Wiseblood

I don't know how I can take anything positive from that. Gawn was immense, I thought Harmes gave us something, Viney had a dip in the last... but what else? Now that we're supposed to be a 'finals side', you can't take little wins here and there anymore. They just don't cut it. The problems we had today are the problems many have been talking about for a few weeks now. Lack of leg speed, horrible execution going forward, a back line that is easy to score against. All three were brought to the forefront today and, against a side that has 2 wins for the year, we looked second rate. That's pretty unforgivable stuff. The play that set up the Battle goal in the last is proof of this. There was a contest at half forward, they won it, spread quickly and had an easy kick inside forward 50. They did it to us off the half back line all day long. We didn't have an answer for it and every time they went forward they looked like scoring. I don't think that's the fault of the defence, but clearly after having Lever go down we haven't found the right mix there yet. Also, we've had this problem for years now. Our game plan looks okay until we hid the mid-season bye, and then it all begins to fall apart. Sides know where they can beat us, and how they can beat us, and they exploit it all day long. We didn't have an answer last year and, at the moment, we don't have an answer right now. It's just not good enough. I don't want to sink the boots into the players individually. I want to badly, but I can't. I think most would agree there are some out there who are not up to it or are on their last legs who have had enough chances. We can't continue to carry these players anymore. I also won't lose the plot completely and say finals are gone. That's just madness. Alright, our form isn't good, but we've shown we can turn it around after a couple of shockers earlier in the year. Until we mathematically can't play finals I'll believe we can still make it. There is plenty of footy still to be played. I don't know what else to add. It's going to be a long week, but I think what comes the clubs way during it is more than deserved.

How was that not in the back to Joel Smith? Bloody umpires.

James Harmes' goal there. 3 repeat efforts, fantastic. Hopefully that sets a trend.

Oy Vey.

Time to pray for miracle, ladies and gents. We're going to need it. Pray to God, Buddha, Allah.... whoever you please. Divine intervention is required.

Love the positivity in backing up a young kid. Well done.

That mis kick he has early in the second term seemed to shatter his confidence. As you say, hopefully the boys get around him and he can improve in the second half. I guess it can't go much worse than the first.

We get it. You've got a problem with Hogan. Congratulations.

We are having the same issues as last season. First half of the year we looked the goods, game plan clicked and we were winning games of footy. Then teams worked us out and we had no answer for it. This is happening again. The game plan changed slightly, we won games of footy and now teams are starting to work us out again and we don't know what to do. Big half of footy coming up. Our forward structure, right now, is deplorable. We don't give each other enough space, we all seem to congregate about 25 metres out from goal and hope someone marks it. It works every now and then but our defensive pressure is non existent at the moment. Not sure a Spargo or Garlett changes that, but it's glaringly obvious that as the soon as the ball hits the deck we're in trouble.

Got one half of footy to right the ship. We have the cattle, but do we have the ability to put it all together? Umps have been an absolute disgrace. 3 goals from dodgy 50 metre penalties has killed us.

If we are being reasonable, we have only put in 3 bad performances this year, against Richmond, Hawthorn and the Pies. Outside of that we have been pretty consistent with our efforts and the style of footy we play. I see no reason at all for it not to continue. The Saints aren't much chop and, while I can see the having a dip, our pressure and effort around the ball will prove too much in the end. Dees by 6 goals.

He clearly didn't watch the game. He saw the Crows won and just made an assumption which, just recently, he criticised others for doing.

He had 9 touches in the last term. He was one of their only players not to go missing. At least try and do a bit of research before you're wrong. Again.

I think we have experience in the right area of the ground, though, and that's through the midfield. We have some younger guys for sure, but Weideman is a forward and Petty will play a second/third tall type role without having a huge amount of responsibility. I'd back him to run with McCartin without too many problems.

So why do you only focus on the negative history? We've had both types of history in the last 50 years, yet you seem to cuddle up to the negative side at night. It's the only reason I could explain why you're waffling on about the 2012 draft, which was 6 years ago.

It has nothing to do with 'Red and Blue Sunnies'. You're harping on about a draft from 2012 and how we missed on Wines. Why? What does that have to do with 2018? The answer is nothing. Why don't you harp on about us taking Morton when Dangerfield was still there. Why aren't you harping on about us being smart enough a few years ago to see the talent that Clayton Oliver has and drafting him ahead of Parish? It's just meaningless drivel from you. You're stretching something to suit your views that can't be stretched that far. I've got him on ignore as well but, thankfully, no quirk in the system to waste my time. Hope yours is sorted soon.

So what? It's meaningless. It's such a meaningless thing that I have no idea why it matters so much to you. Every club has made mistakes, both small and large, over time. You are so caught up on nothing stuff that it's unfathomable.

Another swing and a miss from Norf. I wonder who they'll end up getting? Maybe they can offer Dean Kent a million a year for 5 years?

Clearly because we had Viney going to us in the second round and we felt, at the time, we needed a different type of player to complement that. History shows it was the wrong decision, but the Dogs overlooked him too. Clubs can make wrong decisions. We've made heaps of right ones recently, but I'm sure we'll get one wrong down the road. That's life.

Nothing. Just making the point that he put himself in goal scoring opportunities 5 times, which outside of Tom McDonald was better than anyone else. Deserves another crack.

He might not have gotten much of it, but he still kicked 2 and hit the scoreboard 5 times. Did better than most in that regard.

I only mentioned him as he's been in very good form for Casey and he gives us something relatively similar to what Bernie does. I still think they would go with Pedersen so we have our usual rotation of three forwards (Hogan, Weideman, Pedersen with Gawn resting forward) but you never know.

Never in doubt!

Always excited to see a player make their debut. In recent seasons they've been able to be brought in to the side when they're ready, and even though Lever being injured may have fast tracked it a little, from all reports his form at Casey has been good and he deserves his chance. I'm with dazzle - I think Vince may also miss out as I can't see us asking T Mac to ruck with his slight injury, and I would have thought we will never go back to someone like Harmes doing it, so Weideman or Pedersen will also get a call up as well. Final side may be: In: Weideman, Petty Out: T. Smith, Vince. Pedersen or Stretch, depending on what they want, would be waiting in the wings for a late out if T Mac doesn't get up.

Cheers Kev. The Tommy Mac stuff is interesting - as well know he is an elite runner, and seeing him run out of puff after doing some 400 metres suggests he is certainly hampered by the injury and, if that continues, they may make the decision to rest him for a week after all.