monoccular

Maybe the Eagles should drag their ex coach / pharmacist out of retirement for one last fling next week! And our guys need to consider building up percentage whenever they get an opportunity. BNE will pass us next week more than likely.

Watching the Tigers in decline should remind all our players (and management / staff etc) that though they had great success over 5 years or so, without constant renewal of list and of game plans glory can be very fleeting. We need to make the most of every season while we are "in the window".

Geezzz. I didn't realise that there was a game on tonight. Half time BNR 9.7 Times 1.7 We now have little chance of finishing top two, so 3 or 4 will (probably) be our goal. And which would be better for us will obviously depend on Port and Magpies being 1 or 2. Whatever, it would probably be best for us to be 4 if Collingwood is 1, or 3 if they are 2. PS how bad are the Tigers??

I heard Ox speak at a sportsman's night maybe 5 years ago. He was really very passionate and quite moving in his revelations of the "near miss" he had with his gambling addiction. All these advertisements at breaks with Nathan Brown in particular, just feed the potential for addiction despite the token "gamble responsibly" and the adverts for gamblers' help after the ads. When listening to radio I just change stations whenever these come on, and on TV I just mute and do something else. It is all pervasive.

Latest forecast I can get is 7 degrees and rain until 2 or 3 pm. So unseasonal. Winter days are usually warm, not hot, and dry.

Great report thanks mr fence COOLX - I guess what some here think or don’t think won’t change the outcome but, as with most “project rucks” if even one turns out to be an AFL mid level ruckman that will be great, and if both better than that, then WOW!

So, is this a Henry thread or a Collingwood thread?

binman - I hope that you may be able to make some sense of these statistics on your next podcast. How are the key stats derived, and what do they actually mean? Are we actually heading right on track? Oh, and is loading a factor that needs to be taken into account in the interpretation of these data? 🙂

Interesting kev - do you mean an extra 30 minutes intensive training after short breaks? As you pint out though much of the “loading” would probably involve gym work away from prying eyes. Surely it depend on what the problem is. Leaving on Saturday for a Sunday game with community work as well? Sounds a bit strange. I understand that in the past they would go up mid week.

I am sure they would if they could - and probably will as soon as they figure out how to do so. Next - air?? Fuel taxes are a major revenue source already ... so, too late Will have to ask Nathan Brown or Dale Thomas to quote those odds.

Hopefully you are excluding JVR and McVee only because they didn't play in 2022.

Not sure if I agree with this or not 🤔 Problem since round 1 anyway, is the crumbing forwards Chandler and Pickett haven't been doing the crumbing job very well. Instructions? Opposition piking them up? In Kozzie's case, trying for the specie instead? DeeSpencer - if all you say is true then we will be contesting WCE for the 🥄 I have been concerned for decades that our forwards do not split and spread, obviously one of which is a "dummy lead" with no chance of getting the ball, but by drawing a defender with them it would have the effect of depopulating the defence. Is this a reasonable option, at least some of the time?

I wasn't at the game - not many visiting supporters ever do down there 🤮 even if they want to - and relying on TV to get a broad view of the game is impossible as they love to zoom in or more recently show the players legs at ground level. Was anyone "on" Rowan?? He seemed to have free rein from what I saw.

Although Clarrie was running. maybe he has yet to regain full fitness - he would have lost more form his infection than the hamstring per se.

And, Bobby, no coincidence that there was no feral crowd that night to intimidate the umpires. Though, of course, we’re we’re clearly the best team of the year.

Surely, if not actually leading in the traditional Lockett / Dunstall sense, spreading rather than clustering, with the kick into whatever space there is, is a better option than the bomb to the pack?

Maybe he [Yze] should take the current mob out and show them the benefit of hard work on this vital skill.

I am sure binman will be able to tell us if we are banged up, or just loading. I don't believe that our list is nearly as 'banged up' as they were in 2022, so the loading theory is sounding more feasible.

Actually the AFL find it very easy to contrive a FIXture, which is why we play there more than any other club.

Was that 6th word a typo or a descriptive term for their ground? Surprised it passed the auto censor 😮 The answer of course is that we are Melbourne and they are Collingwood, and Geelong get to pick and choose who they play where - the AFL have no interest whatsoever in fairness of the FIXture. It is all about $$$$$.

There is some sort of stat relating to retention inside 50. Not sure where it is or where we stand - I believe that it was at one time one of our strengths. Panel - can you comment please?

I am so conflicted by this game (Freo v Ess) .... can it be a nil all draw with zero points for either side?

Would love it to be us over Geelong.

Thanks again guys for your insightful analysis of our beloved club's performances. I think it was binman who last week predicted a loss on the back of 'loading' - do you still feel that this was the basis of our loss, and in particular our very poor final quarter. Or is their something more fundamental, like lack of direction in our mid / forward connection and forward leading patterns (having an ex-ruckman as forward coach, or our current inexperienced sole big forward, who is despite all is progressing beautifully in his development?) It is becoming incredibly frustrating to watch the wastage of our forward thrusts, both failing to get the ball, and when we do, poor conversion. Why so different to 2021? (No BBB or TMcD of course must be a factor). Can Petty, JVR and Smith all fit in the same forward line? One less small, and maybe the ruckman dropping behind the ball rather than pretending to be marking forwards, with both Smith and Fritsch being hybrid tallish. marking, quick and pressuring. The classic smalls (Kozzie, Chandler and maybe ANB) are not scoring or contributing enough, though Kozzie did get 2 goals Thursday.

Do our forwards not lead towards space because they know that leads will not be honoured, or that the kicker lacks the skills and poise to deliver to a lead? Alternatively are they just lazy, or poorly coached / drilled? At present they all seem to congregate together and fly for the big bomb. If even one, not necessarily the biggest, broke for a lead surely a defender would have to follow him or block him, lessening the congestion even if the long bomb was eventually used. Or maybe all opponents have worked out our 'plan' and join the pack under the. bomb.