4 hours ago, Nasher said:

These changes suggest one of the tall defenders is in the ruck. Pedersen to play as a forward.

Saw footage of training and Watts and Pedo were the only one doing ruck work I could see.

Jordan Lewis better perform given his 3 week holiday. 

3 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

JKH... 9 disposals. 4 fumbles. 3 turnovers. OMG. Retained.

Stretch. 19 possessions. Run and carry. 5 inside 50s. Dropped. 

Goodwin must be concussed.

JKH better perform !!

You can add Bugg's stats from the week before that in giving up his spot for JKH, then divide by WTF? But I've had my say. Wishing him all the best on the w/e.

5 hours ago, Pirlo said:

I am staggered that Stretch has been dropped ahead of Jake Melksham. 

O-Mac should have been a direct swap for Melk. I don't see what that "In" does for us without Melk being the direct swap 'Out'. Mind you I don't have a preference for either, both ordinary backmen at this point whose output and value is about at the same level, just wouldn't have "both" in the same back line.

Bugg for ANB was a lay down IMO even though ANB was in reasonably good form until last week's horribilis. Needs to eliminate the ugly turnovers and random momentum changing brain fades before I would have him back in the team.

Stretch did lose the tackle count 3 (13th) vs 8 (1st) last week and clearances 4 (3rd) vs 1 (11th) but that's it (stretch not there to rack up clearances obviously). However, Stretch usually has ANB covered even when off his best. And being an inexperienced player he is going to have the odd 'off' game by his standards.

A few more stats from last week.....

Effective disposals - Stretch 14, ANB 11

Disposal Efficiency - Stretch 73.7% (Ranked 10th) ANB 52.4% (Ranked 21st) 

Clangers - Stretch 1 (16th) ANB 5 (3rd)

IMO Stretch is a critical player in a team which has too many out of form inside and inside/outside, one paced, players who have trouble hitting targets especially by foot, and where most have very little burst speed to get away from their opponent and congestion. An important critical outside link player who makes good decisions and hits targets regularly. We have very few of these running around with the exception of Watts when he plays up the field and Salem.

Pedders and Hannan needed in ruck (Pedders) and up forward for Spencil & Hogan.  Not much choice and seems best of all available options.

Stretch will be back for Hawks game!!

Quickest deck in the league against the quickest side in the league. Not sure how you can play Tyson and Lewis.  Would certainly prefer a 15 possession Stretch game with some defensive running and zip to a 20 possession Tyson game. Not in the inner sanctum so I don't know how he's measured or how he's pulled up, but to drop the only thing we have close to a zippy, run-all-day wingman for this match is baffling. 

4 hours ago, praha said:

Essendon is [censored] but their forward line delivers. They get no inside 50s but have very good efficiency when going forward. Melbourne is the opposite. We need to start converting otherwise this "fast style" Goodwin promoted in the pre-season is to the detriment not benefit of the side.

We are too slow through the mid field across the ground Praha and over use hand ball, even when we get into a little space and are able to put a quick kick towards or inside 50 quickly, we tend to go for the hand ball when completely uneccesary. There are a few exceptions but just not often enough to result in a better functioning and more damaging forward line.

Oliver, Harmes/Stretch (Ommitted) and Tracc about the only ones who are able to break away into a bit of space on occasions playing around the mid. Hibberd (last week) and Hunt much better at getting it in quickly off HB.

If we don't fix the one paced mid field or over use of handball we will have become one of the slowest, if not THE slowest ball moving team (in terms of getting it inside 50 from centre square bounces and stoppages ) in the AFL. Not to be confused with decent transition speed with entries off HB.

Edited April 28, 20178 yr by Rusty Nails

The back six is the most experienced back 6 I can recall in recent years. All of Hibberd, McDonald, Jetta, Lewis and Vince have played 85+ games. Only Frost (42 games) has played less. The problem is they haven't played a lot of football together, but given a bit of continuity, I reckon we'll start to see lower scores kicked against us and these guys form a miserly defensive unit.

4 hours ago, big_red_fire_engine said:

7 TACKLES. How do people not get it yet?

Staggering. It really is.

4 hours ago, Chook said:

Fumbles cost goals. Tackles … well, they’re expected.

Except not everyone tackles, mate. Against Freo Hannan, Kent, Weideman, Watts and Harmes laid 5 tackes between them (FTR, Watts laid 2 of those). It was not a surprise to see Hannan and Kent out of the team the week after. It was the first week that we failed to take the game on and Goodwin noted that we didn't play the way we wanted to play. There was clearly a focus between the Freo loss and the Richmond game on tackling and ANB (9), Harmes (8), Frost (7), JKH (7), Oliver (7) etc. The only two to not lay a tackle were the ex-Don boys.

Harmes was absolutely cooked in the final quarter against the Tigers. Not surprised to see him out.

like everyone very surprised to see stretch out. presume this is about managing the short break and he'll be back for hawthorn.

harmes is neither here nor there for me, and the other three we know about.

can't believe melksham survives again.

Was talking to a sports scientist working with the Suns (down for north game) tonight, and he was saying during matches all players are on GPS and monitored for their work rate and brought to the bench to rest (and for how long) based on this real time data.

then during the week post game they review each players performance against their game data and work with the coaches and fitness advisors to review and further develop players based, in part on it.

So I suspect Goodwin and his team are probably delving a bit deeper into the players performance, load, intensity, etc than we on here do with our rudimentary stats and old school understandings... and we're just gonna have to trust them and hope they're on the money. 

 

9 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

We are too slow through the mid field across the ground Praha and over use hand ball, even when we get into a little space and are able to put a quick kick towards or inside 50 quickly, we tend to go for the hand ball when completely uneccesary. There are a few exceptions but just not often enough to result in a better functioning and more damaging forward line.

Oliver, Harmes/Stretch (Ommitted) and Tracc about the only ones who are able to break away into a bit of space on occasions playing around the mid. Hibberd (last week) and Hunt much better at getting it in quickly off HB.

If we don't fix the one paced mid field or over use of handball we will have become one of the slowest, if not THE slowest ball moving team (in terms of getting it inside 50 from centre square bounces and stoppages ) in the AFL. Not to be confused with decent transition speed with entries off HB.

Yeah transition has been an issue that has persisted throughout the Roos era. This is the two-way running issue that even Neeld acknowledged was a major issue. Dumping Stretch I feel is a mistake because he has played well in our two Etihad games this year. I fear that decision was the wrong one although it may be a resting tactic not so much a reflection of performance. I get so frustrated seeing the first option ignored, only for players to turn around looking for a handball. I see that we're trying to get a loop going so we can either get the switch going, or we try *really* hard to create some space. As you said we are too slow to get into space, so all of that overuse is for nothing.

Shall be an interesting match. If Jones, Viney and Tyson all bring their A-Game for once this year, we'll probably smash them.

I'm really bothered by Stretch's omission, though. Dumping him on performance seems to be at odds with the very kind of players we need in the side atm.

Edited April 28, 20178 yr by praha

14 hours ago, Deestroy All said:

He was cooked when it started. He was terrible. 

He's due for a good game, then. Luckily he's playing Melbourne this week! 

19 minutes ago, praha said:

He's due for a good game, then. Luckily he's playing Melbourne this week! 

Watch Joe Daniher bring his kicking boots too. That bloke terrifies me, and I'm not just talking about his face.

Essendrug have had the wood on us for years.

On Sunday they play us at Etihad their home ground with a Ruckman and a good key forward.

on top of that we are the champions of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Hard to see a Dees win.

It may be a load issue for Stretch but I've seen him hold up ball movement in recent games at critical times and not play "fearless football".  As others have mentioned, players have strengths and roles, IMO Stretch has not performed his key role v Freo and Richmond.

I just laugh at those who say injuries mean nothing. Everyone gets injuries. Well everyone might get injuries, but it is really about who is injured.

Richmond had one possible top 22 player injured last week in Vlastuin and Hampson, who probably is behind Nankervis anyway. Everyone else was available. Pies had one player out.

Then of course, the other issue about injuries is when you get them. We seem to get them early in games and are robbed of our better players and then the use of rotations.

On the flip side, the teams we have played have not lost anyone during games and that has made the contest tip heavily in their favour.

We have copped it both ways. Our better players going down and early in games. That just kills you.

We have played pretty well this year and if not for those injuries, would possibly have been 5 zip.

The fact we are not getting killed in games is testament to our effort and improvement.

3 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

It may be a load issue for Stretch but I've seen him hold up ball movement in recent games at critical times and not play "fearless football".  As others have mentioned, players have strengths and roles, IMO Stretch has not performed his key role v Freo and Richmond.

That could be the case, as for those who love stats, his were far superior to JKH last week, yet he is gone. He also doesn't turn the ball over like JKH did.

To me, JKH is one lucky boy this week.

54 minutes ago, praha said:

Yeah transition has been an issue that has persisted throughout the Roos era. This is the two-way running issue that even Neeld acknowledged was a major issue. Dumping Stretch I feel is a mistake because he has played well in our two Etihad games this year. I fear that decision was the wrong one although it may be a resting tactic not so much a reflection of performance. I get so frustrated seeing the first option ignored, only for players to turn around looking for a handball. I see that we're trying to get a loop going so we can either get the switch going, or we try *really* hard to create some space. As you said we are too slow to get into space, so all of that overuse is for nothing.

Shall be an interesting match. If Jones, Viney and Tyson all bring their A-Game for once this year, we'll probably smash them.

I'm really bothered by Stretch's omission, though. Dumping him on performance seems to be at odds with the very kind of players we need in the side atm.

The overuse of indirect handball has been one of the major reasons for our losses this year. Slows our ball movement and time and time again leads to turnovers or stoppages. 

On 27/04/2017 at 8:17 PM, A F said:

I'm getting married on Saturday night

Congrats AF....you've already won this weekend

Now, no pressure from the sisterhood and brotherhood that is the DLand community, but we need young uns' to boost membership

2 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

It may be a load issue for Stretch but I've seen him hold up ball movement in recent games at critical times and not play "fearless football".  As others have mentioned, players have strengths and roles, IMO Stretch has not performed his key role v Freo and Richmond.

He does not have a skill the hurts the opposition. Just AFL talent useful in a good teambut contributes little in a struggling team.

Just now, old dee said:

He does not have a skill the hurts the opposition. Just AFL talent useful in a good teambut contributes little in a struggling team.

Unsurprisingly I disagree.  Stretch has endurance, decent pace, good evasion and very clean skills.  Like others have said, he'll play 200 games.  But he hasn't been using his tools recently.

2 minutes ago, hemingway said:

The overuse of indirect handball has been one of the major reasons for our losses this year. Slows our ball movement and time and time again leads to turnovers or stoppages. 

That is often caused by poor forward structure and players being scared of going forward and turning the ball over. They then turn it over closer to the opposition goal which is worse.

Personally if it is going to be turned over, I think our goal square is a far better option.

With Jesse , Watts and say Weid up forward, you see the ball come in much quicker and more direct play.

2 minutes ago, Redleg said:

That could be the case, as for those who love stats, his were far superior to JKH last week, yet he is gone. He also doesn't turn the ball over like JKH did.

To me, JKH is one lucky boy this week.

This may be JKH's last game Mr Leg he has shown very little in his time at the MFC I can remember the odd quarter that justified his spot in the team. He has had a lot of injuries but IMO that has only covered up his inability at AFL level. He will gone at years end.

1 minute ago, old dee said:

This may be JKH's last game Mr Leg he has shown very little in his time at the MFC I can remember the odd quarter that justified his spot in the team. He has had a lot of injuries but IMO that has only covered up his inability at AFL level. He will gone at years end.

Not according to the FD.

1 minute ago, Fifty-5 said:

Unsurprisingly I disagree.  Stretch has endurance, decent pace, good evasion and very clean skills.  Like others have said, he'll play 200 games.  But he hasn't been using his tools recently.

At the risk of being caustic Fifty- 5 I don't see many tools that he could use. Average talent on his good days.