tiers

Why mozz them now? Be patient.

Kick, handball. Kick, handball. That is the eternal quandary. Let the ball gatherer decide especially as Clarrie wins most of his possessions in close with limited room to move. He is so good at winning the ball that it is incumbent on his coaches and teammates to learn play to his strengths, not some arbitrary ratio of kicks, handballs. Successful teams in the past played off their strong players, eg Williams and Mitchell. And Clarrie is a better ball gatherer than either under pressure.

I used the other diminutive taken from the Tom Jones song "What's new ............"

I innocently used the diminutive of cats - sorry, didn't mean to cause any grief.

It's true that it is too subjective and relies on ancient memories. I learnt the world's greatest game as a boy in the park and at school in the 50s and 60s when the great game was simple and pure. It was a game of territory and contests. Kick to kick with movement and scoring. Pick one game from the 80s, say first final demolition of roos in 1987, and one game from the 10s, say beating the [censored] in 2018, and watch both and compare. Both were first finals after many years of disappointment. 1987 wins hands down (and not just because of Robbie). Fast, direct footy to contests. No zones, no mauls and no interfering umpires. Just pure footy. Love it.

After Robbie and RDB does is matter?

I have commented after the replays have been shown on how much better the game was then as a spectacle. No rugby style mauls, no tiggy-touch-wood frees for perceived jumper pulls, quick whistles and ball ups for the game to flow, no silly little requests to nominate a ruckman, no commentary by the umpires, no 30 second delays for goals, no mouthguards in smelly socks or groins, no kick down the line to encourage circular flow, no time wasting, no easy stats, down the guts footy and multiple one-on-one contests, no stupid over the top 50m penalties for having a toe nail over a imaginary line, proper kicks ins to encourage a contest (the current system favours those teams who are favoured by the luck of the scoring kick), ruckman who jumpto tap the ball to advantage rather than manhandle each other for no benefit to either team. That enough for now but our great game is overumpired and overcoached like all those other inferior sports that are too offensive to be named. Long live footy.

This game reminds me just how good G. Lovett was. Unrelenting run to the ball and lace out disposal. Also Andrew Obst who had the best hands at the club before Clarrie. Shocking Hocking was a sniper. Lots of good images from the game - ruckman both getting off the ground at boundary throw ins, umpires who kept out of the spotlight and blew the whistle quickly, no rugby style rolling mauls, goal umpires who looked like officials and not like kids, umpires bouncing the ball every time, quick clearances from the centre square bounces, no "down the line" crap, very little "circular footy" with switches, genuine one-on-one contests at most marking contests and finally a win for the dees.

How many games have we lost when we had many more inside 50s than the opposition? Far too many. It's not the bombs that are the problem. It's the lack of any strategy to keep the ball inside the forward line if it is not marked. It's also not the effort at the marking contest that matters, it's what happens after. Even Neita didn't mark the ball every time. This has gone on for too long. Goody, time to find the answer.

The best forward structure in 50 years was in the 1994 finals. Lyon and Schwarz as tall forwards with Pike as a third tall playing as a mobile forward (same role he played in 4 flags for others). At least 2 talls are mandatory as targets. We just need to find the right combination and structure. That's why the coaches are paid the (formerly) big bucks. TMac is good, Weideman is still growing into the role but there seems to be a lack of clear structure and definition in the team plan. Fritta as a third option is good but no one has seemingly told them where to stand, run and lead. Goody, get to work.

More God given talent than anyone who I have ever seen play our great game, anywhere. Yes, including Robbie and Jako. Was at one with the trajectory of the ball and had the touch to take possession and release to advantage. Watched him win the exhibition game in Shanghai in 2010. No one else could have done it so effortlessly. Our great game weeps that he was lost so early.

It's true, footy brings out the best in mums.

After waiting 56 years, yes, yes, yes and yes (repeating).

Prefer this: Johnson S Smith Wight Lovett Neitz Hardeman Alves Wells Flower Lyon Schwarz Wilson Farmer Jackovich Healy Stynes Woewodin Viney I/c Oliver Jones Gawn Yze Better balance at back, proven goal kickers at front and the best centreline ever.

Easy fixed. He always sprays to the left. Teach him to run towards the point post (not straight at the goals) and his natural action will swing the ball through the goals. Like Buddy does with his left footers when he brings the ball across his body.

If two ruckmen are to be played then both need to have the versatility to fill other roles. Even Maxie. Unless and until we acquire a tall, mobile marking forward who can complement TMac then perhaps a tall not-so-mobile marking resting ruckman playing out of the forward pocket and presenting as a target could work. I recall the Jako 10 goal game against roos where Darren Bennett filled this role with aplomb. Two talls are still valuable. It's up to the coaches to find their roles.

How good was White before they denied him his run and leap at the centre bounce. Clean and direct knock out to team mates. An outstanding feature of our great game. What a curse the AFL rules committee is. And how good were our fleet of left foot runners - Yze, Woewodin, A McDonald and Powell. Add Rigoni, Leoncelli and Johnstone and we had a weapon. How come we could never take full advantage?

Cometh to us.

The other Grimes. The other Morton. The other Holland. The other Jakovich (didn't get injured).

Robbie.

A vote not given implies a vote "against". Can't do it.

Impossible to vote against either. It gets harder tomorrow - Schwarz v Neitz. Messing with my mind.

Not funny and disrespectful to my choices. Those who know, will know who I mean. 2, 3, 5, 9, 31.

In 60 years of watching, these are the ones who made me proud to be a demon (in numerical order). 2, 3, 5, 9, 31.

A top five is easy. Stynes, Schwarz, Neitz, Wight would all be worthy candidates along with Lyon. To have a contest between any two of this group is disrespectful and unbearable.