Cheesy D. Pun

Not sure the EPL is a framework we want to replicate. They have had the same 6 clubs (at best) vying for the title since it's inception. That league has 10-14 teams that are systematically shut out of fighting for the title. Our game can be professional and flourish without relying on transactional elements from overseas sports and their privately-owned teams. Having a player play for you one week, then against you the next, is ludicrous and turns elite competition into a farce.

That's flawed logic isn't it? You lead where the space is. Otherwise, why not just stand still in the goal square and take all of your shots from 1m out?

Yep. Based on some of the commentary here, you'd think the team gathers a thousand possessions a game. The inferred expectation that players need 15+ possessions to hold their spot is ludicrous. I'll take Sparrow's pressure rating with 5 possessions every day of the week.

This is spot on. Banking wins early while not playing our best footy is the perfect scenario. Given the resurgence of stock standard key forwards, it will be interesting how quickly we can integrate Ben Brown into the side. If he can stay fit, he's exactly the type of player who will benefit from the opening up of leading lanes that the new rules afford. It may be a rocky road but there really is the potential for a lot of improvement in this side and these three wins could buy us the time we need to get things right should we suffer the inevitable slide at some point.

Who are you directing this at? I think most of us realise we aren't world-beaters at the moment but we have beaten the teams we should beat and that's something worth enjoying given that losing those games is an all too common occurrence for the Demons.

Agree wholeheartedly. Barring an injury crisis, I don't think Daw will play a game for the Dees.

Yep, Jonesy still does some things well but he's limited. Both sides of the coin are valid. Most people criticising him here have been fair and those singing his praises also make good points. It depends on what you're willing to accept. For example, he can tackle well on the inside but he's not chasing and harrassing once the ball gets outside. He has to use his smarts to get himself to good positions and I think he does that. You either accept that or you don't - both options are valid and every team has a player or two for whom this choice has to be made. I still think that, right now, he just sits inside our best 22 and his experience is more valuable than many give him credit for. He can't afford a poor game though - that's where he's at and he knows it.

Haha...good pick up. Yep, Russell Holmesby is the guy I'm thinking of. The depth of the article automatically had me thinking it had to be him.

Thank god Frosty plays for the Hawks. I've not seen too many worse performances by an individual than this. That said, I hope karma bites Geelong here. Their game style is awful and they'll get destroyed against better teams.

I hope they keep trying to play their possession game and let our backs set up. If they don't change tact, they may struggle this season. That said, I agree. This is our first real test.

Tom has never shied away from running, so I would imagine this is more a coaching issue. We're a tall forward short at the moment and I'd imagine there's an instruction for him to hold his position (to some degree), particularly when Max isn't there. As you've said that's not Tom's go. He needs to run them off their feet then get them on the way back. I also think they may not have expected the Giants to close the game down so early. They are probably the first team to employ these tactics this season. With such a congested front half, we were able to move the ball forward without the need for TMac and then he's stuck playing a traditional key forward role or being bypassed if he does come up.

Yep. That's a really fair analysis of where Hunt is at. He doesn't have to be a gun kick and to be fair, he doesn't really shank it, he just kicks it up and under to poor positions. Langdon is a great example of a player with that kicking style, who just takes simple options. If Hunt can bank all of that meterage and keep the ball in our posession, he's worth his weight in gold. My concern is that he's not been able to do that consistently in 7(?) seasons.

No way Melksham gets Sparrow's spot. Sparrow is an aggressive, confident and annoying little pest down there. Everything we were missing when Melksham was playing in that spot. If Melky returns I hope he's either half back or on a wing. I tend to agree re: Hibberd for Jetta, however, Goodwin seemed impressed with Jetta's effort, so I doubt a change will be made. I would like to see some pro-active selection as I think we need to improve significantly to beat the Cats. I still not sold on Hunt - for all of his dash, I'm not sure we're getting much value out of his possessions and at times, the ball is coming back with interest.

Yeah, that effort coming back towards goal was horrendous. The worst part was, if there was traffic coming the other way, he would have been steamrolled because by shirking, he left himself wide open.

Yeah, not a big fan of Lingy but he generally says things that make sense to me even if I disagree. Dermy is just full of it. He's just a constant jumble of wild theories.

Tonight's game style was congested ala 2019/2020 - Leon Cameron showed no faith in his players and got numbers back at every opportunity, even before injury struck. This type of congested game style probably doesn't suit TMac, but I'd certainly be backing him in as his round 1 and 2 performances showed enough to suggest he can contribute.

Not disputing a perceived lack of effort at times but this comparison is ridiculous. You absolutely have to play within your means. Sprinting to intercept balls is not Jones' go unless it's a gimme. If he tried that, he'd end up in no man's land and create an overlap for the opposition. Not every player is going to have the speed to chase down players and as good as it is to see the effort, if you don't have the pace to effect the play, wasting the energy is foolish. That said, this is not a defence of Jones and I probably don't see him holding his spot for too much longer.

They aren't playing well enough. We've played what look to be teams 15, 16 and 17 on the ladder. We must find a way to get better and we have plenty of talent on the sidelines. Pulling the right lever at team selection is going to be crucial. Jones and Jetta are just going and are probably the ones to make way, particularly if Hibberd is ready to go. Melksham may get a run but I hope they use him somewhere other than forward. Despite his great finishing skills, I feel like he's detrimental to our balance down there.

I'm not sure size is the mitigating factor here. I hate to say it, but Toby Greene is a superstar. There's no match up for him when the ball hits the ground.

6 Max 5 Trac 4 Kozzie 3 Langdon 2 Viney 1 Tomlinson Honorable mention Hunt - had he hit half of his kicks he would have been best on but probably kicked the ball well on only one occasion. Dishonorable mention Dermot Brereton - is there a worse commentator?

Yep. Still think we're favourites but it looks like we've snuck past the bottom couple of sides, aside from North. Looking for a clinical performance, this evening. Anyone attending that can give a weather update?

The way things are panning out, it looks as though we've beaten two bottom eight sides thus far. GWS are much the same, so taking advantage will be crucial as we'll have a much tougher run in the middle part of the season. We need to cancel out those two matches against the Doggies, with two wins against GWS. Let's go Demons!

So true.

I met Russell while working as a journo 5-6 years ago. His knowledge of the Saints is unparalleled. He has been their historian forever and has an endless supply of these stories. There are many that he has his own personal embargo on, to protect the club.

Good list and explanations, Lord. I've always loved Wrecker. He's proof you can be a tough, aggressive player without being an alpha male.