Adam The God

A lot of that was actually playing a kick behind the ball.

It's notable that we make moves much quicker on game day this year. When it was clear Oliver was struggling, they sent him forward and it could have paid off handsomely had he converted two very simple set shots. Likewise, when McDonald couldn't get near it they moved him mid quarter further up the ground and he started to get his hands on it more. Interesting to see how often Gus was getting back in the hole to support his defenders one out too. It's a similar sort of thing to the way Langdon often plays the sweeper role in behind our defenders as the last man. We're finally using both wingers to impact the game defensively and then on the counter. Hallelujah!

I thought in the first 10-15 mins of the first quarter you could tell our pressure and work rate was a bit off and the Giants were playing some good stuff that we couldn't break up. I put this down to the fact that they brought the run and we didn't bring enough pressure. When the Giants had Davis go down, I thought as the game wore on we'd be a big shot, but then when Coniglio went down, I thought only a Melbourne side could lose it from there. Then De Boer went down as well and I thought Clarry would get off the chain. We really should have wiped them off the park after Coniglio went down and in terms of dominance we probably did, but didn't take our chances. The fundamentals like handballs and defensive marks let us down. Too much Hollywood from Petracca (cost us a goal and momentum at one stage). Oliver needs to convert basic set shots, because when he's being tagged, if he can't break the tag, he needs to be able to go forward and impact the game in another way. Thought McDonald was back to his 2019-2020 form for the majority of the game. Really struggled. Needs to pick it up next week or we're no chance. Unless Brown is ready to replace him. Kudos to Fritsch who nailed his early goals. Needs to do it consistently. Seemed to have a bit of swagger by the middle of the game. If he gets his kicking boots on, that's two goals a game for him easily. Max finished the game out strongly, probably to take the three votes after repeatedly dropping uncontested marks loose in defence in the first half. Like Lever and May, needs to be cleaner. Langdon and Brayshaw offered good outside run. Yze is doing some good work there with Gus. Seems like a good fit out there. If Hunt could kick he'd be an important cog, but he never hits targets - a worry for me out of defence. Kozzie superb for us. He's really found his level now. Brilliant stuff. Really liking out defensive shape, but we have to take those simple marks. Lever and May constantly guilty of dropping easy marks, and Max often spoiling one of them and then falling over himself. Tomlinson the best of our three defenders in terms of solidness. Sad to say Jetts is on his last legs too. Hope he proves me wrong, but he's lost that yard or two and he just can't cover the ground like he used to. I wonder if Hibberd gets the nod over him next week? Despite the hollowness of the win against a severely undermanned GWS (3 down on the bench makes it just about impossible to win in the modern game), to go 3-0 is excellent from our end. We can only beat who is out there, I'd just hoped we'd dispose of them more powerfully, but maybe that performance is coming? Geelong will give us a greater read on where we're at. My feeling at this stage is that we've improved on last year, but we still haven't quite clicked yet. We need that intensity up again like the St Kilda game or we're no chance next week.

Likewise, I think Ben Brown would absolutely adore the way the game is being played at the minute. He'll be incredibly difficult to stop.

What each of the blow outs have shown today is that against the really good opposition you need to take all your chances and put heavy scoreboard pressure on quickly, and then it can blow out. Sydney nailed a lot of their early efforts, so did the Eagles. That's where we can take our game to the next level. We're generating enough scoring shots, we just need to convert them. Fritsch is going to be massive over the next 2-3 weeks, because if he doesn't improve his accuracy, I can see him costing us a game or two. Looking forward to Brown's inclusion, because as a rule, he doesn't miss very often.

Nah, I heard one of them already saying they've got players out. Yeah, two ruckmen. Crouch played today and had little impact. Old man Hannebery? Laughable. People need to get serious here. St Kilda are all system. They don't really have elite talent, certainly not under 25. Maybe King in time, but he's still developing. If they're off at all, St Kilda get beaten.

Had we kicked straight last week, we'd have done this to St Kilda too. They're an overrated side and overachieved last year.

So to me the ruck position has little to do with Max playing spare man in defence in the hole. You could argue the ability to get involved in the spread from a stoppage is ruck work, but not really. Hits to advantage and hit outs are very imprecise or too predictable. You might get a a goal or two out of it a match, but that's it. I'd much rather have three Oliver's and a McEvoy who competes at stoppages. I think I just view the position in a similar way to Luke Beveridge. It's functional and if your team becomes too reliant on one position it's unsustainable, and too easy to counter.

Ed doesn't tend to play centre bounces but if he's included, Gus should certainly be in there. Sparrow occasionally takes forward stoppages and Harmes will when he's fit again too.

I'll say it again. The ruck position is trash...

Fascinating sponsorship. So they trade corporate bonds. I wonder if they are secondary market participants for government bonds. Fed gov bonds are the safest storer of wealth you can get. Corporate welfare on steroids.

It's very Sam Mitchell. He's always reminded me of Mitchell in the way that he plays and for years, Mitchell was overlooked until he started winning premierships. I hope the same thing will happen with Clarry at Melbourne.

Yep, my thinking also mate.

I noticed Oliver was the one often starting 5m wider with his opponent. It's brilliant, because his acceleration through the contest is elite. Not only does it give him greater separation at the stoppage (5m off the ball there'll be less tugging of jumpers), it allows him to enter it or stay on the outside and receive.

Jordon played off half back for CGS/Oakleigh, so not surprised he's being used in a similar outside role. But it shows the potential evolution of an outside player in the modern game with his tackle numbers. It's not just about cheap possessions. It's about defending and then peeling off when your ball winners win it at stoppage.

This is an absolute ripper of a post, but without sounding like a sycophant, I expect it now from you, Bob. If this analysis is right, we've completely reversed our 2018 formula, which was to have an extra at the stoppage (the sliders) and sometimes even two extras off the back stoppages ala 2017. Given the elite contested talent we have in there, it's a genius move, particularly as it gives us 1 v 1s forward of the contest.

Good post mate. I think the biggest change has finally been in the uncontested possession area. It's long hamstrung us when we've come up against good outside teams, but I suspect a combination of mental maturity, fitness and experience is starting to shift the dial on this part of our game. Given we have multiple guys that can rack up possessions in a contested situation, complimenting this with a greater uncontested focus I think makes us much harder to beat. And as you say, less of this bees to the honeypot stuff means we can defend territory and stoppage better. I hope Yze really continues to work hard on this area of our game. As for Gus, I think there'll be injuries this year that open the door for him as a pure mid, but in the meantime, I'm comfortable with where he is at and what he can offer on the outside. He's also had a year of playing wing, albeit a bit of a struggle last year. Good players learn though and I like the positions he takes up off the back of stoppages. They provide both cover and offence. My premiership favourite is the Bulldogs. Their midfield is simply awesome. It bats deeper than ours but I think we have a stronger potential list across the rest of the ground with at least two A grade midfielders too. The Eagles and Port might be thereabouts again, but the Bulldogs and Richmond are the teams to beat IMO. On our day I think we could beat any of them. It'll be interesting to see whether we can get everything to click this year, if we do, I think we'll wipe a few sides off the park.

Oliver is a rare 'at any price' player IMO. I don't think he's missed a game since his second season. He has shoulder recos every season, but it doesn't impact on his ball winning ability at all. He's a natural. We'll agree to disagree mate.

I'd say name your price, but if you go too high, just know you may compromise list management decisions in the future and the club's ability to improve. If he'd sign a long term deal, I'd comfortably give him 10 x $1 mill a year. He's incredibly durable and IMV will have a long future (playing well past 30) in the game.

5 years ago. He's 30 now. Someone of his age should be in his prime, but he's clearly not the player he was. He's faded.

You're not being told how to think. No one's forcing you to deal with your emotions if you refuse to. You can take or leave the message. Your precious rights are not being impinged. And this is classic corporate liberalism/centrism. None of these organisations particularly care about any of the social issues they support, but they can talk about them at functions and be seen to be a reputable community 'brand', meanwhile often the toxicity that these organisations are said to be fighting remains completely unchecked. In the AFLs case it's also a way of promoting the event. It is what it is. Engage with it or don't.

ANB taking better options IMO. There was a distinct moment in the game last night where he wove through the traffic off half back, looked wide, it wasn't on, carried the ball and then made the straighter kick and we scored. It was a very notable moment, because it's the sort of moment he's historically struggled with as you imply. Jackson is doing what Weideman was doing in his first season - he's basically leading himself under the ball, making it far too easy for his opponent. Weideman has fixed it, so in time, with the right coaching, Jackson will too. If Brown or Weideman were free next week it'd be an interesting conversation at the selection table. I feel Jackson's struggled both weeks, but perhaps touch will come with continuity for him, and anyway, Brown or Weideman are weeks off. Jackson provides that little bit of brilliance as second ruck that will probably see him keep his place no matter what this season. While we wait for Brown and Weideman, Jackson must bring the ball to ground. For a guy his height, with his leap, he didn't do it enough last night. Things to work on.

Sure, the ruckmen would help, but it's not like we smashed them in the clearances. As for Hannebery and Crouch, you can't be serious mate? Harmes is equal to, if not better, than both, and Brown and Weideman would have been our starting forwards this year had it not been for injury. I think their injuries are being massively overplayed by a media machine that is providing itself cover for pumping up their tyres, only to see their predictions quite a way off. St Kilda could very easily be 0-2 and there's certainly no top 4 contender.

Glad to see Charlie get some wraps. I've long stuck up for him on here and at games - my sister isn't a fan. His thing - that will come (is coming) with maturity - is staying in games long enough and ideally getting it more. Most of his possessions are in scoring chains. He's a very rare player in that regard. Doesn't get it lot, but when he does it usually results in a score, due to that decision making you mention, and also probably the role he plays. His pressure has gone to another level now though, which means he's staying in games longer. Well done, Charlie. Keep it up.

Bang on this. He set up constantly in dangerous positions off the back of stoppages, always there to release. Completely agree with this. Top post. I think he compliments Langdon nicely on the wing too, because Langdon can cover the ground so much better, but Gus has a knack of putting himself in dangerous positions at stoppages, whereas Langdon tends to get it on the rebound. I questioned whether Yze's influence on the midfield was a good thing last week given we struggled for midfield connection, but this week it has to be said, the mix in there is looking really solid. Some much better signs structurally this week too.