Skuit

I know we won seven in a row at the back of 2000 up until the grand final, with the preceding loss the one-pointer vs. North. Edit: Just had a look - would have been 11 straight otherwise. And worth noting we were 6-7 prior to that run. 98' was seven-in-a-row at the back end up to the prelim also (with some ridiculous average winning margin). Edit #2: Thought I'd finish the job. Six in the middle of 2006 (which accounts for our last five as well). Can't imagine there's been an eight in my lifetime.

This is what I was saying a couple weeks back. We've never had a player putting up these sorts of numbers (figures mitigated somewhat by changes in football) and yet he's barely got a look-in in the Demonland votes lately. We're either complacent as fans or we're becoming a seriously good footy team.

This is close to the most dynamic and solid back-six that I can recall in my time following the MFC. And with decent depth and interchangeability. Get it done PJ.

I haven't once checked Hibberd's tackle-stats. Not sure why anyone would feel the need to.

thankyoumuchlystevetheman. Stat Heaven. And an unusually reflective AFL.com article. Firstly: Intercept Possessions? If Tmac intercepts in defense and passes off to O-Brother Where Art Thou is that an intercept-possession stat for Oscar? Spoils? Is there a 'spoils lost' stat for flying in a pack or crossing for coverage and allowing your direct, grounded opponent to score? It won't come up in the one-on-one column . . . or anywhere else. Both Macs have been highly guilty of this this year (with Goody's encouragement). Omac could pick up 8.8 spoils this way yet leak four goals for failed attempts and still be considered elite in this category without a losing corresponding stat. Of note: Tmac is pretty much nowhere to be seen. Is he just average at everything? Lynden still one of the top one-on-one defenders. Yet jettisoned. Just another confirmation of where our priorities are at. But top-five in meters gained? Do kick-outs get recorded? Maybe a bit of reach? Talia for e.g. has five one-on-ones per match. He wins 49% (2 and a half contests) of those and loses 16.5ish (one and a bit), with the other 35% split. Across ten games that's 50 one-on-one contests for the season with 24.5 won, 8.25 lost and 17.25 split. A couple of those go the other way and the percentages change quite dramatically. Surprised not to see Kade Simpson in any of the stats. But haven't watched much Blues this year at all. Has he dropped off dramatically, or is it an issue with stats being assessed after a position is determined? (note: Kade here is being used as a synecdoche for my point). Alex Rance is a dick. Out. .

You've swayed me with your insightful analysis. We should just get Fyfe and Dusty instead.

Kicking straighter than anyone at the Dees this year. I know, right? Been working with Sav Rocca and the shrinks. Trigger warning: John Ralph. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/carlton/levi-casboult-has-realised-goalkicking-is-about-more-than-physical-routine-its-a-mental-game/news-story/e3847aa3d78eebbcdffec81ecbbbab41

Motlop anyone? Free agent and the price would have plummeted. Cats are keen to move him on. Foolhardy to think that our club environment may get more out of a player than another, but they're some of the risks you weigh up when chasing a bargain and I would back Simon in to work it. We're likely to lose Spencer (and maybe Trenners) to FA for little return, bring in Motlop, Casboult and Jackson Trengove as free agents for no currency and we potentially plug most of our pressing holes. If the price is right?

Maybe you can swap one of these with the Paul Johnson reminder of the heritage massacre vs. Geelong?

Would absolutely love Lever. However, if we're looking for a defender to provide reliable intercept marking and spoiling, we potentially already have one in McDonald. Tom that is. He was tracking AA for the first half of 2015 doing just that, getting across for the the dead-ball spoil and dropping into holes for the intercept mark. But sometime thereafter his role was tweaked with a greater offensive focus - because there was basically nobody else. He was our zippiest defender outside of Lumumba and we didn't have any decent kicks anyway. He was also given the responsibility of marshaling our back-line. It hasn't quite worked, and his defensive side has slid since - most notably with respect to spoiling and marking (outside of the mitigating factor of our high zone and when the defense is reasonably set - unless it's a stamina issue, and the ground coverage is impacting his ability to contest as effectively in the air?). But we've since added serious line-breakers in Hunt and Frost along with clean distributors in Hibberd and Salem etc. We also have the likes of Lewis and Jones who can coordinate our defense and hold our structures. Goodwin wants all our defenders to be offensively-minded, and it won't greatly change things, but perhaps we can swivel Frost into more of Tom's role, and Tom can shift back to a more defensive focus and take Oscar's spot?

Said on another thread - 21 contested possessions on the weekend, 11 clearances, and seven of those in the centre (as well as a few of the standard super-human head-shakers). In 71% ToG. He's racking up these numbers in less than 3 qtrs of a game. Yet the kid barely got a mention in the Demonland votes. We've become very complacent very quickly re. Clayton's contributions, and that is full credit to him. No one has put up the same figures week in week out for the MFC ever, and yet we still know he's capable of more and hold him to that standard. After 23 games. Astonishing.

Should've kicked it.

We average 4.25 more points per game with Jesse and Max in the team. Multiply by the eight weeks of their joint absence and you get 34 = we're a five goal better team. Spread those 34 points across four games (Freo, Richmond, Hawks and North) and we sit a game clear atop the ladder and I get a job as the club's PR spin-master while BB and SWYL lose their [censored].

Creative accounting. We're actually a two trillion goal better team with them in.

Damn Cats. Soon we'll be saying stop 15 of them and they have no one. Ab-Wood-Danger: sounds like a Current Affair headline concerning an infomercial exercise-apparatus fad.

The collective Power defence are traveling well under the radar this year as well. Conceded the least points against by quite a staggering margin. And I haven't seen enough of them, but they seem to be running a high press and zone like ours. We would all love a big traditional full-back, because it hurts to watch us repeatedly giving up goals to the big forwards, but the reality is we off-loaded Dunn for free, and it's likely we'll be looking for mobility and someone who can slot in with our direction.

Could be as much as $10 each if he learns how to spoil.

Ranked 67th* in Total Kicks. Must be crap. *made up figure.

He should teach Watts how to take a proper chest-mark. Although I'm not exactly sure the mechanics of how Trac manages them so cleanly in the contest himself.

He reminds me of Dane Swan on occasion. But the good parts. And I would be disappointed somehow if he didn't end up better. Reasonable bar I've set there.

Apologies for the self-quotation, but I thought this was pretty amusing in the lead-up to the 2015 draft: 'I went to Bali with Vanders and Dom somewhere around round 21 and just emerged out of the back-end of the West Papuan jungle. I'm nowhere near up to speed, and usually pay little heed to draft prospect propaganda, but the kid appears to spend it before he has it in the best possible way. Seems to read the play a step ahead of normal human beings.' Ironically, I had no idea who Clayton Oliver was back then and was commenting on Darcy Parish.

Got a 'welcome-to-footy' heavy dumping by Hawthorn last year and popped straight back up. Some players you know it's probably not worth roughing up as they can't be distracted or provoked and will respond in the stats column. Kid seems to have a pretty unflappable temperament. The opposition would be better hiding in strategically-placed bins.

Highlights the quality of each media outlet in almost perfect order.

This is an interesting read and maybe a partial answer (probably a stretch but intriguing if so). http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2016-02-19/new-cockburn-base-has-best-of-everything Freo's new training facilities include 'a main training oval big enough to replicate every AFL ground and a GPS program that shows instantly where goal posts and markings need to go to mirror venues such as the MCG, SCG, the Gabba, Adelaide Oval and WA’s Domain Stadium'.

Sorry for the source . . . http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/2014-03-27/skinny-flat-meet-the-slimmed-down-adelaide-oval Can just about bunt a ball for six square at Adelaide Oval.