DeeSpencer

Agree. Geelong have kept their A game (short uncontested kicking) whilst adding some riskier long kicking (often to Cameron) and skill behind the ball. Plus they countered our stoppage strength by sitting on our mids and tackling very early/aggressively. No one is suggesting we completely abandon plan A, but we need to adapt to the way teams defend us by rounding out our game. We don’t need to add in high risk kicks, we simply have to look for and take the low risk options as they present.

Salem and Bowey aren’t going much better. The whole backline seemed to have lost their ability to generate run and carry and hit kicks. Choco doesn’t appear to be the saviour as advertised.

True. But especially when we go with 2 rucks and 2 key forwards Fritsch is rarely asked to do the grunt work. By kicking to contests at half forward we also create the space Fritsch works in to inside 50.

Key forward is the hardest position to find, any other position I’d say overwhelmingly you take your chances with state league, delisted, trade offs etc. But the gap between ‘playable’ and ‘unplayable’ key forwards at AFL level is massive. That said, I’d probably still go down the pathway of taking multiple dice rolls at low risk solutions and target a long term fix even if it takes a year or two longer. Tex just doesn’t fit our game style and I can’t imagine we’d suddenly start hitting lead up kicks and asking less defensively and in the contested game for 32 year old Tex

What it reminds me of though is the Houston Rockets (Morey/Harden era) v the Golden State Warriors. Both cutting edge analytics organisations. But the Rockets leaned all the way in to the maths and made their entire offense based around James Harden's shooting and fouls, where the Warriors always kept a focus on moving the ball, diversifying their scoring and keeping every player involved. Sure, they had nights where they had a heap of turnovers that cost them games but that's part of the learning process. The warriors were fresher and deeper come the playoffs. The Rockets faltered as Harden wore down and didn't always get foul calls in big moments. If our entire game plan is the pound the ball forward, field position, stoppages, get some front half turnovers then we're limiting what our players can do. Our players lose the ability to make decisions based on what they see. The unrewarded running drops off. Clear opportunities to switch or use the corridor go begging. We've got a fleet of players: Salem, May, Bowey, Langdon, ANB, Harmes, Pickett, Spargo, Fritsch who have the run and/or skills to really impact games in a more kicking and running style. We have to use their strengths.

For some reason I can't seem to link images but whatever. [url=https://ibb.co/t4mrMHn][img]https://i.ibb.co/f21wYXZ/42544-B03-1566-4-CAD-889-A-64-C8-C252-C1-F5.png[/img][/url] With 7:13 minutes left and the game still alive May just completely ignores Petty by himself in the corridor with no defender anywhere near him - the Cats players even see him and are worried about it. That's crazy to me. You've got a great mark in Petty and a regulation kick for an AFL player. Petty can mark 40m out and can then go anywhere he wants with the ball. That kind of decision making all over the ground (not just kick outs) is really killing us right now. We have to use the space teams are letting us have to move the ball.

That’s great that Laurie has played his best VFL game and clearly stepping up to the level now. If he does debut I think he’ll have to play some midfield minutes to get involved in the game. His skills and vision are excellent though, so hopefully he keeps this level of ball winning. JVR: I think he’s getting pretty close. He can’t give us what full fitness and form Tommy can, but maybe he can give us flashes of it?

Adelaide just made the grand final. Let’s no assume we couldn’t be in a similar spot to them in a few years (minus the infamous camp). We also don’t know all of Jacko’s story. He might be incredibly tight with his family and have good reason to be with them. Players get to choose, that’s the system, if Freo are willing to pay the price then we aren’t getting screwed.

Bring in the rule, stop players and clubs meeting and talking in the media so blatantly, and the discussion calms down during the season. It won’t even be at zero but it surely helps. Its best for clubs and players and only impacts the media marginally. But the trade off is more players will move clubs unexpectedly when the off season starts.

Name them? That’s market rate for a very solid CHF in the mold of Tommy Mc but with healthy feet. I have no desire for Logue unless we think Petty is our future up forward and there’s no indication of that.

The McStay money is surely not more than what we budgeted for Jackson. Once Jacko makes his call we can get in the race for him. Walker can’t pinch hit in the ruck, can’t chase and tackle, doesn’t crash packs. Doesn’t suit our system. McStay is the kind of forward we need that goes with a 2nd ruck and Fritsch, plus one of the older guys until a young option develops.

2 first rounders, Josh Treacy and Lloyd Meek for a pair of 3rds back. Sign Dan McStay with the bonus cap space. Trade the future Freo pick for Brisbane’s first. Package the 2 firsts to move up and back, ideally end up with something like picks <10 and 25. Get a midfielder and rebuild the forward line with some combination of Gawn/Meek, McStay, Treacy, JVR in the post Brown and T Mc world (which is imminent)

The league badly needs tampering rules. Contracts should be sorted in the off-season. I don’t begrudge Jacko going home. I do dislike that he’s having to deal with all of this in season.

The best way to get rid of Fritsch’s selfishness is one week in the 2’s. Do it now and he’ll hopefully be fixed for finals. Hunt can pick up playing forward relatively quickly. All he has to do is use his speed and have a dip. That’s all Bedford does and Hunt is a few inches taller and kilos heavier. We need a lead up forward with some height to draw the ball. In light of no better options it should be Hunt for a week.

Weid for Fritsch Hunt for Bedford Hope everyone else plays better. Pray Clarry is ok Midfield copped a hiding tonight.

Forget the off field stuff, he’s 32 and dines out on bad sides. I think we can still have a bit of faith in Brown and McDonald having a couple of years left and JVR hopefully can contribute quickly. Id look for someone in the 24-27 year old age range to provide depth rather than Tex. We need role playing tall forwards more than start power

Get Maxy healthy and that goes a long way. BBB has threatened to take a few recently and Fritsch has flown for a few and nearly held them. Our kicking has also been off at times. There’s a way to go long down the line that still goes to the forwards advantage. Same with our lack of speed of ball movement. But the biggest factor with taking pack marks down the line or inside 50 is often the work done by other forwards to pull away, block or contest the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th defenders. Tom McDonald is good at this because he’s a) a lead up option, b) strong, c) tall. The Crows were able to play Doedee and Dawson on smalls and have them get across to mark. At one stage Spargo went off his head at one of his fellow smalls about not blocking Dawson from a contest.

They put the good umps on for big games so it’s hardly a surprise they snuck a couple of local guys in for 1 v 13 in a twilight fixture. But the Brown ruck free kick, the Oliver coat hanger, the Langdon hold as he was set to receive a handball and the complete lack of free kicks was as bad as I’ve seen. I’d have been apoplectic if we lost

Out: M Brown, B Brown (rest), Hibberd (rest), Bedford In: Jackson, Gawn, Hunt, Chandler, Riv/Hunt Watch and see with Petracca too. Melk on stand bye Weid must ruck 30%.

Kicked 2, dudded out of a couple more, tackled before the ball came in all day. Didn’t think he was that bad, but his refusal to give a handball worries me. It’s bad enough when it’s Fritsch burning mates, the big fella shouldn’t do the same. I’d give him the week off but he’ll be back

He does some really brave stuff at times but he has poor moments. I think that’s a factor but lack of athleticism and reading of the play impact just as much. If he had Lever’s ability to read the drop or Jackson’s mobility the other things wouldn’t be as much of a factor

Ruck contest: solid for a non ruck Follow up: seemed good Positioning: hard to tell from the tv but looked ok Aerial contesting: ok at best against a good pack mark 5.5/10

Not sure it was week after week but after a slow start in 2017 and then again in 2018 I think JKH was often in the 30's and occasionally 40's. From what I can remember Stretch was more a mid to high 20's on the wing at Casey

Oh good, we’ll pick up a replacement in the midseason draft *checks notes* 3 weeks ago.

He’s a top 3 handballer in the team too. Can use both hands and understands how to handball on the up. If he can break even in the ruck, crash packs and fire off a few lovely handballs he doesn’t have to hit the scoreboard.