binman

Talent scout

I think that is a completely reasonable concern. My take is they would have been loath to not go with three talls, but did so because: - slippery conditions mean Cox and Cameron are unlikely to clunk many marks inside their 50, so neither are a huge threat because once the ball hits the deck they offer nothing - Lever will probably get mcstay, but with the slippery conditions mcstay wont clunk many marks so lever can still zone off without too much risk and isn't going to be exposed one on one the way he would in dry conditions - Elliot is key, a big game player that we need to contain. Hibbo is the perfect player to take him - we have two tall forwards in smith and tmac who can go back if it becomes clear we need a third tall defender - tomo is too slow, and Turner a risk given his inexperience (but I reckon he'll play in the prelim should we win and it's dry) - hibbo's experience, strength and attack on the ball will be super valuable in a game that may prove to be the decisive, and most intense final we play - a huge 50 50 crowd (unlike the gf which is 30% theatre goers) against the old enemy and flag favourites

No it's not. The sub has to come from the emergencies. And no way tomo is sub.

No he didn't. I can't see tomo being a sub. It will be Laurie or jordon

Mcrae said he'd be sub. But formal announcement is an hour before game.

Unless it becomes clear we need a third tall at some point in the match, Smith wont play back (IMO). Why would he? Hibbo comes in for turner as a defender so they don't need anyone else to go back. I'm tipping Smith plays on murphy and looks to negate his intercept marking

My first thought was perhaps its about wanting to make the team as fast as possible, but Noble is pretty quick isnt he? McCreery was always going to come in, so someone had to make way. Maybe they figured we would go with tmac and so wanted to go a bit taller in defence? He isn't their best kick, and they really have to minimize their turnovers so that might be a factor. And perhaps he has paid the price for their leaky defence. That said, i'm surprised they selected Markov ahead of Noble.

Tap in birdie

Really great sign, on the back of koz resigning, an Aboriginal player wants to come to the dees. Suggests they have really got the cultural safety stuff right. Compare and contrast to the crows. Their most popular player, tex, gets suspended for racist comments about an Aboriginal player and then there is the whole camp nightmare and a loved figure like Eddie betts leaving the club because it the cl7b is not cultural safe.

My guess: Tmac in. Smith in the starting 22. Laurie on the bench The other possibility i can see is hibberd comes in for turner. Or perhaps Salem given he had not found his best form. That said I really can't see salo not being selected.

What's his kicking like? I wouldn't be bringing in any player the draft or trade period who isn't an elite kick.

This is first class analysis of the four finals games. Some of the best analysis I've heard - clear, makes sense and well articulated. Davis is very impressive. He does the dees game first.

.....Franks?

Nothing could be furter from the truth

Yep, I think smith will be in the 22 and he Tmac and Fritsch will all play forward. And I reckon Smith might go to Murphy and look to negate his intercept marking

Excellent timing by Smithy and his partner - and bubs!

I'll take this: Evening 9/7 12° RealFeel® 8° Occasional rain and drizzle WindWSW 19 km/h Wind Gusts48 km/h Humidity79% Dew Point10° Probability of Precipitation60% Precipitation0.7 mm Rain0.7 mm Cloud Cover76%

Tommy mac is our Snake Baker - a gun forward who comes in to dominate the finals:

No sleep 'till Melbourne!

I guess Jordan wasn't singing a mosified version of this prior to training then: (I don't wanna be in the ones, don't wanna be in the ones, I don't want to be in the ooooones!!!)

Good points Smith is chaos, but is also a good kick for goal.

Sanderson was referring to a pre finals additional heavy loading phase, not the standard mid season loading phase. Which is what selwood was talking about in the comments they referenced (it was a mid season on ground, post match interview). The query about loading was whether the pies poor form was a result of late season loading, not mid season. There is no way sport scientists, for all the reasons Sanderson says he wouldnt do it, be recommending teams do a heavy block of additional (ie on top of game and normal training loads) training loads on the eve of the finals. For one thing the increased risk of sof tissue injury might mean players miss the first week of finals. Like us in 2021 and again this year, the cats at the corresponding point in the season (eve of finals) were humming, running out games and playing their best footy because they got their program right. The pies would have followed a similar program, ie a mid season 6-8 week loading phase, with a taper onto the finals. If it worked they should have been playing their best footy over the last 4 rounds or so (when history shows premiers are playing their best footy). But they haven't been. Like us last year, something has not worked. Like Sanderson says there is no way teams want to be playing with 'heavy legs' going into finals. And that is how they look. With a two week break, the pies will be as fresh as they have been for months. So we can expect them to be at their running best in the first half and first half of the 3rd quarter. Bur if I'm right about their conditioning they will struggle late in quarters and gassed in the last. I really think the pies need to grab a break on us to geat us. If they don't have a 2-3 goal leaf at 3 quarter time they are toast.

Totally agree. In fact, ironically, given all the rubbish about our supposed connection and efficiency issues, his ability to convert and take his chances hasn't really been highlighted as a big loss. It's all been about his ability to negate the oppos best intercept marking defender. And you make a good point. As I've heard melksham say, when it is crowded inside 50, like all forwards he leads to the empty space that is available and that the oppo give- and that's the pockets when it is congested.

No, it's not - though the more skilled kicks we can squeeze into the team the more snaps under pressure (because of the congestion inside 50) will go thru. An irony of our model is against non contenders we smash them for time in forward half, say 60-40 and inside 50s so it is actually harder to be 'efficient' in terms of scores per inside 50 (because of the congestion inside 50). Against the better teams we might only win time in forward half 55-45 and so there is less reentries and less congestion inside 50. And greater efficiency.

I thought that was fascinating too. He hasn't mentioned it on 360 as far I know. Funny to hear him feign ignorance. The damn wall is starting to break. Loading will be fully analysed and discussed in the next couple of years. With the selwood comment he wreferencing selwood's mid season comments last season about their loading in the bye period.