Skuit

Maybe instead of an honesty circle we can try an honesty man-on-man this week.

Win this one and we could find ourselves just one game from the top of the ladder by round's end. Lose it and you can take comfort that everyone else is crap too.

Hot-damn: I knew there was a connection. Check out the current Champions League semi-finalist Ajax's twitter scroll from April 17 for an appearance of our own Big Max: https://twitter.com/AFCAjax?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author Or from gawndog37 himself who now appears to be a fan: https://twitter.com/gawndog37?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author Jack Fitzpatrick thinks it's 'huge'. Also, Goody recently stated that soccer was one of the sports he has been drawing from, as well as field hockey, interestingly.

This has been a reasonably consistent theme with Goodwin from the outset for the slightly more senior players - dropping them a week or so after everyone on here has truly lost patience. Validates what most of us can see, but also suggests he's willing to back in players for a time if in the midst of a form slump. I won't always agree but it's a worthy trait. And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I put this one together a couple seasons back - with several players still current it needs an update if anyone can be bothered. Cripps may have entered the list by now as well. A fair few Brownlows among this crop. The most contested possession across two games (career): Patrick Dangerfield - 48 (2017; in career games 190/191) Clayton Oliver - 46 (2017; in career games 30/31) Josh Kennedy/Nat Fyfe - 46 Chris Judd - 44 Gary Ablett Jr. - 41 Dustin Martin/Jobe Watson - 40 Joel Selwood - 39 Dane Swan - 37 Trent Cotchin - 36

Also, while I'm here, may as well add some other MFC-related tid-bits from this swamp guy. Biggest hit-out differentials in a game - @AFL era +66 - 2015 R12 - nth (89) v gws (23) +60 - 2019 R04 - MELB (73) v SYD (13) +59 - 2015 R09 - frem (86) v adel (27) +56 - 2016 R09 - wce (71) v port (15) Most recent MELB players to have 20+ disposals and 3+ goals in a game vs SYD 2019 R04 - NATHAN JONES 2007 R05- Aaron Davey 2000 R18 - Shane Woewodin 2000 R03 - Andrew Leoncelli 1993 R13 - Garry Lyon Melb vs. Syd: the third time in past 3 years that sets of brothers from 3 different families have all played in the same V/@AFL game 2017 R18 ADEL v GEEL & 2018 R16 MELB v FREM being the others. The overall V/@AFL record for sets of brothers from different families playing is 5 (most recently in 1933).

Probably belongs in the Clarry thread, but (courtesy of some twitterist named @sirswampthing): Fewest career games to register 10 games of 20+ contested possessions 64 - Clayton Oliver 65 - Patrick Cripps 81 - Josh Kennedy 94 - Nat Fyfe 110 - Tom Mitchell

I'm leaning toward exhibit A.

Cast your minds back to last week and recall that feeling you had when the ball went anywhere near the vicinity of Buddy. In a similar exercise, think about when Tomald had the ball. Therein lies your answer.

If I was a set of coaches the coaches' votes this week wouldn't be far off (but with Petracca ahead of Salem). So I agree. And I would take that from Jones every week. But that may be due to lower expectations or the desire for someone to provide some sort of leadership in a team-lifting sense. Although the response to his first goal was actually quite ugly.

They likely voted before watching the replay. I thought he had played well as well. I was wrong. Watch the third quarter again - almost every possession was turned over or a missed opportunity.

What - Wagner & Wagner for Jetta and Garlett? Seems reasonable to me.

I think you're in denial as well. The ball comes, Jake reaches for contact with the defender first, misses the mark and then complains about interference. I can back it up with footage. (although I agree with you in some respects and am going to bed).

I'm happy to be corrected. As a statistical average he's taken around five marks per week average with us and above four across his career. The last two weeks have produced four marks. There's of course a lot more to it than that. But my point, as it was, is that he is too busy trying to draw contact/frees atm rather than meeting the ball, and his contested marking is way way down. We can continue to discuss with footage if either of us could be bothered.

Melksham to me has been lucky over the MFC journey with respect to frees, and in my opinion is now looking to engage one-on-one contact to draw such frees rather than going to meet the ball - in which marking respect he's been incredibly fumbly this year as well. He still contributes, but is not playing with the intensity and running he should. Also, in no way whatsoever did I say Petty should come in. Putting him back in the Saints would amount to mental cruelty, as he was pretty much the difference in our loss against that mob last year. Lewis I cared about before last week - but we showed last week that our defence can stand up with midfield leadership.

I watched the replay for the first time in yonks - and I'm afraid I have to agree with a few of the disagreeable folk on here; we were mostly [censored] and Jones was actually horrible despite providing on-field inspiration for the first time that I can recall. Omac on the other hand wasn't as bad as I thought, although him spending a massive chunk of time off the ground probably helped as to this perception. This however is possibly what you want most from a third-string defender - simply to not see them during the match, and maybe Oscar has found his true calling as a bench-warmer. Stretch, in a similar sense, was a revelation, in largely going unnoticed rather than getting in the way and [censored] it up a la ANB. (Please note: I love ANB, in the same way I loved Fitzy). Otherwise, I'll be first to admit that I have no real idea of which Wagner is which when the ball is in play - especially when one or more of them share a Hitler youth haircut with Spargo - but the most [censored] of them can give way for Jetta, while the other less [censored] one of them can come out for Garlett, although I suspect one of them had a relatively decent game. Out: the entire Wagner family In: Garlett and Jetta. Lucky: Jones and Omac and Hibberd and Stretch and Spargo (the new Pedo with a 75% W/L record) Not lucky but needs a rev-up: Melksham and still Tmac Unlucky: Keilty and Lockhart Not unlucky: ANB and Petty Can wait: Lewis and May

Can you find another version of the ladder that doesn't look as if we are 1 and 4?

For all I've defended Goodwin's game-plan with a wait-and-see mantra, there were clearly some tweaks and directives made. Think we may have relaxed the press again a little (hard to tell on TV and with BT and Bruce endlessly muppetting on) and obviously tried to control the ball more and by foot (haven't checked the marks/possession and kicks to handball ratio stats but I imagine they tell the story). It allowed us to find space forward for the first time - and on a smaller ground - and aided with us trapping in it in and in our group-pressure and tackling intensity. Our mids moving into the forward-half were huge in this respect: Petracca, Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw and Harmes all putting in and trying to force a stoppage/turnover, with Jones one of the beneficiaries. And all of a sudden our defence looks way better, despite ongoing concerns. But the two-paced approach was the most pleasing aspect of the game and a sign of developing maturity. Also, when we bombed long we did so with much flatter kicks, and our forward balance looked much better with Preuss as a foil instead of Tmac and Weid as primary targets. Melksham, however, leads to lift; his poor form going under the radar to date - can't take a grab and too busy trying trying to draw contact and frees instead of meeting the ball in front.

Special shout out to Petracca, Hunt and Oliver for their utter determination to win/win back the ball.

Welcome back mate. Post-match celebration bevvy on the barge if you're not too jet-lagged.

We need to get on the phone to this bloke. vs. Sydney round 6 2014: L. Franklin 1 goal 6 disposals 4 clangers 1 tackle 250 × 267

It just occurred to me this crop wouldn't have had all that much practice playing in big milestone games. I recall Watts had a 150th with us before he departed - and a complete stinker if I remember correctly. Maybe Port Adelaide at the MCG after the bye in 2017 where he dropped marks and squibbed from the outset? Melksham and Garlett a couple others. Jones and Lewis.

Thanks La Dee-vina. So I think it is fair to conclude that May wasn't in top shape. This however says nothing around the inference that attitude played a part. It could well have been a failure on the club's behalf to convey what was expected - or an inability to reach the required standard in the time from his trade.

Do you have some data to back that contention ding? Max's 100th wasn't a happy affair, but we were [censored] for quite a number of years so the milestone games have obviously been a bit skewed. What about since 2015? Still, I'm hoping Tomald will play his 150th in Melbourne, for non-sentimental reasons.

I'm calling false news on this one Bing (although I certainly agree he's been nowhere near his best touch for a long while now, even on the occasions he's contributed) - when Jeff is up and about, when, he sets the tone for our forward defensive efforts, and is probably our leading player for forcing HTB frees in our forward 50. With Queen Mary Tomald, a sluggish Weid, and Fatracca up front, we're seriously lacking agility for forward 'coralling'. He's probably our best current hope in better trapping it in - which I think could possibly be our actual primary issue right now.