Axis of Bob

I am so looking forward to watching this place burn to the ground when the final team is Spargo in for Rivers. The team is too slow up forward with McDonald plus Vandenberg and another tall. If we're going for the second tall it'll probably be at the expense of Vandenberg. Spargo is a much more likely in, since he's someone who makes good decisions going inside 50, which is a skill we've really lacked. With Hibberd coming back in and playing well, plus Lockhart, it's likely the choice will be between Lockhart and Rivers. Rivers has been promising so far but he's been beaten in some big contests over the past few weeks which have been costly in a team that has been otherwise very good defensively. Goodwin has flagged the style he wants to play through the media and press conferences. We want to attack quickly with a tall to bring it to ground and then a fleet of smalls and mediums to take advantage of the space created behind the contest at half forward. Kossie was very important to those contests last week and Spargo is a similar, if much less dynamic, player. But I'm going to log in later tonight for the melts.

You may not change that one person's view but as kids grow up seeing their heroes calling out this behaviour then it changes their feeling towards racism. The process is slow but look at the difference in attitudes compared with 30 years ago and the difference is stark. It's a lot like losing weight .... You don't notice the change as it happens because it happens slowly, far more slowly than you want, and there are hiccups along the way, but you just need to keep moving in the right direction day after day, year after year until you eventually end up in a better place. The post isn't for jayden238, it's for the prevention of future jayden238s.

I certainly would not be having a go .... I'm reluctant at the best of times. This is a time where everyone across the board is just going to have to do what they can. Gil obviously hasn't done it on his own, but nearly everyone involved has an interest in the games going ahead. Clubs, players, staff, broadcasters etc. That's why it takes leadership to step in and do what's right despite the incentives not to. It's a bloody tough spot to be in, I agree. There are no good outcomes to the choices. I just think that is harder to see out into society from inside the AFL bubble than vice versa, and the AFL's decision is a result of that.

I'll watch the game but, to be honest, I don't really care about it at all. I just figure we shouldn't be playing the games this all this week and the empty grounds will just remind me if that constantly. I'm very disappointed in the league officials for their lack of leadership. The whole country, indeed the world, is correctly imploring for social distancing whilst the AFL tries to wring a few dollars out of a ruined early season. The AFL has tried to craft an image where it takes the lead on social issues, but it'll be a lot harder to get credit for taking the high ground now and into the future.

I went for the toughest positions to pick first, so rucks, key backs and forwards where the bang for buck is best. Also, this exercise teaches you a few things .... especially that St Kilda has a terrible list. B: Harbrow. Rance. Laird. HB: Sicily. Andrews. Hurley. C:. Bontempelli. Fyfe. Yeo. HF: Billings. Franklin. Gray. F: De Goey. Brown. Greene. R: Gawn. Dangerfield. Cripps.

I think ANB will be there in round 1. The role of small forward needs different types of players, and he has that bulk gut running ability to make like unpleasant for the opposition. Yes, he stuffs up some opportunities, but his defensive work is really good and he makes us a better team. He’s a serviceable player in a good team, but an ordinary player in a bad team. I suppose it depends on your perspective. If you mainly look at mistakes then you’ll hate him, but if you look at what he can bring to the team then you can see the value.

I’ve used the Precision Footy at my footy club and it’s a really good training aid .... and I’m well into my 30s! It’s deliberate practice, especially at times where you are just doing a simple kicking drill (or warming up) and you can just focus on technique. Then, after repitition, this will feel more natural and will naturally transfer into time where you are not focusing on technique. I think the golf analogy is a really good one. Look at the best golfers do their warm ups. They have any number of training aids, from mirrors that they putt on, to poles to align their stance. Would you go up to Jon Rahm and tell him that it’s ridiculous to warm up with an alignment stick, since any decent golfer would already know where he’s hitting it?

I agree that Dusty is the key to it all for Richmond and that, without him, they probably don’t win 2 flags. But my rationale is different. Richmond have a very defensive game style that revolves around always having numbers behind the ball. They then pick players that can run and tackle, plus bob up for the occasional goal .... but they only need a very modest offensive contribution from them because they are usually outnumbered in attack. This game plan means that it’s difficult to score. But they were top 4 in scores against, even without their best defender in Rance. They’ve been top 4 defensively since 2016 (when they only won 8 games). What Dusty does is allow them to score with a defensive game plan. He can beat multiple opponents and turn half chances into goals. He can burst out of congestion and create a goal. And when you are so miserly in defence, with players always set up behind the ball, each goal is more valuable. To illustrate the point, I’ve listed Dusty’s goals each season for the past 5 seasons, along with Richmond’s wins below. 2019- 32 goal, 17 wins 2018- 31 goals, 19 wins 2017- 37 goals, 18 wins 2016- 9 goals, 8 wins 2015- 24 goals, 15 wins Riewoldt also allows them to score, because he can beat multiple opponents and, sometimes, Lynch can. But, whilst the defenders are admirable and do an excellent job, without Dusty and Riewoldt Richmond wouldn’t be in the premiership class.

I decided that I was old once I realised that, even if I sudddenly became Haydn Bunton, I still wasn’t going to get drafted.

This draft period has been great, with pick trading, intrigue, bidding, and being linked with unconventional players whose selection will annoy large parts of the Demonland population. But there's only one thing that I'm disappointed about, and that's Gold Coast getting pick 2 instead of us ..... .... because this place would have been like the apocalypse if we had have selected Jackson and passed on Anderson!

The tatts numbers were 3, 10, 28 and 97. I went to claim my prize, but the newsagent said that the numbers changed after trades and academy bidding. I'm not very good at future predictions ... and it turns out I'm just as bad at making predictions about what is going to happen in the past.

Because, Hogan aside (with his unique situation), the last time we had someone leave Melbourne to go 'home' to WA was Jeff Farmer and Troy Longmuir ... nearly 20 years ago (2000 and 1999). The last player to go 'home' anywhere was Scott Thompson in 2004. As a risk it's way over-played, particularly for players leaving Melbourne.

Or, Occam's razor says that it is probably because they don't rate him as the best player at pick 5. Likely not even the best player of his type.

That’s a really interesting video, comparing with Jackson. It shows that they are actually quite different players, especially at that age. Grundy is mobile, but he’s mobile for a ruckman, whilst he mainly relies on his really big body and beating up on midgets. Jackson’s movement for a 200cm guy is just off the charts, even by comparison with one of the AFL’s most mobile rucks.

I am wrong. I read the AFL headline advertising the coverage from 2pm. Apparently that's 2pm tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to cope .... I'd been building to my emotional peak for this evening. I'm going to need a cold bath and some valium.

Maybe I'm wrong! Oh god, this would be embarrassing!

Baghdad Bob, the Iraqi Minister for (Mid)Information .... the draft is actually tonight!

I thought the argument against him was that we don’t need a ruckman, but we do need a half back flanker?

Whilst I support Redleg, I have a gnawing feeling that Pickett could be another Eddie Betts whilst Kemp becomes an Anthony Morabito/Blake Acres type. ?

Given that our next pick is at 28, it doesn't make any difference who they want to take.

Not exactly. Cyril was a top prospect all year and slid come draft time but Daniel’s name only came to attention very late (like Pickett). Two different draft stories.

3. Jackson 10. Pickett 28. Cahill

The potential selection of Pickett is intriguing to me. I think it represents a change in the philosophy of drafting. Certainly with regard to paying for player to play a role. It used to be that you paid a high price for midfielders and key forwards, and picked up the rest at the back end. But with the difficulty scoring in a congested forward line, the ability to lock the ball in and snag the occasional goal out of nothing has become much more valuable. This represents a shift towards paying for role players, rather than having a team of interchangeable midfield runners. I watched the WA v SA game and, whilst not dominant, he does play the opportunistic pressure forward very well. He gets to great spots at ground level and is excellent in tight spaces. Should we draft him at 10? I have no idea, but he’d be great fun to watch.

He’s kicked 9.4