Nasher

It's not like saying that. The bike helmet is to stop your brain from falling out when you splatter on to the hard road at force. The same forces of inertia apply to your brain whether wearing a helmet or not. You're less likely to suffer a laceration or a broken skull with a helmet on, but your brain still bounces around in there the same as it would if you weren't wearing it, which is what a concussion is.

The wrists have well and truly been slashed over on the Crows BigFooty page - and they're on top of the ladder still!. Good to know it's not just us that are ridiculously fickle.

Melksham is his competition, but I can't see it happening this week. Melksham was poor prior to being dropped and then got rubbed out in the VFL, so he's not playing footy at the moment. Suspect he'll need to play at least one strong VFL game before he becomes in to consideration. Besides, I thought Wagner was pretty good. He's not the cleanest of ball users, but I wouldn't describe him as poor, and he attacks very hard. I'd prefer him to Melksham at this point.

Who for Hogan, if he's available then?

Hannan was instrumental at ground level in the Clarry miracle goal, but I think he'll make way if Hogan plays. I'd like to persist with Weid. No change to the forward line if Hogan isn't good to go. Stretch in for Hunt if he doesn't come up.

I'm starting to think Oliver could be a pretty good player.

@Akum

6. Oliver 5. Viney 4. Petracca 3. Hibberd 2. Salem 1. Pedersen Had trouble putting them in order, but think they were the best 6. Wanted to squeeze in Jones, Vince, Tom Mac and Jetta but couldn't.

Looking forward to @stevethemanjordan's McDonald and Frost report.

Told you it was coming.

Holy sheetballs. I'm terrified now.

Hope you're not around when I pop the genie cork! I'll take Gawn thanks.

Really like the way Bugg has gone so far. The 1 in 5 good games he play remind you why he's managed 80 odd games when you're left wondering for the other 4.

Second quarter is where Adelaide run away with games apparently. They were about to run away with it too but we wrestled it back - this is exactly what I wanted today. We are in it. Again.

I must have spoken too soon when I said sooky Melbourne supporters wouldn't be able to take St Kilda winning personally.

St Kilda blew a match winning lead - surely you now hope they lose as they'll clearly be the more miserable team of the two. At least in this game there's no way for sooky Melbourne supporters to manage to interpret the result as an insult against us since we've beaten both of them.

Any club that loses its first KPF (Hogan) and then the reserve spare (Pedersen) is going to be down to development players or makeshift players from other positions. Show me any list that has two or more AFL-ready key position forwards kicking around in their reserves and I'll pay your argument.

Hogan (injured) Watts Pedersen (needed in the ruck) Weideman Smith (injured) How many clubs have 6 key forwards on their list? It's why Pedersen was kept on the list, but as it happens all our rucks fell over too. You can't mitigate against every possible risk on the list.

Fitzpatrick's sole contribution has been to be a complete and utter potato. Martin's just been quiet.

This game is rank.

Hannan and Petracca absolutely must present scoring options or we're stuffed I think. Watts has to spend most of the game forward and TMac to take Watts' share of the ruck. I'm okay with getting annihilated in the hitouts, what I'm not okay with is watching their ruckman take marks all over the ground. I think I'll live if we have another one of those games where we are on top with the ball but have difficulty scoring - I think without a key forward that has to be expected a bit. I'm going to be sad if we start the game asleep and lose because of it again though. Like I said in the preview thread, I think there's a good chance we'll be outclassed, especially now that we're without our key forward again, but I really want to see improvements on delivering a four quarter effort. It's coming; hopefully it starts now.

I think so long as he finds himself on the inside, he's always going to default to handballing. It's how the game is played - you don't kick from congestion because it's too risky - and it's his strength. If we want to see him getting more kicks, he needs to get the ball in space more. This really is splitting hairs, though, when talking about a 19 year old midfielder. He'll find the balance soon enough - it's not like the team is suffering until he finds it.

What was it meant to say?!

Despite all the allusion to "working on things", one of the objectives he's got to meet must surely be "be the best available option". The only player currently in our side that he could displace is Bugg, or possibly Tyson as 55 said, but Bugg took the VFL game he played in by the throat. It's all well and good be doing all the things the coach asks of you - and I doubt Trengove has ever done any less - but there still needs to be an opening in the side. He's not competing with JKH. Kent is a far more dynamic option for that part of the ground and by the last Plapp report, he's just about in.

Agreed. All you can do once you're back there though is show the right signs. It sounds as if he's done it a couple of weeks in a row, so here's hoping.