KingDingAling

Laurie wasn’t even nearly ready for VFL last year. This year is just a development year for him. To get the best out of himself he needs to be in physically able to cope with the loads placed on his body. He is explosive and nimble, it’s why we drafted him. Last year he looked soft in the body. This year he looks better, but still some way off. I suspect next year we will see the finished product. Injuries in his first year prevented us from seeing that this year. Once ready we will see all the attributes on display. He will be a great addition to our main side when ready. I also think Bedford looks ready. He has worked very hard, and shown himself capable of massive improvement. Definitely up and about this year. I think he’ll get a game soon. Not sure his ceiling is that of a Laurie, but not much players would have that scope for improvement (that Laurie has). Bedford can improve to be an AFL level player, no doubt. He will just need to find a role.

A lot of vital ones came late. I suspect the umpires gambled on the game. They didn’t really need to do the late ones, but looked like they were making sure. GWS players pretty much just give up after some bad calls. But giving up doesn’t solve anything.

Yep. Umpiring was disgraceful and quite obviously bias to Fremantle. But GWS just dropped their head after the bad calls. And good clubs don’t do that. We get worse calls than anyone by the umpiring, we are consistently on the receiving end of terrible umpiring, yet we always wrestle back the momentum, as good teams do. GWS aren’t a good team. They look to me like a team with ridiculous talent, but no one has taught them to play to a structure. Their midfielders are out chasing kicks, and bombing it in the forward line without a care. I suspect Clarkson will take a good look at GWS and probably put his hand up for the job. The list is there.

Under 11 level style of footy from both sides today. This hack it on your boot style of football is evident this year in all levels (men and women). Pretty poor coaching really. People are quick to pot Tayla Harris, but I can’t imagine Id have great body language if the ball kept coming in high and I had 3 defenders on me. Nevertheless, my observations on the game is that McNamara was/is in a league of her own in contested footy, stood out evidently, just looked far superior when she went near the footy - just wasn’t near it enough. Daisy plays clean and neat, but doesn’t get utilized as a second or third chain because of our sloppy game style of pressure and effort, which is what I used to tell the kids in under 11. Hopefully we evolve from this, perhaps getting some help from our senior side. Pretty surprised to see such a poor level. And lastly, Bannon. Now, I don’t watch much of this AFLW, and after today I see why, it hasn’t improved much, sadly the girls are let down by poor coaching, but this Bannon, looked really sharp. She’s good with her hands, has great football instincts, and looks to have a lot of ability. Probably one of the more capable players I’ve seen. Could even bring me back to watch another game.

Yeah I thought we were poor leading into tonight, but it was a slow grind tonight, and I think we’re probably on the up now. The majority of last year our forward entries weren’t great, but we were winning. It was only in the last few games of the season we got it right and didn’t look back. I think we’ll get it right earlier this year. We are coming good now.

I must be a pessimist because I’ve actually backed Port to win at the $3.50 mark. I don’t think we are playing good footy. I think Essendon are a legit VFL level side, and we struggled with them for much of last week. I also think we carried many passengers from the week before into that game. Also, it’s in Adelaide. The umpiring will be next level. How much longer can we keep wrestling against momentum in matches where umpiring dictates the flow of the game. At some point a team gets tired. We are constantly umpired out of games we somehow wrestle back momentum and win. Due for a loss.

Lever and Petty compliment May to perfection. He struggles with tall athletic type forwards, and Lever and Petty cater for that. Petty can take them on his own, but having Lever come third man up makes it tough for forwards. Having those two back in will ease the burden for May a lot. We will be a far better side for their inclusions. We’ve had to contend with Norton and Wright having their way with us so far this year. We shouldn’t have to deal with that happening again.

They are screwed.

I’d drop Spargo and give Chandler a chance. Lever comes in for Smith, who hasn’t done too much wrong, just needs to work on his marking, and can do that in the VFL until a spot becomes available. TMAC goes out for Brown, no brainer, Stewart absolutely toweled him last night. It was a bad game for us. Multiple changes need to be made when we struggled with an undermanned Essendon outfit, who really are no better than a good VFL side at present.

That’s why I’m hoping the bulldogs lose tonight. I don’t want to meet them in the finals because they play with 19 out there. Momentum is everything in finals and we can’t afford to have it constantly taken away due to bias umpiring towards our opposition. I’ve never seen anything like the consistently favorable calls the bulldogs get week in week out.

If Oliver plays all games I think he wins the next few brownlows. Never seen anything like him. Best midfielder I’ve ever watched.

Woey looks good. Milford hasn’t done much.

How hard is it to get a decent umpire these days this is terrible

He will sign. West Coast are rebuilding and would hardly tempt him. Freo I’m not sure they are kind of irrelevant.

IN: Dunstan, Hibberd, Chandler OUT: Sparrow, Hunt, Spargo

Good to get the win. GC are a good side. Miller and Rowell kept grinding they are both hard at it, and Anderson kept kicking crucial goals. Really happy with the win. A few liabilities tonight though. Sparrow, Spargo, Hunt, and probably Rivers all performed poorly. Sparrow I thought was terrible.

Sparrow, Spargo, and Hunt will be lucky to get a game next week. So frustrated by Sparrow, just really slow of mind today. Rivers also doesn’t look ready.

Good to claw back the margin. This GC side are front runners. We are losing the hit outs, clearances and free kick count. So a bit I improve on

Its great. Still our biggest danger I think.

Knee was heavily strapped. Why even risk him. Didn’t work.

What a joke the umpires are. Bulldogs should be a grand total of 2 points. Absolute farce. Disgraceful.

Oliver is the best in the league by a fair space.

Nothing wrong with trying to motivate the troops. It’s his job. List would be psychologically very flat. Even now. Grand finals are hard to even get to. Every player on that list would be flat, as would we be had we lost. Bevo is just doing his best. I respect it. Strategically though, we are well placed against the bullies, and actually against most sides. It’s what got us to the finals playing below our level most of last year.

Really solid hit-out. We sat 4 wide the trip off of a moderate tempo, and we given no favors in the run, only to go down a short half head. Fair effort. Not much else to report. If Carlton were impressive off of that match - good luck to them. On our list, good solid hit-out. We didn’t get injured, didn’t disgrace ourselves, and will take learnings from this. Practice matches are just like sparring, nothing more nothing less. Sparring is practice not the real thing.

This is a Melbourne vs umpires game on steroids. And that is fine. Everyone can see it. We won a flag last year against not just the best teams, but no rub of the green. No umpire or team, or individual can take that from us. Out game plan is designed to just keep playing to win.