Nasher

More drastic than I anticipated, but that’s the fun of being a rank amateur. Excited about Spargo’s debut and the return of TMac. Curious to see how he affects our movement forward if at all. Looking forward to this now.

TMac did the entire pre-season. He’s essentially only been out for 5 weeks, so he should still be in pretty decent nick. He’s also fundamentally one of the fittest players at the club to begin with. Viney is further away purely because he has no conditioning. It’s clearly being treated on a case by case basis and I’m a long way from being prepared to call “mismanagement” until I see how TMac actually goes.

@Grapevineywill be happy! Me too for that matter. It’s a disgrace to have a member of the media so willing to trash the club representing it on its official podcast. It’s a bit petty but I hope he was escorted away rather than “stepping”.

Reckon it’ll be Wagner instead of Hannan mate. I thought if they were serious about Hannan coming in, Harmes or ANB would have appeared on the extended bench (final changes always come from the extended bench, don’t care if anyone argues, they are wrong). I don’t see a need to fiddle with the back 6 and I reckon Wagner has been fine.

Really? He probably just thought it was a trivial thing he could manage himself and didn’t need to waste the doc’s time with it. I probably wouldn’t have either. Maybe he did get it looked at at the earliest opportunity. Is it not possible for us to just be able to say “s*** happens” and not get outraged or feel the need to blame someone?

You're right. Let's replace spuds with other spuds, that'll make a huge difference! (I don't think Pedersen is a spud at all, just a role player that we don't need at present. Just arguing at the level you brought this conversation to) I'm not going to be sucked in by a good, or even great performance by a 31 year old at VFL level. We know what we will get with Pedersen, and it's nothing we have a pressing need for at present.

Pedersen has never kicked more than 3 goals in an AFL match. He is more likely to be a complete passenger when played as a forward than he is to kick 5 goals. His career high goals for an entire season is 18, and that was when he was with North. There is a good reason why he has never been a permanent fixture in the side. Proven performer? Massively overrated on this site IMO.

In: Lewis, Fritsch Out: Kent (inj), Harmes A lot of the lesser players were poor, like Stretch, ANB etc. I picked Harmes because he's been the worst over the journey for mine. Stretch had a really poor game as well, but I would like to see us persist, even if it's only one more match. He had the fumbles real bad - I think this could improve with drier conditions, some confidence and a better feel for the pace of the game. Fritsch selected because I think he's probably the best of the options available at Casey. Also the fact that he didn't play this week helps - he will be fresh. Pedersen's 5 goal haul for Casey is great, but he is a specific role player and the role we might require him for is not currently vacant. Competing with Weideman for mine, and the Weid did enough to stay in. No doubt we will use him again this year, just not yet. Not too interested in shuffling any other players around. I really don't see the point in swapping ANB etc for Hannan or a debutante. One NQR for another. That just becomes change for the same of it. ANB goes if TMac is ready. I would attempt to play a three tall forward line with TMac, Weideman and Hogan; especially with the amount of turf TMac and Hogan would cover.

Yep. It's not season ruining yet, but come round 17 or 18 we'd want to be looking back at round 4 and 5 as our two biggest losses. Hopefully we can give someone a hiding in that time as well to recover it.

The question is irrelevant, because we won't stay in our current 'form'. We will take care of Essendon for starters.

Snort. Had an ironic chuckle seeing Harmes get caned attempting a fend after seeing Dusty do a squillion in a row. Seemed to fit the narrative of the match nicely.

I've jokingly made the same connection before. I go in to each round of footy looking for that high of victory and often just end up with a most unsatisfactory feeling. That, or the abusive relationship connection; a one way emotional investment to someone who does nothing but hurt us. But really, it's an opportunity for some perspective. A serious drug addiction is life destroying. People lose their jobs, their families, their homes, their friends, and turn to extremely desperate behaviour to feed their addiction. Barracking for Melbourne doesn't destroy my life. It can ruin my day, if I let it, but that's where it finishes. I went to bed absolutely fuming last night. It felt like the result was a personal attack on me. But this morning, I woke up with a roof over my head in a warm bed, with my kids were happily playing in the lounge room. I get to drink a warm coffee while I rant on Demonland about our god dang football team. I understand the tongue in cheek nature of the thread, but I think comparing frustrating football teams to serious life afflictions is belittling to people with serious problems. I'll leave it at that.

Look, Richmond are a good side. Until mid last quarter, I was accepting being outclassed by quality, the effort had been there. We all know we’re not premiership quality yet. But to roll over and wave the white flag in the last quarter a second game in a row? I’m fucking furious.

Well that wasn’t good. Richmond hemmed our play in to one wing and the last kick nearly always went to a difficult contest. They are a very well drilled side and we are not coping. Need things to change to get back in this. Need to somehow find a way to move the ball through the middle would be a good start.

Honestly mate. Get help.

Weideman has great hands in close. Moves the ball like a midfielder from stoppages. Really promising start to this game for him.

Yeah that must be it. Doubt there were any valid football related reasons at all.

First time I've ever seen the changes thread appear *before* the game. Any resting in the short turnaround will come from the more junior players. There's no way Gawn or Hogan will be rested.

This. The "player chose to bump" argument is for the instance where the bumper's shoulder or arm collects the bumpee in the head. In this case it was a body-on-body bump followed by a head clash. That could happen in a tackle, too, but nobody would be screaming "suspension" in that case. Higgins getting knocked out was an unfortunate outcome, but no case to answer for the Burton IMO.

I watched the second half of Lions vs Suns and found it a surprisingly entertaining game. This week Brisbane definitely weren’t lacking in effort, just fluency in moving the ball. So many terribly low percentage choices like a hoof forward or kick off the ground. Other than last week’s pasting they’ve looked to me like a side only 1% off the pace. 0-5 seems unjust - that’s how it is in a pretty even competition I suppose.

Nah. Injuries mid game are another randomiser, like random bounces and poor umpiring. Sometimes it’s in your favour and sometimes it isn’t.

Any selection inferences to be drawn, ie who did and didn’t play?

Superseded only by the nightmare of Harmes in the ruck.

Players who draw the short straw for the mandatory pressers are on a hiding to nothing. Get panned for saying too much, get panned for not saying enough, or my favourite: get panned for saying anything it all. It’s like some fans expect hin to just stand there in front of the media in stony silence and not answer any of the questions. Just DO something, Gawn! Don’t crack jokes, kick that goal! Even though it’s Wednesday morning and you’re in a makeshift press room somewhere instead of on the MCG and the game was 3 days ago, DO something!

I don’t think Gawn’s sense of humour is why we lost.