2 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

were you at the ground?

i'm sure on the teev it was hard to see but his running from half-back to deep forward was incredible to watch from my spot on the wing

his work rate is fantastic

Yes l was at the ground, drove 4hrs from East Gippsland 

Look l just thought he played a bit like a millionaire & needs to get involved in the game a bit more

Big call so early but seemed way off the boil

31 minutes ago, stinga said:

Most of the comments are about the backline but I'd like to see more adjustment in the forward half.

I just think we are too small up there.   Brown did really well when competing against 3 at times but the bulldogs do not have a great defense.   For a lot of the time we have Gawn Dogga or TMac on the bench resting which creates difficulties.

In the forward line we have small/medium at those times with 5 of Fritta, Spargo, Pickett,  Jordan, NB, Bedford and at least one other on baller going through.  I'd rather have Weideman instead of one of the smalls.  Not sure who it is.

It was exacerbated when TMac had to go into defense.

I disagree, even if we had other talls there’s times they get caught up the ground and the deep forward has to compete 3 on 1. Brown did that very well, but that’s a huge part of his job.

We generally have at least one of  Harmes, Sparrow and Petracca forward too to provide a touch more height. And forward pressure is everything. Unless we play champagne footy we’re better scrapping and forcing turnovers than playing a kick mark game. The last thing we need is Weid blocking it up in attack and not contributing the other way.

Tom probably goes back forward. But ideally I’d replace Tom with a 187-192 forward who can compete in the air and be happy with Fritsch, Brown and the resting ruck. Then some good mid sized mids to complement the smalls.

Unfortunately the only option on the list is Melksham so that won’t be happening any time soon. 

Has anyone seen an update on Salem's injury today?

IN: Lever, Rivers, Hibberd

OUT: Bedford, Tomo, Salem

JJ sub

1 hour ago, BigFez said:

Has anyone seen an update on Salem's injury today?

Salem spent less time on the ground last night than Ron Barassi.

Hibberd did not sound super confident that he would be fit for the next game. It is a calf, which he would not want to re-injure.

Most likely is just one change, being Lever for Salem.

Suggestions to drop Smith are idiotic. His closing speed and spoiling was fantastic. If a Bulldogs player went for a drink after the game, he would have punched that away from the bartender too!

11 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Hibberd did not sound super confident that he would be fit for the next game. It is a calf, which he would not want to re-injure.

Most likely is just one change, being Lever for Salem.

Suggestions to drop Smith are idiotic. His closing speed and spoiling was fantastic. If a Bulldogs player went for a drink after the game, he would have punched that away from the bartender too!

I have to say, even I agree re: Smith, and I suspect after every previous game Smith has played I've thought about calling for him to be dropped.

Smith is the fastest player on the list over 20m.  He can play tall and small.  His main flaw / weakness is that he sometimes gets a bit lost / lacks awareness - which is how most of our defenders look initially when they come into the team.  Just you watch if he can stay injury free and gets a good run at it.

 

TMac will not be staying in defence.  Held up well last night but that was out of necessity.  To me it shows that with Brown, Fritsch and Gawn/Jackson we made not need Tmac forward this year.  If you have another pressure forward eg Chandler / Bedford / Laurie / AMW this will do more to lock the ball in our forward line.

Obviously things will change throughout the season but I can only see Weed come in now if Brown or Jacko get injured.  

1 minute ago, deelusions from afar said:

Smith is the fastest player on the list over 20m.  He can play tall and small.  His main flaw / weakness is that he sometimes gets a bit lost / lacks awareness - which is how most of our defenders look initially when they come into the team.  Just you watch if he can stay injury free and gets a good run at it.

 

TMac will not be staying in defence.  Held up well last night but that was out of necessity.  To me it shows that with Brown, Fritsch and Gawn/Jackson we made not need Tmac forward this year.  If you have another pressure forward eg Chandler / Bedford / Laurie / AMW this will do more to lock the ball in our forward line.

Obviously things will change throughout the season but I can only see Weed come in now if Brown or Jacko get injured.  

This happened last year. We went 6-0 with just TMac, Fritsch and Gawn/Jackson. Then we started to struggle to score midway through the season and settled once we added Brown.

If we take TMac out of the forward line, we are too short.

We won the flag last year on the back of elite pressure and high scoring football. We did it with Brown and TMac. It's the right number of tall forwards.

OUT: Salem, Jordon

IN: Lever, Dunstan 

Bedford to start and make Pickett sub. 5 disposals is just not good enough to hold your spot. 

5 minutes ago, deelusions from afar said:

Smith is the fastest player on the list over 20m.  He can play tall and small.  His main flaw / weakness is that he sometimes gets a bit lost / lacks awareness - which is how most of our defenders look initially when they come into the team.  Just you watch if he can stay injury free and gets a good run at it.

 

TMac will not be staying in defence.  Held up well last night but that was out of necessity.  To me it shows that with Brown, Fritsch and Gawn/Jackson we made not need Tmac forward this year.  If you have another pressure forward eg Chandler / Bedford / Laurie / AMW this will do more to lock the ball in our forward line.

Obviously things will change throughout the season but I can only see Weed come in now if Brown or Jacko get injured.  

Goody did mention he had not planned for Tmac to play down back this season having him train with the forwards all preseason. However with no Lever, Petty, Hibberd, Rivers and now Salem his hand was forced last night. Smith is obviously still getting used to AFL level and Tomlinson will take a while too after a year out. We need some stability down there with May so he can stay aggressive, also Tom was most effective further up the ground last night playing as a CHB creating great contests behind the ball.

One of those 5 premiership defenders return you might see more Tmac down back with us having enough options up forward.

Down forward the formula of Brown, Fritta, Gawn, Jackson, Trac as marking options with Kossy, Spargo and Nibbler supporting on the ground is a great balance to me.

I do agree that towards the back half Tmac might get squeezed out at some point. Hope he uses that as fuel to keep up form.

5 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

This happened last year. We went 6-0 with just TMac, Fritsch and Gawn/Jackson. Then we started to struggle to score midway through the season and settled once we added Brown.

If we take TMac out of the forward line, we are too short.

We won the flag last year on the back of elite pressure and high scoring football. We did it with Brown and TMac. It's the right number of tall forwards.

You might be right.  But I think TMac fell away towards the end of the season.  Brown and Jacko will be better this year and Fritsch has now announced himself as one of the top forwards in the game.  I think we're in a different place to the start of last year.

We showed last night that if we move the ball quickly Brown / Jackson and Fritsch is enough.  I'm certain the coaching staff will experiment with an extra small / pressure forward.  Ultimately they might settle on what we have - but they can't stand still... they have to keep trying to gain an edge.

29 minutes ago, Caligula's cohort said:

OUT: Salem, Jordon

IN: Lever, Dunstan 

Bedford to start and make Pickett sub. 5 disposals is just not good enough to hold your spot. 

Is that what you think will actually happen?

Or what you think should happen?

51 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

This happened last year. We went 6-0 with just TMac, Fritsch and Gawn/Jackson. Then we started to struggle to score midway through the season and settled once we added Brown.

If we take TMac out of the forward line, we are too short.

We won the flag last year on the back of elite pressure and high scoring football. We did it with Brown and TMac. It's the right number of tall forwards.

It's not only the righty number of talls, having two permanent talls in brown and Tmac who get up and down the ground, augmented by Jackson or gawn is a central plank of our game plan, how we enter 50 and how we look to score.

For example one teams do not take intercept marks against us.  If we don't mark it, it comes to ground and we then look to score or failing that trap it inside our 50. 

And the running power of Brown and Tmac means when we kick out long from a point, or down the line after a stoppage, it is to pack that almost always includes at least two of Max, Jackson, Brown or Tmac. Again, if we don't mark it, it comes to ground in predictable spot and we win the ground ball before sweeping it forward. 

I have little doubt Goody was playing ducks and drakes in the first half of the season. The plan was always to use three talls up forward come finals time. opposition teams simply could not cope with our set up from round 18 on, least of all the Cats and Dogs, when we averaged something like 109 points per match.  Why show your cards early?   

I would not be surprised if Goody plays some similar funny buggers this year. 

Edited March 17, 20223 yr by binman

18 hours ago, MrFreeze said:

Based on past team changes, Smith has replaced Petty and Tommo came in for Lever today 

Exactly. 

In premiership cup 2022, out premiership cup 2021

Salem out. Lever in. 

 people are saying Hunt should be dropped are being plain out silly.

1 hour ago, Caligula's cohort said:

make Pickett sub. 5 disposals is just not good enough to hold your spot. 

Simply not going to happen.

5 hours ago, FlashInThePan said:

I really rate Smith and you can take it to the bank, he is our next great defender.

Perhaps, and hope you're right. Equally though, Smith is 26 (albeit just), it's not as if he has most of his career in front of him.

Re Lever etc,  there were some interesting comments from May about talking and directing on-field. He said that he focuses on the 2 or 3 deep backs who are around him, while Lever and to a lesser extent Salem set up/direct the higher backs and mids dropping back to defend. Perhaps an argument for getting Lever back in ASAP, especially with Salem out.

5 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

I was howled down here after the Carlton game for suggesting similar 

We all love Kozzie and his great defensive efforts but I think they are starting to gloss over his lack of possessions.

14 minutes ago, bing181 said:

Re Lever etc,  there were some interesting comments from May about talking and directing on-field. He said that he focuses on the 2 or 3 deep backs who are around him, while Lever and to a lesser extent Salem set up/direct the higher backs and mids dropping back to defend. Perhaps an argument for getting Lever back in ASAP, especially with Salem out.

I’m not sure there was ever an argument not to get Lever back asap. But on the other hand you can’t risk such a key player for round 2 clash. 

Don't worry about Kozzie folks.

He seems to be trying a little too hard, he just needs to slow down a fracture and compose himself. When he does he'll clunk his marks and find more ball. I think he's a generational player who will show his full worth once he clicks into form this season.

3 hours ago, binman said:

Is that what you think will actually happen?

Or what you think should happen?

Just my opinion, no one is right or wrong here. I love Pickett, but Bedford showed more on the night. Pickett will probably keep his spot but it would be nice if Bedford was given the chance ahead of him for once. A bit of competition is healthy. 

4 hours ago, deelusions from afar said:

You might be right.  But I think TMac fell away towards the end of the season.  Brown and Jacko will be better this year and Fritsch has now announced himself as one of the top forwards in the game.  I think we're in a different place to the start of last year.

We showed last night that if we move the ball quickly Brown / Jackson and Fritsch is enough.  I'm certain the coaching staff will experiment with an extra small / pressure forward.  Ultimately they might settle on what we have - but they can't stand still... they have to keep trying to gain an edge.

If you think TMac lost some form, the solution isn't necessarily to ditch the second tall forward altogether. It might be to swap him for Weideman, in that example.

We are first and foremost a team of structure. We had no choice but to flip TMac back last night due to Salem's injury but we know Goodwin will want to set the team up the way we train to help with our predictability in moving the ball.

The bolded argument is precisely the one I'm not convinced of long term - we also showed last year that we can apply elite defensive pressure and score heavily with Brown, TMac and Gawn/Jackson, so it cuts both ways.