rpfc

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.

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.

Jackson will be around for a decade post Gawn.

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.

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…’

Can people get dropped anymore?

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…

Maybe.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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

His kicking is elite and needed but he can be found out in 1-1s. I don’t envy MC towards the back end of the season and finals.

Some hard truths for fans to accept to live more comfortably: The Demons are a defence first team in the Ross Lyon mould. Demonland: Gawn’s days of AA footy are over. Deeland: Pickett’s games are earned on his defensive work. Dland: BBB is our best tall forward. Andy’s house of pain:

They should just fold Freo and WCE together…

Re: Melksham - with Sparrow’s sealer, Melksham engaged his defender leading at the ball at exactly the right time to protect his teammate and not give away a free. I think it was Howard?? Anyway, this is the more nuanced forward craft and selflessness that I have been banging on about - do we work for each other? Do we lead out of space to allow others? Do we protect our teammates and help them excel? Jake is in his last season in football and he is still contributing and we should applaud it and be thankful. We are in between forward line eras atm and he may help to bridge it and keep us competitive this year. Just ride with it.

Freo was always going to Freo this up, but to do it with Carlton as the antagonist?? With the writers on strike right now it’s as good a plot to a movie as any… If AI wrote that not only did Freo lose at home to put themselves in the bottom 5, but they did it to Carlton AND by ten goals… if AI wrote that you would be like ‘what is this stilted, tired, fantastical nonsense…’

With Eeyore Longmuir in charge I would think they will give up and find other hobbies in their life; woodworking or paint-by-numbers…