9 hours ago, binman said:

It would be strange in so far as it would be reverting to the one big forward line surrounded by small and mediums again (even though Smith can play big, sort of with his leap). And that set up just wasn't working.

Exactly, would be a backwards move.

Plus Smith isn't very good

8 hours ago, DubDee said:

haha

Apparently Blicavs was in Athletics too prior to footy?  I've never heard that before!

 

Did you know Pendlebury has a basketball background? I had no idea!!

11 hours ago, Earl Hood said:

But they have a very very good tactical coach and that could make the difference on game day. The ground doesn’t suit their game style so it will be interesting to see how this match pans out. 

Agreed.  Master tactician.  Master coach.  Nearly always out coaches our box.

I'm just not sure this Hawks team can execute his tactics.

2 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

 

Did you know Pendlebury has a basketball background? I had no idea!!

And he has so much time and space

1 hour ago, binman said:

And he has so much time and space

 

3 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

 

Did you know Pendlebury has a basketball background? I had no idea!!

Did you know Brad Green once 'played' with Manchester United?

13 hours ago, jumbo returns said:

Brown a lock? Really??

Im with others on this piont, why recruit him, can kick a goal and is in reasonable form and then not pick him when this perfect opportunity presents?? I would be happy with a bench of Smith ( rather than Jackson who at this stage is easily pushed of the ball), Fritta, Jones and either Tomlinson or Jetta depending on matchups

18 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Im with others on this piont, why recruit him, can kick a goal and is in reasonable form and then not pick him when this perfect opportunity presents?? I would be happy with a bench of Smith ( rather than Jackson who at this stage is easily pushed of the ball), Fritta, Jones and either Tomlinson or Jetta depending on matchups

Not sure how you can say Brown is in form, there was no information from the scratch matches to say that, yes he kicked a few goals, but from some of the vision that was him just getting out the back, and his 1 game for us in the seniors was very ordinary. I didn't mind the way Jackson played against the Blues, he presented well, while he didn't mark many he moved well, I'd be using him in the role TMac did, up the ground and have Weid stay forward, while Smith I think, if he moved forward, needs to stay closer to the goals. 

5 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Agreed.  Master tactician.  Master coach.  Nearly always out coaches our box.

I'm just not sure this Hawks team can execute his tactics.

I punt on footy with mate. And we do ok as a rule. But he has banned bets on the dees because i always think we will win. And we don't.

With that caution from a punting perspective i reckon the dees are terrific value this weekend. I'm amazed hawks are favorites. They are rubbish.

Sure Clarkson is great coach and no doubt will have a good plan to beat us but as you say they simply don't have the cattle. 

They are a slow so find it hard to cover and spread.

They have few weapons up forward and with poppy having slowed done and not in great form  can't really exploit the issue we have containing small forwards (and perhaps this will save Jetts this week from the chop - he'll thrash poppy).

With Ceglar (i am assuming he is out) and Patton out we have an advantage with our three bigs and that advantage will allow Lever and in particular May to play higher and be more aggressive and damaging. Ceglar out also means Maxy will be more dominant and give us a big edge at stoppages (which we'll have even if Ceglar plays).

As george on the outer noted on the demonland podcast Smith is key for them as he generates a lot of their attack and i assume leads their metres gained. We could opt to have a player run with him, but i think that is unlikely. More likely is goody having Langdon go head to head with him and exploit Smiths lack of two way running. 

I agree that the smaller ground suits us - the evidence is compelling on that front. And conversely does not help the hawks as they can't stretch opposition with their kicking they way they like to.

But the smaller ground also negates the impact of Smith a bit because he has less space to run into and his kicks inside 50 are less damaging because it is more crowded - which in turn should help Lever take intercept marks).   

The other player who is key for them is Sicily and it will be interesting to see if they put a defensive forward on him whose role is to take him away from the corridor to negate his intercept marking.

But most of all they have too many poor kicks these days to execute Clarkson's preferred game plan - the tedious kick and mark routine. If opposition teams apply enough pressure and run hard both ways it will break down eventually.

It is a game plan that has a weakness in so far as it relies on denying the opposition the ball and therefore the chance to score. Which is all well and good - until the opposition do score and get say a three goal break as chipping it around your own back line might stop opposition scoring does nothing to help your own team score.

A good example was the game last night with the cats caught between two games plans and struggling to bridge the 3 goal margin established at quarter time - something they were able to do against the lions the week before (who got 3 goals up half way through the second) but couldn't against the pies tighter, more defensive game plan. 

On the Hawk's game plan i won't be surprised if they look to attack from the get go to catch us off guard. Prior to their game against the Cats i heard an interview with Clarkson and he was banging on about it being a dour, low scoring game with both teams employing a similar chip and gold model. They then came out and went all out attack, jumped the Cats kicking 6 odd goals. Interestingly it was on the small, narrow Kardina park - a ground with similar dimensions to Giants stadium.

Back to punting. For the reasons noted I won't be backing us but i suggest others do.

Take the dees line bet (+3.5) and also back us to win over 24.5. Sit back and count the cash.

 

 

Edited July 17, 20205 yr by binman

Gee I'd exercise caution betting on a Goodwin coached team vs a Clarkson coached team, regardless of cattle.  We should have flogged them early in 2018 on paper but they won by 11 goals.

Having said that i might slip a pineapple of Dees 40+ at $12.

13 minutes ago, binman said:

Smith is key for them as he generates a lot of their attack and i assume leads their metres gained. We could opt to have a player run with him, but i think that is unlikely. More likely is goody having Langdon go head to head with him and exploit Smiths lack of two way running. 

I would put Harmes on Smith & take him out of the game...he is too damaging by foot to have Langdon go head to head with him.

Let Langdon go head to head with Scully.

3 minutes ago, BigFez said:

Gee I'd exercise caution betting on a Goodwin coached team vs a Clarkson coached team, regardless of cattle.  We should have flogged them early in 2018 on paper but they won by 11 goals.

Having said that i might slip a pineapple of Dees 40+ at $12.

As they say:  He who laughs last laughs best!  We beat them when it counted - 2nd semi at the G later that year.

Just now, Lucifer's Hero said:

As they say:  He who laughs last laughs best!  We beat them when it counted - 2nd semi at the G later that year.

Knocking Geelong AND Hawthorn out in consecutive weeks almost makes the PF flogging worth it.

Just now, rjay said:

I would put Harmes on Smith & take him out of the game...he is too damaging by foot to have Langdon go head to head with him.

Let Langdon go head to head with Scully.

i thought about that and i reckon Harmes would do a top job shutting down Smith. But i wondered about taking him out of the midfiled where he is really damaging (and can shut down say Mitchell or Omeara).

Langdon head to head with Scully would be good watch. 

1 minute ago, binman said:

i thought about that and i reckon Harmes would do a top job shutting down Smith. But i wondered about taking him out of the midfiled where he is really damaging (and can shut down say Mitchell or Omeara).

Langdon head to head with Scully would be good watch. 

I'm not too worried about Mitchell and O'Meara.  Mitchell is nothing like the player pre-injury and O'Meara seems to have had some injury issues of late.

And they need to worry about who is going to shut down our midfields who are all good form at the moment.  I really think our midfield is better than theirs.

Their most damaging player at the moment is 'Silk'.

It has been a cold and overcast week here with quite a bit of rain. The ground last Sat looked quite cut up and with a game on it this Sat by Sunday it could again be a bit rough and certainly soft. That will mean Max will need help in the ruck and we may need to factor that into final selections. I surmise thats why they went for Jackson who can pinch hit in the ruck and leave Weid at home down forward. 

 

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

Im with others on this piont, why recruit him, can kick a goal and is in reasonable form and then not pick him when this perfect opportunity presents?? I would be happy with a bench of Smith ( rather than Jackson who at this stage is easily pushed of the ball), Fritta, Jones and either Tomlinson or Jetta depending on matchups

Not me, PF

Very average footballer

Nice bloke apparently...

And, what's happened to the NBT, Petty??

13 hours ago, Win4theAges said:

Well it has to be Jackson, we need a resting ruckman for Gawny, he can't be expected to ruck all day and back up in 5 days time.

Hoping for Melk to be given a defensive tagging role on Sicily and really get in his face.

This...

13 hours ago, binman said:

Weed can give maxy a chop out. I reckon he's actually pretty good in the ruck.

but not this...

7 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

With the 20% less game time this season Bin i reckon that's the equivalent to roughly a standard game for Big M even playing 99% TOG.  Not saying he never gets a break but to me the less the better.  Maxy's taken 98% of all ruck work so far and he's leading the stat averages count (in general) so far.  It's working a treat as is.

The above also allows the Weid to focus 98% of his energy on throwing himself into everything up forward and honing his craft there.

and this. I'm keen on Weideman playing as a full-time KPF, not a part-time forward who goes on to the ball occasionally. While I agree that he's been serviceable in the ruck role, I'd rather he became the key to our forward line.

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

As they say:  He who laughs last laughs best!  We beat them when it counted - 2nd semi at the G later that year.

Except in 1987 and 1988.

16 hours ago, binman said:

It would be strange in so far as it would be reverting to the one big forward line surrounded by small and mediums again (even though Smith can play big, sort of with his leap). And that set up just wasn't working.

worked against GCS

15 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Yes Brown was the spare wheel.  Now he must be feeling like a blown out tyre !!! The 2 key forwards worked well. I’m hoping Tomlinson gets a crack at CHF. 

In what game did we have two key forwards that worked well. Carlton?

3 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

Did you know Brad Green once 'played' with Manchester United?

Did he? Or was he just invited to train with them as a junior? As I recall, it was the latter (I'm not sure he even took up the offer).

EDIT: it appears he went to Old Trafford, but nothing came of it; from WIKI:
"After spending a month at Old Trafford, the 15-year-old Green trained with Walsall, a lower division English club, and was offered a contract but turned it down, choosing to finish his schooling in Tasmania."

Edited July 17, 20205 yr by hardtack

2 hours ago, binman said:

The other player who is key for them is Sicily and it will be interesting to see if they put a defensive forward on him whose role is to take him away from the corridor to negate his intercept marking.

Watch for Frost and chip blocking there own and Sicily opponent to allow Sicily to take intercept marks. 

56 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

And, what's happened to the NBT, Petty??

Groin injury and listed as "indefinite".

7 minutes ago, hardtack said:

Did he? Or was he just invited to train with them as a junior? As I recall, it was the latter (I'm not sure he even took up the offer).

EDIT: it appears he went to Old Trafford, but nothing came of it; from WIKI:
"After spending a month at Old Trafford, the 15-year-old Green trained with Walsall, a lower division English club, and was offered a contract but turned it down, choosing to finish his schooling in Tasmania."

Hence the quotation marks - and yes, thank's for clarifying for everyone the real story.

Actually, it reminds me of how the media perpetuate stuff. I was watching the channel 7 show 2 nights ago with Andy Maher, Mick Molloy and Todd Viney was their guest - really great interview and went over his career. It also spoke about a story whereby as a junior he beat Boris Becker. It was told many times over his career in interviews. 

The panel then cut to a clip of an interview by someone from Todd, and was asked explicitly whether it was true... Todd failed to completely deny it ...rather amusing stuff!

Edited July 17, 20205 yr by Engorged Onion

Gee I miss the training reports.  What the rules around attending training in the hub?  No chance I'm guessing?

2 hours ago, BigFez said:

Gee I'd exercise caution betting on a Goodwin coached team vs a Clarkson coached team, regardless of cattle.  We should have flogged them early in 2018 on paper but they won by 11 goals.

Having said that i might slip a pineapple of Dees 40+ at $12.

Pretty sure the 11 goal defeat wasn't 2018