FireInTheBennelly

Is it because our players simply do not know how to 'spread'? Too often they all just stand around a contest handballing to each other, with nobody attempting to clear the pack after they've released the ball, or before receiving. Then you get the inevitable handball to feet which slows everything up enough to create a secondary contest and the rubbish starts again. I'd love them to kick more, but the number of times our kicks out of packs are smothered is annoying as well. So we're either handballing or kicking when it's not on. Need to get the spread right for mine.

This is interesting KC and seeing that a player we'd developed in the 'twos' has gone to a club with their own priority selection zone, surely it begs the question, why can't other states have a priority to choose a player from their 'twos'? Obviously I'm asking from a Fritsch point of view, but I think it's a fair question.

No I don't think he's done just yet. Not until Tird is handing the Norm Smith to Jab after being victorious in the GF. Jab decides he's made a mistake and un-retires. Hird is presented with an honorary premiership medallion, while Gil changes his mind and gives Jab an honorary Brownlow to replace the one that was so cruelly taken away from him. With a tear in his eye, Woosha reluctantly decides he can't keep this poor, unjustly crucified hero out of the football club any longer and steps down for Tird to take over again. Dank changes his name by deed poll to Shank and calls Tird looking for a job. All club documentation now to be written in French.

Sorry to put you through this Jack, but any idea who the controlling umpire at the time was? Lucky number 28 perhaps? Also, anyone watching a replay, there was a contest in our F50 early on, I think before a goal had been kicked. Outer wing, kick into Pedo to attempt a mark. Was it a one or two handed push in the back to take him out of the contest? Play on!

Yes had that in the back of my mind and decided to hell with it, trade the future for a flag. Having said that I still hold hope for Stretch and McKenna, as well as T. Smith and Keilty as talls. Don't forget J. Smith and Maynard as well. I think with those changes we have a cracking side, good depth and the needs are reduced to the lower end of things for quite a while. Garlett is the one for mine as Dion is the only prospect in that role and he doesn't appear all that close at this stage. Look at it the other way, what's the chances of us keeping all of my potential trades anyway? Realistically if they don't come on we're stuck with them, and if they do come on they'll be annoyed at a lack of game time most likely and leave anyway. It's a roll the dice call, if it's possible.

I was thinking this as well. We desperately need some leadership up forward and this guy has it. Helps out with contested marks as well. Is he coming up for free agency end of next year? Shake the tree, see if he's interested in a move back to Vic. I'd include Weids as part of the trade. Not because he's no good, but I think we need him to be further advanced than he currently is. Bringing in Lever at one end and Lynch at the other would make us serious contenders. Would certainly love Kelly kicking it up there, but is that a bridge too far???? (Yes, I know) Depends what you're willing to give up though. For those three players it would mean big draft picks and players, not to mention cap space. I'd throw Weids, Tyson, Frost, ANB, Kent, JKH, Harmes, VDB, Bugg, Wagner all up for trade if it meant we'd pick up those 3 players (apart from Weids all of those players have been regular 22 at some stage). Vince on a 1 year reduced terms depth contract to play at Casey. Trengrove, Kennedy, Hulett delist. Spencer goes as a free agent. J. Smith and Maynard upgraded from the rookie list meaning we only need to take 1 pick to the wishing well. All draft picks go on the table, 1st this and next year, 2nd, 3rd, whatever we pick up in trades, to be used for those 3 players somehow. Finalise the list with cheap free agents for depth and structure on 1 year contracts until the list is in such a state that we can afford to be bringing in more youth. Right now that's the last thing we need. Yep, it's dreaming and more than just a little bit of rubbish. The stretch (apart from a trade miracle) is obviously the salary cap. Perhaps we need to trade for the Hawks accountant as well? Jetta OMac Hibberd Hunt TMac Lever Jones Lewis Kelly Petracca Hogan Watts Melksham Lynch Garlett Gawn Viney Oliver Salem Brayshaw Hannan Pedersen What more could you want??? Lol, nice to dream.

Did you see the Bulldogs Mad Monday? They all came dressed as Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan. Not sure what that's all about.

Word on the street is they have some hilarious costumes planned. Apparently they'll be dressed up as AFL footballers.

Of course there isn't, it's not a fact. I wrote in the match selection thread that we'd be pack raped by maggots as soon as I saw Pannell's name in the ump list. He made the big error last week and his penance was? More of the same please. I also went on to say that the AFL believe that 90% of AFL fans are dumb as dog's you know what, and this is the line that keeps coming up. It's total rubbish, almost as factual as a ruck rule stating no straight arm fend offs. After our reaming against Carlton in R22 last year, where the same line was pumped out about 2nd to the contest blah, blah, blah to explain why we were only worth 5 free kicks for the entire game (yep, 5), I did my own analysis. Of all the 'basic' stats the AFL provides, the one with the most correlation to victories is guess what? Free [censored] kicks! Not possessions, not even contested possessions. Not tackles, not clearances. Free [censored] kicks! Last year the AFL wanted a dogs premiership. They got a favourable draw, they had the umps in the back pocket (pats on bum included) and they duly saluted. Next challenge, orchestrate the make up of the final 8. Surely not, too difficult. Nup, 4 out of the 5 states represented, even came down to the last quarter of the last game of the year. Couldn't have planned it better if they'd tried. Or did they? It's pretty obvious from here. Who do they want to win? GWS. They'll win, and I'll go out on a limb and say GWS/Essendon grand final. Now wouldn't that be great for the game. As others have said, it has very little to do with the frees that are paid, it's all about the ones that are missed. Early first quarter yesterday, inside 50 to Pedo for a grab. 2 hands firmly in the back, big push out. Play on. You can tell when the maggots are cheating, there'll be an obvious free kick and they yell out 'play on'. Why are they saying that if there's nothing wrong? Play on from nothing doesn't need to be called. That leads me to my next point. Does anyone know how to get data on frees for inside 50? We just don't get them. The non-free to Tom Mac on 3 quarter time is just another example of an obvious error, but won't be discussed as it wasn't paid as a free. It essentially never happened. We get crucified inside 50 week in week out and I'd guarantee we receive the least i50 frees across the league. Left nut on the line! Have a look at the replay and tell me which umpire was camped out in our forward 50 most of the game. I'll give you a guess. Call me crazy, I don't care. If you're a conformer I don't mind (not referring to you Deev), all I can hope for is to slowly raise awareness of these things. They're happening, it's real. The climate is changing!

I like frosty but for mine he was recruited as a fwd and if that worked out we'd have something great going on. It didn't work out and we were lucky enough that he could hold down a defensive post. I don't think he's in our defence equation so I think he'll go one way or another. Unfortunately.

I hope you're right wrecker, but I have a bad feeling about this one. I think we'll need to be 10 goals better than the pies to scrape a win.

So say we were to lose tomoz, the make up of the final 8 would come down to the last match of the season. Wouldn't that be great for the game. Ask yourself, what would Gill do?

True that G, but you just keep an eye on this clown. Remember the umpire balls-up last week with the Eddie decision? Yep that's right, Pannell. His punishment for said [censored]-up? You get the Dees this weekend! In fact, we have two of the umpires from that game, where we witnessed one of the most lop-sided free kick counts of the year. This is gonna be fun. Not!

Oh dear. I'm tipping we'll be far too good for the Pies, however turd #3 will make this game very close.

May I suggest the 'wine' cellar has been loosely named as well.

Yes he's an annoying little [censored] isn't he. Pedo made him earn one late which was good to see, however he got up.

Yes saw that at the time but the camera angle didn't show where the contact was. It led to a goal and they kept cutting the incident out of the replays. Just another example of a Dees player being clocked in the head and play on the call.

I thought the umpires were directed not to pay the rubbish ones anymore.

What's going on with Mathieson and the umpires? More than a quarter of his possessions came from free kicks. Same thing happened last year. I haven't seen a lot of the Lions this year, but does that happen every game?

Yes agreed. History tells us when we criticise umpiring, rather than correct their issues they'll be out to make a statement. Something akin to 'back in your box'. Having said that, we have none of 'the big 3' for this game so I have more confidence of it being a fair encounter. In the corresponding game last year, season on the line, we were paid a total of 5 free kicks in the entire game, while the blues received 20. If that happens again we'll need to be a 10 goal better team to win.

The AFL determined that the Bombers were not drug cheats.

Stuie never existed. #stuiemyths

Fantastic news. I reckon he has as much upside as any of the youngsters. I was getting concerned he was either homesick or being eyed up as trade bait. A really good sign when players want to stay, we haven't been here for a long, long time. Frosty next please.

Possibly. He poked the wrong bear there me thinks.

Yes that was the official line.