Redleg

Weightman will run rings around Nev. Kid is too quick for Nev.

Yes I raised that earlier. I thought he was pushed, but whatever. The point of all this as I see it, is the huge home ground benefit of some clubs. If you have a look at the decisions this year that have been deemed game changers, coincidentally, they all favoured the home side, at real home ground advantage grounds, Geelong, SCG and Adelaide oval. The crowd noise and minimal opposition attendance at these grounds is significant. It clearly affects the umpiring as we have seen, but it also affects the way the home sides play. Look at the Crows game as an example. The Crows went extra hard in the knowledge that they would get the rub of the green. The were extremely aggressive. Look at the dump of Clarry by Tex and Fogarty elbowing Lever from behind. Incidentally, all the media suggested they would both get suspended, but neither did. That was their mindsight on the night. They were ferocious and became more so as the umpires seemed to let them get away with things that normally you can't. The 50 against Max was a joke. I have often seen players dragged to the ground after a mark and nothing happens. That was a crowd 50 and goal. Pathetic. They got 4 goals off soft frees. Remind me how many goals we got from frees. We have named 4-5 infringements in the last few minutes that went unpaid. The deliberate, the htb, the Pickett tunnel, the Oliver block and the other one I have just forgotten and I would even suggest that the last kick to Tex was barely 15 metres, but I could be wrong on that one. I am not saying the umpires cheated, but rather the crowd has affected them and when the game was close, they panicked and froze. As Kane Cornes said, those frees would have been paid every day of the week at the G, or if it wasn't close. We need to get the umpires to do better in these pressure situations, especially with blatant decisions. It is the aim of most in sport to have games won by the better side, without the need to reference the officiating. That said, again I repeat for these that don't understand my real point, I still blame us for the loss, as it shouldn't have been that close if we had played a little better and made some better use of the ball and our decisions.

Am hoping he is good to go, but don't know. Goody did say he thought he would play friday.

I don't see Weid being dropped. If Salem is ok I could see him and someone for Jetta and Melk. Might be a good time to try Bedford as his pace would be an asset.

Agree. I thought BB would come in at Marvel where he has played very well, but given his game yesterday I doubt that will happen. Salem is the one we really need back.

Read the Casey thread.

Sub rule (b) is just ridiculous, as every kick or handball that goes out, went there because the player didn't keep it in. Therefore how can a player "demonstrate sufficient intent" to keep the ball in play, if they kick, handball or force it out. The rule is a nonsense. Shouldn't it simply be " a free kick will be paid against a player who "deliberately" kicks, handballs or forces a ball out of play, except in the act of spoiling a mark. That way all the umpire needs to do is decide quickly if it looked deliberate. No need to assess "demonstrating sufficient intent".

You have discussed the key backs now let's discuss the smaller ones and then the forwards. How were Hunt, Hibberd and Jetta's games yesterday? Now the forwards, how do we assess the games of Weid, ANB, Spargo, Pickett and then Tom and Melk after quarter time. Oh I forgot the mids. What do we think of the games of Jordon, Harmes and Brayshaw? While I am at it, how about the Captain dropping about 4 marks and then tapping it straight to Rowe for a soft goal. Aside from Clarry, who some idiots on here even suggested trading previously, which Demon didn't fumble the ball at all during the game. I think I know why we really lost.

We will get the apology for the "mistake". Problem is, I don't believe it it was a mistake. It was deliberate by the umpire who saw it. Not in a cheating way, but out of fear, in front of a ground full of fanatics, to pay a free that would lose them the game. This is a dangerous precedent and we have seen several this year. Not paying a blatant free to the away side that could give them the game has occurred too often this year to be just a coincidence. If this is not eradicated, we will have a very serious problem for the game. Umpires are supposed to be professional and impartial. This is a failure on both fronts. I repeat, this was not a mistake by the umpire, but rather a choice to not pay what he had seen. Even Nicks in the Crows box winced and swore when the handball happened. Btw, Pickett was pushed fair and square in the back a few seconds earlier, when he went for a mark about 40 out. There were 3 blatant frees not paid to the away side, in the last 2 minutes, deliberate, in the back and holding the ball. All would have changed the result. See the similarity. On another note fairly soft frees and 50"s were paid to the home side, resulting in 4 goals from the umps and loud cheering from the crowd. Popular umpires. Better feeling than being booed. It is simply not good enough in professional sport to allow umpiring to the crowd to continue. On another note, the Crows were the better side on the day and we should never have been in the position where a bad umpire call or two would affect the result. That is on us. Fumbling. Falling over. Long bombs to the forward line. About 2/3 of the side having their worst game of the year, together in the same game. As an example I don't think Hunt had one clean possession in his 7 meaningless possies. It was the disaster happening in front of our eyes, against a low side, with 5 losses in a row, who were as fanatical as the crowd. Meka no mistake they set themselves for this game and rested Tex in preparation. We on the other hand brought not our A or even B game, but our C game. In professional football games that is nearly always a loss. Time to regroup and take on the flag favourites in the next two weeks.

And just by the by, we didn’t kick a goal for the last 13 minutes of the game while the Crows kicked 3. So much for superior fitness.

We lift for the better sides, but honestly we have played poorly for the last few games and luckily got the wins, except for today.

When you fumble all game and bomb it long into your forward line every time, you deserve to lose. Forget the umpiring, as they are not tough guys and they were simply scared of being hurt in Adelaide, if they payed the last holding the ball and deliberate. Also whatever stops we were wearing, well someone made a big mistake. We constantly fell over and it cost us badly.

Agree. Also if there is a spoil up the ground it can rebound quickly to him one out.

Does beating Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon, Richmond and Geelong count as a community benefit?

Yep that's the problem. Hopefully Bowey and Deakyn Smith keep improving and are viable options next year.

Slight injury, possibly groin, hopefully precautionary.

Not official but correct.

Yep.

Salem out.

Cats would hand those 3 over in a second, to get Cerra for the next 10 years. Would also ease salary cap a bit to go for another player.

If that was true, you could manipulate the draft further. If say we wanted our NGA kid who might be top 20, you by bid on every father/son or NGA kid you were certain would be matched, to get your guy to a later pick.

Wash your mouth out with soap.

I have only one gripe about this, I wish it was Carlton too.

Which Cats are from WA?

Understand what you are saying, but these days certain things have changed. For example, a few years ago who would have cared less about a player squeezing a team mates bum? If behaviour can be improved, to the team's benefit, then it is a positive. It may not be as obvious as a long goal on the field, or a screamer over the pack, but it all contributes to a strong, winning, good team culture.