We got monstered by Darling and Kennedy, especially in the first quarter and this will be the impetus for Roly to bring back The Fist. (Along with Scos` suspension.)
We missed McPharlin as Johnno was quite rusty but improved as the game went on.
Roly stopped the bleeding in the second quarter by swinging APearce back and having Johnno as spare.
Neale, Barlow and D Pearce had games to forget.
Fyfe really was magnificent, almost single handedly along with Son Son getting us back in the game.
Hill was very good.
Our basic problem is not effort or heart or endeavour or any of those intangibles. Its simple structure around the ball. Time and time again 4 Dockers go in for a tackle, ball hunting leaving Shuey or Gaff on the outside or way over on the fat side seagulling for a spillage.
This zoning thing the Dockers do work for teams that cant kick and who kick long. We eat that for breakfast, but if you chip it short and work through the corridor to a man, with excellent foot skills ala Hawks, Richmond and even the Slime then we are in trouble. We don't seem to be able to switch to a man up situation to force the long ball down the line, which is what we want. We aren't on our men for the short hit up which is why its been a long time since weve seen the legendary Freo pressure exerted. We aren't close enough to exert.
Is there time and is there the want from Roly to adapt to this new, high scoring switch and chip and then cutting inboard to a leading forward style play that Hawthorn have perfected and now Simpson has brought to the egurls and even Richmond do it every second week.
We can still do it but we cant just rely on supreme effort every time. Its too taxing.
