Jumping Jack Clennett

Thanks, Deanox. You're an ex-umpire, so perhaps I should bow to your experience .......or perhaps I should deride you for being associated with those blundreing idiots!! But I've never tried it ,so perhaps I underestimate the difficulty. They certainly make the job look hard.( not physically, with three of them the amount of running required is quite limited and undemanding for highly paid professionals) But do you agree that Pickett's been worse than useless this year? If Godders had done any of the clangers he's perpetrated, Demonlanders would be screaming for his head.

The three umpires were all "nobodies". Usually there's one senior ump in the group,to help inexperienced(?incompetent) colleagues, but I challenge people to tell me who was the senior ump yesterday! And let's hope none of those meatheads becomes experienced enough to become"senior".

I'll stick my neck out here, knowing I'll face vitriolic ridicule from some hot-headed posters. I reckon Choppy's tackle on Cornes was dangerous, late,unnecessary, and intended to cause physical injury. He was lucky he didn't break his neck. If a Melbourne player was the victim, there would be many posters complaining here. How it wasn't a down-field free stuns me. In my opinion it exemplified the umpires' blind ignorance during this match.Cornes had got his hurried kick in, before Pickett got hold of him. But even if it wasn't late(which I'll admit is arguable), it was done purely to cause injury in a manner frowned upon by the authorities(i.e. pinning the arms) This sort of thing needs to be stamped out . Pickett deserves a month. If he's going to play like he did on Sunday(and the rest of tjs season), that'll be to our advantage. I know Flash plays better when he's there, but he's got to stand on his own two feet. A tackle like that on Davey or Nathan Krakouer would quite possibly kill them.

Any "pesky facts" about point kick-ins, Fan? Redleg wants another good laugh.

Thanks for the run-down on Collingwood, Rhino. I still think it was a gutsy move to bring in three debutants for such a BIG GAME, with a crowd of 90000 expected, when almost a full list was available. AND it was successful! My question.....would our selection panel have had the guts (?stupidity) to do that? OK, we played two first-gamers v. Sydney, but our list was drastically depleted, and we were expecting a hiding. Thanks, FAN, for the put-down with the "pesky facts", and I was suitably chastened. You're right, we've been identical to the Bulldogs with respect to giving new players a chance(15 each). Ihad a look at Collingwood (with the limited amount of time and information at my disposal)and found they were pretty similar, too. Working full time, I do not have time to research the other 13 teams. So on the face of it, it seems your statistical contention is correct, we probably are as inclined as any other team to play youngsters. But I was not alone in my impression that we have a tendency to hold back before giving players their first chance. Many other Demon Fans, most much more knowledgeable than I,have expressed the same opinion. Such opinions , based on impressions, must be interpreted with care.Evidence-based opinions carry more weight. However statistical information must be inspected carefully. It has been said that you can prove what you like with statistics. For example, your "pesky facts",really were a very limitedsample which may, in fact, hide the truth. You looked at 2 teams out of 16, in a period of 3 years out of the nine years ND has led the footy dept. But, I'll admit it, I may have been unfair in my criticism of the selectors. Do I take it that you agree with my other oft -proffered contention(that our footy dept underestimates the importance of point kick-in tactics)? You haven't quoted any "pesky facts" to squash me on that one(yet). I'm a brave man to suggest the MFCfooty dept is anything but perfect on this forum.

Did anyone notice Sydney's point kick-ins? Roos, being one of the game's best tacticians, obviously tells them to take the kick-in quickly. Twice in the first quarter , they were so quick to kick in, they had to duck the waving flags while running to kick. Each time resulted in a very rapid set shot for goal from short range. Meanwhile, our blokes potter around collecting the ball, don't take the first option, and allow the opposition to zone as they desire, leaving us in desperate defence after the first kick. I know I harp on this subject, but it seems so obviously a way we could improve tactically, but nothing ever changes.

Cameron Bruce, who (I reckon) is doing a great job this season, is gradually becoming a worse kick. His kicking was great at the start of his career, but now it's poor. He's always had a hook foot, but that's getting worse, and so is the way the ball spins off his boot,making targets hard to pinpoint. He's being too careless in how he drops the ball to his foot. He doesn't guide the ball in a controlled way to his foot, but sort of throws it in a haphazard way. This requires practice, after he studies replays of his kicking on video. There's no doubt he has the ball-skills and nous to improve this vital part of his game. Mattie Bate , against Geelong, wasletting the ball topple too far forward when dropping the ball, resulting in "tumble-punts" which drop short. He improved a lot in that regard against Sydney.

Are those 3 Collingwood debutants so far superior to our recruits, that they can fit into a side that's winning a few games, and has few injuries? No, Malthouse is more prepared to take a punt.. Funny, for a while there I thought I found something I agreed with you about, but you were being sarcastic. You had to go back to round 1, 2006 to find a selection which showed a bit of gumption!

[quote name='Hards' Spot on, Hards. He's really made sure WCE won't take us easily in a few weeks' time!

Unfortunately, Rhino, ND is too conservative in his approach to play youngsters, unless there's absolutely NO other option. We've suffered as a result.

I think we could beat them. Especially if we change our kick-in tactics, and get the ball back into play before Sydney organise their zone. The kicker-in should adhere to the"first thoughts are best thoughts" mentality. The trouble is, we're missing our two best kickers-in, Wheels and Wheats. TJ shouldn't do it. He doesn't think fast enough, and botches it too often. Also we should revise our "zones" on their kick-ins.

Hey, Rhino and Mickrocks.......you haven't told me whether you were happy with our kick-ins and defence of kick-ins last Sunday.

[quote name='QueenC' Srry, Queen. I reckon we'll let him finish out his contract, as he richly deserves. In my opinion , we're unlikely to re-sign him, unless he agrees to a very significant pay cut. I'd like to see how he goes at Essendon, which might help me see whether the tactics I've criticised recently are due to him, or poor execution of his gameplan by our players.

[quote name Toad 33 I agree, Toad. And did you notice how poorly we defended their point kick-ins! This particularly hurts after players miss sitters, like White and Pickett in Q 1.

Belly would be in the top 3 for the Bluey Truscott at present.

No goals to Sautner?? I hope he's out injured for a few weeks!

[quote name='mickrocks1' There is none so blind as he who will not see.

[quote name='mickrocks1' Therein lies the problem.

I've been watching footy for more than 50 years, and I've never seen a match where I'm more convinced that the coach's tactics meant the difference between the teams. Especially in point kick-ins, and defence of point kick-ins, but also in match-ups, and flooding and counter-acting the flood. I've really appreciated how Neale has done his best for the Demons in the last 9 years. I now want a change as soon as possible.

Apparently we might find out what results from crossing Sellwood with Headland's daughter.

I'm dead-sure he was suspended, Wayne.

Headland getting a reprieve on the grounds of severe provocation from comments Sellwood never made reminds me of the Seecamp/Peirce incident at Princes Park about 8 yrs ago. Seekers took a mark at full-back. Brad Pierce came to the contest too late , couldn't compete, so punched him in the testicles. Seecamp reacted reflexively and instantaneously as he doubled up in pain , lashing out and hitting Pierce with an uppercut.(the little sniper didn't return to the ground). I felt the retaliation was justifiable and unpremeditated, but I know the AFL doesn't provide for justifiable retaliation, so I accepted the 3 or 4 weeks. There have been numerous other cases of "justifiable "retaliation by all teams, but we all know , it doesn't exist.....until now!!!` So go for it, boys!!!