18 minutes ago, Kent said:

I agree Picket  We need to be brave at selection and Daw must come in 

That's not brave it's desperate. Two of them are VFL standard and one has a lot to learn

9 hours ago, 1964_2 said:

You don’t win flags without planning/training to be peaking at the right time of the year 

So why aren't the other possible flag contenders loading? We've just been beaten by 3 of them, presumably it would cancel out. (If it were happening of course ... cough, cough).

Fairyland.

I reckon I’ve watched all the Casey games this year that Daw has played. He’s very slow. Rucks well enough on the tap, and offers a presence there, but just wouldn’t be mobile enough around the ground, and his marking hands are only ok. Sam Weideman has rucked plenty enough to pair up with Dogga. I don’t doubt that’s how they’ll go. What that does to the Mitch Brown out equation, hard to say. The bold version is with May back in, Petty goes forward, and Tommo gets another crack down back. Either way, Max Gawn isn’t just our most important player, he’s the most influential player in the league. Could all just be ‘deckchairs’….

Edited June 15, 20223 yr by Webber

1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

looking forward to some headlines next week

“Time for some Majak”

“Dees turn to Majak”

“Dees open the Daw”

Surely he comes in. Offers more than Weideman imv  

 

A poster in the changes thread is suggesting Daw is injured and won’t be back in a hurry. 🤷🏻‍♂️

10 hours ago, 1964_2 said:

nearly won 1 maybe 2 out of the 3 :- and the sacrifice means we be peaking at the pointy end of the season. 

What is so difficult to comprehend??

You don’t win flags without planning/training to be peaking at the right time of the year 

Yeah in a way there is some fortune needed and very fine margins between 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable'. Had Max have kicked that one against Sydney and we snuck home or if we managed to grit out an ugly win over the Pies then would we even be mentioning loading?

2-1 or even 1-2 would have masked over the debate a bit more than 0-3. It's unfortunate, I'm sure none of the coaches/fitness guys wanted it this way but if they're sticking to something because they firmly believe in it then I have no choice but to back them. They've proven themselves right before.

Edited June 15, 20223 yr by layzie

Some here speak go Majak as though he isn't capable of playing at the level. He isn't Max, but he isn't a novice! In 2017 for North he averaged 16 hit outs per game. In 2018 he played 18 games and averaged 12 disposals a game. He has played a total of 54 games and kicked 43 goals. Yes, I have selected the stats that are supportive to remind posters that he isn't an untried novelty!

I have no idea if we have been loading or not. But I do have a genuine question. If we are loading, wouldn’t this also affect our Casey team - which is 3/4 made up of MFC players who would also be loading? Casey are still undefeated, but have we seen any major drop offs in team performance after half time in the last 3 weeks? 

1 hour ago, Neil Crompton said:

I have no idea if we have been loading or not. But I do have a genuine question. If we are loading, wouldn’t this also affect our Casey team - which is 3/4 made up of MFC players who would also be loading? Casey are still undefeated, but have we seen any major drop offs in team performance after half time in the last 3 weeks? 

It's a good question.

The AFL listed players all train with the seniors and do all the same fitness work. 

I assume  VFL teams - and non AFL players - also load, but presumably their training is not at the same level of professionalism as the AFL, so the demands are perhaps not as great in teams of how taxing it is (though, its probably not far behind - i wonder if they have GPS trackers for all sessions and games as is the case in the AFL?).

Have we seen a drop off after half time in the last 3 weeks?

Hard to say because the weather has been variable, and we have had so many more AFL listed players than our oppostion, but on scores alone you could make an argument that yes we have - in two of the games at least.

Against Frankston on 29 May we scored 8.4 in the first half and only 2.0 in the second half (from memory the second half was wet - that said Frankston had 6 scoring shots in the first half and 12 in the second half).

The following week against the swans we scored 4 first half goals and 8 second half goals - so no drop off there.

And last week we scored 11 first half goals and only three second half goals (the pies kicked 2 in the first half and 4 in the second half). It should be noted that it hammered down in the third quarter for a while. But it was sunny for the last i think and we could only manage the one goal.

Edited June 16, 20223 yr by binman

So could we play Majak and just leave him in the forward line and he can take the ruck there?

Wouldn't it be great if we could flick a switch and get LJ to ruck like he did in that 2nd half of last years gf? 

Weid had one of his better games replacing Dogga, so I'm ok to see him as 2nd ruck/fwd. We definitely need a smaller, more mobile forward line though, so I would not bring in the additional tall

This is compiled based on reading between the lines

Injury List: Round 15

Fraser Rosman - Hamstring | Test
Joel Smith - Ankle | 3-5 Weeks
Daniel Turner - Face  | 4-6 Weeks
Max Gawn - Ankle/Back | 4-6 Weeks
Blake Howes - Foot | 4-6 Weeks
Tom McDonald Foot | TBC

 

For the Brisbane game the only key players out injured will be Gawn and Tmac, could always be worse

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but it gives an important perspective on Gawn's influence and what we are about to miss. I'd advise to pick up about 2 minutes in when King and Montagna discuss his influence over the past 6 weeks.  We are ranked numer 1 for clearance and number 4 for post clearance, as well as number 1 for clearance scoring differential and number 1 for scores from centre bounce.  Basically Gawn and Oliver have been keeping us in games almost alone.

 

I think it was a few years back Max went down and we actually performed more strongly from clearance because we became less predictable. 

I think all of the players should embrace this, hopefully a few guys really get after hunting the ball and our form starts to turn, i think at times the players do just take the dominance Max has for granted a little bit

9 minutes ago, Dwight Schrute said:

I think it was a few years back Max went down and we actually performed more strongly from clearance because we became less predictable. 

I think all of the players should embrace this, hopefully a few guys really get after hunting the ball and our form starts to turn, i think at times the players do just take the dominance Max has for granted a little bit

Yes there's a bit of a myth about 2017.  We went 7-6 with Max including the game he got injured in v Geelong in round 3, and went 5-4 without him, including losing three of the first 4 without him.  The only side we beat was Essendon, and lost to Fremantle by 2 points at the G and Hawthorn by 3 points. Richmond also beat us by a couple of goals.  We missed finals by .5%.  I'd argue Max doesn't tear his hammy from the bone we make finals comfortably. We worked our way into life after Max after that first month with some wins against softer or struggling opponents - Gold Coast and the then struggling Bulldogs in the midst of the premiership hangover.  We also got over Collingwood on QB with the famous Jack Watts goal.  Couldn't be certain of clearance numbers but his absence didn't make us a better footy team, that's for sure.

1 hour ago, Swooper1987 said:

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but it gives an important perspective on Gawn's influence and what we are about to miss. I'd advise to pick up about 2 minutes in when King and Montagna discuss his influence over the past 6 weeks.  We are ranked numer 1 for clearance and number 4 for post clearance, as well as number 1 for clearance scoring differential and number 1 for scores from centre bounce.  Basically Gawn and Oliver have been keeping us in games almost alone.

 

A few interesting points from that...

Oliver and Tracc have had only 2 marks from their last 52 inside 50s. They both get a ton of the clearances, but long bomb it in without much vision. Pointed out that oppo defenders no longer follow their opponents when they peel off because they know its unlikely the lead will be honoured. Numerous clips showed our forwards in good position leading from i50 to no avail 

FMD!

16 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

A few interesting points from that...

Oliver and Tracc have had only 2 marks from their last 52 inside 50s. They both get a ton of the clearances, but long bomb it in without much vision. Pointed out that oppo defenders no longer follow their opponents when they peel off because they know its unlikely the lead will be honoured. Numerous clips showed our forwards in good position leading from i50 to no avail 

FMD!

I hope this is one of those moments where the media 'gave away the secrets' and the team in question responds haha.

1 hour ago, Dwight Schrute said:

I think it was a few years back Max went down and we actually performed more strongly from clearance because we became less predictable. 

I think all of the players should embrace this, hopefully a few guys really get after hunting the ball and our form starts to turn, i think at times the players do just take the dominance Max has for granted a little bit

A bloke called McDonald took his place.

Personally, I have no issue with Majak in the team (so long as he is available).

The term used here about him has been 'break glass in case of emergency'. If this isn't an emergency, then I'm not sure what is. We got him for depth, and now that depth is being tested.

I'm not advocating we have him as second or first ruck for the rest of the year (I'm saying this in anticipation of @Rhino Richardsgiving a facepalm reaction). I put him in the same category as Mitch Brown, and he's been getting more senior games than what I am comfortable with. If Brown gets a run, Majak is entitled to one or two games.

Team selection would be an even easier to make if Weed was playing well. But alas, this is the world we live in.

 

 

 

Some damming footage in those videos. Sure, forward line not functioning all that well ... but not being helped by what's going on up the field or by the entries. Goodwin (and others) often talk about connection, and there it is - or rather, the lack of it.

As for the footage re Max and his defensive efforts across half-back. Going to be a huge loss, he was the key to our impenetrable wall.

Tough times ahead.

although he does look taller, majak is only 195cm

1 hour ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Personally, I have no issue with Majak in the team (so long as he is available).

The term used here about him has been 'break glass in case of emergency'. If this isn't an emergency, then I'm not sure what is. We got him for depth, and now that depth is being tested.

I'm not advocating we have him as second or first ruck for the rest of the year (I'm saying this in anticipation of @Rhino Richardsgiving a facepalm reaction). I put him in the same category as Mitch Brown, and he's been getting more senior games than what I am comfortable with. If Brown gets a run, Majak is entitled to one or two games.

Team selection would be an even easier to make if Weed was playing well. But alas, this is the world we live in.

 

 

 

You get Facepalms from @Rhino Richards as well Colin? I thought i was the only one :)

 

4 hours ago, Swooper1987 said:

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but it gives an important perspective on Gawn's influence and what we are about to miss. I'd advise to pick up about 2 minutes in when King and Montagna discuss his influence over the past 6 weeks.  We are ranked numer 1 for clearance and number 4 for post clearance, as well as number 1 for clearance scoring differential and number 1 for scores from centre bounce.  Basically Gawn and Oliver have been keeping us in games almost alone.

 

This is all about perceived pressure. when you get a clean break like that, most players that have good awareness take a bounce and either get to the 50 and have a shot, or hit a lead up target. You do that once or twice, you then get isolation at the top of the goal square so when you do need to bomb it, there isnt half the opposition team sitting under the ball waiting to intercept it. 

23 minutes ago, CYB said:

We are ranked numer 1 for clearance

Would love a source for this because we are mid pack for Centre clearances and clearances in general

18 minutes ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

Would love a source for this because we are mid pack for Centre clearances and clearances in general

I think the stat was scores from centre clearance. Not raw centre clearances. 

Edited June 16, 20223 yr by CYB