6 hours ago, picket fence said:

Amazing to think that a player ( who plays as a FORWARD ) does niether, get enough posessions nor kick enough goals. Oh thats right he is in the side because of his pressure! Spare me, a forward needs to KICK GOALS, thats why they are forwards, Get It!??

I'd settle for Kossie to stop trying for mark of the year,get front and centre.. THAT'S what small forwards do and kick goal of the year ,with or without the stupid tongue out running in circles thing...Trac actually got genuinely good when he stopped doing that..

Just sayin'

Spargo could kick it to him..he seems to make better choices than most of our midfield champs

Edited August 9, 20222 yr by IRW

37 minutes ago, mo64 said:

Since you have all the Champion Data stats, can you tell me how many inside 50's Spargo averages since the bye? Just as a comparison, Spargo averages 11 possessions per game, whilst Viney averages 30. If Spargo is averaging 46% of 2, does that make him a lock in the team?

I don't have the CD Data, no one does - I guess we need to find out how many marks inside 50 do we average a game as Spargo contributes to 1 of those since the bye. His season avg of inside 50's is 3 and earlier form closer to 4. so 1.5-2 marks inside 50 still seems a somewhat valuable contribution as we head into the finals, if he can recapture some of that earlier season form.

Anyway Good point, lesson learnt on actually diving deeper on a stat you've overheard in the media! I should actually know better considering I was harping on about CD not revealing the pressure ratings of all 18 teams! 

Edited August 9, 20222 yr by John Demonic

2 hours ago, mo64 said:

Can you explain why Spargo only had 59% game time last week, the lowest in the team? And as a comparison, since the bye, Spargo averages 65% game time compared to Kozzie's 85% game time. You'd think the more seasoned player would have more game time.

I’m not really a stats  man but since you brought them up and without having access to BTG footage or GPS data, I’m going to suggest from observations the fact that Spargo spends greater time running higher up the ground and between the arcs to get the footy. Having more possessions, metres gained, score involvements, assists, Inside 50s and rebound 50s would support the thought that Spargo works harder than Kossie . Incidentally Viney, Sparrow and Harmes all spend less time on the ground than Kossie and my observations tell me they all work harder

On 8/7/2022 at 8:48 AM, spirit of norm smith said:

ANB stays in?  One good goal in the last. New name is “Captain fumbles “ and he often turns back into trouble. He definitely should be on the block as should Sparrow.  Spargo earned a reprieve by his Freo outing. 
 

outs : Sparrow ANB Melksham 

In:  JVR, Harmes, Chandler

Agree with this. How i left ANB over Spargo I was clearly tired and not clear in my thinking. 

Edited August 9, 20222 yr by Lil_red_fire_engine

I know it’s the wrong thread but I just saw that TMac is now 3- 5 weeks away on the AFL injury update.  Not sure if it spin, or I am delusional or both… but I live in hope 🤞

5 minutes ago, Wodjathefirst said:

I know it’s the wrong thread but I just saw that TMac is now 3- 5 weeks away on the AFL injury update.  Not sure if it spin, or I am delusional or both… but I live in hope 🤞

We'll see how much better his running routine is at training this week I guess. 

No Change

Just on JVR..  now im not sure if he is ready or he is seriously in the mix or we are just getting him around the team for experience. But watching Ash Johnson play the role he does for the Pies has got me wondering why he is getting a game and JVR has not been tried.

Both 193Cm, JVR has a couple kilos on him.. but really they are both similar players that would play the same role. 

Edited August 10, 20222 yr by Demon3

37 minutes ago, Demon3 said:

Just on JVR..  now im not sure if he is ready or he is seriously in the mix or we are just getting him around the team for experience. But watching Ash Johnson play the role he does for the Pies has got me wondering why he is getting a game and JVR has not been tried.

Both 193Cm, JVR has a couple kilos on him.. but really they are both similar players that would play the same role. 

One is 24 years old and one is 19 would be the starting point I think. Johnson seems more a lead up player not a crash the pack player. 

Edited August 10, 20222 yr by Lil_red_fire_engine

It was pleasing to finally see Salem's touch returning against Collingwood; notwithstanding the missed goal. I bet that's the last time he misses from there in his career.

He is by far the most creative and skillful player at Melbourne [with the exception of Pikett in full flight]. Perpetually and criminally underrated by opposition teams; to see the first green shoots appearing after returning from injury had me jumping for joy.

'Noodles' as we call him,  was the architect of the vast majority of our victories last year and if he is up and about his work enables everyone else to properly execute.

I don't have any  suggestions regarding forward options yet it is clear that something or someone needs to set alight the dynamics inside 50. Try Petty, try May, try JVR, try Smith but don't do nothing and expect it to click. That will not suffice. 

57 minutes ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

One is 24 years old and one is 19 would be the starting point I think. Johnson seems more a lead up player not a crash the pack player. 

Copy that, not sure age is everything though. To be honest i haven't seen a lot of JVR, when i did, it was raining, so hard to get a gauge on it. 

I se Darcy debut and others and think we have missed a trick not getting games into him while we have been trying to find out right fwd mix.

1 hour ago, Demon3 said:

Just on JVR..  now im not sure if he is ready or he is seriously in the mix or we are just getting him around the team for experience. But watching Ash Johnson play the role he does for the Pies has got me wondering why he is getting a game and JVR has not been tried.

Both 193Cm, JVR has a couple kilos on him.. but really they are both similar players that would play the same role. 

I’m not at all sold on Johnson. He had his Kent Kingsley against us, like Jamarra a couple of weeks earlier. He’s their attempt at Fritta, and you have to be very talented to play that role in the modern game as you get very few attempts to get it right.

4 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

I’m not at all sold on Johnson. He had his Kent Kingsley against us, like Jamarra a couple of weeks earlier. He’s their attempt at Fritta, and you have to be very talented to play that role in the modern game as you get very few attempts to get it right.

He has kicked 10 goals in 4 games... his first 4 games. its pretty good start. Not my point though, more about the fact that he is similar size and weight to JVR.

2 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

I’m not at all sold on Johnson. He had his Kent Kingsley against us, like Jamarra a couple of weeks earlier. He’s their attempt at Fritta, and you have to be very talented to play that role in the modern game as you get very few attempts to get it right.

And the few attempts they get it so happen to be against one of the best defence in the league.

You're under selling Jamarra's performance. Kid has just turned 20, in his 2nd year of AFL and kicked 5 against Tonlinson/Petty.

The growth in Ugle Hagan is enormous. 

2 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

And the few attempts they get it so happen to be against one of the best defence in the league.

You're under selling Jamarra's performance. Kid has just turned 20, in his 2nd year of AFL and kicked 5 against Tonlinson/Petty.

The growth in Ugle Hagan is enormous. 

My point was that both those games were out of the box games. Let’s see how they both go over the next 12-18 months. JUH has come back to earth. 3 points on the weekend, but couldn’t miss against us.

Not saying he’s not going to be good, just saying he hadn’t shown anything like that before us, and might not for another 18 months.

Johnson - let’s wait and see. 

7 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

My point was that both those games were out of the box games. Let’s see how they both go over the next 12-18 months. JUH has come back to earth. 3 points on the weekend, but couldn’t miss against us.

Not saying he’s not going to be good, just saying he hadn’t shown anything like that before us, and might not for another 18 months.

Johnson - let’s wait and see. 

You're going to get these kind of inconsistencies in all young key forwards.. 

In fact Jamarra has kicked 17 goals from 14 games.

Johnson 10 goals from 4 games.

That to me shows they're so far this year they're showing some good consistency in their games. 

Edited August 10, 20222 yr by dazzledavey36

20 hours ago, IRW said:

I'd settle for Kossie to stop trying for mark of the year,get front and centre.. THAT'S what small forwards do and kick goal of the year ,with or without the stupid tongue out running in circles thing...Trac actually got genuinely good when he stopped doing that..

Just sayin'

Spargo could kick it to him..he seems to make better choices than most of our midfield champs

Agree on kozzie flying for Marks. Airways looks spectacular but can't recall him every taking one

40 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

And the few attempts they get it so happen to be against one of the best defence in the league.

You're under selling Jamarra's performance. Kid has just turned 20, in his 2nd year of AFL and kicked 5 against Tonlinson/Petty.

The growth in Ugle Hagan is enormous. 

I was speaking to pretty committed doggies fans a few weeks back, just after Ugle Hagan had been dropped, he said the big knock on him was his defensive work and that he sometimes got knocked out of contests too easily, and lacks a bit of mongrel

The former is probably a very common issue for young gun forwards who dominated as juniors. The latter is common for all young key forwards.  

Since he has come back in to the side he seem to have improved a lot in both areas, which is huge positive i reckon ie improve weaknesses in a short time frame. He looks to be flying at the ball more aggressively. 

The kid can play and in 3-4 years will be scary good. 

Based off Godwin's press conference. I'd say minimal changes this week. Harmes for hunt would be my tip. I'd prefer to see Brayshaw back or on a wing and harmes/JJ taking midfield minutes. Also not that sure sparrow should be automatic selection at the moment

Cant drop Hunt IMO.. point of difference. If we get out structures right and we dont allow shoot out footy, Hunt comes into his own with run and link up play.

I'd probably look at Sparrow out for Harmes, 

I really like the speed Hunt offers down back, gives us some cover for our biggest weakness those lightning small forwards 

On 8/5/2022 at 11:04 PM, titan_uranus said:

ANB 22 pressure acts, our third-most behind Oliver and Viney.

I reckon that's going to keep him in the side.

However, ANB, Pickett, Spargo and Sparrow combined for 0 tackles inside forward 50. Bearing in mind Fritsch and Brown also laid 0 tackles inside 50, that's not going to win us games of football.

Lever only played 85% TOG. Would not at all be surprised if he's carrying an injury.

Meanwhile just as Hibberd and Hunt both regress back into the form that made us all suspect neither was best 22 this year, we've flipped Joel Smith back yet again to a forward at Casey.

Joel Smith - about time he came in against a weakened Carlscum. We need the movement, agility, marking and a straight set shot or two, plus his backline experience with us will have served him well in combating (with movement) the opposition allocated to him. He'd also give our midfield a target or two across the game not fixed like a pillar of self-gratified granite in the hot zone, counting the mounting numbers of opposition clearances.

Joel in deep forward, for mine. 

37 minutes ago, Dwight Schrute said:

I'd probably look at Sparrow out for Harmes, 

I really like the speed Hunt offers down back, gives us some cover for our biggest weakness those lightning small forwards 

I thought the same but didn't see is used to great effect on Friday. Hunt hasn't been the dashing , take the game on player for the past 2 years . I would have thought last week he would have played on ginnivan but they went with lever. 

 

3 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Joel Smith - about time he came in against a weakened Carlscum. We need the movement, agility, marking and a straight set shot or two, plus his backline experience with us will have served him well in combating (with movement) the opposition allocated to him. He'd also give our midfield a target or two across the game not fixed like a pillar of self-gratified granite in the hot zone, counting the mounting numbers of opposition clearances.

Joel in deep forward, for mine. 

Joel Smith being an answer to our forward line issues is a massive hail Mary

He's been on the list 7 years ,26 games for 1 goal and played almost exclusively as a defender. I don't get how one game at Casey and training with the forwards for 3 weeks is going to enable him to slot into a forward line and be productive in finals. 

3 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

And the few attempts they get it so happen to be against one of the best defence in the league.

You're under selling Jamarra's performance. Kid has just turned 20, in his 2nd year of AFL and kicked 5 against Tonlinson/Petty.

The growth in Ugle Hagan is enormous. 

On a slightly tangential point. Article on Roos today. Can you just imagine if they had JUH, Daicos and Ashcroft. All three will be/have been denied to the team that has finished last. You would think those 3 would be enough to turn any team around. 

If MFC were in the roos position i would be absolutely livid. I know there are many on here that love the F/S but perhaps a slight adjustment to the rule could be priority picks having exclusive access without being out bidded / matched or bids used to match a priority pick selection attract a 20% points penalty (as opposed to the current 20% discount).