titan_uranus

That's because Brisbane's got the game set up in their forward half, which is what we'd prefer to be doing.

We're not playing as badly as this thread suggests. We can't win when we're beaten this badly in the middle but our backline held up OK despite extreme pressure that quarter and we still look dangerous enough when we go inside 50. Need our mids to lift at stoppages and if we do that a lot will flow from there.

Oh, and Gerard Healy is up there for the biggest [censored] on TV.

The umpiring is undoubtedly one of the reasons we're behind - they're holding us at stoppages, they're dropping it out of tackles, and they're getting rewarded for HTB when we aren't. The crowd is heavily in their favour which doesn't help on that front (some sort of "home" game this is, thanks AFL). But this is really only a small part of it. Our mids are way off the pace compared to last week. We're losing CPs and clearances despite Max being on top in the hit outs. We're reverting to some old habits with the ball, too. Kicks are missing targets, and under their midfield's pressure we're starting to play hot potato with the ball. Having said all that, we've weathered a big Brisbane storm in that quarter and we're only 14 points behind. It's not an insurmountable deficit if we can lift around the stoppages.

We're getting blown apart in the middle. They're holding us a little bit, but we're just second to the ball. Must lift or this game will disappear from our reach.

Also there was a blatant HTB in our forward pocket where Neale/Rayner (can't recall who) was spun in a tackle and threw it out. When those aren't paid, and then the Harmes one is paid, it gets frustrating.

Jetta looks concussed, hope it's not that and it's minor. We started poorly but settled and our defence of the ground improved. They've only scored from a turnover and a free, we're otherwise doing well to limit their scoring. Up the other end we're doing a lot right but Weid's two misses are frustrating. He should have 2 goals and we should be 1-2 goals up. Weid, Jackson, Hannan and Melksham all looking dangerous. Jones looks a step off the pace, hope he picks that up soon.

Weid and Jackson look good early.

Brisbane is better than us. Big question about whether we can perform against a side stronger than GC/Carlton, mid-table sides. But I'm really looking forward to it. If we play the same way we did last week, we can certainly win.

Why? It's a recent season where the majority of our current list played good football for long periods. Just because we lost the prelim doesn't mean there's nothing from 2018 that is of relevance or that can be used for comparison or reflection.

It's a fair change for balance reasons. TMac throws the balance out, the more so if it's rainy. Keeps pressure on Jackson and Weideman to perform. And gives Jones a crack to get back in and keep a spot in the 22. Let's hope he's refreshed and ready to go.

Not a bad result for us. Should mean the game is in Queensland, which will mean we don't have to move between three states in those four rounds, and avoids giving up an away game to North. This will be the fourth time this season one of our games has been affected by COVID: Round 1 (played after the suspension announcement), Round 3 (Essendon game postponed), Round 5 (opponent/state switch), now Round 11 (state switch, possible day/time switch).

Agree, anyone suggesting Neale isn't damaging is incorrect IMO. Also agree that Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver could add goalkicking to their game to go to another level, although it doesn't bother me too much. I actually wish we'd rest Oliver in the forward line more, I remember that game in 2018 vs North when he went forward and looked fantastic as a lead-up marking forward. Might have been a once-off but I feel he can do that more often.

The rain and Martin out means I think we can't go in too tall. As such, I think only one of Jackson and TMac plays. I wouldn't be surprised if it's TMac with Jackson getting rested for next Thursday night vs Port. But that will mean someone else has to replace vandenBerg. Presumably that will be Jones, but that doesn't particularly thrill me. You are crazy. Neale is a top 5 player in the comp at the moment.

Gold Coast is a league leader for defensive pressure.

This would probably be the best explanation for it. Fractured cheekbone can sound bad and can be horrendous (e.g. James Hird) so maybe they wanted to determine just how bad it was before saying anything and letting MFCSS sink in.

To be honest, same with me. I just have to remind myself that it's a fun, but largely fruitless, exercise. Yes, we should beat Adelaide and North, and if we lose one that's going to be a shocking result...unless by the time we get to North they've won 3 in a row and turned their season around (see, eg, other clubs commenting on playing us a fortnight ago). Anyway, in terms of opportunities to get to 9 wins, they are certainly there in terms of the opponents we have to come, but only if we play the way we played vs GC and Hawthorn.

I think the key in this statistic is "differential". We all know we get a stack of inside 50s. When we're bad, we know we don't score from them. But this stat shows that, in addition to getting it inside our 50, we also restrict our opponents from getting it inside their 50. We've seen our defensive zone holding up really well over the last month. When we limit our turnovers, we are defending the ground much better and, as a result, the ball is spending more time closer to our goal than our opponents. The fact that the other 5 teams in the top 6 for this stat are top sides on the ladder shows that is a common trend amongst strong sides, so there is a foundation there. Of course, it doesn't matter if we can't score (e.g. vs Geelong) or if we turn it over and let our opponent find an easy way home when they go inside 50 (e.g. vs Richmond).

IMO it's too early for us to start looking at the run home and trying to work out finals calculations. For one, we're only one-third through our season. For another, we're looking at two weeks of good form vs a preceding two weeks of poor form. If we play vs Brisbane like we did vs Hawthorn, even if we don't win, I'll start to have enough confidence to say things like "we should be able to beat Adelaide and North" (as well as Fremantle, as that won't be in Perth, and Sydney). But even in 2018, when we were good and we were considered to beat up on bad sides, we still dropped games to St Kilda and Port, neither of whom played finals that year. It's unlikely we're going to get through this year without dropping at least one game to one of those weaker sides.

Leigh Matthews I think. This is peak Demonland. Two weeks ago we were as bad as the Neeld era. Now we're the best side in 50 years. Neither of those are true.

So this means our final six games will be against: Essendon, Fremantle, GWS, St Kilda, Sydney and the Dogs. The Dogs are the best of that bunch currently. We could cop GWS after they turn their form around over the next month. St Kilda always trouble us. But all six games are, at least on what we know right now, winnable (although a 2-4 run is on the cards, or worse, if we don't maintain our form from the last two weeks).

We can, and clearly we have, but this is a very fair counterargument. The breaks going into games are certainly important, particularly with the pressures of this season, but I can't help but feel that getting to base your club in a state/city for 2, 3 or even 4 weeks has particular advantages which will help the players acclimatise, get into some routine and normality, and feel comfortable. We're shuffling all over the place with no two matches at the same venue (Giants, Metricon, Gabba, Adelaide, Blundstone, Gabba). If our fitness is improved and we can rotate players as we go, that will minimise the shortness of breaks and some of the travel concerns, but I still can't help but be frustrated that we appear to be the only club with no period of stability coming up.

One positive is that we get a primetime Thursday night game vs Port Adelaide on FTA, starting at 8.10pm (a bit late but better than not at all). Otherwise on my preliminary glance, we've been shafted compared to other Victorian clubs. We get two games at the Gabba but they're bookends. In between, we go from Queensland to SA, then to Tassie, then back to Queensland. By comparison with other Victorian clubs: Richmond and the Dogs play three games in Queensland (two at Metricon, one at the Gabba) Essendon plays three straight games at Metricon and then its fourth at the Gabba St Kilda plays three games at the Gabba and one at Metricon Carlton and Hawthorn don't leave Perth (obvious downside being they're playing Fremantle and West Coast in Perth with a crowd) North plays in Queensland twice in a row before playing in Hobart twice in a row after leaving Perth Geelong plays three straight games at the Gabba after leaving Perth Collingwood plays at the Gabba twice but sandwiched between those is a trip to Adelaide So as far as I can tell, Collingwood is the only other Victorian side to play in three states during these four rounds. But one of those is Perth, where it will have been set up for a month. For us, we've been in Sydney for two weeks. Now we're off to Queensland for one week, then to Adelaide, then Tassie, then Queensland. No stability at all. Literally every other Victorian club at least gets to stay in the same state for at least two games straight. I'd like to think we'll get moved somewhere for Rounds 13-16, at least, for some stability in the lead up to the final two games (which will be spaced out properly before finals).

If that's true, surely he won't be playing this weekend? Will that open the door for TMac to return?

True, but the point remains that just because a player is taken by Clarkson/Hawthorn, that doesn't Clarkson is some sort of genius who "sees something" that the rest of us don't.