Redleg

Are we just plain unlucky, that at the start of every season we have many players injured and unavailable and for long periods of time? Yes I know other clubs have injuries as well, but we seem to have a large number of long term injuries, before game 1 every year. The Hawks I think have only Bailey out.

No I don't, as Dangerfield was actually slung into the ground.

Just showed it on 7 news. Didn't look that bad from the angle they showed. Colin was unlucky to spin in the air and land badly.

Folau reported twice in GWS loss and he also clashed heads with T$. T$ to have a cheekbone scan. No need for anyone to get nasty.

Thanks.

Still don't know how it happened, six hours after I first asked. Surely someone saw the incident.

I still don't know what happened. I don't really care what Butcher gets either. I lost confidence in the system a while ago. If however, a deliberate illegal act has led to 2 spinal fractures, that will keep a player out for 6 weeks, it will be very interesting to see how the MRP views the incident and the penalty.

Did anyone actually see what happened? If you did could you let the rest of us know.

So do I.

Thanks. Scenes from my favourite show. Can't stop laughing. Who cares about last night now?

Ah, disposal, my hobby horse.

Clearly a couple of our mids Jordie and JT lack match practice and that doesn't help. I think it is also starting to show our inferior midfield. Richmond are a direct competitor for a finals spot and they have Cotchin, Martin and Deledio just for starters.

We have been smashed in the midfield our last couple of practice games. Obviously Jordie is getting match fitness as is JT. Our bright light is the bloke many wanted to get rid of a year ago, Nathan Jones. I also don't think getting smashed in the midfield has anything to do with the game plan. It certainly makes it harder to work to any game plan when the other side has first use of the ball and they are heading to goal and more so when they have a good attack.

I think it is now nearly certain that we will activate both of our compensation picks. First this years draft is strong, second we may have a poor year making them high picks and third we need quality midfielders.

Late in 3rd quarter against Port and we are well down. Then I hear 3 Melbourne players called and all disposals called as poor and inaccurate and we lose possession. How long will we have to suffer this abysmal disposal?

Sounds like someone in the membership idea is running out of ideas.

I'll probably get howled down for this, but I don't like the blazer. They look like English private school boys. I would have preferred no red trim.

Had a great night last night listening to former Demon Max Walker at a dinner for 24 guys. Sat next to Max and he was just fantatstic. Spoke for an hour and answered questions for another hour on topics like his football days, cricket days and his media days. He is a top bloke and very unassuming. If you get the chance to attend a function where he is a speaker grab it. Held at Lamaros pub in South Melbourne in Cecil Street and the food was great as well.

Am very confident we will be nowhere near that bad.

Agree. Except that we also have some good players. I was more of the view that we don't have a Buddy or Rioli who are great, whereas the others you named are good or very good but not in the Buddy class.

Mrs. Redleg hates it and her husband agrees. Awful.

Sarcasm missed.

What, you think Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, Foley are better than Beamer, Jones, McKenzie and whoever? That is where it all starts.

This is a post I put on another thread in answer to Malthouse saying we are not that bad but that we need a good game plan. "If you get down to the basics, that first line says a lot. If you leave aside Buddy and Rioli we probably have players as good as many of the Hawks. Why then do they thrash us? Because they play ultra disciplined football to a strong game plan. Every one knows the plan and knows what is needed. Is Bruce a superstar or Cheney? No but they were contributors and played well because they played to the game plan. Do you have to be a champion to know to run and make position for the next kick when your team has the ball? Do you have to be a champion to know to make each possession of the other side a hard won contest? Break down the game and see where we lost. They contested hard at the stoppages, which either gave them possession or caused us to fumble. Once they had possession they ran to create position and short kicks to a clear man enabled the set up for a goal. What did we do? When we got the ball we either fumbled from the pressure or just bombed it forward to Clark etc who was usually up against 2 or 3 Hawks. Why is that? Because their game plan dictates when they don't have the ball some drop back and others attack the ball carrier. All the while Birchall is left all on his own to sweep up. The first thing I would do when playing them is man up Birchall. They are not unbeatable, but to beat them you must be disciplined and play to a strong plan. Hopefully Neeld will instill such a plan and discipline in our side. Those not willing to adhere and give their all can play at Casey. " What I was trying to get across is that except for a few players, we are not too different to Hawthorn. I don't believe that they are an 80 point better side than us, but that they play an 80 point better game than us. There is a difference. I believe they are very well coached and that all players are totally disciplined to play to the game plan at all times. If I was out there and ran to position and we had the ball I would probably get a kick. I am 60 and hopeless. The point is they can deliver the ball to exactly where there man is. We have had trouble with this for years. There are two aspects to this, first a a strong game plan and disclplined work ethic and second, decent disposal. I have harped on about our poor disposal for years and I recall hearing we would be drafting skilled players. I don't see the good disposal yet. Maybe it will come in time.How many times do we see a Demon make position and the ball is kicked at his ankles or over his head or 20 metres away from him. That sort of disposal will never allow you to be a good side. The other aspect is the plan and players discipline. When we tackle hard and put pressure on we look better.Unfortunately we only do it for periods in a game. That is not good enough. Did the Hawks let up on us. No and it was only a bloody NAB cup game. I hope that when we come to grips with Neeld's plan and work out who is prepared to play to it and give their all to it we will see better results.

If you get down to the basics, that first line says a lot. If you leave aside Buddy and Rioli we probably have players as good as many of the Hawks. Why then do they thrash us? Because they play ultra disciplined football to a strong game plan. Every one knows the plan and knows what is needed. Is Bruce a superstar or Cheney? No but they were contributors and played well because they played to the game plan. Do you have to be a champion to know to run and make position for the next kick when your team has the ball? Do you have to be a champion to know to make each possession of the other side a hard won contest? Break down the game and see where we lost. They contested hard at the stoppages, which either gave them possession or caused us to fumble. Once they had possession they ran to create position and short kicks to a clear man enabled the set up for a goal. What did we do? When we got the ball we either fumbled from the pressure or just bombed it forward to Clark etc who was usually up against 2 or 3 Hawks. Why is that? Because their game plan dictates when they don't have the ball some drop back and others attack the ball carrier. All the while Birchall is left all on his own to sweep up. The first thing I would do when playing them is man up Birchall. They are not unbeatable, but to beat them you must be disciplined and play to a strong plan. Hopefully Neeld will instill such a plan and discipline in our side. Those not willing to adhere and give their all can play at Casey.