titan_uranus

Let Collingwood be flag favourite. It's March. Remember what the media was saying about us in March-May last year? About how we were unbeatable and we were going to break winning streak records and we were miles in front of the rest of the competition etc? I don't want us to fall too far off the pace but we're also one year removed from a stark reminder that the side who wins the flag isn't always the side in peak form in March.

So JVR doing enough in the ruck to take Gawn's spot? Or TMac's spot?

Goodwin in his presser said we didn't handle the conditions well, but also mentioned that the centre square is on a cricket pitch which we don't often play on. We haven't played on the Gabba this early in a season since 2018, when we beat Brisbane, but they were a bottom 4 side that year. Since then, the earliest we've played on it was Round 15 2019 (June), with all our other games July or August. I have zero idea whether playing on it 4 months after the cricket season makes any difference as compared to playing on it weeks after cricket, but it sounds like Goodwin thinks it might have. If it did, I have no idea how, but anyway. I'm not using this as any sort of excuse, by the way. We knew about this fixture since December.

Trying to piece everything together, it seems the physical tests done on the night were negative but there remains concern it's an ACL so they are waiting on the scans, which suggests to me the concerns come from his symptoms (e.g. he's reporting some sort of instability or pain which would tell a doctor/physio it's an ACL and not something else), or perhaps because he heard the dreaded "pop" or something. It just seems like there is some reason to think it's an ACL but the tests were negative which means they have to wait on the scans.

We can infer it - if it was positive they would have said so. I imagine if it was positive they wouldn’t have said all the stuff about “we don’t know”.

Where did 8 say anything about expecting perfection or even that I thought Grundy was poor? I’m just concerned he doesn’t have the aerobic fitness to cover as much ground as he’ll have to without Gawn. Round 14 2020 vs St Kilda, we kicked 8.4. But that was a COVID short game. Last full length game was Round 3 2019, we kicked 18.4 v Essendon.

MFC when Viney plays since Round 1 2020: 35-1-18 Is there really a trend here?

No Gawn, no Pickett, no May, no Salem, Petty injured in the second half, Viney not fully fit, Fritsch not fully fit, TMac doesn't look fully fit, and I'm not convinced Grundy's aerobic capacity is sufficient to be covering as much ground as he now has to as the number 1 ruck. Injuries and fitness derailed us last year and they're having a say already this year.

It came off in part because Brisbane stopped. Lever was trying to play like that all night but it became easier after the restart.

Gee, he (and we) would want to hope so.

I have no doubt part of it was the conditions. It's no excuse but we were fumbly AF and they were clean. So many times Trac was the first to the ball after a Grundy hit out but he couldn't collect it. Then Neale or McCluggage or Ashcroft would collect it and clear it.

Whilst it's not like Laurie was dominant by any stretch last week, I'm disappointed Viney looked so underdone tonight. If he wasn't right, he shouldn't have played.

It must have been over -30 before the resumption, too. Truly shocking. Hopefully we rebound from that midfield disaster like Brisbane did tonight after they were annihilated by Port last week. -28 clearances against Sydney = solid 5+ goal loss.

Whilst Melksham was awful and TMac not much better, this game wasn't lost by the forward line. We gave them no chance with our abysmal clearance work. Any dominance we have over other sides in the competition doesn't exist if we don't at least break even in the middle. Being thrashed as we were at every single stoppage in the first half is far more significant than our forward line.

After 1/4 time but prior to the lights going out Lions 8.5 to 6.3. I agree though, they kicked 4 goals in 7 minutes in that first quarter period where we were a bit stunned with Gawn going off, Grundy was on the bench for half of it, and we were obliterated in the centre clearances. Had to play catch up footy from there and were still 2 goals behind before the lights went out. I don't get what you mean by this. If the game can continue, it has to. Percentage matters (and don't forget how beholden the AFL is to betting agencies who take bets on margins and goals kicked and disposals and all that stuff).

Does JVR replace Gawn? Grundy takes Gawn's role, TMac takes Grundy's, and JVR takes TMac's? Does TMac deserve to hold his spot though? If May's fit, might be Petty who makes way if his knee is sore. Otherwise Tomlinson goes I suppose. Someone else can take the sub vest off Melksham, really disappointed in his effort (or lack thereof). Harmes also surely in danger, but not sure we're going to make that many changes.

6 - Lever 5 - Brown 4 - Hunter 3 - Rivers 2 - Sparrow 1 - Oliver

The last 12 minutes was fake footy in some respect given Brisbane had stopped but I hope we take something from the way we at least remembered how to run and gun and attack. We lost this game by being disastrously belted in the middle. -28 in clearances, and it would have been worse before the break because we got a bunch of centre clearances in that late run. Gawn going down threw us out. The same thing happened last year when May went down against Fremantle. It's understandable, but disappointing all the same, that we couldn't re-group. You'd expect a few changes next week given some of the poor performances tonight. But a few changes aside, we will lose to Sydney next week if we don't dramatically improve in the clearances.

Embarrassing post. Sure, be angry, we've been trash tonight, but this is embarrassing stuff from you.

Worst since the Sydney and Fremantle losses in 2020, IMO. Although the post-May injury capitulation in Round 11 last year vs Fremantle wasn't too much worse than this. A lot of tonight came down to conceding 4 goals in 7 minutes at the end of the first quarter.

Our inconsistency? What a weird thing to say. Over the last two years we've been extremely consistent. Some would argue too consistent. The reason this loss is shocking so many of us is because it's so far away from almost anything we've produced since 2020.

Seriously though, if we don't play the last 12 minutes, that affects our percentage - could benefit us if we were to get blown out further from here, but hurts us if we could fight back and eat into the deficit.