HBDee

How is a former ruckman the goal kicking coach? On researching this he kicked 141 goals 66 behinds during his career, so he did spend some time forward. FWIW, I played a lot of my amateur football as a ruckman and take offense that stereotype us as poor kicks. Having said that, if you had Matthew Lloyd or Greg Stafford as your two options........

I see Kane is still stealing oxygen from everyday Australian's. Didn't he say we were getting ahead of ourselves a couple of weeks ago?

Far left no idea, then Jones, Trac, Max, Viney, Tmac, Goody

Relax mate. AFL side vs a VFL side. They should've won by more.

Thanks Baghdad Bob. Great report. Petty's injury is a bit of a mystery is it not? Someone on here mentioned groin. Any inclination as to what it may be? Mitch Brown looking more and more like a good pick up given our ruck and forward injury concerns at present.

Given they're not in the team or 8 man bench for the Crows game tomorrow or they're injured. Any of the following could play Bedford Jordon Rivers Hunt Hore Chandler C Wagner Bradtke

On our last years form, you'd just play McGovern and Barass on one leg each and just watch our forward 50 entries be marked with ease by them on every occasion. Hopefully we've learnt a bit.............Hope.

[censored] settle down. Of that list, the only ones that are certain "non-starters" for Round 1 would be Bennell, Preuss, KK and Nietschke. The rest we either don't know their situation eg. Smith (full training today) and VDB, or they are close to being back in the main group. I'd argue that out of those 4 certain non-starters maybe 1 is a best 22 but he hasn't played for 4 years. Of the rest of the "injury list", I'd only have Brayshaw, Gawn, May and McDonald in best 22. Brayshaw's elbow will be right, Gawn will be right come round 1 as will McDonald. Hopefully May as well.

I wonder what that oxygen thief Cornes has to say about his old mob winning the actual Premiership in February...... https://www.afl.com.au/news/372062/-look-out-we-re-coming-port-plans-premiership-party

Sadly, I completely agree. We will have one more spot on our list come the mid-season draft I'd suspect

Not too many on here seem too excited about Tomlinson. I personally think he is a great acquisition if nothing more than his size and running ability. I can't recall the number of times last year where we kicked long to medium or small sized forwards with 2-3 big bodied defenders easily marking and bouncing the ball out of our forward 50. Tomlinson will push up to be an option out of defensive 50, has the size and the tank to do it on repeat. This means Tmac can actually get the ball at CHF rather than the wing and Weid/Petty/Jackson can start out of the square, rather than at CHF. Tomlinson in my opinion, strengthens our forward line by simply being an outlet aka. Crows Tom Lynch.

I'm really hoping the drafting of Jackson has made Weid really hungry to cement his spot in the side. I think only 2 maybe 3 of T Mac, Weid, Petty and Jackson play in the forward line, and if he wants to be in that 2 or 3 really needs to earn it. It might be the kick in the [censored] he needs. Having said all of that, from all reports, Jackson's speed and agility may not mean he is the typical "ground ball liability" that most talls are.

Two way running from our midfield. Max and Harmes excluded because they already do it.

Excited to see what becomes of Jackson!

We really should try and let go of the past season. For whatever reason it happened, learn from it, new (ish) list, new coaches (apart from Goody), a lot more on the track for more work, lets look forward to next season, support our boys and see what happens!

Jackson can also pop out a fake front tooth. That might help.....

I was listening to the Sydney recruiter (forget his name but it was an interesting one) on the AFL Draft show prior to the draft and he made an interesting point. He was asked if they would bid on Green and if not why not. His response was pretty simple, if they wanted Green they would bid on him. You want to call the name of the player that you want at that spot, because if GWS don't match the bid and your bidding just to force their hand, then you might miss the player you actually want and end up with Green. Made sense to me.

I agree. Let's call it now and hit the slopes.......

Whatever the changes, Angus Brayshaw needs to play the whole game (less rotations) on the ball, and be told that if he doesn't run both ways he will play VFL (has a few mates). He is not a wingman, nor a back flanker. If he's sore or injured give him a spell.

GC can just fold and we can have a mini-draft of their players.

I honestly didn't think Hannan was playing yesterday until I saw him jogging into the forward 50 about halfway through the second quarter. He clearly hadn't been anywhere near the ball.

That was the worst decision I've seen this year. They also paid one at the centre bounce where both ruckmen put their arms into one another's chest but somehow that was a free against Max! There should be a prerequisite for all umpires to have played at least some senior football before so they understand the physicality of the game. Dreaming I know, and Leigh Fisher is pretty bad as well.

Biggest gain is that we hopefully get to see the back of some plodder list cloggers!

The best teams quite obviously, dare I use this word play "tempo" football. Or more importantly these days, the players on the ground recognise when they need to go fast or play "chaos" ball and when they need to slow things down or which defensive set-ups they need to slow down against. For example, if we're playing West Coast and have a stoppage on our half-back flank, they are likely to have McGovern, Hurn and/or Barass, guarding space in a hole or peeling off their player. Sure, an inside mid's nature is to get the ball out and forward at all costs, but surely they are coached against certain teams, or someone behind that stoppage can realise what is forward and say "righto fellas, we can't simply put this ball forward we're going to have to find targets or run this up to and over their loose players." Obviously that is far easier said than done, and with pressure around the ball that isn't always possible, but surely a "plus one" at the stoppage or behind the ball for us can be directing that and making sure we are aware of this in game? Against a side like West Coast would you even bother kicking forward immediately from a stoppage? I would suggest that our lack of conditioning, whilst an excuse, has caused a few brain fades early in the season, where players under fatigue simply boot the ball forward rather than looking for options.