binman

Yep, King gave us a huge pump up, tracc this, defence that. But at the end of the show they all gave their predictions. Bizarrely, given his huge pump up of the dees, and picking us as flag winners after our win over the Tigers, King picked the Pies to be the premier, with lions runner up. Somehow King arrived at the dees not even making the Grand Final. He also said that the Pies should get 75% of the tickets sold for the QF because as the home home team, and having finished on top, they have earned the benefit they would get from a pro Pies crowd.

That is a very good point. Daicos would surely be touch and go to play. Six weeks was preliminary final i thought. Even if he plays, it's not a game he can ease into, and will get no time and space. Or peace. And for Moore every day matters given his history of hamstring issues. A chilly Melbourne Thursday night won't help his cause much either.

Yeah, that's my guess too.

That's one of my favorite wins for long time. A team with such pride in the jumper that instead of taking the easy, cruisy path, as highlighted in the fox stats noted above, they dug in and said, nup, the dees win. Just fantastic. I am so proud to be a dees fans.

First time in the game day thread, once the game starts that is, for me in a couple or seasons. Quite a vibe - can imagine it would be fun in a game that had something riding it and we were losing. Some random comments: What's with the ragging on Hunter? It's 2023 - do people not understand he has a specific role, which he is playing to a very high standard? Turner doing well. His ability to zone off and work rate and pace to be a handball receive option is why he is in ahead of tomo, and why he is genuine chance to remain in the team May moving well, which is brilliant. Love him pushing up high. Dees playing 2 and 3 less at the stoppages in order to have players behind the ball is genius. Feeding our intercept game and remarkably we are plus 7 foe clearances. Love the focus on deefence. See you all in the post match thread

It's a joke. Such an infuriating rule. E Often either turns out not to he an advantage, or in the event every just stops, an unfair disadvantage to the team the free has been paid against.

They look in great nick. Sparrow, tracc and riv all look in the best shape I've seen them.

Port players are playing like they are scared of copping a pre finals injury.

Another 5 years or so of top 4 finishes and i might look back to that time wistfully. Not yet but.

MFCSS IS like syphilis- it never leaves the body. Ready to flare at any time

Yes. A possibility. But we then have the chance to do the same.

That's right. But it was more luck than good management, in the sense they were lucky they had a decent angle on it - the Fox coverage angle I'm guessing. It was just as likely for there not to be an angle, or frame good enough to over rule the soft call. And the point would have stood, as it did for tracc's goal.

A much, much better match up in my view. The Lions are a very good team who have modified their system to beat us - primarily with that chip mark, control game they use. And unlike the Pies, they also have a forward line that if it clicked at the same time, and they took all their chances, could run up a very big score. I am much more confident of beating the Pies, who will have no Daicos and Moore first game back from a hammy.

I'm confused. Did you not read my post? We won't play the pies week one if the saints win this game. If the saints and the dees win: We will play Port IN Adelaide if they beat tigers (which they will). Or if port lose we will play the lions at the g.

Huh?

Sure. But if they lose, port wins and we win we play port at Adelaide oval week one of finals.

Why?

C'mon lions ffs. What a boring, low skill game.

Never cared about the death ride anyway......

That's the thing - they weren't the pinging pies that day. We completely took away their running, transition game by pressing up, creating density and choking their outlet handball. And the Pies looked flat that day too (the flu, loading). So tomo wasn't really ever exposed by fast transition in that game. The pies will be a different proposition in a QF. Have to plan for them to get their the game on their terms at some point in the game. Last week Tomo was exposed at least three times when the Hawks got inside their 50 quickly by a young forward he simply couldn't go with. Why do yo think Goody subbed Tomo (for the second match in a row) and didn't pick him this week?

He's played a game a half. And looked terrific until he broke his jaw in his first game

Speed is my guess. Footy game plans shift and change but in the main follow the template provided by the teams winning premierships. The tigers set the template in 2017 and every flag since, bar one (the eagles in 2018) has been won using the same basic method - contest, defence, pressure and territory. In order to break down that method, particularly the defensive elements, Mcrae introduced a tactical tweak with the ultra fast ball movement from the back half. Adelaide have adopted a similar model (though they don't take as many risks defensively) and the Hawks have taken that model and given it further tweak. What i find interesting is that the Pies model has not won a flag, and it vulnerabilities have already been exposed and exploited (the pies are ridiculously vulnerable to goals on the counter becuase their defenders all participate in that wave running they do, leaving no-one behind the ball) but it is def had an impact on how the best teams play. And that impact is the importance of leg speed. Having enough players who are both quick off the mark and can cover ground at a reasonable clip is now super important - particularly in the back half becuase the faster transition game has also resulted in smaller forward lines, so more medium forwards who are quick and less lumbering talls like BB. I suspect a key reason goody likes Smith in the team is his acceleration from a standing start and his sprint speed. And i suspect why they are having a look at turner for the key position down back is he is quick of the mark and has a good cruising speed. Tomo covers the ground well enough once he gets going, though is still no gazelle, but he is dead slow off the mark. And with the ball coming in quick from fast transition the way it will when we play the Pies that is problem - as we saw a couple of times against the hawks. Not much a defender can do when the ball pings from the other end of the ground, there isn't time to set up a zone and a forward leads into an open leading lane. Their only hope is to have the speed to ensure the forward doesn't get separation. Tomo hasn't got that speed. And that lack of acceleration from a standing start means Tomo really can only play the one on one key defender role, not the hybrid one one one/zone off/intercepting role that petty plays when down back. Disco is pretty good one on one, quick from a standing start, an excellent intercept mark and zones of super well. And has good cruising speed. Good move i reckon.

None? Are you serious? 70% of the premiership team played in front of consecutive sold out finals at the g and in a losing preliminary (at optus oval, where they won the prelim and flag in 2021) in 2018.

This could be on the banner (with the grand final banner having the bar complety full and instead of loading - loaded):

Remind me again how Port, Pies and the Lions went in last year's finals.