rpfc

Those are appropriate odds; all winnable but sport is spasmodic.

They said this week, the comment in the post from Katrina was that ‘it was always expected BG would need VFL time’ and it just isn’t the case. The fact remains that BG had famous issues with being effective forward and here we are asking for something we might not get.

They were probably gassed in addition to not being very good. Their bodies are probably not as seasoned as older teams are but I haven’t done enough analysis of where they are at in terms of the 22 and years in the system. And of course I understand the aerobic programs that teams run throughout the year - I just don’t think in a comparative league that it has the implications on performance like you do. All teams lift their training intensity around the bye weeks or longer breaks. Even when Ainslie up here was ever present in the NEAFL - we used to schedule aerobic blocks in bye weeks to try to get up to where Sydney and Brisbane were. So it is real, but maybe the fatigue of a long season on young legs is determinative? Depends on the team. Look at the Dees atm - we are working through forward connection issues that have led to dropping a back up ruck, brining in our number 1 tall, bringing in Melksham, and encouraging run and dare that is sputtering. I know you see that differently to me in terms of a diagnosis of our issues but it probably just be a matter of degrees.

I don’t remember the FD saying he would need VFL games to hone his forward craft. And I don’t think they are saying it’s Grundy’s fault - they are laying blame at the FD which is a fair critique at this stage. It’s all immaterial - I want to win finals - if that is with BG playing FF and rucking 20 mins - great! If it isn’t, I don’t give a damn.

A little bit when GWS swamped them. I just don’t think the Crows are that good. Their talent is young or very old and that fluctuates in my view. That’s mainly what i attribute the sloppiness too - not a good team yet.

I thought this 8-10 week loading program was about getting top4 teams to peak in finals - why would Burgo do that for the Crows? Sorry, B, but I literally laughed. Someone needs to replace don Quixote’s windmills for loading programs…

I’m not immediately against the idea. The impact on the NBA has been profound. More teams interested in the season for longer and less teams tanking their last couple of weeks of games. I am not sure about how we would do it - 7 v 10 is not the equation in the NBA. 7th gets two chances to play finals, not one; it’s 7v8 and 9v10 then the loser of the first meets the winner of the second to see who gets the last spot in the finals. If we are about to have 19 teams then I can see this being needed to keep teams interested longer.

Or the finals. How about we just own the decision to drop him - we just don’t know what will happen from here this season?

Pretty dark analysis there, mate…

The first person?!! The first…

2024 won’t be 2023. And as Max ages, how he goes forward, not the other way around, will determine the partnership and his time left in the game.

Webber, I appreciate that you need time away but F C S. The best player we have ever had was yelling at the high performance bloke his hammy was that bad. And you were living it up in rural France without suitable wifi? WE NEEDED YOU.

He’s a smart bloke. To some degree - there are cheat sheet pointers BUT and it is a big BUT - you need consistent roles to structure your game around (ie BBB). I often say to flanks and pockets, which are effectively the same role nowadays with the running up the ground to come back at the 50, that you have to tether yourself to the predicted targets; where is the CHF? Can I lead into and out of his space and draw a man and can I then get to his feet or beyond? With Brodie, I would honestly say to him, you are the next target, you are deeper than BBB and you can set his movement as your weathervane - when he leads, you move up - if he is ignored you are the longer target, and when BBB is honoured - stop, prop, and move back and then do a V lead or an ankle breaker lead and use the space you just created. Those cues can provide a bit of a clift notes for him to be effective in a deeper role. I would not bother with him at CHF, he would only gum up the works up there - he can’t be the fulcrum ever I don’t think.

This is not about him taking contested marks and kicking the odd goal - this is about him leading to the right spots, exploiting spaces, being in the right places to contest and bring the ball down - that is the forward craft we have missed recently. It is selfless moving and leading, and mids and rucks struggle because they want to be where the ball either is or will be rather than move to where the ball may not go just to open up the ground for teammates. Its not easy to learn and it takes discipline to be consistent.

Same. Unless BBB just can’t get into a trot.

@deanox AF touches on a bit of why we haven’t tried the two towers on each arc idea - it would work in specific situations but at stoppages it creates an issue around where the outnumber is. If Grundy is at HB and Gawn at the stoppage - where is Grundy’s direct opponent? At the footy? Ahead of Grundy? Creating loose player behind the footy can be powerful against dumb teams - but dangerous against good teams. And @A F - it has been fantastic to see Sparrow and Gus do what they have done, and really helpful if CO13 gets targeted in the finals. I am really keen to see what these three natural forwards can do in September if we move it quick - Petracca, Fritsch, and Pickett. And not to belabour the point - I would trust BBB to lead his player out of their way more than Grundy and JVR.

That first ten minutes was so heartening. If he can keep getting back up each week - he doesn’t come out of the side IMV.

Interesting tidbit from TMac on 3AW was the group have been going through vision of their entries into the forward line so amongst the myriad of issues we have been dealing with we can confirm that connection forward was one of them.

It’s a good point about BBB’s body just bringing his capabilities down in the pack there. I guess I am hoping for our best possible forward line and that is with a healthier Brown getting to better spots than I can see JVR or BG getting to. As an aside, TMac said on 3AW that his timetable is the last two rounds of the AFL season.

Of ‘forward craft’ is what he is learning - then he has no hope of replicating what BBB gives us. If Gawn wants to make this work, great. But he is the one who has to spend more time forward and be better leading up at the footy, and leading in the right spots. As a forward myself, a former forward coach - I don’t think there is a enough placed on having actual forwards who know what they are doing down there. Hopefully this changes that

I only internally scream watching games on the TV. And I am a Melksham apologist so I am glad he did that. Makes me smug. And I like that…

If the Cats take our place in the 4, they can have it and we can all think about 2024 - because we would have been terrible in the last 6 weeks if that happens.

Essendon might play finals by default. They are going to get flogged in the first week - looking forward to it!

This is why Andy keeps paying those server bills - to highlight heroic efforts like this. Demonland to @BrisbaneDemon

This bloke unites the football world, doesn’t he?