KingDingAling

Oliver is taking the ball at the closet drop. He is a smart thinker and ahead of most of our mids. Kind of leaves Viney in an awkward position. He was never the cleanest ball getter - but he would extract it anyway (he simply had to, and was better than others). Now Oliver is getting that inside ball. Viney could be second cab off the ranks - but others are also in line, plus, Viney is wasteful. Based on this years form I think Jack Viney is going to have to make some adjustments. He is no longer first cab off the ranks to shark the tap, he is also not second cab off the ranks. But I don't write Viney off at all because historically he has shown us that he can rectify and improve upon his weaknesses. Viney used to be bull at a gate, then he learned to harness his energy. Good players adapt. Viney should be able to adapt, but at present I think he is probably trying to work out how he needs to adapt. Many of our players are in this position IMO. We are a wasteful football club, and we need to be more effective.

Bernie Vince finished, LOL. That is classic. Vince won a B&F as a midfielder. He is a good midfielder. He is an effective midfielder. Came into the club and looked a level above most of our midfielders. Now Vince is being played down back. Bernie Vince was never a back man. Why he is even down back is head scratching. So basically, Bernie Vince should retire because the coaches decide to play him in an unsuitable role - or a role he is less effective at (compared to other positions)? Vince should be in the midfield. He buys and sells Viney and Tyson. Absolutely buys and sells them.

A win for the footy purest (who appreciate skills and effectiveness - better side on the day won), a loss for our club.

He is that good. Should be full time on the ball. Hopefully Goodwin learns this after today.

Should've been there earlier.

Put Petracca, Hunt, Salem or even Vince in the midfield. We need effective players in our midfield. Get Tyson and Viney out of there. I don't care if these guys have 100 kicks a game - they go no where.

We are not a bottom 8 club. We are a good side. Currently we have Melksham kicking out, and that says it all.

Badly. It is embarrassing. I taken the $8s about Freo on Crownbet earlier. May as well make some money off of it. Goodwin can't coach at all, he is useless.

Purely outcoached.

I am a Tyson critic, but to be fair - it is only his second game back. The pressure will be on Viney and Tyson to hold their midfield position when Lewis comes back in. At present I think Jones and Oliver are clearly our only effective midfielders. I think Petracca could be effective if played there, and should be played as a mid once Hogan comes back in.

Why chip it back and fourth between key defenders? Here is a better idea, lets put the ball in the hands of Salem, and let Hunt run with the ball. FFS.

ANB burns SO many balls. Just hacks it on the boot.

Our backline is liability. Fremantle should play Fyfe and Mundy one out. We have no match up for them.

Why do we always let teams get a goal in the last minute? Could nearly bet confidently about things like that.

Oliver is more effective than Viney at present. If Oliver is impacting Viney, then Viney needs to adjust. In comparison to most elite mids - Oliver would compare favorably in contested ball. He is a clean player. Viney may need to add strings to his bow. If Oliver is taking some inside ball, then Viney is going to have to get on the end of some of that, and work hard defensively - put on blocks, tackles, etc.

Petracca is unlike any player I have seen. Whether that amounts to becoming a star is another thing. I am surprised with his consistency and resilience as of late though. I didn't expect to see a reliable player so early. At risk of jinxing the kid, he does look to be a great leader. Very impressed by his temperament.

It isn't the end of the world if you don't have a ruck, but it is more advantageous to have an effective ruck man. If you have an effective ruck man you can control the game out of the centre. Even though the opposition are going to be waiting for your mids to get the ball (so they can immediately tackle them), they do not know what midfielder is going to end up with the ball (can't cover them all). If Geelong do wish to continuously implement that strategy I think we will see more midfielders on the move at stoppages (opposition midfielders to Geelong to counter their strategy - which only works if they know what midfielders are going to get the ball, which increasingly works if midfielders are at a stand still). But overall, even around the ground, we are seeing players opt out of getting the ball, and instead opting to tackle. They will wait for another player to get the ball, then tackle them. I noticed it especially this weekend. I think this stems from players being told not to dive on the football, so they are already in the mindset of should I go - or shouldn't I go. Its nearly always easier to tackle these days. The game is a little bit flawed atm with the basic principle of getting the football. It is affecting all areas of the game. Ruck work is just another area that it is flowing off into. Basically, if you cannot dive on the football, how do you get it out? There is a grey area, you can bend down and pick it up, but you will be immediately tackled, its easier to be the tackler. At other times you are allowed to dive. Some players are allowed to dive on the ball (Dangerfield), whilst a large majority aren't.

Taking into consideration Hogan's circumstance (family), it is hard not to cut him some slack. Smoking at a festival is probably not very high on Hogan's 'give a damn' list at the moment - which is understandable. We do have sponsors to consider, and it isn't a great look on the club, but I am pretty sure that most will understand it isn't an ideal situation Hogan finds himself in (with his old man ill). I cut him some slack anyway. He did come back to pre-season in great nick. Recent incidents (on field and now off) aren't ideal though.

Hunt and Stretch are our best so far by an absolute mile.

J.Hunt just has a red hot crack.

I think Hogan was just frustrated. Silly, yes. Lewis/Viney was a match winner IMO. Take the suspension with the 4 points. We got the W. Thank you Lewis.

Salem looks good. Gawn going ok. Not much to write home about. Tyson looks underdone and has been terrible. Melksham just cannot execute - just an ordinary footballer to be honest. Hunt has been ok, he is having a dip. Lewis hasn't been great by foot today, and wasn't great by foot last week either. Brayshaw has made a few simple errors. I think Neville Jetta has been fantastic, cannot teach what Jetta does down back.

If he can hit the scoreboard, then he doesn't do it often enough, because 11 goals from 21 matches is hardly a great result, and that is coming off the back of a 6 goal season the year before. I don't disagree that he isn't a good player, I agree that he is, but he isn't a goal kicking midfielder. At least, he isn't yet.

He kicked 11 goals last year. Year before he kicked 6. Hardly a goal kicking mid.

No. I think the Tiges have a reasonable balance now. In the past they have lacked inside mids. They now have them. Although Prestia and Caddy are hardly setting the league alight, Dustin Martin was still able to predominately play forward and Tiges managed to etch out a win. In the past if Martin wasn't in that midfield, then they probably wouldn't get it forward as much. No doubt Nankervis helps. Early days yet though. But I will no longer pencil Richmond in as a W to us. We have matched up against them well in the past, but credit to Richmond, they have rectified some weaknesses in their side.