Binmans PA

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He had 20 kicks, he's only ever had more than 20 kicks once. Brilliant game. If he can have 10-15 kicks a week and spread the way he did today, he'll be an integral player for us.

Indeed, I always underrate Trac because he gets the fumbles unlike Clarry, but Trac is just so explosive that he makes up for it eventually.

Super impressed with our set up today. We let them have +1 at contest and sat really deep all day, and because our pressure around the ball (outside of the first 10 mins of the game) was excellent, they dump kicked it back to us most of the day. Now that's our DNA, but what we've undoubtedly changed is we looked to move the ball really quickly with great spread from contest through the likes of Billings, ANB, Langdon and others along the wings and half forwards. We also looked to repeatedly use the width of the ground and switched the ball, like I don't remember us ever doing. If we can do that every week, we will be very tough to beat. It helps having better kicks behind the ball in Howes, McVee and Salem. Aside from one brain fade TMac worked really well as a defender, and unlike Tomlinson who is so slow to move the ball on, TMac goes straight away. Risk reward stuff. And that's what our current defensive system on slingshot/intercept is set up to do. We also managed to score more than the Bulldogs from forward half intercepts, despite them having many more forward half intercepts. As I note above, we sagged our defensive system right back and allowed them to run into our pressure and kick the ball back to us, then we'd slingshot. And today there were a number of times we were lightening quick on slingshot. The best I can recall. Looking forward to hearing how many points we scored from the back half @WheeloRatings. And how many inside 50s we had from the back half. Some stand out performances from Clarry and Billings, and I thought TMac too, Max and Viney as well. Our ball use was superb for the most part too. A little rusty at times, but I can't recall the last time we've gone at 76% DE. Now to do it against top 8 opposition.

Me too. What gives, boss? ( @binman)

So none of Langdon's running power, experience and discipline? You're then taking another kicker interceptor in Howes out of the back 7, so who's replacing him?

Petty is too important in the forward half, but if we were really struggling in game, he could go back. I like what I've seen of Adams, but I see him more replacing May or Lever. He's not really that dynamic hybrid who is fleet of foot and a good kick. Hore is a good interceptor, but I've never really liked the rest of his game, but you're right. He could potentially play the Tomlinson role.

Would have played last year, but injured his hand on the eve of being selected.

I think I wrote about Howes playing as the third tall in our defensive system this year, and if he plays like he did the other night, it only strengthens my view. But my overall point here is to win the flag this year, IMV, we need to give a little more defensively (in attacking rebound) to improve our offence without going too loosey goosey at the back. Despite our poor contest result against Sydney, we know that contest and defence are our real strengths. The problem last year was our ball movement became too predictable and easy to defend entering 50, which fails to capitalise on our contested dominance in games. What I want to see is more experimentation with personnel at the back and I'd be playing Howes as the third tall (191cm, essentially the same height as Curnow and JVR). And use Max to defend an extra third tall if necessary. But I'd be trying to get the ball to ground, winning contest with our mids and slingshotting with the likes of Bowey, McVee and Rivers, and using the pace of Windsor on the wings and Kozzy from stoppage. I'd set up our defence as follows: McVee May Lever Bowey Howes Rivers and... Melksham Melksham will hopefully play during the second half of the season, and his kicking could be a weapon back there. Particularly, as we have McAdam and Fritta up the other end taking his spot. This then allows Salem to play permanent midfield with Clarry, Viney, Sparrow and large cameos from Trac and later Kozzy. I'd be pushing Bowey as high as possible and giving McVee that freedom too. With the exception of playing Tomlinson (who played pretty well against ordinary key forwards), I liked the look of how we set up defensively the other night, but we were mostly having to defend slingshot or fast breaks, rather than defending our own back 50 and slingshotting out. I'd like more data on the bigger grounds and I hope we try Howes as the third tall and drop Tomlinson at some stage and give it some time to click if need be. I feel there'd be many Demonlanders who agree with a more attacking focus, but if not Howes as the third tall who can join in on offence with good kicking and has a strong intercept game, what other solutions are there to the problem?

Great debut, Blake. Well done.

I thought he was one of pir better players before getting injured, and one of our most important disposers. I'd argue our most important now that Salem looks set for more midfield.

So team pressure went out the window in the 4th. It did look that way. That's a very ordinary number. I wonder how much of it speaks to interrupted pre season of certain players. Thanks for these numbers as always mate.

I don't care if we're winning. It's if we start losing like that and playing an ugly contested style, it's bloody torturous.

This is it. Incredible. But I think as @binman often points out, inclement conditions often exacerbate our ordinary skills.

I'll wait and see the next month or so unfold, but that was as bad as that Essendon game last year, which was probably our worst game since that Port game in 2020. It's hard to say we're in strife after one game, but if we have any more games like that any time soon, we are. Really insipid. It started with poor goal kicking, then fumbles, and then getting bashed up around the contest. So that's losing at our 1 wood. Laurie, Sparrow, Chandler, Rivers all horrible tonight. Schache, well, we know what we're getting there. Ball movement and forward craft completely absent. That has to be forward and senior coaching. You can't kick 25m out to the hot spot and think that's going to work, when we've had that precise strategy not work for us for 3-4 years now. We don't have a gifted pack marker like Curnow, JVR is okay, but he's better 1v1. I thought Max's second half was dreadful though and when he has a tactic work against him, he's so slow to react. Grundy gave him a bath, even McLean beat him up when he went in there. No idea what to take from this. Not much good, that's for sure.

I wonder if this was leaked by our media department to old dopey Ralphy, as a way of then illustrating that despite our players being in high demand by other clubs, our players are still re-signing. Ala, we are well and truly on top of our "cultural problems". That's how I'd play 4D chess anyway. Too Machiavellian?

I wouldn't have either of them. But I suspect that's a minority position and one not held by the club. We need Jed Adams to step up and Turner when he's fit again.

He didn't touch it much and wasn't on for long, but I loved the Kolt's power in a couple of moments. At least once it created a goal. He has x factor written all over him.

Jed Adams is the one. If we're determined to stick with the three defensive tall set up, Adams will need to play ahead of Tomlinson and TMac IMO. I'm glad to hear Adams played well @Hawk the Demon. @Slartibartfast, do you have any more info on the hit out? Thanks.

I find it remarkable too. It's because he can do the flashy so well. It's the same thing with Judd and Dusty. So some observers only remember the flash. I've always thought Dangerfield had the capacity to butcher the ball more than many.

JVR is too good 1v1 for middle of the road defenders like Kemp. As he gets stronger, he'll become more of a handful for the likes of Weitering.

If you'll remember back to last year, McVee had very low stats as a small back, but basically everything he touched was an intercept possession. That was Howes' game yesterday. 6 disposals, 4 of them intercepts, two of them intercept marks and 1 score involvement. That's about what we got out of McVee all last year. (And I love Judd, so this is not a criticism, just a realistic expectation for a young small back making his way) You have to let him build a bit. And playing him allows McVee more offensive space and Salem midfield minutes. It's a win win if he plays like he did yesterday.

Dunstall's commentary was appalling. He has absolutely no idea about Melbourne or its players. Deadset numbnuts. That's all from me.

For me in Round 1 (not Round 0): McVee May Bowey Salem Lever Howes Windsor Oliver Langdon Petracca Petty McAdam Fritsch JVR Kozzy Max Viney Sparrow Rivers Billings ANB Chandler Laurie / Spargo

Mate, we have three starting mids in the top 20 players of the competition. Max, Clarry and Trac. Then we have Viney, who would walk up to any midfield in the league behind them. And although I agree Sparrow needs to get involved more, he's a handy support player, while Kozzy has shown he adds more pace and x factor to our midfield. There's enough evidence on Kozzy that if he played 5-10 mins a quarter (with another pre season now under his belt), he'd be a solid option in there. Salem and Rivers haven't had enough exposed form in there to know yet, but both have played the inside slider role to elite levels across the last few years, so IMV there's enough for Mini and Goody to work with.