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RalphiusMaximus

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Everything posted by RalphiusMaximus

  1. RalphiusMaximus
    The doggies played really loose today. I can't see them doing that during the regular season. They basically played with no accountability for three quarters and then almost pulled it back in the last. Nowhere near as hard or contested as the game against us.
  2. RalphiusMaximus
    They also got one goal from a dodgy free kick directly in front of the goals. They won by less than three goals, so safe to say it was the umpires who got the points that day.
  3. RalphiusMaximus
    Also totally agree. She's powerful and hard to bring down in traffic, has good control and distance on her kicking and displayed a beautiful sidestep on the wing against the Doggies a couple of weeks ago. She's been a huge surprise for me this season, and I'm thrilled we have her in the side.
  4. RalphiusMaximus
    We had that assistant coach under Neeld...
  5. RalphiusMaximus
    So basically what they're saying is that Watts was cruising through training and Goody took the opportunity to make a point about training standards and that nobody gets an automatic game. Good on him for that. He's making it clear from the outset that it's now his team and that he expects everyone to tow the line. I don't see them keeping him out of the side long-term though, especially if he has, as reported, increased his output. The Weed isn't ready yet, despite some very good signs, so we need Watts to play that role at least for this year.
  6. RalphiusMaximus
    Garland's best has been as good as any medium defender in the league. The problem is that we haven't seen it very often. If you look back over his career though, there have been some great things. I'm told that it was he who kept Buddy to one goal during the year he broke the ton (I swear I remember Warnock manning him up that game, but I'm told by those who have it available to watch that it was actually Col). A couple of years ago under Roos he had a run of games where he was unstoppable, but sadly injured himself and never again showed that kind of form. What conclusion can we draw from this? If he is at his fittest and playing hard, committed football to his best, he is more than able to hold his own with Frost, Oscar, Wagner et al. However, he has suffered repeated injuries and form fluctuations which make me wonder whether he can be consistent enough, or consistently good enough, to hold down a place. I'd absolutely love it if he were to force his way into the side as HBF to replace Wagner. He's been a great servant of the club and from that perspective deserves the opportunity to play senior football again.
  7. RalphiusMaximus
    You haven't provided a negative to beating the Saints, so naturally I prefer that one. Then we can start the season with five or more wins on the trot
  8. RalphiusMaximus
    So I got to watch the game last night. I have to say I'm not entirely happy. It says a lot for the dominance of our mids and backs that we thrashed them so badly, but I still saw too many directionless bombs forward under no pressure. How many uncontested marks did their defenders take after yet another blind bomb to the hot spot? We will never win the flag while this play is still in our toolbox. It's fine if you look up, assess the options and make the kick knowing there are targets in place, but to do it blindly without looking for a target is just handing over the ball and asking for a rebound score. On the bright side, there was a significant improvement on the fumbles. It makes a noteworthy difference to the speed and fluidity of our play when the mids are taking the ball cleanly. The tackling and movement off the ball wrre also first rate.
  9. RalphiusMaximus
    We have three games left. Fremantle, GWS and Adelaide. Of those, Adelaide should be the only challenge, although you never know when the others might click. If we win all of them then we are a chance at finals. If we win all of them and Brisbane beat Adelaide then we do play in the final. If Adelaide beat Brisbane then I don't see much chance of us making the GF either way. It would require one of them dropping another game. Now the Crows and Brisbane both have a tough couple of weeks ahead. Next week they play each other, then the week after Brisbane play the Dogs and Adelaide play us. In essence, we'll know who plays the GF by the end of round six unless something goes drastically wrong in round seven. Brisbane could struggle against the Blues, but it's highly doubtful that Collingwood can take Adelaide.
  10. RalphiusMaximus
    Was pretty happy with Petracca too
  11. RalphiusMaximus
    I would think Petracca is the most likely. What I'm wondering is whether VDB is going to be able to hold his spot. We could very well see Garlett, Bugg and Petracca as our small/mid-sized forwards.
  12. RalphiusMaximus
    If you look closely at Wagner in the background as Billy Stretch marks and kicks, it looks like you can see the distortion in his leg where the bone is out of place. Nasty.
  13. RalphiusMaximus
    Funny thing I just noticed watching the replay. Dahlhaus' first goal, the ball was clearly thrown to him from the player on the ground.
  14. RalphiusMaximus
    I had actually already factored this into my thoughts. The only team above us we have played is Brisbane. So we can no longer take points off them. Winning five in a row means beating both Carlton and Adelaide. They will also play each other, putting one of them clearly below us and the other level. Both of those sides will also face Brisbane. Assuming we win all of our remaining games. the worst possible result for us would be for Adelaide and Brisbane to beat Carlton (Adelaide already have) and Adelaide to beat Brisbane. That would leave us as the likely third place side based on percentage. If Brisbane maintain their unbeaten run then winning all of our games will be enough. So what it amounts to is, assuming we keep winning, there is only one scenario where we don't make the GF. All of this is also working on the assumption that one of the other four sides don't beat the top sides.
  15. RalphiusMaximus
    It's the pre-season comp. They're trying out some guys who wouldn't normally get a start in the real season. That means someone needs to sit out. Nothing more to see.
  16. RalphiusMaximus
    He already conned the AFL into giving him a Norm Smith.
  17. RalphiusMaximus
    All we need to do is win five more games and we're premiers. That's not too hard right?
  18. RalphiusMaximus
    We were very fumbly with our hands. Jones' was the worst, directly gifting his man a goal, but there were many instances where the players didn't take the ball cleannly. It's something we've had trouble with in the past, and I really hope it's just rust and will be quickly polished off. The standard was high mostly. Very intense and hard at the stoppages. We have one of the best extraction units in the league and the Doggies have built their side around contested ball, so it was always going to be a battle. The fact that we beat them in all but one category in the key stats says we're doing something right. I'm a little surprised by the lack of love for Garlett today. He did a great job early on creating goals for us. I question the AFL site saying he had three assists as I had him with four to halftime. Maybe I mistook JKH for him? Except he didn't get credit for any. Who knows. Regardless, I thought he was selfless and creative and turned half chances into certainties with his vision and passing. Probably needs to do more defensively, but in terms of scoreboard impact he was as good as any.
  19. RalphiusMaximus
    That's a hell of a lot better than we thought. It was right in front of the stand and I think most of us were thinking ACL.
  20. RalphiusMaximus
    We have a very solid lead at half time. Once the ball movement and outside run kicked in they couldn't go with us. I hope we keep it up in q3.
  21. RalphiusMaximus
    Loved seeing the lads join the guard of honour.
  22. RalphiusMaximus
    Who was missing aside from Bont? Never mind. Answered above
  23. RalphiusMaximus
    It's worth noting that this wasn't their B side this time. I don't know if they had some of their first side out, but most of the big names looked to be there. No Bont I think. Even so, we had more names sitting it out than they did.
  24. RalphiusMaximus
    Lewis top ballwinner. Smith was huge in the first half, didn't notice him as much in the latter. Salem is all class, but we knew that. Jones and Viney the usual. Oliver was good and did freakish things. Garlett had a heap of assists. Very unselfish game. HOGAN! Four goals five marks. Vince was our second biggest ballwinner, but I hardly noticed him. Tracca was solid but needs more ball. Wagner injured. Looked like a knee from here. He overextended trying to impact a marking contest and landed really badly.
  25. RalphiusMaximus
    I may have misjudged a little... Great win today. Still work to do, but they kept it together. Like the jumper, like the gameplan. Happy.
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