buck_nekkid

3 games, 3 blowouts. Not a great advertisement for the game.

Wow. Our top 6 all score below any of their top 6. That seems bizarre!

Managing the list for Wed?

That was disgraceful

Jeffy in on Wednesday.

Thanks for the report, Saty. Any thoughts on if they were managing players for the short break, or was it all available putting in?

Nah. Would suit a team near the bottom of the ladder looking for a dominant forward. Oh heck, that’s us! even then, I would say no. I don’t see the fit of someone with a sway back, can hardly train, whose kicking has dropped 10-15m in penetration and comes with a huge contract. Think his time is approaching. Let the swans keep sucking this lolly.

I’ll spew if we sign that flopper

He is not a free agent, or even near it. He had a couple of key performances in big games, but has been a ‘solid contributor’ (at best) otherwise. This negotiation stuff is all ducks and drakes. Does he want to stay and play with us, or does he want out (for the cash, or whatever?). The media love a contract negotiation, and the managers love to use the media to apply negotiating pressure. It’s all froth and bubbles until it is done, one at or the other. If I was Sam, I would be putting pressure on the negotiation with performances that made us really think he can live up to his potential.

It would be interesting to know how the club are approaching this patch of footy, in terms of managing loads leading into the ‘double header’. I wonder if we will be selecting essentially for both games and managing loads and training across the week accordingly (group 1, both games, managed right through, group 2, Saints game, early week load, group 3, Tigers, late week load, etc). I also wonder whether this patch was somehow on the minds of the conditioning staff in the lead into the season? Perhaps the ‘load’ of these two games somehow influenced the preparation, which we then saw in weeks 1-3? They have looked underdone up to the Swans game.

Hawks kept bombing it to the hot spot, and St Kilda kept defending it out from there. Hawks were undermanned and were pretty poor around the contest as the game wore on. We win by: Max connecting to our mids for clearances. Better lead up options and connections into 50. Strong i50 defensive mindset. Not being predictable by bombing down the line, or always kicking out to the members back pocket Strong man on pressure through the midfield, two way defensive running. Pruess man mountain with Jeffy at his feet.

Note to Dees: Hawks bombing to hotspot, and being rope doped by the Saints. How are we planning to enter i50 next week?

He almost makes it unwatchable. He is such a sook, and gets such a free ride.

Next week will be interesting. Expect a few players to be on light or no duties to help manage the team across the short break to Anzac Eve. Tigers looking really poxy in defence ATM, but dangerous when forward.

I reckon Daisy was great as special commentary or boundary. Twice as intelligent as these other fart breathers. Bruce is just an embarrassment. Ling is a trouser ball tamperer of the highest order. Richo seems to be two or three standard deviations below mean IQ. BT is there for the ‘upper middle class bogan’. MMM take this to an unpleasant extreme. Joffie and his toofless mates are who they cater for. unfortunately, it seems to be more about them than the game.

Spotlight on a Hibbard. unsighted until we were on top, then did a couple of link up moves from half back. Haven’t seen him called out, but I thought he was well down, and it was a bit of a downhill skiing performance. Spotlight on Viney i loved his bull tackle later in the game, but he doesn’t get it a lot or use it well from the middle. Hoping he is just warming up, but not at the top of his game. Spotlight on OMac. Enough already said. Spotlight on Hore played a great game, looked composed and prepared to back himself in tough spots. Liked his game Super shout outs to Max, Preuss (slowed later, but showed enough), Oliver from Q2. our game emerged half way through q2. Up until then, it was the last 3 weeks all over again. Hope we have turned the corner

Any chance Lockhart as a late inclusion?

*Bump*

More likely he played a full game on the weekend. The break was too short to take him.

Thanks Rusty, always appreciate your stats. I know it’s early, but a few surprises emerging. Clarry doing well. Viney, TMac Hibbard and Trac all trending the wrong way...

Tommy Mac...

How about back him?

So what I read into this is that the group have self identified that they have not performed in a way that can deliver the game-plan. Indeed, it sounds like they buy into the game-plan, but are owning the fact that what they have done is not good enough. Identifying this is a very important first step, and now the proof is in the pudding. Do we see acts that are 'up to standard', do we see consistency, or do we see 'cruising'? As the second youngest side in round 1, and with the leaders well down across the first 3 rounds, the team has not been led by example. Or not consistently enough. This is not a crisis moment, but hopefully a reset. Whatever 22 go on the park should do everything they can to meet the 'honest' expectation - What is required as a set of non-negotiables. I think the next step is 'no favourites' and drop those who don't live up to this, regardless of their stature of favoritism. If the club still believes in our game plan, and the players are 'bought in', then time to see if it works when delivered for the whole game. If not, then we have to ask some serious questions about the plan...

Just saw some photos on FB re training today. Anyone able to supply a report? Any special notice of players who may be IN for Thursday?

The guy has played essentially one quarter of football with us. Not sure what our expectations should be in this case. I think we reassess where he and KK are at after the bye. It is hard to 'go early' and criticise the trades, as we have no idea what value they will bring. On paper, they were excellent trades because (rightly or wrongly) the Dees saw that they had gaps to fill, and these guys were the most talented available for these spots. Lever and May should be a powerhouse backline for years to come. KK was steak knives. We were trading in for specific skills based on a belief that the list was ready to do big things. Unfortunately that has not been the case so far this year. But May is a big lad, and looked in very good shape when I saw him at the G on round 1. No defender would look good at Melbourne at the moment, with the system they are asked to play and the lack of accountability further up the ground. If we get that right, then OMac and Frost will look like heroes. Lever and May will be gods, and everyone will be happy.