John Crow Batty

Joel Smith says hi. Almost like for like.

Losing every game in almost identical fashion indicates to me that the opposition are not better teams but is because of our inflexible game plan and tactics. The better opposition clubs as well as lesser clubs despite their differing game styles and talent bespoke tailored their game to implement virtually identical strategy and tactics. It’s like there is a handbook out there on how to beat Melbourne. Just tick off the boxes. Our coaching staff paralysed by their own over confidence and hubris.

It has been frustrating to watch him in his past few games. In great position to mark but drops them all.

I am worrying that Goodwin is going the way of Ross Lyon. Lyon unlucky not to get a flag but burned out both Saints and Freo quickly due to his inflexible game style and playing same favourite players with no regeneration.

I thought pre game given Daniher’s absence it would have been a smart move to play Petty forward to help BB. Daniher’s replacement Fullerton is a complete spud. It is such a waste that Smith was not given a chance to play as well.

Sounds like a swipe to the coach.

Should have put Smith on at three quarter time. Shifted petty forward then.

called it pre game. Put Petty forward for the extra tall. Moved down when game nearly lost.

If we are too tall back maybe an opportunity, to shift Petty forward to help out BB?

There won’t be another QB game for a very long time. The next two line heirs after Charles are male.

Time to get fair dinkum. No picking and choosing to play our best. I want to see our run of success continue.

The queen is a distant (unofficial) cousin of mine. Edward the 7th my great great grandfather who indulged in hanky panky with my servant girl great great grandmother when he was a young man studying in Italy for a couple years in the 1850’s. At least our branch escaped the inbreeding. Not a fan of royalty but she was a noble and decent woman.

Charlie Spargo communicating.

In our losses it’s been -132 in last quarters. We get hammered bad in last quarters by good sides.

Should have played when we took him to Perth as an emergency and against Norf. Most clubs blood several or more new debutants every season for regeneration purposes. We have only debuted Daniel Turner for one game. Dunstan doesn’t count and Chandler also deserved at least a full game somewhere. Out of form players or injured are not being dropped or are being replaced with fringe players that have been around a while. It’s not ideal particularly since we have been going stale for most of the second half of the season.

We got a heads up on Saturday of what was going to happen when Gil and Stokes were filmed seated together at Saturday’s Freo Bulldogs final.

Melksham on the run, snap, around the corner and banana is deadly but hopeless on regulation set shots.

First swans loss we concede 3-4 goals to soft frees. Ditto second loss to Collingwood. QF against swans concede 3 50 metre penalties. All made a big difference.

50 metre penalty goals conceded are momentum killers. Do more damage than just 6 points a pop especially in tightly contested games.

Its not a losing strategy. Its when we fail preventing the opposition to clear out from the pocket that’s the problem. Poor forward pressure is when it breaks down. When we lock it in and deny the opposition to clear defence we do well. This strategy won us a flag and and got us top two this season.

We have our backs to the wall now. Do or die. Let’s see if this makes a change to the dynamics to the way we play. Due to early wins banked we have been in a comfort zone with most losses having little effect on our standing. We have let other sides pressure us with too much reciprocating.

Collingwood coach sooking and criticising his players for looking “defeatist” after the hard fought game as well as complaining about umpires letting the game flow. Another sore loser coach in the making.

Freo play 2nd gamer Amiss and he did very well in the absence of Taberner. Perhaps a reminder to Goodwin that it might be time to debut VDR next game.

Ginnivan useless but unlucky with that push in the back but as is his signature style, he put too much mayo on it and put the umpires off.

Not like that anally umpired game last night.