Adam The God

We're struggling for connection because our team defence isn't as strong. Since defence turns into attack for us, it means if we're not turning the ball over close enough to goal, we're having to move the ball too slowly and deliberately to packs in the high forward pocket. Then because our team defence isn't quite on, we're allowing it to come out too easily. By no means is anyone saying it's entirely down to loading (I think we certainly need to experiment with a different forward mix), but loading IMV is likely a significant factor.

You can see it in the way a lot of our players are playing over the last 2-3, even 4 weeks. Players like Petracca have lost power, players like Brown look knackered after 2 minutes on the ground. We're not even half way through the season- you don't have guys do a strong pre season that sees us cover the ground like we did in the earlier rounds, and then be knackered after 2 minute stints forward in rounds 11 and 12. If we remember back to the stretch of form between rounds 7-10 in 2021, leading up to the two weeks against the Bulldogs and then Brisbane (ala Freo and then Sydney this year): - we were sluggish against North (R7) - only just got over the top of Sydney (R8 & smashed in the stoppages). We lost centre clearances 17-4. - were ordinary against Carlton (R9). - and were patchy against Adelaide and had our first loss (R10 - that loss was most reminiscent of the Sydney loss last week). It's like in 2021, we set ourselves for those Bulldogs and Brisbane games and loaded heavily in the lead up, which impacted on performance prior. I think in 2022, we set ourselves for Freo and Sydney, but we had sickness go through the camp just prior to the Freo game, we lost May early and then Petty for that important third quarter. We've also had injury ruining continuity this season, right from the JLT series. I think we probably would have won the Sydney game last year, but I don't think we got the rub of the green with the umpires- the last two free kicks were the goals they won by. Numerous tiggy touchwood holding the balls paid Sydney's way, none our way. I think it's likely we'll struggle again this week and we'll see a different sort of energy from the team post bye, before another likely patchy period just prior to finals. But at the end of the day, it's all speculation.

I thought she'd changed her mind and was going to play on again?

The way Bedford faded and tends to fade in and out of games, I think playing him wing may have been dangerous. Does he have the tank? Or the concentration.

I haven't listened to the podcast this week, so will do. I wrote in the post game thread that I reckon we treated the entire second half as an exercise. A learning. To experiment. Build strength against adversity. Clearly didn't work. - Could we maintain a lead and cover May and Petty? - Could we win contest with -2 at stoppage? - Throw Weid behind the ball when the game is basically over to see if he can take some marks. - Try Spargo on the wing and give Melksham another week on the wing. I don't recall us trying ANB on a wing, which is odd given is aerobic capacity and the fact we couldn't lock the ball inside 50 anyway. If our boys had heavily loaded prior, perhaps we figured we may as well experiment in the second half as we were likely to drop away as the game wore on? Who knows if I'm giving too much credence to any of this, but a tag from Aish wouldn't normally stop Oliver. I think he faded. Viney started brilliantly in the first half and then faded. Through the third quarter, the young guys like Bowey, Sparrow and even LJ fumbled, failed to contest strongly enough and made uncharacteristic skill errors - almost like they were knackered. The response against Sydney will be instructive. Langdon back will be massive, as will Salem's poise, McDonald's competing in the air (hopefully) and Harmes' running. Fresh legs will be important, because if the loading theory is right, we'll surely be sluggish again until at least the bye.

I'm not convinced we really gave up much against Freo. In the second half we were playing -2 at stoppages, so we could get +2 behind the footy (to cover May and Petty), but then we were hopeless once the ball hit the ground. If you don't win contested footy, you don't really get a chance to expose any defence. I'm not saying Freo aren't extremely good, they are now, but I'm looking forward to the rematch at Optus, even with Fyfe. We're usually happy to give up -1 at stoppage as a rule, but rarely -2. We were completely disorganised around stoppage in the second half. It's a different game if our mids break even and Freo's set up behind the ball can be better tested.

I think the better comparison is Hawthorn. They had average ruckmen through their threepeat. I don't think the Nankervis comparison is a good one though as he is a dominant/strong ruck.

He didn't squib it. He chose the wrong option, trying to hit up Petracca or Brown when they were clearly manned up. He was only 35m out. Should have taken the shot on himself.

30k against Fremantle at an odd Saturday twilight fixture time when crowd numbers are down due to COVID is a great effort. In non COVID times we get 35-40k and a 1.45 or 7.30 slot. That's an excellent result.

I did wonder if we approached the game as an adversity test. Could we beat a top 4 opponent if things went badly? Obviously, having May go down couldn't be foreseen, but going on last year, I wouldn't surprised if we used yesterday as a bit of a testing ground. Tried various players in different positions, Spargo on the wing, JJ on the attacking wing, kept -2 at stoppage to generate more free players behind the ball. It did have that feeling about the game, but maybe I'm reaching too far here and we were missing too many key players, many are carrying niggles and we were outplayed by a more hungry Fremantle. Or maybe it's all of the above.

We lost to the Bulldogs and GWS last year, but I agree we haven't had a loss like this since 2020 in terms of score and being defensively broken down. Does anyone have the ground ball get stats? Aside from contested possession when we played -2 at stoppages, we were smashed when the ball hit the ground.

And yet we gave away x8 50m penalties. Would have won comfortably otherwise, with a makeshift backline. I think that game is being overplayed. Petty didn't play either.

As for the idea that the NT Government needs business support as part of its funding blueprint is a concern already. ie. they don't want to be the only one holding the funding can. I can't see NT getting their own team.

You don't get the 20 team set up then, nor would you have the QLD rivalry. As small as it is...

That's funny. My friends call me that as well.

I've always said he's a Sam Mitchell clone but more explosive. Mitchell wasn't lauded to the end either.

Sorry, but how is this guy not spoken of as the best player in the competition. Absolute freak, only 24 years of age, if he plays at Melbourne until 32 or 33, he'll become our greatest ever player.

What does this even mean?

I thought our intensity was off in the first 5-10 minutes of the game, otherwise it was pretty good. But each to their own.

If he's not too sore, I'd play him. I reckon they just might. That seems to be the philosophy.

Sure, watching live is a completely different thing, but I found myself very relaxed watching today. I expected us to win and win well. We did. I expected us to strangle them and then have a devastating patch and today we had two devastating patches.

Agree, although I read Goody say Harmes could play next week, which means no change IMO.

I haven't read the game day thread, but apparently people aren't happy. Bizarre. It wasn't flawless and I generally agreed with much of what Jordan Lewis said in terms of forward entries and blazing away at goal when we should have lowered the eyes, but FMD, we played some brilliant football at times. Was it one of Fritsch's or TMac's goals in the last where we chained off half back by hand under real pressure? It was champagne football. As good as that TMac team goal against Brisbane last year in Sydney. Our offence usually comes from our defence, so as a side we tend to strangle sides rather than blow them off the park, but if a side manages to stay with us over 4 quarters, we can win games in 5-10 minutes of burst football. I reckon as supporters we should be happy that we won by 12 goals and could still play much better, and Harmes aside, have a list that can get out on the park every week.

I reckon you're underselling our ability to kick goals off turnover. ie punish turnover. We still have many gears to go to, but in the 1st and 4th quarters we punished turnover like a good team should. Our forward entries from stoppage wins however left a lot to be desired.

This is why, for me, despite today's performance, Freo are our biggest challenger. Their brand will stack up, it's just whether they can bring it consistently. Fyfe in will be huge for them I reckon and I wonder if they tire in the second half of the season. Brisbane have a great midfield (that can be exposed for pace) and probably the best forward half in the league, but their defence is not as good as ours, so I tend to live by your last phrase when analysing footy. A great defence will beat a great attack, and since our attack comes off the back of defence, I'd be very surprised if Brisbane beat us in a final.