DeeSpencer

Verrall the highlight so far. Winning the taps and getting involved around the ground. Kynan Brown with some flashes. All 3 key defenders haven’t been good, although some signs from Disco, see how he is in a couple of weeks with some touch. Not impressed by the lack of leadership and vibes. By some miracle big KFW took a mark 20m out directly in front and no one got to him to steady him for the shot and he subsequently hit the post.

He didn’t do his job last night tho, he was invisible for most of the game. Same for the first half against the Crows. And it’s not that I don’t think he’s not very talented and good, but I just don’t think we maximise his talent by only playing him in one set role. We struggled to get the ball over half way most of the night, why have your best forward constantly out the back if the ball never gets there? Get him leading up to the wing and getting the ball and worry about who’s inside 50 when it gets there

They do have calls, especially at centre bounces and forward 50. In the back half you’re mostly going boundary or pumping it down the line. Im not convinced Max has ever been a dominant tap ruck, and he certainly hasn’t been for a few years. He doesn’t leap and get control of the ball from a height required to hit it multiple directions, most rucks don’t. Over the last few years Max has found more success grabbing it from the ruck and handballing or kicking. But that’s hard early in games where the pressure is red hot and his opponent is fresh. Centre bounces especially…What’s the issue right now? I think it’s mostly a midfield problem. Oliver’s not right, Viney and Tracc aren’t at their best and Sparrow just isn’t a great centre bounce player, he gets caught flat footed a lot. We lack speed on the deck. Max is getting blocked up by rucks coming across the centre line which makes it obvious where he’s hitting it and they’re sweating on our taps

Is he thought? He didn’t look any better than Woey at half back. Both looked fairly out of place. So surely that’s not an option again. And we’ll probably have Hore or maybe AMW in that role against Richmond. And who knows how he’d go at half forward but if he can’t tackle, mark or handball on his main side what’s he giving? He doesn’t really bring speed, pressure, elite endurance or great kicking in a flanker role either. Kolt has some work to do on his ball use and ball winning but his pressure and tackling at least were there. The injury might not be made worse by playing but I get the feeling it’s not been made better. Can’t be good for his confidence either.

Jefferson could break Fred Fannings record and still wouldn't be picked the next week. Honestly so could Schache.

I agree, start from the middle with our best available centre bounce rotation - and use rotations, Kozzy, ANB and Chandler even Kolt if he stays in the team can provide spells for Tracc and Sparrow who give the forward line more size. And also start from a run and movement basis up forward, if we get out marked so be it. I don't agree with Oliver anywhere else but on ball. If he's not healthy and confident in his ability to use his hand sit him for as long as required. He's going to need to mark, tackle, win the ball in congestion anywhere on the field.

Bowser was back running about a week after the surgery and is now back in non contact training. Assuming a good base level of fitness over summer and that they can have him do plenty of footy type moving at training over the next 4 weeks he should be right to go once he gets the all clear on the collarbone. But it clearly isn't the 3-4 week collarbone that guys like Hogan have recovered from quickly where they bang a plate in that's stronger than bone and you're good to go pretty much as soon as the pain is tolerable. Something - either displacement, disruption of the AC joint, fractures in multiple parts - has required a longer lay off to get proper healing.

Bowser was back running about a week after the surgery and is now back in non contact training. Assuming a good base level of fitness over summer and that they can have him do plenty of footy type moving he should be right to go once he gets the all clear on the collarbone. But it clearly isn't the 3-4 week collarbone that guys like Hogan have recovered from quickly where they bang a plate in that's stronger than bone and you're good to go pretty much as soon as the pain is tolerable. Something - either displacement, disruption of the AC joint, fractures in multiple parts - has required a longer lay off to get proper healing.

If it helps I feel the same way about him after most wins? And yeah, some guys don't come back the same after premierships. Smart clubs address this, they change roles, they demand more. If we want to win another flag we need to change our method and get more from certain players

Petty was on Andrews most of the night, spoiled him a few times and tried a few Melksham tactics but doesn't have the experience and craft in the dark arts of holding, blocking, creating space that Melk does (and mind you, Melk is mostly smashed by Andrews when they play, he just tries to decoy him and beat him a few times). Until the last quarter where the Lions dropped their pressure and we won some centre bounces JVR, BBB, Fritsch all were easily accounted for by Payne, Lester and Starcevich in whatever combination they tried.

The worst thing that ever happened for his career was beating up on Easton Wood in a grand final. Drank all his own bathwater then topped it up for his fans. Of course he's kicked a stack of goals, he's very talented, plays in a side with a (usually) prolific midfield and just lives out the back. He was downright dreadful in periods of 2022 with his lack of second efforts and unwillingness to pass, they didn't stamp it out. Played pretty well through some injuries last year, but the last 2 weeks he's back to his old ways. It's not just his fault, the coaches are to blame too. Why when we have a specialist full forward in BBB and a couple of other talls who can mark it do we play Fritsch almost full time as the deepest forward and number 1 target? Don't get me wrong, modern footy means forwards have to come up the ground in the zone and the ability to get back inside 50 is hard running and important, but every backline knows Fritsch is just going to tear off out the back and it makes him predictable and completely useless if the ball never gets there. And when he's matched up on a tall that he can't out mark that's going to happen a lot. I'd be changing his starting position - he should be 50/50 deepest forward and up the ground - and change his mindset that the most important thing for him to do is to get deep. Even if he's the deepest forward if the mids and backs are under pressure up the ground then give them a short hit up leading at the kicker.

We could potentially try man on man, Port did it against Essendon, but that’s Essendon. Man on man against brisbane probably just creates acres of space for guys to lead in to and opens the corridor. There was a noticeable demand at times to push the half backs up and shrink the ground. But the Lions are so well drilled at overlapping numbers and moving in and out of spaces to create kicks. Even if we were getting smashed we only conceded 12 goals, only 10 to 3/4 time and the worst quarter for goals conceded was the first with 4. Brisbane are going to posses the ball and move it well, that’s what they do. And they’re going to score. We were completely smashed at the contest and had no flow in our own ball movement. The transition defending was a far lesser problem in the scheme of things.

Macrae’s a fine short to medium kick, his issues are he lacks penetration in his disposals and he’s slow and ordinary defensively. The first part of that might not be a problem, we could probably do with someone who just accumulates the simple disposals. The second part likely is. We need speed and pressure from our supporting mids.

Meh, kid played in the toughest spot on the ground in a midfield smashing, I thought his work rate was good, he held a number of strong tackles and he had good energy. Might be dropped or subbed but I doubt there’s any long term effects from a quiet debut. Not sure exactly who else we should’ve played. I suggested Kynan Brown but he’s so light he would’ve been brushed aside just as easily. Otherwise AMW as a forward but maybe that’s mucking his development when we might need a dashing defender very soon. Plus we need him to develop as a player.

Petty had a stinker but the ball was almost exclusively sat on his head and he tried to negate Harris Andrews more than win the ball. Of course none of the forwards had it easy with the midfield pantsing, but my issue isn’t just with Fritsch but with the coaching that allows or asks him to constantly be out the back. Someone has to break a line to get it there and good teams don’t allow line breaks. It also puts him in a terrible position to impact defensively. And doesn’t let him use his skills. Honestly I think we got stuck playing Adelaide Oval football. That’s what I see Fritsch out the back as being. A narrow ground where you can get from the wing to over the top of the defenders. MCG football requires a hit up at CHF. it’s been the missing piece of our game plan for years. Fritsch takes his turn to hit up at times and other times he will get it out the back. That’s unpredictable ball movement and fluent team play. Jeremy Cameron was a bit of an out the back artist at GWS. He moved to Geelong at 27 and became a much more complete player. Same age Fritsch is now. I see no reason Fritsch can’t keep developing his game.

Out: Salem, BBB, Woey In: Hore, AMW, Pickett FB: McVee May T Mc HB: Hore Lever AMW C; Langdon Rivers Windsor HF: Chandler Petty ANB FF: Pickett Fritsch Petracca Foll: Gawn Viney Oliver Int: Howes, Sparrow, JVR, Billings S: Kolt Time for Rivers mid, Petracca and Sparrow forward more to provide the height. It’s a young/inexperienced backline for sure but got to get run in the midfield a lot more athleticism in the forward line.

Why? He’s in his physical prime, not a kid or a veteran like JVR and BBB, he is a good contested mark at times and excellent on the lead, he’s got speed, agility. Why just allow him to be icing when he can do so much more?

What’s overreaction ans what’s real? Backline: Honestly did ok all things considered, but they still aren’t linking run and handballs. And the switching game comes and goes. Kickout plan now requires Juddy to lace the ball rather than any movement to create kicks. Midfield; They got smacked. Tracc had no juice. Oliver upped last weeks fumbly disaster. Sparrow, I love him, he does his role, he’s not a primary on baller. Forwards [censored] plan, worse execution. Had very little help but we can’t keep playing the 3 talls and Fritsch if they can’t catch it and can’t work functional leads. No help bodying Harris. No leading up to create space. His fan club will come out to defend him as usual but we are playing 17 on 18 with Bayley out the Back Fritsch in his current role. He’s nearly impossible to stick with on a well timed lead, so can he just once lead up at the ball? Give his mids a simple target and let the other forwards cruise in behind. Spread the backline. He’s a player capable of so much more but his entire game is attempting to get goal side and have it laced out. He has to be challenged to grow as a footballer.

Assuming it’s Kolt for Kossie and that’s it I wonder what role he’ll be in. Do they give him any of Pickett’s CBA’s? Or just leave them to Viney, Oliver, Petracca and Sparrow? Does he play up the ground like Nibbler, Billings, Chandler have been or stay closer to goal like Fritsch and the talls? I really hope he gets at least one stint in the guts.

Hayward's handy because he can play that disruptor role on talls, he usually gives Lever a good test. That would allow us to only play 2 talls alongside Fritsch and Hayward and drastically up our forward pressure. As for mid sized forwards. Fritsch is the only one in the side right now and Hayward's a different type of player. And the others on the list; McAdam - a bit of a role of the dice but he could play alongside Fritsch and Hayward Sestan - still a longer term project Tholstrup - just a kid, but I like him better as a midfielder or high half forward than a guy with a structural role

I know it’s just a summary but I think you’re underselling the Hawks defenders, Gibson was a superstar. Lake a gun. And Frawley came in when Buddy went out. They got a bit lucky to win a flag in 2008 and couldn’t hold up the next few years until they got Lake and then Frawley. Similarly Astbury, Broad, Grimes and Vlastuin were all excellent. Even without Rance. Richmond gave up first possession for pressure but they were also attacking with the ball. Constant pace on the ball and run. Our best footy has always involved pace on the ball. In fact we’ve rushed too much at times. But we got too boundary conscious and gun shy to bounce the ball to the fat side out of the backline. Totally agree that with our key backs and Gawn we should trust our ability to defend. And we have the half backs to run and kick through the corridor and to space. We haven’t seen a full game of the guy who I thought would flourish the most with this style in Bowey. We’ve only seen a couple of games of Salem on ball. And no one has mentioned the kid whose run encourages the backs and mids to put the ball in space in Windsor!

Oliver replacements: 1. Salem mid (possibly with some Rivers rotations) with AMW in down back 2. Taj on ball 3. Kolt? 4. Laurie Pickett replacements 1. AMW forward 2. Laurie or Taj forward 3. K Brown 4. Kolt A lot of options and they’re all involving exciting young players, but none of them leap out as great choices

This won’t be popular but the biggest similarly is that both Soligo and Gus did very little to protect themselves. Players are so wary of bumping now they leave themselves open. If Soligo turned in to Pickett they bounce off each other with no worries

I thought Clarry’s issue was more his hand and not wanting to spoil with it. But he’s also a strange player Oliver, he’ll charge at the ball through traffic but he doesn’t wear contact well. When he’s not playing well he feels contact and dishes the ball with costly turnover handballs rather than absorbing tackles like Cripps does. Or Viney or Tracc. I’m not saying he’s not super brave, he’s just a different type of brave.

Billings played 11 games the last 2 years and was sub in 4 of them, barely played afl at all last year. So there’s a match fitness issue for sure. But his goal kicking has always been poor for such a skilled field kick. And Ross Lyon had little to no interest in him which probably suggests defensive effort isn’t his strong suit. I can live with the goal kicking for now, and even the contested efforts. But he’s had a decade on afl lists to learn how to hold a tackle. I wouldn’t have picked either he or BBB on a short break but Goody has always favoured continuity.