Deemania since 56

That's just it, I thought, ignoring his football credentials in recognition of his limited nouse.

Always remember the first time I saw BT on the footy field (MCG), and it proved that he was a moron. A sixty-metre charge at his full pace caught Rod Grinter in the back (as Rod was looking the other way and subtly moving to position himself into defence). Crunch! Less than two seconds later, BT was sprawling on the ground from the impact and as he held Rod in a headlock, had just completed a perfect parabola in the air before landing when Rod bent at the waist- never tried that again, with Rod. Absolute dumb-bum move to charge unsighted into Rod with injurious intent. He was off the ground in minutes after hitting the rock of Gibraltar.

Yep, it would be fine, great, tremendous, terrific. Leaves a couple of spaces for smalls - eliminates weakness areas, encourages midfield runners to get involved in the backline approaches and is difficult to man up upon. Salem can pass at will with this set-up. Bluddoath!

SOS is a beloved son - as he could be a frequently great player, albeit a little untidy. This anointed status frees SOS from accountability to a large extent; it will be external-to-Carlton observers who call for a revision of his decisions and post-footy playing inputs. I'd reckon he is as safe as houses and yes, the Coach was the easy way out of the dilemma - for the time being.

This has always impressed me, too; streamlining his game and earlier habits is obviously occurring, making him an asset and potentially, in a fuller, stronger backline, an absolute clearance asset. His is linking more quickly and accurately now and is doing so for the obvious betterment of the Team. Just a little bit more emphasis on his spoiling routines would be handy right now, and a few support gestures as he takes possession of the ball. Like the lad and his endeavour.

That is what many of us DL associates have seen, recently see in every match we play and no longer wish to see at all. Our backs were being slaughtered. Jetta and Hibberd had to support and back up someone placed at CHB or worse, a stick in a jungle at Full Back - every game - and win against their allocated opponent(s) as well, simultaneously - place Frosty on that list of share-the-burden teammates as well but he overcame the urge to leave his man, to provide support elsewhere or to attempt to create a new play. Lewis could not achieve this whilst expected to direct the traffic in response to the trespassing that we were allowing. Hibberd and Jetta were rightly stuffed! Too much work, too great a distance to cover in our 'chaos' speed game and, too many high risks in playing as teammates to a vacuum. There was a pathway, and wide highway for opposition opportunists and coaches to exploit, each game, all game, all season. A trouble-free road from their (opposition) midfield to their goal line. Goodwin fell for it. It gaped. Kick it to - or run through - wherever OMac might be. Is this going to continue?

Very interesting analysis and sound justifications. I'd put Frosty at CHB with Lever on a HBF where the latter plays a good 'bob up' intercept across the backline - at suitable times in the play. He tends to know these moments to roam nearby rather instinctively. This would also harmonise with the intercept surprises provided by Hore - a great catch for the Team. Fritsch should be subbed into the forwards, preferably near the big sticks as his direction of travel is effective coming into the main forward areas to the 50m line - after all, Fritto is a natural forward, not a backman IMO. Spot on with Brayshaw - a true 360-degree midfielder. I'd think it would be useful to have Clarrie on the bench for some rapid-action magic, releasing the tag and creating mayhem where possible. His kicking needs to be more specific in this role and to him, that should be rather obvious. Drop him (Clarrie) deep forward, too, for some fancy work at the drop. Tim Smith may not be the classic CHF but by hell, he is a great target and straightens up what comes out from the midfield. For large parts of the Crows game, some of their big names had no idea. Smith was often free to lead into the ball or just lead to space - causing directional control from the midfielders for the first time this season. Looking forward to his namesake, Joel, coming in to duplicate the effort from the flanks. TMac does need a rest to recover lost form, but his mobility for large periods of the game would be handy. TMac would therefore be good starting on the bench and utilised, as needed, to break a Filth defensive array. Preuss must play, Cox or not. I don't want him to run distances, I want him to just run into Filth defenders when he is not supporting Mighty Max in a relieving ruck role. I'd also like to give him permission to take a few marks for the benefit of some good goals. At this pre-game stage, I'd like to know which Filth player is prepared stand his ground as the big fella was rapidly decreasing the distance between them in a straight line come 'approach of the ball' time. Let's hope Grundy is the one, or Treloar. We would have to go Garlett again, opening our prayer books to assist him find some consistent form this week. OMac to Casey to open the Juicy Fruit.

Kicking goals from that short distance is like putting in golf: you need to keep ice-cool and stick to a method. It's not about having a shot, missing and correcting subsequently. That should have been completed at training. There was a given length for the kick and hence, a given amount of leg power to see it through. Accuracy of the ball drop and hyperextension of the foot - all inherent skills and techniques. Follow through by all means so as not the jag the kicking action itself. Smooth, ice-cool, deliberated. Costly miss in terms of the footy season. Careless, actually.

Got to admit, his movement is quick but it is also cat-like smooth, stops and turns at will, moves on with increasing acceleration. Big hopes for this kid, and he is very like the early Goddard in this regard. He is not as tall, just lean and mean. He is the ideal flanking midfielder of the future, who would relish outside handball receives, moving the ball at will as even dear old Frosty can do from time to time. His pace, positioning and head-up penetration would suit feeds from the likes of Jetta and Salem. We may well be on a winner, here.

Just as Roos would hope for, build the defence back up with reliability and a barrier mindset (Jetta is critical to this) and then move on to other field preparations for non-defenders. These two areas could be addressed simultaneously, in fact.

Harmless exercise in mental flexibility, actually. It could never happen, anyway. Nevertheless, thanks for the expert advice.

Tick, correct.

Throw in young Dunkley at FwdPkt, just for a run from the bench.

It certainly was a 'better' game for the Weed in comparison to those that he has demonstrated in the past. For this, it must be considered to reek some potential.

The forwards worked hard, built their confidence, got a handy but well-deserved (and earned) lead in the game against the Crows. Then the Crows began a series of mini-rallies, chipping away at the Demon lead that they were confronting. An avenue to goal was required to improve their scoring chances - and they took it with reliable frequency. Just as several coaches and senior players in Demon opposition teams have done across the past few years. Our players chip in during the hard, injury-riddled times, attempting to provide gap coverage down back, support and risky teaming across the weaker spots. The balance of the game changes. The forwards begin to see less of the ball and the rest of the team become desperate to get the ball 'down there' for a score. Forward delivery wanes in quality and quantity. Another loss looms large. When just one opposition forward blossoms in a game - but often two or three as a nett effect - the avalanche of scoring freedom results. We lose.

I suspect you actually know where the weak spot was on the field that allowed opposition goals to result - as the ball passed through it. A tactic many coaches are using when scoring is so vital to save a game against the Demons.

By stating that bad kicking for goal lost us the game is not the full story. Those goals would not have been so necessary if we exercised a defensive capability. Almost 8 goals were leaked through OMac's inaction and weakness and mistakes across the game. This is a typical pattern of his play since he started with the Dees, sometimes improved (slightly lesser in frequency) but mostly impossibly costly to the team. OMac, plus poor kicking for goal are a recipe for absolute mediocrity and a mounting toll of losses.

In the tight games that we have lost over the past 3 years, OMac has generally been the reason. When we have been easily defeated, OMac has been an opposition 'surety' to ramify forward dominance. In the games we have won, OMac has been unsighted except for clangers. Get him off the field immediately. He is targeted, weekly, by opposition coaches and players as an easy-beat; he is an avenue to goal for all of the teams we have played this year. Goodwin, we do not need him - and after all of these losses, he still gets a game to weaken our few onfield advantages.

In the first half he leaked 4 goals. Three more later in the game. OMac is a guaranteed pathway/avenue/ for opposition goals. Always has been. Opposition mantra: Wherever Oscar is, kick it there. Too great a liability for this Club. Full stop.

Now, that's a flight of fancy.

Very true. That's two of us!

Todd did kick a fair distance, with every kick. Although not true, you'd reckon that he invented the 'bomb' for the forwards to have a grapple at - but in those days, the forwards were pretty good in comparison to this year. Todd, unfortunately, was seldom an accurate kick. A great 'ball-getter', without doubt and tough as nails going into the pack, and through the opposition to 'get ball' once 'see ball' had been achieved. He had a beautiful, long drop punt, one of the best in its day. He'd create a clearance with his kicking that most footballers would be proud of, in terms of distance. The more experienced team members on the receiving end of his 'intended man-to-man deliveries' learned to read his kick quite well and moved into space to receive - usually the correct space. For less experienced teammates, it was sometimes a more arduous task to receive from Todd's kicking. It must be said, he did adjust his passing well and became more accurate with the process, less concerned about distance alone. We could do with him, now!

Fact 3: Goodwin and the selectors do not really care, this week.

He has always been 'underdone' physically and is very pale, almost sickly up close. That aside, he also looks very manageable lacking a physical presence. These characteristics may assist his game, his fitness or something similar, but in honesty, he does not look like a footballer at all. I'd reckon he was a badminton champ, instead. Even Tulip looked more aggressively adept.

When is this simple and effective plan going to emerge? Our smalls and bigs, so to speak, recover well - it is not as if they are all ageing, handicapped veterans, nor is it the case that they are asked to run in such a manner to and fro for 100 minutes. No-one is looking into their zone for spaces at all. The players are locked into the mentality of combat football, and lose it and themselves repeatedly. The mantra of see footy, get footy, keep footy has now totally disappeared because footy space is not being exploited.