binman

I do. The most talented forward we have drafted since Hogan. Takes his share of hangers, an accurate kick, excellent forward craft, clean hands, good when the ball hits the ground, hard at it - and above all desperate to win the footy and is super, super competitive. Agree he is undersized for a key forward in today's footy. Micocek is not a bad comparison size wise, but he plays almost as a pure lead out full forward. I reckon VR's role in our forward line will be similar to fritters - start deep, lead to the boundary, but also get up the ground and sometimes play as a high half forward. To thrive, he will need to have two super talls beside him, as per AoBs explanation about modern forward structures, because the old school lead up forward is history (one reason why Hogan hasn't had the impact I thought he would). It's interesting you mention Curnow and McKay, because I actually think they represent a systemic weakness for the blues. By that I mean, the blues fortunes are completely linked to how well those two are going. Limit their impact and the blues have few other scoring options (their small forwards are pretty good, but seem to have dropped off a bit) - as we saw in their loss to the saints on the weekend. This creates a significant systemic problem, one the dees and freo are well placed to exploit - stop those two and you stop the blues. Our strength is our defensive system, which as has been proven is all but impossible to disrupt. The blues two strengths are their ability to win clearances and their gun forwards. The former is hard to disrupt, unless, like the dees, you have an even better midfield. But the latter is relatively easy to disrupt if you apply all team pressure on the last kick inside 50 and have a first class defensive system that uses sophisticated defensive zoning - like the dees and freo. The dogs face a similar issue with their reliance on Naughton- again as demonstrated on the weekend. Everyone sees the blues forward line as being the ants pants. And it has become fashionable to bag ours. Apparently our connection is terrible. Well you'd expect to see that supposed gap between the two forward lines reflected in the scoring shot/inside 50 ratio. Yeah, nah. Tha AFL average for that measure is 43.4% Carlton, with the forward line to die for apparently, is 9th in the AFL, scoring 43.5% of the time when entering their 50. The dees, with the supposedly dysfunctional forward line, is 8th in the AFL at 43.6% If you use the shots at goal measure instead the gap between us and the blues is even greater. The blues have a shot at goal 46.8% of times they enter their 50 (below the afl average and 12th on that table). The dees have a shot at goal 47.7% of times they enter their 50. The blues goals to inside 50 is below the AFL average (23), but better than ours, albeit not by a huge margin (22.8 to 21.9) - and the gap is probably explained by our method (ie so many kicks to the pocket). This delusion about our forward line was brilliantly demonstrated straight after the lions win. As I was leaving the ground, I was listening to the abc post match wrap. Not sure who it was, but he said words to the effect that, yes the dees were impressive, but he is really concerned about our forward line (Brown down on form, poor 'connection', low contested marks inside 50 yada yada). Our score to inside 50 for that match was something like 67% - 20% more than the AFL average. Against the team that coming into the match was on top of the ladder. The dees might have 99 problems (96 of which are related to Bartlett) - but the forward line ain't one. I think the cats have been smart how they use Cameron to avoid the issue Carlton and the Dogs (and arguably also the lions) face. And Hawkins has slimmed down and gets up the ground more than he did. It's no coincidence they top the inside 50 scoring ratio table, scoring 46% of the time they go inside 50. Stats from this excellent site: https://www.wheeloratings.com/afl_stats_team.html

Disagree completely with the first paragraph, but won't elaborate as to why so I can honour my vow (suffice to say you make my case in the last sentence of your post) . Agree with the second paragraph

Intersting post AoB. A comment and a question. You've nailed the shift in the game in terms of forward system and structures. Can be frustrating to watch as there are so many kicks to a contest. There two other related shifts. Territory is now king and keeping it in your half of the ground is critical. Kicking to a contest inside 50 supports achieving this. Pressure has always been important, but is now completely critical. Without it teams can't trap rhe ball inside their 50 - or at the other end can't disrupt the last kick inside 50, making it super difficult to stop opposition marks inside 50. My question - what is the switch everything style in the NBA?

Done. I won't mention loading again until round 10 next season, on dl or the podcast. (except to say our lack of connection up forward is directly correlated to loading, because it is is interconnected to our swarm - and just like last year, like magic, the issue will suddenly disappear. Same applies to freo' recent defensive struggles)

Cameron is a fantastic footballer. Great hands, one of the best kicks in the AFL (including his field kicking), high footy iq, athletic, huge tank and great hands In terms of his goal kicking, a challenge he faces against us is he is at his most dangerous when he turns his opponent around and runs back inside 50 with the flight of the ball and marks. Which works great against most teams. But we always have our deep spare, meaning instead of running back into an open 50, Cameron is running straight towards may, petty, Lever or Gus. Good luck with that.

I heard an interview with Richo either just before the pies game, or in the following few days, and he said we were going better than last year, noting that too often last year we were down at half time and had to fight back in the second half. Whereas this year we have started better and controlled leads more effectively (clearly a big focus this season). Richo also noted we had won more quarters than than at the corresponding stage last year

What leverage do tbey have? If they couldn't satisfy our demands for a trade, we could force Jackson into the preseason draft. Sure, if we did so we would get nada. But we don't need any more players who will struggle to get in our best 22. We have a premiership defender playing at Casey and a boat load of others who are desperate to play senior footy, including some highish draft picks in Laurie and JVR and a fella who polled 11 brownlow votes last season. So if freo chose to play hard ball and not offer a solid, rolled gold best 22 player then we just say draft time jacko - and enjoy playing at the roos; I hear they have a great program. In fact you could argue, if Jackson is hell bent on going home and doesn't want to play for the eagles, we have all the leverage as only we can make that happen. Doesn't matter though as Jackson will stay, thank God (vibe not intel).

The fix is in. So to speak. Our drop off in aerial dominance has coincided with the loading we have done and the not inconsiderable issue of tmac's injury and having may and gawny miss games - not to mention three games where every bloke over 6 foot 4 got injured during the game. We will soon be back to controlling the aerial contests.

I'm glad for us he didn't. But it feels like dew is building a culture where their guns will want to stay. I really hope so, because It’s important the suns become a contender.

Is this an entry to that new reality TV show - World's lamest conspiracy theories

Exactly. He has also spent some time down back at Casey - and i don't see him replacing any of our key defenders anytime soon.

I'd be happy if weed could be 15% as effective as teasdale in the ruck. Teasdale was a star, and in some ways ahead of his time in terms of his athleticism as a ruckman. I rate weed's ruck craft. I think it was 2019 when he played quite a few games at Casey as the main ruck. He held his own at vfl level and has done ok at afl level when he has had to ruck. The other bonus is he is in the game when rucking - and being physical is a non negotiable. If jacko can't play, I'm confident weed will be good cover. And a full game as the number one ruck might be a real positive for him. My head says weed won't make it. But - and I'm not sure why (apart from being an optimist by nature) - I have a feeling he will.

Before I got kayo 3 years back, for years i religiously watched footy classified (and occasionally Monday's experts on 7 though that was execrable). But really have almost completely stopped watching free to air TV, so that routine stopped. Have tried to watch fc a few times in the interim, but can't stand Sam McClure, so stopped. And for a relatively recently retired coach, Ross Lyon provides nothing of value. This is a supposed expert who, despite our barnstorming form coming into the finals, was sure the lions would beat us in the semi last season, was even more sure the cats would beat us in the prelim. And I think tipped the dogs to win. Since I've had kayo, until this season, id watch every episode of 360, on tbe couch and first crack. It is probably partly due to the fact we don't get discussed much this season, despite being the benchmark team, but like you doc I find myself either nor bothering to watch or skipping through to any snippets that are vaguely of interst. The fox shows are all increasingly a joke. Wheatley and robbo are just weird. It's like watching a condescending pastoral care worker humouring a dementia patient. I like montagna, but like not forgetting Lyons stupdidy, we should not forget he suggested just two weeks ago on first crack that the dees were a chance of missing finals. Yes I know he was just creating some click worthy noise, but he wasn't joking and the first crack is supposedly all about a deeper analysis of the game. I mean c'mon, the dees miss the finals? When he said that, sportsbet had us at $1.04 to make the finals (one win later, we are now $1.01) and something like $20 to miss finals (now $31). And forget David King. He was all freo are not the real deal - they beat us and suddenly they are the real deal, and lose to the blues and he is off them again King was also big on the lions, even after their loss to the hawks in round 10 or whenever that was, even though it highlighted their big defensive problems (he said after that game that it was a blip and was a Mulligan given it was in tassie). Roll forward a few weeks and he is off the lions, because of, you guessed it, their big defensive problems. I know it shouldn't, but it does my head in.

He was terrific in the first 5 or 6 games I reckon. Agree, he was average in the last two but.

I guess they'll have a reason. Perphaps they want to male sure no cats fans can steal dees seats As this thread evidences, the ticketing sytem is all over the shop this year. Enjoy the game. I'd be happy to sit in with the cats fans to ask how they enjoyed round 23 ladt year, sitting at home.

Ok. Seems a bit secret squirrel Why doesn't the club doesn't want the link posted? I mean, if you people have dm'ed you to get the code, I assume the code is not specific to your membership bar code? I'm a member, so I assumed I would have to enter my own bar code. Thereby ensuring only members can purchase the special seats. But whatevs

Agree. With one exception. Last year's finals

Yes. Can you please post that link in this thread. Thanks in advance.

No biggie.

I'm not excusing the bullying. But you did have red hair.

Can you put the link here (ie in this thread) please. I'll use it to buy myself a ticket

Bloody paywall

I can't stand the gossip columnists like Tom Browne and his ilk. But I don't count them as journalists (I have never been a Sam McClure fan, but at least he is a journalist) But I don't get the angst towards proper journalists. It is their job to report news and if they can create noise all the better. Why? Because in the old speak, it sell papers. This has been the case since the first newspaper rolled of the press in the 1800s. Don't shoot the messenger. Shoot the editor if you must shoot someone, but the blame for rubbish like the sun's Bartlett crusade should be sheeted home to the owner and ultimately consumers. If we stopped clicking they would stop reporting.

I know you are (half) joking, but you are right. Only the teams that view themselves as legitimate contenders for the flag would have loaded during this period to the extent that it could be a big factor in a loss in these few weeks. That's because their goal is to win the flag. Id put the dees, freo, cats, lions, blues and the saints in this category. The swans might include themselves too I guess, though I don't. All the teams who view just making finals as the goal, are desperate for every win and would see this period as a brilliant chance to take some top 4 scalps. As would clubs like the bombers, who are not a finals team, but still desperate for any win. All the teams I mentioned as top 4 teams have struggled in the last few weeks in terms of rhe win loss ratio, with exception of the cats who are the outlier in that they have won their last 5 (albeit until last week, most games were pretty scrappy). It is worth noting about the cats that their game plan is not as dependent on aerobic fitness as that of the dees, swans and saints, so therefore they are not as impacted by loading in terms of their 'method' being disrupted too badly (unlike us) I think the lions are much the same, but they have had a much tougher last 5 games than the cats, who didn't play any of the other top 4 contenders, unlike the lions who played the dees, dockers and saints. In the last 5 games the dees have gone 2 wins - 3 losses, the lions 2w - 3l, the dockers 3w - 2l, the saints 2w - 3l and the swans 3w - 2l. You dont win a flag in June. Are the lions as poor as we made them look? I don't think so. Same goes for the saints. And I still think freo are our main danger.

She's not even mentioned in that article.