Tony Tea

Even when Dawes is on, he looks off.

When it comes to Geelong getting a dream run from the umpires at Skilled Stadium, it is hard to go past the game in 1994. 33-17 is bad enough, but Melbourne were leading at 3/4 time and Geelong got about 14 frees in the last quarter to win them the game. The result probably saved Mal Blight's coaching career, too. http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1994/091119940709.html

Two things. 1. Unable to link up bringing the ball out of defence. 2. Need to find alternative targets in the forward line.

Well, we get a direct comparison this weekend. "Direct" if you assume Goody is the one driving the all-out attack, and if you also assume I'm making a tendentious comparison. On current evidence - losses to the Saints, the Dogs and Port, who beat us the same way - we have no chance against the King of Clarko Footy. We'll just bang it long to Jesse, who will be covered, and the Hawks will stroll the ball out of defense and slice us to bits. On the Port game. What gets up my sneezer is that Port hate playing against defensive sides. You clog up Port's space and you beat them. Instead, we gave them the whole of the Northern Territory to do their thing without once changing our defensive posture. Surely that means 2016 is all about practicing game style. Fingers crossed we eventually get the balance right between attack and defense.

Anyone who has played footy knows that Grinter knew Wallace was there. Good sportsmen are most always spatially aware and know what's going on all around them. I used to be coached by a very famous and highly credentialed footy player and coach who demanded you "DESTROY THE BALL" when spoiling, and then he would show you how to sweep your arm through the ball, arms and head of your opponent without looking at him. That's not to say I've got it in for Balls. He was just another hard man in a hard era. It's just that he is being a little disingenuous with his explanation about how his hand made acquaintance with Wallace's teeth.

I've given up worrying about the fixture.

What Carlton do is identical to Saints, Hawks, Dogs and Eagles - soak up pressure, then slice you up on the rebound. The most startling aspect of Clarko footy is that those sides get more players around the footy, and then more players in the loose. How the blazes do they do it?

Carlton might be horrendous, but they beat Essendon, and if they beat Geelong today they will also be 5-5. One again: don't put money on us beating Carlton.

Checkmate in three.

Beel Beelzebub spruiks 666. Surely that's a conflict of interest.

Chuck in Kayne Turner and it's a deal.

I was talking to a footy person today who said that, contrary to accepted wisdom, players are now being coached to tackle higher because it's all about pinning the arms to stop players unloading the ball under pressure. The margin for error is therefore less, and as a result high tackle numbers are up. That would also go some way to explaining why so many players are now adept at collapsing the knees to draw high contact frees.

Is Demonland having a contest to see who can pot young players the quickest?

The AFL is not going to punish itself.

The Suckage.

I'd be staggered if we used the Demon Diamond every bounce. Surely it's only one of a suite of tactics. We'd be stupid to overuse it. Once a quarter ought to do it. Opposition clubs would be all over it, if they already aren't. Sexy tactics are fun, but best use them sparingly to ambush the opposition.

Ever since it became apparent Roos was coaching to defend while stressing results were not about win-loss, it has puzzled me that no one in the media has called it tanking.

Do we need a KPD? Yes. And I would ask another question: do we need a zone defence?

No answer to Clarko footy. Again.

We simply must find a way to vary our movement into the forward line. If we keep banging the ball towards Hogan we will be cooked. We were even a bit one dimensional against The Suns and need to get better value out of our forward thrusts. Yes, we flogged The Suns in the end, but they were pitiful. We wont get their charity from the Dogs. As I've been banging on about since last year - we need to find a way through the Clarko system.

Let's not smash the ball into out forward line only for the Dogs to waltz it back out and find Stringer as one of several free targets. Basically, let's not do what we did against the Saints.

Yep.

Beware of Clarko footy.

What's his nickname: Horse or Chomp?

Good to hear David Schwarz give a bake to the Saturday night commentary team for rabbiting on about the Package.