Shattered is an understatement!

[Little Ziggyadee]

I saw Massimo D'Ambrosio and another player I didn't recognise doing a running session in their end of season break period and they were busting a gut. They did something like 10 x 400m then 20 x 200m followed by some skills work. Brad Scott said they were unfit last year and needed to get fitter. It is no wonder they look so much fitter with sessions like that. We just look so far off the mark in terms of our fitness. The other teams just out work us every game. I think Meehan's new fitness regime has gone horribly wrong.

We aren't fit and you can go back all the way to the practice match against North. We were slow and very sloppy and it continued into the practice match against Melbourne.
Balta looks not fit.
Sampson was in pain coming to the bench .
The only player that went to the bench and wasn't huffing and puffing was Tarranto.
Cumberland came to bench and he had is hands on his knees like he had run in a marathon..I didn't realise he was playing.

 

[Tigerdangerous]

We had a very very poorly planned off season. it is almost terminal for this season. what you put in you get out. Serious questions need to be ask of Hardwick. he can coach....but did not put any effort into the off season from the results we are getting.

Hardwick spent a chunk of the off season in the States! Left the grunt work to his assistants - and whilst there were lots of smiling faces, back slapping and such like down at Punt Road the sad truth is the list should have been trained long and hard to at least get aerobic fitness up to snuff.

Knocked out early in the finals with the same sort of dumb arse panic attack that riddled last season with close failures.

Surely there was enough incentive for all at the club to work hard to eliminate such obvious faults - it didn’t happen but yesterday against the GCS did!

 

[Rantnrave]

Everyone over 28 is savagely down on form or injured. Jack can hold his head up for the year but yesterday was ugly. You can't plan for this type of mass loss of from. As @redfrod put it, something is wrong.

No	Name	Games	Age	Date of Birth	Height	Weight	Origin	Position
8​	Riewoldt, Jack	332​	34yr 5mth	31 Oct 1988	193cm​	92kg​	Tassie Mariners	Forward
6​	Tarrant, Robbie	194​	34yr	25 Apr 1989	196cm​	96kg​	Bendigo Pioneers	Defender
9​	Cotchin, Trent	294​	33yr	7 Apr 1990	185cm​	86kg​	Northern Knights	Midfield Forward
4​	Martin, Dustin	275​	31yr 10mth	26 Jun 1991	187cm​	92kg​	Bendigo Pioneers	Midfield Forward
2​	Grimes, Dylan	214​	31yr 9mth	16 Jul 1991	194cm​	91kg​	Northern Knights	Defender
50​	Pickett, Marlion R	64​	31yr 3mth	6 Jan 1992	184cm​	81kg​	South Fremantle	Midfield
3​	Prestia, Dion	198​	30yr 6mth	12 Oct 1992	175cm​	82kg​	Calder Cannons	Midfield
19​	Lynch, Tom	216​	30yr 5mth	31 Oct 1992	199cm​	99kg​	Dandenong Stingrays	Forward
35​	Broad, Nathan	110​	30yr	15 Apr 1993	192cm​	87kg​	Swan Districts	Defender
33​	Mcintosh, Kamdyn	153​	29yr	3 Apr 1994	191cm​	92kg​	Peel Thunder	Midfield
1​	Vlastuin, Nick	197​	29yr	19 Apr 1994	187cm​	87kg​	Northern Knights	Defender
25​	Nankervis, Toby	125​	28yr 8mth	12 Aug 1994	199cm​	102kg​	North Launceston	Ruck

Maybe except marlion and at times jack its simply mindblowimg how backwards everyone of these have gone .yet Pndelberry sidebottom mitchell etc as still bloody great at the same age..Somethings severly wrong at tigerland

 

[Smoking Aces]

I still put it down to our poor pre-season preparation. @caesar made mention if this numerous times.

If I remember correctly most didn’t come back until very late in the year.

Plus the fact we had players in and out of rehab.

Then we have been smashed with injuries. You can’t underestimate how big the loss of Lynch and Nankervis have been. And to some extent Prestia. He has been cooked since the eve of Round 1.

 

[gold1]

Picks for players leaving isn't the answer.
We don't do anything with these PICKs everyone mentions.
Yes trade out but player swap no Picks.
Giving us Picks is like throwing them in the bin.
Unless Hartley & Clarke leave.
We cannot give them anymore Picks.
Besides Sampson who was again a late pick is coming through that exciting to watch?
We need to do what are clubs do, Geelong Picks them up from the tough country leagues over 20 yrs old ready to go.
Collingwood don't mind the kids that can't get regular games at there clubs. Kruger Cameron Lipinksi Hill Frampton etc. Role players and not on big bucks. 2 -3 yr deals the most.
There must be kids under noses that dominate lower leagues.
Where's our Academy??

Graeme Richmond and Ian Wilson are past it.

 

[Redford]

I still put it down to our poor pre-season preparation. @caesar made mention if this numerous times.

If I remember correctly most didn’t come back until very late in the year.

Plus the fact we had players in and out of rehab.

Then we have been smashed with injuries. You can’t underestimate how big the loss of Lynch and Nankervis have been. And to some extent Prestia. He has been cooked since the eve of Round 1.

But I was told that all our innumerable pre season injuries were no concern over Summer ? Don’t worry about it people said. As long as they’re right to go at round 1 that’s all that matters. Sure.

Got those same people book marked for using it as an excuse now (not saying you’re one) but that was the worst pre season for injuries and health I can ever remember.

Caesar’s reports regularly had 8 to 11 or 12 players missing blocks of training. And we’re still battling injuries. Some unlucky, some maybe not so much. But it’s been the worst 5 or 6 months regardless. Terrible.

 

[waiting]

I am truly astonished at the decline of our senior players. No one expected this. Could lack of hunger be an issue too? Its going to be a long winter.

Too many inexperienced kids with not many games placing pressure on our senior players.

I think it’s a confidence thing.

The comrade between players is weird. Not much celebration and getting around like we once did .

Work rate for your team mate , like a block , talking, helping each other with a shepherd….

Little things we were known for . Our DNA.

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

We all knew the career's of Grimes Riewoldt Cotchin and Dow were closer to the end.
But the lack of quality coming up is scary.
We shouldve had a group of 4-6 Kids ready to go 30-40 VFL games under there belts ready to go.
But we don't. The 5 under 30 was to set us up for the future. It has failed miserly

 

[waiting]

We all knew the life's of Grimes Riewoldt Cotchin and Dow were closer to the end.
But the lack of quality coming up is scary.
We shouldve had a group of 4-6 Kids ready to go 30-40 VFL games under there belts ready to go.
But we don't. The 5 under 30 was to set us up for the future. It has failed miserly

At the minute it appears that way Zips.

Time will tell us more.

 

[Smoking Aces]

But I was told that all our innumerable pre season injuries were no concern over Summer ? Don’t worry about it people said. As long as they’re right to go at round 1 that’s all that matters. Sure.

Got those same people book marked for using it as an excuse now (not saying you’re one) but that was the worst pre season for injuries and health I can ever remember.

Caesar’s reports regularly had 8 to 11 or 12 players missing blocks of training. And we’re still battling injuries. Some unlucky, some maybe not so much. But it’s been the worst 5 or 6 months regardless. Terrible.

It’s not rocket science when it comes to sports. Players rarely have a stand out season if they miss large chunks of pre-season. You can carry 1 or 2 but not a third of your list.

 

[Feeling Tigerish]

Everyone over 28 is savagely down on form or injured. Jack can hold his head up for the year but yesterday was ugly. You can't plan for this type of mass loss of from. As @Redford put it, something is wrong.

No	Name	Games	Age	Date of Birth	Height	Weight	Origin	Position
8​	Riewoldt, Jack	332​	34yr 5mth	31 Oct 1988	193cm​	92kg​	Tassie Mariners	Forward
6​	Tarrant, Robbie	194​	34yr	25 Apr 1989	196cm​	96kg​	Bendigo Pioneers	Defender
9​	Cotchin, Trent	294​	33yr	7 Apr 1990	185cm​	86kg​	Northern Knights	Midfield Forward
4​	Martin, Dustin	275​	31yr 10mth	26 Jun 1991	187cm​	92kg​	Bendigo Pioneers	Midfield Forward
2​	Grimes, Dylan	214​	31yr 9mth	16 Jul 1991	194cm​	91kg​	Northern Knights	Defender
50​	Pickett, Marlion R	64​	31yr 3mth	6 Jan 1992	184cm​	81kg​	South Fremantle	Midfield
3​	Prestia, Dion	198​	30yr 6mth	12 Oct 1992	175cm​	82kg​	Calder Cannons	Midfield
19​	Lynch, Tom	216​	30yr 5mth	31 Oct 1992	199cm​	99kg​	Dandenong Stingrays	Forward
35​	Broad, Nathan	110​	30yr	15 Apr 1993	192cm​	87kg​	Swan Districts	Defender
33​	Mcintosh, Kamdyn	153​	29yr	3 Apr 1994	191cm​	92kg​	Peel Thunder	Midfield
1​	Vlastuin, Nick	197​	29yr	19 Apr 1994	187cm​	87kg​	Northern Knights	Defender
25​	Nankervis, Toby	125​	28yr 8mth	12 Aug 1994	199cm​	102kg​	North Launceston	Ruck

100% agree with this. Something is definitely wrong, we can’t just fall away so badly

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

At the minute it appears that way Zips.

Time will tell us more.

Blair Hartley since 2010 has given us only Rioli & BigV
The rest have been a disaster and especially since 2017

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

100% agree with this. Something is definitely wrong, we can’t just fall away so badly

We drop our lip and sook.
Even in 2017, we would lose a close game and then followed it up with another 2or 3 close losses. to GWS last kick of the day Cameron's goal, Freo at the G etc.
In 2016 we lost to Collingwood in round 2 after Grundy kicked the match winner and the wheels fell off.
In 2021 Kennedy kicks the winner and our form dropped off and missed finals.
How many close games in a row last year did we lose Gc last kick of the day, Sydney in Sydney and the draw with Freo and that was all in the same time in the season.
Besides 2016 & 2021 we have been able to recover and bounce back.
It dosent look like we will bouncing back this year.
Under Hardwick will have had issues of not recovering from losses quick enough.
Didn't we have a spell back in 2012 we lost to GC Nth and Carlton all in the last minutes and all were in a row?

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

When we drop a game we were meant to win or we get slapped, under Hardwick we have a history of going on a run of losses.
20122017
20212022

 

[Scoop]

Blair Hartley since 2010 has given us only Rioli & BigV
The rest have been a disaster and especially since 2017View attachment 19065

It's really grim. This is why we needed Tim Tarranto and Jacob Hopper. Again, not getting one A-grade or even B+ Grade midfielder out of the draft is diabolical.

 

[Smoking Aces]

It's really grim. This is why we needed Tim Tarranto and Jacob Hopper. Again, not getting one A-grade or even B+ Grade midfielder out of the draft is diabolical.

2018 and 2019 drafts look like a disaster. But we were coming off premierships so draft capital was limited. I still lament not taking Oscar Allen over Higgins. If we got Oscar Allen and Balta in the 2017 draft that would have set up our bookends. We could have had our spine all sorted with Gibcus, Balta, Allen & Ryan for the next 10 years.

The jury is still out on the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

 

[Scoop]

2018 and 2019 drafts look like a disaster. But we were coming off premierships so draft capital was limited. I still lament not taking Oscar Allen over Higgins. If we got Oscar Allen and Balta in the 2017 draft that would have set up our bookends.

The jury is still out on the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

And now you mention it, we repeated that same mistake with Gibcus and Van Rooyen. That's twice in 5 years we've missed bookending our key position stocks in one draft. The capital question doesn't matter because we had it in 2021 and did the same thing. We are averse to taking multiple talls early. We love drafting flankers, it's that simple. We don't draft pure mids, we don't value kicking skills. If you're a 188cm flanker, you are high on our list.

 

[Smoking Aces]

And now you mention it, we repeated that same mistake with Gibcus and Van Rooyen. That's twice in 5 years we've missed bookending our key position stocks in one draft. The capital question doesn't matter because we had it in 2021 and did the same thing. We are averse to taking multiple talls early. We love drafting flankers, it's that simple. We don't draft pure mids, we don't value kicking skills. If you're a 188cm flanker, you are high on our list.

True that, although we did draft Coleman Jones and Balta in the same draft. But your point stands. I would rather take a punt on a key position player than a dime a dozen flanker. Our recruiting mantra is bizarre.

 

[Scoop]

True that, although we did draft Coleman Jones and Balta in the same draft. But your point stands. I would rather take a punt on a key position player than a dime a dozen flanker. Our recruiting mantra is bizarre.

CCJ was more of a ruck I think, that was the role. But looking at some draft articles about him, he was injured for the back half of his draft year.

Same with Tom Browne, he played five TAC games in his draft year because of injury. Same with Sonsie, I'm sensing some recurring themes with our drafting.

1) No pure mids with elite footskills (besides Sonsie but he fits point 3)
2) Lack of key forwards early
3) Lack of continuity in their draft year, injury issues.
4) Super skinny. Noodle arms.

 

[King Kong]

Blair Hartley since 2010 has given us only Rioli & BigV
The rest have been a disaster and especially since 2017View attachment 19065

This is Matty Clarke's list of players. Not Blair or Frank or anyone else.

He is about as talented at recruiting as Gus Graham was at rucking.