Little Goffy

@binman You must have been chuckling and feeling very, very correct during some parts of our third quarter. There was a stretch there which may actually be the best three or four minutes of continuous team and zone defence I've ever seen. Freo switched the ball three times, went backwards, tried anything, and it just kept getting snuffed out. It was an absolute masterclass.

Uur contract discussions are like a yum cha spinning table. I've had far too many rice paper Jacksons already, time to slide the sweet corn Brayshaw around... oh dear it is already all eaten. Well, those deep fried Pickett wings look good. Hmm, nobody wants any Harmes-to-Essendon dumplings?

Together forever. Hopefully this convinces their best ever Gus & Gawny guest to come back on.

Any time the ball actually made it to our forward 50 we did pretty well, particularly from the two talls despite neither of them being a classic beast forward. Our game failed because we appeared to specifically drive towards mud to get bogged in any time we were coming out of defensive 50. Little patience, little vision, almost no switching of play. Basically frightened, timid, self-defeating attitude. And then the one time May tries something a little tricky it is to Petracca (who should never have called for it) 10m away with two opponents around him and the kick is flawed, giving away a goal and momentum. I actually think there's more than a bit of mental fraying going on at the moment and it is really damaging our play. Big test of leadership.

#successionplan Everything is going to be fine. 🦄

In the past Fritsch has been pretty good at setting up teammates - he's one of our better inside-50 delivery agents. I wonder if there's a factor of feeling the pressure to be 'the goalscorer' when there's so much talk about our forwards not kicking goals. People often make their worst mistakes when they are over-correcting something else.

Spinal is such a scary word. Immediately shifts thoughts more to 'I hope she is okay' rather than 'how will this affect the team'. Of course, since we already have confirmation that she is 'okay' (relatively), well, this is going to suck for the team because she is a real spark. I mean, she is practically a human spark on field and socially! Get the feeling she'll hate not being able to bump around for a while. Fingers crossed for a speedy and clear recovery.

Due to both form and injury reasons for each of them, Ben Brown and Tom McDonald only played 11 games together in 2021 and they've only played 4 games together in 2022. What could be pointed out is that when our forward line is fully available, it works pretty damn well. With Brown taking marks for shots, McDonald providing both connecting marks and pressure (like no other tall forward in the game, by the way), Fritsch playing a smart team game with movement that gets him out of the way of others and forces the opponents to spread awkwardly, and a bunch of small forward going hunter-killer all over the place. Everyone knows their job and knows how to do it. Can't ask much more of a line coach.

Based on the name I'm quite surprised he wasn't tapped to become the new Tory Interim Prime Minister. If we could swing a combo of Lloyd Meek and Hayden Mclean this trade period, that would go a long way to stabilising our ruck/forward stocks at relatively low salary cap demand.

The only time Gawn and Grundy on the same list would be a good idea is in Supercoach, and even then it wouldn't work if they were at the same club. Most Urgent: Big bodied forward-ruck to support Gawn and any successor. (Like others, I lean to McLean) Most important: True long-term successor for Gawn. Would be a real tragedy to lose Jackson given how well he fits our needs, but the trade value and salary cap space would likely get us through the distress.

I showed this to my wife and she went on a five minute annoyed football rant about predictability and the need for variety even if that is still our '80%' option. It was beautiful. Relationships need these lovely moments and I for one thank Steven May for giving us this to share.

Some scenarios; Jackson stays. In a few years he succeeds Max Gawn in the ruck, supported by some carefully recruited bigger-bodied forwards doing some ruck bashing sessions, and thereby providing a dynamism to our midfield that keeps us in premiership contention for a decade. Jackson goes to Fremantle at the end of this season. Harmes trades out to Gold Coast and Andrew Brayshaw comes to Melbourne. Melbourne wins all the premierships for 4 more years because in the history of the VFL/AFL there has never been a midfield as quality or as balanced as Oliver, Petracca, Brayshaw & Viney. Jackson, being the lovable young man he is, realises that Fremantle aren't able to offer a reasonable trade this season so agrees to a one year extension. At the end of 2023 the trade is made successfully, with the draft bonanza being traded for a solid worker ruck and grabbing a top quality kid. Melbourne also use the salary cap space opened up to lure both of the McKay twins as free agents, playing them forward together and ensuring we are never short of a contested marking target for the rest of the decade, going on to win multiple premierships. I keep turning all kinds of scenarios in my head but I can't find one where we drop out of premiership contention, so, it is all fine.

This will be only the second game Goodwin has coached without Oliver and the other one he was coaching Essendon. #$^#%#$ you Selwood. Wasn't even a close to the ground kick.

Seems like two main stories to tell; Rucks: Gawn, zero marks. Jackson, one mark. Got the hitouts but clearances didn't come from them. Small forwards: All three of Pickett, Bedford and Spargo were very limited. Damn those long kicks down the wing look stupid when there's nobody in place for them.

Well, both Curnow & McKay are free agents in 2023, so that's our replacements for Brown & McDonald all sorted. Actually, both McKay's are out of contract in 2023, and both are also restricted free agents. What are they, twins or something? That would be a fun way to top up for stage two of 'operation neverending premiership glory'.

Remarkably, last year when we started the season missing a number of forwards and were all anxious about even getting off to a respectable start that would keep us in the running for finals, we averaged more than 90 points a game for the first half of the season. From Round 13 to 19 (incl.) we had a serious drop off to only about 70 points per game and this was of course when we lost three games and drew against Hawthorn. Then, of course, it all clicked and we thumped our way to glory, averaging 107 points per game and pushing even higher in finals - just shy of 120. Meanwhile, in all three losses this season we failed to break double-figure goals, despite this season overall being higher scoring for us. I think the problem is that when our whole-ground domination and harassment falters or when our opponents have the steadiness to cope with it, we are missing a bit of ability to get a goal against the flow here and there, courtesy of a forward who can just make it happen even when the system isn't going smoothly. We are in the absolute top group for inside-50s, but other teams around us are turning that into one goal a game (Bulldogs, Cats) or even two goals a game (Tigers, Lions) more than us, and the common factor in all these teams is that they have at least one forward who, sometimes, it doesn't even matter how good the kick coming in is. The story is told that our top 4 contested marks players are not forwards; Gawn (3rd overall), then Petty (37th) May (47th) and Jackson (54th). It is Sam Weideman who leads or forward line contested marking. It's another reason I like the thought of keeping Serious Sam out there even when Gawn & Jackson are in, so that between them they\ stars can spend more time up forward being a tall target while Weideman takes some shin-beatings in the ruck.

An unorthodox action but if it works for him then that's what matters.

If we had a second Petty I'd be all for it, but our backline relies on the near-telepathic cooperation between the defenders and Petty is doing an exceptional job. Both May and Lever can do their job much better because Petty is doing his so reliably. Tragic for Tomlinson, but then again, Tomlinson could force himself into the team to cover a number of others so it is far from game over for him.

Just as a quick reference, the last time Collingwood played the Cats in a non 'blockbuster' slot (not friday night etc), with crowds permitted, was Round 8, 2018; a Sunday 3.20pm game. Magpies were 4-3 and on their way to a top 4 finish. The crowd of 44k was the smallest of the 8 games Geelong played at the MCG that year. Including the Demon's v Cats MCG game in round one, sunday 3.20pm, with 54,000, and our Elimination final win in front of 92,000. In 2017 the Magpies played the Cats at the MCG twice (yup), for crowds of 46k and 48k. Again, the Cats two smallest crowds at the MCG that year. Out of just 5 games they played there int he H&A season. It keeps going. Not only have Collingwood routinely been the only team to play Geelong at the 'G, they have also routinely been the Cats smallest crowd at the G - happened again on both points in 2015, 2012, and... actually I decided I'd had enough by then, but I think any debate is over. Anyway, Collingwood sucks and we're going to beat Geelong at Goomba stadium anyway.

The main similarity between Noble & Neeld is of course that it will never be known if they could have been an effective coach if only they had been at a functional club. North have been screwed ever since their 'war chest' seasons where they dumped their still-performing veterans and banked up salary cap to attract... um... was it Jared Polec? Missing Cunnington and with Ziebell clearly overwhelmed, by my reckoning that leaves just Luke McDonald and Todd Goldstein as mature players who can provide guidance and consistency to the group. No offense to Hall, Greenwood, Anderson, Walker and Corr, but they aren't that kind of leader. Meanwhile, Horne-Francis has an idea of what might be best for him, and it isn't following in the footsteps of Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove, burdened with carrying both the hopes and the midfield of his club. Throw in the fact that half the clubs in the competition are in search of competitive tall forwards and defenders, and there is a real danger they could lose one or both of Nick Larkey and Ben McKay. If they lose one, add an entire season to their rebuild duration. If they lose both, North have no structure left anywhere on the ground. It has been 11 rounds since North came within seven goals of an opponent, and their only win for the season was this; The Kangaroos have narrowly survived an almighty scare from a desperately undermanned West Coast outfit, holding on for a 15-point victory thanks to six goals from Nick Larkey on a chaotic day at Marvel Stadium. Despite being forced to make a whopping 14 changes to their Round 1 side — a VFL/AFL record — the depleted Eagles remained within striking distance of David Noble’s side for the entire game. I don't see how North recover from their current situation. This is ruining my morning coffee.

There is no way it helps winning to be treating opponents with less dignity or decency. If our players' habit is to help each other up and then sometimes it just happens to be an opponent nearest in the mud pack, so be it. I'd rather an occasional cross-team bit of friendliness than have that habit diminished at all.

Geelong have strung together six wins in a row, but the highest ranked of those opponents is Richmond, in seventh now, who they only just scraped past. Their whole midfield/medium-sized player pool is quality without being exceptional. Yes, even Dangerfield and Selwood are now just quality without being exceptional. That will make for an interesting coaching challenge - our 'best' centre clearance midfield ought to shred theirs, but then their second rotation will be basically the same quality as their first. I have a feeling we will see some brutal momentum turns when Petracca is brought into the middle at the same time as the other prime movers are sent in after a refresh. Missing Stewart and now apparently Kolodjashnij as well not only shrinks their defence, it really reduced their intercept marks. On both counts that'll suit us as we will have more forward-50s actually stay in our forward 50, and when they do come out it'll be a little less clean and will often play literally into the hands of our harass-and-intercept game. Their forward line is more of a problem because we won't have so much luxury to move off opponents when they have the two potent talls up there. Stengle also worries me as just the kind of small forward who has always, always caused us trouble. I also think we might see our own forwards break loose a bit. For all that Ben Brown has struggled for form, I think he goes a step faster than anyone they have who is tall enough to go with him. I also think Fritsch will beat any given opponent they might send to him; when it isn't by mobility, it'll be out-contesting or by sheer cleverness. Got to admit, I really would like to make Geelong our bunny team, now and forever.

Hardly surprising that Angus can do that when the highlights from the Freo game make very clear that his brother can teleport.

We can all be thankful that he is attending the Nathan Jones Academy of Gradually Getting Better Looking As You Age.

Exactly. If Weideman can be an adequate role-player to ease some of the grind time in the ruck, while playing a more open 3rd tall/link lead style mostly outside the f50, I think that allows us to use our ruck beasts up forward with really good effect. Hell, rotated cleverly we could see both Gawn and Jackson playing close to 100% game time because even standing still 20m from goal they would still demand the best opposition defender.