Adam The God

I'm starting to come around to this way of thinking. I've long been anti-ruck, but I think you're spot on. Unless of course you bring +2 or 3 to the stoppage to out number.

Dogga has 15 weeks left, plus any finals Freo make. He doesn't want to be booed for 15 weeks. That's all this is. We'll see you soon, LJ.

I wasn't sure where to put this, but it will be interesting to track this over the rest of the season. I haven't given up on playing finals in 2025 and although we don't look fit enough, if we can start to take more of our chances in front of goal (a big if), we'll be in most games with our new method. Do that and we give ourselves a chance of playing finals. Here is the 2024 ladder at the end of Round 10. Notice Hawthorn... And here is the 2025 ladder at the start of Round 10. Notice our percentage. So media darlings, Hawthorn, were 3-7 with a worse percentage after this round and made a Semi Final. The players have started to believe in the system and back in their team mates. There'll be ups and downs this year, but the overall trajectory, IMV, will be upward. And the main point? There's plenty of time left in this season. We're not dead yet.

I was only referencing the fact that Hogan played better for Melbourne and for GWS because we moved the ball quicker than Freo.

I agree.

We are at Round 9.

Nah.

And Hogan played very well in our 2018 forward line that focused on faster ball movement.

Difference is Houston is older than LJ and was not contracted for years on a big deal. But like I said, LJ's big deal could actually be leverage for us. If we're pay his wage at the rate Freo locked in, then IMV they'd be owed less in terms of trade.

Precisely. I'd be letting Goody see out his contract to the end of 2026. The pass mark next year is finals. I haven't given up on this year yet either.

Yeah, it's just whether the future picks that will be compromised by Tassie will be worth as much. A club might back us to finish in the bottom 4 and see it being worth the gamble.

9 years as coach, took over from a side that had won a flag two years earlier, managed 5 finals series and a GF appearance. They gave Buckley plenty of time. And they wouldn't have sacked him in 2021 had they won in 2018. That's what gives coaches time.

I think we need to keep adding to the Windsor, Langford and Lindsay age demo as the next key nucleus. That's the pickle landing LJ and keeping Kozzy gives us. But maybe we have to look to trade forward our future firsts again.

Come on, Red. Woey is not moving the dial in any direction.

The size of his contract may give us leverage here. If we're paying his whole salary at their ridiculously inflated wage, they'll have to do more if we give them Kozzy...

The problem is if we can keep Kozzy, we might have to package up one or two of our WA boys... I'm not sure how this gets done if Kozzy wants to stay.

I just wonder if we try Jefferson behind the ball at VFL level like last year.

I didn't say this. Not sure why you've attributed it to me?

We need to get the personnel balance right in our forward half. IMV, we cannot play more than two talls, and one has to play as relief ruck. For mine, despite being horribly out of form, JVR needs to play that role for a few weeks. He's a good second ruck and competes hard at ground level. Chaplin needs to improve his forward craft. Petty and Turner to swing into that other forward role. Melksham, Sparrow, Chandler, Spargo, Kozzy and Trac to take the remaining forward spots. If JVR can't get it together after some more continuity over the next month or so, I'd play Petty and Turner forward and try JVR behind the ball. Petty would probably have to take second ruck duties here. But the formula remains the same. Only two talls and ground level players that can bring the heat. The likes of Kozzy, Trac and Langford from the wing will drift forward and provide class inside 50. We might be able to get away with Fritta and Melky in the same team against ordinary opposition, but we can't against half decent op, so they keep competing for the same spot. Jefferson third in line for that spot, but I wouldn't have him ahead of either. We haven't managed much continuity with the forward half though this year, so we need to aim for some continuity and build trust in the pressure needed and finishing in our forward half. We have lessened the bombing inside 50 to disadvantage, but it does still occasionally happen. We need to keep playing the uncontested footy at the back and the fast chaining by hand off half back and through the middle of the ground. I agree with @binman from tonight's podcast. We must keep pursuing this method. The only other players I'd be trying are K Brown as a tackling machine inside 50, but he's behind Spargo and Sparrow. And, Laurie, if he keeps banging the door down at Casey.

Please change the typo in the thread name. 😬

We rarely like bombing it long anymore, although yesterday we fell into the trap a few times. But Jeffo's shot at goal was from a perfect right footed pass from Chin, where Jeffo then proceeded to miss the entire goal face. It summed up the day. We had enough genuine regulation shots at goal to kick a winning score, but stuffed it.

Jeffo will play again, but both Kings were almost immediate guns. Ben kicked 17 in his first season, 25 in his second and 48 in his third, playing in very ordinary Suns' sides. Max missed the entirety of his first season with an ACL, but kicked 22 in his second season and 38 in his third. Again, playing in a ho hum St Kilda side. Jeffo has shown no such return. Until the second half of last year's VFL season, he looked in distinct trouble. But not all footballers have linear journeys. The Kings aren't a great example though. I also tend to concur with the view that Jeffo won't make it. Hope I'm wrong.

I know there's been discussion on Demonland about this, but I'd be intrigued to hear the team's thoughts on Selwyn and our fitness regime. I've had questions as early as 2022, and some during 2023, but after 2024 and now 9 rounds of 2025, to me it now seems undeniable. We need a new fitness boss. Our last quarter fade outs have cost us at least 3, possibly 4 wins, which would sit us in the 8 right now. Are we all in agreement on this? Is it time to go, Selwyn, or are there too many young bodies in the mix, which drag down our ability to play 4 quarters? That latter argument is a weak one IMO.

Or, it's about playing your role for the team every week. And that role might change depending on the opposition or our own available personnel. Had Viney been available, Clarry could have played a more attacking game. I like the defensive mid role we've added to the mix the last few weeks though. Many have been crying out for this sort of thing for years, and now we do it, the coaches are lambasted. Can't win. Clarry doesn't look anywhere near fit enough, so playing him as a defensive mid keeps it simple, and hopefully reduces the opposition's ability to exploit his transition game. I think it was @Lucifers Hero that argued strongly that we needed to send someone to Rowell in that Gold Coast game. Had we done that, that game may have looked a little different. Identifying a mid that keeps team's in games and sending someone to them with the ability to shut them down, is paramount in the modern game. Exhibit A, Lachie Neale. With no Viney next week either, get ready for another defensive role for Clarry. If he gets the job done and our forwards can hit the side of a barn, it'll go a long way towards making it a close game. Brisbane bat deep, but with little influence from Neale, you get out of the box results like the North draw.

Agree 💯.