Little Goffy

Nothing has become clearer than that our gameplan relied on having the greatest midfield dominance in the history of all time. A real Brisbane Fab-Four and West Coast mid-2000s style continuous control of clearances and scraps. And when our group of excellent young mids are all in form, with the game's best ruckman stomping around as well, that goes alright. But how can you rely all day, each week, on a gameplan that relies on not actually needing to defend much because you are always winning the ball? We could win 2-to-1 in the clearances, but if the other side actually works in their defense, it wont add up to much if we aren't working on ours.

Well, let's see how they go tonight. One thing in our favour for the ANZAC Eve game, quite a few of our players will have fresh legs. Having said that, clearly Spargo and Corey Wagner are eminently replaceable, with the obvious in being Garlett, and I guess Stretch gets another run at AFL, as much as the very thought will have a few peopl tearing their hair out.

I feel like maybe I am lucky that I can't actually see this game. We're less than three goals down, Demonland is erupting like bubonic pustules, the radio commentary are muttering and shaking their heads, the stats are saying we're just about the worst in history for prevent an opposition inside-50 turning into a goal, several veterans are being frankly inadequate, Jetta is sore, and a bunch of young players who not so long ago we would talk about as the completing pieces of a premiership puzzle we are now talking about dragging. All sounds truly horrible and almost hard to believe. That's the pain, right there. It is just hard to believe. I just hope we claw back a bit of grit and manage to get through to a win so we can keep stumbling on through this season with something still to aim for, once (hopefully) we do find form.

Hey guys, I've been busy all afternoon, any final word on whether Preuss is playing today?

Surely, surely we are taking Watts? No? I'll see myself out...

It is starting to look like our real problem is that we still struggle to compete against the top teams, same as last year. Just unfortunate we started the season against three of the major rivals for top 4? Having said that, I'd still prefer Essendon to fall in a hideous heap.

I've missed something here, what is 'TWSNBN'? The Western Suburbs National Broadband Network?

Based on history with St Kilda and looking at team sheets, I'm starting to get worried about the Burce/Membrey pair. Not that they will have sepctacular games, but that they could end up with four goals each just by following the process and being ready with lead-mark-goal on the end of St Kilda's fast movement and our loose and spacious defense. Anyone want to help calm me down on that, what might the plan be?

?

We are two wins and percentage our of the top four. Totally doable.

This is an idea that probably should have been tried.

The next Shane Valenti, or possibly even James Magner! But seriously, it is too early to be having hindsight!

Right now I see a team/club which moves a bit like a long chain dangling either side of a pulley. As soon as one 'side' of this metaphorical chain has even a little bit more weight on it, the chain begins moving faster and faster until it is hurtling over from the accumulating weight of the chain on that side. We either successfully break our opponent's confidence, concentration and structure, or we fail to do so and immediately lose our own confidence, concentration and structure. We pile on inside-50s in the hope that their defence breaks under the pressure and holes appear everywhere, resulting in a rapid avalanche of goals for us. But if they keep their composure, we find ourselves unable to cope with the pressure of a constant stream of rebound-50s, we end up with holes everywhere, and an avalanche of goals against us. Having Lever and May back in might save a few goals a game. Having game time and fitness into our pre-season-sore midfielders might tip the balance our way during games a bit more often. But I jut can't bring myself to feel much comfort from either of these things. Like I said in the 'bullying' thread - it is how you behave when things are against you, that decides whether you are actually good or not.

Honestly, after 30 minutes trawling through, I'm not seeing a single unexpected word. Have to wonder if this is the Herald Sun actually trying to influence the result of a game? Don't really think it'll work, it'll just get added to the symbolic 'mean tweets' banner really. Other possibility is that the plan is to spit this out just before the game and then imply (in the event of a loss to Essendon) that it is a factor in a club spiralling back into crisis. Or, of course, if we win, it is the other sensationalist article, 'club rising above adversity'. I'm starting to think the sports media are a bit shabby.

Are there really people suggesting that the way to avoid being harassed in the street is to not walk on the street? How tedious. One thing I do like about the banner is that it includes abuse directed at all players, not just Demon players. Always important, because a scary number of people seem to need reminding that basic human decency is a fact of how you treat people when you don't get what you want or when they aren't on your side, not how chirpy and friendly you are so long as every opinion and activity is as you like it. A scary number, but actually not a big number. Those people aren't normal, just loud.

Oh, how about that, there's a controversy about the MRP and in particular the inconsistencies of the underqualified AFL appointment, and whaddaya know, within a day the 'totally neutral, independent news portal' afl.com.au comes up with an article explaining to us all how we are simply mistaken in our perceptions and 'crackdown on striking including jumper punches' wasn't really a thing in the first place. Oh, and it is the umpires problem anyway, they should be awarding free kicks. Because obviously, umpires have cameras everywhere, all the time in the world to consider the case, and can easily observe every behind-the play 1/4-second jab. Unlike the match review which is in no position to adjudicate, obviously. Just another layer of stink added to the foul odour of the AFL executive culture.

If happning, I'm assuming this is not a like-for-like change and that we're more likey to see some variety of Hunt, Fritsch and Salem spending the time in defence while Sparrow becomes a bit of extra grunt-weight. I trust Salem to take responisibilty in defence, I trust Fritsch to make a fist of it anywhere he's sent, and I, uh, hold onto lingering hope that Hunt can get back to his sabre-slashing finest any moment now.

I'm still trying to figure out what Fasolo was suspended for.

Can anyone tell me which of the following is Fremantle's attitude to player welfare issues? a ) Player welfare doesn't matter b ) Player welfare matters, but it is not our responsibility c ) Player welfare is a useful excuse to use later, since we are going to fail anyway, because we are Fremantle d ) We're here for a good time, not a september time!

Great summary Dees-in-October, and yeah, I'd go along with a lot of the assessments. I was particularly pleased to see Cordner really step up and be a clear best 22 type. There's just something about the way she goes about it (even last year when she was often a bit iffy) that makes you think she really appreciates football. Not just because of the name, either! I wonder if Lauren Pearce though would actually count as most improved? I guess it depends on how you compare going from" not-quite-right to good' against going from "good to outstanding". Other rate Lily Mithen's season higher than I do, but I think paradoxically that is because I rate Mithen herself at a very high level. So I end up feeling slightly disappointed by anything less than stardom! Karen Paxman reminds me of Arjuna from the BBC production of the Mahabarata, just does everything a little more calmly, a little better. Player I'm most looking forward to watching next season is Cunningham, I just feel like there's something brewing there as confidence grows. Agree on Zanker's goal over Newman's. Newman plays football in a way that makes me happy to be around it, but that Zanker goal is a gem and particularly outstanding in a competition where the fine skills development still needs time. Oh, hang on, Zanker gave us two beauties if I remember right - the kick from right on the boundary in the pocket against the Dogs, and also there was a great snap from congestion about 40 out.

Adelaide certainly have done interesting things with the picks they got from us, gaining Darcy Fogarty, and then packagin our 2019 pick with their 2019 pick in exchange for Carlton's 2019 pick. It'll be a long time before we know how well they've done out of all their hardball and sometimes eccentric trades. Not sure Melbourne can be blamed if Calrton turn out to have stuffed it up their trade, though! As for Lever being, as I said 'in a good season a realistic contender for All-australia', well, he was the top intercept defender in the game in 2017, and Lever's 2017 matched or bettered every statisical line of Alex Rance's AA 2018. So even if you quite fairly think stats are a weak indicator, it would just be silly to imagine Lever isn't capable of operating at 'All-Australian possibility' level. As for Freo, well, if their trading history is going to a benchmark, I'd hate to see what a "worst-real-results-in-the-history-of-the-league-delivered-constantly-for-20-years" would look like!

Am I mistaken in my impression that at this time four of back six could, in a good personal season, realistically contend for All-Australian selection? May, Lever, Jetta, Hibberd. Not exactly a leadership vacuum either. I really don't see any value to getting crabby that a couple of our 'outs' are doing well, given the tranformation achieved by the great reshuffle of recent seasons.

Coincidentally, Jones' contract is up at the end of this year. I wonder how much of a paycut he'll be taking. I'd imagine the club will be big winners fromt he sun-costs-fallacy here, where Jones is absolutely determined to make good on all the sacrifices and hardship he's already been through, and as a result does the team thing even more intensely. Hmm, and I can't help wondering where we might find a reasonably young, say 22-23 year old, strong midfielder to replace Jones when he retires in a couple of years, y'know, post-premiership?

Jones must have had some seriously good mates at Melbourne!

Sigh. I hate the stupid off the ball bumps and sniping, but this was a 20-times-a-game shephard that just happend to hit awkwardly. I don't see how a near-stationary player turning their body to receive the contact of someone running right at them (even if the opponent was just running stupidly rather than intentionally) can be a suspension offence.