binman

And even if he does play he's not going to be fully fit - he's been off legs for weeks. From the giants' website: Meanwhile, Tom Green (calf) has returned to running and will be pushing for an early return in round one. Which by the by points to an important consideration when assessing the impact of injuries on individual player's and team's preseason - not all injuries are created equal, so to speak. Any injury in preseason that limits how much running a player can do has an outsize impact because if players don't get the optimal miles in their legs they will never reach optimal fitness - and they can't make it up in season. The pre Xmas break is particularly important because that's when they do the bulk of their running. They might start off ok but as the season wears on the impact of a sub optimal preseason will kick in. For that reason, I suspect Nick Daicos will hit the wall at some point late in the season because his planta fascia injury severely limited his running pre Xmas. If a team has too many such players they are in trouble at the back end of the season - which is precisely what happened to us last year (by the by that's where I got it wrong in my prediction right before the season started about where we would finish. I failed to factor in how many players had injuries that impacted their running - off the top of my head that list included tmac, spargo, McAdams, Lever, Petty, Salem, Brown, May? and clarry - well not really an injury as such, but certainly no running). Injuries that don't impede a players capacity to get the miles in might impact their ability do specific strength training or participate in drills but don't have the same impact on their aerobic capacity. (On aerobic capacity it's worth noting that it is iterative - that's to say with each preseason players go up a level, building on the aerobic base developed in previous preseasons. That means the impact of a sub optimal preseason carries forward to the next one). Take Maxy's larynx injury. Apparently that was a pretty serious injury. Maxy couldn't do match sims, drills and the like, and presumably some strength training. But he could run - and by all accounts run he did. Maxy reckons aerobically he is the fittest he has EVER been - which is remarkable given how fit he has been over the last 6 years or so.

We could help it along by having someone lean over the players race with a dees jumper with his name on it when we play freo. @Demonland can you please photo shop that image

That's a great analysis Harvey, I'll discuss it next week. My thought was perhaps it was in part about trialling strategy to mitigate frees big advantage over us - their leg speed. That may well be the case but your post highlights another possible purpose - to minimise our turnovers. When it is all said and done our biggest issue implementing the transition game last season, and the key cause of most of our losses, was how frequently we turned the ball over in the middle third of the ground. It killed us. So given there is no magic bullet (ie we are not magically going to improve our kicking skills - the players we have are the players we have) it makes perfect sense to develop strategies to reduce the risk of turnovers. Think of how many games we lost last year by a goal or two - even a small reduction in the number of turnovers will have an outsize benefit. Controlling the ball in the way you describe decreases the risk or turnover considerably. One, the focus is on getting the ball in the hands of the right players And two, it means you don't go forward until there is an option, reducing the need for the long bomb (and therefore less aerial contests for Max to get smashed in) and/or high risk kicks. It's worth noting that controlling the ball with short kicks to a lead up target has long been a key feature of the Lions' method (albeit less side to side).

Any chance you could sling me some of your meds - they sound fun.

A case could be made the High-Performance Manager is now the most important nonplaying role in footy, including senior and assistant coaches.

Chandler's TOG was 84%. Woeful disposal numbers, with 3 kicks and no handballs. The AFL stats are a joke, for example, like hits outs, the clearance number is a rubbish indicator - it just measures quantity not quality, impact or outcome. The key clearance related stat is scores from clearances - which is not on the AFL website despite them owning a share in Champion data. There's no sugarcoating Chin's disposal numbers but playing as the small forward (playing Koz's old role) his key KPI is pressure. And the AFL site doesn't have that data (though i'd note he only laid 2 tackles, only one of which was inside 50 - by way of comparison Clarry and Fritter, yes fritter, had 2 inside 50 tackles). The other important stat for Chin (that the AFL actually does have, but not for this match) are the total distance he covers in a match and the distance he covers at speed. That data is available, though frustratingly only for the for the top 5 players at the Telstra tracker section of the AFL app. That data is really important as an indicator for our high half forwards, a role Chin played last year, given how important those players' defensive and offensive running is (ie to defend turnover and provide options ahead of the ball on transition). it is less relevant if Chin is playing a true small forward, but important, nonetheless.

We have def struggled against freo in the last few seasons, though the timing of the games hasn't helped as most have been just before or just after our mid season bye. I think our biggest challenge against freo is their leg speed. I'll be interested to see how we go on that front today. Improvement in leg speed won't really come from our new draftees or trades though Sharp is, well, pretty Sharp (but so was nibbla). It will come from their training regime - whether they have they had a focus on building leg speed, if yes has it been successful and how fit are they (critical because it's about ability to maintain speed over the whole match). That said, having koz as a mid helps as he we can utilise his speed all over the ground, and the same is probably true of langdon. Anf Windsor at half back means he will be in the game more and be better placed to use his speed to provide defensive cover on turnover (something we struggled with in the back half of last year).

I hadn't opened this thread, so started post from last September. Some interesting takes. This post will age a lot better than some of the other takes - you nailed DS. Great comment about the similarities to Kelly, I hadn't thought of that comparison - it's a good one I love this kid, and think he has huge upside. As you note can play mutiple roles, is tough, and is exactly the sort of player we have been crying our for. And seems like he is a natural leader.

Can I take a Mulligan?

Where's the thinking emoji when you need one!

Don't do it to me Goody.

Sure, but its padded out with players who are ready to go - Chandler played last week, ditto Koz, Trac could have and will play this week, ditto Viney. And it's kind of weird including suspended players. Key is how many best 22 are on the list i reckon. Leaving aside Chandler, Viney, Tracc (who are all good to go) and Koz by my reckoning there are only two best 22 locks - Windsor and Mcveee (Kolt is probably close to best 22 too i guess).

What are you reading atm? I've heard Lord of the replies is good.

Nibbla.

Yes I'm quoting this post but I didn't read it. Don't bother replying.

No it doesn't.

Curious, how do you read a reaction? And what happens if you accidentally see an emoji that has been added to one of your posts? Once seen, never unseen? Or do you try and convince yourself, Schulz stylee, that you saw 'nothink'?

Yeah, you're prob right about the benefit of Koz playing from a fitness perspective. But if Koz doesn't play, come round four it will be seven weeks since he has played in a competitive inter team match. If he plays, its six weeks between proper hit outs. One less week doesn't sound much, but in terms of match 'touch' it might be a factor in their thinking about selecting him this week.

Interesting point. As you say koz had had two sold hit outs already. And obviously he's not playing in the first 3 rounds. That could mean them running with the team they might go with round one. That said missing the first three rounds might mean they want to take the opportunity to get one more match load and fitness into koz.

We're on the same page there Rjay - in 30 years people will look back in horror at the wall-to-wall sports betting advertising and how embedded it's become in footy the way we look back at Big tobacco sponsoring Australian Cricket (not to mention touring cars, footy etc etc) and cigarettes being advertised all over the place (in my mind's eye i still see Benson's and Hedges gold livery when i think back to cricket in the 70s - no coincidence that until i gave up smoking when i was 30 my go to was Benson and Hedges Extra Mild)

No way of getting rid of betting on AFL - unless all sports betting is banned, which ain't gonna happen. And even if it did a million illegal off shore betting sites would fill the void (you can bet on Victoria Soccer League games on such sites such is their ubiquity). But i 1000% agree the promotion and advertising of betting should have severe limits placed on it - eg never during games, never embedded in footy shows, only after 9pm etc etc. And the AFL, clubs and all sporting clubs should be forced to stop taking any gambling related advertising revenue and/or sponsorships. All that said, whilst i fully acknowledge the deleterious impactbof sports betting I really enjoy punting on the footy. And a thread on demonland for like minded people is not a bad idea, particularly if people such as myself don't put punting related posts in other threads.

4-6?

Sockos go on Legos.

Love that we've added another leftie.

It's been stolen?