13 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

2020 in itself has been weird, but Omac being in the best 22 over Tmac is not something most DLanders would have predicted!

The big Porterhouse will get the job on Hipwood I suspect, which will be an important role.  Hipwood was pretty much the difference between us and the Lions last year at the Gabba I recon.  Last year, he had a big day out and kicked something like 5 goals, a few of which were big long bombs from 50m or tight against the boundry.  Was a real purple patch for him and although it's hard to see him repeating those kind of heroics, it will be an important contest between  Oscar and him.

Another vivid recollection from last year's game was the chemistry between Frost and May, or distinct lack there of.  I quite liked Frosty as a player, but I get the distinct impression that both he and May wanted to be alpha males down in defense and it didn't really seem to work, where as Oscar seems to just put his head down and get to work in a business like manner and help that back six to really gel.

Edited July 25, 20205 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

1 hour ago, Kent said:

or hand pass to a stationery player one metre away 

another of his specialties but Goody knows best

I hope that Jonesy gets to his 300th and is then respectfully and honourably transitioned into our coaching team

He deserves the best treatment possible

Unwavering loyalty and professionalism

One of the Melbourne FC greats

Jones comming back into the side is a pretty big plus for us I think.  I expect that he will bring close to the same level of physicality as AVB, perhaps not quite as much pace, but I think Jones ball use, distribution inside 50 and abbility hit the scoreboard could be important in what is already a pretty damaging forward line of small to medium players.  If Weid and Jackson can carry on their form from last week, our forward line and scoring ability may return to being one of our strengths.

12 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

I hope that Jonesy gets to his 300th and is then respectfully and honourably transitioned into our coaching team

He deserves the best treatment possible

Unwavering loyalty and professionalism

One of the Melbourne FC greats

Surely the club has learnt from the Junior experience.  It's hardly like we are top heavy list age wise.  Having a few more experienced heads around the club would provide some good stability to the place.

I suspect that when it becomes obvious to them that their time is up, all of Jones, Jetta and Hibbard could be trusted to make the right call and do things on their terms.

Jones apears to have taken his absence from the senior side for the past month on the chin and with the team first attitude that made him such a great player and captain over the years.  Would be great to see him play some good games over the next few and lock in his place in the side.  Still think he has something to offer.

Edited July 25, 20205 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Stoked to have Jonesy back and I think he's a great addition in place of VandenBerg. Expecting much better disposal and decision making, and to be honest I'd have dropped AVB if he wasn't injured.

On 7/23/2020 at 6:40 PM, No Plan B said:

I don't understand how Lockhart seems to be an automatic selection. He doesn't get involved much and has given away goals every week with his mistakes. Am I missing something here? Give me Jetta any day.

Lockhart’s pressure acts speak for themselves. For such a young player his pressure act around player & ball are excellent. His disposal efficiency when he does get the ball is also excellent . I’m not sure if you have the AFL live app but you can go to AFL Pro & click on  any player  & watch their possessions for the game. Lockhart’s reads well so need to persevere as he will definitely get better. Sometimes it isn’t just about possessions!

26 minutes ago, Luther said:

Stoked to have Jonesy back and I think he's a great addition in place of VandenBerg. Expecting much better disposal and decision making, and to be honest I'd have dropped AVB if he wasn't injured.

Go watch the replay. AVB was our best at pressuring hawthorn. Absolute key to stopping their keeping a off game. No way was he getting dropped. 

3 hours ago, Deestar9 said:

Lockhart’s pressure acts speak for themselves. For such a young player his pressure act around player & ball are excellent. His disposal efficiency when he does get the ball is also excellent . I’m not sure if you have the AFL live app but you can go to AFL Pro & click on  any player  & watch their possessions for the game. Lockhart’s reads well so need to persevere as he will definitely get better. Sometimes it isn’t just about possessions!

AFL stats pro actually has vision of every involvement of each player in the game.

And alongside the vision it defines what that that involvement was. I assume that is how AFL.com generates.all its match and player stats.

(By the by a techy out there might know - am I right to assume that the process is automated. Or does a human have to code every involvement?)

So in addition to possessions there is vision of one percenters (eg spoils, pressure acts, tap ons, smothers  etc), tackles, marks, frees for and against etc.

So with Lockhart's vision you actually see that he gets involved in the game more than you might think. Lots of one percenters.

Edited July 25, 20205 yr by binman

Like the Jones inclusion simply because the more good kicks we have in the side the better off we are IMO 

starting to build a decent list of guys who can take on tough kicks and really open up the game

 

If Vanders was fit, no way he would have been dropped

The team walks taller with this bloke in the team

On 7/23/2020 at 6:40 PM, No Plan B said:

I don't understand how Lockhart seems to be an automatic selection. He doesn't get involved much and has given away goals every week with his mistakes. Am I missing something here? Give me Jetta any day.

Structure. He's a hard runner and get's himself into positions that help lock down the ground. 

45 minutes ago, Luther said:

Stoked to have Jonesy back and I think he's a great addition in place of VandenBerg. Expecting much better disposal and decision making, and to be honest I'd have dropped AVB if he wasn't injured.

Wow, that's absurd. 

From Jeremy Howe’s Instagram Story. Weather looks great on the Gold Coast.

 

30 minutes ago, Bay Riffin said:

Go watch the replay. AVB was our best at pressuring hawthorn. Absolute key to stopping their keeping a off game. No way was he getting dropped. 

I've watched the game twice. Yes he provided pressure but multiple turnovers when we're trying to build a brand that requires precise delivery isn't good enough at the moment. That's been his problem since coming back into the side, so I'd be telling him to work on it intensively.

48 minutes ago, Deestar9 said:

Lockhart’s pressure acts speak for themselves. For such a young player his pressure act around player & ball are excellent. His disposal efficiency when he does get the ball is also excellent . I’m not sure if you have the AFL live app but you can go to AFL Pro & click on  any player  & watch their possessions for the game. Lockhart’s reads well so need to persevere as he will definitely get better. Sometimes it isn’t just about possessions!

He was actually involved in a lot of the handball chains coming out of defence as well. He's the kind of player that most of what he does goes well under the radar.

22 minutes ago, Demonland said:

From Jeremy Howe’s Instagram Story. Weather looks great on the Gold Coast.

 

Is that Steele running to get a cab on the right of the shot...

1 hour ago, Deestar9 said:

Lockhart’s pressure acts speak for themselves. For such a young player his pressure act around player & ball are excellent. His disposal efficiency when he does get the ball is also excellent . I’m not sure if you have the AFL live app but you can go to AFL Pro & click on  any player  & watch their possessions for the game. Lockhart’s reads well so need to persevere as he will definitely get better. Sometimes it isn’t just about possessions!

Lockhart's also doing a lot of unrewarded support running. If you have a look at the passage that resulted in Harley's goal from Jackson, Lockhart gets the ball to Langdon then sprints like Jesse Owens to make position up the ground. Landon opted not to use him but it's that sort of effort that will keep pleasing the coaches.

He just needs to do some revision on Back Pocket 101. Never, EVER, let your opponent get goal side of you (Nev could do with a refresher course too).

4 hours ago, don't make me angry said:

So we pay big Money for Tomlinson to play as a wingman, and within a few games they realise his not a wingman, where does he play then? 

Nothing wrong with his positional play - he suits the wing position.

His effort against Richmond was awful - he quite simply didn't commit his body to the contest.

Blaming it on position is letting him off the hook. 

He was in and out of the GWS side and I suspect things will be no different with us. He needs to provide consistent effort.

I hope picking Jackson ahead of TMac on a wet track does not hurt us. I think Tmac offers more mobility experience and versatility. Jackson is quick for a big guy but like many basketballers he is only quick for 10 meters after that he moves like a dinosaur, more so in the wet.

1 minute ago, Mental Demons said:

I hope picking Jackson ahead of TMac on a wet track does not hurt us. I think Tmac offers more mobility experience and versatility. Jackson is quick for a big guy but like many basketballers he is only quick for 10 meters after that he moves like a dinosaur, more so in the wet.

Tmac on a wet deck would be disastrous.  Bloke has a turning circle of the titanic. Imagine him on a wet and heavy ground.

5 minutes ago, Mental Demons said:

I hope picking Jackson ahead of TMac on a wet track does not hurt us. I think Tmac offers more mobility experience and versatility. Jackson is quick for a big guy but like many basketballers he is only quick for 10 meters after that he moves like a dinosaur, more so in the wet.

Jackson is literally the opposite of a dinosaur, he's extremely agile for his size. He's an infinitely better option in the wet than TMac.

33 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Tmac on a wet deck would be disastrous.  Bloke has a turning circle of the titanic. Imagine him on a wet and heavy ground.

Either Jones or Tomlinson for vandenBerg was the right change to make.

We should win.

Both clubs in the same age and experience zone:

Average Attributes
	Melbourne	Attribute	Brisbane
	187.0cm	Height	188.6cm
	86.9kg	Weight	88.1kg
	25yr 8mth	Age	25yr 5mth
	95.4	Games	100.5
Total Players By Games
	Melbourne	Games	Brisbane
	5	Less than 50	5
	10	50 to 99	6
	4	100 to 149	6
	3	150 or more	5

19 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

It's a fair change for balance reasons. TMac throws the balance out, the more so if it's rainy.

Keeps pressure on Jackson and Weideman to perform.

And gives Jones a crack to get back in and keep a spot in the 22. Let's hope he's refreshed and ready to go.

I imagine TMac will be back for the Port game rather than asking Jackson to backup after a 4 day break