Some good signs

But it was ours and the Tigers first hit out for the year

So to the usual sky is falling suspects it was a practice match when you were commenting "Nothing has changed" rhetoric 

and to the supreme optimists it was still a practice match in the second half 

1 hour ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

 

Get Harmes out of there.  

Put Bedford in

1 hour ago, Rigatoni Rigoni said:

Older heads showing they've still got more to give, much to the chagrin of many demonlanders

Jones' experience and game style showed out in the last half, particularly the last quarter. A generator of good decisions and execution was terrific to see, despite the long bomb now and again (alas). He looks a natural in the forward line, as well, crumbing and providing opportunities. Onyer, Jonesy!

Positives for me:

1. Hunt able to execute the clear game plan to use his speed off half back - looked good. HOWEVER, his lack of tackling ability was clearly exposed on a number of occasions - and I am not sure whether we should be carrying him in that way.

2. Tom McDonald - took a number of contested marks, and managed to create space on the lead twice (once leading to a goal). Was a good performance from TMac.

3. The speed of transition play and general play was a noticeable step up from last year.  I'm not sure why - but we looked quicker and cleaner.  Still some sloppy disposals - ones that I can remember from Nathan Jones - back into the corridor.

4. Petracca picked up where he left off. 

5. Agree Chandler, and Jordon both look likely.  I also think that Jackson looked OK today.

6. Jake Lever had a very strong game - and along with May that combination is starting to look very good.  I got nervous the way May was throwing his body around, but I understand that that is the way he plays the game. He did a good job on Lynch for me.  

Negatives

1. Oscar Baker experiment was OK - I counted two goals which were directly linked to defensive mishaps from him - he's not a strong defender - and also didn't see much to justify the "he has pace to play that position".

2. Trent Rivers - seemed a bit quiet, but I guess not everyone can be dynamic. 

3. Forward line lacked something - can't put my finger on it.  But wouldn't be against Mitch Brown coming in - Jackson didn't really threaten...

1 hour ago, DemonOX said:

Thanks to the club for streaming the game live. 

It was great and the best part about it you don’t have to listen to the commentators on the commercial channels. 

Win all round. 

Ben Gibson is a real gem. Knows the game both from a strategic and historical standpoint and presents with a relaxed confidence.

I don't think he'll last long in the Dees media team before moving on to bigger and better things.

2 minutes ago, Cheesy D. Pun said:

Ben Gibson is a real gem. Knows the game both from a strategic and historical standpoint and presents with a relaxed confidence.

I don't think he'll last long in the Dees media team before moving on to bigger and better things.

 

2 minutes ago, Cheesy D. Pun said:

Ben Gibson is a real gem. Knows the game both from a strategic and historical standpoint and presents with a relaxed confidence.

I don't think he'll last long in the Dees media team before moving on to bigger and better things.

The overall broadcast for TV/Net was terrific quality; the vision crystal clear and camera work was spot on for the electronic audience. Well done, folks. Commentary was honest, enlightening and appropriate.

11 minutes ago, Altona-demon said:

3. Forward line lacked something - can't put my finger on it.  But wouldn't be against Mitch Brown coming in - Jackson didn't really threaten...

Surely you aren't suggesting Mitch Brown for Jackson? We could do with a 3rd key forward but we can't carry Fritsch and 3 talls who don't defend and don't offer a lot without the ball. It's an either/or M Brown or Tommy Mc and Tommy put the better case forward today.

Jackson rucked a fair bit with Max going forward, it will be interesting if that's the case come round 1.

Hopefully Pickett has enough time to be right for round 1, but either way I think it will be 3 smalls, Fritsch and the 2 bigs. 

The thing we do need is to get some marking or aerial contests from the rotating mids. Petracca clearly gives us that. And the other options will be some of Oliver, Harmes, Jordon, Sparrow, Brayshaw, Melksham who all have at least some size to create a contest.

9 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

 Commentary was honest, enlightening and appropriate.

That was the best part.....commentary about the football and commentators who knew who the players were. 

Simply refreshing when compared to what we get served up from BT and his washed up compatriots during the season proper.

I suppose we should be thankful AFL commentary still hasn't approached the old mates club that is cricket commentary.

Why can't we have people that are passionate about the game, know the players and aren't ex-players in the box?

Agree was refreshing even to have none of the over the top commentary you are forced to sit through these days. 

 

1.  Great just to have footy back.

2.  Credit to our boys for the win over the best team in the comp., especially given we had some key 'outs'.  

3.  Pleased to see how well the forward line functioned, even with our two main KPFs on the sidelines.  Can only see improvement when they return. Increased competition for small forward spots is great.  I 50 tackling pressure looks to have improved.

4.  Defense held up ok with May and Lever clear standouts, but need to apply more pressure to oppo small forwards

5.  Mids won the day, even without Viney and Brayshaw.  Max, Clarrie and Tracc continue to be a class above. The stand--in mids were solid

5.   The game plan seemed better, with flexibility, and run and carry through the corridor.

I'm always an optimist at this time of year, but I didn't see too much to deter my confidence for 2021. 

Thought Hunt and Jetta were very good today too

I might of missed the commentary and comments around our fwd mix. How did it look and perform? 3 smalls, 2 talls and Fritta the hybrid? Did the mix change much during the game?

When were we at our most dangerous what did our forward line consist of?

Feedback greatly appreciated.

5 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

Thought Hunt and Jetta were very good today too

Thats great to hear hope jetta and jones can turn back the clock and beat father time,at least for one more season

Very good first up performance, particularly given the opposition. My takes:

1. Hunt in the backline could be a real weapon with the man on the mark rule. (As an aside, I think the change will help us, as we have been a side that had the a lot of difficulty transitioning the ball forward.)
2. Petracca is a superstar.
3. TMac looked better than almost any time in the last two years.

You always want to see improvement from the next batch of players.  Spargo played well, Chandler, Rivers, Jordon, Sparrow, Jackson add in Laurie, Bowey, Petty, Bedford and a few other from game 2, we can be positive that there is going to be some really good improvement from these guys in 2021.

1 hour ago, Altona-demon said:

Positives for me:

1. Hunt able to execute the clear game plan to use his speed off half back - looked good. HOWEVER, his lack of tackling ability was clearly exposed on a number of occasions - and I am not sure whether we should be carrying him in that way.

Negatives

1. Oscar Baker experiment was OK - I counted two goals which were directly linked to defensive mishaps from him - he's not a strong defender - and also didn't see much to justify the "he has pace to play that position".

3. Forward line lacked something - can't put my finger on it.  But wouldn't be against Mitch Brown coming in - Jackson didn't really threaten...

I like Hunt's game, but he needs to be given licensee to just attack the game he wants, the lack of tackling seemed to me to be more of being caught half between attacking their player or falling back to where he should be positioned and then getting in no-mans land. Allowing him that ability might cost a few goals but should also help save a few as well. The other thing he needs to do is to automatically peel out the back of a marking pack when it flys and his man is going up, let the big men do there job and he can stop any quick crumbers bursting through. He got caught on the side watching a few times.

On point 3, the Tigers defence is the best in the game, so after only a few weeks of the focus shifting to the TMac/Jacko combo, I thought they held up reasonably well. 

I agree, Oscar is so close, but he's a liability if forced to go back towards the last line of defence and hasn't yet got the polish delivering forward. I don't think he's yet ready to play in the seniors opposite Langdon, but he'd be the perfect guy to learn off.  

3 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

I like Hunt's game, but he needs to be given licensee to just attack the game he wants, the lack of tackling seemed to me to be more of being caught half between attacking their player or falling back to where he should be positioned and then getting in no-mans land. Allowing him that ability might cost a few goals but should also help save a few as well. The other thing he needs to do is to automatically peel out the back of a marking pack when it flys and his man is going up, let the big men do there job and he can stop any quick crumbers bursting through. He got caught on the side watching a few times.

On point 3, the Tigers defence is the best in the game, so after only a few weeks of the focus shifting to the TMac/Jacko combo, I thought they held up reasonably well. 

I agree, Oscar is so close, but he's a liability if forced to go back towards the last line of defence and hasn't yet got the polish delivering forward. I don't think he's yet ready to play in the seniors opposite Langdon, but he'd be the perfect guy to learn off.  

One of the best post i have read on here,but who is oscar

As I said on the game-day thread, what was most pleasing was that Goody, for the first time in his career as coach, did not rush in his first-year men, and stuck with his senior men over raw kids who all showed glimpses pre-season, but are not seasoned footballers yet!

The choice of Sparrow, Jordan, Chandler and Baker - all third-year men - over these first year excitement machines was totally appropriate and ensures that they don't get disenchanted with their coach and let's face it, as good as Bowey, Laurie and Rozman have looked at training - these four have done their apprenticeship and deserve a chance.

All four may ultimately not be quite good enough, but at least now they will know and we will know.

Even better was the decision to give Jones and Jetta a chance before these kids. Both may be too old ... and now too slow, but they still have the smarts and do the team role player things with strong bodies hardened from years of weights.

There were heaps missing with at least six players likely to press for Rd 1 selection injury permitting - Brayshaw, Melky, J.Smith, Viney, VDB and Kossie - I think Hibbo, B.Brown and Weid are all confirmed non-Rd 1 starters - but the nucleus of the side is still there and we have at least two more players in the twos who are ready when called - Petty and Lockhart.

Both Gale and Balme made mention of our pace in transition. We have been slow in the past and now have a better balance with our outside/inside run. Richmond, of course, is getting older and they were missing Rioli who is mega quick.

But the one player who has transformed the pace issue is the move of Jayden Hunt back to defence. He was beaten badly a couple of times over the back by Castagna in the second term, but kept providing line-breaking dash and against Richmond who zone and peel off and block with precision, such players are vital. Rivers also did it a couple of times, his baulk and bounce and 50m kick from a kick-in one of the highlights.

The other thing that  surprised me was that we played four small up forward crumbing Jackson and T.Mac and Fritta and Gawn (when there) as well as providing the short option which is now more likely under the man on mark rule. All four - Spargo, Jones, Chandler and ANB - pressured hard all game. And our best small forward - Kossie - wasn't out there. The decision for Goody now is whether he continues to back in the four small forward set up or tries to solve his problems when everyone is fit by slotting Trac or Melky and Sparrow into the forward mix to accommodate Viney and Brayshaw.

The other pleasing thing is that it looks like we will use Gawn and Jackson as more of a tandem ruck-forward weapon this year which is great. 

Onwards and upwards.

5 minutes ago, forever demons said:

One of the best post i have read on here,but who is oscar

Oskar Baker, I believe red and blue was referring to

Can we have this Tom Mcd every week. He was ok.  Maybe he’s an improver in 2021!!!

That was a really good stream this morning. 
well done to the Camera and Sound Crews

Commentary was great. Wish more AFL games were like that. 

Were the quarter lengths the same as what they’re going to be during the season? 

49 minutes ago, Win4theAges said:

I might of missed the commentary and comments around our fwd mix. How did it look and perform? 3 smalls, 2 talls and Fritta the hybrid? Did the mix change much during the game?

When were we at our most dangerous what did our forward line consist of?

Feedback greatly appreciated.

Played four smalls forward basically - TMac and Jacko as the talls.  The mix was OK.  Spargo in particular was able to lay a good tackle to force a goal, and ANB was there and thereabouts.  Still probably a fair assessment that none of our small forwards looks dangerous in the same way as some of the oppo forwards can. 

TMac and Jacko took the odd contested mark, but Jacko in particular was muscled under the ball on a few occassions.  TMac was able to get some separation on a couple of occassions and as some on the thread have noted even clunked a few.  Agreed that he looked a bit better.  I think its probly a fair comment to say that the forward line sort of "held up" - and will actually be much much more threatening with the addition of Milkshake, BB, and Weid.

4 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Were the quarter lengths the same as what they’re going to be during the season? 

Well, as they had a set 30 minute quarter with no stoppage time added, technically, no... however, they ARE returning to 25 minute quarters with time on added.

30 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

I like Hunt's game, but he needs to be given licensee to just attack the game he wants, the lack of tackling seemed to me to be more of being caught half between attacking their player or falling back to where he should be positioned and then getting in no-mans land. Allowing him that ability might cost a few goals but should also help save a few as well. The other thing he needs to do is to automatically peel out the back of a marking pack when it flys and his man is going up, let the big men do there job and he can stop any quick crumbers bursting through. He got caught on the side watching a few times.

On point 3, the Tigers defence is the best in the game, so after only a few weeks of the focus shifting to the TMac/Jacko combo, I thought they held up reasonably well. 

I agree, Oscar is so close, but he's a liability if forced to go back towards the last line of defence and hasn't yet got the polish delivering forward. I don't think he's yet ready to play in the seniors opposite Langdon, but he'd be the perfect guy to learn off.  

Yeah I couldn't put my finger on it - but I think you are bang on.  The times when he got exposed in defensive 50 was when he was kinda out of position.  But that dash of halfback (loved when he ran around Lynch...d**khead) really helped us transition so well.