titan_uranus

But they kicked 8 goals against Port, and for 2.5 quarters just two goals. They seem to really only be competitive against better sides by playing ultra-defensive/dour football. As to cruising from start to finish, I agree. I feel like the "cruisiest" game we've had all year is probably the Dogs.

To be fair, Hooker is having a reasonable year for an old man and Stringer's still playing his one good game a month. @Nelo www.footywire.com

The argument for the prosecution rests. The defence, though, would argue: He didn't kick the goals. This isn't a development year, so why are we interested in missed opportunities as opposed to actual production? He didn't take the marks. Ditto. The two goals kicked by those to whom he directly handballed are indeed great, but this season that's above his overall average goal assists figure of 0.5, which is half of many good forwards (Walker 1.1, Kennedy 1.0, Hawkins 1.0, TMac 1.0) and still below others (Riewoldt 0.8, Franklin 0.6) (albeit it is above Naughton and Mackay on 0.3 each) The missed goals could, if kicked, make his stat line look better, but the AFL tracks shots on goal to account for this and his season average shots on goal is 2.5, which is nowhere compared to the best forwards (Mackay 5.5, Walker 5.9, Naughton 5.3, Kennedy 4.1, Hawkins 4.8, Riewoldt 4.7, Franklin 4.5, Ben King 4.5) Another statistical measure of involvement as a forward is score involvements - it's not perfect because it requires a disposal, knock-on, hit out to advantage or kick-in (i.e. not a marking contest), but on that metric Weideman averages 4 score involvements per game, which is again below his rivals (Walker 9.3, Hawkins 8.2, Naughton 7.7, TMac 6.6, Riewoldt 6.2, Kennedy 6.2, Mackay 6.3, Ben King 5.5, Franklin 6.0). FWIW I am comfortable if Weideman keeps playing, but I'd be equally comfortable making the switch to Brown.

Why is the SCG a problem for us? Why are we going to struggle defending less space? If the Dogs couldn't switch around our zone at Marvel, how will Collingwood? I don't think Collingwood were competitive against Geelong at all. Geelong had a stack of first choice players missing and put the cue in the rack halfway through the third. Late junk time goals does not equal competitiveness. Against Geelong Collingwood kicked one goal in three quarters. Against Port they kicked the first four goals and then only four more, two of which were in the last 5 minutes of the game. Against Sydney they kicked four of the first five goals but then only one more. The point is that in their three recent games against top 8 sides they haven't really been all that competitive, but they did start well vs Sydney and Port, an achilles heel of ours. I can certainly see us being a few goals down early and the Gameday thread being all kinds of negative, but beating Adelaide doesn't all of a sudden mean Collingwood's fixed their scoring issues.

Old + inexperienced is IMO the worst possible combination for a side that is mid-table. 8 of their 23 on the weekend were aged 27+ (Hooker, Zaharakis, Phillips, Ambrose, Heppell, AMT, Stewart and Stringer). For comparison, 5 of our 22 on the weekend were aged 27+ (Hibberd, Melksham, Gawn, May, TMac).

Was he? He had three score involvements. Our only players to have fewer were our four biggest defenders in May, Lever, Hibberd and Petty. Granted, AFAIK score involvements are only credited to players who have a disposal, hitout to advantage, kick-in or knock-on in a scoring chain, but I don't think it's accurate to say he was "directly involved in a high % of our scores".

They've still got us, Geelong in Geelong, Sydney and the Dogs. However, subject to COVID they also only have one more game outside Victoria (and only one other game, Geelong, away from the MCG/Marvel). They, and GWS, are in my view the only two sides out of the top 8 who can make it.

Meanwhile there is now two games and 4% between Richmond in 8th and the rest of the comp, starting with Essendon in 9th (albeit GWS has a game in hand).

If Fremantle can keep a decent side on the park they can still do some damage to the top 8 (and therefore help us) as they have home games to come vs Geelong, Richmond, Brisbane and West Coast.

Now that's a different topic. Right now I'd like our chances against West Coast, although it's still 9 weeks until we play them, and almost all their injured players will be back by then, on current estimates. Still, their ball movement is the sort that we can defend well, slower and more methodical.

Jake Niall's team is unbelievably bad. We all love Pickett but McDonald-Tipungwuti is the competition's best small forward. Grimes would struggle to crack the best 50 players in the comp on 2021 form. Each of Weitering, Moore and Starcevich have him covered, and Lever clearly deserves the starting 18 spot over him. Franklin's been good but each of Hawkins, Naughton and even Ben King have been better for longer, given Franklin missed four games. And Naitanui's handful of clearances in a game don't make up for the third of the match he spends on the pine doing nothing. Gawn is the league's best ruckman.

Funnily enough not one of those other sides won the flag. But, we also know that strong defence is usually a hallmark of premiership winners. The way to reconcile the two is to note that points against is only one measurement of a good defence. Others, in which I believe we also rate highly, include scores from inside 50s conceded, intercept marks/possessions, and defensive 50 pressure. Here's some context: I think Brisbane have 23 players because they activated their medical sub. Mathieson's played 53 games so comparing the 22 who played almost the entire game, we had 11 under 100 games and they had 10, we had 11 over 100 games and they had 12. Relatively even, although in both instances our groups are less experienced than theirs, particularly the sub-50 game crop.

Carlton's current injury list features: Cuningham, C Curnow, Durdin, Gibbons, Marchbank, OMac, McGovern, Philp and Plowman (suspended). Of those there are about three best 22 players: C Curnow, Marchbank and Plowman. West Coast's current injury list: Allen, Cameron, Duggan, Kelly, Kennedy, McGovern, Shuey, Venables, Winder, Witherden. That's 7 best 22 players and at least 5 of them are better than the three missing Carlton players. The talent missing from West Coast's side is incomparable to that missing from Carlton's. If it were Melbourne not Carlton, this board would be disgusted.

You have to give them credit for winning that game with the quality of players they had out, on a ground they hadn't won at for 20 years. We'll see how they go next week vs Richmond at home though. Will be a significantly sterner test than Carlton.

They've only got two top 8 sides left for the year, so their only shot really is to win all of the other 8 games (GWS (away), Adelaide, Fremantle (away), Collingwood, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Gold Coast, GWS again). It's not going to happen. You can't "honourably lose" eight times in the first half of the year and expect to make finals. They have no excuse with their list profile, either. Disastrous.

What's most noticeable to me is not the change in overall attitude, but the certain posters who have disappeared (or post significantly less frequently) now that we're winning.

It's unbelievable that this question is being asked. Yes, he comes straight back in once he's fit enough to play a full game of AFL football. We are at our weakest when we are being beaten in clearances. Viney makes us better at clearances. Whether it's Melksham, or Sparrow, or Petracca plays more forward, Viney comes in and makes us better in an area we need to be strong in.

Carlton have to find four goals in 8 minutes to save their season.

If West Coast beats Carlton tomorrow and the Dogs beat Fremantle, there will be a two-game gap between 8th (either West Coast or Richmond depending on percentage) and 9th (Essendon), although GWS has a game in hand. Also if West Coast beats Carlton tomorrow Carlton should sack David Teague. There is no reasonable excuse for Carlton to lose to the side West Coast are fielding tomorrow.

A fair outcome for Sparrow I think. Franklin should have copped at least a fine last week for his bump but careless conduct with low impact is right for Sparrow IMO. Glad he's available for next week.

"This" my [censored]. There is nothing more certain than if we were to have followed the same path, Demonland would be baying for Goodwin's blood. Collingwood has only improved on its previous season's record once in Buckley's 9 seasons. Can you imagine how frequently that stat would be used on here if it were us?

As quickly as they conceded four goals, they've scored them all back. Game over.

Richmond, but only because I got to be there in the crowd Brisbane Bulldogs Geelong Sydney St Kilda Carlton Fremantle Hawthorn GWS North Melbourne Adelaide

What the OP shows is that too many still haven't been able to accept that we're a different side this year. Most previous years being down 20 points to Brisbane at HT would be curtains. But repeatedly this year we have started poorly but improved as the game has gone on (GWS, Richmond, Sydney, North Melbourne and now Brisbane).