rpfc

Can’t win when your midfield gets smashed like that, and outworked around the ground. We will find out 12 days whether it’s an anomaly.

This conflation of last year with this year is misguided - we may have opened up the game about late last year in an attempt to get us out of our connection rut but that was not what we are seeing this season. The Richmond game last year that some have mentioned was a contest and clearance domination in the second half - not a transition success. 76 points from clearances in that game attests to that. The final against Collingwood saw them get 37 I50s - so our ‘prevention’ strategy of non-exposure to our defence was in play there. This year it is different - we are more efficient with our fewer I50s, and there are less repeat entries. @layzie Brown is able to come at the footy more and with less onerous requests to sit under ‘out kicks’ down the line which is how we have moved the ball for the last 4 years. We are moving the ball quicker and with more space to move - forwards are always going to appreciate that.

Just can’t agree with this. We have set deeper, the high press isn’t so high, and when we have the ball or it is contest, we have kept our forwards deeper to allow more delivery to a leading target. When I have the time I will delve into the comparative stats but it’s obvious to the eye, and a cursory glance of the superficial stats.

Ideally, we wouldn’t give 20 more Inside 50s. That is not good, because it puts pressure on your backline. But there is a concerted effort to create from the backline and to be proactive. 2024 is different to 2023.

So he will see better in traffic?

I think this is the height of naïveté and hubris this decision… The Kolt should not be playing in his sunnies?! Especially not at night #reprehensible

But we have always had an extra behind the ball and allow teams to have an extra at the stoppage. To me, that always amazed me that we didn’t lean into the slingshot even more with that extra player with our Rolls Royce defence. We still invariably have our extra behind the ball to release Lever by now we are unlocking what that means offensively.

You’d prefer to pay one of the best young players in the game a long term deal at less than the average salary? [F M D], sons. You need to look at the CBA. In 2025, cap is nearing $19m (TPP + ASA). https://www.aflplayers.com.au/app/uploads/2024/01/2023-2027-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-FINAL.pdf

@Axis of Bob Yes! We have a Rolls Royce of a backline we have spent the last 3 years protecting… doesn’t make sense to me. Let’s take it for a test drive…

We are seeing the confluence of events that is demanding a change in how we play that I hope lasts for the rest of the decade; a change that leads to attractive football as well as winning football. Transition x2 With McQualter coming in there seems to be a real emphasis on something that we have never had a real emphasis on; transitioning the ball from the backline with speed and purpose. (I wrote about this mid last season - that you can read about below - bumped post) Where the ‘confluence’ comes in is the emergence of McVee, Howes, Bowey, and Rivers as the engine of the team. This is where we need to ‘transition’ to this engine, which I will dub - The Transition, and away from the May and Lever driven Defence Only mindset. Now this is already happening and that is great, but it doesn’t mean we are not a contest driven or Defence First team - we will be until further notice, but with this strong in the bow we can now win games in more ways, and avoid being out of games. For the neophytes - last two seasons we have been ‘forward half’ or ‘contest/stoppage driven’ to avoid as much exposure to our backline as possible. This means we kicked long to the boundary (May’s infamous kick out from FB) and progressive movement down the field through stoppage and rushed kick. This means that our forward pressure could kick in and we ‘won territory’ and we ‘won the I50 count’ and we ‘won the expected score’ but we didn’t win the games that matter… Having a transition game and a comfortability with our defence getting footy kicked their way has opened up the ground and has allowed McVee and Rivers in particular to show their value and for our forwards to have space to exploit. Suddenly Fritsch has 1-1s and Brown is leading at the footy in dangerous spots. As an aside, this will aide in JVRs development… So I for one thank Goodwin for his ability to adapt and I welcome… … The Transition. (Demon emoji)

We have been boring the last two years. Fans of other teams don’t see things until the ‘narratives’ have got through or their team has played the teams in question. So we will come up against a bunch of fan groups that think we are just a dump it down the line, win territory team, that prefers repeat entries until we slingshot their team into Oblivion through the excellent law firm of McVee, Howes, and Rivers. They are The Transition.

I believe it is Selwyn Griffith’s…

@Lucifers Hero - what a nasty, cheeky thread hitting a group of people when they are down. ….

Le Double Post.

What are you talking about? Caroline thinks we have handled CO13 expertly and have been unfairly brought into the drugs policy furore. Her article today simply states facts about how we are trying to handle a situation. Burying our heads up our [censored] doesn’t work.

Fisher? They barely even knew her?! is that on the nose?

When we didn’t get anything after 2014 then no club ‘deserves’ to get any assistance ever again. But NM gets assistance so WCE should as they are just as [censored].

Bump. This is what I wrote about where we needed to go in 2024. After a closer than expected game against the crows. So partially bump because there are a few counting their chickens… …but predominantly bump because I am prescient footy lord. As ever You’re welcome.

Ostensibly no, but pervasive sentiment is just that. How pervasive? Depends. How impactful? Unknowable.

Flat wrong about Salem but also, ANB isn’t a midfielder. He finds space in the midfield and gets footy because of his role interchanging with Petracca and the fact that he isn’t respected by the other midfield group. He is very effective in the role he plays and allows our most damaging player to get footy forward of the ball. No need to move away from it

I think it’s over, the football gods will teach us a lesson to tomorrow night.

It will be tempting to replace Hore with May but ribs are not to be trifled with… Tomlinson?

Are you looking for perfection? You will go crazy doing that… We are pushing a game style we just haven’t done under Goodwin. Even in 21 or 18 we were a contest, clearance and/or front half turnover team. Here we are 4 games in and without our prime ‘interceptor’ - the engine for any team that wants to drive score out of the backline - and we have beaten a team on their home deck that has had far more it nearer to their goals. This is one promising for what we can achieve in 2024 and while progress isn’t linear and we will make missteps along the way - if we get 15 wins - god help the rest of the comp with us in the finals with this midfield, and with us being able to move it from back half turnover…

Great bloke, genuine person. If it wasn’t for one Christian Petracca you could see him as a skipper in the mould of Junior Mac. We touched on this in ‘21 - but the work he does to help CP5 in particular to be damaging is his real asset and then when he gets lost in the shuffle and hurts the opposition - that’s just gravy. To be the best, you need players like ANB that are happy to execute a role and do it excellently. You can put up with the odd fumble and clanger ;)

This is a nothing reply