Lil_red_fire_engine

I wont be surprised on the basis that the second wing role is clearly the most open role for contention in our starting 18 with no clear front runner.

In my view mostly mediocre teams win games with match day decisions. It’s usually the excuse for why an upset occurs. The good to great teams just play their way better for longer, week in week out and have players crystal clear in their role. I would argue Hardwick is not a much better match day coach, he hardly makes any moves unless out of necessity. The team just play their style of footy better for longer. Aside from Cairns we started to have a clearer view of what we wanted to do and started to settle on who did it where. For too long last year we heard we were unsure of our best set up, this lack of confidence to back a set up really hurt us. The year before, injuries and interrupted preseasons robbed us of having fit players to execute our best set up. As others have mentioned we need to be clear how we want to play, put players in the role they are best suited, train them in it and back it in. The quicker its engrained the more chance we have as the list has the quality and maturity to deploy it better for longer more often than not.

Only Melbourne supporters would be making excuses or being panicky 3 months out from a game. Freo are a well coached improving outfit but if we have the pre season we expect with the list that we have then we win this well. No excuses. And on Jackson if you were he or the club how many years would you extend for to maximise your value either way.

This is clearly an article that does not know want to answer its own question.Its not asking who has been the most consistent, durable, dependable it has asked who is your best. Take all we’ve had over that time at the top of their game and do a school yard pick and I double many would choose Jones to start their midfield. Oliver for me on the basis of consistency of high quality output. However one more season of Trac 2020 and that would also shift.

Agree Rivers, Pickett and LJ based on last year look like locks and Bowey and Laurie appear to fill deficiencies. However its worth remembering that unlike last year it is intended to play standard length quarters for a standard length season. We should not underestimate the toll this will have on players in their first and second preseasons.

I don't get how this is about Richmond. We had a pick in the draft and we chose to pass. We could have taken him if we rated him high enough. He is training at Richmond but if we have an interest we have a pick in the SSP before them. Who knows if we asked him to train on with us but at least someone has and if we think he is worthy he should be gettable.

Didn’t we draft and start him at half back and then moved him mid due to limited involvement? I agree if he is going to make it with us then he needs to show worth on a flank. Granted first port needs to be confirmation of his position on the list.

I would give him a one year deal,. He will be a third year player who was initially light and speculative. He has great speed and endurance and plays a role which we lack depth in. He just needs to put on a bit of muscle, clean up his kicking and build his confidence, Whilst he did not do much in his two games he showed glimpses of quality defensive pressure. I particularly recall a defensive play that used his speed that got the ball to Koz.

I think you need to look at the age of our midfield jets. It is not unusual to hear that young players learn first to fight To get a game, then sustain a spot in the team. Then they fight to make a role their own and do what I can do to win. Then they learn that its doing what’s needed for the team that’s gets you wins. Our mids are ready for that now if executed with them in the right way.

Looks like another year where we have to listen to umpires call out Max’s name before every ball up. What a joke. I really feel for Carlton spending a fortune on Williams who plays 80% TOG off half back let alone decent midfield minutes under a 75 cap.

Great news for MFC. Smart move by Dogga and the Dees to extend by a year and see how far his development goes in the next 12 months.

A mid 50s pick who played 80+ games of footy and seemed to work hard, be well liked and get a lot out of himself even though he didn’t appear to be athletically gifted. I see myself as a pretty resilient bloke and if I had to put up with an ounce of the persistent stuff that he had written about him by faceless trolls I would probably lose all confidence and enjoyment in a game I once loved. Hopefully he gets to reset and have a crack at another club if that’s what he hopes for.

This feels like a draft that I would prefer to have 3 shots between 18 and 30 than 1 between 6-10 or even 2 between 10 and 20. Looks like talls at the top end and hardly a small forward in sight. I would load up on the 3 best ball carriers with polish and trust that JT will find us a star or 2 strong role players at minimum. I know nothing but on possible around the mark and summaries I have read will hope for Carroll, Cook and Winder.

Knowing our luck they will change the rules so when having a set shot from goal you must start your run up no more than 15 metres before the mark and you have 30 seconds to kick not to start your entry.

It amazes me that they consider making rules changes for the upcoming season after trade period. Surely reducing rotations would put a greater price on endurance beasts or players with greater positional flexibility. The AFL need to better understand what they are trying to fix before they start doing things to fix. If they want a more attractive game with less duration then they should focus on understanding the root cause of improving the flow of the game rather than improving scoring. If you want to Improve the flow Hulu need to address the root cause which Is continual heavy stoppages and the chip game. To start addressing these remove the most offensive rule in the game of having to call out a ruckman. Ball it up when the ump is ready and expect one from each team to contest. Reduce the rotations to 15 per quarter and go back to 2 on the bench with 2 emergencies only for concussion tests and non returning injuries. This will create more positional play and keep the better players on the ground for longer. It also additionally supports the smaller list sizes. Thirdly increase the length of a kick to a true 20 or 25m and umpire it effectively.The game will open up, the play will flow and the scoring will follow. Less stoppages and short marks less time off and shorter quarters with more actual play.

In my opinion they are willing to do whatever it takes to get Danger a flag that they are willing to throw away their next 5-8 years to attempt it. They will be heavily reliant on FA to remain competitive if it does not play out.

In my view the Cats are deluded. They have a dads army list who this year granted made the GF but in shortened games, in a shortened season, predominantly played on the moderately sized grounds. The standard season will wear and tear on them significantly. I would not be surprised if they dont just fail to contend but drop out of the eight. They are a few soft tissue injuries away from disaster with limited quality depth.

Its an A for me, It would be hard to argue a better trade for expected output and need vs trade and contract cost than Brown. Once again trading into the first round is a Mahoney special. Particularly in a draft with a lot of unknowns at worst having three throws at the board in the top 30 is a great outcome and room to move up on the night if teams need to pivot. It’s a shame we could not move out TMac or ANB/AVB to clear some room as would have been interesting to see if we would have got more involved in the Piefire sale. You cant trade though if there’s no takers.

We finished 9th. Ben Brown is a 200cm mature proven key forward and goal kicker. 5 of our 8 losses we won the inside 50 count. Yep disappointing.

Wow they’re coming through fast now. I cant keep up :)

Except Hind is ridiculously quick and a neat kick.

Wife barracks for Essendon and even with my MFC bias I couldn’t agree with this. Saad is better defensively and is more attacking I would suggest both are probably on par with their kicking. Salem is good but should be more damaging.

We do know they can trade for players that were not born in their state yeah? I would suspect if two one would be ANB but I think its fair to say the other may just be someone looking for more opportunity at a club and not care where (note i have no inside word).

It is pretty clear we have a strong interest in Phillips if the price is right. I think we are waiting for a last minute fire sale by the Pies.