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Binmans PA

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Everything posted by Binmans PA

  1. I think I wrote about Howes playing as the third tall in our defensive system this year, and if he plays like he did the other night, it only strengthens my view. But my overall point here is to win the flag this year, IMV, we need to give a little more defensively (in attacking rebound) to improve our offence without going too loosey goosey at the back. Despite our poor contest result against Sydney, we know that contest and defence are our real strengths. The problem last year was our ball movement became too predictable and easy to defend entering 50, which fails to capitalise on our contested dominance in games. What I want to see is more experimentation with personnel at the back and I'd be playing Howes as the third tall (191cm, essentially the same height as Curnow and JVR). And use Max to defend an extra third tall if necessary. But I'd be trying to get the ball to ground, winning contest with our mids and slingshotting with the likes of Bowey, McVee and Rivers, and using the pace of Windsor on the wings and Kozzy from stoppage. I'd set up our defence as follows: McVee May Lever Bowey Howes Rivers and... Melksham Melksham will hopefully play during the second half of the season, and his kicking could be a weapon back there. Particularly, as we have McAdam and Fritta up the other end taking his spot. This then allows Salem to play permanent midfield with Clarry, Viney, Sparrow and large cameos from Trac and later Kozzy. I'd be pushing Bowey as high as possible and giving McVee that freedom too. With the exception of playing Tomlinson (who played pretty well against ordinary key forwards), I liked the look of how we set up defensively the other night, but we were mostly having to defend slingshot or fast breaks, rather than defending our own back 50 and slingshotting out. I'd like more data on the bigger grounds and I hope we try Howes as the third tall and drop Tomlinson at some stage and give it some time to click if need be. I feel there'd be many Demonlanders who agree with a more attacking focus, but if not Howes as the third tall who can join in on offence with good kicking and has a strong intercept game, what other solutions are there to the problem?
  2. I thought he was one of pir better players before getting injured, and one of our most important disposers. I'd argue our most important now that Salem looks set for more midfield.
  3. So team pressure went out the window in the 4th. It did look that way. That's a very ordinary number. I wonder how much of it speaks to interrupted pre season of certain players. Thanks for these numbers as always mate.
  4. I don't care if we're winning. It's if we start losing like that and playing an ugly contested style, it's bloody torturous.
  5. This is it. Incredible. But I think as @binman often points out, inclement conditions often exacerbate our ordinary skills.
  6. I'll wait and see the next month or so unfold, but that was as bad as that Essendon game last year, which was probably our worst game since that Port game in 2020. It's hard to say we're in strife after one game, but if we have any more games like that any time soon, we are. Really insipid. It started with poor goal kicking, then fumbles, and then getting bashed up around the contest. So that's losing at our 1 wood. Laurie, Sparrow, Chandler, Rivers all horrible tonight. Schache, well, we know what we're getting there. Ball movement and forward craft completely absent. That has to be forward and senior coaching. You can't kick 25m out to the hot spot and think that's going to work, when we've had that precise strategy not work for us for 3-4 years now. We don't have a gifted pack marker like Curnow, JVR is okay, but he's better 1v1. I thought Max's second half was dreadful though and when he has a tactic work against him, he's so slow to react. Grundy gave him a bath, even McLean beat him up when he went in there. No idea what to take from this. Not much good, that's for sure.
  7. I wonder if this was leaked by our media department to old dopey Ralphy, as a way of then illustrating that despite our players being in high demand by other clubs, our players are still re-signing. Ala, we are well and truly on top of our "cultural problems". That's how I'd play 4D chess anyway. Too Machiavellian?
  8. I wouldn't have either of them. But I suspect that's a minority position and one not held by the club. We need Jed Adams to step up and Turner when he's fit again.
  9. He didn't touch it much and wasn't on for long, but I loved the Kolt's power in a couple of moments. At least once it created a goal. He has x factor written all over him.
  10. Jed Adams is the one. If we're determined to stick with the three defensive tall set up, Adams will need to play ahead of Tomlinson and TMac IMO. I'm glad to hear Adams played well @Hawk the Demon. @Slartibartfast, do you have any more info on the hit out? Thanks.
  11. I find it remarkable too. It's because he can do the flashy so well. It's the same thing with Judd and Dusty. So some observers only remember the flash. I've always thought Dangerfield had the capacity to butcher the ball more than many.
  12. JVR is too good 1v1 for middle of the road defenders like Kemp. As he gets stronger, he'll become more of a handful for the likes of Weitering.
  13. If you'll remember back to last year, McVee had very low stats as a small back, but basically everything he touched was an intercept possession. That was Howes' game yesterday. 6 disposals, 4 of them intercepts, two of them intercept marks and 1 score involvement. That's about what we got out of McVee all last year. (And I love Judd, so this is not a criticism, just a realistic expectation for a young small back making his way) You have to let him build a bit. And playing him allows McVee more offensive space and Salem midfield minutes. It's a win win if he plays like he did yesterday.
  14. Dunstall's commentary was appalling. He has absolutely no idea about Melbourne or its players. Deadset numbnuts. That's all from me.
  15. For me in Round 1 (not Round 0): McVee May Bowey Salem Lever Howes Windsor Oliver Langdon Petracca Petty McAdam Fritsch JVR Kozzy Max Viney Sparrow Rivers Billings ANB Chandler Laurie / Spargo
  16. Mate, we have three starting mids in the top 20 players of the competition. Max, Clarry and Trac. Then we have Viney, who would walk up to any midfield in the league behind them. And although I agree Sparrow needs to get involved more, he's a handy support player, while Kozzy has shown he adds more pace and x factor to our midfield. There's enough evidence on Kozzy that if he played 5-10 mins a quarter (with another pre season now under his belt), he'd be a solid option in there. Salem and Rivers haven't had enough exposed form in there to know yet, but both have played the inside slider role to elite levels across the last few years, so IMV there's enough for Mini and Goody to work with.
  17. May, Lever, Bowey, McVee, Rivers, Salem and Howes would be my 7 defenders, with Max floating back. But adding Tomlinson or McDonald would be 8. We haven't done this before, so it would be a departure. I'd basically have Howes (if he can do it) as a Murphy type (Howes is 1cm shorter). As a rule, we play 7 forwards, 7 defenders and 8 mids/wingers.
  18. I agree it didn't work last year and when we've looked our best 2021-2023, it's been with three defensive talls. But the game has changed. We need to be ahead of the curve, and if we can't slow ball movement enough, we need to open up offence a little more. We shouldn't throw the baby out, so we need to manufacture a defensive set up that enables Lever to intercept. Whether that's Max behind the ball or another mid sized player (think Howes), we need speed, composure and ball use behind the ball. Bowey and McVee certainly offer this. May is the best lockdown player in the comp, although maybe we need to be flexible week to week with that. I agree losing Disco was a blow, but without him, I think it gives us an opportunity to test the two talls again. And potentially rest Max by sitting him behind the ball and getting JVR up the ground to ruck more.
  19. Viney, Trac, Salem, Clarry, Rivers, Sparrow, Kozzy is a bloody good midfield. JJ is meat and potatoes and Harmes was fringe the last two years. We have arguably the best midfield and defence in the comp. We need to improve forward of the ball, which may mean we need to give up a little bit of defensive stability to attack more from the back. We've got a new brains trust in the midfield with 3 premierships of IP. The lack of continuity across pre season hasn't been ideal, nor has the cultural and political noise, but we have the cattle if we get some luck with injury and some more dare with ball movement. As I've mentioned previously, I would be trying only two defensive talls in May and Lever, and prior to his retirement I would have played Gus as the intercepting mud sized player releasing Bowey, McVee, Rivers and possibly Howes. With no Gus now, I think our midfield will be fine, but our defensive set up will need some different ideas. I don't see Tomlinson or Tom McDonald as answers. Hore was a turnover merchant in his past MFC life, whilst a good interceptor, Tom McDonaldesque with ball in hand. So midfield problems are being greatly exaggerated. It's defensively and offensively we have work to do.
  20. Yep, @Pennant St Dee. I reckon a few need to perhaps disengage from the mainstream media and AFL media. I personally don't have the headspace atm, which is handy, because until the season starts and we get a few rounds in, we really won't get a good read on things. Intangibles like culture are bandied around all the time. Collingwood had seemingly huge issues, even as late as last year, their premiership year. The perception can turn like that. I don't personally believe off field issues play a great role in a team's ultimate success. But I do think luck and injury play a huge role. If we're to do well this year, we need our best players on the park at the right time. If we get that, have some luck go our way as well, we can win the flag. Let's leave the self pity until we've at least got a read on the season. And even then, things can turn. Think Carlton last year and Collingwood the year before. We still have the best midfield, one of the best interceptors of the modern game in Lever, one of the best full backs and Fritta and Kozzy. If Petty gets on the park consistently with JVR, that'll make a huge difference. Let's hope backs to the wall suits us.
  21. I've said this before, but: 1) I'd play three wingers and allow our running backs more freedom to get up the ground and attack, knowing cover is out the back in the form of the wingers. So I'd play one less forward, which should also open up space forward of centre to slingshot back into. The three wingers in question should come from Langdon, Gus, Hunter, ANB, Billings, Windsor, Spargo, Laurie and Howes. 2) I'd play Bowey and McVee through the midfield at times, I really think Bowser has extremely similar attributes to Butters, maybe not as good a side step. But I'd build his upper body a bit this off season. These two moves probably mean bringing in Howes. And this also means more midfield time for Rivers, who is absolutely ready now for more sustained midfield minutes. 3) The forward set up should be dynamic, fluid and unpredictable outside of some obvious personnel. Petty should be the key pillar. I'd play McAdam anywhere from the goal square to high half forward. Fritta will always be in that forward mix too, as will Kozzy. So given I'd play 6 forwards and not 7, that leaves two positions. JVR would be my second KPF and second ruck. And the 6th forward I'd have would be Billings. I'd play him almost strictly as an inside 50 player, but given the modern game, it's highly unlikely anyone would stay strictly inside 50. I'd then, depending on the game, float Trac forward. The team I'd go with in round 1 injury permitting would look something like this. McVee May Lever Rivers Turner Salem Langdon Oliver Gus Billings JVR McAdam Kozzy Petty Fritta Max Viney Trac Bowey Sparrow ANB Howes Of that team, I'd see 8 mids (non wingers): Rivers, McVee, Oliver, Kozzy, Viney, Trac, Bowey and Sparrow. I'd leave Gus on the wing, but he's another mid option. Rucks are the big problem here with any in game injury, otherwise it feels a little short, but dynamic and fresh.
  22. They're not a waste of money, because they create jobs and create revenue for local businesses, but when governments are imposing austerity in most other sectors of the economy, spending on stadiums and infrastructure for the Olympics does feel like the wrong value proposition. But we lost our way on many of our values many decades ago, so this is merely a continuation of this.
  23. The club media department really need to do some work on their interview questions. Great little video as both of them seem so happy, but as an interviewer you've got to ask some broader questions that aren't likely to elicit the same sort of responses.
  24. I think the view that the AFL would take is they haven't had enough concessions until they're winning constant premierships.
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