george_on_the_outer

Ripper interview. Nice to get the real insights into what is going on. Particularly like the assessment that our medical and sports science teams are the best in the business, and also the caring nature of the players and staff is unique.

Is there such a thing as "match fitness" in 2023? Do the modern fitness and conditioning programmes negate the need for playing matches before a senior game after injury?

For teams that are poor there is no reason to tank these days. When it was endemic 15 years ago, it was because the AFL was handing out priority picks. Tanking provided an additional pick at the top end. If you finish 18th today, you get one pick ( at No. 1), and your next pick (19) is one behind the Premier at 18. Other poorly performing sides have picks 2,3...etc so there is little difference in quality there. Petracca or McCartin? You cannot build a decent side around 1 good player alone. Hawthorn aren't tanking, they are just bad. North weren't tanking last year, they were just bad. Look at the difference a decent coach ( Clarkson) & football manager ( Viney) have made to them. Same as happened to us.

Not all of us!

I think it too early to make the suggestion that we have changed our forward entries @Engorged Onion. In this one game the Bulldog defence was simply, utterly and completely disgraceful. We had 17 marks inside forward 50 and for the whole game we only had 2 contested marks. In other words, at the very worst we had 15 uncontested marks inside forward 50.! Simply unbelievable. We didn't need to seek to kick to pockets because there was no zone defence. We had players sitting unattended dead in front on multiple occasions. How many times did players get behind the Bulldogs defence, because they were playing man on man? When beaten there is no-one between them and the goal, ala Kossie, Chandler, Melksham.....i.e. no goalkeeper used like when playing zone. Spargo didn't need to kick to anyone else, because no Bulldogs defender came to him, and because in the absence of a zone defence, there was nobody in front of him in any case. I suspect we will see similar this week, because Brisbane haven't used a zone previously. They depend on Harris Andrews and Daniel Rich holding the fort. To see if we have changed anything we need to wait to see in a game where the opposition have serious defensive structures.

Some good analysis from Leigh Montagna on Brisbanes performances in the past 6 months or so:

Unsubscribe link at the bottom.....already used!

Georgina to join Georgia Campbell and Georgia Gall......should be more of it!

Yes....go by the Ferrari. Much too unreliable! Get the Porsche instead.

Perhaps @WalkingCivilWarcan help here? The Demon Army usually has an allocation, and not all may be able to get there, so they may be able to help. Probably good form to sign up with them, if they do.

For @Bitter but optimistic@Demon_spurs@DeelightfulPlay.. before you head off, make sure you have a ticket to the game. Traegar Park only holds 7,200 and the locals turn up in droves.....

Best option is opt in for a physical card, and then you don’t have to deal with Ticketek until finals time.

@Supermercado Is your friend @ Demonwiki: http://www.demonwiki.org/Grand+Final+1958 Number 6 was Peter Brenchley on the day. The Sun had published player numbers on the day so the VFL forced players to wear alternate numbers. E.g Barassi wore number 2 instead of 31.

There is no way the Essendon facility will be affected by any runway or taxiway changes. R27L is to be North of it , through the taxi cab holding area. R34 L is to be W of existing R34. And given R27 L was meant to be built 30 years ago, it will probably be finished before we get a facility.

Did I see JVR ping a hammy half way through the 7th?

I reckon that is Jake Lever 4th from the left in the back row......spooky! ...and could that possibly be Bowey seated in the front row next to the chap with the bowler hat?

Majority of those seats are reserved Members areas e.g. Tridents, Redlegs.

Good to see them featuring Max King who won't be playing for the first 4-5 rounds! And no Membrey, so that's another player who always kicks a bag against us. Will be almost a pointless exercise for us, and with the expected heat, why would you bother? Still it will give the Aints fans plenty of excuses......

Still starring with the Phillip Island Bulldogs ( unfortunatley bundled out of the finals early last year) https://pakenham.starcommunity.com.au/sport/2021-10-01/pedersen-a-bulldog-through-and-through/ https://www.pisra.com.au/sport/semi-final-seniors-v-tooradin-2022

Agree with all of that. It was a truly dodgy exercise....but we didn't have to finish up in the courts for months for a resolution, simply because Hawthorn voted against it.

The ONE good thing about Hawthorn supporters is that they didn't vote to merge....and for that we should all be grateful.

The picture shows about most of the crowd that turned up in those days as well.

Tenancy agreements are with the MCC not the AFL. Fixturing by the AFL is not associated with where a training base is located. Regardless, we will lose our meagre admin areas in the MCG when the Southern stand development is started in 2027(? ). So we need to have something permanent in place before then.

I wish people would stop saying Casey facilities are as good as others in the AFL. https://edgearchitectural.com.au/projects/casey-fields-melbourne-football-club-aflw-upgrade/ The last upgrade was to provide an indoor facility was for the AFLW and VFLW sides. The mens side have purloined it, but it wasn't built for them. It is about half the size of Essendons indoor faciliity. The ground has a great surface, but where is the weights room, the physio facilities, the recovery pools? As for the admin, I would suggest you take time to visit the club in the MCG one day. You might be able to locate them buried near the top of the southern stand, but it isn't one office. They are spread along various cubby holes througout the G, that most office workers would cringe at. I would also suggest those who think what we have is sufficient, to go and actually look at what others have. We haven't progressed much beyond the days of the Junction oval. Instead of comparing what the Bulldogs have got, compare what WCE, Geelong, Sydney, Hawthorn, Collingwood have got. They not only win premierships, but appear in finals year after year after year, because their players and staff and admin have the best environment to thrive.

Having been to a number of training sessions, I haven't seen anything from Burgoyne which would justify a spot on the list. He just keeps getting caught trying to do too much. His position is even more doubtful when we have the likes of AMW and Deakyn Smith who have been in the system already and have that "something possible" in the way they play. Burgoyne would suit a spot at Casey if they can fit him in on their list, so that he can at least show his wares. Turner offers more for us today and is suited to multiple roles. But really, at the moment we don't NEED either.