Adam The God

It'll be interesting to see how we recover next week. Dreading the trip down to General Admin at the Cattery. I reckon it might just be a maulling. With our pre season, we were always in a bit of trouble. The JLT was enlightening and anyone who wasn't disturbed by how easily we conceded inside50s and scores doesn't understand football. That trend continued today with a clearly underdone Jack Viney (a real lack of leadership to declare himself fit when he so clearly isn't - I saw him limping around during the warm up on Instagram - the guy can hardly move) and Melksham seemed to be sore too, hence many miskicks and not wanting to take basic shots on goal. Our midfield is such a one way running midfield. I thought we'd got past this, but it seems to be a combination of fitness and desire. The heat today didn't help either, but Port seemed fine. The other aspect that was unacceptable was that Tom McDonald (who did the same thing during the JLT) and Gawn, each went for multiple marks one-handed. Gawn seemed to be in self-preservation mode for much of the game. He refused to go back with the flight at one point too. Not to mention, he was thoroughly outplayed by Ryder and Lycett. The positives were few and far between, but Corey Wagner and Tom Sparrow did nothing to harm their selection for Round 2. Brayshaw was good in the clinches but was run off his feet on the rebound, as were Clarry and Harmes. Salem was probably our best, but not much to take away from today other than that we are so overhyped it's ridiculous. List wise we don't have many holes, but there has to be a question mark over our tall forwards and whether they can deliver and our lack of pressure forwards is notable when you look at Collingwood and Richmond. We're not even close to their pressure. We had absolutely no system today and the way to beat us in 2018 is still how to beat us in 2019. Get it on the outside and you run us off our feet. We have no answer and can't generate anything without Max dominating in the ruck. How we bounce back next week will tell us everything about whether or not we're a premiership threat. I have a feeling we're nowhere near it.

Paging @stevethemanjordan...

Let's see how they go this year with a tougher draw. They had a breezy fixture last season that was frankly ridiculous. As for Treloar, he's still an absolute butcher by foot and I reckon he showed a distinctly soft side tonight. I hope our boys were watching that and get into him when we come up against them.

Rance organises them so well. I reckon he prevents at least 2 goals a game. They're not the same team without him. Their premiership challenge is in massive trouble. Their defence is ordinary without Rance.

There is a difference between being soft and not having the body for physicality. Fritsch is in the latter category.

Settle down, Steve. It's not defeatist. It's logical. No continuity with the backline and no continuity with the midfield. There's a reason pre seasons are important. Nowhere have I said we won't make finals and nowhere have I said we won't make the top 4. I said we'd struggle to start with. I hope I'm wrong, but let's wait and see.

He does some good things, particularly his disposal, but his decision making and lack of genuine physicality leave a question mark over him for mine. Certainly as a defender, he made multiple errors in the back half of 2018, but he was playing his first AFL season and had to cover Lever, so we should give him some leeway. 2019 should be the season that he locks down a wing position. Let's hope his tank is up to it.

Lol, what?

I wouldn't be surprised to see us 0-2 to start the year off. It'll be interesting to see how May goes first up down at the Cattery.

RE the concern around Oscar. I've been in his camp for many years, but for a guy who is almost 23, he still gets pushed off the ball too easily. 2019 is do or die I reckon. Does Petty step up at the second level and does Oscar lose his place to Frost/May/Lever when they're all fit? I can see it happening in the second half of 2019. It's going to be an interesting season.

I think you're spot on, mate. I reckon we'll struggle early on. I just hope it doesn't cost us a top 6 spot and/or a top 4 spot.

Time will tell, but I just wonder whether we've got a bit ahead of ourselves and completely stuffed up any sort of continuity with our back 6 last week. We managed to play two quarters last week and managed one quarter this week. There are a bunch of guys who clearly haven't improved their deficiencies. Vandenberg still can't handball (he only brings tackling - nothing else). Petracca is still lazy with ball in hand. Stretch is still a poor decision maker and an ordinary kick. JKH was ordinary last week. It's those fringe players that we need to take that next step. Hunt has shown no sign that his kicking or decision making has improved either.

Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Harmes being fed by Max is enough to salivate over. All of the first 4 are under 25 (Viney turns 25 in April). At the top of their game, they have the perfect blend of ball-winning ability, pace and hardness that goes past any other midfield in the comp. Collingwood's is comparable, but it's a lot older. Take Pendles and Sidebottom out in 2-3 years time and they become decidedly suspect. Oh, and Clarry is only behind Martin and Dangerfield for mine. I think he'll go past Dangerfield this year and if he can add more goals, he'll become more effective than Martin, because unlike Martin, he's a great disposer of the ball by hand and foot.

How JKH is still on our list is incredible. Still just as soft and poor in the contest as he's ever been. Obviously, there's no syngery with the makeshift backline, but more pressing, Preuss has answered the question about whether he'll play this year. I wouldn't have him near my 22 as his tank is nowhere near AFL level. We will get exposed big time on grounds like the G with him playing. Oliver and Brayshaw outstanding early and then can't get their hands on the ball. A disappointing 2nd and 3rd quarter from them. Petracca failing to maintain a semblance of consistency too. It's only pre season but it's a good reminder of our weaknesses. Most of our missing top players outside of Viney are backs and the way we've played since quarter time would mean that even at full strength, our defence would be under extreme pressure. We're still in massive trouble if Gawn goes down. Preuss is about a 3 if Max is a 10.

It won't if they up their prices. I pay $15 a month for Optus Sports (EPL, UCL and cricket). I understand there's more sport on Kayo, but it's not a competitive good enough price at $25 a month. I pay basically $10 each for Stan, Netflix and Prime. They're competitive. FOXTEL is not competitive as we know. I pay $80+ a month and barely even watch it.

Lol, talk about hype. Be interesting to see how we handle it. Tough draw. We should finish top 4, but we'll see.

There are many people in my industry who are never wrong either. Fortunately, I surround myself with good people these days. If a football club fails to acknowledge its failures it's doomed to repeat them, unless those running the football club are replaced. We have good people in all areas of the club now, who are good people managers and that's so vital. So maybe I should be saying well done MFC, as well as Jake. He said as much in his interview too.

I'm on record as being very negative when we recruited him. He was a turnover merchant at Essendon, but he's matured and is now arguably our most important player for connecting midfield to forwardline. Well done, Jake. I was wrong.

Of course. But nevertheless, it was a bad look. I'm glad we've sorted it prior to Round 1.

Lol. Is this the first time you and PD have ever agreed on something? You guys should stick to car talk.

Because there is presumably a long lead time on these deals and it's disappointing that we are often the only club not to have a BOJ sponsor sorted by Round 1. Not this year, which is great.

Does anyone know the commercial terms? Great news to have the BOJ sponsor secured prior to Round 1. It shouldn't be difficult, but it has been.

Enjoying your new Bond name, Colin. Excellent choice. The best Bond film out there.

He hasn't played a good game yet and hasn't shown enough assets that will ever make him a sustainable AFL footballer IMO. I could never understand the love for him on these boards (particularly from you mate) prior to him even playing. He's a ferocious tackler, with reasonable agility and that's about it.

I want him to play more midfield minutes in 2019. His mix of x-factor, power and decision making is what we often lack in the midfield (with the exception of Clarry). I'd still have him forward 40-50% of the time, but we need him to take the next step this year and that means more midfield time.