Little Goffy

Made slightly sweeter by the fact that the 3rd has been easily Hawthorn's best quarter all season. Before this weekend they were something like +50 points in third quarters.

Was an occasionally adequate player for us, with significant deficiencies. Is somewhat more often adequate at the Pies, with his deficiencies better controlled. But honestly, I'd care more about how Colin Garland feels about the club. Edit: Point of Trivia, even though we basically gained nothing in the 'trade' of Dunn to Collingwood, the player we now have instead of him is Mitch Hannan. So, I think we've come out ahead anyway.

In that highlights video, there are a couple of Petracca 'bookends' that I found interesting, especially considering he had mostly a quiet day - not a game that will have his doubters going quiet, that is for sure. Early on, at about the 35 second mark, there's a moment where you can see that he has worked out what is going to happen next and just runs to the right spot and collects the easy intercept which sets up Brayshaw's goal. That is the kind of awareness that makes him sometimes look like a star could appear any day now. Right at the end (start playing from 18:20, right after Frost's huge double-effort) there was a string of contests on that half back flank where twice in rapid succession Petracca's body strength made the difference, particular that second shoulder-to-shoulder hit close to the ground. He then got up and acted super-quickly. Reminds me of a feeling I got in the final third of last season. Whenever the commentators were losing their proverbial minds and the commentary was in that kind of over-agitated 'this, now this, and this and oh my now this and it is all happening'... that was when we were playing well. When the game is not calm, when there is madness on the field for everyone, it seems like we are usually the ones coming out ahead. But when the game is more or less 'calmer', we are getting cut up. A series of effective kicks... mark.. kick.. just doesn't bring out that kind of frantic mood. It is definitely true for Petracca, he is a much better player when the mood is wild. I think it is also very true for the team as a whole.

Bwa ha! That's twice in one week Petracca has been there at the last gasp. Hur hur hur.

Hmm, I can see how it could have just been one of those little toung-in-cheek moments. Yep, ok, I'll put it out for anyone to see - I overreacted. If there was ever a moment to have a laugh about Oscar's disposal, just after a last gasp win is it.

pfft, even after a desperate one-goal season-on-the-line win you want to snipe? For what it is worth (and I know Oscar had a few hairy moments as always), O. McDonald. 8 kicks, 6 marks (1 contested), 100% disposal efficiency, 0 clangers, and 10 one-percenters. He did his job. Nothing special or super, but he did his job. Story of the win really - a bunch of players who have been in seriously bad form were able to come out and at least do 'enough'. Best examples would be Nibbler, Hunt, Stertch and O.Mc himself. Meanwhile, a couple of players seemed to actually find some of their better form, led by Harmes and Hibberd obviously.

Delusion number 1, check. See you all next week, I think I'm going to have a nice lie down!

If I were Melksham, just for a laugh I'd be making a little compilation video of himself slotting goals from outside 50, and just quietly posting it to instagram with a wink at the umpire who called him to play on with barely a minute left. Maybe even add an extra one from exactly the spot he was on.

Melksham is among the best half-forwards in the game right now. Currently easily our leading goalkicker, goal assist, score involvements and, incredibly, marks inside 50. Without him, we'd be dead last right now... ah frak. But my point is, you don't shuffle around one of your few players who are doing a really good job in the role they are in. I mean, I'm sure Gawn would offer us something valuable full-time in the forward line, too, but I'm not about to call for him to leave the ruck!

We are also removing players from the 22 in precise balance above and below the average height pf the team. Seriously, look it up.

@Ash35 Surely among our best contributors to the forum, despite not being a Demon personally. Another round of applause (and no booing) for the living opposite of a troll.

Pishposh, contract schmontract. I should've mentioned that contract, but the main thing it means is that Himmelberg can't be traded out unless he agrees to it. So, if it so happens that Melbourne's need of an extra, competitive and team-oriented key forward remains glaring, and GWS finds itself under the pump for salary cap room keeping Coniglio, then all could work out nicely. Himmelberg goes from 'also-played' (with the possibility of being the fourth key forward with all types covered) to being a fixture, Melbourne get the role-player they need, and GWS relieves a little salary cap room and gains presumably a second-round pick to help shape their other potential trades.

I'll throw in my vote for trying to get Tipungwuti, and I'm a big fan of free agents because I'm convinced that not having to give up draft picks or anything else list-wise to get them is an absolute rort, so Stephen Coniglio, come on down! But here's a suggestion from way out, which actually caught me by surprise. Horses for courses, value for money, etc etc He's young, he's tall, he takes marks on a lead inside 50, and he is third in the league for goal assists this season, he fills a specific need without costing a first-round pick, and he is stuck in a queue behind multiple top-end key forwards at his current club, he is: (drumroll please) Harrison Himmelberg!

If we are comparing veterans with Carlton, there's a quality element to consider. Right now only Gawn and Melksham are without doubt among our better players, even Jetta was out of form before his injury. For Carlton, Murphy, Kruezer and Simpson are absolutely crucial players, and in two week's time all three will be over-30. Still, no pretense here, Carlton's young onball group is spectacular, led by the current best inside midfielder in the game Cripps and the onball all-rounder teenage brilliance of Walsh, neither of which you could sensibly trade for any other player on offer. I think a certain comparison can be made between Carlton and the pre-resurgence Richmond. They have a group of currently young or youngish players who can provide the core, in the event that in a few year's time they hit a jackpot for a couple of drafts and trade sessions.

Seems like everyone has forgotten that this is an odd numbered year. We never had a chance.

And all because AFLHQ is still upset about the Swans 'ugly' premiership almost 15 years ago. Hmm, we start hoping that this year's draft has a kid of the quality of Sam Walsh? (Currently the best debut season by anyone ever)

Not seen in over a century of football until recently. I wonder what it was that was wrong with women that was preventing them umpiring, that has been cured now? ?

Seems to happen with a lot of things. So long as it is just something that drifts through and happens to be there, yep. But if you actually have to stop and make a conscious, deliberate decision to watch, you'll decide it isn't worth the trouble. Now imagine how many movie reruns you've watched over the decades that you would never have bothered with if you'd actually had to pick them from a menu! At least the football involves real people and a real contest and the storyline is at least a little bit different each time. Meanwhile, not sure what to feel about Carlton giving the Hawks a belting in the first half here. Does this confirm the theory that the Hawks aren't actually that great right now and we've got a chance to hunt them next weekend, or does it just mean (MFCSS warning) that the Hawks will cop a blast during the week and come out firing and disciplined against us?

Matsuo, as is screechingly obvious, I was responding to the way people were reacting to the article itself. And for what it is worth, your earlier claims about 'Pendles, Danger etc would not have throughts about finals not being guaranteed' are just ridiculous, even a perfect inversion of reality. I swear, you're coming across as one of those people who are addicted to "Be a Winner" seminars and "Rich Dad Poor Dad" style self-help books. So much anger stirred up in you against what is just basic, normal, and practical humility.

People are weird, hey? Quote: "Only actions can get us out of the fix we are in" Response: "Shows how mentally weak you are"

Lol, come on now, it is not as if the Bulldog's player ran, from behind, clearly after the mark had been taken, directly through the area Scully was anticipating breaking loose into, when there was nobody else on hand to prevent Scully just scooting directly past his much slower opponent.

Wow! You're not kidding there. First in 2016 and 2017, fourth in 2018 and now practically lapping the field in 2019. Interesting that their free kicks 'for' isn't that far off normal, but there is a consistent pattern of very few free kicks against them. It must just be the super-clean and honourable culture of the club... uh huh. And today's trivia - at this stage only one Bulldogs player features in the top 100* for free kicks against, that would be 19yr old Ed Richards, at equal 74th with 1.4 per game. Meanwhile, all of Macrae, Wallis, Liberatore and Bontempelli feature in the top-30 for free kicks in their favour, and 6 more feature in the top 100. *stats are average per game and don't include tonight's game against Freo.

For what it is worth, our next two opponents are the two worst clearance teams (on differential) this season, and Gold Coast have just shown how vulnerable they are even from centre clearances. Meanwhile, something to watch for tonight just out of curiousity, Bulldogs have an incredible, as in, not credible, suspicious even, Free kick difference to opponents of 7.2 per game, with only Collingwood having more than 3 (3.7) out of all other teams. If someone can explain to me what is going on there, I'd love to know. It's not as if they are getting first to the contest or laying lots of effective tackles! Meanwhile, what ze ell, I've just been finding a commentary led by BT and I think even featuring Billy Bronwnless, amusing and informative. The world has gone mad. Surely it was just a flash in the pan, they can't keep this up, can they?

Break-out game? But seriously, is that 14 posessions with a bunch of intercept marks and a haul of 1%ers, or are Casey's defenders just chipping back and forward nervously while Richmond block things up between the arcs?

I've only got the online radio, and even then I can barely watch.