Skuit

If he didn't see Trac then he didn't really burn him. I only noticed Trac in the frame at the last moment - he was coming in from behind Jack's ordinary scope of vision. Not the worst crime. Also, I want our players to back themselves in and take the open shot on occasion. It's such a fine line, but might have worked out different on Saturday if Hunt had done so for example. Viney nailed at least one of those from the same spot earlier in the year.

This was covered extensively last year - both as to potentially trading out an insider and our best midfield mix, and at the time of Viney's re-signing. We know what he brings (although I think some can't appreciate what he does off the ball) and his deficiencies, and we all assign different values to those things. I don't think the OP getting worried about his form two games back from an extensive injury is going to add much to the conversation. He looked pretty decent at the start of the year. Above all though, as noted, he also recently signed a five-year extension, so we'll likely just have to live with the full Jack Viney package. One thing though, and it's minor - he cops a fair bit of grief as being a 'rugby player'. Yet, when I pin-point the loss last weekend - the exact losing moment, not the overall reasons behind the loss - it was due to Clarry releasing the ball by toe-poke while tackled about 70 out in defense, which led directly to Whitfield's goal to put them back up by 16 with around 10 minutes to go. There was no prior, Oliver could have just wrapped the ball up. I hate to criticise them, as I love them both dearly, but he and Trac do it all the time - unnecessarily release the ball to disadvantage. I wish it was Jack who had his hands on the ball at the time.

As mentioned, second spot can often be better than first, in playing a likely weaker team in the knock-out stages. Yet, with the pre-finals bye nowadays, fifth could also end up better than fourth depending where other teams land. There's five fairly clear and evenly-competitive front-runners this season. Take this (admittedly unlikely) scenario: Brisbane Geelong Port Melbourne Western Sydney GWS West Coast Would you prefer to travel up to Brisbane in the first round against the top-placed team, and then in the event of a loss play a follow-up fixture against the Dogs who didn't travel and played an 8th-placed interstate team? Or potentially the reverse?

Friend: are you okay? Me: Yup, fine. Friend: Are you sure? Me: Yes. Friend: Because you seem kind of quiet. Me: Just give me a moment please. Friend: are you sure you're okay? Me: Not anymore goddammit. No one should be disrespectful to anyone else in the workplace, or any space really. But we have to acknowledge an AFL football field isn't an ordinary workspace. We want our players to get a three-quarter-time bake from the coaches in public when they underperform, but also wouldn't accept anything like that in an ordinary workplace. These are professional sports-people - who need to be able to get in a special mental zone of concentration - and the trainer is part of the support staff. Do you get annoyed every-time a tennis player doesn't outwardly express gratitude to a ball-kid when they toss them the ball between points or hand them a towel?

Weid only played the one match together with Brown - when neither kicked any goals against Carlton. Jackson then came back in and Brown was dumped in favour of Weid for the Adelaide match. While it was evident Brown wasn't in top form despite his 5 goals over the previous two weeks, he wasn't given the opportunity to build back into it. His omission then and since has been down to bad timing and a number of issues effecting selection. We were 9-0 at the time with two KPFs having been knocking down the door, and one too many talls. Jackson was providing ruck relief. Brown had a block of three games and wasn't performing to optimum level. Weid comes in for his turn and then the VFL gets shut down. They probably saw it as an opportunity to build some extra fitness into Brown. I believe that Brown and Fritsch with TMac is our best set-up. Brown's running patterns alone will create the space that Fritch thrives on. But we need to back in a set-up and let it build cohesion. This could have been the case by now if only Weid was initially selected to come in ahead of Brown - the latter who was given less of a chance than usual due to surplus.

Tmac and Fritsch combined for 16 goals when Brown was in the team, with Brown also contributing 5 of his own. Sounds pretty helpful to me. He draws the number one defender, and will capitalise if given any space.

Anyone who wants to sell their MFC premiership bets, I'll pay them out and take 'em on. PM me with your offers. .

Unfocused from the get-go. I don't mind if we have an eye on September. Don't think top two is as important as others. We've stood up against all of the top teams. Next week is the real match. Still, Ben Brown please.

Yes, I note how we had to play an extra game in an already compact season compared to everyone else bar Essendon.

AmDamDemon would know. Was quietly sitting on the canal having a beer one day when all of a sudden more than 35 large and heavily-armoured 'divvy' vans come flying down the road (Weesperplein). I thought there had been a terrorist attack. No, a friendly between Holland and England at Johan Cruyff Arena. Over 100 arrests, including ugly earlier mob behaviour in the Red Light District. Such behaviour isn't exclusive to English fans (there was also an incident between Dutch and German fans on Spegelgracht near my house a few months later), but the hooliganism is such an ingrained part of their culture. I abhor violence, but do get a small kick out of seeing these Neanderthals get the baton treatment. The Poms taunting police and then running like cowards in Porto a couple years ago is a personal favourite. Unfortunately they see it as a badge of honour.

Thankfully, a statistical comparison is really easy in this instance. Rioli in his second AFL season kicked 21 goals and 21 behinds. Pickett midway through his second year sits on 20 goals and 20 behinds.

Hey Dee Zepher - if you get a moment could you share Pickett's numbers, and if they compare any differently to normal? He seemed to pop up a lot last night in defence (not sure if following Heppell?) and on the wings back of centre. Curious if there was some tweak or plan. I could also just be imagining it. Maybe those at the ground might have noticed something?

Thought I'd have a look and instinct proved mostly correct - JV has definitely had a lot of slow starts after long lay-offs. Measuring disposals alone, he has easily more than doubled his output in his second week back in most instances. Augurs well that he still picked up 17 last night in a relatively quiet outing. 2014 – Rnd 3 (first match of the season) 12 disposals (21 the following week) 2015 – Rnd 9 (after being absent since Rnd 2) 7 disposals (26 the following week) 2018 – Rnd 9 (first game of the season) 12 disposals (35 the following week) 2019 – Rnd 1 (first game of the season) 10 disposals (27 the following week) 2020 – Rnd 2 (first game of the season) 13 disposals (24 the following week)

Can't abide by this Kozi lazy Hollywood narrative. Lazy analysis from my point of view.

Clarry is almost always best man on, but it's a high relative bar. Didn't grab the scruff when we needed it like vs Adelaide, and Trac wasn't particularly influential, despite his timely goals. They got the job done, but I think there was some teething issues bringing Viney back into the fold. Viney's job nowadays though is in creating the space for those two to shine, and I fully believe that is what will happen. Just get this one under the belt first.

Brown in please, with a solid block to build into it. We need straightening up. Brown is the perfect player for it.

Haven't checked the records but in my mind Jack has always been a bit slow out of the blocks post-injury. And it felt like the least influence that Clarry and Trac have had in a game this year in combination. I'm convinced that those boys are our best throuple heading into the pointy end though. Let it flow.

Defence too good. So odd to be sitting atop the ladder and still waiting for the team to click. The Roos' defensive ethos was bs. Stemmed the bleeding is all. And then Goody came out all guns blazing. Spent all our cookies on Lever and May. To allow Goody to keep on blazing. Genius. So satisfying.

Saw that the MFC website is celebrating Simon Goodwin's 100th game coaching the MFC: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/964238/top-10-wins-goodwin-s-road-to-100-games?fbclid=IwAR3fzwVcO3jl0ljBvcdpsNuV4_ruiWr8k4dQ4PU4lZsw82DxzHpDamXqTJM Lesser noted, it also just happens to be Clayton Oliver's 100th consecutive match in the red & blue. Simon has never coached a Melbourne team without Clarry in it. Surely that has to be some sort of quirky record? Trac has also played in all but one of those matches as well, including the last 72 straight.

Leo Porter lol - dude just named his kid after a steak. Without conducting an full-scale audit, in my mind by far our most trusted current source.

Is that the worst looking forward line on paper of any injury-free mid-season ladder-leading team in the history of football?

Coincidentally, Willie 'Too Big' Hall shared a link to a quiz on his own facebook page just a week or so ago: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/quizzes/isaac-hayes-shaft-quiz/?fbclid=IwAR0wHQVGXlWUE_6V_SAs4eHlWNgx-yRcgiYZGwH5nvjhGFf5q-lpRZeSQ_4

How I feel when reading these diabolical quizzes:

Ben Brown kicked a bag of four goals against Essendon in his 9th AFL game, from six marks. For good measure, he followed up with another bag of four from six marks against Essendon in his second AFL season. After his 49th AFL match, Sam Weideman has yet to kick a bag of four, and hasn't taken more than five marks in his past sixteen appearances - some of those considered the best games of his career. (Brown took six against Sydney). Ben Brown averages 2.9 goals (and 4.2 scores) against the Dons and six marks per match, 3.2 of those marks taken inside50. Sam Weideman averages 0.6 goals/scores and 0.3 marks inside50 vs. the same team. These are of course selective stats, but one of these blokes is a proven consistent performer at top level (and let's not forget BB only entered the AFL two years before Sam). I'd rather it was him in the team building fitness and form.

Jason Taylor made a curious comment a couple years ago that recruiters on occasions get it wrong, but just wished they had asked a certain specific question or two at the time to maybe weed out a few issues regrading personality and drive etc. The easy call at the time would have been thinking this statement was in regards to Trac, but I sincerely felt he was referring Weid. Has all the tools but never remotely displayed the hunger. Said to a Wobbles mate this week that he would most likely be at their club next year, the only issue being now that Eddie has gone they were less likely to pay overs.