DeeZee

Richmond with no Cotchin or Rance and Harmes on Dusty. We have to be very hard at it for four quarters as the tigers do not stop . I think the players are hurting and will give it everything tonight. Can we connect with our forwards and can we defend well enough? Time will tell, but I’m hoping like hell.

Ive got a feeling the coach won’t drop Lewis or TMac but rather throw down the gauntlet . Garlett and Lockhart should come in for speed and maybe Stretch. Love to see Petty or Kielty get a go too. Outs would most likely be Spargo both Wagners and Jetta

Is he capable of inspiring the team, and is the team starting to get tired of the same simplistic robotic messages?

It would be nice if a forward made a lead

There’s a lot of things breaking down with us and fitness is one of them

If we don’t win the contested ball, especially at centre bounces our game plan is stuffed. Opposition have worked out this is our main strength so they put more work into limiting Oliver Viney and Gawns influence , then they get it to the outside quickly and beat us with run and making sure it’s as many uncontested marks as possible. Been happening since the prelim.

6.Salem 5.Frost 4.Hore 3. Oliver 2.Preuss 1. Harmes

It’s either A. The Coaching B. The players not following the instructions properly. C. The cattle- No outside run with a lot of ball getters but ordinary ball users. D. No connection with the forwards E. Fitness F. All of the above

We can’t continue to pick players on reputation or what they did last year so TMac, Hibberd, Lewis and Spargo have to go. The Wagners have added nothing so we have to give others a go. Petty and Kielty to replace TMac and Hibberd. Lockhart, Garlett, Stretch and Baker to replace the others and finally give us a bit of zip.

I was watching very closely yesterday, as it’s my bug bear that our forwards don’t lead at the ball carrier . What hope do we have if they don’t move and create space and demand the ball. How often did we kick it sideways for the ball only to be whisked away. Even if they constantly kicked it straight to Pruess we would have had a better result. What the hell do they work on in the preseason and at training if when we get the ball we don’t know where to kick it?

It really doesn’t matter who plays on Wednesday it’s year over anyway.

How will Clarry go? How will Jetta go? how will Jones go? How will Viney go DV8?

Petracca isn’t the problem. The problem is our game plan, it’s already super ceded , and I fear the players may have lost a bit of faith in it. When Brayshaw says after round two that the players aren’t buying in, then something is not quite right.

Oliver needs to play like Danger and attack the game more instead of handballing on every occasion

I’d pay Weideman 700k a year. Doesnt mark or kick goals, but his second efforts are good.

Out - Finals In - Top 3 pick Play the kids

The game has gone past him. Cant afford to carry old slow blokes

Funny thing is we just got beaten by the top side. Billy Slater as tackling coach has made a clear difference to the Saints and I’d say Ratten has had a big influence as well. We also gave them one of our best outside mids in Kent, when we don’t have many if any. I still believe we will get better but it will be too late.

Hibberd and TMac should be made examples of and dropped for Petty and Kielty. Spargo and Wagners our for Garlett , Stretch and Baker. Lewis is finished too , maybe Tom Sparrow for him . Years over so may as well play the kids until Lever and May return. We are unfit and have no plan going forward.

How did Garlett go?

Jeffy just needs to show some consistency, so another good Casey game and he should hopefully be in. Oscar seemed devoid of confidence so needs to go back and learn to be aggressive. Jetta and Lewis are generals and leaders and will shore up our backline even further. Stretch is a trifle unlucky again , but when he gets his opportunity he must take it with more intensity in his game. Spargo showed some real good signs in the second half linking up and hitting the packs with pace.

Leave it till the end of year. Balls in his court. If he has a really good year kicking 2-3 goals a game then I’d pay him $600k If he has an average year at maybe 1 goal average per game then no more than 500, as long as he has shown genuine improvement on stats from last year. 700 plus is reserved for superstars, he would need to rack up some super impressive numbers to get that sort of cash

With some like Pruess up forward, you’ll find that TMac will take more marks , and when Lever and May get back even more strong mark takers. Dare I also add Vanders and Joel Smith both strong in the air.

I fear he may miss a couple of games with that shoulder though

All the commentators last night were shocking. They just don’t seem to give us any credit. Its like ,we just turned 22 point deficit into a 4 goal lead and were dominating all the stoppages and they come out with “Melbourne are just hanging on” I just don’t like the negativity of modern commentators like Ling and Russell as well. When watching footy I want to hear a description of what is actually happening, and maybe try and make it sound exciting. Not, he should’ve done this or he should’ve done that, or pointing out possible disastrous scenarios or doom and gloom. Listen to the old guys like Williamson, Whitten, Morphet, Lane, Beitzel, Roberts etc, they are descriptive, positive and excited about the play.