titan_uranus

The MRP continues to produce terrible decisions whilst it operates within a flawed system. It gets said enough that the AFL should respond, but the focus is too much on the outcome of the act and not enough on the act. Shuey elected to bump and made contact to the head. That act has the potential to severely injure a player and should warrant automatic suspension. It shouldn't matter that Dangerfield walked away.

Apparently this is Jones' first muscle strain? Pretty awful timing if he misses our first Friday night game in 5 years because of it.

Another line-breaking runner - we have Hunt but he's still about the only consistent provider of pace off half-back. Nothing wrong with Hibberd, Salem or Lewis but some more pace to give Hunt some support would be good. I also wouldn't want to read too much into OMac's 1.5 games of form. If he plays like this for the rest of the season, then we can re-consider our KPD stocks.

IMO Gawn is the only in subject to fitness and the FD's plans to manage workloads through this 3-week patch of six-day breaks. If there are no injuries and we're not resting anyone, I am not sure at all who would make way for Gawn. There's no chance it's Watts (subject to injury), whilst OMac, TMac and Pedersen are all playing more than well enough. That leaves Frost - if Kennedy doesn't come in, do we need all of Frost, OMac, TMac, Pedersen and Gawn? Do we become too tall? Having said all this, I suspect someone will be either be injured (Jones/Watts/Hunt) or rested. On pure form alone, if we have to drop someone it would be ANB or Vince, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. There's a chance Shuey will get suspended for a bump on Dangerfield. Still, the point is valid and Sam Mitchell's in that midfield as well.

It's a chicken-and-egg thing though, isn't it? I mean, do we lose because we overuse the handball, or do we overuse the handball because we're losing (and therefore under pressure)?

Our last two games have also both been the only game on the day, which has given us good exposure (would have been better if today had been on FTA). Our next two games are in prime-time on FTA as well, so if we can continue this run of form it is shaping up nicely for us to lift that exposure and relevance, increase memberships and attendances, draw sponsorship and players, etc.

1.5 games probably isn't a large enough sample size to go by but if Oscar has started to develop some confidence in his marking, that is huge for his development, and for the club.

I'd like to hear @mo64's views on the game, too. I swear, I've never seen him/her post anything positive, ever. Not once. @stevethemanjordan at least has players he likes and will pump up.

The most consecutive goals we conceded this week was 2 goals. Probably the first game all year we haven't given up 4+ goals in a row at any point, and that last 5 minutes of the second quarter was the only time it felt like they had momentum.

Also, we won all four quarters today. That has us equal third of all clubs, behind only Adelaide and Port (both on 33), and equal with GWS (both on 30).

Can't wait to watch the replay. Radio stations raving on Oscar. Sounds like we had a serious spread of contributors, harder at the contest and faster on the spread, with a dominant backline and a creative forward line. Why can't we win in Perth next week?

So to clarify, we have injuries to Hunt, Jones, Watts...who else? AFL website said Jetta?

Fair, they're doing quite well this year. I certainly don't watch enough of Carlton to see how they're performing overall but every time they win the highlights and stand outs seem to always revolve around the same players. They haven't scored 100 points since Round 11 last year against Brisbane (which was, coincidentally, their last win for the year until they beat us in Round 22). If you were a Carlton fan, you'd have to be happy with 5-7 and 100% effort on a weekly basis, regardless.

Wood is our biggest headache, though. If he's not properly attended to, and just roams half-back taking intercept marks as he pleases, we'll lose. He's as dangerous to us, if not more so, than Johannisen.

Not sure where I stand on Carlton. Their best players seem to always be the same ones, almost all of whom are old. The AFL website had their best as: Gibbs, Simpson, Docherty, Jones, Kreuzer, Murphy, E.Curnow Only one of those players is younger than 26 (Docherty). Simpson is 33, Murphy nearly 30, Gibbs is 28 (and wanted to leave last year), Kreuzer 28, Curnow 27, Jones is already 26. Dale Thomas is 30, too. Of their players under the age of 25, they've got three stars (Cripps, Weitering and Docherty) but otherwise just OK players (Plowman and Marchbank, for example). Nonetheless, they seem very well coached and other than the Friday night disaster against Port, they turn up every week and put in 100% effort. They've knocked over GWS and have useful wins against Sydney, Essendon, Collingwood and GC on the road. Not bad for a side who most people consider a certain bottom 4 finisher.

Just looking at the quarters won statistic: the Dogs are the equal-worst starting side this year, having only won 3 first quarters (level with Fremantle) whilst we've won 5. We've won 26 (puts us 4th but obviously with a game in hand on the other 16 sides) with them winning 22 (10th).

The difference between a win and a loss today is enormous. This isn't about top 4 though, as (incredulously) realistic that is. It's about top 8. A win today puts us 7-5, 5th on the ladder with a useful percentage gap between us and the 6-6 sides. We get our tail up before heading over to Perth. A loss puts us back in the 6-6 quagmire with that trip to Perth next week and gives the Dogs, one of our direct competitors for ladder spots, an extra win. These 8 point games are crucial to our season and this is now our third of them in a row, with another two to come straight after (and the way Carlton is going, there could be another one after that!). There is so little respite for us given what we are trying to achieve this season and how many other sides are in the same boat. The Dogs have been under the pump for the last 10 days and I get the feeling they've set themselves for this one, but they're going in with a chopped and changed line up and, although they are undefeated at Etihad, we have played some of our best football there this year. I'd love to see us start well and get on top early but without a ruckman I wouldn't be surprised at all if we fall behind early whilst trying to learn how to set up at stoppages and read Roughead and their mids. But if we do fall behind, we should all be confident of a comeback given it's happened in every game we've gone behind in.

Only if Port loses to Brisbane. Richmond losing is good for our chances of higher positioning in the top 8 but I'd rather have Sydney ruled out for the year. Not just for us, but because I'm sick of Sydney making finals.

I love watching Richmond struggle but surely a Richmond win is better for us? We don't want/need Sydney getting back in the finals race.

I'm tipping either no change or Spencer to come in for Harmes or ANB. Changes will need to be made, win or lose, before the Perth trip next week though, given the 6 day breaks.

Ripping pick up. Howe starts that chain of possession at full back and Bugg is 5 metres away and looks cooked. For him to see Treloar in a paddock, realise if he didn't go no one would, and not only put in the effort but get there and affect the kick was huge. It's stuff like that that keeps Bugg in the side over Kent, for example.

Re-watching the final two minutes: I hadn't noticed it live but Watts' run from CHB when Hibberd spoils De Goey to get into space is incredible. I had thought ANB pushed Adams in the back but I think he grabs his jumper and Adams just moves weirdly as he kicks it. Great chase from ANB regardless. I think it was probably holding the ball against Hunt - took Treloar on, got caught, I don't think he handpassed it - but I think the umpire had fallen over and probably missed it. I still think we can do better at protecting leads late in the game. We had the entire side backwards of centre but they still managed two shots on goal.

According to that site we are 4th in average attendances (home and away), despite the Alice Springs crowd. The only clubs who get more people to their games are Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon. Our home game average is much lower but for sponsorship and awareness it's just as important, if not more, to be focusing on exposure overall and if we're playing in front of the 4th highest crowds weekly, that is important.

Pfft, if they don't want to play it any more they can get stuffed. It's been good of them to let us have the home game every year but that wasn't pure generosity from Eddie. When we were awful, by making this an away game they guaranteed themselves a big game on a public holiday (there's exposure in that even when we were tripe) and then they largely avoided having home games against us which frees up room to host other, bigger clubs. Plus another game at the G. If the AFL decided to alternate home-away we certainly couldn't complain. But the rest is just Collingwood whinging at its finest.

6 - Jones 5 - Petracca 4 - Hibberd 3 - Oliver 2 - Watts 1 - Hunt