Cheesy D. Pun

I hope you're right but Freo's defensive setup is up there with the best and will be very hard to crack.

Cheers, John. I recall Pickett and Bedford playing that game (both debuting?). I didn't realise Spargo played as well.

So true but as Richmond has shown, forward pressure is created by a number of willing participants. They don't even have to be that good - Richmond's small forwards are all pretty average but they have a number of them that are willing to play the role. I'm pumped for round one and I'm hoping - for the first time in recent memory - we choose three small forwards.

Haha...Jesus. Maybe it's Darryl.

Dom?

I agree that it would be nice if we received a completely honest appraisal but our club isn't unique. All the players from all the clubs are media trained and the messaging is designed with the intention of helping protect/motivate players, to give them the best chance to perform. It seemingly works for the team's that win and is a perceived disaster for teams that lose but it's the same strategy - listen to any pre or post-match interview from any player in the league - it's the same cookie-cutter answers.

We all want to see them win but unfortunately, playing angry - for the most part - doesn't guarantee success. In fact, it generally results in poorer decision-making. There was a time when being the most physical or willing team would generallly win you the majority of games but since 2000, the game has changed immensely and the balancing act of guarding space, attacking the ball and occasionally playing on an opponent has made the game much more about strategy and IQ.

I reckon Max is generally pretty good at acknowledging where we've fallen short. Obviously, no team captain is going to come out and say we won't be any good this season. I don't envy his position in that regard - he has to talk and find new ways of saying the same thing when we don't perform. Don't get me wrong, I get sick of the same words with little result but the fans of 14 or so other teams are probably venting the same feelings toward their clubs.

Fair enough. I did watch the game and Caleb Daniel killed us. I wasn't aware that was Spargo's role. If it was, he's had a bad game.

The gambler's fallacy at work.

Answering questions in the media is part of every single club's ritual. In fact, it's more than a ritual, it's an obligation.

Yes. The impact of Gawn in the forward line is less about putting it on his head and more about making defenders accountable therefore creating opportunities for lead up targets. I would still start Gawn in the middle but agree he should spend plenty of time forward in the first few rounds. In the modern game, anything you can do to keep that intercept defender occupied is a plus. That's why Ben Brown is such an enticing prospect. Even though he's more a lead-up type player, his height means you can't just leave him one out against most defenders.

Disagree. I'll grant you he is not quick and he doesn't have a penetrating kick but he's a smart player that generally hits targets and sets up goals. Also, what evidence is there that he's soft?

Jonesy is no longer best 22 when everyone is fit. I know he has finishing ability but our game plan revolves around keeping the ball in our front half and having Chunk in there, runs counter to that strategy.

Definitely room for Kozzy, Chandler and Spargo. It's been our Achilles heel - not enough good smalls at the fall of the ball. I'm looking forward to seeing a balanced forward line in about round 4, when we can have two talls, one medium and three smalls.

While I agree the forward line has been dysfunctional in the past, that game last week was not a good example. In fact, they converted at an ok rate. We hardly got our hands on the ball. I hope you're right that those two inclusions can help fix that problem.

Those comments are gibberish. They mean nothing. He has no great insight into the current culture of the club and how that's being driven. We're not winning enough games of footy but broad generalisations about culture are not a reliable means of explaining the problem.

Against the Doggies, our efficiency going forward was ok. We just couldn't get our hands on the footy. I'd like us to stick with the forward line as is and bank on a better performance from our on-ballers.

Congratulations to Oscar. Deserves another shot.

From an ethical standpoint, I agree 100%. It won't happen though. Clicks are king in the world of corporate journalism.

There's a reason for this. It's a numbers game. People actually read this stuff. I was working in the newsroom there about 5 years or so ago and the real-time data are shown on a giant screen so that every journo can develop a sense of what the audience wants. It's easy to blame the messenger but every click is a vote for more of the same.

I don't mind Choco but gee, there's a lot of unjustified fan boi type behaviour going down here.

Yeah, I'd love to re-listen to this. I swear he said only one SSP choice would be made and a choice would be saved for the mid-season draft. Am I missing something here? Doesn't that mean two of the three train-on players will miss out?

I hate to say it but he doesn't really have any attributes that he can hang his hat on. He's not quick or overly skillful and he also doesn't seem to have the IQ to fill that gap. I think he shows enough willingness to run and pressure but that's not really enough, particularly at his size.

Certainly is and yes, if we're comparing records, there's no contest at this stage - it's big Jim hands down. The match committee scenario is where I struggle to go past Gawn but that's probably a bit unfair as the game has changed.