{"id":141826,"date":"2023-09-19T15:44:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T05:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=141826"},"modified":"2023-09-19T15:44:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T05:44:35","slug":"starcevich-still-finding-new-levels-for-his-cubs-to-go-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2023\/09\/19\/starcevich-still-finding-new-levels-for-his-cubs-to-go-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Starcevich still finding new levels for his Cubs to go to"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THERE was certainly plenty to be pleased about for Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich<\/em><\/strong> after his side\u2019s big win over Sydney on the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, despite finding plenty of positives he still managed to find areas for his team to work on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were happy with the pressure and happy with the scoring as a result of that pressure, that was pleasing,\u201d Starcevich said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStill little moments in games where we switch off a bit defensively so that\u2019s still a bit of a work in progress. I\u2019ve got to sort of temper all that because we are rolling through with a lot of new personnel as well, so getting people playing together and knowing what\u2019s required at certain times is still a bit of a work in progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We\u2019re getting there and obviously we generated enough forward movement to hit the scoreboard as well, so that was good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite having plenty of new faces, Starcevich was still able to change up his side to fill some gaps where necessary, including moving Shannon Campbell<\/a> forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually good to just have that up your sleeve,” he said. “I don\u2019t think it was a resounding success but it was ok the way the forward line functioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Shannon did a lot of hard work without necessarily reaping the rewards, but it\u2019s just a nice thing to have up your sleeve if you need to do it again and with Taylor out for the week and Analee who\u2019s new to the caper down that end of the ground. It was just good to get Shannon back there for a bit of calmness and a bit of experience, so that was the bit that helped us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When questioned if he just focused on winning the clearances instead of the hit outs because of the talent of Swans ruck Ally Morphett<\/a>, Starcevich somewhat scoffed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell I\u2019m not sure if you ask Tahlia that she\u2019ll be too rapt with that approach,” he said. “She\u2019s a good ruckman Morphett, no doubt about that. She\u2019s a heck of a talent, but I thought by half time Tahlia had worked out the best approach to combat her which was good. Gave us a little bit better look at it and ground level, but having said that when they did have ascendency it was the hit outs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it necessarily equates to clearances, I think we we\u2019re on top at the start of the game in clearances, by the end we\u2019ve just sort of narrowly come out in front. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our ground level players, I know Gardiner<\/a> had 41 for them, but Ally<\/a> has had another big night, Cathy<\/a>\u2019s speed and intensity around stoppages is always good, Belle<\/a> the same, Ellie Hampson<\/a>\u2019s starting to get the gist of how we go about things, so there\u2019s some pleasing things in there as well. Early in the match I thought we were ok there, there were some little lapses later on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One player whose influence Starcevich touched on post match was Dawes, who had another impressive performance on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell you forget how young Belle is although she\u2019s up around 50 games now,\u201d Starcevich said. \u201cSo we have got some higher expectations of those types of players. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They had a dozen of those out there tonight with 15 or less games, so that\u2019s the gap you\u2019ve got at the moment when you have expansion teams. So it\u2019s ok to set the bar high for even our young ones who like I\u2019ve said are up around 50. Belle\u2019s one of those so we expect her to be as good defensively as she is offensively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“One thing about Belle, you\u2019re going to get an effort, she\u2019s a workhorse, that was pleasing. She had a good run last week as well, both offensive and defensively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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