bing181

Regardless of who's out, we have to replace like for like. If it's Lewis and Hibberd, then we've got to find a way of either bringing in two backs, or playing others in those positions. Given that Lever, May and Jetta are already out, the cupboard is getting very very bare. With Hibberd gone, it'll mean that 4 of our first choice back 6 are out.

Apart from the fact that this is all hindsight (bias), it's not even accurate. OMc was tackled by Holman, after Frost dumped him in it (this after Frost's first handball dumped Fritsch in it as well). In the tackle, Oscar's leg/ankle was caught under him, and in the immediate aftermath OMc was on the ground, unable to get up - which is one of the reason GC tried to play on. Play was called back and eventually he gets up, but if you watch on the full video replay, not the edit, OMc could hardly walk at that point. In fact, if you look at him standing on the mark, not only can he not walk and is limping badly, he can hardly stand. And *that's* why Holman took off and ran forward in the first place, he knew that Oscar wouldn't be able to go with him. The person who *should* have gone with Holman as he ran on was Oliver. As Holman was running through after taking the first handball receive, Oliver was in a position to tackle him. Holman handpassed - but then ran around Oliver and kept running to take the receive. Oliver stopped for a second, and it was just enough - he started chasing again, but by that stage, Holman had 10 metres on him. (And re the above, as someone else pointed out in the Changes thread, Oscar was limping at the end of the game.)

Agree - I actually think we're playing much better, and starting to see the Melbourne of last year. Up until we go I50 that is. Tom Mac really down on form/confidence isn't helping - and it isn't helping the players up the field either, because they're not automatically looking for him, thus hesitation, thus the kind of all-over-the-place entries we're seeing.

Not sure that Hunt is a forward. He has the speed but he doesn't know what to do with it, especially up forward where you have to make the play.

From reports, Preuss has had lingering injury problems, thus VFL to get it all sorted. Presumably right for selection next week.

Agree with that. Feel like we're starting to splutter back into life, and there were some good signs last week, but personally I don't think we'll really get going till after the bye.

Viney in for ANB. Settled line up - and suspect that it will more or less stay that way till May, Lever etc. come into the frame. Unless the wheels come off.

Word seems to be that it's not just a simple groin, but OP. Thus the shifting timeline.

You don't get or aggravate OP from a single event. Here: https://physioworks.com.au/injuries-conditions-1/osteitis-pubis

Ah Demonland, don't ever change.

If there's anyone out there about to write up a paper on victim-blaming, plenty of source material in this thread.

Demonland. So many assumptions.

Doesn't get much lower than this: "Ploegmakers, who has a learning disability, told 7NEWS the 34-year-old offender called him a "[censored] and a [censored]"."

If reports are true, the beer-snatching occurred after the Hawks supporter had been verbally abused by the Dees guy. As others have commented, physically attacking someone is unacceptable, and assault is a crime. Equally, calling someone with a disability a r*tard is unacceptable - and is also covered under abuse/offensive language laws.

No. Confirmation bias. You're taking examples that illustrate your point, while ignoring ones that contradict it. Watch the whole game, and assess it in its globality. He had double the number of 1%ers as anyone else, and was in the top half dozen for marks, 3rd for rebound 50's. Sure, he made a couple of mistakes and didn't dominate, but not he's Robinson Crusoe in that regard.

It's not a lack of intensity, it's a lack of confidence. The second-guessing and hesitation are classic signs. But he just has to play through it. Sending him back to the VFL where his ability to read the ball is clearly a class above and he gets a lazy 23 possessions without having to work for them isn't going to help anyone. He had more 1%'ers than anyone else, and his 6 marks and 100% disposal efficiency go down on the "plus" side of the ledger, so hopefully he can build on that and get a bit more confidence.

Going to need to take our chances a bit better, but fingers crossed they can keep up the pressure, at least.

It's not the skills per se, they have the skills. It's the between-the-ears-skills, the lack of confidence, the second guessing, the don't-[censored]-this-upping, the pressure (perceived or otherwise) ... every player is only too aware of what's not working, and the pressure and expectation that that brings is almost impossible to ignore. The big mindf*ck.

Oh for the days when Tom Mac used to knock off an easy 4 or 5 goals a game.

Well, cracked record here: confidence (lack thereof)

This is a team with no confidence - either in themselves or their teammates. Survival mode kicks in, as does the "I've got to do something" mentality, and then it's all down hill.

Confidence shot, skills nowhere. If you can't get simple 2 metre handballs to reach their target ...

Apart from anything else, this thread just shows how out of touch many here are with the realities of professional sport.

Congrats to both of you. Just to clarify, if I may, if this was on the cards yesterday, why was Smith named in the side in the first place?

Not so much. Anything to help get Fritsch back up the ground where he belongs is a step in the right direction IMV. Also, Fritsch forward frees up Petracca to do some of the on-ball heavy lifting. Of course, best laid plans ...