Gawndy the Great

I think most in the know will tell you that hit outs don’t really mean in the overall scheme of things. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next 10-20 years the centre bounce isn’t scrapped/modified to further reduce stoppages. Maybe a modified netball/ soccer type of thing.

There wasn’t much in it but the Doggies stoppage and midfield work is just poetry. They seem to have so much time and space coming out of stoppages where we fumble or go to ground in the contest. It’s like we are all in all the time no coverage on the outside. Can be fixed but it’s a preseason job not something you can tinker with mid season. Umpiring is just pathetic I mean really pathetic. Minus the two gifted goals to the Doggies - probably wouldn’t change the result but sheesh we would have had a better chance. Viney was good tonight, Trac was poor, Oliver was good but not great. Gawn is terribly out of form. I mean just stinking big time - his tap work was woeful despite the huge number of hit outs. LJ should have a test - he is cooked. JJ was nowhere to be seen. May has played better. Hibbo is off it - I hope he finds because he’ll probably playing a lot more vfl next year.

That’s the game folks

That would have been 50 if it was the doggies

19-7 frees the Doggies. Who would have thought the umps wouldn’t ruin this spectacle. 2 goals from [censored] frees. Always on the receiving end.

I think every.week we just have to expect 2-3 goals due to poor umpiring decisions. We just seem to attract this crap.

We are winning the important stats. Just cleaner usage and the tide should eventually turn.

Seriously why are we persisting with this guy. He has shown nothing in his time at the club bar the 1 game in 2018. If we are controlling the narrative we should do everything to ‘keep him with the club’ but find a suitor to try and snap a 2nd rounder and exchange that for Maynard or Cerra. Kelly will milk every penny at GWS unless they have a Treloar list management probl and look to offload 6-700K off their books. Is there anybody else ? Do we make a play for Shan Bolton? He is exactly what we need speed and skill.

Tell me he’s not umpiring our game and your just pulling my leg? I don’t think I can handle another umpire ravaged game.

We don't have much history to go by but at least 3 out of the 4 the losses this year included measures in opposition game plan to consciously avoid the intercept and have defensive minded forwards. I cant recall whether we have won any games with this tactic being employed. The strengths of the Doggies is absolutely their ball movement from stoppages and their spread. Whilst we get sucked into the contest, they send fewer players inside and sling shot out. They have good ball users in the HF and can deliver deadly blows through smart/quick f50 connection. The tactics of this game will be interesting because the Doggies like to send an extra number into a stoppage / contest area while we are happy to have our extra in a defensive sweeper role. If both teams play their own style we will see a similar result where our midfield pressure and defensive structure will probably win out. If, however, the doggies have done what others have, then it will be an even midfield contest and if we are losing against bottom 4 sides in this situation, i cannot fathom what a Bulldogs outfit will be able to accomplish.

It is the blueprint to beat us, so not surprised at all. Just have to ensure that the midfield brings an extra level of defensive intensity and sustains it for 4 quarters.

Weather is wet and windy, the nemesis of a tall forward line... bad call by Bevo i reckon unless he thinks we are playing under the closed roof of Marvel Stadium.

Are we talking about footy? When reading this post my eyes were drwan towards "aroused ' and my ability to focus similarly dropped off ?

Two losses this year have come from oppo goals in the last 1-2 minutes of game time. How do you fix it...dont put yourself in that situation. We had countless opps to shut the game down make it a scrap / contest game - get numbers behind the ball etc etc. And yet as many have highlighted we have made some poor decisions and dont seem to have a plan B. Our game style is largely defensive in nature.. setup structurally to force the dumb kick and burn teams on turnover. However when teams like the ones we have lost to make our defenders accountable and apply a bit of heat at the contest, we look ordinary. One can only hope that we do have a plan B but have it tucked away for finals because i will tell you that every team we play from now on will be stupid not to adopt a similar approach.

Just a stinger - he’ll play this weekend. He better as I’m out of SuperCoach trades ?

I think any team under pressure of 180+ will struggle as we clearly did against the Hawks. In the end it will be boil down to desire and who is hungrier. I'm not buying into the attitude aspects just yet - yes there were some indications against the Hawks that some players were trying to do too much - i think that is a great mind set, it just needs to be fine tuned to ensure that energy and desire is better placed.

BDA i wish i could have your optimism but our footy - or consistency to be more accurate - doesn't inspire much confidence in our ability to win. We are still a week-to-week proposition and don't know which Melbourne team will turn up. Im less concerned with things being attitudinal but if a team placed 17th can dismantle our gameplan then I think a mature, hard working and highly skillful team like the doggies will go to school and give us a good old reality check.

The good record against top sides i think is going to come to an end this week. Unfortunately. The Dogs are the goods this year and we will probably be our biggest rival in the years to come. Yes i am writing us off and hope i get to eat my words, but this mental fragility was behind our fade-out in 2018 and will probably feature again in the remaining games. Interestingly Gary Lyon gave a good synopsis of how we got beat by team placed 17th on the ladder. That was keep May and Lever occupied and put some work into Salem.

Our case numbers have peaked (i think). What we are seeing is the variation in the incubation times of those infected in the original cluster. I think we will start to see a fall in the next few days with < 5 new cases per day by next week - if not zero. I would expect no crowds in VIC for the next 2-3 rounds as we get some control back and consecutive donut days. I would then expect an increase of crowds to about 50% by finals time. That is probably the best we can hope for. Obviously we could push for higher attendance but 50K at the G is still a decent size crowd and will be similar if not better atmosphere than what OO, AO or GABBA. I still think that all other teams outside of SA and WA should hub in the southern states.

I would be genuinely surprised if we beat them. They will tackle and hunt us like no tomorrow.

The selfishness is starting to eek back into the team. Not the hero I’m so important type of selfishness but the one where we try and do too much. I recall Oliver having a number of collisions with other MFC players trying to get the ball - doesn’t look great.

We would surely have to put in a phone call to the AFL this week you would think. It wasn’t marginal when there 2-3 goals from very questionable frees and non frees to MFC. I remember thinking up until half time that the umpiring wasn’t too bad.

Make no mistake about it. The Hawks deserved that game. The umpiring was truly putrid. Our goal kicking was akin to u12s. If it wasn’t for Frost they would have won it. Our form needs to improve drastically and I truly cannot see that happening. If we manage top 4 (and that is a big if) we will go out in straight sets.

Absolutely pathetic. Umpires disgraceful. MFC disgraceful. Goal kicking putrid.

Free kick hawthorn making a come back. Don’t care if we win this tonight …. We cannot be serious about winning many finals this year. We crack under any sign of pressure on the ball. Every team can see this clear as day.