TeamPlayedFine39

Whilst no Richmond fan, they beat Geelong by 51 points, GWS by 36 points and Adelaide by 48 points - all on the back of a win 15 win/3rd place season... doesn’t really seem like blind luck.

We would have had just pick 2, so still would have taken Trengove.

Looks like they’re training now.

I think the comments on his effort, intensity and appetite and impact on the contest are off the money. In 2017, Oscar had more tackles than Hibberd and more 1%s than Hibberd and Jetta combined. His efforts to contest is what’s getting him selected week in, week out. But, each to their own. The coaches clearly love him and I love him too!

Big no from me I think. - I like the boundary throw-in; I enjoy the combative one-on-one nature of a ruck contest and the 50/50 nature of the set up. - Players will very much be in two minds about whether to go for the ball when it's near the boundary. If they do, even without prior opportunity, then are tackled over the line by their opponents, is it then a free kick to the opposition?? - Players shouldn't be rewarded for slapping the ball onto an opponent so it touches them before it crosses the line, ala basketball and netball. - When it was trialled in the preseason comp a few years back, players didn't know if they should stop the ball as it goes over the line. There was a farcical incident where a player shepherded the ball as it slowly rolled over the line so he'd get a free and not have to contest. - And, above all this, I need a break. It's a tense, action back game. I need a moment every now and then to pull myself together, check the scoreboard, check a players' numbers, pour myself a drink, etc.

I think it meant that the "better player" would not necessarily be picked in the best 22, but rather the better role-player. If player 'A' is individually better than player 'B', but 'B' plays his role better, then he'll bet the one selected.

Agreed. The dynamic of those two together doesn’t really work (not to mention the fact that Mark Allen has always rubbed me the wrong way). Schwartz is at his best when he’s paired with the ‘straight-man’ like Francis Leach or Huddo. That dynamic really worked IMHO, as their respective personalities and skill-sets covered most bases.

Two times by the looks of things - Round 14 and 15 1994. Tragic.

Lyon. Schwartz. Lovell. Pike. Jakovich. Charles. Pretty decent forwardline in ‘94.

Good call - Pretty bizarre that it turned political in the first place though... On Balic, his issues were clearly deeper and more serious than ‘home-sickness’, and I think that is alluded to in the article. Hopefully his support network can help him through it.

Soooooo... do we still not know what the injury was..?

I don’t know if this necessarily drives sponsors away, but it certainly drives our asking prices down.

With all the turmoil in his private life, it was probably best for the club and David that it was Neita and not him who was made captain in 2000.

Had to win to play finals. Playing our bogey team who had beaten us at the G earlier in the year. Unbelievable effort.

He seems to have the perfect attitude for modern football; both onfield as a role-player at half-forward and on the training pack where he seems determined to get the best out of himself. He has a knack of being in the right place at the right time and he always looks for a teammate in a better and creative position. Can the creativity and vision that he displays here translate to a midfield role..? I'm not sure. He strikes me as someone who can be a very good contributor to a good team, without being one to tear games apart. There's a lot of work to go before he gets to that, but his improvement over the last two years has been very, very encouraging.

Why not blue and yellow? Genuine question. Why is it always Fremantle that the tin-foilers always cite as stealing Hogan away from us and not WCE..?

I think it was an ankle injury that kept the Weid out of most of his U18 year... wonedr if the issue is related to that?

But something that help the 'between the ears' part is experience. We needed cooler heads against Fremantle an Hawthorn.

Agree and disagree... simply writing games and age for the whole squad doesn't tell you a whole lot. A break-down of the age and experience of their best 22 tells you a lot more.

Hawthorn has lost Hodge, Lewis, Mitchell, Lake, Gibson and Hale from their last premiership team, but they still have the second oldest and the most experienced team in the league... they're still very top heavy.

I'm excited that we can draft players and talk about about not seeing them play in round one next year! We can finally develop young draftees through the VFL with, perhaps the occasional taste of senior footy, to help in their education. In the past, Petty, Spargo and Baker would be penciled into the round one team with people placing absurd expectations on them. Let them build up their bodies and knowledge and then earn their place in the team further down the track.

Hogan shifted back a few times last year to play that role at the end of quarters.

Vince used to be deadly anywhere from 60m out, but that role seems to be played by Melkshake nowadays, who offers similar physicality but has far greater mobility than Bernie. Vince has been a great servant the last few years, but he has lost the hurt-factor in his game.

Was very interested to see Luke Hodge mic'ed up last year during a match. He spent the entire game barking orders and instructions to all of the players around him. He was constantly organising and positioning his teammates and placing himself between the ball and the next kick. The experience and concentration it would take to do this, in addition to playing you own game, is immense and I would suggest that's what's being asked of Lewis.