bing181

Ben Brown in please.

Which would make Sparrow the sub.

That's interesting - I used to do the free streaming back in the day, but once WatchAFL came online for internationals, I've switched to that as part of my club membership. Miss the streaming days, one of the great things was the barracking in the comments section - was a bit like being there. Well, kind of. AFL etc. really missing a trick here in making online content more interactive, they're still limited to seeing it as TV via the internet.

Fritsch and Tom Mac: zero disposals.

Effort is there, but GWS have brought their A game, and the pressure is forcing errors.

For me, this is the difference between us and the serious contenders: Oliver had two straightforward shots on goal, Gawn one, Kozzie a fairly straightforward one - not a single goal from any of them. On top of that kicking into the forward line. ANB misses Tom MacD by a metre, turnover, up the other end, goal. Lots of positives, but it's this inability to finish that costs us.

It's just a write-up of the coach's press conference/press release. I'm not sure who else people were expecting to sit down in front of a microphone or put pen to paper, roles have had to be cut back as it is.

Agree with all of that, but for the moment he's often getting pushed off the ball in marking contests. He's OK marking around the ground, but not really working as a KPF, especially against decent defenders. For mine, he's a second ruck/onballer, and I'd be surprised to see him doing much down forward once Weids/Brown come in.

We also get Giants twice this year, so if their wheels come off, will be useful. Of course, we still have to turn up, and the season has a long way to go. Unless I'm mistaken, we also get Cats, Crows, Bulldogs and Hawks twice. Too early to say how that's going to pan out, but pretty obvious already that Bulldogs will be a mountain to get over, they could go all the way again this year.

Worth remembering that it's not all that long ago he was in a moon boot with a serious foot injury. He missed most of the preseason, and it costs. Worth persevering with while he builds form/touch - though not a free pass either.

Brayshaw a concern, though he did a couple of decent things. Could it be that away from the coalface, he's a bit lost?

Hibberd for someone ... Jetta? Hunt? VDB has apparently been good in the last couple of practise matches. In for Sparrow?

This. We may make the finals, but hard to see us getting to the pointy end with skills as they are. Bowey can't come on soon enough.

If we lose this, it'll be down to that old fan favourite, skills: poor disposal, poor kicking for goal, even poor marking. Hunt on borrowed time I feel, he's just too poor a field kick. Surely Hibberd comes in to replace him.

Doing well against a good side - but still lack real class at the top end in order to finish off. Oliver is great, but Billings is dangerous, and that's the difference.

Hunt was moved back because he was a failure as a forward. Sooner or later you have to get the footy, which has always been his achilles heel.

Injuries haven't helped, including the last one (Lisfranc). Seriously compromised preseason, that he's out there at all is an achievement. Thought he wasn't the worst, and he showed more level-headedness than in the past.

Report from Casey practice match is pretty sketchy, but it doesn't sound like Viney, Melksham or Hibberd took the game apart. But if there's any way Viney is ready, or even ready enough, he should come in - if only to free up a bit more outside run from the likes of Oliver. Otherwise, judging by the Casey report, VDB put his hand up.

! It's just not. Not even close. We have a handful of outstanding players, but that's where it stops.

Yze can see it. As can (could) all the coaches. It's not the coaches.

Or you've got to assume that they're incapable of doing any better/different. They've had a succession of perfectly good midfield coaches, now one of the best in the business in Yze - yet we're still seeing the same thing.

Nothing to do with what's going on in the box.

If we lose this, it'll all be on the mids/clearances. Getting killed.

Even with a new midfield coach. Not sure these mids are ever going to get it, not in their DNA.

Same old same old. Still too many players who just aren't reliable when the ball comes near them. Hunt, Harmes, Tomlinson etc. Jetta off the pace. Clayton Oliver - surprised to see he'd had 18 possessions. Needs to do more damage. And on today's performance, I'd be playing Daw (if fit?) over Jackson, who just looks a bit lost.