Jjrogan

Yup. The ruck position is overrated but Gawn is one of, if not the best contested marks + intercepts marking in the AFL. Wish he played forward more and stretched defences. Imagine the immense panic and need of multiple defenders to spoil him on every contest. Nah. Lets have him a kick behind the play week in week out.

His highlights package reminded me a bit of Melksham the way he lowers his eyes and pinpoints a low pass into 50. But then he went and tackled someone and the comparison was lost.

To play devils advocate cant really deny we have a bunch of butchers in our midfield and Melksham is the only one who reliably makes the right decision and executes forward of centre (when he shows up). Its not a list of our best players (which he isnt) but yea given our awful delivery into 50, hes pretty important cause he essentially carrying the efficiency inside 50. Fwiw, at his career at Melbourne.. when he has > 5 inside 50s we are 10-4 < 2 inside 50s we are 7-14

Im usually softly in the Goodwin-peasement camp. But, considering we have a defence built by him, a midfield built by him, the best ruckman, a top 3 afl matchwinner in trac and a top 3 forward fall into his lap for free and 3-young talented rookies. Top 4. 15-16 wins. It aint getting better than this.

From a kick in or when the ball is in a forward pocket, you can have 36 players in one half of the field. Reducing the number of rotations is fine, but from that point you'll still have congestion again. Paying tiggy touch wood holding the ball decisions constantly is just going to peev everyone off. The rule is random enough as it is. If you have 1 or 2 players from each team (3 is too many imo) mandatory inside the arc at dead balls it stretches the field and allows open space. I dont see how this changes the fabric of the game. You can still run where you want but if the ball goes over the boundary line or a kick in... Spread out again. The vfl trial will tell us anyhow i guess. (The goal-square requirement is a bit silly)

Or the other option is to release a full fixture. Get a quarter way through and some outbreak totally [censored] up the schedule and entire season. They are being pragmatic. there are no magic contingency plans. if a state in Australia gets an outbreak, you know things are going to get shut down hard and then youll have 10 times more disruption (and complaining)

So in the end, they created a zone (the centre square) to overcome the quagmire. Then for a few glorious decades it worked well. Anyway, 16 a side or zoning, just trial it in 'lower' grades and see how it looks. Nfl v college does that effectively.

hope all those who favour to ease congestion by reducing the number to 16 and 'get players tired' wont be the same group that then complain about the skills that inevitably drop off. Speeding up the game will also just mean more tired players. Players arent robots, expect the standard to deteriorate. If you're ok that, then sure, give it a go. As for zoning... for the majority of the history of the game players were effectively playing in a zone, without an explicit rule. You think dunstall, jakovich and plugger left the forward 50m arcs? The game was played with players that held their position allowing for an open midfield. It was definitely a better spectacle and yes, more goals were scored. (More goals being scored didnt lead it to a better spectacle per se). Mandating 2 players from each team stay within the forward 50 isnt going to be something new for the game. Its going to make the game look like something pre 2000. You can debate how hard it to is official but to dismiss it without trying it first is shortsighted. I believe the game does need to change in line with other sporting codes progressions. Those that argue for change still like tactical defensive battles, but we'd rather watch 5 free flowing games a round than 1.

I wonder where Oliver would be going if he was in this draft without playing his final year? Not only is it compromised with the academy picks, they havent played for 12 months+. Better to be lucky than good. Throw a dart.

Australian football players, among world sporting professionals, accept some of the lowest payments as a percentage of the games revenue. Part of the trade off is a player gets a chance to choose where you play. I personally dont consider that a flaw. Sucks when its Philips, but its ok if its Brown. Swings and roundabouts.

What an era the early 90s were. 9 of the highest 13 scoring shots for a forward came in these few years. Someone was kicking 10 goals every other week. The game was absolutely incredible to watch. Every other sport has found a way for forwards/scorers to score more heavily.. soccer, nfl, cricket since then. Obviously more goals isnt necessarily always more exciting, but yea, um it was.

Ham would be a very interesting get with upside. Very slight, but has a bit of dash and low dart left foot. I'm surprised the bombers aren't offering him a contract. In a good side, he could be a bit of an x factor. Then again, the bombers probably arent a good side next year.

Id say our need is much higher than other teams and probably is reflected in the contract/package we offer relatively. Most of the top teams are set for key forwards. Most of the middle teams need to bolster their midfields as a greater priority or chasing cheaper targets. And the lower ones need to rebuild through drafts. I think hes kinda fallen in our lap if it gets done. Fingers crossed

So basically he comes to us hes a pariah for taking the money. He goes to geelong hes a pariah for wanting success the easy way. He stays at hawks he's loyal but without money or success and has to listen to jeff k's drivel regularly. Tough gig. Should have just retired and saved the hate.

Reflecting a celebrity based world sadly. But I dont get where the idea that free agency has led to an uneven competition. Its about even with other international leagues, possibly more so. What are the actual stats on this other than the rhetoric? We dont have the same teams on top for decades and decades like epl. Afl teams that manage to stay at the top because they have great players with long careers and recruit well. The hawks made 7 gf in a row in the 80s. It can happen. Sydney should be the poster child to benefit for free agency and after a decade of success on the back of a good long term trade they're now back to the pack. This year, port drafted well and got up the ladder, same for brisbane who were awful but picked up Neale (a plus for free agency). Seems like swings and roundabouts than a 'disaster' imho.

Serious question, can someone explain how is the competition's fairness undermined by free agency? Every team has to follow a salary cap doesnt it? Its not as if some clubs have extra dollars to spend, its about effectively managing the resources that you have? If a player wants to take less money to go to a 'destination club' surely thats the result of the club having other positives to offer other than money. Isn't that a reward for being good financially, on field etc? Seems more fair than arbitrary zones on a map or academies from which recruit players etc.

Interesting you have two well loved players by their respective clubs, at least until 2018, in tmac and ben brown now being potentially shopped out a few years later as fodder. Yet people seem to question a players' motivations?? Its a business played by professionals. I dont blame any player for wanting the best for himself for whatever reason. Family, $$, finals, personnel clash. Everyone has different motivations. I hope dearly he stays.

Maybe i misinterpret but er, what? Geelong basically haven't had a top 10 draft pick in 15 years (!) and yet smashed every other team in terms of success bar a few. Yes, of course their time will come to suck and pay it back. Sure they didnt win enough flags but um yeah, not alone.

Who would have thought that half decent teams that played at home and less travelling are through to prelim when statistically rigorous evidence over many years would have overwhelming suggested just as so. Nah its coaching. They play 13/17 in Melbourne they are the 8-9 end of year. It a bs season enjoy it for what it is but to take inference from it, lol.

Yea, its a small robbing peter to pay paul situation. But i figure our defence is a lot more settled now (both lever and may effective kicks) and Rivers is a neat kick, I think its worth a decent try. Maybe he's eternally pigeon holed by Goodwin's preconceived notions and biases. We cant have another season of winning the ball and not hitting the scoreboard and nothing new considered. Thats insane.

If we dont get Smith. Can i ask, why doesnt Christian Salem get a gig on the wing? The idea he doesnt have a tank is not based on evidence. He was second to Langdon on average distance run in a game. He has our highest speed recorded for 2020 (admittedly this stat seems a little subject to error, but he's definitely not slow). Simply, he's a great runner and a great kick. Im probably missing something. Maybe it was tried and i blinked and missed it.

With tongue firmly in cheek. Mitch Hannan. He has a decent leap. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/12356250 Gawn, Grundy and maybe Nic Nat are pretty much streets above other ruckman in terms of ruckcraft and impact. If we lost Max to injury, it doesnt really matter who you play. None of the top 4 have a ruckman with top 8 hitouts (probably to advantage either). If he was injured id be more concerned about losing his defensive marking and positioning around the ground. Preuss is a good ruckman for ruck situations (for as much/little as that is worth in 2020). if another club want to give a second or third rounder yup, its a no brainer.

Kinda disappointing that the best contested mark ruckman in the game, doesnt play at least a little more forward for a team that needs a little better talent forward of centre, no? He had two shots at goal this year. 2018 he had 25. Goodwin has his plan A, where weed and others take the ruck in forward 50 and blah blah blah. But heck wouldn't it be great to rattle a few opposition teams from time to time with a change in tactics.

Damning if not true. Players want to play finals and experience success. They are no different to supporters in that regard. They are entitled to test their market value and hold the club accountable. We've all played in sporting teams. Questions about selections, tactics, contracts are all discussed privately amongst players. They are as [censored] off as anyone. Must win a final next year.

We have 3 players in the top 10 or so in the league for clangers. And 4 of the top 16 for turnovers. (Langdon). We overrate our midfield. It was a butchering machine this year. Goodwin needs to engineer a more efficient system or personnel somehow. He keeps talking about building a brand for finals which is ironic cause the brand cant cut the mustard over 22 home and away rounds.