Gawndy the Great

I get where you are coming from but I think the problem is bigger than the adjudication on game day. Our rules are way too complex for a game that is fast and flowing for an umpire to call it correctly 100% of the time. You’d take that non decision on the chin if it was midway through the game , but as a deciding factor in the end result? Sorry but the AFL is more responsible IMO.

I’m sick and tired of the narrative that the umpiring non decision isn’t why we lost. I get the sentiment but I always call a spade a spade and that non decision was the deciding factor. Yes we were off our game but Adelaide played out of their skins and it took a few bad calls for the game to fall in their favour.

I actually don’t think we have played an easy game yet. Every team has hunted us ever since we beat Richmond. Adelaide were very good against WC in Perth last week and had they had Walker and McHenry would have come very close. We don’t want to be playing our best footy just yet. Still 13 rounds to go.

I got the sense that Viney had a set back in rehab and won’t be back until after bye round - Salem should be back next week according to Goodwin.

We need to bring the Richmond game mindset on Friday night. I don’t think we can play that way every week but expect some real intensity and pressure next Friday night. glad we had a positive night with clearances not that it availed to much. I have no doubt we will turn up - will be a cracking game.

Would have been a good acquisition in hind sight but is he best 22 material?

I don’t think it’s the worst idea but pulling that move half way through a season is not wise. Didn’t Moore play in the backline as junior though? I think Weids biggest flaw is reading the game and ball flight tbh as he is often always in the wrong position or flies under the ball.

He had a chance to kick his second and he absolutely shanked it. Brown would have slotted that through. I think BBB needs to come in next week and the Dees need to think long and hard about getting something back for him in the trade period whilst he has some trade value.

I think the AFL has to do something here. Bring in a video referee that can overrule the umpire within a 20 second play or something - we just cannot sit an watch this happen anymore. With the rules changing so much and the speed in the game, you just cannot expect this game to be adjudicated 100%. Most of the time, the better team always prevails or the free count balance out, but when a game is decided by a decision like this it brings even more pressure on the umpires. They need an out, especially in games when there is a clear home crowd advantage - they will be pressured into making the wrong call as we have seen at least 3 times this year.

Hard to say who goes. The forward half pressure was suspect all night. Pressure on the ball carrier wasn’t great either. i felt the weight fell on too few shoulders and a few old habits crept back into our game. If BBB kicks 3+ goals, I think he comes in otherwise Salem in for Jetta if fit.

The Crows played a very high risk game style that they cannot possibly sustain for long periods - almost our 2018 brand. We should have been ready for it but they were a bit flukey all night. Watch them get thumped next week because they really got up for tonight’s game. As for the umps that is the 3rd or 4th game there have ruined the end result by a bad last 30 seconds. In the scheme of things it’s not a huge thing but imagine that happening in a GF. Montagna mentioned a captains challenge on fox footy a few weeks ago, which was shunned at the time but would have been very handy tonight to challenge either calls. That free kick against Lever and Petty were they kicked easy goals were also very soft. I hope that burns and we turn up with our A game for the next 2 weeks.

Every team regardless of ladder position will turn up to our game as they want to hunt the top team. No easy games - doesn’t help when your in 1st gear until the 3rd quarter.

That is the blueprint of how to beat us - through the corridor - short kicks and passes. Need to respond to this in game and correct.

I haven't though too much about the actual implementation, but i would say if the associated pick is say 2000 points, then the matching mid from a team in the top 8 needs to have a multiplier against i.e. 1st Pos = 1.5x (3000), 2 Pos - 1.4, 3rd - 1.3 etc etc. This way the top 8 team needs to think long and hard if they want to put all of their eggs in one basket to get the NGA / Father Son - in some cases the top 8 team may have traded out of the draft using future picks etc so many never get the points required without trading out existing players for picks. I get that the actual points system takes this into consideration to some extent, however using the Doggies and Sydney as recent examples proves that it is compromising the fairness of the draft.

Just read this on SEN and boy do i get annoyed at these pointless and unbalanced rules. If all plays out as anticipated, then the Doggies will have had access to Pick 1 and Pick 2-5 in subsequent years in the draft whilst playing in finals in previous years. I get the romance of Father-Son and having a contrary view is unpopular, but how would you feel as a Norf supporter who would be crying out for someone like Darcy as a succession strategy to replace Goldstein? Collingwood for Daicos wont be as controversial because they will be finishing close enough to the bottom. It is similar garbage to the whole NGA program where interstate clubs can bypass the draft framework to recruit players in effect jumping the queue. Im not against having these recruiting options remain, but there has to be some common sense and fairness to the whole thing. For example, clubs should be taxed additional points commensurate with their position on the ladder and not just the points value corresponding to the draft order. It should be setup such that a team finishing top 4 or 8 should not be in a position to easily draft a player through Father-Son or NGA when that player is going to go 1-10. I'm not saying it should be impossible, but they should have to 'give-up' something more than just draft points as they do today.

Not the worst idea. Not sure we match up well there though. If Walker comes in with Thilthorpe we will be short in defence. Something to think about for the selectors.

Love his work. I think we have 3 of the top 10 players in the comp at the moment in Oliver, Trac and Gawn and probably another 2-3 in the top 20 (Lever, Salo and May). Such a balanced side playing great team footy. Love Oliver's 2-way running this year and his improved kicking. He is still a young boy and still has some upside. Could he win a brownlow?

100% with you on that. Need him to go head to head with Libba in 2 weeks time. He has to negate his influence in the contest. We stop the Doggies with clearances and we will take them to the sword.

We have been a bit off since the Richmond game. I’m not sure whether this is on purpose but it may explain the slow starts. Our game appears to respond to the oppositions intensity and we eventually break them down. I think we will look similar against the Crows (slow start then overcome them by 5-6 goals) but hope that we are switched on from the first bounce against the Dogs and Lions.

Chandler and Weid need another week or two at least if they are going to learn the system. Stafford needs to work with the forwards to work out leading patterns and general cohesion. It is a potent forward line, however i am not convinced that our inside 50 delivery is suitable for this setup (ala West Coast Eagles who successfully have the 3 headed dragon). Here is a left field idea - why dont we trial Weideman as a key post in the backline? Not saying we do this right now, but in terms of list longevity we have to find a solution to the LG, TMac, BBB conundrum and May isn't getting any younger. TMac is proving too dangerous to be moved to the wing/backline. Could be a Darcy Moore type revelation?

Yep centre clearance work was fine should have said general play stoppages.

Was at the game. Mate saw Trac spew his guts out before the game started. Not sure if nerves or something else. midfield definitely need to lift - too predictable at stoppages and we never seem to get a clean clearance. The midfield is great defensively but cannot hurt teams enough with poor kicking inside 50 - today field kicking was supposedly pretty efficient. We also don’t use the corridor enough - kicking it wide is boring and predictable.

38K

Couldn’t afford Bont but doubt he would even consider leaving the doggies. I’d say from the list above that Merrett is the obvious target. Whitfield j Kelly whilst would be great don’t strike me as someone willing to take a pay cut to come to us for some success. our list balance is reasonably good. I’d like to see some recruitment of a young KP backman to succeed May in a few years. Maybe target Weitering, Maynard or Sicily.

David Teague just walked past me during school pickup this afternoon. Snuck in a sneaky "Go Dees" and the smirk on his face changed into a look of worry and sorrow. He knows what's coming this weekend. Dees by 6 goals.