rpfc

Freo now 4th last on the live ladder. 

Who on here had them as a sleeping giant after we lost to them? And was like ‘they won’t be worried about the 70 point loss to GWS?’

They are soon to be 7 and 10 unless they pull off their best H&A victory ever Sat arvo.

2 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Good to see Goody make changes to try to get our forward line functioning well. The 2 rucks hasn’t worked overall at least from a scoreboard perspective. 

Having natural forwards leading and no resting ruck should in theory lessen the temptation to dump kick inside 50

Does put pay to the ‘what forward line problem?’ people…

We’re doing so well we have abandoned our dual ruck strategy (that the FD was banging on about last October) for at least a month* to accomodate a change to our forward setup.

*I guess he is at Casey however long it takes to learn forward craft…

10 hours ago, rpfc said:

This FD needs an honest review of itself at the end of the year if the above means what I think it means.

I, and others, said before we picked him up that it’s a lot to invest in the ruck position.

But now it’s done we have to lean into it, and they sound like we are readdressing the concept…

Max needs to realise he is a fwd first, and the sooner he does, the better he will be and the team.

We are not losing because of the ruck situation.

Bumping because it was what I thought it was. 

They brought in a ruck knowing one of them had to be more forward than the other - the bloke who was earmarked to do it saw his form diminish as he struggled to embrace that new role - now the ruck who Champion Data had in the AA team a few weeks back is ‘learning to play forward’ in the VFL.

A perfectly laughable situation that was wholly foreseeable tbh.

4 minutes ago, rjay said:

Smells perfectly right.

He's going back to play as a forward.

To develop his forward craft.

Wouldn't expect to see him doing any or hardly any ruck time at Casey.

It smells a bit worse than what you are saying. 

They are telling a 29 year old ruck we just recruited, who has famously been a poor forward player, to learn forward craft in the VFL…

(record scratch)

1 hour ago, jnrmac said:

The coaching and fitness staff map out the whole year and look at all the breaks between games, travel, byes etc. They build a plan around that and maybe have to adjust for injuries and possibly easy vs hard games.

Its no surprise to hear that the players had a special training regimen for the 3 x 10 day breaks that took into account how we faded last year.

In fact I would be surprised and disturbed if we hadn't done that.

AS frustrating as our games against Geelong and the giants has been Goodwin has always focused on the bigger picture which is getting a fit and healthy list to a top 4 position. Its us supporters that feel the angst when we drop winnable games. I'm nervous but I trust them at this point.

Yes, it’s a month on the calendar inviting more aerobic work to be done. It’s over and now we can stop talking about it.

57 minutes ago, A F said:

I'm wondering if we might rest McVee too. Is it okay to use the term 'rest' @rpfc? 

Yeah sure. If they are actually being ‘rested’ and not, you know, omitted like Brodie Grundy just was 

1 hour ago, old dee said:

I see the big remour today rpfc is Grundy to be rested  this week!  I would have thought it was Gawn who needed the rest.

I think the term ‘managed’ needs a rest first, OD

7 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Or he may not. Or he may get injured

We don't have any idea. Grundy is a great get at a good price to replace Jacko while we are in our 'window' and while we are grooming another young ruckman.

Our club has a good record in generating highly competitive ruckmen and I suspect it will continue.

I don’t want to relitigate the decision to bring in Grundy. It’s done, let’s get the most out of it.

To me, it’s Gawn fwd 60% of the time with him leading at the footy in predictable lanes. 

I don’t think we have committed to that as yet. That’s essentially what I am saying. 

One can argue that he should be a behind the footy. That’s fine. But I don’t think our defence needs it and I don’t think our ball movement can survive being that tall.

Just now, jnrmac said:

Or he may not. Or he may get injured

We don't have any idea. Grundy is a great get at a good price to replace Jacko while we are in our 'window' and while we are grooming another young ruckman.

Our club has a good record in generating highly competitive ruckmen and I suspect it will continue.

As @Jaded No Moreintimates - if one of them cannot become a decent forward, we are on a hiding to nothing playing one of them as a part time forward and part time ruck. 

Where I move away from this ‘Gawn behind the footy and Grundy in the ruck’ is where we suddenly have to play another tall in the forward line and we become possibly too tall against some smaller, quicker teams.

My way forward would be to stick to Gawn forward but properly forward - he seems to always Ben in the wrong spot and we literally slow down play so we can chip kick to his advantage 5 seconds after all spots have been defended by the opposition. Commit to the structure and coach Max some craft and select and stick to some continuity with 5 forwards to work together and know where they lead and what space each one creates.
 

There are only 4 players the opposition does not want 20m out with ball moving quick - Fritsch, Pickett, Petracca, and Gawn.

3 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

err he replace Jackson and is costing us less than what Jackson would have cost.

Jackson will be around for a decade post Gawn.

50 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

No, rpfc. No they can’t. Even in matters other than footy. For example, I didn’t drop/dump my ex. He was being managed for a while then unfortunately in September last year he was delisted. 😁 I told him not to hang up his boots just yet since he’s not too old to be picked up by another club. 😁

Thanks WCW. Yes, I was also managed by a woman in my early twenties that I so don’t think about from time to time with a sad cringe. 

I WAS MANAGED, not dumped.

14 minutes ago, A F said:

Yep, Smith. Chandler was dropped, but IMO he'll be in the FDs best 22 for the finals. Likewise, Spargo.

Poor Joel. Hope they don’t single him out in team meetings… 

‘oh look who it is - Mr Omitted!’

‘He won’t be in the 26 that plays come finals…’

25 minutes ago, A F said:

What it means is we want to manage another of our players, just like we've managed Hibbo, JVR, Chandler, BB and Spargo, and even Bowey. Now it's Grundy's turn, so he's fresh for Adelaide.

Can people get dropped anymore?

15 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

I wasn't aware we were blooding him as a mostly forward.

The CBA numbers don't support this with Max still taking the bulk of them vs Grundy.

Max is also running at 39% accuracy at goals vs Grundy 63% so far this season.

Why would you want your least accurate Ruckman, and by a long margin, up forward?  While Max does take double the number of marks inside 50 each match it's still less than 1 per match (on average) @ 0.8 vs Grundy 0.4  Neither are setting the world on fire in this regards either.

I would argue the premise of looking to turn one of them (or both !!??) into a serious TF option is a flawed concept in itself.

Most teams only ever see the main rucks drift or push forward to stretch the oppos ruck and offer an 'occasional' extra option up forward.

They certainly don't try to turn them into a genuine (regular with serious minutes) forward target if that's what you're suggesting we are attempting to do with Max.

And if we have attempted this (from one or both) the results so far would suggest we shouldn't be.

This isn’t my idea - Stafford, Goodwin, and Gawn himself have talked about the heavier kid forward that Max will/should take. 

They wanted to bring someone in that can actually keep Max out of the ruck - which Grundy is good enough to at his best. 

They are not leaning into their strategy in year one but they do have another 4 years so maybe they will get it going one day…

21 minutes ago, A F said:

What it means is we want to manage another of our players, just like we've managed Hibbo, JVR, Chandler, BB and Spargo, and even Bowey. Now it's Grundy's turn, so he's fresh for Adelaide.

Maybe.

7 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

This FD needs an honest review of itself at the end of the year if the above means what I think it means.

I, and others, said before we picked him up that it’s a lot to invest in the ruck position.

But now it’s done we have to lean into it, and they sound like we are readdressing the concept…

Max needs to realise he is a fwd first, and the sooner he does, the better he will be and the team.

We are not losing because of the ruck situation.

9 hours ago, pitmaster said:

Why is it so many people can't spell 'lose'?

 

Spelling and language is a lose concept. 

Can we just ease up on the Grundy disrespect?

Kind of falling into the self-hating MFC supporter trope.

1 hour ago, ElDiablo14 said:

Surely we would like to finish 4th if Collingwood locks the 1st place.

We'd always want an "away" final at the G.

Don't want to travel to the Gabba or Adelaide Oval in the first week of finals.

We can win anywhere. Especially with the pressure on the other team. 

But we just need to make sure we have a home semi final to get into a prelim. That’s the benefit of top 4 is.

14 minutes ago, Sydee said:

I'm really concerned if they persist with bombing long into F50 Andrews will have a field day and set up attacks repeatedly.

BB has not shown any ability to take contested marks, nor has he demonstrated any real ability to chase or tackle effectively when the ball is in dispute or in the opposition's possession. I know some people will not agree but personally I think we'd be better served playing JVR or even Schache over BB atm.

 

BBB leads to the right areas that will push and pull Andrews and make him commit to go or allow easy spot ups. But we have to use the right option. And we have to move it quickly. 

The longer we take and the more we dump it in, the more we play into the strengths of the opposition and not BBB.

It has been an overemphasis on helping our defence in the past - but now I can see us trying to get it going but it sputters unless you constantly reinforce it and not dwell on the errors and the clangers. 

Take Angus for example - some on here want him traded for his misuse but he is one of the few that will take on the corridor and when he doesn’t hit it - it stands out - because the rest are just kicking it sideways and abdicating the responsibility.

I think Friday night is a great opportunity to test our quick movement forward and marrying that with our press to see how we balance the two best.

As Buckley says - fast forward two weeks and we could really be either scrapping for the 8 with the other battlers with 4th wide open or be two games and percentage clear in 4th.

We are a good team with an amazing press that should kick enough goals at home to beat interstate teams - Lions included. 

These two games against Lions and Crows set up the rest of the year.

And also after two rounds, the swans could be a game out of 7th, Geelong on their own in 5th, and Freo 2 and a half games out with the worst percentage outside the bottom 3 teams.

Sydney are a proud club with a lot of underperforming stars - they should win on Thursday and then in Perth to keep their season alive. 

If we are relying on Rd 24 for top 4 then jeez…

Just now, rpfc said:

Love how someone getting a LACERATED KIDNEY is getting ‘his body is falling him’ critiques…

Like the nuffies are sitting saying “I knew it, the kidneys are always the first to go”

Hibberd is done when I say he’s done.

 

Ed Note: rpfc still plays at 38 and is sensitive to the subject.

So now I’m getting ‘editors notes?’ Jeez, is Rhino back or something?… wow.

Love how someone getting a LACERATED KIDNEY is getting ‘his body is falling him’ critiques…

Like the nuffies are sitting saying “I knew it, the kidneys are always the first to go”

Hibberd is done when I say he’s done.

Ed Note: rpfc still plays at 38 and is sensitive to the subject.

10 hours ago, bluey said:

No, I dissect the whole game from behind the bench, watch the replay, Joel, Taj, and Kossie required some encouragement, not the good old boys.

let’s not make stuff up mate.

How can one ‘dissect the game’ while only watching the proclivities of the coach with the interchange? 

Conundrum.