Ollie fan

I loved it but I still think there are major things to improve. BBB is not a CHF and really, I don’t think there is a place for him - lovely human being that he is- given hoe Grawndy performed in the forward line. And I think we need to do a LOT of work on our leading patterns in the forward line - there were too many times when we got a great centre clearance tgat was crying out for a good forward lead but instead went nowhere. Bowey is wonderful. His place is surely cemented now.

Completely agree with this. Eg fully fit Dunstan will never replace Clarry with an injured thumb. And people forget how close we came to snatching that game back off Brisbane in the last 10 minutes.

I think he’s going to be like his dad - not the most naturally talented, but completely determined to make the best of what he’s got.

Me too!!!

Absolutely disagree. His hardness and leadership are irreplaceable.

The Cripps decision was insane. The trouble is, in future years, he will be recorded as the winner of the Brownlow medal, people will forget about the fact that he should have been disqualified, and it’s a medal he should never have won. I don’t recall the Brent Moloney issue - is there any link to film of it?

As I posted above, Clayton Oliver really reminds me of him. I don’t think Dangerfield was anything like him, to be honest. For a start, I don’t recall Barassi ever being a whinger, like Dangerfield is – Dangerfield complains about every free kick awarded against him, no matter how obvious. But it’s more than that. Oliver, like Barassi, is everywhere, and always having an influence. Absolutely relentless is the only way I can describe it. They see the ball and it is theirs, no point arguing about it.

What a wonderful player! I wonder if others on this site agree with me when I say that Clarry reminds me of him in his relentlessness and his competitiveness -and even the way he runs. Anyway, happy birthday Ron.

Someone whingeing about the board and the need for “fair open and transparent elections”.

I don’t believe. $1.00. He has never translated Casey form to AFL grade. I would love to be proved wrong.

Surely Bowey is the most like-for-like?

Any updates on Clarrie’s hand would interest me! - thanks

Despite all of the above, it is great to see, in the Stephen may interview on the Club website, that, in the background, Clarrie is handling the ball with his right hand, gripping it, and with no bandage that I could see!

The changes are sensible, but still overly finicky. But they need to change more. For a start, the nominating a Ruckman rule is ridiculous; if they really want to stop a third man up, and I don’t really understand why they want to, then you just penalise a team if two people compete at the same ruck contest. And the one that really drives me crazy is the 30 second rule. You are supposed to play on quite quickly around the field but you are given 30 seconds to prepare a shot for goal. Fair enough I suppose. But when the kick is then an attempt to pass to another player – as was once brilliantly exploited by ANB - the team is given another 30 seconds, and that is ridiculous. It should be limited to 1 thirty second allowance per forward 50 entry.

Nudge, that is so good and positive to hear!!

I don’t get the chance to go to training, and I love reading the training reports. One thing I am wondering about is this: it seems that we have quite a few players who aren’t training because of “niggles“. (I am actually particularly worried about Jake Lever). But I wonder if this is a deliberate change from the Burgess system of playing through niggles, which may have been a contributor to the drop-off in form in the second half of last season. Any comments, trackwatchers?

There is no defence in the league -and probably never will be- that can defend against a well-directed, accurate, fast-paced delivery into the forward line. As I said, in my earlier post, we have been the meanest defence in the league for two years. That speaks for itself.

Who?

Like others, I would love a full report, but in the meantime looked at the Club’s Training Gallery. Gee, all of them have really put in in the weights room - even the recruits look almost ready to play against men.And Clarry looks like he’s gone to yet another level of strength and commitment.

Yes. It was interesting to see that absolutely nothing has changed – incredible hometown bias, overwhelming majority of Geelong supporters because Melbourne supporters simply couldn’t get tickets, and the extraordinary homeground advantage, which means Geelong of almost impossible to beat down there. Our mission this year, and over the next few years should be to make them our bunnies.

What a pleasure! And how beautiful a kick was Travis Johnstone? I had forgotten the pleasure of watching him when he was on song.

Panic merchants?? Two years in a row the meanest defence in the league?!!!!

I think the answer to this might be that there are two types of attack from the opposition. The first is setting up a chain of chip and run, which we try to defeat by all-team defence, putting pressure on their ball-carrier and all receiving options, starting at our forward line. The second is when they get the ball from a contested situation, which, as MP describes, can be stymied by having the ruckman play a kick behind.

PS He is also a huge Clarrie fan - sees him as an all-time great.

Has anyone read the Mongrel Punt 2023 season review about us? THE BIG QUESTIONS – MELBOURNE 2023 SEASON PREVIEW Some interesting points - particularly that Fritta has kicked more goals in the last two years than anyone else bar Hawkins -pretty amazing. The MP does not agree with the “selfish” criticism… Like me, he is pretty bullish about 2023- particularly Gawn/Grundy and Langdon/Hunter. A good read if you can get it.