Demonised

He's become one of our most important players.

Imagine if he'd played in a team that won regularly ...

Sunday's match is season defining game No. 8 for us ...

All true, but it's even more demoralising when l) the dinky pass goes astray or m) the player who marks the dinky pass misses a complete sitter of a set shot.

Oh yeah. Last week, f'rinstance, Salem had a good head of steam, crossed fifty, and then looked for a dinky pass. On one of Hunt's few dashes down the ground, same. Bang it home, son!

Interesting. All our players on the list are midfielders. No key position players.

A bit of a surprise packet in this, especially in the second half of this year, seems to be James Harmes. When we're down, he consistently seems to dig in and try to break lines, throwing himself at tackles etc. Not always successfully, probably due to a ceiling on his skill level, but he does have a go. Tried hard on Sunday.

I anticipate another bout of crowd sourced decision making.

It's a sign that we're a team in transition, the way our players so often are caught between team rules and their natural instincts. How often did one of our guys storm past the 50 metre line and then think 'Oh no, that's right, I have to lower my eyes and give it off' instead of just banging it home? More experience, more confidence and they'll get it right.

That's a fair point. Just wondering how our game structures and systems are falling apart because players are going into games while hampered.

Bizarre free kicks paid is one thing, but what's incredibly frustrating is the blatant free kicks NOT paid, all in the name of 'keeping the game moving'. A free kick given quickly and diligent enforcing of the man on the mark will make the game flow better than the stumbling maul it often becomes now.

How many of our players are playing injured? Max? Hogan? Tom Mac, maybe?

One day, after we've won 6 or 7 flags in a decade, I'd like to be that arrogant.

'Before The Flood' is one of the greatest live albums ever. B. Dylan and the Band at the height of their powers.

I worry that we're moving him around too much. Would like to see him given time to settle in a position a little. Given that, he's still had an excellent debut season.