Fat Tony

I don’t think I’ve seen an AFL game with a team having more smothered kicks and kicks which barely hit the foot. Our first quarter was as poor an effort as there has been under Goodwin.

I love Kossie but I hate long-term deals and would prefer we waited given Kossie is contracted for another 2 years already. I think our list management team play it too softly with the player managers.

Viney will play AFL if he is fit. Shifting Rivers back is not about his form in the middle. He has been solid in the midfield recently. But Viney needs to play midfield if he plays. I think the roles of Petracca and Kossie are going well (with Langdon essentially playing on ball after the centre bounce). There are only 240 playing minutes for midfielders to go around. I don't mind Howes but this is the most logical solution IMO.

Surely a trip by hand where the tackle slips lower accidently (initially being legal) is not a sanction. Ridiculous.

If Viney comes into the side, Rivers needs to shift back. I see Langdon playing another tagging role on Butters and Petracca and Kossie playing centre bounces and then cheating forward. Howes likely makes way for Viney (even though he played a solid game). I think one of Langford or Lindsay starts as sub. Dees by 35.

I think we need to stick with Petty as a forward this year. We have six AFL standard key defenders (May, Lever, Turner, Petty, JVR and TMac) but no decent key forwards. (I am projecting on JVR.) It is hard to find good key forwards because it is much easier to play as a key defender than key forward because one-on-one contests are rare. In terms of average player ratings this season, the Pies have Mihocek (8.45), McStay (6.96), Membrey (6.22) and Cox (4.63). Melbourne have Melksham (9.09), JVR (6.83), Petty (6.03), so it is not much different.

Great effort yesterday. We just made a few crucial errors and e need to improve our accuracy. The Pies have only lost two games on expected score this year and we 'won' by 9. (I know we hate this stat.) Our best players are all in good form (Gawn, Petracca, Picket, Oliver and May) and our youth is quality. Fristch coming back into form has been important. I think we can still make a run at it but there is obviously not much margin for error.

The MFC gains nothing from Tassie coming into the competition.

It is definitely not worth the money when you factor in that it could be the difference between finals or not.

A star player would have been graded Medium contact rather than High but Johnson is the very definition of a henchman.

They all have weaknesses as forwards. Clearly recruiting AFL defenders is much easier than AFL forwards because the role is much easier. Personally, I think Petty needs to be played forward because our backline is too slow with May and Petty back together. (But there is no clear solution.)

We have seen enough from Johnson and Laurie to know they are not AFL level players. Johnson is a hopeless kick and Laurie is not athletic enough for his size. It is time to stamp their papers. Windsor is not the distributor we need in the back half because he is not a good enough kick. Time to get him into the middle because other than his lack of size, he has the tools to be a good inside midfielder. I think Rivers should go back. Lever looked to be struggling with agility and pulled up lame in the last quarter against the Swans. He needs to be tested more thoroughly (no trusted) because the gap in quality between TMac and Lever is negligible. (TMac should play anyway as a forward if necessary.) Kynan Brown has the speed/endurance to be given more AFL exposure. The biggest problem with our list is that May, Lever, Turner, Petty, TMac and JVR would all be better defenders than forwards at AFL level. Wanganeen-Milera got a lot of his possessions because we missed our shots at goal.

Stop selling home games up there. It’s not worth the money.

The club clearly wanted to make sue TMac played a game and he couldn’t be emergency and play this weekend given the schedule. Not being an emergency was no indication of where he stands in the pecking order.

Turner is now our best key position player at either end.

Rubbish. Walsh is a free agent next season and will get a monster deal if he leave Carlton.

Walsh is on $1m and I doubt we have that room in the cap and I am not sure he's worth it.

Taylor Walker would be a better option given the cost.

I would start Sharp and use Viney as the sub (if fit). The midfield is humming without Viney. I would like to see TMac replace Johnson. Daniel Hoyne from Champion Data just gave his analysis on SEN on the second ruck position and he said it’s not really important and that clubs would be better off just picking a better forward. Johnson lacks the skill required and his first step off the mark is too slow.

It will be interesting how they bring back Viney. Petracca, Kossie and Rivers have been playing more midfield minutes the last three weeks and I think we may look a better side without Viney.

Johnson had a game player rating of -2.5. He looks like he isn’t skilled enough for AFL.

Is TMac playing VFL?

I don’t love the decision but it’s a long year and I think Turner has shown he’s probably a better defender than forward.

I am thinking of heading over to Adelaide to watch the game against the Crows. I am a MFC member but there will be no allocation to away members (from Melbourne). Does anyone know how easy it will be to get tickets?