drdrake

Depends which angle you are looking at. Participation is up on the back of increase female participation, take that out and it shows the real health. Boys participation is dropping, the local clubs with money dominate. You have so many teenage boys dropping out of the game, It is something like only 30% will stay in the game to play u18s. Around 70% will drop off between u13s and 18s. The conversion from Auskick to junior footy is also very low. More and more local clubs will fold over the next 10 to 15 years due to the lack of players available and not having the finances to bring players in. The AFL knows this that is why they committed money to grassroots footy, not enough and still is targeting female participation.

Was that blind faith from the coach. Chandler and Bedfords form in the VFL warranted more games then they had. I think they should have been given a good run at it. ANB and Spargo to their defense were pushing so high up the ground bloody hard to work back. That was an issue we didn't look to control the footy across half back, change angles to open the space up but also give time for our forwards to work back. We rarely looked inboard just down the line.

Small forwards is something we have an over supply off. I reckon they got lazy and looked for the easy goal over the back rather than hitting the front and square spot. We went past the contest, it happened all the time I first thought it was timing then later in the season it was more looking for the easy kick. Looks great running into the open goal, looks even better a front and square snap

Maybe the Jackson thing is personal for Bell a 20 year grudge, we took a No 1 pick player from Fremantle, young ruckman that could jump and play as an extra mid, that we could also have father sons prospects in the near future. White and Jackson pretty much same player 20 years apart

Bit of all that, plus not playing the 2nd true tall forward, this was a really big issue.

We had to chase to much, in the back half of the season our ability to lock the ball inside our forward 50 really fell away,,which means every one works hard forward and the ball was coming straight out with little pressure and you then need to work hard to get into your defensive set ups. You lock the ball in back 6 push up and are set for repeat entries you get a bit of a spell. It is easier when you control the ball in your forward half than having to work back to defend.

The bottom line this season, we just weren't ruthless for long enough, you get 22 points up you just need to put sides away, every loss this year we had handy leads but just lacked that killer instinct like last year to put games away. We now have a choice do we follow the same path as bulldogs after they won their flag or we do we become ruthless like the tigers did to win 2 more.

Wasn't that option 1 build a big complex over the rail line and turn the carpark in front of gate 3 into a training oval. The greens, dog walkers, joggers all kicked up a stink and that was that.

I reckon last year we played with nothing to lose attitude take them game on through the corridor, we hit the kick into the middle and attacked from there. Bit like Collingwood, Fremantle and even Geelong are playing this year, looking to hit the aggressive kick to open the game up. It is easier to take risks when people don't expect you to win the comp, be interesting to see if we have change in mindset this week with the losing team finished for the year

I hate this kick as much as most but do see the necessity for it. The pocket kick is the safe kick lock the ball in as worse case. It enables your team defense to push up and control the game in your forward half. Repeat entries and you hope to break it open to score. The issue on Friday and games we have lost we haven't had the ground ball pressure up forward to lock it in. Back line push up expecting the forwards to lock it down, if we don't ball comes out backline is out of position and the sling shot effect kicks in. The last kick in isn't the main issue it is the ball movement in the centre third, we are slow and don't take any risk which enables opposition to get numbers back leaving this dump kick as only option. The other issue is our field kicking isn't good, especially our mids hitting the difficult 35m kick is hard for us so the safer option is put it into a dead spot, set up and try to score from repeat entries. Playing no true chf is also hurting us, b Brown needs to be close to goal hitting up, not flying for contested marks in the middle

The ball came out of our forward 50 to easy, you play a small forward line you need intense forward pressure, none of that tonight. We need a second tall forward not a ruck forward, Brown needs to be close to goal not pushing up high. Credit to Sydney, looked like we would blow them away in the third they lifted and broke us.

Dogs won't give up first round pick for Lobb, might get late second round for him most likely third round

You watch North get a priority pick after their first round pick. Clarko would already had this conversation with AFL, will be either pick 2 or at the very least after first round. He built Hawthorn on early draft picks which included a few priority picks.

Ben Brown has no timing at all

Max Gawn just can't kick the ball

What they can do is pick 1 or 2 plus second rnd pick to Dogs for dogs first round pick. I think the rule is they have to have a first round pick The dogs may look at this not sure if he is a rfa next year, if he is maybe a other early pick for the dogs to add to there FS, NGA picks over last 2 Drafts.

We are the one trick pony, been saying all year we are predictable, boring and take no risks. We are playing like 2019 and 20 high inside 50m counts but no real pressure to keep it in there. Kosie needs to be front and square not behind looking for the easy over the top goal. You can't keep playing a ruck as tall forward option especially one that can't kick and the other that doesn't take any f50 marks.

Pressure comes on, we struggle. Over handballed, terrible by foot and our forward line continues to be a massive issue. Our inability to put sides away when we are dominant is another big issue.

Any chance we can get front and square on our f50

Our ball use by foot is the difference

We need to wait and see going to be a long 8 weeks

We are smashing them just letting them kick goals to easy and not making the most of our f50 entries

The best thing to happen for us to have a chance to resign him was him being in Perth last week. He had his first experience what it would be like to play for a club in a 2 club town. The fish bowl where every thing you do someone is watching. The media are all over you, walking down the street isn't an easy task, going to dinner you are guaranteed some one will want to disturb you for an autograph photo or chat. No doubt he gets that a little bit in Melbourne but times it by 1000 in WA.

Our flag was built with a mix of Melbourne one club players and trading in from other clubs, would love to live in an AFL world players stayed but salary cap will always force players out of top clubs.

Give us another flag or 2 and don't really care who we lose on the way.