DV8

Did it matter, a win is a win, is a win. Back in those days, dropping Hudson was a big win for a losing side. Just a sincere pity about his knee though. But I'd love to have vision of Ray Biffen rubbing mud-toothpaste into any Hawks faces. They always looked so much better, when all muddied up.

The defensive press is a major blight on our game. The long bomb is one idea to hustle the ball into f50, before 'the press' has a chance to gather numbers. I'm all for it if it gives us back the Torp, or a Bullet 50mtr drop-punt toward space, away from any grouped defenders. And a sprint to the ball from all directions,,, from within f50, & those outside f50. The One tall Key Forward works in this case, and if the tall forward is lightning quick, all the better. Accompanied by a handful of slippery small/medium forwards.

Thats what i''m thinking Re the leash. It would mean Clarry has to play without as much freedom and creativity, with other stuff a must to focus on. I'm not sure how that would effect his game? Bernie is accustomed to the role, but maybe O'Meara is more his type of opponent? O'Meara would also have to cover Bernie, when he has the ball. Maybe the buggster is the key, to bother Mitchell ? ... would you use Angus on O'Meara? Maybe that's why they apparently used Angus to tag in the VFL... to see IF he can be a tagger? I'm not convinced Re Angus yet, for these match-ups. I'd prefer Dion in, to utilise around the Hawks smalls.

OK. I wondered if you were responding to my thoughts. He's just not inform, Yet.

We're not adopting a plan that we can already do. our forwardline is in as much transition as the rest of our lines. The truth is we aren't settled in any dept just yet. So do we play to the cattle we have currently, or do try to instill a gamestyle you want to have, even tho the current players might struggle a little with carrying it off. Are we playing for 2018 alone? Or are we playing to build a team that can win the premiership in all our near futures? Should we change our gamestyle once our young small players have all matured,,, and only then?

Who is writing off Lever? and how?

I don't mind the alternative, of Oliver going head to head with Mitchell. I'd back Oliver's tenacity, for sure. If he keeps Mitchell on a tight leash.

Yes, Or Bernie goes to O'Meara. or vica-verca with Angus, if Angus gets called on.

??? wouldn't that then have to be tangenital. Its just a bit too hard to imagine, bm'r.

And you don't even have to overuse the bloody ball when under all that pressure. But the last shepherd i saw was a very impotent shepherd. Not much conviction in stopping the approaching defender.

And there is nothing wrong with using Lever off the defensive wing situation. covering off incoming high ball into our defensive 50Mtr arc. We still keep our defensive tall setup as structured (2 talls) with the runners around, and Hunt and Lever can still play on wings. I don't really want hunt off the halfback line, ever since late last year. I prefer him starting on the wing and pushing back into our defence when the play is in there, and bringing the ball out with run. When on the wing (offensively), I'm happy for him to bomb long into our F50Mtr Arc, as a chaos ball; which should be brought to ground IF we cannot get a guaranteed mark. This should bring our quick smalls into play controlling the inside 50 play. (I wish we had Jack Higgins)...

I would have kept pick 10 2017 off the table. Future picks &/or a player. What did we get for watts his name again? So a 1st Rnd future pick (2018), plus compensation pick for Watts should have about done the job. If not the compensation pick, then a 3rd Rnd future pick (2018) should have made the deal. Our 2017 early pick should have remained tucked away in our pocket.

All that is true but mostly irrelevant to the D's. Just like some of us who shook our heads after Rnd 2. Unhappy with some of the form and mental fade-outs etc. As it has been a constant of the poor past. Things are looking better since then, with a few players starting to lift themselves, Re onfield leadership, etc. But when things are left to lay undisturbed at this club, most often things do not change; so in some ways the negative angry supporter responses on social media, can have a motivating factor for the players to lift their games. I think this has happened in our case. Now the trade/draft folded hand last season Re Lever. This is not Levrers fault nor his issue. And the posts Re the weak hand played at the trade table by us are in know way about Levers form. But just, (from me anyway) about the apparent weak effort to push the Lever trade situation to better suit us. I see it as the 2018 draft as a strong draft with a lot of top-end talent, so 2 picks in that draft should have carried a lot of weight. Re trading. If the trade didn't happen, then we would have done very well with others anyway & Jack Higgins looks like a top catch, as has PHarrison who we took later. Interesting that Harrison may become the player we wanted from Lever ? but bigger. Lever will still be a great player for us, but the issue is the way the club folded up its offer, And just bent over. Using too much of our currency doing that. .

its not the words wjd,,,, do as I say, its do as is being done around you. It Is the actions of your peers; that's is the culture the club stands buy. And you cannot buy it, a great culture. You have to grow your own, because its organic in nature. We (Mfc) are starting to learn.

did we miss our chance ?

I guess its just his position in footy life, pd.

Its not the 2018 1st Rnd draft pick that's on issue at all. Its the other draft pick, last years P10,,, thats the issue. we could have had Jack Higgins or others, Darcy Fogarty? We could have used 2018 1st Rnd'r,,, + another from this draft, if necessary.

he hasn't torn free from the apron strings or similar, just yet; at least looks that on appearance. Like he's running around on one of those elastic leashes parents sometimes use for kids, instead of dogs. He appears like he wants to let himself go but doesn't dare break that mind restraint. a conservative type trait.

It's pretty hard to mark handballs, these days. The umps are right onto it. I want out talls playing high, except one around 35mtrs. and a spacious 50Mtrs if we can achieve it.

... careful MaxT, he might drop you out of your own SC team. Relegate you to the Bench; or worse for this week.

Typically North are one of the Hawks match nemesis's. The Hawks hold no superstitious fears for the Roos. The Bear would have some of this belief/attitude built into his makeup before he arrived on our doorstep. We could use his belief/attitude this weekend to spread through our young lads, for them to feed off and adopt as their own. To me, the balance is better this week with switching Frost for Pedo. Also I would switch one of the out of form mid/half-forwards for Dion. That would be all I would do, just the 2 changes.

Gawny, I think against the Dawks smalls, we cannot go in too tall down back. IMO we need to have one main tall key back (Oscar),,, and the 2nd tall has to be excellent against the smalls, intercepting, playing small, reading the play, etc. So I think Frost is superfluous this week, for these reasons... and is not such a forward as to create in the front half; he can only play defensive tall forward. which will have its times of need imv. However this week I think we need the Bear in. PedoBear is needed to chop-out Maxy in the ruck, and to help work-over BBMcEvoy. He can also chip in with goals on occasion. He is one who can do those 1% in tight situations, that allows our smalls to shine. can go down back IF required. This would allow MaxtG to play some time out of the Goal-square, with his goblins around him. Creating, mischief.

I'd like to see more individuals up forward working their creative talents, rather than some sort of team drafts or chess pieces strategy. thinking Daicos, Lockett, Bartlett, Baldock, JFarmer, the Ox_ ... all these players would struggle in today's strangled footy grounds. Never the likes of, to be seen ever again. Property has become far too expensive for us all. At great cost.

reduce the rotations. Please, reduce. Get us all back a little bit of running space. With this will return spontaneity & creativity.

IMO, its a thing done by selfless players, instinctively.