bing181

All of the above - but we still have a lot of improvement I feel. Let's not forget that we're doing it with a LOT of youngish/young players. If there's a word that dare not speak its name here it isn't just "premiership" it's "dynasty". This could go on for a few years, if not more. Steven May in particular will be hard to replace eventually, with his experience and leadership.

I still had a rough night, killer headache, hot sweats and the shivers, but was over it by the following afternoon.

Maybe, but would need to be staggered, only doing a few at a time. My wife and I both had Astrazeneca ... I was pretty rough for 24 hours, but it took her a week to get over it. Add to that re athletes that the fitter and younger you are (i.e., the strongest immune system), the greater the reaction. Care needed if this is an option.

Interesting (perhaps) that Jones isn't named anywhere. Perhaps still being "managed" injury-wise. Suspect that the poor performance of Chandler 2 weeks back, plus the unavailability of Jones is what's keeping Melksham in the side, as they're the closest like-for-like. On a similar note, suspect we'll see Bedford when one of Pickett or Spargo aren't available.

Re Melksham: his replacement isn’t Sparrow - who’s a mid. It has to be another forward, and the ready to go alternative is Jones. Sparrow for Jordan or another mid if he’s to come in, but Viney would be first choice if ready.

Late to this, but shows how important Salem is. When there’s no one reliably clearing the back line, so much easier for the opposition to bring the ball back in.

You can see with Chandler coming in why they prefer a settled side. Can't question his effort, but throws a bit of a spanner in the well-oiled machine. Unless I'm reading it wrong, they wanted Jones in for Melksham, and you can understand why.

Yep.

The single biggest reason for improvement this year is the increased maturity and experience of the players. As the players themselves keep saying but heh, what would they know.

Don't get some of the posts here. Jones and Baker were emergencies, and can go back to being emergencies. That doesn't mean that they're dropped, as they weren't named in the 22 in the first place. From that team, we've lost two: Viney and Tomlinson. For the latter, obviously either Petty, or Tom Mac goes back and Weed comes in. For the former obvious choice is Sparrow, has been doing well in the VFL. Less obvious and left-field choice is Jetta, who has been playing that bullocking inside role in the VFL very well for the last couple of weeks.

From Tom Browne: Understand Jack Viney late out and won’t play today. Baker In. Viney trained yesterday but had some foot soreness.

Time. = more experience, more maturity. Also increased physical strength.

Fight on from now on.

It'll never be right until everyone is vaccinated, especially with these increasingly contagious variants. Not much to be done that isn't being done I'm afraid - though looking at Australia from Europe, the situation you have is incomparably better.

Yes, why would any coach love a forward who kicks 3 goals and has a hand in a handful of others?

Spoken like a man. Jesus H Christ.

Astounded (though not really ...) by the calls for Melksham to be dropped. He was our most dangerous forward by far against the Hawks - more goals and more score involvements than ANB and Spargo combined. If you have to drop one of the small/mid forwards for Fritsch, then ANB would be first to go I would have thought.

No way Melksham gets dropped, even when he's at his best he's been like that - kind of invisible but then by the end of the match he's managed 2 or 3 goals and had a hand in a few others. A couple of those kicks across the body to find targets were sublime. If Fritsch and May are ready, they both have to come in. Jones would be the obvious out but not happening, at least for this week.

It might have taken us 3 quarters to start kicking goals, but the game turned after quarter time when we tightened up defensively. They kicked half their score in the first quarter, and except for the McEvoy bonus free > goal, only managed one goal a quarter after that.

Would like to think that one of May or Fritsch could be ready again - though the shorter turnaround doesn't help. You can't not put Weideman in, but Ben Brown was playing more up the ground apparently, so goals not everything. Hard to see us having Jackson, Tom Mac, Weideman and Ben Brown in the same team, especially as you'd have to drop a smaller forward to do so. But ...?

Scrappy, but losing it because of poor conversion. Throwing it away with poor kick shots.

Missing May, back line looks ... random. As for forward line, less said the better.

Petty needs some time to adjust to this level again. At our cost perhaps.

Our fringe players starting to look fringe again. Rivers having a mare. Brown not the answer up forward. Jordan off the pace (2nd week running?) Jones largely invisible. Incredible how two key players out impacts how the whole team looks. Concerning.

Getting to the stage where you'd have to think that players like Lockhart and even Joel Smith are ahead of him - with players like Bowey waiting in the wings.