Adam The God

So you're saying Cook was spoken to about a board position?

If we can get through this period without May that will speak volumes for our system. It's not earth shattering to suggest I think it could cost us the Richmond game at least and maybe even the Sydney game. I think Petty will be a good intercept defender in time, but I worry that he's too inexperienced for Lynch or Riewoldt and second game back it will be a big challenge. But I thought we'd lose to Geelong, so what would I know?

It's the ground ball gets for me. He is insanely good in this area, which makes him so dangerous in stoppage, because he can butter up his own tap work or literally attend stoppages as a genuine mid. I reckon there were at least 3 moments against Geelong where in the wet he picked the ball up cleanly like an A grade small. If all he had was contested marking I'd be frustrated by his inability to hang on to marks at the moment, but that will come. What he's illustrating to this point is footy IQ, particularly in the forward half and great spatial awareness. Be fascinating to see what sort of player he is in 2 or 3 years time.

I've changed my mind on trading Gus, not that we'd need to. The only way we attract Merrett IMO is we win the flag or go very close this year. That's how the likes of Richmond managed to get Lynch and Geelong Cameron.

What are you intimating here? That we're going to replace Pert already with Brian Cook? What's the thinking?

You bloody ripper! Wish it was for 10 years, but I'll take 2.

To be fair to Jayden, he was actually a very good 1v1 defender in his very early career, but would often butcher the ball by foot. Now he's hitting targets and making the right decisions by hand too. If it's sustainable, look out.

Watching the replay currently. Couple of things. - Tomlinson played on Hawkins the entire game. His positioning the majority of the time was absolutely outstanding. Well done, Tommo. - our two way running in midfield is incredibly evident on replay. If our midfield keeps that up, we'll be hard to beat. - the way we're using our mids and rolling them backwards and forwards from half forward, into stoppages and out again. It keeps the opposition constantly guessing. Also, the make up of who we're sending in there isn't easy to predict. - the defensive work of our wingers in Langdon, Brayshaw and Jones was excellent. The amount of times Langdon or Brayshaw would drop back in the hole and then provide rebound. Beautiful. Gus is a very clever player and Langdon is the prototype winger. Knows how to hold width, get it on the outside or do the defensive work. - team orientation is marked. Well done again, Demons.

Is this Hawthorn or Melbourne? ?

This is a ****house post. Congratulations.

It depends. Has the bar been lifted on expectations and minimum requirements this year?

I'm still yet to receive my membership pack (August last year I renewed) and never received my 2020 pack. I know there's austerity cuts, but step up. I don't usually like to have a go at the club in this way, but it's very poor.

Ed actually, so close enough. Conditions have nothing to do with an ability to pressure and lay tackles. He laid two for the whole game. His lack of defensive pressure simply cannot justify a game in our system. Two tackles is more than he usually lays mind you.

Yep, what i meant was that Sparrow did well to register those 5 tackles disposals with limited game time. I'd say JJ might be in trouble next week.

He had 56% TOG. So much that he does is solid though. Have loved his start to the year. Only 4 touches today though, along with 5 tackles, may be given a rest next week. Sparrow only 39% TOG and had 5 tackles too, along with 9 touches. Maybe it's Sparrow for JJ?

Nope. Melksham has to go I reckon. He was terrible. Half our family is Geelong, so I hear a bit of the way they talk. Mostly anti-Chris Scott stuff, but this week's pearler was we should beat them because they're so undermanned. As for the Geelong supporters around us today, they were smashing a lot of their players and Scott.

Jeepers, I reckon all three are utter FIGJAMs.

If he kicks straight he is. If he misses sodas repeatedly from directly in front he could be a coach killer. I was not one, I don't believe, calling for him to be dropped though. Pies were not 3-0 going into it. Agree with all of this mate, except the Salem comment. I think you'll find Smith took him to the cleaners in the third. Otherwise, Salem was very assured. The way we came out at the start of the 4th and put the game to bed was very impressive wasn't it?

If Jetts gets done for his tackle, I'd bring in Hibbo. Rivers seems to be having second year blues to me, so maybe Hibbo for Rivers.

Thought he played a really selfless team game today and kept most of his possessions simple. Great tackle numbers and clearance numbers. Just needs to use the ball better entering 50. Yep, completely agree. I can't remember Hunt wasting a possession today. I don't think I've ever been able to say that about Jayden. If he keeps playing like that he's a dangerous and dynamic threat to the opposition. He and Langdon seem to link up constantly. As for my man Charlie, he should have had 3 goals today. Clean that up and he's a ripper. I reckon his ball use going inside 50 is now the best in the team. Didn't Robbo say at the end of the match that May will be fine for next week?

My son is 4 weeks old tomorrow. He's seen 4 from 4. This run is all him.

That was against GWS who have legitimately 5,000 supporters nationwide if they're lucky.

The way we are setting up defensively is outstanding. We are strangling teams and they have no answer. We need to start kicking straight because it will cost us eventually, but being 4-0 is brilliant! Terrific team performance. Viney, Oliver and Petracca in the midfield were tremendous. Lever and Tomlinson were great behind the ball. I felt our forward pressure was much more like it in the second half. We really lifted the intensity with Spargo, ANB and Kozi really ramped up the frontal pressure and it is vital to how we're strangling teams. Thought Tom McDonald provided a solid target up forward and up the ground. Really important game from him and could give our team another dimension when Brown and potentially Weideman put their hands up. Petracca needs to do less of the Hollywood knocks and taps when he could instead take a clean possession and impact the contest. As I said, he played a great game, but cost us a goal on transition when he tried a fancy little knock on. Did a couple dinky little taps like that as well. He's close to fulfilling that potential many saw in him. Looking forward to watching the replay, because my read on Oliver's game is that we started Oliver mostly forward to throw the tag and he got away from it, so they dropped the tag in the second half and Clarry was influential around stoppages as the game wore on. He and Selwood went head to head in the last and Oliver I thought beat him comfortably. The worst part of the day was the crowd again. 33,000 is pathetic. I know there were mostly Melbourne supporters there, but bloody hell. 40k should be the floor expectation for a game between two Victorian teams at the MCG. I know it was raining and cold, but that's a weak excuse. Lift, MFC supporters, we're 4 zip now, get behind us.

I mostly agree mate, although Port should have won by 3 or 4 goals had they kicked straight.

Yeah, completely agree. I don't think we're anywhere near the standard of those two teams. High intensity and some good team defence on show from both teams. It'd be interesting to see how we'd handle the tempo of a game like that. I think our midfield is equal to both teams, but the cleanness of the defences and the ability for both sides to get those ground balls off contested situations was very impressive. It looked like we were watching two of the top 4 teams this year IMO. I can't see us breaking into a top 4 consisting of Port, Richmond, Eagles and Bulldogs.