Click to Enlarge

 

Yeah, our backline is looking pretty solid

 

The best offence is a good defence and as far as defences go ours is pretty offensive. I’m pretty excited by our defence, can’t wait to see how it matches up against Geelong’s forwards. 

Edited March 20, 20187 yr by Ethan Tremblay

13 hours ago, Demonland said:

Click to Enlarge

 

Don't know about others but when I "click to enlarge" I get a smaller version. It's the full article, but smaller.

2 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Don't know about others but when I "click to enlarge" I get a smaller version. It's the full article, but smaller.

I’m on an iPhone and had to ‘double tap’

1 minute ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

I’m on an iPhone and had to ‘double tap’

There's your problem. Get a Samsung...

BTW How do you milk sheep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relase an iPhone X and charge $1500 for it..... (boom tish)

 

5 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Don't know about others but when I "click to enlarge" I get a smaller version. It's the full article, but smaller.

Once you click on it, click on it again (you might need two clicks) and it should magnify it.

2 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

There's your problem. Get a Samsung...

BTW How do you milk sheep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relase an iPhone X and charge $1500 for it..... (boom tish)

 

I had a Samsung before the iPhone but it exploded. 

I’ll reserve judgment until after round 3 and see if Tom Hawkins and Ben Brown have kicked their obligatory 6 goals each on us.

I think we have one of the best defenses in the comp. FB may be a bit raw with OMac but with Frost and his brother as back up pretty well covered.

I was suprised in the JLT that Lever was in a key post. Thought he was going to be the 3rd tall intercepter, like, play him to his strengths.

I don't expect the backline to have the right synergy just yet, expect it to improve through the season.

Thought we struggled at times last year with the defensive press, not sold that it's the best game plan as yet.

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

Once you click on it, click on it again (you might need two clicks) and it should magnify it.

Thanks. Amusingly, when I do that the image becomes too big for the screen. Magnifies to about 125%. 

I know, some people are never satisfied...

On Sunday, on the ABC, Malthouse voiced the concern which worries me as to Lever. He said that he was yet to be convinced that Levef could beat a decent opponent one on one, that Adelaide had largely avoided that problem. I don't think he should be picked at CHB, he's a great interceptor.

just one other point. I think Hibberd is as good an intercept mark as there is in the competition, it was for this reason I  couldn't  understand the acute interest in Lever

19 hours ago, dl4e said:

I think we have one of the best defenses in the comp. FB may be a bit raw with OMac but with Frost and his brother as back up pretty well covered.

Well on some measures we had the worst defence in 2017. Last in defensive one on ones and last for goals scored from opposition entries into our 50m zone.

Lever will fix some of that and hopefully OMac and Frost have improved but its still a worry for me. Our zoning wasn't great in 2017 and you would expect that to improve significantly with lever in the side.

22 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

The best offence is a good defence and as far as defences go ours is pretty offensive. I’m pretty excited by our defence, can’t wait to see how it matches up against Geelong’s forwards. 

True, Ethan. IMO, 'crystal-balling it' we need a couple of big 'down back' utilities of the Neitz, Ingerson, Icke variety if TMac is to be sacrificed for fwd power. 

16 hours ago, Farmer said:

On Sunday, on the ABC, Malthouse voiced the concern which worries me as to Lever. He said that he was yet to be convinced that Levef could beat a decent opponent one on one, that Adelaide had largely avoided that problem. I don't think he should be picked at CHB, he's a great interceptor.

just one other point. I think Hibberd is as good an intercept mark as there is in the competition, it was for this reason I  couldn't  understand the acute interest in Lever

Good points Farmer. 

We’re short a huge dominant key defender. I’m concerned about Hawkins, Ben Brown etc kicking 6 on us.  TMacs goal kicking is too good  to not have him a KPF.

 I’ll risk offending people here by saying that Hogan’s a dominant player anywhere on the field, has trouble kicking goals unless pretty close to the sticks, but I’d LOVE to see him take on Hawkins, Brown etc., he might kill them and would learn a lot while doing it. 

1 hour ago, Rob Mac...... said:

Good points Farmer. 

We’re short a huge dominant key defender. I’m concerned about Hawkins, Ben Brown etc kicking 6 on us.  TMacs goal kicking is too good  to not have him a KPF.

 I’ll risk offending people here by saying that Hogan’s a dominant player anywhere on the field, has trouble kicking goals unless pretty close to the sticks, but I’d LOVE to see him take on Hawkins, Brown etc., he might kill them and would learn a lot while doing it. 

That is not silly. It is possible and potentially beneficial in several ways. Hawkins is too strong for OMac at this point and we do need for have TMac as a fwd - maybe on a 'swing' to a defensive post should our fwd line be performing above expectations. Hogan has the strength for the job, the marking ability, and much more speed than Hawkins. Not an easy thought to work through, is it?

10 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Well on some measures we had the worst defence in 2017. Last in defensive one on ones and last for goals scored from opposition entries into our 50m zone.

Lever will fix some of that and hopefully OMac and Frost have improved but its still a worry for me. Our zoning wasn't great in 2017 and you would expect that to improve significantly with lever in the side.

I suspect this stat will remain relatively the same for the foreseeable future.

We play a very high press and when teams eventually get out the back, as we've seen on multiple occasions, they have a paddock to run into.

Inside 50 stats can be very misleading in the modern game.

2 hours ago, A F said:

I suspect this stat will remain relatively the same for the foreseeable future.

We play a very high press and when teams eventually get out the back, as we've seen on multiple occasions, they have a paddock to run into.

Inside 50 stats can be very misleading in the modern game.

Maybe this is where lever comes into it?  To help formation, covering & reading play?

1 hour ago, DV8 said:

Maybe this is where lever comes into it?  To help formation, covering & reading play?

I've posed this as a potential question for Goody on the forthcoming podcast. We'll see if it gets asked.

On 20 March 2018 at 1:14 PM, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I’ll reserve judgment until after round 3 and see if Tom Hawkins and Ben Brown have kicked their obligatory 6 goals each on us.

Exploiting our medium to small defence which struggles against a genuine tall forward or more

On 21 March 2018 at 9:25 AM, jnrmac said:

Well on some measures we had the worst defence in 2017. Last in defensive one on ones and last for goals scored from opposition entries into our 50m zone.

Lever will fix some of that and hopefully OMac and Frost have improved but its still a worry for me. Our zoning wasn't great in 2017 and you would expect that to improve significantly with lever in the side.

Collingwood exploited our medium to small defence and really highlighted its weakness in the last round.  We will definitely need T-Mac to play a significant role here and IMHO an emerging (Fit) Frost will be the key as to whether we hold up against taller opposition forward lines (or ones that can become that way when a tall ruck pushes forward for extended periods), allowing T-Mac more time to play forward.

Personally I think Frost has slightly more "potential" upside here than O-Mac when fully match fit due to his leaping / spoiling / counter potential but, like O-Mac, there are periods in matches where he just doesn't find his opponent quickly enough or tends to get lost in transitions and messy rebounds.  I think teams tend to run through and look for whoever is on O-Mac / Wagner as our weak points at present and try and exploit them.  Every club is usually going to have at least one or two so nothing new here and no offence intended.  These are just ours until now.

Hopefully an improvement from Frost and O-Mac this year, as well as playing horses for courses and going extra tall when we need to against genuinely tall forward set ups, will help counter this.

Max will no doubt need to drop back occasionally also if teams get on a roll and will hopefully have the pre-season in him this year that will allow him to do so more often as well as cover / block the likes of Cox when opposition extra tall rucks are pushing forward.

Lever's intercept marking and ability to read the play will no doubt add another layer and ensure we are not just known for our ability to counter quickly.  Our biggest asset though will be keeping our two most dangerous counter defenders on the park and fit.  I can't see many teams being able to contain both an in form Hibberd and Hunt on either flank unless they aren't on the park.

If we get 90%+ home & away matches from these two I say we definitely make finals. Anything around 70% of game time or less (from one or Lucifer forbid, both) and I reckon we will most likely miss.  They are that crucial to our game style and set up.

Fingers crossed.   A ceremony, cleansing the club rooms, players, and the club from NSC should be high on the agenda!

Edited March 22, 20187 yr by Rusty Nails

Collingwood beat us last round because our midfielders were beaten and the Pies mids had time and space to deliver to their forwards.

Talking about defence without covering the role of our midfield in our defence, is missing over half the picture. The best defence in the AFL will get beaten if the opposion mids are allowed to run riot.

Edited March 22, 20187 yr by PaulRB

14 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

Collingwood beat us last round because our midfielders were beaten and the Pies mids had time and space to deliver to their forwards.

Talking about defence without covering the role of our midfield in our defence, is missing over half the picture. The best defence in the AFL will get beaten if the opposion mids are allowed to run riot.

I agree but they still exploited us by going tall up forward and outdoing us generally in crucial contested marking throughout the match which resulted directly in conversions for goal.  And we are focussing on defence here.  The mid-field is another entire topic altogether.  And now with Viney out we are yet again, on the back foot big time here.  Viney is easily our best grunt player through the mid-field now and is a massive blow.

55 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

I agree but they still exploited us by going tall up forward and outdoing us generally in crucial contested marking throughout the match which resulted directly in conversions for goal.  And we are focussing on defence here.  The mid-field is another entire topic altogether.  And now with Viney out we are yet again, on the back foot big time here.  Viney is easily our best grunt player through the mid-field now and is a massive blow.

Maybe Salem's role change into an in-side midfielder was done in anticipation of the possibility of JV's absence..?