Adam The God

The thing that is almost banned on here is discussion around fitness. Reversing the fitness program as posited by @binman on the podders, is very likely a large factor that is not seemingly taken into account vis a vis our first 5 rounds. In game one, where we were full of new players and exuberance for the new season, we showed our game style that is now a more regular sight. Aggressive forward handball, scores from stoppage, fast transition, mixed with keepings off uncontested chipping at the back. We then ran out of puff in the last, although still should have won in the dying moments. Round 2 against North was the strangest result IMO and points most clearly in retrospect to a heaving load management block. We looked sluggish but still should have been in front at 3/4 and dropped our bundle in the 4th. Rounds 3 and 4 were even more sluggish. Round 5, aside from the 3rd quarter where we lifted our pressure rating and started to score, was another case of lethargy. If you take this into account and add it to the context of trying to implement a new game style, it's got a high degree of difficulty. The next fortnight IMV, will tell us whether Selwyn has got the program right and I need to create a new thread apologising to him.

Congrats to Tom McCarthy who went at #1 in the mid season draft today. A massive Dees fan.

Harry turns 28 at the end of this year. LJ turns 24 in September. If we're going to pay a second ruck $1mill, I'd rather it be LJ who is younger and a better ruck, who will one day be a permanent ruck. That said, I think $1mill is too much to pay for a ruck.

You conspicuously left this out as it didn't suit your narrative...

Not true at all. I don't believe you went to the GWS game. Our brand was clearly on show in that game. Over Rounds 2-5, we showed brief glimpses in otherwise limp performances. Almost like we'd been smashed on the training track...

IMV, this is a ridiculous position. We didn't change our game style after the Essendon loss. We just got better at implementing what we were practising all pre season. Plenty of posters who watched pre season training closely have started to say that our ball movement in game now resembles our ball movement in pre season. The idea that they've changed the game style in one week really just shows a lack of understanding of the modern game.

Here's another one on us with Buckley... Melbourne convo at 19.15.

We might need to pop this is a few threads. Time to go Goody, We're Not Dead Yet and Game style threads... ;)

Hope you're right! I hate them.

Agree with SWYL. Wouldn't go near Walsh. Wouldn't go near McKay either for his price tag.

Carlton are likely to win their next 4. Essendon, West Coast, North and Port. I wouldn't be writing them off just yet.

And the QLD sides?

RE Charlie Spargo and people questioning his role without knowing his KPIs, Goodwin said this: "He's been such a great contributor in the last four to six weeks in the AFL team. He's been a big part in helping us in many areas of our team, but we'll get him back at the right time of the year."

Maybe.

I like this. Many thought it wasn't outdated, just that it hadn't clicked or wouldn't. Many pundits on here talked about our changing game style, even the media did. We have all season though... Agree with this.

You're missing the fact that if we go on a run, we take wins off the top 8 who we play...

Yep, I've been saying we need to draft one or two more elite ball users, but you're right, perhaps free agency is the pathway to those players. The problem we have, I think, is I expect us to land LJ, so it's likely we'll have to give two future firsts and won't be able to trade into the first round this year. Does Simmena have the capacity to play straight away next year? Because his ball use sounds like it's right in the sweetspot for us. If Simmena can hold down a wing spot in 2026, Windsor can stay back, Langdon can keep playing the Nibbler role with Chandler/Spargo, and we can start rotating Lindsay and Langford more regularly through the midfield. Likewise, I think we need another dynamic small to complement Kozzy. Could this be Prassad in 2027?

The last 6 weeks is a top 4 profile. Let's give it another 6 weeks, and if our profile keeps tracking like this by the end of Round 17, we'll be playing finals, and could do some real damage.

Let's hope we get our way, @old55 😉

Some people just like to whinge, Dazzle.

It was our goal kicking conversion that let us down in the first half (6.11). But in the second half, we kicked an incredible 13.6 to overshoot our expected score by 11 points. If anything, that's coaching and messaging at half time. Don't drop your head, keep going. As I've said elsewhere, a large chunk of modern day AFL coaching is being a psychologist and getting your communication right. Goody is a master at it. This thread will always be a thing as some supporters don't like Goody. Even when we were the highest scoring side in the comp, supporters complained that we couldn't defend. When we were the best defensive side in the comp, supporters complained we weren't also somehow playing champagne attacking footy. You actually can't do both. Something has to give if you're to score more in the highly evolved modern zoning game. FWIW, I think our current balance is the best we've ever achieved (outside of 2021) between contest and defence, and our offence. And as Trac said post game, our bigger scores are coming off the back of defence. Just as they did in 2021.

Don't get me wrong, he was great. Just not as influential.

I wouldn't be making moves now just to fit him in. And I wouldn't be moving Bowey. He's having his best season, let him continue to have a huge influence on games from the back half. Those half forwards like Spargo and Chandler are needed to cover huge ground. Sestan does not have the tank for this role. I suspect this is the bigger reason he was shifted at Casey. His skill set suits the back half.

Yeah, Lingers is probably up there this year too. TMac bleeding votes now, but he was up there IMV too.

I disagree. Their list is still evolving, but they have two superb half backs in Wanganeen-Milera and Sinclair. They have the run of Hill and Wilson, and some dangerous smalls and mid sized forwards. They also have King, just he's injured. Their list is actually well positioned for the modern game IMO. Lyon just struggles to get consistency out of the group. Maybe this will come with more experience. @Pennant St Dee nailed it. This is a danger game if we're not on.