rpfc

DE% is not one of my favourite stats. I find it misleading. Teams that overpossess with hands or with short kicks in the backline will have a high DE% but will be ineffectual. Pressure through the middle is important, not sure what metrics would be ideal to measure that. Usually UPs Differential will indicate whether one team or the other is providing enough defensive run. We also had 23 more clangers than St Kilda (69-46) which doesn't help...

Er...ok... Reactions are reactions - our supporters are going to read into that 3rd quarter all that they want after the last decade. Again, this team hasn't earned anything more than that. I hope they don't do wholesale changes, and I am sure they won't. That's where the calm needs to be - down at AAMI park.

Let's get this out of the way: CL I50 UPs CPs Score QW Rd 1: GWS -6 6 1 -4 2 2 Rd 2: Ess 5 -15 -134 -4 -13 0 Rd 3: NM 17 12 15 32 -5 2 Rd 4: Coll -5 1 17 4 35 3 Rd 5: Rich 3 0 74 11 33 3 Rd 6: StK 12 -2 -33 -10 -39 2 Beaten in UPs and CPs - that usually means just one thing... And the season: 2016 Differential 4.33 0.40 -12.00 5.80 2.60 2016 Melbourne Ave 39.8 54.7 223.0 150.3 100.8 CL I50 Ups CPs Score 2015 Differential -3.1 -9.0 -12.0 -0.9 -21.4 2015 Melbourne Ave 37.6 44.5 203.5 135.2 71.5

I can see the similarities, but what they do next will define how they go in the next few years (decade for us). At the end of 2007 we went the Youth Route like a bunch of kool-aid drinking zealots. Only Joel MacDonald and John Meesen were brought in with any AFL experience from the end of 2007 to 2012. And that leaves you incredibly vulnerable if you don't get your high picks right. We didn't and the ground caved in beneath us.

Such a great story! How did we deliver such a schizophrenic thread?

I don't think it is crucial and he is near the end of his career but I am interested to see whether he can bring more than Pedersen and/or Frost.

If not for his suspension, he would be playing in that backline, being a part of what is going on and you lot would be grooming your pincers talking about how good "the recruitment is 'round ere, these days..."

Don't worry boy, when you move interstate you will miss the debut of every star-in-the-making.

Pedersen is required to be back up for Gawn. Frost is showing a bit more every week but still makes frustrating errors - he is tall but isn't playing a tall role in my opinion. I would prefer Petracca be the one linking up forward of centre wing and being involved in the forward set up that prioritises space to talls that know what they are doing.

He is not playing a role that would allow him to get that much footy regularly.

Lovely sediment.

CL I50 UPs CPs Score QW Rd 1: GWS -6 6 1 -4 2 2 Rd 2: Ess 5 -15 -134 -4 -13 0 Rd 3: NM 17 12 15 32 -5 2 Rd 4: Coll -5 1 17 4 35 3 Rd 5: Rich 3 0 74 11 33 3 So clearances were a win again and we drew in the Inside 50s which tells you that while the Tigers were not great - they were not toothless. The UPs win was huge - and as I always say - as the UPs go, so goes the Demon nation (I don't say those exact words but the gist has always been that). CPs is another tick and, again, impressive. The tigers won more CPs than UPs and yet we still had 11 more than them. Here is the improvement from last year with the addition of our game average in each stat: 2016 Differential 3.50 1.00 -6.75 9.75 13.00 2016 Melbourne Ave 38.8 54.6 224.4 152.8 101.8 CL I50 Ups CPs Score 2015 Differential -3.1 -9.0 -12.0 -0.9 -21.4 2015 Melbourne Ave 37.6 44.5 203.5 135.2 71.5 Ummm, wow. At the minute, we are tracking really well, even with the Essendon game in there.

I am sure we did. But I am fine with that - if he is made aware that the club is fine with him toeing the line. No-one from the club has admonished him - he has just fessed up that its not a great look to push injured blokes when trainers are out there attending to the injured player and he made that excellent kick from Harmes into a goal that would have given a team with heart ammunition. If that was Hawthorn, they would have responded if an opposition player did that. Goals are supposed to take the stuffing out of your opposition - not fire them up.

Trengove for Bugg? Not yet. Not near it.

I feel for Brayshaw because, like vanders, he has had to play a role predominantly in the forward line that is isn't suited for. Petracca, I think, we take to that role more readily. Love what Frost might become in a few years, but he should make way for Petracca and then the selectors have to decide whether Brayshaw gets a role in that midfield. Or whether it is Oliver... Oliver is in better form.

Hogan competed well but did make a number of errors that I think the coaches will pull him up on. Running back into Garlett's path at a mark, not handpassing to Viney and getting smothered by Cotchin. Even he has to know his role. I love that he seemingly never goes missing, but he makes rookie mistakes around the footy from time to time - not unexpected for a kid 25 games in.

We haven't beaten the saints in a decade. It is a prerequisite for playing finals in 2016 from what I can see from our fixture. It also happens to be - the next game... At Etihad... That lid that is flying off right now might be hammered back on as soon as next week.

If Viney has a case to answer, that is where I would head for his defense - the guy stayed short - kept his knees bent and was trying to milk a reversal by going down like the proverbial. He should have retired last year.

My dad just texted me and said they played like they used to under Northey. He loves telling stories of Northey every week telling the boys how no-one rates them, no-one likes them, you have only got each other, etc. They certainly seem to playing to that inspiration.

The hardest conversation with a player is when he has played a role in the team and played it well and you are trying to tell him, despite all that, they are being dropped out of the team. It's easy to justify when it is a senior player like Vince or an important player to your structure like Garlett, but when it is a first gamer - that player will look at you like you a confused puppy. And I get the 'he is no ordinary player' argument but footy teams don't function so neatly. You have to be sure he has earned it, that the team will largely accept the change, and that he does the job. This is partly why our culture disintegrated under Bailey - players were given games on potential and reputation and it can be disruptive if it fails.

I believe ding is arguing with the AFL site owners for showing Melbourne beating Collingwood last week. He assured the world it couldn't happen and wants the error corrected.

Yeah, I wish people would step ragging on the desk. It's a great desk!

If we priortised an open game and kicking goals in 2014 - we would have lost by 12 goals every week just for the sake of an extra 3 ourselves. Our players had prioritized turning the ball over from half back and working it back from there with dash and skill under Bailey, Neeld tried to make every game a [censored] fight along the boundary line (thanks Mick) and Roos has got them out of the habit of indiscriminate possessions and slowed down games to keep us in them and our players used to contested footy. What I can see in 2016 and we can put this at Goodwins feet, from what has been said from the club, is a balance back to quicker movement of the footy. But how good are we in the contest? And our press is forcing turnovers up the ground rather than in an overworked back line, but it does lead to easy goals being leaked as we saw a few times last week. Imagine the leaking that would have happened in 2014. Our confortability with this game plan has been earned these last two years. And we are winning clean footy out of the middle.

Petracca will keep Vanders out of the forward line. He is a midfielder. He is different to what we have there and has a place in the rotation when fit and in form.

CL I50 UPs CPs Score QW Rd 1: GWS -6 6 1 -4 2 2 Rd 2: Ess 5 -15 -134 -4 -13 0 Rd 3: NM 17 12 15 32 -5 2 Rd 4: Coll -5 1 17 4 35 3 Smashed them in the clearances in the first 45 minutes and then they turned the tables, but it didn't mean much. Had more UPs in the last quarter too. Shows fitness and workrate. And confidence to run. This year compared to last: 2016 Differential 2.75 1.00 -25.25 7.00 4.75 CL I50 Ups CPs Score 2015 Differential -3.1 -9.0 -12.0 -0.9 -21.4