Go the Biff

1 minute ago, DubDee said:

Anyone know if Saad or Weitering are injured? Or will they play the game out?

I think Saad has a shirtful of sore ribs. Weitering seems ok

My first reaction to this was hell no ! And then HELL NO !!! Not that I don't rate Grundy - he's a gun ruck who's had one severe injury. It's more the $$$, the age, the Collingwood factor & a heap of salary cap tied up in two ruckmen. But after rolling it around the grey matter for a while....

This is a contingency plan based on LJ going. It addresses two birds with the one stone

We need another KPF for 2023. Sadly, there are none to be had. McStay is the best available & we have one of those in T-Mac.So there's nothing we can trade in. Looking further there's no way McKay or Curnow will be prised out of Carlton, the Kings are already signed for a few more years and North are not likely to give us another FF. Can't see much else on the horizon.

We'll need a second ruck for 2023. Goody is keen on the two ruck model.

The footy department will have thought this through. They'll have a plan for how they want us to play in 2023. They'll have identified Grundy's role and presented that to him. They'll have explained how this impacts on Max's role which would likely be to spend a lot of time as a key forward and how they will work in tandem. Max is obviously on board as he was in the meeting.

Personally I'm not a fan of Max up forward. I think we become too "Max-centric" at the expense of other, better options. However our captain is something of a freak. Barring his tap work (as he rarely jumps any more) he has managed to improve an aspect of his game pretty much every year. Be it his field kicking, his decision making, his contested marking. Even this year his leading patterns as a forward have improved significantly. So if the big fella wants to spend the summer working on his forward craft with a view to reinventing his 30 year old self as the second coming of a young Paul Salmon, I ain't the one to tell him he can't do it.

11 minutes ago, mo64 said:

That's fine if he didn't cough the ball up through fumbling or getting caught in possession, because he's been slow in mind and body. I didn't need stats to disprove what I'm seeing.

I just read all the definitions of Pressure Acts. They are so broad, it borders on meaningless. The only Pressure Act that is relevant is one which results in a turnover by the opposition or a stoppage. In a recent Crows game, Laird and Gray had something like 40 tackles combined, and they lost the game. 

I've had no issue with ANB for a season and a half, but since the bye, he's been out of form. And our team structures have been dissected by the better teams who are prepared to take us on. Something needs to change.

That's it in a nutshell. ANB is horribly out of form - with the ball. Without the ball his running, pressure & work-rate are all still there. However if he was to be dropped, we need to find someone who can perform his function at his level & better. I don't think that's Chandler nor Bedford nor Lawrie. I wonder if that could be Harmes or perhaps Jordan with Brayshaw then returning to the wing.

Yeah, I'll go round again

Josh Jenkins has his say. Was in Group 1 with Eddie Betts

Josh Jenkins Full Statement on the Adelaide Crows 2018 pre-season camp

28 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Don’t forget that I think it was Cox who deliberately and recklessly charged Max from behind in a marking contest with knees to the back.  A dog act by a lowlife 😎..............

I've not forgotten. He had no other intention but to injure. Would dearly love to see retribution in the form of a knee to the solar plexus at Cox's first centre bounce.

Aside from that I don't mind the big Yank. He has a quirky sense of humour & deserves credit for carving out a career in a foreign game

On 7/15/2022 at 9:33 AM, demon3165 said:

Well the old churches leagues were just as bad and so was Federal Football League.

Hah. Played a couple of years in that. Loved those unfenced grounds. If you followed the ball over the boundary into the spectators you'd cop half a dozen jabs to the kidneys on your way back on the field. Fun times !

1 hour ago, Mel Bourne said:

Read my previous post, and the reactions of Collingwood fans. They don’t give a toss, and some are even all for it. 

Honestly the pearl-clutching going on from some here is a bit much. What’s even more bizarre is the suggestion it will have any impact on the match whatsoever. 

The idea that this will “fire up” the opposition? I mean, it might fire up the Campbell’s Creek Magpies but in a league as drilled, honed and already-fired-up as the AFL, such a polite bit of banter won’t touch the sides. 

Don't come across many expressions I haven't heard before. That one is a cracker Mel.

Apologies for the Essendon content but perhaps Lingers has graduated from the Grooming School for AFL Footballers
 

3 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

Please elaborate?

all I recall is him beating his opponent on the lead with speed (but can’t recall who that opponent was) or much else 

I've done this before having rewatched the game & can't be stuffed trying to find my post. Everyone goes "4 goals, 4 goals - he's a forward". Yeah he kicked 4 but from memory he booted a monster from near the centre circle - wasn't playing forward at the time. One was an opportunistic snap from the pocket. The last couple were when he was on one leg in the goal square & they pretty much landed in his lap. I think his direct opponent was queued at the pie stall for the first of that pair. Maybe snuck off for a cheeky dart for the second. Or perhaps Smithy farted. Whatever happened, he was left alone.
So there was nothing about his game that made me think "you beauty - we have a natural forward here". Believe me I was looking as they are hard to come by & I'd have loved to see Smithy jnr replicate his dad's deeds.

Love him to prove me wrong. Poor bugger has had a wretched run with injury & deserves a change in fortune

1 hour ago, old dee said:

Courageous to play JVR as a first year kid against the pies. Smith needs another game at Casey but he won't get that till weekend after next. That leaves MB in my opinion. Has shown very little st senior level this year but it is hard to imagine he would give less than one kick.

Courageous is one word. I think we need two talls and while JVR's development is pleasing, I reckon if they were going to play him it would have been last week.

Instead he spent Sunday kicking 5 which looks great on the stat sheet but it was against the last placed team full of sparkies, plumbers & pizza delivery dudes.

9 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Yep  Our version of Jeremy Howe, for the life of me I dont see why we cant trial using him as a bash and crash Kamikaze forward who can take a grab!

Fence, you're an eternal optimist. I'd be loath to use him in a bash & crash kamikaze role given he can get injured just by crossing the boundary line. Accident waiting to happen I'd have thought.

26 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

What was the year where Joel Smith showed some form as a forward in the pre-season, before getting injured. Maybe 2019? If my memory serves me correctly he kicked 4 in the last pre-season game, looked a million dollars, and it came out after the game that he played a half with an injured hammy

 

Have a look at the game & you'll be less impressed with his forward craft.

4 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

If we suspected he had a concussion why didn’t we activate the sub? I can’t see how a player copped a concussion during the game and played on. Didn’t think that was allowed. Unless it happened within the last 20 minutes of the game?

 

You can pass the test Jaded but have symptoms kick in later on. So maybe that.

Or maybe someone copped one at training 

44 minutes ago, Sydee said:

That’s a pretty fair assessment of where things are at for Sam. He has the tools but doesn’t know how to use them - still too easy to defend and still lacks any real physical presence.........

 

I kinda agree with this. He's contracted for another year and failing a miraculous return from TMac we have to keep playing him this year.

His main issues as I see it.

1) He's too easily outbodied. So either he lacks core strength - which is possible as he's only put on semi decent size in the last couple of years - or his technique is poor. If the former then he's got a summer of squats & dead lifts ahead of him if he wants to make the most of his final contracted year. If the latter, he needs some specialized coaching. The Ox is a great example of someone who turned into a great "body" player. It needs addressing because at the moment he has a 95kg body being driven by a 70kg brain.

2) He needs to mark with his hands out in front of his face. Take the ball where its harder for defenders to spoil it. Too often he tries to take the ball almost directly above his head. Easy meat for any half decent defender to spoil without infringing.

3) Get the boy to Specsavers ! Have we tested his bloody eyesight ? The double grabbing, the running under the flight path - can he actually see the damn pill properly ?

FWIW I gave him a bare pass on Saturday but he turned a fantastic start into a barely adequate game. Someone should also tell him that just because Max is in the pack doesn't mean he can't fly for it as well.

7 minutes ago, Demon4Life said:

Unfortunately since that call I've noticed that almost any time someone kicks a goal he goes "bang". Cheapens it a little for me. Not that moment (praise Clarry!) but Brayshaw's work

Nah - JB has been rolling with "bang" for years. His Clarrie call though, will likely become part of AFL iconography alongside the likes of Stephen Quartermain's "Leo Barry You Star"

I thought the best thing about Brayshaw's "Bang..........bang bang bang" was the silence he followed it with, allowing the vision of the celebrating players tell the story

4 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I'm probably one of a few that's not really big on Daisy as a commentator. But in all honesty I'm not big on many commentators in today's game. Personally think the standard and talent has dropped significantly.

I'm more interested in her career as a full time coach for Geelong because I think she'll be a ripper! I think it's been magnificent to see her career the way it's panned out from being a pioneer of women's footy to now becoming an assistant coach at an AFL club. Hopefully this now opens the door to more opportunity for women coming through the men's coaching ranks.

In terms of commentators I do like Anthony Hudson the most. Some of the games iconic moments captured have also included his commentary which creates good theatre, e.g Jeremy Howe mark in 2012 and the Buddy "Thiirrrteeeen"

A left field one who I've really enjoyed over the past couple of years and deserve significant air time is Nigel Carmody. For those that don't know he usually does the AFL women's team and also the VFL on 7. He is seriously underrated in my eye and I would like to see him get promoted to more prime time slots next year while they [censored] off BT and Carey.

I know James Brayshaw annoys a lot of people but you have to admit, his Clayton Oliver's "Bang bang bang" commentary will certainly go down as one of the best moments in that grand final. Among others that is..

Good to see someone recognise Carmody's efforts. He reminds me a bit of Peter Donegan, a quality sportscaster who could turn his hand to pretty much any sport. A few years ago the VFL & AFLW telecasts were largely anchored by Carmody, Jason Bennett and Abbey Holmes and I thought they did a terrific, professional job. Good to see the three of them get more time on bigger stages although Carmody's expanded role has mainly been in horse racing coverage.

I'm also a Papalia fan. He understands that his role is to call the game as accurately as possible and he just gets on with it.

I prefer Daisy's analysis to most and I suspect the main reason that she's good is because she's still involved in the game. Special comments / analysts seem to me to have a limited shelf life. Some may recall Cameron Ling being lauded for his special comments in his first year on 7. He was bloody excellent. But with each passing year he's provided less & less meaningful analysis and more and more cliches. He's hopeless now.

Malcolm Blight was another. Straight out of the game his on-air input was a breath of fresh air. Then he lost his marbles & from his most recent utterances, still hasn't found them.

When it comes to hosting footy coverage I think both Sarah Jones & Kath Loughnan do a terrific job. On 7 Abby Gelmi is good but under utilised.

Hannabal has summed up my views on Kelli Underwood to a tee. Nails down a chalkboard stuff.

To finish up, I've always thought Rex Hunt was a megalomaniacal farkwit. He is, always has been and always will be about Rex. Any of his "offerings" should always be viewed in this light

42 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Of course he is. What else do you think he does all week?

Makes Best 22 lists !

49 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

How does Brady Eawlings escape all this?

He's been an absolute mess of an appointment. 

Spot on Dazz. It appears from the outside that he's the chief architect of this disaster. North's version of CS.

He seems to be Teflon 

45 minutes ago, dl4e said:

Wonder who the interim coach will be. Imagine if they rolled the tigers this weekend.

VFL coach Leigh Adams will be interim coach.  Poor bugger.  That'll be two coaching careers Norf have killed in one season 

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

MAYBEE ? MAYBE ???????‽

Criminally underated!! Should still be playing with Dees as 250 game Legend IMV🤩😎

He was as useful as a chocolate teapot. And about as hard. Conned you & a few others though - including the club.

31 minutes ago, Rednblueriseing said:

Alot of this has to do with game style, you can see Trac and Oliver are told to get the ball in deep as quickly as possible, trouble is they then miss free players i50

Yep. And floating mongrel punts become the order of the day. I'd hate to be a forward in our setup.

Jesus . Bucketing down.  Trying to work out who's kicking with the tide. 

Couple of nice efforts from JVR just then

On 6/30/2022 at 1:52 PM, Lucifers Hero said:

.................

With a bit of luck it will be umpired better not that it should have come to that, last year.

Dees by 6-8 goals!

Well, that aged well @Lucifers Hero😁

28 minutes ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

Something i haven't heard mentioned in a very, very long time.

You only ever heard of it when they won by a few points. Unmentioned when the result was a few points the other way.

Absolute myth