Tricky

I remember thinking last year that the Brisbane Lions had started a concerted (but completely unnecessary) campaign for Daniel Rich to win the Rising Star and at about the same time Matthews put down Jack repeatedly. Coincidence?

Either way, Matthews seems confident that he can judge a players weaknesses, current ability and entire career based on 5 minutes - or even one piece - of play. Jamie Bennell can look forward to a career of 'lacking awareness' and Jack will forever be 'more of a flanker'.

As long as they lack awareness and are more of a flanker in a couple of premierships, I can live with Matthews senile 'expert' commentary.

these commentators (Matthews, Parkin etc) are paid to fill gaps by talking continuously across a broad range of (sometimes loosely) AFL related topics. Whilst they may put some reasonable level of research into some of it, they can't possibly be across all of it, so a lot of what comes out of their mouths is going to be S^%&t.

Probably more just waffling crap than a conspiracy.

I hope Jack has a thick skin.

How about the old fashioned huddle. Could have at least tried it....once? too radical? better to do nothing and get slaughtered time and time again?

Keyser, don't be so harsh.....some of the posts in this thread cheer me up no end, some of the best comedy I have ever read

Way to sit on the fence.

Yeah it can be noticable at times - and is challenging for all clubs.

I heard Voss talking on SEN the other night about how he feels as a coach, that he has far less control with all the rotations going on - which are managed by the fitness staff apparently.

I'd give them a 2 week suspended sentence + the fine, for bringing this tough in your face game into disrepute.

There's no honour in hair pulling. If you want to be tough or something, belt 'em in the nose, from in front of them.

Not like today's stoushes out in the streets where they hit from behind unseen. Up front, face to face, eye to eye.

PS: Don't be misunderstood. I'm not condoning violence, per say,,,, but if one has to, at least show some manhood about it & look them in the eye.

I hear u - maybe a new point based system. Say early plea and your penalty is doubled for sucking up to the panel? Carry over points for previously girly behavior (sorry girls)? That sort of thing?

We seriously need to work on having people inside 50m to deliver to. It must have been nice for West Coast to look up knowing Le Cras would be leading at them.

See where is the forward line.

I was genuinely flabbergasted by the number of people in that thread who believe the empty 50 wasn't an issue, rather our mids were to blame for poor delivery. Whilst delivery wasn't great, it never will be when our mids are faced with increasing pressure as they are forced to chip around and wait for targets to get back to their positions.

People in that thread will tell you that it is a tactical strategy to congest the game, or to overcome the fact that our depleted forward list (that just happened to include our future KPF) would otherwise be beaten one on one. This is nonsensical and frankly totally defeatist. Even if it has been known to work on occasion, it clearly failed dismally on Saturday, but was allowed to go on all day.

I am not calling for the coaches head like some, but I hope we don't see that particular "strategy" again for a long time. (ever will do me)

I just saw the vision today. This stuff is creeping into the game of late. Years ago they would have considered the hair puller a pansy & cleaned up his dirty little attitude. Those days you stood your adversary face to face with a punch to the nose.

Hair pulling was considered girlish. I don't want this stuff coming into Australia, & falling down in a sudden gust of wind blows through. Leave this for Soccer, & lets clean it out of our game.

Give these *ricks a suspended sentence for this crap. Before this spreads through the suburbs & our game!

$900 fine each (Mitchell & Ballantyne) I think I heard. So basically slaps on the wrist. Probably about right IMO.

And yet who is in the picture accompanying the article?

Cameron Bruce.

That was a nothing article.

"Watts is unlikely to shine as a key forward in the immediate future, yet he now looks like he can cope with senior footy, and should be persevered with to learn on the job."

Ground-breaking stuff there from Matthews.

The interesting part was the obvious about-face from LM.

I have a feeling this will be trend from all the doubters over time. Can't recall if you are one or not?

Mitchell is a dirty little tool....so no surprise really. (wish he played for the Dees though) GO DEES

I can't believe that after our performances against Coll, Bris. and the Dogs, there is a thread bagging Bailey.We were always going to be up and down this year.As to the forward line ....most of our future forwards weren't available for selection!!

I don't necessarily think this thread was set up as Baily basher, nor do I necessarily agree with that sentiment completely.

No forward set-up is going to kick goals if it doesn't receive quality ball from the midfield.

A forward set up with players in it will have a better chance though.

Interesting article from lethal:

Watts pick could still pay off

Bit of a turnaround for him?

can anyone please confirm how jack watts did in his 20m sprints at draft camp? he just did not appear to have a second gear in terms of speed but I do recall him being one of the quickest at draft camp. Maybe the extra size has slowed him or its just maybe a case of asthetically looking not that fast when he actually is.

2.82 seconds - second fastest from that draft.

Goes to show what you know about football, if you cannot see their game plan then know wonder we have some of the dumbest supporters going around, the biggest problem we had was the disposals into the forward line and around the ground, one could see this with one eyed shut.

How is an empty forward 50 part of the game plan? Perhaps you can enlighten us as to how an efficient entry to the 50 is possible under this scenario?

Think about. If you are losing the midfield contests then your forward line is fighting for crumbs. What also makes it hard when you midfield make poor disposal options inside 50?

Other posters have also correctly pointed out we have a number of our better forward options at present out injured, coming back from injury, still raw, useless (PJ) or just playing like blockheads (eg Sylvia)

Yes the midfield was down. How does that change the simple fact that the forward 50 was completely empty, on so many occasions during our attempts to attack?

Missing players does not excuse this.

Get some game time into Brad Miller, then send him up to Gold Coast next year. Play him next week for Bate, as he probably won't play.

This adds another dimension to the argument.

I don't think Miller or Juice will be around for us next year, but I also doubt (as I've said in another thread) that he will hold much appeal for GCFC.

Any of you strategists thought how who won the midfield yesterday and how we used the ball? Hmmm

Not entirely sure what you point is. Are you suggesting that the midfield is/was a bigger problem than the forward line?

Do you agree or disagree that it makes life hard for the midfield when there is a lack of forward structure or worse, no one in the fifty?

So, you're the one who wants to drop Sculls hey ?

O...M...G !!!!

I know. Unbelievable

Yesterday showed that there is no obvious forward line stucture. The opposition defence seems to dictate where our forwards stand. On MMM Garry Lyon kept yelling out to our forwards to get back to the goal square. Too often our forwards got sucked up the ground with the WC defenders. Looking at the Cats last night they just toyed with Brisbane. Always had numbers at the ball and a foward line that knows exactly where to go when they have the ball.

I totally agree.

Our performance was down across the entire ground but that doesn't account for a non-existent forward line structure.

Having a depleted list is no excuse for a non-existent structure.

The personnel available on any given game day may influence the specific arrangement of the structure, but a structure must still exist.

I wasn't listening to the commentary during the game but this should have been obvious to anyone watching and I do not understand how it can be left to go for an entire game, or as the poster of this thread has implied, week after week. (at least the last 3)

Lack of FL structure results in confusion across the ground. How many times did we watch our defence and mid field work hard to get ball past the center line only to have to stop dead and resort to chipping sideways while we attempted to get numbers back. People are quick to vent frustration with "overuse of the ball" but this is a further symptom of the bigger problem of having an all too often empty forward line whilst attempting to attack.

Geelong in 2006 was experimenting with young skilful players and quick movement by hand and foot. They lost 7 out of 8 games and were accused of chipping the ball around too much, instead of long direct kicks to goal. Geelong finished tenth, missed the finals and there were many calls for Mark Thompson's head to roll. The following year it all clicked, and they won the flag. The rest is history.

confidence.

They experimented with ball movement, not empty goal squares.

It's not rocket science - you can't score if the 50 is empty.

Then you're going to love "the emblem" coming soon...

More info please?

Not sure he'll be attractive to GC though. Good luck to them if he is...

Yep and to him also.

Like Jack al he'd need to do is put in a good run in the VFL.

I don't really agree. If making finals in 2010 was our primary objective then yes, but bigger picture, play a developing kid before Miller.

I would have loved to have seen Miller make it. I made plenty of excuses for why he wasn't cutting it - EG Daniher moving him forward and back and not letting him settle into his "natural" position (which for me was CHF - plenty will disagree)etc etc. At the end of it all, I think he's just one of football's conundrums; plenty of talent but unable to fully execute it.

I don't think GC will want him for that reason.

I think maybe being at 3AW where they take a more mature

approach than the clowning around on triple M is having a calming effect on him.

Triple M is a boys club and they encourage larrakin loutish behaviour.

He was a goose at Triple M but I agree, that's what they are about. 3AW copped a fair bit of flack for Rex's antics so I'm sure that they wanted BT to tone down the clown act. That said, he still seems to barely contain it at times during his bouts on Sports Today...

I'm not a huge fan, but he does seem easier to tolerate of late.

In response to the OP... Wasn't it Parkin (along with Matthews) who got stuck into Watts' attitude a while ago, then admitted he's never spoken to him or anyone at the club? It sounds to me like jealousy to be honest...

In truth, I reckon there might have been one instance that in isolation made it seem like Watts had a bit of arrogance, and due to his profile, it got blown out of proportion... chinese whispers took over, and suddenly he's plagued by a bad attitude across his whole approach to the game.

It could just as easily be some Wayne Carey arrogance as anything else. Any club could use some Wayne Carey influence. During his playing days when he wasn't boinking other players' wives, he was the complete package. Arrogant, ruthless, a leader, club-man etc etc.

When you look at these rumours (and ANY rumours of this nature) in that light, it's very easy to dismiss them as the usual scuttlebutt that goes with being a #1 pick.

Agree. And furthermore, it seems to me that Parkin initiated and seems to be the main perpetuator of this crap. It seems to me he is struggling to scrape together a commentary of any substance pertaining to the MFC, so recycles the odd reference to this in order to fulfill his media commitments.

17 pages!! who hoo! what is the record?

18 if you count Watts is his attitude right !!