DV8

All this playing to OUR brand stuff in the VFL, is strangling suburban footy. The AFL are allowing the game to be killed off at the roots... in the hearts of the footy followers. The VFL games aren't playing to WI_ they are playing to learn OUR way/style of game. Which is wrong for Aussie rules watchers. Aussie rules watchers are spending their time & money watching players in the nursery/kinder of AFL footy. Who are not playing to win at all costs, but "trying to play a style"_ Not good for Aussie rules diehards.

Because he is the player I wanted all last season,,, as we have been really lacking in genuine rovers who can rove/shark the packs and turn opposition players inside out. We witnessed first hand yesterday, just what I've been calling for, for the past 4 years. Small players who can really rove the packs, with hard heads and who are quick nimble goers. Spargo exactly what I wanted, but we need more than just him in the side, and I want to see if he can play inside mids as well. We need 2 of these smalls in the side each match. 1 of, is too easy to match-up on. We need 3 or 4 of them on our list__ and Garlett who is more a half-forward flanker/whinger, is now 28Yrs+. and not tough enough IMO.

Reduce the interchange bench back to 2 or 3 players.... and have 3 emergencies that can only come on for players with serious injury. to be decided by the Umpires Officiating Doctor for the match.. do not trust the clubs for this decision. Stop listening to the coaches, Re interchanges etc. Listen more to the main stakeholders of OUR game. Us, the supporters. Also cap rotations per Qtr. And lower than we have now. Cut out the diving and dropping to knees to win frees... suspend the culprits.

Our game has gone backwards since the congestion has taken oven all space to run into. The Press has also gone backwards, ever since Mike Williamson retired. And X players took over the media sheds. The spectacle is useless these days, as older watchers cannot tell who the-hell has just run on, and just run off, and who's on 2nd !!! Who'z playin on whom? No positional play, no specialist players (Lockett, Daicos, Flower), no man on man matchups. It's become a Soccer/Basketball hybrid of boring-ness. Good for coaches who like moving magnetic pieces on a white-board. Painfull to sit and watch,, I cannot watch a whole game on TV anymore with all this congested play craap. Let us all start a new competition on VFL grounds and bring back OUR game,,, and bring back the biff.

The saints killed us in midfield setups a couple of seasons back, at etihad. And Hickey gave Maxy a sponge bath, that game as well. They crowded us around the contest, forcing us to cough up the pill. Much like the Hawks did to us a few weeks back, and the Tiges did us as well the same way. Take them lightly, at our own Peril.

In reference to Higgins: he was NOT a father/son pick. And had we kept hold of our 1st Rnd 2017 pick then he was available to us. http://www.richmondfc.com.au/player-profile/jack-higgins In reference to Gawn: he has taken the time at the club for granted, up until talk of trading him in mid 2015. after that he tried to get serious. He shaped up in 2016, and was excellent. 2017 again displayed a casual nature around the ground, although he was winning taps in the centre, but not so around the boundary. And not as damaging as 2016. Again not taking enough marks around the ground, as was the case in 2015, and prior. Also in 2017 season games, not enough marks around the ground for a player of his size and athletic ability. School is out on Maxxy in 2018. But we need him crashing packs and taking grabs, particularly centreline forward. . Who might we replace Gawn with, if he was not with us. Lynch. would be very gettable and a better player. A more mobile player, who would be more in the mold of doing the midfield things, that made us so much better last year, when Maxxy was out of the side. Maxy is a valuable commodity currently, and we could get quite a good deal with him. And we can do better, around the grounds.

Agree. handy up forward as well. Just imagine Lynch, Viney Oliver, Wines, Petracca, Sloane, Higgins, Spargo, Hogan, alternating thru our midfield.

I don't agree Mauriesy, your letting your B romance do your thinking for you. Max was better on this weekend only after the critique__ just as he was in his breakout season,,, after we started trade talk around him back in 2015. 2016 he was very good... 2017 he was soft for the ball, around the ground. He has only played the One great season for us, in his whole career. We have to stop this bromance as soon as we find any half decent AFL product, we've fallen head over heels for. And we elevate them onto a pedestal when they are just going. Lets watch and see if Maxxy maintains the standard he has set for himself yesterday, because that is what we NEED from him as his benchmark. And he still needs to hold onto his marks more,,, than even yesterdays efforts,,, But he was good with his influence yesterday around the contest, impacting on the opposition. The real change in makeup of our game yesterday was TMc back in, influencing the mid part of the ground with his big body,,, tackling, pressuring, taking marks, etc, & the little live-wire Spargo lit us up.... gave our front half of ground real energy and potency. Spargo was a nightmare for the Essendon backs, which allowed our other players more space. The team balance was far far better this week; and I for one would have loved to see both Spargo & Jack Higgins both working in our team in tandem. Glad to see garlett out,, as he is not a true rover, sharking the packs like Spargo... Garlett more a small half-forward/wing, imo.

Yes, if the opportunity is there to make us better. Gawn for Lynch, yes please. both restricted free agents. The difference this afternoon was the teams balance... the TMc influence thru the midfield and half-forward line areas was heavy, and crucial. Add Spargo's nip and pressure, and his confident manner with the footy, and we started to build slowly from the start, until the bummers tapered off, and we were off the leash and away. We had some players out, who have not shared in the workload required. Our press started to work for us, with the newfound belief and confidence growing. Things worked out, but the saints will not ease the pressure like the bummers did this week..

Same as the senior side, take out the better leaders, and flumx'd. We lack senior expertise, across the list. I hope Lewis retires from AFL end of season, and becomes a playing assistant coach with Casey Demons, as well as an assistant coach with Melbourne.

With our list, we should have plenty of space in the cap... unless we are paying well overs, for some who do not much.

Still another half yet, we can level the scores by then?

We were once upon a time, that club,,, Adzman. no longer that fuscia club. We are now back to being Demons, i do believe.

What are their injuries wise? I haven't heard.

Wines would be great to have in tandem. No doubt, but I think he may be made captain of Port. i would swap Gawn for wines, in a heart beat. Pity there isn't a mid year trade period this year. they've lost PRyder. We could/may well have had Wines in red'n'blue in 2018 ?

Senior, quality, onfield leaders we don't have. How many do we need; we need a spread, across our ages. Of the seniors, We did with Lew, but he's cooked now. Bernie's dusted as well. Jones is not really in the bracket of winning knowledge. He's just a fine example of work-rate. Not what i think of as a tactical leader. Garlett, well, is Jeffery. what else. ----------- Viney/TMc are the emerging leaders, who don't have enough on-field role models, for them to learn from... agricultural. That's the leadership angle.. ----------------------------- We need inside/outside mids who are capable. Both Sloane and Gaff ( Restricted), suit us, in differing ways Sloane ( Restricted), helps to fill the maturity void, between our 25Yr - 28yr olds. At 28Yrs he brings us mature leadership with vast experience, and he works both the inside and the outside. We could give him one contract (3 or 4 Yr term), that would see him through,,, which would work in well with our young guns coming thru. Re salary cap... Mahoney can balance the books, so the timing of payments work out. Gaff ( Restricted), has been mentioned of as soft-ish... but gut-runs, finds his own footy, and this year is working inside the mids as well his tackling is on the up, and generally is maturing as an all round player. I see him now as a need. ???? Luke Dahlhaus??? Lynch ( Restricted), will bring us a real option as a follower in the ruck, who will mark around the ground and rests deep forward as a potent threat. IMO he would work brilliantly with 'the Weide', who moved well the other night without staring at all... but showed he's getting closer. Did not look out of place, and i think 'Weide' will come on this season, with his game. .....2MtrPeter would be fantastic also, for deep forward, but I'm unsure of his following abilities. Maxy ( Restricted), is currently at maximum value now, and is 'a sell' at the top of the market, me thinks. I would prefer to keep TMc ( Restricted), over Gawn. TMc ( Restricted), is a strong mark around the grounds. We should be going Ball's out, after Sloane, and Lynch. ------------------ Trades out, possibility's > Gawn frees cap space. we get something back. Tyson, could be of value ? Brayshaw, ? Neal-Bullen, ? Kent,? .

No... it's a thread about our bigger needs; and surplus. We need maturity > Sloane, can run and carry, is an inside and outside mid.. We need midfield gut runners > .Gaff We need midfield marking. > Lynch, We need a mobile follower ruck type who can mark regularly in the midzone. > Lynch. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maxy, although lovable clown he is; is not a great ruck/follower. Taps are overrated unless he can put the ball in their hip pockets. Him getting tap-out stats, does not equate to clearances won. He just does not do enough around the middle of the ground that is damaging in favour of the D's. So I'm suggesting we should think about allowing him fresh pastures. in favour of us winning Lynch's services. It is the midfield marking that was our key last year, and the bollocking work Pedo did that assisted us in our prime form Mid 2017_ That work of Pedo bear and TMc, really aided our mids to run and carry, and deliver, netting us a better outcome. Maxy is too big, in this area, accept as a beanpole. Maybe the Giants could do with him. IMO we need Lynch,,, and either-or Gaff, with his newfound areas of inside work, and Sloane, ranger's inside and run work, and his maturity suits our list. .

really. Oscar. Lever & Kitchen will throw the sink at him. Its the bummers small goods that's the concern. And that stringer.

self belief is what makes ALL the difference in talented but struggling young players. don't you ever ! look within the words, to search for the meaning ? or you haven't discovered this yourself, yet.

We lack senior leadership, and we also lack quality gut run. Midfield Marking is missing from our team stats, big time... I truly do not think Gawn Maxi-mouse can do it, on a regular basis. He does lack the intensity required for finals matches. Far too Nice. ========== Wattsy worth ? Thoughts ?

belief; self; a funny thing, happened on the way to the 'G'.

And he's a senior leader now... who is playing like a baby boy. He is NOT showing the way forward, as a 28Yr old regular senior player should be. ... more in the mold of, watts his name again. lackluster efforts.

Garlett has to be dropped, for not turning up for 2018.

Nah, I think its the opposite. I think he knows its for one game only this time around. I think TMc is due back in,,, against the bummers, 5 days after we play the Tiges. Sam will go back to Casey, after the D's/Tiges match.