AFL - Round 3 - Discussion (and Live Scores)

[bennymacca]

jesus, booney is making a ton of sense. And its before 9am and im not drunk.

good analysis there. agree with what you are saying about the crows. If you go through our list and look at each player individually, you could probably say that all of them have played ok in patches, but just havent done it as a team for long enough.

the next 4 weeks are obviously critical, but TBH if we cant win all 4 of those games we dont deserve to get out of the bottom four.

[woodublieve12]

Not asking to stir...

I've only seen highlights, but were the crows terrible or the swans really good???

[Ted E Bear]

Swans looked good late in the game as the Crows tired. Much like the showdown. Crows have nothing up forward, Pods, Jenkins and Betts are all hit or miss

[bennymacca]

Not asking to stir...

I've only seen highlights, but were the crows terrible or the swans really good???

swans just looked so much cleaner.

crows would fight and scrap for a goal, then from the centre bounce swans would take it out of there and parker would snap a goal from 55. forward line just clearly isnt working for the crows, just not efficient.

crows probably looked the better team for much of the game, but just couldnt get it on the scoreboard. but then in the last quarter the wheels fell off and swans just smashed them.

[Booney]

Not asking to stir...

I've only seen highlights, but were the crows terrible or the swans really good???

swans just looked so much cleaner.

crows would fight and scrap for a goal, then from the centre bounce swans would take it out of there and parker would snap a goal from 55. forward line just clearly isnt working for the crows, just not efficient.

crows probably looked the better team for much of the game, but just couldnt get it on the scoreboard. but then in the last quarter the wheels fell off and swans just smashed them.

Disagree there, Sydney controlled stoppages for the bulk of the game, Adelaide were without any structure or potency up forward ( apart from Podsiadly for a few patches ) and Sydney's forward half looked dangerous every time it went forward. Talia couldn't deal with Franklin and Adelaide crumbled under Sydneys second half pressure.

[bennymacca]

We had more contested and uncontested possessions, more inside 50s and more clearances. And that includes the last qtr where we hardly touched it.

Major difference was the forward lines as I have mentioned already. And at the game you definitely got the sense that we had to fight much harder for our goals

[cracka]

From round 3 :

Hawthorn the stand out for 2014 already, with Geelong looking the likely challenger. Fremantle and Sydney, the much hyped other "top 4" candidates look out of sorts and need to string a few wins together now to start looking like top 4 sides. Early days, but any more than 4 losses typically means no top 4, this year might be different though. I expect both to start to bounce back, they need to.

GWS and GC have taken quick steps in their development this year. I think GC are a team who can push for the 8 this year and GWS with their additions this summer ( Mumford and Shaw especially ) have got themselves out of "easy beat" territory.

Paul Roos looks like a man defeated. I predict he won't coach Melbourne in 2015. By all reports he blew up after the West Coast game to the point of an assistant stepping in and saying ( along the lines of ) "enough is enough" and then the way he went burko at Terlich on Sunday and again after the game, I've got a feeling he didn't think it was going to be quite this hard. Clearly the loss of several key big men hasn't helped, but he looks rattled, and Roos never looks rattled.

Richmond continue to pretend, really, who would want to support Richmond? Jack Reiwoldt is an A grade flog too. One touch in a half, then kicks one and runs around like he has pulled the team from the jaws of defeat all on this own. He looks like a player who has some serious challenges in front of him at Richmond, or perhaps somewhere else?

Carlton much the same, they have a looooong season ahead.@

Adelaide look shot. Dangerfield is trying to do too much and in the end doing very little, Jenkins/McKernan are no chop and by the time Lynch and Walker get back and up and running it will be too late for Adelaide's season. St.Kilda, GWS, Bulldogs and Melbourne in the next 4 weeks. If one Crow fan tells me they've got a tough draw. Go one, tell me. Sloane is an outstanding player and leader but, like Dangerfield, too much is left to him. Sure injuries are playing a major part in their fortunes but three weeks in a row they have capitulated after half time and look like a rabble.

Port looked slow at times against the 'Roos yesterday, well played North. Polec and Boak were the target of early attention, they had 17 first quarter touches against Adelaide to set up the early lead, 9 yesterday. Port once again got out of the blocks but North fought back well to take the most slender of leads into half time. From there, Monfries looked like he was shot, Westhoff was kept quiet and Norths midfield took over.

Boomer Harvey, one of those players you acknowledge as brilliant, but I don't have to like him. I can't ******* stand him, he does it to us every time. Why? Our two best taggers for the last 8 years, Cornes and Cassisi, have never had the explosive pace to cover him. Richmond recruit Matt White did a solid job on him yesterday, but on the 3 occasions he got away from him, he kicked 3 goals.

Ports 4 posters for the day didn't help the scoreboard pressure or confidence and a week back home against Brisbane is just the medicine.

The Crows have had the toughest draw for the 1st three rounds of this season. Who else has played 3 out of last years top 5 in the 1st three rounds.

[Booney]

The Crows have had the toughest draw for the 1st three rounds of this season. Who else has played 3 out of last years top 5 in the 1st three rounds.

Nope.

Collingwood have - Fremantle, Sydney and Geelong >>>>>>> Adelaide - Geelong, Port and Sydney.

[woodublieve12]

i still can't believe some crow supporters are bitching about the draw. It got you to a prelim 2 years ago

[cracka]

The Crows have had the toughest draw for the 1st three rounds of this season. Who else has played 3 out of last years top 5 in the 1st three rounds.

Nope.

Collingwood have - Fremantle, Sydney and Geelong >>>>>>> Adelaide - Geelong, Port and Sydney.

Ah yeah I missed them. So they have had the 2nd hardest start to this season & the hardest start to this season of the teams that finished outside last years top 8. Is that a fair call.

[cracka]

i still can't believe some crow supporters are bitching about the draw. It got you to a prelim 2 years ago

Not bitching about the draw as a whole but you have to admit for a team that finished well outside last years top 8 it has been a tough start or is that too hard for crow haters to concede.

[bennymacca]

Been a tough draw so far, but the next 4 weeks are very easy comparatively. No excuses for the next month

[cracka]

Been a tough draw so far, but the next 4 weeks are very easy comparatively. No excuses for the next month

After Geelong I thought we weren't too far off, but rounds 2 & 3 showed had far away we are.

[TEX07]

i still can't believe some crow supporters are bitching about the draw. It got you to a prelim 2 years ago

Not bitching about the draw as a whole but you have to admit for a team that finished well outside last years top 8 it has been a tough start or is that too hard for crow haters to concede.

Every year there is a cluster of games that are harder than others - the fact we got these at the start of the season is tough but IMO we would have always penciled Geelong as a loss, Showdown is always 50/50 chance and SYdney at home we would have put ourselves at greater than 60% chance of winning at the start of the year. Our form is the reason we are 0-3 and not the draw.

[Rik E Boy]

jesus, booney is making a ton of sense. And its before 9am and im not drunk.

good analysis there. agree with what you are saying about the crows. If you go through our list and look at each player individually, you could probably say that all of them have played ok in patches, but just havent done it as a team for long enough.

the next 4 weeks are obviously critical, but TBH if we cant win all 4 of those games we dont deserve to get out of the bottom four.

Booney normally does make sense. Not sure that I agree with his summation that Freo are behind Geelong in the pecking order. The Cats are still a middle of the road side and much needs to be done before we are top four this season. Really liking the look of Essendon so far this season, sanctions aside it could be them that challenges the Hawks late in the year. The Hawks look awesome at the moment but some of the older guys are starting to cop injuries, and are not up and about.

He didn't mention West Coast but they'll be top eight for sure as they won't be dropping eight matches at Subi this season. However, next week they travel to Cat Park for the first time in four years so they might go missing like a Malaysian Airlines flight. I had a crack at Ruben Carter telling him the Saints were utter shite but I have to admit he was right and I was w..wrr..wrrrrooonnng! St Nick has reminded the football world that he is a genuine champion with an unceasing workrate that keeps the Saints in the contest regardless of the quality of the opposition. I reckon they'll get the job done at Ettie Head next week against a misfiring Blackbirds.

As for the expansion teams, well, they've finally shot their wad after getting a blowie from the AFL so big f deal.

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

I suspect that Teddy supports Richmond.

Teddy supports Carlton.

regards,

REB

[Red Rocket]

Reckons this sums up Carlton
Skipper jumping at his own shadows

[woodublieve12]

Reckons this sums up Carlton
Skipper jumping at his own shadows

oh dear....

[Jim05]

Merrett very lucky to only get 2 weeks

[Phantom Gossiper]

Merrett very lucky to only get 2 weeks

Absolute joke! Fyfe gets 2 for a bump, Merrett intentional thuggery gets the same!