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Showing content with the highest reputation on 19/04/17 in all areas
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Anyone else catch the end of afl 360 tonight? They had an eye opening interview with our assistant coach Craig Jennings, who in the pre-season after considerable urging went to our club doctor who found a melanoma in between his ear and temple. If he'd procrastinated and put off catching up with the doc any longer it would've spread, so luckily he'll pull through. He's very highy rated throughout the league's coaching circles and its the first time I've ever seen him interviewed. Good luck to him in his recuperation!9 points
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Horror draw ? There's hardly a decent side in the AFL and certainly no-one I fear. We may lose to Adelaide in Adelaide, but I put them in the category of winnable games. There's not a side I don't think we can beat on our day.8 points
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Richmond's good start to the season has been based on their ability to force and exploit turnovers.....no. 1 in the AFL thus far. Our lapses have been based on our inability to avoid making critical turnovers and being carved up on account. As ordinary on paper as they seem to be, this makes the Tiges our worst nightmare. If they get a hold of us, I fear it's going to get very ugly, and searching questions will be asked about our game plan and trajectory. Thus, a season defining game, even though I think we effectively cooked our season in last week's third quarter. Depends how much they've learnt from that. We're just a very young, talented, potentially great but enormously brittle team, so as we'll frustratingly see all season, ANYTHING could happen.8 points
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6 points
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Your condition has deteriorated badly in your time away, Rangie. I haven't the faintest what this post is about. I think there's a shot at me in there somewhere because I saw my name, but I'm not offended because frankly, it went flying over my head. Get well soon mate.6 points
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It would be like Brisbane with Fevola or Richmond with Cousins. A big chunk of salary cap, a misfiring player past his best who isn't committed, a spot on the list wasted, and a lot of heartache. We have a list in really good shape and don't need to put a grenade under it by getting Ablett.6 points
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He walked whilst Paul Roos was resurrecting the entire club, Chip can keep walking. If he had left whilst Mark Neeld was in charge my feelings may be different.5 points
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Probably one of the more interesting debuts for mine..Hibberd. our backline needs a bit of his no-nonsense I-know-what-I'm -doing sort of devil may care. Over the years weve had some good intercept players who could read the ball really well and cut off many an attack. More recent being Clint Bizell and Jared Rivers. I see a bit of these in Hibberd though I think Hibberd may have the most effective kick out of those three. I think his inclusion will rewire the dynamics of our backline....in a good way5 points
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5 points
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I'm not so sure Gus is ready yet AF. His early entre' games looked like he could be anything but has only ever shown glimpses of that since. I don't think continuous VFL appearances will necessarily help him here either. Seems to me it's more of a mental issue probably related to some of the concussion related outcomes and having the confidence physically to attack the contest the way he did early in his career. He should be tracking ahead of or along the lines of the likes of Trac, Kent and Harmes but it seems he has plateaud behind those types right now. Hannan has shown something but maybe not quite AFL ready. Do we risk more games hoping for gradual improvement? Love his attack in the marking contests and his work rate generally. Would love to see more of him in patches if we are performing well later In the season and have the luxury for a return visit if showing good form at Casey or injuries force another look. Any team that includes both Melks and Weids sitting at either end (as they stand right now) will win very few matches, with the exception of maybe the bottom 4 to 6 clubs on occasions. Weids might come on and perform in a year or two but is a long way off regular 22 at this point. You can't carry or hide players who aren't up to AFL level against the better teams if you want to be a serious genuine contender for the finals and a shot at the flag. I'm not convinced on Hibberd yet either but after his performance on the weekend it's worth rolling the die. Hopefully a better competitive/attacking option than his ex bomber partner, but we won't know till we try. For me if we want our best chance of winning the next 3 matches and a chance at our first finals appearance in a decade then it's... In: Hibberd, Pedders and Hogan Out: Weids, Hannan and Melk. I would also put Tyson on notice and if Trenners puts in another performance at Casey or a better one than the weekend I would bring in Trenners for the Hawks IF Dom puts in another ordinary one. Brayshaw the preferred option of these three if he ever gets back to his best.5 points
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To me, Goodwin is remarkably composed and clear cut in his answers and explanations. He is very mature for a senior coach with 4 games of experience under his belt. Whilst there are some aspects of the gameplay (particularly defensively) that need improving, there's no need for any kind of worry yet. We did just win the first two games of the season for the first time in ages. Your comments on Watts are drivel. His output so far has been sensational, particularly when the blowtorch was on him after Max went down.4 points
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Firstly, 17 disposals for a key defender is very good, and secondly, how he defended and played his role would be of far more interest to the coaching group than his disposal tally.4 points
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One thing I can guarantee... Although they seem to have set a precedent here, if a Melbourne player does the same thing they will get weeks.4 points
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You left out Kelly v Tyson/Salem. And Satyricon v DeeSpencer4 points
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Well, I personally think they should be drinking more. Petracca said that they 're-set' the scores to 0-0 at the half, as they do in every match. I think this is a mistake (especially as we've been slow starters) and I would rather they focused on their domination and rammed it home with outrageous confidence. Forget about winning halves of football, and concentrate on winning wholes. We're 22.12 v 10.12 for second quarters and 12.10 v 17.7 for third quarters. Something at half-time isn't working.4 points
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It's not just this week, it's the next 6 rounds that are huge. They determine if we play finals in 2017 and if we have improved at all. Leading up to the bye we play: Richmond Essendon Hawthorn Adelaide North Melbourne Gold Coast The AFL handed us a really easy draw for the first half of the season. They basically handed us finals for 2017. If we [censored] it up we don't deserve to play finals and questions need to be asked why we haven't improved. We should win 4-5 of those 6 matches. Anything less than 4 wins and finals are likely out of the question for 2017. No finals in 2017 is a failure for the club in any way you look at it. Yes we're a developing young side, but we also haven't played finals for 11 years now and have enough talent in our team to win more often than not. The only times we lose are the times we don't turn up. No teams have really beat us yet, we've only lost games. We need to turn up to play every week for 4 quarters and do what should be done. It starts with Richmond this week. They've beat up on 3 crap teams and one decent team who struggle away from home. If we turn up with the right attitude to play, we will beat them. Even if Dusty gets 40 touches, we'll still beat them because we have a far better spread of talent across the park and better coaching staff.4 points
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Interestingly Roos said on Triple M this weekend that if he had to pick he would've taken Brayshaw at 1, Petracca at 2, and Mccartin at 3. Said Brayshaw has struggled with injury concerns and consistency but backed him to become a great player and the best pure on baller, while Petracca is more a forward/mid and impacts in bursts. Said once Brayshaw gets to spend more time on ball instead of being played in forward flanks and pockets that he will thrive.4 points
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3 points
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We didn't lose three games in a row at all last year. I'll be disappointed, to say the least, if we drop this one.3 points
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3 points
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We always beat Richmond. I'd like Bugg out and Pedobear in. Give Watts a day off the ruck and attack through him. He tends to kick a few against the tigers as well.3 points
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He walked for an easy flag and he got one. Off the back of champion players who stayed at Hawthorn through the hard times in the early to mid 2000's. He left during some of the worst years our club has ever seen. I have zero respect for players like James Frawley. And I would be almost certain that if he was interested in coming back to the club, Nathan Jones would be the first one to tell him to get [censored]. Jones would take it as an enormous insult. Frawley is also overrated as a player. Yuck.3 points
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Wasn't that the case all year last year? Pretty sure we would have dropped a lot of the games where we were favourites. Going in as the underdog suits me fine.3 points
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Very possible. Hibberd ran the game out and had plenty of the ball and used it pretty well. Pedo rucked most of the day and got 32 possies as well.3 points
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I understand the need to play him down back but Jeez i find him much more dangerous when he is in the midfield. On the weekend in the last when he went into the midfield he was the only player to show calmness and composer with the ball while everyone was going million miles an hour.3 points
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3 points
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Agree a agree in part Ron, but going missing for a quarter a game in virtually all 4 we've played (q1 stk, q3 carl, q4 heel, q3 fre) is definitely concerning. Geelong result only explainable of these given the injury to Maxy and subsequent lack of depth in the fwd line. Other 3 games like we've come out of the sheds and decided to start playing after giving them a head start (and gifting a few right on half time doesn't help either). what is pleasing however is our performance in the other 3 qtrs. My 11yo boy actually wants to go to the footy now - BIG step up from 2-3 yrs ago.3 points
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3 points
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I reckon Nic Nat has hit his ceiling. Jack still getting better.2 points
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Nic Nat has one of the best highlight reels ever but is remarkably overrated. By the end of their careers I reckon Watts will be well ahead2 points
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There's another issue here that needs fixing. The player standing on the mark should be included in the "protected area". No player should be able to come anywhere near him. It's an unedifying exercise seeing a player with the ball "playing on" because the player on the mark is blocked by another player.2 points
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I think you should blame Hogan and Lewis. If those two think that it's the Carlton doctor and the MRP process which is the problem, they will have learned nothing and we'll have the same problem repeating itself.2 points
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2 points
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How did Gibson escape any sanction he chose to bump, the player got concussion and took no part in the rest of the game what am I missing2 points
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I'm positive our list managers would be thinking along the same lines. Definitely not worth it.2 points
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2 points
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Neither Jones nor Goodwin are very articulate in front of the media. Jones is just regurgitating exactly what the coach says. The "journey" thing is just them trying to tell you that we're a work in progress. It might be tedious to listen to, but it's pretty hard to disagree with the point. I wouldn't take the absence of those key words to mean an absence of commitment, it's not the point they're choosing to labour in front of the mics. I'm a big supporter of our coach and our skipper, but I think you could just as easily skip the pressers and you wouldn't be any less informed. They give donuts.2 points
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Like Deeko and most of us, the two obvious ins are Hoges and Hibberd (not sure why one or two think he needs another week - he played the full game, he's in unless he pulled up sore. If Jones was coming back off injury would you expect him to play two games in the VFL to prove his fitness?) The one obvious out is Weid, although the coach may actually try and talk him up again at selection table. But even Goody will be shut down quickly this time and he can't try and make out that there aren't any options this week as Hoges is back. The big question is who the other out is and it would be a huge lack of faith statement to drop Melky, especially for his mate - so that won't happen. Given that Salem will now move up to a wing or half forward and Melky possibly to a wing as well, it's possible that Billy or Bugg may cop a surprise bullet. If that's the case the last man-in, first man out says Bugg, but I just reckon he's a good needler that suits Richmond, so Stretch may have to miss a game and watch on from the coach's box before returning for the game v Essendon. He's too good to be left out for a long and probably just needs a reminder of his running patterns, which were brilliant all pre-season and have been a bit off the past two weeks - he collided with our players about four times against Freo. The other tricky one is Hannan, who hasn't hit the heights of Rd 1, although quite often he does the team thing on the lead and protects his teammate. He may need to go back to VFL with his AFL experience and find a more ruthless goalsneak edge. The other selection question is whether we can again go with just five talls (six being the norm nowadays as it gives you cover if one gets hurt). We only need two down back this week as the Tigers are going small up forward these days and Hibberd and Vince are big enough to handle Dusty when he rests at full-forward. There's a theory that we won't play Pedo as the sixth tall if it's wet. But personally I'd play Pedo as the sxith tall anyway because he attacks the ball so well, even if he's not quick enough for a long term option. In the wet, Wattsy ain't necessarily going to be a great rucking backup option anyway as he prefers dry conditions to leap and break free and fully utilise his smarts. You also need to go back up the line more often in the wet, so you need a marking outlet with strength and Pedo can be that guy.H e may not take the mark, but he will contest. He's also useful as a step ladder for Watts, Harmesy and Trac. So I'm going with six talls - that was how we started the season and won our first two games after all. I'm also hoping that Nat Jones starts in defence with a planned move to bring him into the middle when we need a spark late - opposite to last week. The reason is that now we ain't as likely to get the hitouts, it means we need bigger bodies in the middle so Oliver, Tyson, Viney (he's big in muscular sense) with the cameos from Petracca and Harmes is a better option now, especially with no VDB to scare 'em. Trenners will most likely have to wait, although I'm sure we'd all love to see him get a game. O-Mac and Angus sound like they need to show their desperation to get back - they'll get back soon, just not this week. Ideally O-Mac should play forward in VFL, while Angus in my view should be playing as an attacking intercept defender - versatility has been lost in recent years with zones all the rage, but I just sense we are close to sides playing funny buggers again and swapping guys down and back regularly. B: Hunt Frost Hibberd HB: Vince T-Mac Jones C: Melky Oliver Salem HF: Harmes Hogan Kent F: Garlett Watts Petracca Ru: Spencer Tyson Viney Int: ANB, Bugg, Jetta, Pedo Emerg: Stretch (23rd), Hannan, Trengove2 points
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I gave up on the MRP when Merrett whacked Pedo a couple of years ago. I was about 50 metres away. Clearly high contact and severe impact yet nothing was done about it. I've considered the MRP farcical ever since and cannot be bothered even trying to fathom their "logic".2 points
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Tbh. I never bother listening to players or even coaches. They all do the REAL talking gameday. I 'listen' to that only. Just like for mine the only real Stat is the scoreboard.2 points
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I'm sick of the damn platitudes! I want them to talk instead about being hungry, not drinking their own bath-water, respecting the jumper . . . LH - you just asked for our fresh new platitudes to be dropped in favour of some of the oldest cliches in football. And then underlined them for emphasis, like they were written on a pre-match whiteboard.2 points
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We'd have won if we KICKED STRAIGHT. Seems like every week, we have some casual shots on goal early, and miss them. Does this club believe in a thing called scoreboard pressure? Why worry about the first shot on goal, or the second, or the third ... if you think you're going to get 30 tilts at it? Trouble is, at 1.4 to 2.0, the scoreboard pressure is on us! Seven goals to nothing in 3rd quarter ... bad. Not icing the match in the last 2 minutes ... bad. Neither one a factor if we KICKED STRAIGHT in the first place.2 points
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And you didn't even mention the worst aspect of that play. That that single mark and goal are responsible for sparking a dual-ruckmen argument that just won't go away and die.2 points
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2 points
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Sadly i 100% agree. The 3rd Q fadeout was so bad. The fact that it lasted the entire quarter means that the Leadership on field and coaches failed. The comeback in the final quarter was ultimately of no use and should never have been necessary in the first place2 points
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If you don't shower the fortnight before the game they waive you through really fast. I like to bring a fresh Durian fruit in a plastic bag and chew on a Wheel of Stilton when I'm smuggling .2 points
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Watch the Hawthorn game last year for an example of Pedersen creating an airial contest which benefits Weideman who collects the subsequent easy loose ball running past and goals from Pedersen's good work. Pedersen actually competes in the air and on ground level, neither of which Weideman has really shown this year. I don't even understand how he got picked from his JLT series form, in which he was pretty much just a seagull kicking easy goals in the goal square as a loose man from over the top style handballs from others hard work. I understand Weid has some good athletic and football atributes which bode well for the 'future' but that shouldn't make him the protected speices he seems to be come match selection. Put Pedersen's best 14 goal effort in the context that a) he has rarely played a full season, b) spends time away from the forward line in the ruck and c) has played in a Melbourne team that has struggled to kick any goals and the 14 looks ok.2 points
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This. Can't understand why we're wasting him in that dreaded defensive half-forward position.2 points
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2 points
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He should fulfill his contract or retire from the Game. It seems these days a contract is only a contract when it suits the player. Imagine if the Suns were saying we dont want him anymore. They would be expected to pay out his contract. But he wants to just walk away. Sorry gaz retire if you dont want to be there any longer.2 points
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