I can understand your point but as Bailey himself has explained we are young and learning. Getting it and kicking it ala Wheatley, invariably sees the footy back over your head with renewed vigour as seen virtually everytime this happens. All the sideways stuff is happening for several reasons. 1. The players skills aren't yet sharp enough. 2. Quite a few of our players aren't good enough and will be cleaned out over the next few years. 3. Total lack of player confidence. 4. Bodies aren't big or strong enough. Bailey is putting a game plan in place that starts with a sound defence and requires good skills by hand and foot. The handballs and sideways stuff happens because we are constantly caught out of position and thus rush to move the ball on. This happens to all young and inexperienced sides. As we get better we'll be able to absorb more pressure(Grimes, Mclean) and the sideways stuff will end up in space(Morton, Petterd)) and we will kick it forward(Watts, Sylvia)) ala Geelong. From the backline it might read Warnock spoils, Grimes grabs it in congestion, shoots a handball sideways to Garland, short kick to space where Morton takes it, has a bounce on defensive 50 Members side of the ground, Morton looks looks up and Kicks the ball to Petterd running through the centre, Petterd spills the mark players converge, Mclean wins the hard ball hands back to Petterd, under pressure goes back to Buckley, he steps inside Bartel kicks across the centre to Grimes, he takes off, moves inside Ling, kicks the ball inside 50 to the leading Watts who lays it off to Davey, GOAL! What I'm trying to say is that once execution improves and we get stronger and some of our young talent matures we'll be watching some great footy, even if the odd mark gets spilled. All teams are shite at this stage of development. It looks worse than it is. Forget the Port Adelaide and Geelong games, this season's dead and the players know it. Richmond will probably [censored] us too. Then we'll draft some serious talent, train hard over summer and over the next 2-3 years we'll see some good footy, hopefully we'll see some excellent footy.

That was a fantastic passage of play RI...I'm going to have to go wipe myself down!

I can understand your point but as Bailey himself has explained we are young and learning. Getting it and kicking it ala Wheatley, invariably sees the footy back over your head with renewed vigour as seen virtually everytime this happens. All the sideways stuff is happening for several reasons. 1. The players skills aren't yet sharp enough. 2. Quite a few of our players aren't good enough and will be cleaned out over the next few years. 3. Total lack of player confidence. 4. Bodies aren't big or strong enough. Bailey is putting a game plan in place that starts with a sound defence and requires good skills by hand and foot. The handballs and sideways stuff happens because we are constantly caught out of position and thus rush to move the ball on. This happens to all young and inexperienced sides. As we get better we'll be able to absorb more pressure(Grimes, Mclean) and the sideways stuff will end up in space(Morton, Petterd)) and we will kick it forward(Watts, Sylvia)) ala Geelong. From the backline it might read Warnock spoils, Grimes grabs it in congestion, shoots a handball sideways to Garland, short kick to space where Morton takes it, has a bounce on defensive 50 Members side of the ground, Morton looks looks up and Kicks the ball to Petterd running through the centre, Petterd spills the mark players converge, Mclean wins the hard ball hands back to Petterd, under pressure goes back to Buckley, he steps inside Bartel kicks across the centre to Grimes, he takes off, moves inside Ling, kicks the ball inside 50 to the leading Watts who lays it off to Davey, GOAL! What I'm trying to say is that once execution improves and we get stronger and some of our young talent matures we'll be watching some great footy, even if the odd mark gets spilled. All teams are shite at this stage of development. It looks worse than it is. Forget the Port Adelaide and Geelong games, this season's dead and the players know it. Richmond will probably [censored] us too. Then we'll draft some serious talent, train hard over summer and over the next 2-3 years we'll see some good footy, hopefully we'll see some excellent footy.

Brilliant. When is our first game vs the Cats in '09?

My predicted Melbourne side against Richmond.

FB-- Bell Martin Whelan

HB-- Wheatley Warnock Buckley

C-- Green Bruce Yze

HF-- Bate Miller Petterd

FF-- Maric Holland Newton

R-- White Jones Sylvia

Interchange: McDonald, Jamar, C. Johnson, Morton

Emergencies: Bartram, Wonaeamirri, Dunn

I doubt WCE will be going full bore because they risk the priority pick.

I doubt Geelong will go full bore because they achieve little and they have finals to focus on and want no injuries from the game.

Expect an insipid one sided game. Cats by 50 points

Geelong $1.02

West Coast $10.00

Shades of Round 3 betting.

If West Coast gets within 70 points - I'd be pleasantly surprised.

From the backline it might read Warnock spoils, Grimes grabs it in congestion, shoots a handball sideways to Garland, short kick to space where Morton takes it, has a bounce on defensive 50 Members side of the ground, Morton looks looks up and Kicks the ball to Petterd running through the centre, Petterd spills the mark players converge, Mclean wins the hard ball hands back to Petterd, under pressure goes back to Buckley, he steps inside Bartel kicks across the centre to Grimes, he takes off, moves inside Ling, kicks the ball inside 50 to the leading Watts who lays it off to Davey, GOAL!

I read this, then blew up! I needed a FULL STOP.

You'll make a fine commentator one day I'm sure.

My predicted Melbourne side against Richmond.

FB-- Bell Martin Whelan

HB-- Wheatley Warnock Buckley

C-- Green Bruce Yze

HF-- Bate Miller Petterd

FF-- Maric Holland Newton

R-- White Jones Sylvia

Interchange: McDonald, Jamar, C. Johnson, Morton

Emergencies: Bartram, Bode, Dunn

Grimes might get a run.

Why make changes at this stage of the season?

I say, leave the team unchanged and let's start afresh next year.

As we get better we'll be able to absorb more pressure(Grimes, Mclean) and the sideways stuff will end up in space(Morton, Petterd)) and we will kick it forward(Watts, Sylvia)) ala Geelong. From the backline it might read Warnock spoils, Grimes grabs it in congestion, shoots a handball sideways to Garland, short kick to space where Morton takes it, has a bounce on defensive 50 Members side of the ground, Morton looks looks up and Kicks the ball to Petterd running through the centre, Petterd spills the mark players converge, Mclean wins the hard ball hands back to Petterd, under pressure goes back to Buckley, he steps inside Bartel kicks across the centre to Grimes, he takes off, moves inside Ling, kicks the ball inside 50 to the leading Watts who lays it off to Davey, GOAL!

I know what you're saying and it reminds me of that game plan that Sam got hold of on the footy show that Garry Lyon did with arrows going everywhere...

And loved how you picked the (fading by then) Cats as the side we're doing it against

Remember Geelong played the chipping game a few years back, now they're totally direct but as you're saying, it grew out of possession play and learning skills and bulking up and particularly growing confidence.

Thanks! Something to dream on over summer :D

Sounds good, the only problem was that Petterd didn't spill the mark - he took it at full pace but saw Brock running the other way, and handballed it off at full speed with Mclean bursting through Petterd's man in the centre (cleaning up Mackie in the process), baulking, watches the F50 clear out with leads, dishes it off to the left while looking to the right to Buckley, and the rest is history.

Or, to make it easier,

Sounds good, the only problem was that Petterd didn't spill the mark - he took it at full pace but saw Brock running the other way, and handballed it off at full speed with Mclean bursting through Petterd's man in the centre (cleaning up Mackie in the process), baulking, watches the F50 clear out with leads, dishes it off to the left while looking to the right to Buckley, and the rest is history.

Or, to make it easier,

Wow, how long did that take you?

Or, to make it easier

Haha.

The new MS Paint picasso!

Wow, how long did that take you?

Not too long, it was far too entertaining imagining it unfolding in my head.

The final play Melb vs Bris would have been much easier.. it would have looked like this!

..................Wonna

......Green <---------------------------------------

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