dee-tox

And one more thing. Whoever plays on Alir Alir will have a night out. Most overrated player in the AFL!

Port's midfield ain't that great. Wines and an underdone Boak just won't cut it. We'll win this one by five goals.

I'm not sure selection can fix all of our problems from Saturday. We were slaughtered particularly in the first half around the ball. Oliver and Petracca were quiet. Harmes, Jordon, Viney and Sparrow were unable to pick up the slack. Would giving Viney a 'rest' allowing Jordon to play his best role help? Maybe. Would van den Berg help? Maybe. He hits hard and helps create space. We lack precise ball movement going forward. TMac was playing too high up leaving Fritsch to battle it out with guys much bigger than him. Maybe having Melksham back helps with the 'connection'? We had no no targets going forward. We had Max sitting in a pocket on occasion not doing much. Would Ben Brown straighten us us up? Maybe. But what do we do with Gawn and Jackson? We lacked run off half back. Salem, Rivers, Hunt and Hibberd are important here. Hibberd also has to hurt his opponent going the other way and not just be lock down. We need speed coming off half back and all four have a part to play. Salem also needs to take the less safe option more often. Dinky 15 metre kicks allow the opposition to get numbers back and he needs to pull the trigger more often and launch a 45-metre pass to a one-one-one or kick into space. Our small forwards were unable to apply enough pressure to lock the ball in. Part of this is the midfield coming to help out. Is Chandler worth a go to add some run, especially after a five-day break? So for me: Outs: Viney, Sparrow and Harmes Ins: vDB, Melksham and Brown

Touk Miller is apparently in contract negotiations with Gold Coast. I'd put the feelers out. He's exactly what we need.

If Petracca or Oliver are well held or just off we are in big trouble at the moment. Our midfield just doesn't bat deep enough. Jordon, Harmes, Sparrow and Viney are OK but inferior to a star-studded midfield like GWS.

6. May 5. Fritta 4. Salem 3. TMac 2. Gawn 1. Jackson.

First time this season we've been outcoached. We played into their hands in the first half underestimating their midfield. Kelly, Whitfield, Green, Tarranto, Hopper, Ward, etc are better than our midfield. All well and good to have an extra number back but we lost at the source and GWS were able to spot up one of the best one on one players in the comp. Greene's three first half goals were huge. We woke up to this too late. Petracca, Oliver, Harmes, Brayshaw and Langdon were great in the last quarter but were hardly seen in the first half. Petty worries me. Viney is not right and was a liability today. Kozzy didn't touch it. Goalkicking was costly, especially kick around corners. Hunt will get crticised for three holding the ball decisions against him in the last but he at least took it on. May and Salem were good all game. Fritta was mostly excellent

This is purely coaching. Get even numbers at the contest. They underestimated the Giants midfield. Kelly, Hopper, Whitfield Tarranto.

This is simple. Outnumbered at the contest but we have an extra in defence. Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Harmes, can't win a clearance so forwards are getting nothing. GWS have also taken the Melbourne wingers out of play.

The authors of it's coming home Skinner and Baddiel were very liberal with the truth here. Scotland has more of a claim to inventing the modern game than England. As an aside I couldn't stand it if England won. World's worst supporters. Booing opposing national anthems, mixing politics with sport in every match. Nazi references 80 years on, really? Slamming their coach one minute, praising the him next. Picking fights, glassing innocent bystanders... Just filth. We still have hope that Belgium (perhaps minus Ezard and de Bruyne) or Italy will spoil the party. But if the Poms get over Ukraine the have a home final at Wembley. Makes a big difference.

Most of us here have reservations so it is only natural that many in the media do as well. If we can tweak our forward line and fix what Goody calls our 'connection' as well as our set shot woes we'll turn the two or three goal wins into six or seven goal wins. We'll also need to be wary of our midfield mix with Viney coming back in.

Their midfield is decent, sometimes good: Whitfield, Kelly, Tarranto, Greene, Ward, deBoer, etc. Not too much else to worry about.

Doing well as a stopper. Kind of wish he'd stop fumbling though!

Reckon on the bigger grounds like the G, the wing is crucial. Teams want to go through the corridor or the shortest way home but the reality is most teams are great at clogging up the corridor. Having an attacking wingman (Langdon) and letting him run into space as well as a more defensive option (Brayshaw) has been one of the moves of the year in my opinion. Both are incredibly courageous and Langdon's gut running is out of this world. Angus' aerial ability is also underrated. I made a comment in the votes thread that perhaps we have become too used to Langdon's brilliance and that he wins his position week after week. But as far as influence on the game goes, he is right up there with Oliver, Petracca. May, Lever and Gawn in importance and execution.

Agree, but let's spell his name correctly please!

Unfortunately, Jonesy is unable to win a contested possession these days which is a little bizarre given that was his strength for more than a decade. He's purely outside now. Sparrow is a much better option at the moment. Lacks a bit of polish but has some good traits.

Better game from Sparrow. I'd like to persist with him. Crucial goal, has some toe and he tackes hard. The forwards hardly touching it was a gameplan/decision making thing in the first half. Always outnumbered. Kicking to a predetermined position. No one could spot up a lead. Tony Lockett would have struggled with all the numbers Essendon had back. Second half much better. Although you have to nail shots. ANB and Kozzie struggled but won't be dropped.

Has Langdon become so good that we take his performances for granted?

Second half started spotting up forwards. Makes a big difference. Need to convert the opportunities. TMAc, Fritta, Spargo, Jacko, etc. Jayden Hunt killed Tippa. Leaders lifted in the third. Viney was quiet but should be better for the run. Liked Jordon's defensive efforts.

6. May 5. Langdon 4. Lever 3. Brayshaw 2. Hunt 1. Oliver Good team effort. Special mention to Spargo, Gawn (great leadership), Salem, etc.

Langdon has been brilliant. Tracc lifted. Oliver good quarter. Should be six goals up for all the effort that was put in.

We'll gonna lose some important games because we can't kick 35-40 metre goals directly infront.

We're kicking to a designated spot as if we had three talls. We need to hit up some individual targets.

Always outnumbered. The system or the execution is wrong.

The problem is moving the ball into the forward line. Skills, connection, system and personnel. I'd put Petracca permanently forward and Fritta higher up the ground.