Boots and all

Our mindset has become so defensive that attacking smarts have all bit disappeared....

Is this just a coaching decision though? We played one loose in defence and GWS had an extra on the ball.

All spot on for mine, although I think Petty is OK and still learning the craft. Yes he made mistakes today but he also did some great work!! He found himself in situations where he needed to compete at ground level against mobile small forwards without support. I think he will become an excellent lock down defender as he gains strength.

I hope that [censored] hurts. This pattern of not starting will hurt us more as the season continues. Teams will know to come out hard, get a lead and try to hang on until the end of the game. Most teams will be willing to back their backline to hold us late. All season this happened and it all starts with a lack of intensity in the midfield. T Mc is a mobile CHF, let him play as one, but FFS we can't rely on Fritta to be our primary target in the forward line. Brown needs to come into the side and if not play one of Gawn or Jackson out of the square. Backline was good again today, all our issues are forward of centre.

That to DD.

Hunt got that handball away.

....in the sense that it goes straight past them, over their head, to the opposition. It wasn't happening as much earlier in the year.

I'm noticing our small forwards are getting in too close to the marking contest.

That to DD.

I think I agree, he's been flat for a few weeks but saved by a few great moments of class. He needs to regain some form.

Sick of our boys spoiling each other in marking contests.

Gotta say GWS pressure has been spot on since 1/4 time.

Yep. When you're a defensive side that tends not to have high scores, you need to be switched on from the first bounce.

When will the umps start paying contact to the head in marking contests.

I hope we haven't switched on too late.

Eddie Maguire is loving the Dees today!!!

Nup, our best mid-sized forward by a mile.

FRITTA!!!!!!

Better start, more pressure. Please start kicking straight lads.

I thought he had been better than quite a few Nev.

Mids need to lay a few tickles. Up the pressure boys.

Cats are my concern. Their game style is a slow one, probably to account for their old list. As a strong marking side with a strong onballers they slow the game down by kicking from contest to contest and use big-bodied players in the clinches if it drops to ground. A contested side which will stand up in finals. The key to beating them is actually turning speeding the pace of the game up so strong running players like Hunt, Langdon, Kossie etc, must take the game on by running to space and attempting to break lines.

...and as much as I hate to say it, the bummers are on the improve, they aren't that bad and more than capable of knocking off the top sides on their night.

At least we started spotting up a few targets in the second half. Also, our game is built entirely around defence, I can't see us winning a game by more than 6 goals. A two game lead on top, so who gives a [censored] how we win.

Seriously, the Bombers supporters are shocking.