It was a promising start on the weekend for the Pies – in the first quarter, we brought the heat.
We out-pressured the Swans, who rank among the best in the comp for pressure, and the whole team profited from it.
If I was Nathan Buckley, my game review would consist of replaying the first quarter and telling the team that, no matter who we’re playing and how the scoreboard is going, this is the minimum effort required.
Because if you have any pride in yourself and any hope of being a good AFL footballer then this is the time to prove that when your feet are to the fire, you don’t cower and hide.
In saying all of that, we lost halfway through the second. We had been in control for the entire quarter to that point without scoreboard reward.
You could see it unfolding.
I said to my half-empty tinny: “If they score first after all this, we’re cooked,” and lo and behold, cooked we were.
That will happen playing the kids and that’s okay, as long as Bucks and the coaching staff are coaching resilience. They have the perfect game to teach that most important lesson to our kids. I hope they are taking advantage of it.
Now onto those aforementioned kids, the focus of the rest of my year’s game reviews.
I’m already a big fan of Caleb Poulter. He has started his AFL career wonderfully.
He runs hard up and down a wing and isn’t afraid of the contest.
It’s very early on but I can see young Poulter’s glorious mullet flapping up and down a wing for a long time yet. Just while I’m in the wing, I have called for Will Hoskin-Elliot to be dropped for a long time now.
He had his best game in a long, long time.
Maybe we see him on the wing for the rest of the year – it seems to force him into the game. While Will’s skills and athletic ability have never been in question, his ability to impose himself on a game from the forward line has.
This could be just what he needs, because if it’s not this, it’s nothing.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Oliver Henry once again looked lost – you actually feel sorry for the young bloke.
It’s not an easy spot to come into our team at the moment, up forward. But from my couch, cross-eyed from tinnies, he looks like he needs more mongrel.
He needs to be locked in an MMA cage with Levi Greenwood and Brayden Maynard between rounds. Might get some mongrel about him. Hopefully we can make it a bit easier for him sooner rather than later.
Another in the same kind of boat but in his first game was Tom Wilson.
Hard to judge the young fella’s first game – he seemed to have got caught in some precarious positions for the majority of the time he was involved. Look forward to seeing more of him.
Tyler Brown continued in the middle and without setting the world on fire continued to look like he belongs there. Of course, there were some errors, but more than acceptable for a player at his stage.
Callum Brown was used more at a half forward and would love to see him afforded more time in the middle to develop.
What more can I say about Josh Daicos that I haven’t already said? He is a gun now.
Isaac Quaynor played more of a defensive role on the weekend and while he will clearly be an attacking half back, it’s great to see them give him defensive assignments for an entire game here and there to develop that side of his game for the future.
Mark Keane continues to show good signs and should have a bright future. Beau McCreery didn’t have his best game, missing his normal pressure inside forward 50.
One last player I wanted to mention is Darcy Cameron. I know he didn’t set the world on fire, but can we all officially say sayonara to Mason Cox? We should never see him pull on a Pies jumper again. Darcy Cameron: good. Mason Cox: bad.
I hope the rest of the Pies supporters out there have now come to terms with where we are at, as I have, because there are positive signs for the future there.
Let’s hope the administrators at the club can manage to avoid turning the rest of the year into a circus.
david steele
Guest
Must agree about Callum Brown, and Tyler for that matter. This looks like one famous Father/sons combination which will not work out. Daicos and Moore on the other hand....very good.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yeah but they’re not gonna get a good draft pick this year anyway cos they traded it away
Bell31
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the ongoing articles SP – I agree pretty well with everything you’ve said above. It was actually the first game I’ve attended since the 2019 season (thanks to covid) and in short, it was one of the more boring / listless Pies’ games I’ve ever attended. The swans weren’t particularly strong overall (befitting their up and coming team) and the Pies were essentially insipid. It was an afternoon game and we sitting directly facing the sun, and it was quite a sleepy affair being there – of course, scoring one goal in 3 quarters didn’t help, although I thought 4 scoring shots in 2 quarters made an even worse statement. Bring on the re-build, which seems to be at least partially underway. I’m not sure about Cox – it kind of contradicts the ‘rebuild’, but I think he might give us some production in the forward line, at least in terms of structure, but it needs to be balanced with time for Darcy Cameron, as he looks like a find. It was nice to see WHE played in a more suited position. The less I say about Grundy the better, but Hickey, wow, not a bad find for the Swans after being at 4 other clubs.
Barney
Guest
I'm sorry, but Callum Brown is rubbish. He should be delisted. Too short, too slow, can't kick. He would never get a game at a contender club.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
that they did, it frustrates me to no end that their development is so good.
Gatto Nero
Roar Rookie
But got to say, the team came up good. Cost me a tip. Keep that short sword unsheathed. :stoked:
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Doing my power rankings this week I was very very harsh on the tigers, I called them the trump supporters of the AFL so I’m not sure if that’ll make it in there haha
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Ironically the team that statistically most needs Cox is Collingwood. Stone-cold motherless last in the 2021 comp for marks inside 50. But they have him, don’t play him and when they do can’t get the ball to him. So yes maybe Hawthorn could use him (5th last for inside 50 grabs) or North Melbourne (2nd last).
Gatto Nero
Roar Rookie
Big post. Got the e word in and a backhander for Pies and Tigers.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Not as egregious as the tigers at marvel over the weekend
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Bit harsh on Cox I think. Not easy being a Collingwood key forward at the best of times, even before this season. He could easily be a premiership forward at another club (and nearly was at the Pies). I wouldn't give up on him. I've held the view that Pies shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater and have a mass discarding of senior players. Give them a year in the 2s to dig deep (including Cox), work on their game (with good coaching!) and confidence and come back with plenty to contribute and to support the young blokes during the rebuild. I had Hoskin Elliot in this category but pleased to see change of position may be a much better option, which I hadn't really considered for him. A lot of these blokes still have footy to offer and know the club, are part of the culture, and have finals experience. And it would be a step in the right direction after the fallout from the last trading period. Exceptions would obviously be where it's constructive to salary cap balance, or they're just about cooked; and then work towards a gradual cull in following years.
Melbourne definitely don't need him Collingwood will make a play for Weidemann. I think Hawthorn is the ideal place for Cox where he would make a serviceable ruckman and forward option.
okapiman
Roar Rookie
I am still not sure about Cox. At present Collingwood is losing convincingly without Cox, in fact, become easy beats. When Cox plays - Collingwood appears a lot more threatening. Same with Moore down back. Suppose it does not matter playing for draft picks now.
dab
Roar Rookie
I think Cox would be dynamite at the Dogs with their current midfield delivery. Or trade Cox to Melbourne. They are looking for tall forwards!
Good call on Cox. I think he had an eye injury last year which affected him. Unfortunately, given Collingwood’s delivery into into forward line it wouldn’t matter who they put there. However, Cox has the advantage of bringing the ball to ground which our forwards are not doing at the moment. As for centre clearances, the positive was undone by the Pies’ poor disposal efficiency. Rarely did they lower their eyes and hit a target.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Pies crowds will desert in droves now the season is over. Was it 20,000 with the Suns game and that was one we thought we might win!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Yes Dan but one could argue it was an over reaction to one final after the epic effort against West Coast. More telling for me was the scraping into the eight in the first place.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
I don’t get the odd dislikes of Pies fans. Clearly the team has a game-style problem. But the inclination is to beat up on individual players. Against the Swans the Pies midfield won centre clearances and stoppages. But the team lost inside 50s and worse still only took 4 marks inside the attacking arc, a third of the Swans total. The Pies also took half the number of contested marks. Something is breaking down. 83 turnovers doesn’t help,. However in 2018 Mason Cox was the most successful contested marking forward in the game. He was outright second in contested marks through the whole season to Jeremy McGovern, a defensive interceptor. Max Gawn was third. It wasn’t just Cox’s prelim final that was elite that year. Cox is also rated as elite by Champion Data in goal kicking accuracy. Yet over two and a bit seasons he has been slowly crucified by ever poorer forward 50 entries and by unhappy fans. I reckon he should go to a club that knows how to use him and become a force again. Darcy Cameron is a decent journeyman but not the game breaker Cox has been and could be again. Similarly Pies fans love to hate on Will Hoskin -Elliot who has been misused. He’s speedy outside player with good skills. In a game where wings are becoming more and more important I think it’s beyond strange that he wasn’t assigned that role permanently ages ago. His game on Saturday just demonstrates that.
djdart
Roar Rookie
You’re doing well Bloke , pulling positives everywhere and loving your glass half full approach mate !! It is very frustrating though where the boys show us what they are capable of but either can’t or don’t want to for four full quarters. I appreciate the kids get cooked quickly but a bit of hard work ethic from our leaders would be nice. It looks to me as though Bucks has completely lost the desire and is going through the motions. I am super glad he is giving a lot of the kids are run because in our present state, that’s exactly what he should be doing. You’re spot on, we are a much better side without Mason Cox in it, a lot more free space up forward. So glad to see Darcy in his rightful position, it really gives the young back line some confidence. As soon as Bucks took the lazy DeGoey out of the forward line and into the midfield, it fell apart against Sydney, his body language and general play is bad if you see him live. So off to the G Sunday to see if we can cause an upset ( true optimist I am lol !! ) but actually Bloke I’ll be watching the Daicos’ and Browns’, Quaynor, McCreery, etc having a crack because that’s where our bright future lies, Go Pies !!!
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
It appears interest in the Pies' saga is waning. Sad conclusion?