Fat Tony

They obviously rate him highly, which is a good sign. Still, I think ANB will be stiff to get dropped.

The Bombers have a small forward line with McKernan and Stringer surrounded by smalls. I would swap Smith forward and switch Jones back. Hopefully this means we get less players jumping up to spoil. I would also swap Jackson for Weideman, who will give us a better target. I know Pickett is a talent, but it is unfair to drop Hunt or ANB IMO. Unless we have an injury or Bennell is rested, he will have to earn his way back.

I agree with this. We should only play two of Weideman, Jackson, Tmac or Petty up forward. I think Smith could play forward as a third tall in addition because of his speed.

While Landgon and Tomlinson are both improvements on last year , they are both still just ordinary wingers. Tomlinson is too slow and Langdon fumbles too often. I reckon Vandenberg, at his best, is better than both.

This thread is stupid because: 1) Brayshaw was excellent with his pressure and played a good solid game on Saturday. 2) We are stacked with inside midfielders, who are also our best players, so players like Brayshaw, Petracca and Harmes need to be able to play secondary positions.

Great to get the win and our first quarter was exceptional. The rest of the game, however, was pretty concerning. Our game plan is about pressure and this is clearly only sustainable for part of the game. Once we lost our dominance in the midfield our game plan is flawed. We hardly ever switch in the back half and need to chip the ball around more when it is a slow play. I think have a few structural issues with our side that can be fixed. Firstly, we would be better with just Lever and May as tall defenders. We often have three up in the contest and that is partly chemistry but it is also the players in defence and their mindset. I think we should play a smaller defence and rely on Gawn helping out. Lever and May need to earn their money and beat the key forwards. Secondly, Jones would be much better suited to half back. There he and Salem can play a quarterback role. I am a fan of Smith given his athleticism but I think he would be better as a forward. Thirdly, we need to have more rotations through the midfield to keep the heat on. Melksham, Jones, Bennell, ANB and Harmes need to get a few more minutes inside. Jackson was ok but is not ready yet. Weideman would give us more of a target and we need that given TMac’s form regression. Rivers looks a great pickup. It will be hard to find a spot for Pickett next week given the form of ANB and Hunt. Bennell was ok and composed but a fair way off in terms of intensity. Maybe he gets a rest next week.

I agree that Weideman hasn't yet been able to really clunk his marks, but at least he has shown he has the timing to hit the ball at the top of his leap. Jackson wasn't able to get his the timing right in the preseason and overhead marking wasn't a strength of his as a junior. Petty has actually shown the most promise in this regard, but he is obviously injured. In an ideal world they all come good!

Risky decision to play 2 debutants and second gamer in Kossie. Still, it’s a good sign that we have drafted well given the kids are in the side so early on. Also risky to play Harley for a different reason. It will be a massive win for us if he can recapture his early years. Hopefully Jackson has improved over the last few months as a forward. I would have played Weideman, who is more of an aerial threat, but good luck to the kid. Happy we picked Smith. His athleticism is off the charts. While we look short down back, Max will drop back and help. Hunt was a surprising selection but I like him more than other small forwards because he can at least complete in the air. My guess is he’ll play a negative role on Docherty. Another point in Hunt’s favour is the shorter games. (This goes against ANB.) Lockhart was stiff but how many very small defenders can you play? Jetta and Salem are better by foot and rightfully got a game. The biggest question on the result is how we negate Cripps.

I think McCartin might be a better defender and I hope we take a punt on him.

Trials at the lower level will not be meaningful, as the game is so much different at VFL level. Bold action is required now. The game is stuffed and taking players off the field will obviously reduce congestion.

Harmes plays his best footy in the midfield, but so do Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw and Jones. Clearly we are trying to fit Petracca into the rotation as well. In saying this, I think Harmes is pretty important in terms of running with big midfielders such as Cripps, Fyfe, Yeo, Kennedy, Dangerfield etc. Maybe Brayshaw will be used in that role like he was against Yeo and WCE in Alice Springs. I can see the reason why Harmes is being trialled elsewhere, but I think he would be better in the forward line given he is not an elite athlete and he doesn't have elite foot skills.

The Good Petracca was fantastic and dominant. Jones was excellent as well. I really like Jones as a high half back alongside Salem. Tomlinson was solid and composed. Langdon was ok and will be a good recruit. Pickett was quiet but looks quick, hard and balanced Vandenberg got through unscathed. Brown kicked 3 goals but looked nonthreatening. Lever was ok but his kicking is still a bit of a worry. The Bad The Crows were very poor and this win was actually pretty ordinary when you consider the opposition. Our forward line was dysfunctional and lacked a focal point. Hopefully it gets better with Fritsch. Weideman was just ordinary and dropped 6 or so marks he needed to hold. Sparrow got involved and lacked composure Hibberd was more 2019 than 2018. Spargo was hopeless. OMac was not improved. Jackson didn’t do much and I expect he will mostly play VFL this season. Harmes at half back didn’t really work. Harmes isn’t that quick or a great kick, so I don’t really understand the thinking on this move other than the coaches needing to shift someone out of the midfield to fit Petracca in. I would prefer we play Oliver, Harmes, Petracca, Viney and Brayshaw through midfield and have them share some time in the forward line.

It is actually unlikely that all those teams make it IMO.

Isn’t the proposal for a retractable canopy? I think it would be a great idea if it stacks up economically.

He had 26 set shots and 10 field shots, which shows you are correct. https://www.statsinsider.com.au/afl/shot-charting In terms of a rough comparison to other forwards: Stephenson, Cameron and McDonald-Tipungwuti are around 50% in terms of set shots versus general play. Ablett is 30% and Papley 35%. Green is 40%. Breust, Walters and Castagna are around 55%. So Hunt at 72% is a much higher percentage.

Hunt is still our best bet as a forward pocket IMO. He kicked 21 goals in 18 games last year, which is respectable. Bedford, Pickett Lockhart, Spargo or Corey Wagner would need to step up to take his spot.

I broadly agree with this, but (for balance) … While TMac should have a better year than 2019, he could be past his zenith. The jury is out on Lever IMO, who is very overrated on Demonland. He struggles to defend key forwards and is a poor kick. Lever is obviously very good at reading the play but he is vulnerable if isolated inside 50. Gawn could go backwards, albeit he is coming from the top of the mountain. Melksham is another who could go backwards.

Baker has a 2 year contract. (No idea what he did to earn it.)

Petracca really needs to go to the next level IMO but your analysis is on the money.

I think someone reported that Joel Smith has a bad cut on his foot and is out of action for 2 weeks.

Beating Hawthorn in 2016 should be much higher on the list.

The Northey era was better as we made the finals more consistently but 2000 was our best side. 1990 and 1998 were missed opportunities and we had a chance to pinch those flags.

I am sure team balance has something to do with it. And the arrival of Jackson and the departure of Frost leaves us with one more tall forward and one fewer tall defender. However, I still think Smith will be a much better forward though, as his decision making and skills will be more likely to be exposed in the backline. Even a "good" kick like Fritsch was a liability in defence last year. Then when he went forward, he looked much better. IMO being a forward is easier in modern footy as the options are generally a) go for goal; b) kick long to a tall option; or c) hit up the leading forward. In defence, there is a lot more to think about and turnovers tend to hurt more.

Thanks Saty It sounds like Joel Smith is really fit, but why have they got him training with the backs after he showed something as a forward in the preseason last year?

Thanks Saty. I would say Hunt is also competing for a spot versus the small brigade you mentioned plus Spargo. Personally, I would have Hunt in front of the pack without having a real understanding of Pickett's AFL qualities. I could see Jetta being overtaken by Lockhart, who is quicker but does not kick the ball as well. I don't see them playing in the same backline, so it will be an interesting contest. Jetta will get the nod if he can keep up with his man. I agree that Jordon and Sparrow have little chance of being picked in the midfield and IMO they will need to find another role to get into side. I am a bit surprised they haven't put Sparrow in the Jetta, Lockhart contest. I think Dunkley will be a good footballer. I am not sure he has the tank to play wing though. I understand he was a mid-season draftee, but he was a long way off the fitness required after half time and wing would be the hardest running position in the game today. I like Petty and hopefully he and/or Weid can stand up this year.