kev martin

Out-muscled at the contest. They are throwing us away. When we are infront they can push us. So much from having an advantage playing in front. A few passengers, this really hurts us when the game is so hard. Our discipline and structure is suffering. Need to get more control and our forwards have to give good leads that are easy to hit up. Get the ball Dees.

Getting a lesson on how to create one on one contests. We are playing from behind. A few a bit fumbly. Backline need to do some chop outs. Not making he most of when we have the ball.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Melbourne is the real deal. Brisbane are proven as a good team over a few seasons. Tough, well coached, but can be off their game, though more in the early games of the year. They play a straight forward game, of finding a corridor to goal by switching, breaking the lines or creating turnovers and scoring on the counter. They are not a tempo team, they keep the pressure on for the four quarters and kind of wear the defence down. We will make it difficult for their switching game, our behind the ball play is exceptional. Being competitive at the contest should reduce the easy outs, but we can't give them turnovers. This is a team that will hurt us if we aren't clean with the ball. Hoping we step up our skills to the next level. It will be interesting to see how much Gawny is used to cover the Lions talls. Cans Weids get some space and give a consistent performance? Will Brisbane have an answer to the way we intercept? Would love to see us move the ball extremely fast down the field, or at least use some angles to find a free corridor. Our forward-line needs to be switched on as the Lions are a high scoring team, and it shouldn't be up to our defensive structure to keep the game in hand. Another Friday game, sponsors will be happy as well as the footy public watching the top teams, going at each other, again. Go Dees.

Only from what I have seen, when watching the games that she is in. So not a big sample size.

Not sure about her. She chases the bucks, has minimal loyalty and is an inconsistent performer. She could disrupt our team if they pay more than salary of our stars and developing players become limited in what they can ask for under the cap.

My problem with Baker is that of defense. Can he play that structured game? He needs to be able to support the backline, and stop the opposition from getting easy outs. I also question his decision making. He can get the ball, tackle, moves well to space, and is nearly a good kick. The consistency in the selections would have us, having to play him for a few games, given that he has already been in and out of the team without cementing a spot or given a fair run at it. Tough to come in for one game. Sparrow would be in the same boat if they are thinking one game filler. Sparrow would be a better long term selection. Would prefer to give one game to Bowey or Rosman.

These two are possibly the flag favourites at the moment. Dogs peaked early and with that loss against us, will fail the second half of the season, IMO. We haven't had to fight a serious game for a while now. That ability to hang in there and come from behind for a win, which we did early in the season, is so good for our confidence and self belief. I predict a see-sawing game. Hoping we can come back at them if they get a run on. Leading into the break, this is a danger game. Win it, and we are all smiles, lose, and we have to continue the build. Will need some enforcers, get a few on the angry pills.

No confidence, he becomes self absorbed, worried, anxious, leaving less capacity to fully focus on the job at hand. He therefore can't "get in the flow", until he is relaxed and using all his facilities to play. That includes peripheral vision and instincts. He will remain stunted until he has confidence. Could do with a pressure release of some form. Success, put a string of good games together, get him to change the way he thinks when he doesn't mark it (berating himself doesn'tseem to work), hypnotise himself into thinking he can't miss them so he believes it is an aberration when he misses them, tell himself to get on with it and that he shouldn't live in the past.

He has a few issues when going for marks. Sometimes, he has his hands too far above the head and the ball is not in his line of view. Other times, his wrists and elbows seem to stiff and they don't act like shock absorbers. He has difficulty finding separation, when he can create a mismatch, he does well, as he doesn't have to elevate too high. Leaping is not his preferred method. Needs to be more aggressive against his opponents, body them away instead of leading with them on his tail. Frequently finds himself with two opponents or in a pack. Loved that he can bring the ball down though. I want to see him come a bit more laterally at the contest and have his arms infront of his eyes, or a bit to the side, then have softer hands and some give in his elbows. Really needs to get his hands in the right position as he snaps the ball. High focus on the ball, don't take your of it, be relaxed and get in the zone. A bit about technique but also, alot about confidence. A little anxiety exacerbates his, not quite right technique. C'mon Weids, I still believe he can get there.

Another Friday night game, woo-hoo! Happy with this floating fixture, if they set it preseason, we would be at our usual Sunday game. This will be a challenge and will need to shift gears. The lions won't be falling over when we bring the pressure or our defensive structures. Unlike the other teams who we have made to look ordinary, my guess is the lions will fight through it. Hoping and expecting some classy football, not just our bread and butter approach. Our structures and systems are good, but we will need more. The next gear please Dees: Clean gets and disposals, we have been good this season, maintain it. Keep working for each other. They share the load and are genuinely happy for and with each other. Our fitness and gut runs have been remarkable, it is like we have extra players. Get the ball or cause them to rush their plays. Hoping for more quick ball movement. From the contest we have to have some outside runners, we have been generally busting through the middle, Lions won't let us do that. The forwards need to find separation and space on their leads, perhaps have some decoys, and don't get in each others way. Work for each other, do the 1 percenters. Oliver has been beating all his tags, Tracc is too strong to be matched. My guess, is that there will plenty of off the ball or around the contest, holding, scragging and cheap shots. Lions are a tough team and we better be ready for their muscle. Hope the umpires are up to it. It will be a cracker, we have turned up for most of the quarters this year, but we need a 4 quarter, full participation and with a strong work ethic, to win this one. This will test our best game. Go Dees.

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Stuff the media. It is about the bucks for them. It is why we get the Sunday games regularly anyway, and so few friday nights over the decades. Fox covers us because lots of MFC supporters can afford the subscription. Free to air pander to the largest supporters base. I still remember, on a show about footy, the host saying, we won't talk about Melbourne until they beat a top 8 side back in 2018. They don't want to talk about us in extended or elaborate ways. It is great that the MFC are so accommodating to them with always offering players to interview. I wonder what the media would do if we shut the shop on them, did the bare minimum according to the contracts and just concentrated on footy for the rest of the year. Make our own in house shows, with a devils advocate for the oppositions view.

Maybe the Tassy Government would throw some bucks at us to play there. Less time to travel for us, we are more acclimatised to the weather than up north. Next would be Canberra, though I like the idea of Albury. SCG as a last resort. Not the Gold Coast. If the Lions would swap a future home game to us, then they could think about playing in Brissy. Please not North Queensland.

If they are going to call those, then all the forward that step inside, to better their angle should be called play on. They do it regularly to better the angle and try and squid the umpire. Play on you reckon, that will help the game. The straight line from the mark or free is hard to find. A bit tough to call play on. Forwards regularly have to be set by the umpires, why not the other players. Walking back, that should be the line and when you step off that line then play on. It should be the line the player sets (within reason) not what the umpires imagine unless they go and set it as with the forwards. They should all have the same rules all around the field. If the forwards want the 30 seconds they should have to have a genuine shot at the goals, or a free is paid. One time for Gawny was more about time, wasn't it. He was given hardly any! I wonder if you respond to any of my ideas or is it all a one way street, discussing only your remarks. Is it difficult for you to see others views, you just dismiss them or have no time for them?

Draws two three defenders which opens up space for others if he can release it, sometimes he doesn't. I reckon, keep taking them on. JJ still learning, improving every game. I see our improvements coming from holding the marks, improving our accuracy when kicking set shots, getting more drive off the backflanks, switching the ball a bit more as well as changing the angle of delivery a bit and controlling the tempo (go faster or slower sometimes, so to keep them guessing and to reduce or create run ons

We gave away some goals in the time on period of the 2nd quarter. I thought at the time we didn't learn from last week. In the third we got smart in time on. Can only assume the coaches got into them and reminded them of the weeks learning's.

I think you are expecting far too much. Every game will have some errors. If not the ones you point out, others will occur. Tmac breaks tackles regularly, Gawny can take shots if in the area, as can anyone. Some don't come off. Thought some of the play on calls were very tough, inconsistent calls across the season. Melky is happy halving the contest, or slowing down the play. Can get away with it sometimes. Inconsistent umpire calls across the season. Teams haven't been able to hurt us much from turnovers, let them take it on. JJ still young, again back yourself, though he will learn. They are getting the small things right and will again, but there are always small things. What gets a win is our plans, structures and the application of that, not the little stuff! I see our improvements coming from holding the marks, improving our accuracy when kicking set shots, getting more drive off the backflanks, switching the ball a bit more as well as changing the angle of delivery a bit and controlling the tempo (go faster or slower sometimes, so to keep them guessing and to reduce or create run ons) .

Sparrow has to do his runs and sprints post game to keep his work load at optimum level. So getting him on, can help with a little motivation so do his hard yards.

Agree Col, those perfect passages that always gave us hope and that we are "it", if we could do "it" much more regularly, have disappeared. When we go a bit Hollywood, it often comes unstuck now. They appear to emphasise, keeping plays simple, much less of take "it" on. A few have a licence, such as Hunty and Salem from the half-back (to break the lines) or Oliver with the skills are examples, of reward outweighs the risk. Mostly we are bread and butter, system and plans this season. Such maturity is a beautiful thing.

Out: Weids Melky Langdon In: BBB Sparrow Bowey Weids has anxiety, too much pressure on him to perform, can't find separation, can't leap and mark at the same time. Melky hasn't enough output, not playing for 4 quarters, looking slow, no longer winning 1 on 1's. Bowey is kicking well at Casey, seems a smart decision maker, can find space and is elusive, a replacement for Langdon. Can go to the backline if not working well on the wing. Sparrow needs more games at a higher level and can play as the inside mid and will do the 1 percenters. BBB to be our spearhead, needs time to gell with the team.

We make our opponents look ordinary. Bounced back. Clean football, very little fumbling. Good use of taggers. Good coaching. Jordon, Lever, Oliver, Harmes, Tracc, Tmac, Spargo, Rivers, Petty, Hibbs, all good. Melky and Weids on thin ice, IMO. Still need to take our chances when kicking for goal. Have plenty of upside and can expect more improvement as the season unfolds. Accuracy, finding separation when offensive, not flying for the same mark (did Weids spoil Fritta), taking the first option, not fumbling easy marks, a few more shepard's, Salem and Hunt had average games, so missed that fast ball through our corridors. We will miss Langdon, he is so important with him running hard and fast all game. Friday night footy with a win, we can enjoy the rest of the weekend's games and get talked about in all the shows. On the jumper clash. Wow, lots of difference in them, made even more when the white shorts are on. Disappointing, for all the broadcasters talking it up. The indigenous players feeling extra pride and then the let down. Why can't the MFC stand up to the AFL, like the others. Dreamtime game was played with much more clash. I guess the unveiling will be even more special in the Alice.

We are still forcing the errors. Oliver keeps at it, Rivers standing up, Spargo hard running to right places, Tracc is helping at the stoppages, Lever setting up well, Tmac getting into it, Fritta is working. Hold our marks, Weids and Gawny. Some beautiful in close handballs are releasing players or getting us out of trouble. No more time on goals to the dogs, please. Play it out to the siren. Haven't we learnt from the Crows game. Go Dees.

Those elite disposal by the Dogs. Wow, not when under pressure. They still look dangerous, need to stay on. Missed some easy ones again. Fritta, Jordon, Oliver, Spargo, at it and the backline is working well. They want it more. Go Dees.

Playing games, of course they will tag. Harmes needs the run with role. Jordon can do stopper roles. ANB with Daniels. Maybe not from the start, but it will happen, as has been in previous games, especially if someone like McCrae, or Libba get too much ball or if Bont starts taking control.