Nasher

Man, this has turned really ugly, really fast. Richmond

Not sure if anyone's ever been to that other place in Victoria, I think it's called "Mel-bern" or something, but it gets pretty cold there too.

What's wrong with that?

It's a ridculous theory.

I think it's a case of not all bad games being equal. If two players play badly, but one plays badly following team instructions and one plays badly ignoring team instructions, I know which player I'd hold more accountable if I were the coach. It's only speculation that this is what happened, but it's an explanation that at least makes sense. We'll never know from the outside, of course. The idea of playing OMac to get his brother to sign is silly, and beneath you. I trust you are kidding - it's dang hard to tell through text alone.

I reckon last week, missed goals were a huge factor in the limp performance we put in for periods. Even on TV I could see the energy get sucked out of them every time someone missed a goal that should have gone through. It certainly sucked the energy out of me.

I count 12 players in the side this week Trengove would not have played a game with excluding VFL games this year: Hunt, Bugg, McDonald, Wagner, Stretch, Garlett, Petracca, Hogan, Oliver, Frost, vandenBerg and Harmes. I know he's been there the whole time so it's not as if he's meeting them for the first time, but it will be a pretty different looking side to the last ones he played in!

Do you set the bar really low to avoid disappointment or something? If we play like we did in those other games, we are a red hot chance to knock them off. Hawthorn of 2016 are not the unbeatable juggernaut they have been in previous years.

We are 5-5, so either the game plan doesn't require everyone on 100%, or it happens more often than "rarely". The results don't support your assertion. "I can only remember the last thing that happened" strikes again.

I agree with the order mostly. Generous to Derwayne though. I assume Tony Shaw was omitted deliberately, to avoid the traumatic experience of having to recall the assault that occurs on one's senses when he's on.

3. Tyson played like he was still ill anyway.

Thread title updated.

Some bastard in the office is chopping onions again.

Hi all, I've updated some software this morning in the back of the server. There shouldn't be anything noticeably different, but please post in this thread if you do come across any new issues (yes - I broke the site for about 1/2 hour while doing it).

North, GWS? Ahh, I get it, it's the old "yeah they're good teams, but they must have been playing crap against us" (or my old favourite: "I can only remember the last thing that happened").

It's just laughable to suggest he broke fingers slapping Ebert in the face when Ebert didn't have so much as a red cheek. I once punched a wall with a fair bit of force (not full force) and had some minor bruising of my knuckles. The only time I've ever seen anyone break fingers by punching someone, the recipient of the punch got totally flattened. Come on guys, it's just silly. We're just fueling our need for conspiracy theories against all common sense by running with this one.

Curry and deeluded are both alive and well.

Good story > facts I bet this myth carries on for years now. Sigh.

Yep - I had very similar thoughts. I even made a similar comment to my brother re: the Hogan shot - "if he misses this it's all over". I truly think if we'd put a few of those earlier misses through, we'd have been looking at a totally different energy in the side. You could just feel the energy go limp with each miss. Roos even said in the post match presser that players naturally get energised through scoring.

That's pretty much what middle of the road teams look like - capable but inconsistent. Good footy interspersed with the occasion garbage is exactly what I'd expect from teams in the 8-10 range, which is where we are. I'm no less convinced than I have been for most of the season now.

I think the prevailing view among our coaches is that it's hard and time consuming enough drilling a group in one game plan that you can't really expect to be able to practice a second one with any effectiveness. I know many supporters dismiss that idea; I take the view that I don't have enough hours of experience in coaching an AFL side (zero) so I can only take their word for it, but it at least sounds like a reasonable proposition to me. I think if anything, plan 'A' failing due to poor implementation of our defensive systems is evidence that plan 'A' needs more attention and rehearsal, not evidence that we should distract ourselves by ditching it and trying something else.

Every time we look like kicking a goal that might get us firing up, someone misses. I reckon if we'd put a few of those through it might have been enough to get us going. New half up soon though and a chance to start again. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet.

Well, that was a disappointing quarter.

Median games is the most relevant stat there. 30 is simply a crazy number. We are winning games with a team of babies.

Phil Read, heh. Read, Pickett... you can see what Danners was trying to do, but...