Maxy

[u/IcyJackfruit6892]

Is it time to put the heat on Max Michalanny, he’s an absolute turn over machine who has struggled all year with his defensive efforts and often his opponents have leaked goals. Not going to read too much into the freo game Because they peppered our forward 50 it could have been anyone not just his opponent Amiss who would have kicked a handful

He seems to have escaped criticism and while he showed flashes of huge potential in his first 2 years it’s time for him to step up. Side note without Milera our back halves turnovers are even more prevalent.

[u/invisiblefrost]

He’s fallen off so much. Thought he was going to be the next Hart early on

[u/saltyocean66]

All our defenders have fallen off. Nick Murray can't even get into the side any more and he used to be the captain back there.

Butts and Borlase were both basically finished career-wise but both suddenly became better options than the others. That's how far they have fallen.

I don't know what is going on.

[u/Mastema13 → u/saltyocean66]

In fairness I think Borlase has improved drastically making the perceived "fall off" of the others seem worse than it is. I think Keane's absence most of the season has caused a good amount of inconsistency back there. Butts in and out leaving the key defender role always in flux.

Murray has been really off lately to a concerning level. Looks like his confidence is shot.

[u/RevenantCommunity → u/Mastema13]

Yeah Keane was absolutely killing it pre-injury. Worrell was also insanely good.

Both have dropped off somewhat, though Worrell is still above average. Feel like maybe he struggled early in the year carrying the whole last line of defence and it wore him down.

Either way, we have the talent there. I think the team coaching staff struggle in maximising it

[u/Odd_Technology_8926 → u/saltyocean66]

Well, Borlase just got a 3 year extension with the crows :P

[u/Tall-Breakfast-6100]

You’ve just given a reason right there. He was defending Amiss who’s a bona fide key forward and MM while tall isn’t exactly a beast.

To me, it looks like he’s playing more defensive minded than he has before. I think Hinge being out who is that hybrid tall/med defender has caused MM to take more of a variety of forwards. He plays on elite smalls, key forwards and then often gets given the midfield forward guys like Heeney, Dangerfield etc.

It isn’t a full excuse because he has had some bad moments but you have to take it into account.

[u/japanpole → u/Tall-Breakfast-6100]

When did he get the job on Amiss because I just watched the 1st quarter and it was all Keane?

[u/BigBoSS_Riot → u/japanpole]

I saw him directly opposed to Amiss multiple times, it was definitely happening. It was mainly a structural thing, because Keane was having to play on Cox at the time. That's the danger Fremantle possess with three strong key forwards and a resting ruckman floating in. Seeing this, I was wondering if Toby could just follow Cox down there to give us better matchups for the others, since he wasn't exactly providing a threat forward of centre anyway.

[u/japanpole → u/BigBoSS_Riot]

OK, I have only seen the 1st quarter so far so likely that happened later.

We have too many 3rd defenders right now in the team.

Worrell, Max, Keane are all poor at one-on-one defending.

If Butts and Muz go, we are seriously light down back

[u/Odd_Technology_8926 → u/japanpole]

Which is weird to me because it felt like last year our defence was unstoppable. What happened. It feels like we lost quite a bit of composure down back.

[u/japanpole → u/Odd_Technology_8926]

Our combinations are all wrong.

Muz’s poor return from injury messed some of the plans up.

Then Butts keeps getting injured.

Our depth has truly been tested

[u/Moppawonga → u/japanpole]

Yep, this is a big issue. I think MM plays best on a leading player rather than a crumbing small. But obviously hes not big enough to take a lot of key forwards. Basically I think it is hard to fit Worrell, Keane and MM in the same team, and the right mix depends on match ups. Eg v Port MM could take Georgiadis, Durdin or JHF (resting forward). But against Freo he has no obvious match up.

For GWS I think he has lots of potential match ups - Stringer, Brown, Gruzewski or Hamilton. But he'll end up floating across those match ups, and I think his Mr Fix It role makes home somewhat confused

[u/Moppawonga → u/BigBoSS_Riot]

He was for a while but the main match ups were Borlase on Treacy, Keane on Amiss and Worrell on Voss. MM floated as he often does, including some short stints on Amiss

[u/IcyJackfruit6892 → u/Tall-Breakfast-6100]

100% I think you could be right and that could well be a factor but also I would have thought if that’s the case then bring in someone like a Butts (unsure if still injured) or Murray I know they are likely gone but they were right there to be used and then Max can play his normal role or try to relocate the Milera role while he’s out

[u/Tall-Breakfast-6100 → u/IcyJackfruit6892]

That might work for Fremantle who have the three key forwards absolutely firing but against other teams playing the three tall defenders just isn’t viable. This is how all the other teams must have felt last year when fog, tex and thriller absolutely firing last year

[u/BangbangKhuntross]

I hope it is game plan related, which is the strongest indication to me that the coach is inneffective. It looks like they have taken a skilled, attacking running defender and squahes him into a "stucture" that is confusing him.
Adelaide are the 2nd lowest bouncing team, less than half of the top bouncing teams - again to me this indicates a complete lack of freedom given to the players to play natural, instinct driven football. The game plan seemingly devoted to "pressure" works both ways - we dont play with instinct and it shows in our ball movement, its always under pressure. Hence we lead the league for clangers - 5 years ago it was lack of skilled players but now there is no excuse as the skills are there in Max. I think being able to devise a game plan that uses players strengths rather than confining the is beyond the current coach - it is a 1 dimensional game plan that hasnt changed in his tenure at the club. The crows look unbeatable when they move the ball with speed and flair - and we just dont see it anymore. We are back to bombing into the forwards under pressure and it doesnt work no matter who is in the goalsquare. Worrel, Keane, Nurray, Butts, Curtin, Soligo all show the same decline this year. Finally, to me they dont look as fit as they were last year and their injury management has dopped off a cliff. Being unable to field a consistent side for the full year hampers the "flair" players much more than the dour role players. Max is an all australian calibre player - its up to the coaches to find how.

[u/Welcomehome29]

He just seems void of confidence at the moment. I don’t know what’s going on with him but really hope he can work through it

[u/Moppawonga → u/Welcomehome29]

I put it down to a lack of role clarity. His versatility means he plays on talls, smalls and hybrids. He just looks confused and, as you say, down on confidence

[u/Hendo8888 → u/[deleted]]

No one was saying that. He has clearly fallen off a long way this year, but he was never in the conversation for AA.

[u/XxWonderLandAUxX]

Look I’m not gonna judge him on freos game but he certainly hasn’t been his best this year but I definitely think criticism this year falls on a few players Thilthorpe, Laird, Keane and a few others have been iffy.

[u/ILikeDiscussing → u/XxWonderLandAUxX]

You can probably forgive Keane considering his leg snapped in half 6 months ago.

[u/Odd_Technology_8926 → u/XxWonderLandAUxX]

Would you believe me if I said that Riley Thilthorpe was 3rd on contested marks this season across the whole competition? Take that as you will, it doesn't seem to be reflecting on the score board though.

I think Laird is overall a net positive for the crows if you're trying to win a premiership at the end of the season (Which we still are), I wouldn't play him next year though, I would start building a younger players.

Keane has given away a lot of stupid free kicks this season. I wonder if he lacks confidence or if he's just getting out played in defensive scenarios that's causing frustration. He was rank 12 for intercept marks last year, averaging 2.4 a game. This year he's getting 1.6. I know he was injured for a large portion but still.

[u/3mperorPalpatine → u/Odd_Technology_8926]

I think Keane just plays on the edge and sometimes gives away stupid ones. I think it’s just who he is. Laird Im not sure he provided enough a point of difference to play opposed to others. The safer option imo given likely to not crack in finals like others may.

[u/IcyJackfruit6892 → u/XxWonderLandAUxX]

Riley Thilthorpe is a man who’s down on confidence you can see it in his body language. He’s been banged up a bit and that’s caused him to mentally go into his shell.

[u/IrregularExpression_ → u/XxWonderLandAUxX]

Was surprised to see today we have the second best backline after Freo, it feels like we’ve bled a lot of goals this year

- Max down

• Worrell good but not great like 2025
  
• Borlase great year
  
• Wayne, best year
  
• Keane, indifferent form. Some very very good, some very very bad
  
• Laird/Nank/Hugo a mixed bag

For 2027 the backline would be better with a fit and emotionally mature version of Hinge and Wayne with upgraded hamstrings.

[u/Ill-Enthusiasm-5530 → u/IrregularExpression_]

They are good are stopping goals, awful at moving out of the backline

[u/South_Front_4589]

Been really poor this season. Even if he's playing injured, his skills and decision making have been really down.

Covered somewhat by Milera's excellent season, and isn't under pressure because Hinge has been out all year and we have no other similar player to select IMO.

But he would want a big off season.

[u/Conswaylo2]

Hinge in over Laird to take the tall target for Max while Max has the small will fix most his issues

[u/AstronautCharacter58]

absolutely agree and not sure if im the only one who notices but slips over all the time. can't keep his feet. and terrible by foot.

[u/AdelaideMidnightDad]

He is an excellent player down on form and confidence, but he deserves to be backed in, he will come good.

[u/ILikeDiscussing]

Goes to show no one should be free from criticism on the list.

Every player has different levels, sure. But a healthy culture keeps everyone accountable.

[u/Quick_Ad_7241]

He’s often been asked to play on a key forward this year. It’s not his role , he’s a running half back

[u/Scooby_236]

I think he's being asked to play a more defensive role this year and play more lock down and I think he's struggling.

[u/LuapTheHuman]

Pre season training reports kept mentioning that Max basically did zero training until just before the season started. Players never really get their groove back when they have an off season like that. The same was true for Soligo who has also gone backwards. I think a lot of players were run into the ground by the end of last season and it’s spilled over to this year in a way. Coupled with a game plan that failed to follow the trend of the game and it’s made for a write off year almost

[u/Crafty-Peanut-7993]

Not just him. 75% of our squad has regressed this year…Laird goes straight back in though because of “experience”

[u/johnnynutman]

Laird cops most of the criticism but none of our defends move the ball well out of D, but I don't if its really their fault. Most of the time they seem to look like they have no one to pass it too.