Lil_red_fire_engine

What did you like today? Always room to get better but what were your three positives?

6. Oliver 5. Petracca 4. Lever 3. ANB 2. LJ 1. Max NB: Great debut by Bowey.

Made the mistake of reading the end of the game day thread to read 11 of the last 12 whinging about inaccuracy, Viney and Harmes. What a sorry bunch a lot of you are. We sat on a plane for 8 hours yesterday and were switched on from the get go. The pressure was back and the structure was back and we started to look dangerous forward of the ball. Good team effort back, mid and forward with room for improvement. Bowey fitted the level like a glove.

I find it interesting how Bakers kicking is a let down yet you saw the opposite of Jones. Jones blazed away at goal and forward to not close to the target so many times I lost count. Baker is not an AFL quality kick. Jones is no longer an AFL quality decision maker.

The only player out there I would have in a senior side would be Declase. Being we took our next best 8-10 away with us that should not be surprising. If you are out of contract and played yesterday unless you are clearly development I suggest you can pack your bags at seasons end.

Love a debut. Go you little red fire engine.

I would be targeting the out of contract Duggan but dont know if we have the pieces to get it done or if we could convince him to come home. Right age profile, Victorian boy and would add kicking class halfback mid or wing.

Last 5 weeks form and last 5 weeks scoring shots. At no point have we kicked more goals than points. Last 5 weeks we have not been beaten for scoring shots. Get better shots and convert better things turn very quickly. Rd 15 23 v 17 Rd 16 20 v 19 Rd 17 26 v 15 Rd 18 24 v 19 Rd 19 20 v 20

I rate him and think he will be better at AFL level and is ready. He wont be a high possession but he creates chances and fits our repeat chaos style. Being named an emergency shows he is not far off.

People saying poor form now is the worst time are wrong. There are 4 rounds to right it with the luxury of knowing we cant miss finals but with the pressure that it could cost top 4. It’s actually a good position to be in if Goody has the courage to tweak the 22 and system over that period and get them back to selfless team footy. Dogs were hot last night and we were ok as shown by being within 4 points with 10 minutes to go. We lack run (1 of top 7 metres gained last night) and polish with ball from half, into 50 and converting. We need to fix our second possession at stoppage and defending their second possession at stoppage. We need to get our aggressive turnover game back in check and some run and bounce off half back that is non existent Hunt aside. Well played number 13, number 29 and number 8.

My opinion would be suggest anyone in the top 10 of 700 odd players league wide is an out and out superstar. Particularly when they are backing up consecutive years of it. No need to denigrate Trac by admitting Bont has had a better season (which I would agree with at this time).

We need to freshen up and may tinker with structure but sudden changes in role of key players wont happen. We lack run (1 of top 7 in metres gained last night) and polish at present. Some of the players the season has got too long for them to impact as they were and we have an imbalance of grunt vs polish. We wont make this many changes even if it is to freshen but I would like to see these considered over the coming weeks. Out: Jackson, Harmes, Jordon, Spargo, Rivers/Hibberd In: Weid, Melksham/Jones, Declase, Bedford, Bowey

6 Oliver 5. Lever 4. Hunt 3. Trac 2. Gawn 1. Viney

As usual dont take our chances. You cant have half efforts from players in these conditions (call out to Salem and Brayshaw). Happy to be second to contest and players generally not clean enough.

Like last week yeah?

Bevo playing a taller forward set up is already admittance that their best playing their way cant beat ours. The question is whether we still have any of our best in us. Gawn needs to be aggressive at the stoppages with his ruckwork. Viney, Harmes and Jordon need to play defensively well and let Oliver and Trac off the leash and get back to brilliant basics not Hollywood footy. Brayshaw back to the wingers club to assist with hard defensive run. Our half backs rebounding fast and aggressive when we have the ball and forwards who separate and take advantage of players lowering their eyes to hit them. Most importantly for the love of god take your chances. Our speed forwards need to back to Port style inside 50 pressure to contain and turn it over in our half. Not much to ask really. Get back to doing all these well and it wont matter what set up the bulldogs play. Our best is the best in the comp we are just the least trusted to bring it every week.

Don’t agree with the trade thread but also those that think he had positive impact last night need to lift their head from the stats and watch the game. On numerous occasion he got in the way of others, tried to do too much and fluffed various kicks in the forward half. I am pretty certain he was standing next to Mitchell for most of last night as Tom worked his way to 39 possessions. Our midfield is lesser with him in it at the moment.

Who wouldn’t prefer Zac Bailey but that’s not Bedford. I am a Bedford fan as he has serious speed and endurance but is inconsistent in game and have lesser execution than ANB.

We seem to be preferencing continuity, hardness and role over warranted changes. Based on that I don’t expect this to happen but we need to balance the hardness with some speed and polish. We are starting to play half a man down with Jackson as he tires. Rivers also looks like a spell may be warranted. This is the week to do it in the NT. Out Jackson, Viney (but it will be Vanders), Rivers In: Melksham, Declase, Bowey

ANB had 27 pressure acts, more than Pickett and Spargo combined. Do you want the guy who runs himself dog tired and fluffs the execution or the guys who look fresh as a daisy for the small moments they get it but have not run themselves into the ground? None will go but it is short sighted to go ANB whose primary role is defensive pressure.

Other than the goal he kicked did Wines hit a target by foot?

JUH was less ready for that debut and had equivalent impact to Watts on QB. But the commentators talked him up at every opportunity. What a joke. Not even close to ready for AFL and certainly not against the Swans.

Watching the VFL today suspect we we will go unchanged unless they bring in Melksham for Harmes.

Typical VFL game where the AFL listed players wear down the VFL players and scoot away on the scoreboard. Thought Melksham and Déclassé were the best if needed. Bowey strong first half then quiet second. Would love to see Bedford and Chandler do more to put some pressure on to play a fourth speed forward but they are a long way off it.

6.Trac 5. Tmac 4.May 3.OLiver 2.Salem 1. Petty