rpfc

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…

You have seen the best of Max. Deal with it. The FD have decided the 4 more years of Max as back up/fwd is better than 2 as the primary. I would have made a similar gamble if it was me - but I would also have a stern talking to Max about how to be a fwd and keep him in the theatrette at AAMI Park watching video every week for 3 hours… We all need to realise that for us to be great the next few years; Grundy is our number one and Gawn’s first duty is as a forward.

Well that’s not nice.

So… lots of upside?

Yes, I do sometimes stop and think about that. No team relishes playing us, and as I said in another thread last week - we should always be in games and a chance to win, even with our known forward issues.

We relied heavily on stoppage goals early, so our turnover game was not there, our press was cut through early too. Quick teams will always do well against a press. Thankfully May is a great backstop. It was hard to see on TV but we looked like we weren’t as aggressive with the high press and allowed more chains off half back - by definition it creates more spaces for forwards if you with it quick.

Are those that went to the game doing wind sprints in the aisles? Give me a break.

Ross the Boss has that team committed… what a great pressure performance from them. I think that we only won because of our efficient forward line and our desire to lower our eyes (on occasion). Ahhhh. Let’s just take the contested possession loss as an aberration. Move on. Sigh

I don’t think we are as bad as last year when it was obvious (to me at least) that we were kicking long to the near side pocket to protect our beaten up and beaten down mids and half forwards and minimise the sieve that we were for most of last year. So we are not as bad but you can’t argue our entries are anything but troublesome atm. We rarely spot up 65m out and go to 20m with a quick direct kick, we rarely hit to a lead after some forward movement and craft, and at our best we get a few transition ‘lollipop hands into the square’ goals. On the forward structure; the MC is putting its faith in the smaller and older brigade to provide that lead up and movement and I can’t blame them for moving in that route - for example, JVR was being ‘trained’ to the slow play pack form movement and it’s hard for kids to lead into spots the ball never goes… As for our defensive structure; it’s great, we can rarely turn the screws, but that’s when you need smart delivery and forward craft even more, when the ground is smaller because you made it smaller.

Great player, perfect blend of skill and hardness.

Still would take him, Dom and Jayden over Kelly…

I still have hope our best tall forward can right the ship. Although I recently rewatched mighty ducks 2 so I might be just affected by that.

Petty was coming back from injury and came back after repeated noises from Goodwin about him playing forward. Tomlinson shows a 3rd tall is still intrinsic to Lever performing well and our press clicking and then suddenly the Petty Forward Experiment is done… Adam can feel hard done by.