titan_uranus

I was going by Goodwin in the presser, who said “We won’t know until tomorrow…he’s still got a few things to get through today and tomorrow but we’re hopeful”.

Yeah I reckon they’ve been pretty liberal with what Goody said today. Don’t think he can be confirmed in until tomorrow.

Sparrow was also at 89%, despite averaging 79% for the season.

You recall correctly. Melbourne brings home game back to MCG "However, it was important the timing coincided with the opportunity to return the game to our traditional home, the MCG, rather than other alternatives" We've been given a Marvel home game because Carlton and Essendon want to host more games at the MCG. The gap has to be made up by the MCG home ground clubs - Collingwood, Hawthorn and Richmond all already have a home game (or two) at Marvel, so the burden falls to us. If our attendances drop off, this will become permanent, if not increasing to two games a season.

Has this been reported anywhere by the club/media? I hadn't heard this. Or do you have inside knowledge? Not sure where May is a confirmed in? Goodwin in his presser said he's on track but has to tick a few boxes tomorrow still.

If Jeffo or AJ is the sub, that’s two changes, so you’d be dropping someone else in addition to Turner.

No idea what his fine was for. Windsor was also reported for his late bump on Serong. I like his intent and aggression but like Pickett, he needs to learn how to rein it in.

Ah yes, the old "they've gone past us" Saints at it again. (Which made no sense to say, given they finished above us on the ladder last year, but is just a timely reminder that it's very easy to get sucked into early-season form - and that's also a reminder to people on here who have already started talking about us winning the next two or whatever).

No idea. He shouldn't have been playing last night - it's a complete disgrace that he was.

Do you really think that the WA clubs are going to just offer him a 2-3 year deal? He's going to be offered the world. This is just how it is for elite players now.

Goodwin in the presser mentioned that we needed to bring the ball to ground more, and compete at ground level more, in our forward line. There's no doubt JVR and Fritsch have been dropped to work on those two things (JVR the former, Fritsch the latter). I'd like to think that we won't see them back at AFL level until they demonstrate improvement in those areas. I don't think that's impacted our transition game much at all. The stats had us moving the ball quickly, and getting from D50 to forward 50, better than most prior to yesterday's game. The biggest change yesterday IMO was forward half pressure and our stoppage work. I don't think May or Lever in the side impact either of those things at all, but would have provided us with a stronger back half.

I didn't walk away from that thinking Fremantle were awful. I think they played OK enough, but that for once we were on the right side of the pressure and tactical side of things.

I felt like Oliver played a more team-oriented role at stoppage. Just felt like his positioning was set up to maximise the team’s chance and not his own. His pressure stats were up too. But his disposal wasn’t amazing and needs to improve. I also thought Fullarton was ordinary, but he deserves a run at it.

Jeepers, I thought I heard the TV commentators say that this was some sort of record. I must have misheard. Thanks @WheeloRatings

I said a few times yesterday that after putting pressure on the agenda mid-week, our test was delivering on it, first early and then for all four quarters. Now the test is doing it weekly. Not once a month. We’re not the only side who has seemed to need a reason/focus point to fire up - look at Port vs Hawthorn as compared to the rest of their season. But that’s no excuse - Collingwood, Geelong etc bring the required standard almost every week, if they can then we can.

Yep - a patchwork backline (we trained all summer with May, Lever, Petty and McVee, none of whom were available), knowing we had been outscored something like 25 goals to 6 in fourth quarters this year, and against a top 4 contending side with a dynamic forward line and strong midfield. We did incredibly well to hold up IMO, and it came from the thing we could control the most, our effort/pressure.

@WheeloRatings is 134 for CPs a club/AFL record?

I really don't like where some of the Kelli Underwood criticism goes, but I agree with this. Others do it too (e.g. BT) but it's infuriating when commentators don't know the names of players or get them wrong repeatedly.

This might all still be true, but he was asked to play a difficult role today and did it pretty well, don't you think?

May hopefully for Turner. We're in trouble if May's not fit. We can't swing Petty back after today so I don't know whether we go to Adams or we try to get away with Howes playing tall given Richmond's forward line. McVee IMO is straight back. Sharp should make way, although not sure what we do with the sub. Salem, however, on thin ice. Fritsch and JVR stay at Casey IMO. Neither played all that well today. What sort of signal does that send if we dropped Fullarton after one game, a win, to rush one of them back without any VFL form? I wasn't in favour of Fritsch being dropped this week but now that it's happened, we have to follow through.

6 - Pickett 5 - Bowey 4 - Gawn 3 - Petty 2 - Viney 1 - TMac

One of the more remarkable wins I've seen, given the month that preceded it. When Turner went off at half time the script was written - gallant first half but our second half worries and personnel difficulties were going to kill it for us. But if we'd kicked straight early in the fourth I reckon the heat would have gone out of it and we wouldn't have had to hold off their final comeback. Which, at any rate, I thought we did superbly well. Blending our desire to move quickly with smarter short kicks and better forward structure with leads up at the ball carrier worked a treat, but that was all secondary to our pressure and intensity which we kept up for the entire match. We made it our focus and unlike the last month, we actually executed. Can't add any more superlatives to Pickett's game. When he is that focused, he is a top 10 competition player. Petty's a confidence player and that early goal where the ball was delivered to his chest on a simple lead up at FF was the perfect start for him. Gawn and Viney led from the front, whilst Langdon continues to quietly put together a sneaky good year. Rivers found the level he's been missing all year, and as others have said, Tholstrup brings spirit which our last month has been lacking. I still think we have a massive problem with Salem - dinky kicks under no pressure which repeatedly miss targets and expose us on turnover. But that's for another day. A win like this deserves to be savoured. I hope we look back on today as some sort of turning of the page. We need to work out how to extract that pressure and intensity each week, not just when we're at rock bottom. If we can do that, I doubt we'll still be 17th in a month.

What the [censored] is happening

Ripping start. They’ve passed my first test, showing pressure and intensity early, and added scoring to boot. Now the next test - doing it for more than one quarter.

Sound the siren!