binman

I take your point about Saturday to Saturday, but the coaches, Selwyn Griffith and players call it a 9 day break, so I'll go with that.

That answers those 2 questions kev - literally only a 4 day break and they can train on weekends. Mcrae said their players are not back on deck till next Monday, meaning their players get six days away from the club, and our only four. The pies don't play till Sunday week, meaning an 11 day break over tbeir bye period to our 9 days.

Not that unlikely I don't reckon. The pies could slip to 3rd or 4th. The lions could finish top or 2nd. And even if the pies play week one at the g, a scenario could unfold like last year, where they have to play interstate.

I'm not saying the gabba is an impediment winning a flag. In fact i of itself, it's a huge advantage because of the unusual conditions weather wise mean the lions will always have a huge home ground advantage - as evidenced by their crazy good record there. That record almost guarantees at least finals every year. So that s a big leg up in terms of their chances of winning a flag. I'm saying the current game plan and list the lions has developed, consciously or unconsciously, is driven by the conditions they play in. It increases their chances of winning at the gabba. But decreases their chances of winning everywhere else (except maybe on small grounds like taxpayer park and docklands). They are way too slow. That lack of pace is not exposed on a slippery night at the gabba because the hames always devolve into lots of stoppages and contests. Lions main scoring source is from stoppages and clearnces. So their game is perfect for night games at the gabba. A good example is their win over the pies up there. But footy now is about scorimg from turnovers and transition. And transition is quick, with wave running. And if turned over, requires pace of those same wave runners to get back in defence. And away from the gabba the lions literraly can't keep up - on offence or defence. Footy back when tbey won their 3 flags was all about the contest. Which suited the lions with their incredible, tough, strong, deep midfield. They haven't adapted since.

That exactly right. And is why talk of a mcg hoodoo is ridiculous (and yes one more ridiculous media narrative to add to the pile). The MCG is not the problem. Their list and game plan is.

I did that once. Well, turns our I was dreaming and just fell out of my hospital bed.

The Gabba is a double edged sword for the lions. They have a phenomenal record up there. It must be the best home record in the AFL, surely. Geelong wouldn't be far behind I guess. Every season they bank good points from their home games. But most games are at night, and it is almost always humid and slippery, so the ball is on the deck and the conditions are tough going. The conditions suit contest to contest, tough footy. And that's basically the lions game plan in a nutshell. Meat and potatoes footy. Works well at the gabba, but not so well elsewhere, particularly at the G, where the extra space and better conditions expose their lack of leg speed. That's the other edge. Build a game plan and list, by design or otherwise, to maximise wins at gabba. Gets them to top 4, so big upside. But if the game plan and list can't deliver a flag they're stuck if they don't change something.

Lions have got a real issue with forward connection.

The fox crew got struck right into fritter at half time, or post match for supposedly staging. I think it was Johnson who had the footage pulled up to make that accusation.

I'm really looking forward to selection for the cats. They have followed through on the preseason talk of being more flexible in terms of how they manage players (though goody will never being too many in unlike say bevo - values predictability too highly for that) - Flexible both in terms of player management (eg hibbo, salo coming straight back in) and on field strategies like time on the ground and rolling more players through the middle. Is this a target game? If so, they pick their best 23. But if not, maybe they manage some players. So maybe give jvr a spell? Easy to forget he is only nineteen. Or maybe even give Maxy a chance to have a good break, and give brodie a solid run in the ruck in the process, perhaps wth smith giving him a chop out. Petty was listed as a week on Monday - will they bring him in for the cats game? Or wait till the giants game, which would give him another full 9 day break? Could chin do with a spell? Kozzie? Spargo looks to be paddling a hit. Maybe Laurie can come in for him. Or they find a way to give Howes or woey a run? They'll go with the analytics and their their elite coaching skills and knowledge. I'll go with the vibe and suggest some new faces and some different roles will create a buzz and some energy in what could otherwise be a cold mid winter slog on the worst ground in footy. And will increase our chances of winning. Nek minit; no changes.

Stengle is my guess

It funny you should say that, i was gob smacked. I can't recall who it was, or whether was half time or post-match analysis, but it was fox. And as you say they accused Fritter of being a stager. Which is pretty harsh accusation given the implication of being a cheat. Then they showed the video, which to me showed the Pies player (murphy?) bumping Fritter pretty hard, and certainly when he wasn't expecting contact. As you say, absolutely a free very day of the week. Maybe it was Dunstall who then said blocks should be paid, but otherwise they all simply ignored what the video showed - Fritter did not stage for that that free. And so not did not retract their accusation of staging. Yet another example of media narrative not supported by evidence - in this case Fritter is a stager. That was such a stupid free to give away. Completely unnecessary. I would have thought a much more relevant discussion for people supposedly analyzing the game would have been to question the discipline of the Pies or whether they were frustrated about the strategy to have Fritter shadow Moore and were trying to break that tag.

Goody has banged on about our lack of connection EVERY post game talk? What alternate reality is this? One, the only thing he was asked about in relation to our forward line up until after the hawks win is what our best line up looks like. Connection NEVER came up! Why? Because we were a scoring machine, having scored more than 100 points in five of the nine games we had played after demolishing the hawks (when we again broke the ton - with only 2 less scoring shots than against the pies i might add) - including scores of 115, 135, 126, 139! Oh, he was also often asked about, and spoke to, our stunning accuracy (still #AFL 1). Actually now that I think about it, he also spoke about our nuts spread of goal kickers (AFL#1), including our record breaking spread in the hawks game. In his pressers since the port game, in response to ignorant questions about our forward line and supposed connection issues, Goody has pointed out MULTIPLE times that we are the highest scoring team as evidence of good connection and a forward line that is functioning well. And again after the pies win, when asked about accuracy, he couldn't have been more emphatic - it was 'the least of our problems', noting that accuracy had only been a problem in the previous 3 games. By the by, it is worth noting that in those 3 games (port, freo, blues) we still had more than 20 scoring shots, which again makes a lie of any supposed connection issues. In fact the only time I can recall Goody talking about forward connection in anythimg but a postive way was in the presser following the pies game. Having already said scoring is not an issue for us (we had just had 26 scoring shots for petes sake), he was again asked a stupid question about connection and he said something about the new mix of players and young players taking time to build synergy. King is not making it up or pulling it from a rabbits hat? Of course he is. That's my point. When I talk about why it is an issue when the media pushes some stupid false narrative that the objective facts completely contradict, it is because it distorts fans understanding of the game. And the problem is compounded because fans accept and then reinforce the false narrative. And in this example (the connection myth), ignore the objective facts. It is mind boggling.

Nibbker can't play down back? He should stop spending so much time down there then. And Smith can play down back? I think it's fair to say that's not the consensus on demonland.

I like to state the bleeding obvious in 10, 000 word or more.

I don't like much of King's analysis (as i think i might have noted previously - i'll have to check), but he mixes some average analysis with some really good stuff. In particular his use of video is terrific, as per the Rich example. I think that plays to his strengths, which is knowing footy from a playing and/or coaching perspective and being able to articulate key issues (as opposed to analysis using data as a foundation). That's his strength - and he has shown lots of genuinely really interesting footage and he uses it really well to make a point - often about set us, structures or pointedly individual player weaknesses or issues. I love the down the ground footage, and how he uses it, and would love if that is what he focused on.

Other: The final siren.

I reckon they should fo a sweeping review. Of all 37 reviews they've had in the last 10 years.

Very much underrated. He is an excellent kick, and with turnovers being such key scoring source in footy atm a really important skill for defenders. Hibbo and May can both be a bit hit or miss with their kicking. Tomo offsets that a bit. He can also be relied in to take kick outs too because he has good depth on his kicks, and as you say can hit short targets (sounds silly, but it is amazing how many AFL players regularly fail to hit 15 - 20 metre kicks under little pressure).

I thought so too. I was really worried about how he we go on Cox and Cameron, but he was fantastic. He really got on his bike too Fantastic to see how much more agile he is than last season. He hasn't had much love on DL for that mark he took on the member's wing. I thought he had no chance and it was so clever how, one he didn't give a free away and two that he was able to mark it. It was a critical point in the match, stopped a certain Pies forward entry and set one up for us. As i noted before the game, if Petty plays forward on his return, there is a permanent spot for Tomo in defence there for the taking. An on that performance he'll take it.

I know. Just played it with the old straight bat. Good gag - as a card carrying pedant, i'll pay any such jokes.

Sure. Anything is possible. But there is only 2.8% separating us atm and the Pies' run home is as tough as ours was last year, so they will struggle to increase their percentage by much. And our run home is as easy as the cats was last year. We finish the season with games against the roos, blues, hawks and swans (by way of comparison our last four games last season were Freo away, Pies, Blues and Lions away).

I all seriousness, I'm with the pies fan on this one. Rubbish fans are rubbish fans whoever they barrack for. And frankly, when they are Dees fans i get embarrassed. I had a fella a few rows back from me on Monday who was yelling abuse at the top of his lungs at Dees players all game. Not unlike me, he had a very loud voice and he wasn't afraid to use it. From the start of the game to the very last seconds, he was relentless in his vociferous attacker on any Dees player that crossed one of his imaginary red lines - too soft, can't tackle, hopeless, clueless, how did they allow that to happen yada yada yada. He was Dees fan.

Me too. One reason why my throat is still stripped and sore - the other reasons were the 100 times i yelled other stuff!

Noted. Edit made. Ta.