Grr-owl

Little known fact: Prior to WWI, there were 114 Aussie Rules teams in NZ....

How much $ for the helium?

A bunch of great ideas here and in the previous posts. Yeah, I'm totally onboard with three talls + Max ... as long as one of them is Jackson. My only caveat is that he is young, and though he ran a lot of K's and got a fair number of possessions he hasn't been an overwhelming presence, yet. But that is a big 'yet.' He's young, obviously, and bursting with potential, for sure; I just hope the footy gods allow it come to fruition. The though of Jacko ruck-roving to Max in the middle has me salivating. Next season, I reckon, once the young fella has another preseason in the gym. Much more worried about Weid.

The Jackson 6 wrote that in response to the idea of three talls - Weid, BBB, and Jacko - in the forward line. Responses to the response might be interesting...

Cheers, that was excellent. A brilliant series unfortunately and maligned for it's title. Never bothered me, TBH, just thought it referred to pre-season training taking players to the toughest places.

Yeah, I'd like to hear Binman's response to this.

Yeah, and Binman has pointed out that Jacko as a third tall is a nightmare to match up against. With Gawn rotating in the ruck/forward/back, the side is looking very tall, but strong. What about the wing?

Credit to Binman for this idea. Jackson stays when Weid and Brown return. Matchup hell for the oppo. Extreme flexibility for us in the forward line and ruck. When Jacki takes the third defender, he’ll run riot.

So TMac is out.... does Jackson start on the wing... or we have three talls and Fritsch + Kossie and Spargo in the forward line?

What happens when Weid and Brown return?

Captured on.... moon cam.

I am to HPM what Binman is, but without his natural talent. Nevertheless, Burgo says that EPL players have far more acceleratIons and decelerations than AFL players, and the players are smaller, lighter and far, far more agile. Robbie Gray is a bog standard soccer player in terms of agility. I think these points of difference figures into his methods somehow as I have never seen a team as lean as ours this season. Don’t know how, but if I knew what he knew and thought there was an advantage in it somewhere, I’d use it. Of course. The question is, what advantage could there be in being leaner and more agile than others while maintaining optimum upper-body strength to compete with the opposition?

Yep.

They say timing is everything...err...???

Well, here's my two cents. It takes 2-3 seasons for a program to mature. We looked fit in 2020 and we look fitter again now. If we're close to maturation as a club and a team and Burgess sees one more season as bringing a program to fruition, he'll stay for 2022. If results this year are mediocre and suggesting a mediocre 2022, he'll go. Anyone interested in Burgo should check out the Brukie and Burgo podcast. Fascinating for anyone interested in sport and the people involved at the top level.

Yeah, he took a wrong turn and ended up in Geelong. And like many others, has yet to find a way out.... Hang on, you mean the other Cameron....

Brings up another tactical point for discussion. If Gus's future is on the wing, how does it fit with the mooted and trained TMac wing option once Weid and BBB are fit? Then there's the glut of talls. Jackson gets VFL time to mature and blossom, fair enough. Petty too, I suspect they want to take slow given the injuries. Nothing negative for him to play a solid season in the 2's to be primed. How do these factors fit into the evolving strategy? I sense a trade coming, possibly for Gus. Mitch Brown will bow and and not be replaced with another tall. How can we play the list to bring in Zac Merrett?

Played tough when we needed, and the skills in the first half were excellent but for goal kicking. Only fell off when the pressure dropped... Good win with plenty to work on. I’ll take it.

You can say that again...

Could be a simple one: With the changes in rules and the resulting one on ones in the forward line, has the game just come to us, for once?

Yeah, and I’m sure he loves to wear lederhosen, just like you.... And well done on replying to me without mentioning how awful western culture is... ?

Great performer. Classic Aussie character...

What a great bloke. Champ.

Just noticed in the James Jordan post-game interview, after he finished up with Max, Brownie can be seen in the background shaking hands with Weid.

I get what you're saying. But my 'but' is that maybe he's got the potential to be a player who necessitates a rethink of traditional roles to fit: ruck/midfielder plus marking forward. A good ruck, but maybe not the dominant one in the competition; but a gun at ground level, getting the ball out; then a leading, marking forward who kicks goals. I'm thinking Nic Nat/Bud/Cripper. Yeah I'll take some flak for that, but I reckon there's something in it.... heft (eventually), spring, height, speed, agility....