Gator

One change. OUT: Cross IN: Kennedy-Harris

People carrying on about Dawes as though he had something to do with the loss. Brayshaw 11 tackles in his first 4 quarters of footy... Tyson 5 tackles in 8. It's still a slow midfield that lacks class, intensity, and spread. We're actually not that far away. Brayshaw will be an absolute gun. We will have good days this year, but more midfield class required.

I'm not sure what to take out of clearance stats. We won contested footy, uncontested footy and tackles.

I was confident we'd beat Gold Coast, but less confident today. That said, I think we should win and I expect to win. Our best football is better than the Giants, but, once again, we need to get on top around the stoppages. Shiel, Ward, Griffen and Treloar are a more talented quartet than Jones, Tyson, Viney and Vince, however, I believe we can neutralise the midfield battle and I believe we have an edge in superiority across the rest of the ground. Jamar needs a big game today and has to break even, or close to with Mumford.

You're being a little bit silly. I'm not "embarrassed" when I don't profess to be an expert on a topic. I'd only be embarrassed if I was a professional who got it completely wrong. Now that would be embarrassing. I don't have any knowledge on this subject, other than some of the views I've read. But I don't automatically dismiss those views. So out of interest, do you dismiss the views of other professionals in this area that seemingly disagree with you ? Are you insinuating they're all involved with Scientology ? Would you risk your professional integrity publicly by doing so ? If so, thanks for the heads up. It's hard to know from afar. So many claims and counter claims. I always feel enlightened by people that know more about a topic than me. That's usually not hard, of course. So, out of interest, what are your credentials exactly ? Keen to know. Btw, you're welcome to ask me about football.

Clearly many professionals within the industry disagree. Are you a professional within the industry ? I have a sneaky feeling that those sprouting the "dodgy" material, as you put it, also agree with vaccination. Next thing you'll be calling them flat earthers. There are enough professionals that don't see depression as a mental "illness" to make me query claims that it is. It's fair to say I have a dose of scepticism, notwithstanding Hemingway's erudite response.

A disease ? This doesn't make sense tom me.

Thanks for that. Is it an illness or a disorder ?

Try this: http://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/psychiatristsphysicians-on-lack-of-any-medicalscientific-tests/ According to experts within the industry depression isn't a disease or illness. Medical "evidence" is merely supported by a checklist of behaviours. There's no diagnosis in psychiatry.

I fall into the camp that suggests depression isn't a mental illness. It's certainly real, but it's not a disease or illness. It's a state of mind and coping mechanism humans have used for time immemorial. But it's not an illness. I'm not an expert, but I've read the views of experts and there's no real diagnosis for depression in psychiatry. The chemical imbalance in the brain theory is very unreliable and no longer considered sound. Should he be sledged over it ? Probably not, as it's pretty childish, but I don't see it as the despicable action some do.

Detail is important. It wasn't the "Fox footy panel" that thought we were top heavy with the selection of Dawes, it was Tony Shaw, one member of the Fox footy panel. Shaw is a dolt. The balance is fine. EDIT: Btw, I realise you were just quoting another poster earlier.

Utterly logical changes as espoused by most. Brayshaw was never going to be dropped. Imagine a first-gamer laying 9 tackles in 3 quarters and Roos dropping him. Roos' led teams have always valued tackles. It would have been a crazy message. Not to mention Brayshaw makes us better. One could argue no-one deserved to be dropped, but that's life. Smart man Paul Roos.

You don't have the benefit of listening to SEN. How his name was pronounced was discussed ad nauseum in the days after he was drafted.

He didn't star, but I thought he was terrific. 15 possessions, 7 marks - 4 contested, splitting packs, goals ... all on their best defender in his first game as a key forward is exceptional. In fact, he took the second most contested marks for the entire round along with Nick Riewoldt (just one behind the leader on 5). It wasn't "just a game".

Clearly I'm an anachronism, as the only entertainment I want is the game and consider everything else unnecessary rubbish. I hate "the voice of the G" and wish there was no noise whatsoever. I accept there would be others who also loathe "the voice", but still love the entertainment. That said, I wouldn't want my isolated views to hinder the enjoyment of others. I love ACDC, so Hells Bells is great, but I didn't hear it due to earplugs/radio.

Pedersen is too one dimensional. He either clunks a good mark, or he's pretty useless. He's an old-fashioned type more suited to 70/80's football. He's no dud, but when the ball hits the ground ground he's of no real value. Frost is fast and aggressive and a better pinch hitter in the ruck. Dawes and Pedersen are competing and Dawes plays the hard leading workhorse role better even though Pedersen is a better mark.

What I mean is that he doesn't need to "manage" him after round 1 of the season. JKH played the first 12 rounds last year and when Salem got his chance he played 10 straight. If Brayshaw doesn't play round 2, and I believe he will, it won 't be because he's being "managed".

I will, but he would have meant throughout the year, not one game.

So Brayshaw needs to be "managed" after just one game ? I've heard it all now.

Some are overthinking things... Toumpas is clearly not a starting back 6 player, as there are others ahead of him. Toumpas is clearly not a starting forward, as there are others ahead of him. Toumpas is clearly down the pecking order in the midfield. Toumpas was named as the sub, which suggests he was the 22 player chosen, or close to it. Toumpas is the first player to make way for others. Dawes plays if the MC thinks we're more likely to win with him in the team. He doesn't if we don't. It's pretty simple really.

It's pretty simple really ... Dawes plays if the match committee thinks we're more likely to win if he's in the team and he doesn't if we don't. Everything else is noise.

His game was the most rounded I've seen from a team and role perspective, ergo, for me it was his "best". And unfortunately, only seeing the game on TV places you at an extreme disadvantage when making qualified judgements. I think it's called "agreeing to disagree".

All part of the ebb and flow. We won by a comfortable margin after 120 minutes of footy.

We weren't lucky to win. We had 46 more disposals, 14 more contested possessions, 33 more uncontested possessions, 18 more marks, 5 more contested marks, 3.5% better disposal efficiency, 9 less clangers, 13 more tackles, and 5 more inside 50's. We beat them in just about every important facet of the game. In fact, we had less clangers than any team so far this round.

This is the sort of stuff you don't notice on TV. Over his entire career Watts has avoided copious amounts of contests he could and should have positively impacted. He's held back when he's needed to contest. Unless you're at the game you don't always pick this up on TV. This explains why some supporters don't always understand the angst towards Watts. Watts' game on Saturday was arguably the best I've seen him play. His work rate, patterns and ability to be a target or impact contests was first rate.