided not to handball and instead move in the other direction and kick it out of the defensive 50. But he just cannot respond quickly enough. He just seems to be incapable of thinking fast enough for the modern game.
A very disappointing effort tonight. Next week won't be pretty.
Umpiring was the usual rubbish. I note Vlastuin got shirtfronted and no free, but, hey, you can concuss Vlastuin with impunity so why not. The adjudication of the insufficient intent to keep the ball in play tonight was all over the place, woeful.
DS
So many issues to address.
In the middle we are just so static. You see it week after week. Opposition players running past the ruck contest to get the ball and our players just moving a lot slower, I don't now what they are doing to be honest, they constantly seem to be where the ball isn't. Our mids just don't seem to hunt the ball, not sure how they expect to get it.
Up forward there was no separation, they all just seem to be in the same place. Everybody knows that Sydney will try to clog up your forward line, you have to stretch them, you have to present, but our forward line is so static. No movement No-one to kick to.
In pack situations, time after time you see multiple Richmond players contest the mark and none stay down. Marking contests in our back line where there were Sydney players out the back with no-one on them, clear space to the goal. In our forward line, same story, plenty of Sydney players who can gather the crumbs, barely a Richmond player in sight.
Game plan? Do we have one? I could see no evidence of one tonight. There are some attempts to go sideways to find space, which is a premium the way football is played these days. But this is reactive. Defences are set up to nullify forward movement, we don't have the skills to pick our way through, we end up kicking backwards but still no avenue forward. What exactly is the set-up, what is the strategy to move the ball forward? The only strategy I can see is to try not to be the one who causes the turnover. Plus, when we do go sideways the execution and awareness are lacking.
Some players are in real trouble.
Vlastuin is a shadow of the player he was before Danger ironed him out. I think it was in the last quarter where Vlastuin had a little space to himself but instead of marking he punched the ball away from goals. He would have just marked it in years gone by.
Cotchin looks to be a spent force, but get him to 300, he does deserve that.
I am willing to persist with Ryan and Miller, both need to improve a lot, and both need some serious skills training, but they could be good.
Balta has totally lost me. It wasn't just a brain fade that intercepted handball. The Sydney player knew exactly what Balta was about to do but Balta did not have the awareness or, to be honest, the ability to think fast enough, to react. Once he saw the Sydney player about to come past him he could have decided not to handball and instead move in the other direction and kick it out of the defensive 50. But he just cannot respond quickly enough. He just seems to be incapable of thinking fast enough for the modern game.
A very disappointing effort tonight. Next week won't be pretty.
Umpiring was the usual rubbish. I note Vlastuin got shirtfronted and no free, but, hey, you can concuss Vlastuin with impunity so why not. The adjudication of the insufficient intent to keep the ball in play tonight was all over the place, woeful.
DS
