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Joined October 2019
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Johnson has the physical attributes but his decision-making with and without the ball is not good enough. Hopefully, that is something that can still be coached into him but I have my doubts because he has already had 45 games to develop it.
For me, that means he needs a simplified role. I don’t want him running out of defence or down the wing with the ball and causing turnovers so that leaves a forward position kicking goals.
Footy Fix: Freo, once again, are broken - and this time, it might just be coach-killing
Thank you, this is what I have been contending for quite a while. That is, the Dockers list is not as great as many seem to suggest. It can be better with Walker, O’Meara and Fyfe back in the team and Bolton properly integrated into their system but the lack of an alternative ball winner to Serong won’t be fixed overnight and maybe not even this season.
For a sense of what every Dockers fan went through last night here is a copy of the SMS conversation I had with my son returning to his donger after a 12 hour shift in the Pilbara.
Son – Glad I haven’t turned the footy on!
Dad – It’s only 4 goals difference but looks like 40.
Son – 7 points is shocking.
Dad – The Saints only have 40 but seem to get every mark going into their 50m arc.
Son – Never gonna be taken serious with a score like that.
Dad – It looks like they are happy not to be taken seriously.
Dad – I just can’t accept that the Saints are so superior as athletes that they can get more players to just about every contest. The Dockers hardly have a player capable of taking a contested mark.
Son – I’m not even turning it on.
Dad – Don’t.
Dad – The Saints are taking one-handers now.
Dad – The Dockers have taken 3 marks inside their 50 so far!!!
Son – Unreal.
Footy Fix: Freo, once again, are broken - and this time, it might just be coach-killing
I appreciate this analysis but I can’t help thinking that there is also a considerable Pickett factor in their improved results. It certainly seemed to me that their ball handling was much better than last week highlighting how poor the Dockers were, to be beaten despite all the Melbourne handling errors that they had to feast on.
Footy Fix: The eye-catching premiership quarter stat that proves the Dees are, slowly, getting better
With skin in the game what do the bookies say?
Hawthorn (5)
Brisbane (6.5)
GWS (6.5)
Adelaide (10)
Collingwood (11)
Geelong (11)
Sydney (15)
Western Bulldogs (17)
Fremantle
Gold Coast
Carlton
Port Adelaide
St Kilda
Melbourne
Essendon
North Melbourne
West Coast
Richmond
AFL Power Rankings: Clear top seed, former power in hell, and what about the Cats?
Football is a game of opinions.
Will Socceroos fans ever be happy in this era of online complaining?
There may be different team dynamics but I doubt whether coaches are introverts or extroverts has much to do with successful teams anymore. That probably hasn’t been a “thing” since the game moved on from Captain-Coaches. The quality of each coach’s judgements and decision-making is more critical.
After 23 Rounds in 2024 the Dockers were 10th. Notwithstanding the impact Bolton could bring that is the quality (a top 10 list) that Longmuir has to work with.
Brisbane lost their first three games last season then broke through with a win against North Melbourne. I’m waiting until Round 10 before assessing the relative merits of each team and their coach.
Six Points: We need to talk about Vossy's coaching, and the REAL problem with Fox Footy's ginormous graphic
By the end of last season my conclusion was that the Dockers are some distance from being flag contenders. Not because of Longmuir’s qualities as a coach but because of the lack of quality in their list. I am astonished at the lionising of their list in this article. I can’t see any player apart from Serong and maybe Young, if his effectiveness as a midfielder hasn’t been worked out by the opposition coaches during the off season, that warrants being regarded as a premiership player. A fully fit Darcy could reemerge at that level as he offers something quite unique as a follower, but that is yet to be seen.
There were 23 rounds last season and if you lose your last four games it is no different to losing your first four games. The Dockers were the 10th best home and away team last season, so why are they being pumped up as premiership contenders?
I feel as though the Dockers lost their way with their recruitment over the last few seasons. I hope that Reid turns out to be the “the most skilled player taken in last year’s draft” because that may help put them back on the track that Longmuir seemed to set when he came to the club. As suggested by the analysis the Dockers need to increase their frequency of getting the ball inside the 50, so the more efficient and skilful players transitioning out of defence the better.
There are players in the list who can propel the Dockers higher up the ladder if they develop faster and further than the talents in some of the other team lists. I like the look of O’Driscoll, Amiss, Draper and Walker. I hope I am wrong but I can’t see in those four a Daicos, Curnow, McGovern or Zorko emerging this season.
Forget a dark horse - with quality depth and star power, Fremantle are genuine flag contenders
First impressions – my instant reaction watching on tv was that Kuhnemann’s action was illegal, but then thought “what would I know?”. Maybe the camera gives a false impression.
Just putting it out there but there are times when I have watched Pat Cummings (on tv) and thought he was using an illegal action as well.
Yes, Kuhnemann’s got a suspect action but he’s not a chucker - cricket needs to rethink stigma over throwing claims
Talk about destroying your reputation as a pundit! Labushagne should be nowhere near the Australian Test team without building a satisfactory body of work at a lower level that warrants his return.
Malcolm Conn: Why winning Aussies must stick with Marnus despite century drought
I fear I may have spoken too soon!
The record is 27-7-6 in Sydney’s favour. Glory have won about once every two years. At least, they might be due…
'Feels like a defeat': 'Angry' Mariners coach rues late lapse in F3 derby as finals push falters
With the exception of Macach I thought Perth Glory dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard. But there can be no excuses for not taking the opportunities that they had. I suspect that a run of wins for Perth Glory is imminent. I didn’t think it was a particularly physical game and the replays revealed that many of the Melbourne Victory players rolling on the ground had been the victim of very little or no contact at all!
'Feels like a defeat': 'Angry' Mariners coach rues late lapse in F3 derby as finals push falters
Ponting is correct.
The Australian team does well despite the selectors not because of them.
'Tepid garbage': Sri Lanka's 'gutless' tactic slammed as 'magnificent' Smith joins legends by finally reaching magic milestone
Both Jets and Glory defences were chaotic. The Jets midfield was much more fluent. O’Neill seems to have dropped off alarmingly. Pennington will come back but is a bit of a plodder. If Glory are to bring in any more reinforcements it needs to be a midfielder who can hold the ball consistently over 90 minutes. Very disappointed that Lebib appears to have been pushed aside for experience. The upside of getting matches into him seems much greater than the other options. It’s been just one match but initial impressions of Wood were underwhelming. I’d like to see Eli Adams come under consideration by Popovic instead of Vellupilay. He looked fairly average as a winger earlier in his career but more like a quality striker (one-touch, good instincts, shots on target) who would thrive with better service than Vellupilay.
A-League Talking Points: Sydney falter as Diles finally breaks duck, WSW rue spurned chances
I tend to agree. However, just as I believe if a player is not producing big games consistently they are not international standard so, too, if the coach/manager is not producing teams that score goals and prevent conceding goals they are not international standard either. On the evidence so far, Popovic is an Arzani of international coaches.
'Really poor': Popa lashes inconsistent Arzani ahead of crucial window
I share your concerns about Wood’s sharpness. I am not sure this is a good fit. Taggart thrived with Daniel Bennie running hard for 90 minutes providing him opportunities. I hope I’m wrong but I suspect Wood is just going to get in Taggart’s space and when he isn’t won’t work as hard as Bennie did to complement Taggart. I think the best he can hope for is if Zdrilic decides with Wales providing the supply 80 minutes of Taggart and 10 minutes of Wood is the way forward for his team to maintain 90 minutes of intensity.
Young striker heads west in search of game time under Zdrila as former Wanderer crosses divide
The same for me except I would play McSweeney at 5 instead of Labuschagne. Roll the dice and play him into the team. He didn’t go on to a big score against India but the innings he did play looked more promising than anything Labuschagne delivered.
Australian XI for first Test in Galle: Who misses out if selectors stick with Boland, Konstas and Webster?
Syd preferred playing dominoes.
How do you solve a problem like Marnus? The four options facing selectors as dry spell turns into drought
Or,
Konstas
Khawaja
Head
Smith
McSweeney
Webster
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Boland
Kuhnemann
I suspect for a two test tour of Sri Lanka Labuschagne’s position is under threat from McSweeney rather than Khawaja’s. The perception that the best available batters will succeed as an opener has been undermined by the Smith and McSweeney episodes and I think the selectors will prefer specialist openers for the foreseeable future. Head will be well placed at three to face Sri Lanka’s pace attack if either Konstas or Khawaja go cheaply. Easing McSweeney into the team down the order is the more traditional way of introducing untested top order batsmen to the team. Labuschagne to provide the vibes in the grandstands. We may never know if Inglis is of Test player standard unless Carey suffers an injury.
Aussie squad CONFIRMED: Rookie bolter, Smith to captain, McSweeney returns for Sri Lanka tour
Says the bloke who doesn’t know anything about footy either… ????
Malcolm Conn: Webster and Konstas bring the spirit the Aussies desperately need to rejuvenate line-up
Thanks for the very incisive opinion piece. I think you are spot on. It is interesting that the French don’t regard a player as fully developed until they are 18-19 years old as well. A youth focussed A League should still be welcoming late-bloomers at 19-21 years, especially if we get promotion/relegation bringing youth up a level as their team is promoted. These may be difficult times, but as the saying goes, “Difficult times are generally a blessing disguised as difficulty”.
Has Australia missed another golden generation?
Dear Don, you quite reasonably keep on referring to The Dockers injured as an explanation for their results. I seem to recall Dockers coach Connolly arguing that Premierships have as much to do with the fitness of the squad as anything else. If you accept that argument then barring best practice fitness regime or good fortune the real art of winning a Premiership is overcoming the challenges presented by injured players in your team’s squad, not using it as an excuse.
You should be demanding better solutions to the challenges presented by injured players not passively waiting for them to return to the team.
Furthermore, I am reminded of Postecoglu pointing to injuries being responsible for the Spurs poor results only to see the team fail to improve when players returned. Sometimes the teams mojo is lost and is not instantly regained by the return of quality players.
Footy Fix: The Pies are fast, furious, fearless and fantastically coached - everything Fremantle aren't