Engorged Onion

Some more great writing from Andrew Stafford https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/bombers-exposed-as-unworthy-of-the-top-two-spot-that-was-on-offer-20240713-p5jtfq.html

They expect their entitlement to be met, that’s what they expect.

Here’s hoping Freo are going through a heavy block at the moment… but these things change due to anxieties around how many loses are too many..

Best portmanteau yet. 😁

Is Goodwin the right guy?

Love a Nostradamus self reference 💪

Is anyone still doing the distillation of quotes/thoughts from each supporters forum on a weekly basis? Or would anyone like to if they have the time/inclination?

Aside from the 'scoreboard cosmetics' at the end for Essendon, that felt like a win for the system, the belief in the system and youth of the team. The older crew would be mighty pleased. I can't empahasise what the 'lived experience' of more experienced teammates (say, Lever, May, Viney etc) watching younger players being able to execute roles in adverse circumstances (no Petracca, Gawn etc) and challenging conditions, means to the belief in the system in of itself as well as the trust that my teammate can deliver most of the time. The flow on, is you're not second guessing execution or decision making of yourself or your teammate, leading to more cohesive transitions, more insynch defending, and greater opportunity in the forward line. Not the you need confidence to win or perform well (*checks Demonland forum over past week about the match), and it simply makes it easier to do so. This bodes well for next year, if you're the sort of supporter that likes to look at the bigger picture.

Whelan 'Wheel' = Rolling elan = French for momentum the attack component stumped me I was trying to jam Lever in as the answer, as in Le (the) ver(?)

Not really, much like the rest of the news, it depends where you choose to get your opinions from. 😅

Does any [censored] on here want to slag off the planning that goes into each game?

Pathetic Petty’s goal assist there 😅

It’s so crazy, I’m imagining the form of Carlton and Freo will dip as well for a few weeks… it’s like the science is weird or something* *checks todays scores

what's the trap? what's the cheese?

Raining in Ocean Grove

Ripping stat.

Well posted Magnus, it echoes my thoughts. I think what is interesting now, is the JVR is seen as a bit of the Golden Goose, due to his form, but he is young, and invariably he will have dips in forms (but that's what happens to 25yo and 30yo's too) - and the cry is often, put the player into the ruck to 'find the ball'... when this happens in game. There are 3 zones, covered by individual players, rucking individual areas of the ground. JVR won't be wasted up the ground...much. But then there is the flexibility that comes with it. We're watching an evolution of Goodwin's mini version of total football, and what our style of play will potentially look like post the end of Gawn's career. It's just been pulled forward to 2024 for a variety of reasons around, our coverage not been good enough, or feeling as though what is required is marking strength around the ground, versus actually rucking dominance. Fluidity is important. But of course, Goodwin has no plan B and is too rigid 😅

Why do you think he isn't he lauded like Cyril, Jaded? A Hawthorn thing? Multiple premiership thing? A big vs small club thing? Or just a Bruce thing?

How many is that now Smokey? That'd actually be a good question for SirSwamp...

Language is interesting eh... if Geelong snuck in, then perhaps we didn't 'stuff up' (nor Laurie)* it was the way it fell on the night.... You can only draft who is still on the board. 😇 *not sure who came after Laurie

I'd imagine Poita that the FD were quite concerned about the Demonland Game Day Thread, if they took Max off and the Eagles got within 3/4 goals and felt compelled to keep him on due to the unrelenting standards the team is held to 🤷‍♀️

Imagine if coaching pressers went something like. 'Whilst we're keen to protect the integrity of the game, our sole objective is to ensure that we are premiers. Throughout the year - and adjusted as to how we are tracking with what the remaining schedule looks like, we add in greater measures of training, *ahem* loading if you will, to ensure it gives us the best opportunity for a clear run in the finals at optimal physiological conditioning. The science has come along way, and we are very nuanced about what it does. However, we are also conscious about how it appears for supporters, that form is fleeting, that the optics don't look great. Of course, it is hard to get a bead as a supporter due to the saturation of gambling ads, AFL sanctioned hawkers of media, drumming up the binary win/loss outcome on a weekly basis as a measure of how good you are, and what it means for the teams chances, but as a coach, I don't give a toss about that..."

Buzzy, are you are aware of his lack of preseason, amongst other things?

god there are some miserable [censored] on the game day thread... would you take a 50 point win? Yeah... but, I'll [censored] whinge about it not being enough, and some players haven't done enough. nah nah, I just expect a lot from my team and want to see consistent improvement. Anyway Youngsters keep doing well. We don't seem to be toooo predicitable as per the earlier thread this week. Battened down the hatches in the 4th.. but you can spin that narrative that because we're not in the 8, you need to continue and put the 'foot on the throat' to be deemed to be worthy by some supporters vs being in the 8, and it was a day at the office and responsible.

I'd imagine King is licking his lips after watching the WCE game today 😝