Watched the game live. A few observations:
i: it was easy to tell when we would play well and when we wouldn’t before the ball was bounced/thrown in and it was all about spread. When we let Carlton compress the ground they outmuscled us and the forwards blocked for each other beautifully. When we held our structure wide we could run and kick to free men. I never saw an exception to this. When freo were wide, we scored. Freo were rarely wide.
ii: Cerra needs to bulk up. As is, Cerra, Brayshaw and Serong are fast, clever and clean but get outmuscled WAY too easily. Mundy tried to play the Fyfe-strength role but it doesn’t work. And Acres is worse. We need muscle in the midfield - Cerra can be the answer.
iii: the umpires could really step up and have a 10 goal game if they kicked a little straighter. Need some goal kicking practice.
iv: we looked better in the midfield when Darcy went in.
v: tabs, darcy and meek all concede position in marking contests way too easily. Need to attack the ball or, more likely, get out of the forward line. Treacy might be handy, but we’d do just as well with Tabs going solo and Schultz being the other tall target - he’s bring it to ground more often than the rucks could.
vi: our forward need to learn how to block for each other. I know this line-up of forwards hasn’t played much together - it’s obvious from watching. They know they’re “role” and what the play is but they don’t do the little things for each other. If a freo forward wants space from their opponent, they have to sprint for it and hope on the kick.
