Gawndy the Great

I find this a little hard to believe because you actually need game practise to develop the skill of execution. If we have a plan B under wraps for finals, I very much doubt it’s the silver bullet everyone thinks it is. Without real game application, it won’t stand up in the pressure of finals. The ‘pressure’ rating and the elusive switch we all expect to flick to rediscover our manic 2021 form is just as much about positioning, trusting your team mate to do their role and being on the same page as it is about effort and fitness. I think this has been off all year bar a few games when it magically appears. The only part of our game that is in check is the contested game and that bodes well in finals. But as we saw with the Pies, it only gets you so far, when a team brings dare and elite running. It’s no surprise that all the genuine contenders have a similar game plan, it is our game plans kryptonite. I hope the coaching dept aren’t continuing with the sole reliance on our game plan execution and that we look to deploy some tactics to disarm them - this is what we would potentially have under wraps.

I mean this is leading patterns 101. Have the tall decoy into the forward pocket and then have your best kick and lead in mark run at the ball carrier. The only thing that makes this unlikely is our forward 50 entry angle. We are usually coming in from the flank, which leaves the fat side completely exposed if we can’t hit the target. What Geelong do is switch it to the corridor. Before pulling off that kick inside to Hawkins.

He’d be close to ready by the GF I reckon. I wouldn’t normally question his fitness, given he is always in the top couple , but with the finals intensity not sure he’d last 4 quarters.

I actually thought it was the wrong appointment at the time as there was a mega walkout looming at the same time. It appears as though the group never really had the respect and belief from day 1 given how fragile the whole club after making the top 8 last year. I think the AFL should throw an extra -20% to ensure Clarkson ends up at Norf. Essendon need to suffer for much much longer.

Where is he at the moment? We need someone who has the balls and experience to stand up to Goody (not in a bully way), but have courage to challenge him. I'd also like someone that has a strong focus on ball movement. We need to move on from this crappy 'playing the %'s', defend with ball in hand game style. Can still play defense - no issue with that - but we need to be more lethal in scoring from turnover, that has completely disappeared from our game this year. Oh and defn a forward coach.

What has that got to do with COVID protocols breach?

You’d think but who knows. I get the feeling Brayshaw is much more liked and has a better connection with the players. I’ve always been a Jack Viney man myself so take my view with that in mind.

It’s better than the system we have now where the top seed plays 17 and 18 twice. But point taken - I’m sure there are ways around it like teams 7-12 can’t jump into the next bracket so the best they can hope for is the finals spot 7 and 8. We just have to bold enough to break away from the status quo.

I’m with you on that but it would be awkward for Goody as he was his assistant wasn’t he?

There are plenty of inequalities that remain in our game, but the most unequal of them is all is the fixturing. Whilst i'd love a 36 round spectacle, we know its a pipe dream with the current length of games. The AFL wouldn't want to make the length of the season any shorter either, so i also think the 'play each other once' is also a pipe dream unless they change the finals format, which the purists would have a conniption over. So if we were to stick to the 23 round fixture, each team should play each other once in rounds 1-17. The final 6 rounds are then determined by ladder position on the eve of Round 18. This will rule out any team that is in the Top 6, playing a bottom 6 team twice. But given the commercial influence on our game, this is also a pipe dream as we all want two showdowns, two Derbys, two what-ever-its-called in Qld and NSW. We make too many decisions to improve the size of EBA. It has to stop.

I loved how Kozzy got himself to the front of the pack for the crumb. This is where he should be every single time. The risk that Lever took was inspiring - the execution was poor, but he 100% identified the corridor prior to the stoppage as an outnumber. And finally a bounce that favored our boys. It is one week earlier than last year where we snuck a victory from the jaws of defeat against the Cats... would love for this to reignite the fire of belief.

With that height and presumably a few pre-seasons, wouldnt be the worst thing we could look at. Were we ever into him last year?

There could be a real treasure trove of players available this season. With the likes of Saints and Bombers, possibly looking to reset and let go some of their more mature talent to get back into the draft. They will most likely want to hold onto their a-grade talent unless they request a trade out. Time for the recruiting dept to reach some of these managers if they havent already. Who would you have on your shopping list? The obvious (but probably untouchable) is Max King and even Peter Wright. Would you look to get in Merret on JJ's wing? So much to think about!

Yeah i take some comfort in that. However, 3 out of the last 4 games have had our opposition playing 'out-of-their-skin'. There is no reason not to expect it again on Friday night. Based on that logic, with our current form, im not sure we can hold off a Lions outfit at the Gabba.

I get your point, it is a fine line. Most thread titles give an indication of what they are getting themselves in for. If it doesn't interest you, I don't get why some feel the need to jump into the thread and criticize the OP on their sentiment alone.

Brisbane would have put a circle around this game the moment we smashed them earlier this year. We are their bogey team of late and you can be confident that they will bring their 'GF' game on Friday night. Not sure we can sustain another 'GF' performance from our opposition. Especially coming off a 6 day break and travel. It is true they lack the defensive prowess and effort, but they are potent when the game is an offensive one. If you look at our last month of footy, we have been vulnerable to teams with that game style. I am not as confident as most on DL that we will knock off the Lions. If we manage to do it and secure 2-3, then ill regain some confidence that we may have a chance in Sept.

I think it depends on what ends up happening at the Hangar. But he is one player that they wouldn't want to lose. There aren't many of them atm. He is precisely what we need in the forward line - great contested mark and kick. Has a good footy IQ as well.

Good on you Doc. I'd be lost without you.

Gus has been a gun all year. He really is a very good footballer. I am happy we have signed him up. His move into the midfield has meant that Trac has moved a bit more forward of the ball and im not sure whether that is working just yet. Still think Trac, Clayton, Viney and Gawn is the right formula.

I'm not taking up arms against anybody. The bottom line is we are here to talk about football, not how people react in gameday threads or the outlook they may have. Everyone will have a different opinion, perspective and a process to deal with the emotions they face during and after the game. If you don't like what people have to say, you don't have to read it. It really is that simple.

Trac is an even worse culprit of this flaw. BBB, despite his long run up, had actually a good technique.

People will be people. This is a place where all people should feel welcome to talk about the Dees. The fact that we have threads like these, believe it or not, is marginalising the folks that have a different perspective to the OP. I personally don’t understand nor relate to people who continually see the upside against all odds, but I don’t go out of my way to make threads about the ‘Cool Aid Corner’ or ‘Obnoxiously Optimistic’. There are forum rules and mods to ensure disrespectful and distasteful chatter is moderated and punished accordingly. Anything beyond that is fair game so if you don’t like it, facepalm the post, ignore the poster and move on.

JVR is not ready from what I have watched of him. He definitely has a competitive spirit in him but his physique is not AFL ready yet. That would be brutally exposed in a finals intensity game. He actually looks quite short as well, I’m not convinced he can be a KPF. Definitely a general forward, but he may need to play more of a roaming HF / wing type role IMV. Need one desperately and you’d hope we can pry someone in this years trade period.

It does, but I’ll argue that they have to accentuate it otherwise they get nothing for contesting hard and getting smacked in the head. Every team does it to an extent. It’s the baseless diving.

Geelong rank #1 in 11 categories. Which is probably more of a telling factor about who is likely to win it, albeit Richmond during their era didn’t really dominate these stats. Great work though.