12 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

You have genuinely lost the plot. No AFL team has 40 players capable of contributing at AFL level, EVER. 

Our depth is a strength, and greater than any other team. 

 

 

Dee Spencer 

Sam  Mitchell says hi!! 

19 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

Two question for me:

1. Will Goody review the game and 

2. Is goody the right guy

🏆😉😉😉😉😁😁😁😁🏆

YES 

5 minutes ago, 58er said:

Goody's "hate affair" with Lockhart and his treatment is completely OPPOSITE to Joel Smith. Nearly fell off my chair just now when Goody said Joel ( and Tommo who was ok ) put together nice games and were fighting for Harry Petty's spot.Last night should have ruled out Smithy as all he did was fly in the air with about 3 others ( even got some frequent flyers points but no votes!) and never got to the contest.
 Chandler as Vineytime suggests could Perhaps train as a back pocket type as I can't really  see him making it as a half forward. Can kick the ball a long way also! Refer last week vs North.

I'll be surprised if one Demonlander doesn't put his 2 cents worth on my post sometime today! 
 

 

yep, have seen little evidence that Smith has the smarts to be the player we want him to be. 

Happy to be proven wrong though

 

7 minutes ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

It all starts at the source and the midfield was spanked.

We lack a little depth and class there, which we can cope with if all play really well, but if one or two drop off (like Viney) then we can get exposed.

We have exceptional midfield depth. 

"but if one or two drop off then we can get exposed"     yes, the same as any AFL/VFL team that has played in the last 150 years. 

 

I thought it was good for us. With the proviso we take the lessons and prepare for the season.

Carlton were good. Their midfield with Walsh back will be scary good. Their backline with Oscar (who played well and kept having small jokes with the Melbourne boys) and Williams and Saad were getting free way too easy. They had us on toast.

Yet in the second half we tightened things up. Our backline started holding with second stringers, we tightened up on Saad and somehow we got back into the contest.

Max was enourmous.

Our midfield is the worry, but with our best backline in (especially May and Salem) we can hold a side when our midfield is beaten and slowly get on top.

Was the loss we needed. No injuries. Well orchestrated MFC.

46 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

He wasn't clean and I would think his role is to be crumbing packs. If it's not, then he is being wasted. 

I don't agree that's his role.

28 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

According to the new Afl abuse rules, I've that  heard soon fans who endearingly refer to the umpires as maggots will face stiff new penalties. 

Fan:  Can I call the umpire as a maggot?

AFL:  No, and you'll face stiff penalties if you do.

Fan:  Am I allowed to think that the umpire is a maggot?

AFL:  You can think whatever you want.

Fan:  "Hey umpire, I think you're a maggot."

Just now, Demonstone said:

Fan:  Can I call the umpire as a maggot?

AFL:  No, and you'll face stiff penalties if you do.

Fan:  Am I allowed to think that the umpire is a maggot?

AFL:  You can think whatever you want.

Fan:  "Hey umpire, I think you're a maggot."

As far as I'm concerned anyone who refers to umpires as maggots should be removed from this site. I think you all should take a good hard look at yourselves (but realistically I guess that's unlikely to happen). As a bare minimum could the moderators of this site add it to the list of words that should automatically be censored. Frankly, I'm a lot more comfortable with seeing the odd swear word than abuse through umpire namecalling... 

10 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

We have exceptional midfield depth. 

"but if one or two drop off then we can get exposed"     yes, the same as any AFL/VFL team that has played in the last 150 years. 

 

I disagree.

4 minutes ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

I disagree.

A midfielder that got 10-11 Brownlow votes from half a season last year, cant even make our top 27-28 = exceptional depth. 

 

3 minutes ago, Sydney_Demon said:

As far as I'm concerned anyone who refers to umpires as maggots should be removed from this site. I think you all should take a good hard look at yourselves (but realistically I guess that's unlikely to happen). As a bare minimum could the moderators of this site add it to the list of words that should automatically be censored. Frankly, I'm a lot more comfortable with seeing the odd swear word than abuse through umpire namecalling... 

I prefer maggot over the odd swear word. Looks like we have an old fashioned stand off friend. How about we just all become offended at everything together? 

Fritsch is a gun, looked like he was still September drunk in the first quarter and almost won it for us.

22 minutes ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

I disagree.

Yep, we were chasing Merritt and Cerra for a reason...our top 2/3 are as good as it gets but the FD identified the need for a class mid.

Edited March 4, 20223 yr by rjay

10 minutes ago, rjay said:

Yep, we were chasing Merritt and Cerra for a reason...our top 2/3 are as good as it gets but the FD identified the need for a class mid.

Luke Dunstan could prove to be a very handy pick up then.

48 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

We have exceptional midfield depth. 

"but if one or two drop off then we can get exposed"     yes, the same as any AFL/VFL team that has played in the last 150 years. 

Dunstan might bulk it up a bit but otherwise no, we don't have exceptional midfield depth. 

The players we roll through to relieve Oliver, Petracca and Viney are good but not great (think Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon). The Dogs have significantly more depth (Bontempelli, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter).

Our best mids are elite, but we go from elite to pedestrian as you go down the list a bit too quickly to warrant the word "exceptional".

52 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

You have genuinely lost the plot. No AFL team has 40 players capable of contributing at AFL level, EVER. 

Our depth is a strength, and greater than any other team. 

 

 

We played just about the same 23 players for the entire year last year!

Remember in 2020 when we went to Cairns on a short break and had to throw depth players in and we stunk?

Brisbane by a mile, Port, the Dogs, even Geelong have far better depth than us. Collingwood might too, they aren’t a complete team but have plenty of useful options.

Essendon and Hawthorn are finding ready to go talent in the SPP or midseason drafts. Durham, Bramble, Newcombe, Baldwin etc.

I’m not expecting superstars, just useful players rather than than carrying guys we know the coaches don’t even want to pick.

 

3 hours ago, Roost it far said:

Smith’s the one for me……I just don’t ever seeing him being any good.

His Footy IQ is limited and any of his so called attributes none are  really up to AFL standards. Marking might be his best but coming from 3/4/5: deep last night is wasting a defenders position on the ground. He did not impact the game at all vs tall or small last night. 
Hunt had a poor game caught betwixt and between. He has a base to work off ie. pace and ball carry snd with the other 6 last year worked well.

Smith had only 3 games and stuffed up his big chance  on Cameron. Why Hibbo wasn't selected for that is mind boggling.

Tommo is best on the taller less mobile types ie Martin and English and Schacke and Hunt is a safer bet vs smalls than Smith.  Bowey Salo Maysie on Norton Hibbo maybe on Weightmann. as his strength might worry Bowey.

Back to a team defence aspect and our mids on their game ( big game performances) any bath water or umpire disrespect should disappear when that Long awaited Flag is gloriously handled and raised by our previous 8 legendary Captains headed by the best in RDB. 

Can't wait. 

 

17 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Dunstan might bulk it up a bit but otherwise no, we don't have exceptional midfield depth. 

The players we roll through to relieve Oliver, Petracca and Viney are good but not great (think Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon). The Dogs have significantly more depth (Bontempelli, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter).

Our best mids are elite, but we go from elite to pedestrian as you go down the list a bit too quickly to warrant the word "exceptional".

Some posters on this site have short memories. Sook up and get negative after a practice game. 

Pathetic. 

You don't include a bloke who came third in the Brownlow (as an inside midfielder) as part of the depth..      strange. 

 

Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon, Dunstan, Jackson (yes he counts as a midfielder when playing in the middle) are far superior in every way to Bont, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter

And don't forget Salem, Kozzy, Brayshaw and multiple others more than capable of running through the middle if we needed "depth" 

 

That's 11 more than capable midfielders and we apparently lack depth. Please, give it a rest. 

Please post this same junk after we touch up the dogs round 1. 

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 20223 yr by 1964_2

21 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Dunstan might bulk it up a bit but otherwise no, we don't have exceptional midfield depth. 

The players we roll through to relieve Oliver, Petracca and Viney are good but not great (think Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon). The Dogs have significantly more depth (Bontempelli, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter).

Our best mids are elite, but we go from elite to pedestrian as you go down the list a bit too quickly to warrant the word "exceptional".

 

Also please don't forget Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon and ANB do a significant amount of defensive work, which includes covering for Petracca, Oliver opponents, allowing them to be more attacking. Hence a 15 possession game from the likes of Sparrow, is far more valuable to the team that it looks on paper.

 

22 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

We played just about the same 23 players for the entire year last year!

Remember in 2020 when we went to Cairns on a short break and had to throw depth players in and we stunk?

Brisbane by a mile, Port, the Dogs, even Geelong have far better depth than us. Collingwood might too, they aren’t a complete team but have plenty of useful options.

Essendon and Hawthorn are finding ready to go talent in the SPP or midseason drafts. Durham, Bramble, Newcombe, Baldwin etc.

I’m not expecting superstars, just useful players rather than than carrying guys we know the coaches don’t even want to pick.

 

ok buddy. All looking pretty grim really isn't it. We looking good for the spoon this year

 

 

4 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

That's true, I wouldn't have rated ANB in 2020, but he got a 2 year deal previous on the back of being a good AFL footballer. 

Baker is not a good AFL footballer, never will be. Mitch Brown having a list spot is some kind of sick joke. Melksham should've been paid out if we were fair dinkum. That's 3 who are offering nothing.

All those guys are in the best 22 apart from Melksham and Laurie! They can't be depth when they're in the side. Melk is finished. Laurie is an ok prospect as a midfielder, doesn't have the speed or size to do much at half forward for the time being. Bedford and Chandler aren't it either, so where's the turnover of options?

I'm not talking long term, we've seen these guys win a flag. I'm talking about round 1 and the early games of the season.

Last year we went smaller due to Brown and Weid's injuries and Tom did a very good job at CHF competing. It also allowed Jackson a lot of game time as a forward and whilst he was hit and miss he settled more in that role.

Brown dropped a few he would've usually swallowed last night and moved pretty well, so I hope that was just an off night.

But I do wonder how we best use Jackson and Gawn when the forward line doesn't really need them. Max goes deep forward with Brown and they can work together but if they don't mark it we are in trouble on the way out. And Jackson can get lost if he's not rucking and not getting asked to play more as a CHF. Especially early in the year where big guys often don't hold as many marks as they do once they've got their eye in.

Tom's not asked to do as much grunt work in a taller line up so he has to be holding marks and contributing on the ground when he's effectively a forward flanker at times.

Weid - he's really only back up for Ben Brown or perhaps the rucks. We can't have another tall who gets beaten to the ball or run off by smaller defenders when we're already overloaded for height. And no matter how many goals he kicks in the VFL he just doesn't hold his marks in the AFL and we should stop pretending he ever will by this stage.

Thanks for clarifying. I had no idea you were only talking about Round 1 and the early games of the season. You didn't mention that in your earlier post. Not that it's that relevant because as  far as I can see your comments aree basically largely unsupported criticisms of players based on one practice match (or maybe not. Perhaps, as seems more likely, it's just an excuse for a rant based on pre-existing prejudices).

You seem to have absolutely no idea how a list is compiled. You'd pay out Melksham's contract just to get him off the list. That's just stupidity. He's definitely depth at worst and I would argue he's better than that. I agree that Baker hasn't set the world on fire but you have absolutely no foundation to say at this stage he'll never be an AFL player. The same about Weideman. He signed a new contract last year so clearly the Club still thinks he has some potential. As you know Mitch Brown is a rookie-listed player, as is Majak Daw). They cost us basically nothing, are on the list for one year sat a time, and both have performed at senior AFL level in the past. Brown played one game last year and kicked 2 goals in the Round 5 Win against Hawthorn. Majak is basically back-up for Gawn & Jackson and on form probably is the best ruckman running around in the VFL. He didn't get a game last year because we had no ruck injuries. List Management isn't about paying over-the-odds for players in their declining years at the expense of younger players with potential. It's about having a balanced list and fitting that within the salary cap. Melksham and Mitch Brown are depth players who cost us nothing but I guess you'd remove them off the list because you've decided you don't like them. So much for worrying about our depth.

Finally, in your earlier post you mentioned all these mythical readily-made star players available fron state leagues that we should have accessed through SSP. We accessed 4 players through that process in 2021, pre- and mid-season: Daw, Deakyn Smith, Kye Declase & Daniel Turner. I feel for Declase as he wasn't given much of a chance due to the early cancellation of the 2021 Season because of COVID and we delisted him. The others are still on our list. Hopefully you won't write them off quite yet. We have no long term injuries this year and have only space for 1 category B Rookie so no SSP as yet. Maybe you should offer your services to the Club since you apparently can identify these potential players,. Watch out Tim Lamb, you're about to lose your job!

 

1 hour ago, Sydney_Demon said:

As far as I'm concerned anyone who refers to umpires as maggots should be removed from this site.

Sydney, umpires have been called maggots as long as I can remember, going way back to when I first started going to the footy in the sixties. 

Compared to other names I have heard directed at them, it sits at the lower end of the offensive scale for me.

1 hour ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

He wasn't clean and I would think his role is to be crumbing packs. If it's not, then he is being wasted. 

I mostly agree with this.

BBB was a target on a number of occasions last night but he wasn't clunking them. I don't  recall seeing Picket being thereabouts and attempting to crumb these spillages . Similar with Spargo.  I don't recall seeing much of him around the goals either.

I know small forwards can be terrific tackling/defensive weapons but they should also be aiming to hit the scoreboard and crumbing off the big blokes is a major source of opportunity.

5 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

ok buddy. All looking pretty grim really isn't it. We looking good for the spoon this year

 

 

Don’t be childish. We have an exceptional best 22. We haven’t done enough to turn over the 24-32 spots on the list at a crucial time where a couple of good mature body role players could be vital. 

Just now, Bitter but optimistic said:

I mostly agree with this.

BBB was a target on a number of occasions last night but he wasn't clunking them. I don't  recall seeing Picket being thereabouts and attempting to crumb these spillages . Similar with Spargo.  I don't recall seeing much of him around the goals either.

I know small forwards can be terrific tackling/defensive weapons but they should also be aiming to hit the scoreboard and crumbing off the big blokes is a major source of opportunity.

We’re moving the ball too quick and playing pairs of talls (I count Fritsch as a tall) deep. We need to ease back the speed of ball movement just a bit, spread the ball more and get it in to the talls as the smalls come in. Plus starting a small deeper at times would help as well. 

1 hour ago, Sydney_Demon said:

As far as I'm concerned anyone who refers to umpires as maggots should be removed from this site. 

I agree. It is very offensive to maggots.