bing181

If Harmes is available, worth including. In the absence of Brayshaw, he's a better mid than VDB or Melksham. Hopefully Hibberd as well. Hard to see any other changes, especially with injuries limiting availability.

Not really. Lockhart really ran out of puff at the back end of last year, and not hard to imagine the same thing here. Still a young player, and this is his first full season + pre-season. Not sure that Jetta is the answer, but with the injuries we have, hard to see what the choices are.

Injuries are starting to add up, so not many alternatives.

Also let's not forget that we're playing most of those games with shorter breaks between them.

There will not be a change of coach.

Woah. Hold everything. We can just sign up a heap of VFL players and other clubs' rejects, get them "in the system", watch them improve, and then stand back and wait for the premierships to roll in. This is going to save us a fortune on recruitment.

Not out there tonight, and players who were a big part of our 2018 success: Tom Mac, Jetta, Jones. Also, don't underestimate the loss of Lewis. That's a lot of experience/talent that has not been replaced.

Going to be an interesting end of the year. Apart from some of the names already mentioned, could see players like Hannan, Hunt, ANB, VDB all being on the chopping block. Some of the younger players could be cut some slack, but we can't go on carrying the 6-8 possessions per match rotating door players.

Not with this line-up. And it's not just me "underselling" the players, look at Garry Lyon's comments tonight re "ordinary players".

Delusional. It wouldn't matter who the coach was, no-one's going to be winning finals with this list - not in the short-term anyway. Not sure why it's so hard for people to face up to the fact that we just don't have the players. The proof will come when we cut a dozen of them and no other club picks them up.

About what we deserve, we're a mid-table side at best. The drop away in quality after our best dozen or so is like falling off a cliff. OK, a couple of youngies there who we can build with for the future (Rivers, Kickett, Jackson), but losing (e.g.) Jetta up one end and Tom Mac down the other is a bridge too far, leaving us with some real holes in the list. They could just about cull 20 of them and we'd hardly even notice. Not to mention the lack of on field leadership. No accident that we did well in 2018 when Jordan Lewis was still playing for us. Not sure how that's going to be addressed in the short term.

Nope. Could be a big list cull though. Given the players we have, mid table is about right.

2 kicks and zero marks. That's almost the game right there. Though while not excusing it, the kicking into the forward line went back to woeful again.

You would think so. If you're thinking that is.

Yes, because Hawthorn are really dominating at the moment.

Goodwin will coach out his contract. At least.

In spite of everything, we had every chance to win that. Fritsch, Langdon, Gawn, Salem all missed really straightforward shots.

This is 100% on the players.

Couldn't play much worse. Interesting that with Hibberd out, back line is all over the place. Could have been the same with him out there of course. Really miss an in-form Jetta or small defender. Not sure that the players who have been brought in are adding much: Harmes, ANB, Smith. Our list is just not as good as many are making out, after the first dozen or so quality really drops away. Time for a real clean-out?

O Mac comments both predictable and ignorant. Membrey had 3 marks for 1 (lucky) goal. Second most 1%ers behind Lever, and more than any St Kilda player/defender. No accident that May and Lever always do better when Oscar is in the side. I'd also take Oscar over Tomlinson as a stay-at-home defender any day. Though whether there's a role for him against the Swans, hard to say. Otherwise, Fritsch in, someone out, then perhaps Lockhart for Hibberd or just rejig around Tomlinson. Plenty of calls for Bennell, but from reports, he's not been exactly setting the house on fire in the two's (practice matches). Could be wrong.

I posted something similar last week, and it's still true after a win - not getting enough out of the smaller forwards. Spargo, Hannan, VDB and Pickett, not a goal between them and only 1 goal assist. Not many possessions either.

Hard to argue with the outs. Lockhart perhaps, but he's been OK, nothing more. Could be more to it, who knows, no-one here does in any case. Perhaps the FD feel that Rivers brings more. Fritsch will be missed.

Disposals: Spargo 4, Pickett 6, Hannan 6. And 1 goal (Spargo) between them. At least Pickett laid 5 tackles, but therein lies the tale. The Dogs were constantly able to launch attacks off half-back based on our inability to get our hands on the ball up forward or lock it in. Not sure what the solution is, but the cupboard is really bare. We haven't had a really damaging crumbing forward since Jeff Garlett was at his peak.

Not a lot of connection between the players - in marked contrast to our opposition. Dogs looking very good, and all over the ground.

No real surprises in the selections. Only surprise for me re Hannan's omission is that he was included last week in the first place. Goes missing too often.