bing181

Laughable.

Yes. And after he spent time at Casey being coached to do so.

Agree that Hannan earned his call-up (while missing a gettable set shot), let's see if he can back it up. He's done this before (more or less), good first game back in the firsts from Casey, but then faded from then on to end up being dropped again. Kent started to show a few more smarts, has put his time at Casey to good use. Still see him as a bit of a loose cannon, and he tends to rack up the Frees Against, but if he can get the job done, he'll have earned his place. I actually don't think we'll take these 3 plus Spargo into the finals, as much as anything because all 3 tend to flash in/out of games, which you can't afford once everything goes up a notch. But ... ?? Going to learn a lot next week, but don't think too many players will be putting in short steps.

Agree - but it's because he's not really a one on one defender. He doesn't have the body strength, nor the experience, he's more the sweeper role down back. Fritstch is better further up the ground, either forward or wing, which for me is a case for including a more specialist defender, though not sure who ... Joel Smith when he comes back or as you mention, Wagner?

If we can win one final would be a bonus, but don't think we can go much further than that. Would be very different with Lever, Hogan and Viney, but you can't take out that kind of talent, all of whom play key roles, and still expect to perform at the pointy end.

Bittersweet for Stretch, Hogan and Lever (at least).

Sure, but who do you bring in? Apart from JKH who's not much of an upgrade on Spargo in any case, cupboard is pretty bare at Casey.

Not for GWS, but I'd be getting Joel Smith back in ASAP so we can move Fritsch back up the field (wing/forward) where he can do more damage. He's handy as a sweeper/loose man across the back line, but isn't strong/experienced enough to be playing as a one-on-one defender - Exhibit A being that mark that LeCras took on him. With finals looming though, none of Hannan, Kent or VDB would want to put in a dud game next week.

Club are probably safe now in sending out details on how to get finals seats.

From what I can see: - if we lose against GWS we get the looser of Swans/Hawks. - if we win against GWS, probably get Geelong.

Posted this on the Post-Match thread, but does anyone have any idea who we might be playing first up in the finals (depending on win/loose against GWS)?

Does anyone have any predictions as to who we might face in the finals if we win/loose?

Yes. Another one that could have really made a difference against the Swans. Was missed. Let's hope we can get Viney (at least) back in for the finals.

So many times Goodwin goes on about learning, and taking opportunities to grow, etc. etc. Not just hot air, and we saw today what it means. More than anything, what impressed me today was that for the first time we started to show what we've so often sorely missed: maturity.

Would be cruel to lose this, we've done enough. But there are two teams out there, so ...

Yes, because selectors just queue up to select players who aren't up to it.

This. Harmes especially, even his handballs are hit and miss. These boys will take time.

Great quarter, but disposal and composure under pressure (and even not under pressure) still our Achilles heel. Can't question the intent, but we're still pretty rough around the edges.

You only have to look at this thread for confirmation that he was right. Self-indulgent wallowing.

More like mistaking emotions for judgement (reason). In reality, emotions are a necessary component of decision-making. People who for whatever reason (brain damage/accidents) don't have access to their emotions are almost incapable of making even the simplest decision (what will I have for breakfast). It has to be said though, that all this irrationality is there for a reason. We made it to the top of the evolutionary tree not because we make better decisions, but because we got very good at making decisions efficiently (time/energy). But efficiency doesn't always equal accuracy and the corner-cutting that our brains are programmed to do comes at a price. Go Dees.

Q.E.D.

Not quite idiots, but it would take a page or so on behavioural economics, cognitive biases and heuristics to explore further, with a few quotes from Daniel Kahneman thrown in for good measure. We like to think of ourselves as thinking machines who feel, but in reality we're feeling machines who think. So we spend our lives making up stories to explain what we feel, where the easier those stories are to make up, the more we're convinced that they correspond with what happened. In short, w'ere not idiots, but we are predictably irrational.

It's also about games played, and just as importantly, games played *together*. Re the former, worth remembering that Max Gawn has played less than 100 games. Apart from Grundy, most other decent rucks in the competition are all around/over 200 games. (McEvoy, Goldstein, Ryder are the ones leading the ratings)

Return key stuck?

3 due to injury or coming back from injury. Hibberd replaces Hunt, but Melksham isn't the replacement for Hogan, Weideman is.