binman

Steve your credibility tank ia almost empty. By the way im still looking forward to your promised analysis of every one of tmacs younger brother's involvements from a game few weeks back.

Yep. But one thing they def want/need is reaaly goos kicks. Lever, no 28, salem, hibberd and jetts all have twrrific de which is important in a defensive unit

What hobby horse? Stating facts?

There are fewer and fewer gorilla keepers and direct man on man defensive match ups as such. Someone like Dunn is becoming increasingly rare. Sure sometimes a Tmac might match up directly against a big but generally you try and stop the talls with your system. To a large extent it is about the oppositions total score not how many the key forward kicks (though obviously they have a relationship). Teams would factor in the players you mention are likely to kick 2 or 3 goals a game and if you limit them to that that's pretty good. And sometimes even 4 or 5 is ok depending on how well you shut down other players. If the lions had kept Jessie to 4 goals they would have almost won. Brown's 4 goals against us (three of which coming from marks from mismatches) in our last roos game wasn't the issue. We kept them to a beatable score. The dees only kicking two goals in the second half was the issue. Here is the top 5 in this years coleman. All are averaging 2-3 golas a game, with the exception of Kennedy who is averaging four. Joshua Kennedy 64 (from only 16 games!) Joe Daniher Essendon 60 Lance Franklin Sydney 59 Ben Brown North Melbourne 56 Taylor Walker Adelaide 49

I'm pretty sure the pies planned to take him. We got him first

I have to say it is looking very likely Lever is coming to the dees. The noise has been consistent, it seems a given he is leaving and the dees seem to be the favorite among journos etc

We also got hunt in that deal. Good deal i reckon

Are you sure about the final 22? This is from an article posted today on the MFC site: Now in its fifth year, 22Under22 is the industry’s only recognised fan-voted award and provides the footy public with the power to select the final 22. Fans can now visit 22under22.com.au to cast their vote, before the final team is revealed at the AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday September 12. Fans who submit a team that matches the final 22Under22 team will automatically go into the draw to win an AFL Players' prize pack. Voting closes on Wednesday September 6, 2017. Maybe i should do bot spam for TMac's younger brother

Talking about them both. Deifing one. Vilifying the other.

Could he not agree in principle to terms for season 2020? Win a flag at GWS come home to Melbourne and help us win our second in a row? Such a good player and he has what we need. Outside speed and an ability to hit a target. Well to be honest he has what every team needs. Pure class. but i can't see us even trying to get him for next year. too much money and would create issue with the brotherhood.

All reasonable points. I agree it is likely lever will continue to improve but it none the less as i say it is not inconceivable he might plateau

Very good point.

Sure. If you need to. Not sure why you would need or want to though. Lever wont replace no 28. But if we want to compare them - and avoid a silly who will better argument - lets factor in that all players, but particulaly talls develop at different rates. Lever is a gun. But blind freddy can see that. But it is not inconceivable he might level out given he is alreafy playing at a high level. Though it should be noted in this context he is playing in a better side. And it is not inconceivable no 28 has scope for considerable improvement. And pwrhaps more upside than lever. And it should also be noted that whilst there are similarities - age, height, weight, both defenders - lever is much more a rance style intercepr player. No 28 will likely end up 10kgs heavier and play different role, ine more akin to tbat played by tmac. If lever comes to the dees - which i reallt hopes he does - he will be a perfect combination with no 28.

Call me old fashion but i always though supporters defend their own players and bag opposition players not vice versa.

I am. Steve is obsessed with trying to prove himself right about Tmac's younger brother. To be frank it is getting ridiculous.

Of course you do. But you don't overspend. He's a value add.

Careful steve you might scare Lever off with your feverish passion for him. I don't think i can ever recall a DL poster express so much love for a MFC player, let alone one who plays for an opposition team. Have you seen the film swimfan?

Yep, the Astbury and Rance set up is the pro type zone set up. You can't really have gorilla keepers anymore (think Frawley and dunn) as if they are not mobile enough you are one runner down. The skyscrapers are hard to stop no doubt and if you went man on man you would need a taller player rather then Frawley style man on man player to guard them. But with the zones all teams are playing (some zones are more aggressive) you can't really have a defender running with them all day or else your whole ground zone suffers and you are almost a man down (which is why taggers, with some obvious exceptions, have by in large gone out of style). The answer - at least at the moment - to stop the power forward like Dixon and the skyscrapers like Danhier that most teams employ is the zone. And it is hard to do and when it goes wrong the skyscrapers and gorillas have a field day. Look at some of the goals Pedo and Hogan kicked on Sunday. At least four were from marks where the lions zone failed and both players were allowed a free run at the ball. But on other occasions their defensive zone worked really well and they got easy marks down back. They are a young team and it takes time to get zones right. Moving Tmac back and dropping Salem and Frost was risky as it is impacted on the synergy down back, which is critical for zones in football (and soccer and basketball) to work well. I think some of the Saints second half goals and the lions goals were as a result of the zone breaking down. Geelong used Taylor to force Rance to go one on one on him and cut down the damage he usually does with his intercepts. Interestingly Rance, who some consider to be the best defender of the modern era, really struggled one on one and was well beaten by Taylor in the air and the scoreboard. The tigers often send martin really deep knowing generally someone will mark him, which makes it harder for the opposition to set their zone. Lever would fit perfectly into our zone set up and very much play the Rance role.

Perhaps he could also school him on taking a man on in his back half, getting done for dropping the ball 40 meters out and then compounding his error (after his man missed the goal) giving away a silly 50 and giving up a gimme goal. How much did they lose by? Oh that's right 3 points. Just imagine the response from some if the whipping boy had made those errors and cost us a game?

I agree lewis unlikely to play 2 more years after this (im assuming you mean in the senior). I think we will be lucky to get one more year of senior footy. But i very much doubt lewis will want to play out his career at casey, which is what will likely happen if he sees his contract out. I suspect he will retire before allowing that to happen. But even if he chooses to play in 2019, as will be his right, he will be valuable to have at the club given his professionalism and experience - even if he is playing at casey. Also i would think his contract is front loaded and in the second and third years has a number of performance related clauses.

Oh no i found myself on the dark web! before i leave i thought i'd respond to this post. To me the bolded part in the post above goes to the heart of what is so wrong with much of the so called discussion about a range of 'hot' issues in this day and age. You have not read the paper and don't really want to. Rather you want to be pointed to the chapter that strongest argument for man made climate change. And despite not having read that chapter you know already that you will 'happily and easily tell you why it is misleading'. How on earth can you say that? how can you form an opinion on an argument without reading what the argument is? If your view is unchangeable what is the point of engaging in a discussion about the issue? Perhaps all you are interested in is convincing others of your view.

I cannot believe there is any discussion at all of swapping hogan for Lever. Really apart from the emotional aspect of hogan being a much loved demon, objectively no club would do that deal. Hogan is miles ahead of lever as a player. I get that Lever is good now and in all likelihood will become a top shelf player, and perhaps even a star (though i do think some on here are getting ahead of themselves a bit with their assessments - i really worry about his history of hamstring issues - as i think Webber has pointed out before once a player starts to get them it can become a problem) but Hogan is a star now and will become one of the greats. Look at his numbers. For Pete's sake he won the NAB rising star - an award forwards never win, pipping Cripps who was unbelievable that year. And has kicked 99 goals in only 49 games - amazing for a young KPF. This season has been a write off yet he is still kicking goals when he plays. I can't believe how short some people's memories are. The Crows would take that trade in a heartbeat and be laughing as they signed the paper work. Crows fans would be saying "Lever who?"

Agree he is best 22 atm (though he'ed be in the 15-22 range) and that the coaches love him. Has really come on this year. But that is precisely why there is a good chance he is chance to be part of any deal to get Lever. Crows don't want a player like Kent or ben ken who can't get a regular game of senior football. They want someone who can be a best 22 in their side. They need mids and we are reasonably well covered for players of ANB's size and skill set, particularly with Smith coming on, Maynard getting a senior gig and Gus not having played this year. And of course he is an SA boy, which is a big factor i reckon given how many players they lose who are going back to their home state. As i have said before i hate to lose players that are not peanuts and who want to stay at the club. But no doubt he will be in discussions. Trading Frost would be robbing Peter to pay Paul but not ANB. The alternative to trading a player of his ilk is to give up this years and next years first round draft picks (perhaps with a late pick coming back this year, for example if Taylor had another smokey in mind). But that is risky as it starts to muck around with your age spread in the next two or three years as you need quality young players filtering in as our older players drop off and/or filter out .

Please stop.

Apologies if this has been posted already. A lot of love at the dees http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2017-08-03/spycam-corey-maynard