buck_nekkid

Preuss is not the ‘magic bullet’. He is a big lump of a lad, who is learning his craft under the best in the biz (Max). He can dominate at Casey, but we need him to be elite. He has shown at AFL level that he can be a tap ruckman, and in the first quarter he can kick a few goals. His game has to go to a whole new level in terms of his around the ground or forward craft so he his not just a one trick pony. We are carrying too many ‘passengers’ at the moment. I think he might be one or two years away from what we want him to be. I think he will be a bit player at AFL level (and dominate in the VFL against sub-standard opposition) until he really gets to work and steps into his potential. We are really stretched forward, so he might get a gig. We will need May and Frost on Lynch and Riewoldt, and their defence is built on intercept markers so we Preuss may offer a point of difference in sheer size alone. We have limited marking options up forward, so it is either smith or Preuss. Neither is going to win the game for us, and at best we could hope for a contribution.

Oscar Mac Out, May in. Absolute no brainer. Omac needs another ‘block’, first one did nothing. melksham in, ANB out Hore in, jwags out would like to get a look at Jordon. Preuss? Undecided. If we put him in, he’s gotta mark the thing. Would be a swap for smith. About another 6 should be dropped, but no warm bodies to replace them.

One thing that is so obvious is the sense of ‘panic’. Chaos ball is one thing, but we are now simply playing ‘panic ball’. This panic is leading to a number of significant problems in our game: 1. Multiple defenders flying for a single ball, allowing easy over-the-back goals. 2. Defenders doing inexplicable passes straight to opposition players under no pressure. 3. Ridiculous skills - simply poor disposal, option selection and selling team mates down the river. 4. Terrible positioning, set ups and coverage. The defence of the 40m to 80m out, and through the corridor, was non existent. We panic and get sucked into thinking one step behind, rather than one step in front. 5. The panic around contests means we get sucked into the contest and allow opposition to set up outside and win the clearance. With the dominance of Max, it is so surprising that we are so poor at getting quality exits. 6. Panic means we bomb into the forward line, to predictable spots. This means we have little chance of doing anything meaningful (except run around and panic) 7. Our kicking for goal is completely overtaken by panic. Set shots - too much adrenaline and overthinking. In game play - we panic and do that extra handball that brings us undone (what an absolute farce that is!). Whatever skills our players have is completely destroyed by this panic. We go to water with any opposition pressure (notice what happened when Ratten picked up the phone after our first three goals and said ‘smash them in the contests’?). We simply are too SCARED to be a decent football team.

That was almost unwatchable. We are lazy - we dont run two ways (our defensive running is a joke), we dont stick our tackles (a few in the first quarter excepted). Some of the disposals were abysmal, even under little pressure. We have the best ruckman in the league, but our ability to win the clearance for more than half the match. We are obviously reaching deep with who we are putting on the park, but that was dross. It was embarrassing. There were so many positional errors, set-up failures and brain fades. I have ‘stuck fat’ all year. But that really stretches the friendship. What do I expect against the tigers? Almost nothing. We are really just a terrible football team.

This is absolutely pathetic. We are so weak, lazy and feckless. We are weak around the contest, dont run two way, and simply dont care enough. This is almost unwatchable. I have stuck fat, but this is woeful stuff.

Feckless, lazy football. All night

Omac handball to no one 40 m directly in front. Sheesh!

We cant play 10 minutes and then serve up this [censored]

When we are bad, we are awful

Terrible skills

Ratten looks like a mini Stuart Dew

I think he ‘could’ be best 22, but has not established himself as such yet. With all the concussion and neck issues, he was always a risk. Shows the club knew the importance of run, even last year. I believe if he plays a few games and shows something, he might change our perceptions and we might believe he is best 22 material.

Today is TV, with Tour de France as backup if things get rough (as noted by the dog having enough and leaving the room for less stressful sleeping places). Marvel is a soul-less hole to watch football. demons to find a way to win (May have something to do with getting it between the 2 bigger of the 4 poles stuck in the ground). 28 points.

Less scrutiny because: Our story makes some sense. Goody keeps things fairly level and doesn’t expose himself too much. We don’t have 70,000 rabid members that buy copies of the Herald Sun to read the latest story More rope - we are not at the point where the story will break the thing open. The big stories are in the big clubs - the coaches going, Pies on the slide, resurgent Tiggers, Brisbane on the charge....etc. Happy to be under the radar, get an easy draw and a high draft pick to set things to rights in 2020.

Commentator watch: Mr Ling was able to say ‘lowered the eyes’ three times in about 20 seconds. A pumpkin that love the sounds that his farty breath makes. Severn team are ‘boisterous briahhhn, creepy Bruce and special comments from the peanut brigade.

I’m not. These are great drills, and the immediate release on the double tap shows they have control. Starting on the knees as they do also controls the contest. On mats. Very happy to see them doing these types of drills, so important for tackling, responding to tackling, core strength, skills, body awareness, etc etc.

What do you ‘trade’? Player for player? Draft picks? Mid year draft picks? sounds like more Nero- fiddle while Rome burns. would be interesting if players ‘nominated’ rather than became eligible- would show mercenaries and could disrupt team cultures.

The club report indicated most on the test list would make their way back via the VFL. One or two only with a direct path to the firsts...

Actions (decisions) have information, but have no history. What this means is that regardless of the historical story, who finished where, when etc, the history has no bearing on the next decision or event. What matters is that compared to other teams, we need to have the players, the game plan, the luck with injuries and the attitude and culture to win enough games to make the finals next year. Nothing that happened to other teams before that impacts that outcome. To play the game, however: the fact that other teams have dropped for one year could suggest that it is possible for us. That other teams have dropped for longer might talk more to their trajectory, than as a reasonable comparison. Regardless, I’m glass half full - even what I saw in the game in the Alice was loaded with promise. Go Dees in 2020.

Nope for mine. We want as many games with him commanding the back half, building the killer combo with Lever and the other defenders. When the heat is on, every moment together playing and working together will pay off. Swing him forward for 10 mins here and there to switch things up, but not as a full time positional shift. Our forward line problems will not be solved by throwing May forward. We are seeing that we have options (Frittata, and even Petty) and can even think about Smith, Smith and even Kielty if they shape up. Agree we need to bolster our stocks - maybe Preuss will learn to mark and build a tank over the summer ans surprise as that elusive forward pocket option????

We were never getting Darwin zoning, and I doubt GC will get it either. It is just too rich, and too established in its own right. If we got the Central Australia zone, played appropriate opposition there, and get replacement games, then I’m OK with the NT thing. We get cash, guaranteed TV coverage and a trip away for the team (which they seem to relish), regardless of our poopy ladder position. Hopefully we are in a better negotiating position next time around and can extract some further value for the club from the arrangement.

GWS maybe?

It is a real concern that we are seeing so little from the ones we need to see the most from. I know Bedford and Chandler were later picks, but each week they manage about 20 dream team points each. It was reported that JKH shirks contests. Kielty is down on confidence and Tim Smith did his thing without dominating. We have Sparrow and Jordon, one injured and one putting together a few good games. What to do with Maynard? Oskar Baker is definitely a keeper, and you would think Spargo, who had good tackle numbers, is also still on the edge of the AFL. Bradtke and Oscar Mac didn’t even play. Perhaps a hot knife will be going through much of this list at the end of the year. We certainly need healthy players pushing for selection, and at the moment - in fact throughout the whole season - this really has not been the case.

In the Age today, a two page spread on Steven May: Melbourne defender's journey has at times been difficult since his move from the Gold Coast. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/melbourne-demons/steven-may-s-long-road-back-20190719-p528rx.html?btis worth a read, and gives some perspective to his journey. I really like that Goody challenged him, then stepped up and trained with him. That is some serious leadership from the coach that you dont see from outside. To winning the flag at the Dees, Steven!

Wow. Terrible free to decide the match