Pates

So still haven’t seen the replay but when I do it’ll be very interesting to watch after seeing the match rundown from the fox footy website. Seriously so ridiculously biased towards Essendon, and the commentary again reeks of bias against us. I really hate being one of those fans that “oh everyone is against us” but really the commentary from Seven always sounds depressed when we get on top but excited when we’re losing or the other team is coming back.

I’ve thought this for a while and thrown it up a couple of times. It’s a tricky call because in his last year on his contract it’s basically sending a message that he’s failing as a forward and he’s a magnet that gets thrown around now. But I do think playing him as a defender would teach him a lot, I wish they’d tried it earlier to be honest.

The discussion on Kozzie is a tricky one because there’s no doubt his last 5-6 matches have been largely ineffective but his presence creates danger than I’m not sure we have from anyone else. One option is we bring in Vanders for him, he’s high impact and has a presence as well but doesn’t have the same creative flair as Kozzie. For me he stays but gets told to simplify things, up his tackle/pressure count and team oriented acts. Brown has to come in if match fit. We can’t be experimenting leading into the finals so now is the time.

BB MUST earn his spot next week. If he puts in a solid performance for Casey (2-3 goals, multiple marks, team acts etc) then he comes in. But no one should come in without earning it.

I wouldn’t be worried about Jack not quite having his timing on. When he counts he’s one that usually stands up. I’d say I’ve watched a collective total of 10min of the match so it’ll be interesting to see the replay. The good news is that we’re getting wins while not playing at our best, this shows the system above everything else is working (mostly). But we’d want to start hitting some good form heading towards our run home, it can all fall away pretty quickly if we don’t get a number of wins against fellow contenders. This is more of a comment about our year rather than the match but we still seem to lack that clinical killer instinct that premiers always have. Yet again we were 20 points up with about 10min left in the third and fourth quarters but failed to land a killer blow.

Flicked onto the game just then, is it just me or the commentators genuinely seem disappointed every time we do something good or get a free kick? Luke Darcy in particular.

Richmond’s best is still premiership contention, but their worst this year is very average.

Because Viney has runs on the board of when picked he hits the ground running. Look at the St Kilda game, he kicked to opening goal in 20sec of game time and had a cracker of a first quarter. BB when he’s played has looked slow and lumbering, with Jack you know what you’ll get. A beast! I’m also pleased we’re going down the smaller forward line path, I can picture Harmes and Viney rotating through midfield and half forward.

You mean our s*** percentage of 132??? I totally agree we need to bury some teams (would love nothing more than to start this week) but we hardly have a bad percentage. We’re in a BIT of a precarious position when it comes to top 4 positions, losing to the pies brought us back to the pack a little. We need to consolidate our position this week.

If you could name for GF only multiple subs I’d definitely have him as one but the medical subs can be activated in the final 5min of the last quarter or 20sec into the match. He has to earn the right to be in the position with his form. He has been thereabouts all year being named as sub a couple of times and being in the emergencies a number of times so IF we get into that position he would be a big chance.

Even if we decide not to bring Brown in I think it sets a bad standard for selection picking Sam. I get he’s going through a rough trot with his confidence but how does it permeate through the entire list if they see players get gifted games on the back of absolutely useless performances. He’s had a month to get his mojo, if he isn’t able to get it by now then he should sent to the magoos to find it. Mitch was next in line so if we want to maintain the structure then bring him in. Otherwise I think it’s a chance to have another go at the smaller forward line.

What’s he been playing mainly at VFL? Ruck/forward? Surely we’re covered in that department. If the game is going to be wet, Melksham for Weid could well come into play. He hasn’t done much in the games he’s played but at least he doesn’t waste it when he gets the ball in hand.

Watching from afar the thing I find bizarre is that they have reduced capacity but then jam people into smaller areas. Surely if reduced capacity is to avoid a spreading event the smarter way to go would be to spread fans and have them in separated areas to promote social distancing.

Every Victorian team should be made to do the trip over a period of 3-4 years. It’s a disgrace that the “big teams” have escaped it for decades. Next up to go down the highway: Pies and Hawks.

That’s not nice to hear, I hope the young bloke is ok. A therapist/sports psychologist would definitely be something I hope he’s having provided to him (or he’s seeking out), most of us if we have a bad day at the office nobody but a few people will give a crap. AFL players have a bad day and they’ve got thousands of people calling for them to be dropped or worse, while they have media analysts inspecting every part of their game in open forums. Easy enough to say but he should be staying away from social media.

The more I think about this game the more I think it needs to be a “statement”. I feel like every contender apart from us have shown the competition what happens when it ALL clicks and how devastating they can be. That’s not to say we haven’t had great wins but I’m talking beating a team into submission and after losing to the pies the players should be seething (and I’d be worries if they weren’t). Looking forward to seeing Jack back in the team, he adds an aggression and hunger that few can match.

Lol that’s meant to read “QB”. Fat fingers! ?

In some ways I’m quite happy with Essendon winning this week. There should be no way in hell that our players take them lightly like they did against the pies. We’re still waiting for the players to put it all together for a 4 quarter effort, I hope they’re angry after the WB loss and bring it against the Dons.

If we are genuine about the two talls format and BBB is to be in the next phase/trial of it then we need to readjust the way we deliver. There are ties to do the long ball but BB is a leading forward, so we need to look at running patterns to create space and look for the pass 30-40m out on the lead. Yze and Stafford should be trying to get a clear understanding about where the midfield is expected to be delivering the ball to the forwards. We were absolutely pantsed at this by the pies. I really believe we can maximise the potential of what we have with BB in the side.

Fine for both incidents but for me this is why they should make 2 reprimanding incidents equal a one week suspension. It kept happening with big name stars like Gary Ablett jnr and Tom Lynch where they’d get fine after fine for small dirty little things but never enough suspension in isolation. But if you keep doing it, it should result in a suspension. I know that they had this with the points system but that system got overly complicated with points and early pleas getting 25% discount. Selwood is a great player but like almost every great player he has a little dirty streak to him. Judd was the same.

Yeah all those guys are good kicks, but Rohan’s shot wasn’t a straight forward kick. BBB I’d being ok with having the shot, possibly Salem. Melksham doesn’t seem to be the dead eye he used to be.

Geelong are coming REALLY good, and you'd argue they are timing it better than us. Round 22 at the cattery is looming big on the horizon, we've got a lot of footy to play until then but that will be a statement game for both clubs if things keep tracking the way they are. Clutch goal from Rohan, I have to be honest in saying I'm not sure we have someone I would be as confidently as Rohan. TMac first pick, Petracca because of his kicking penetration and his love of clutch moments, beyond that....

I can see Jack taking up the mantle again, he's still vice captain and well respected through the club. Other thank Jack it would have to be Lever for me, every time he speaks he speaks like a leader who loves responsibility. He's also a general down back, directing and talking to the other players. The moment that sticks out for me that makes me think he'll be a captain one day for us was when May went down early against the cats, and I'm pretty sure they got a dodgy free kick to get a goal the cats players were baiting us and trying to get a rise out to do something stupid. Jake stepped in and dragged everyone out of it and reset the situation. I think it would stiff on Jack to have him deputise to the next person, but at the end of the day it's peer and coach voted so you make your impact on the park.

I think the unassisted part is a big part of reclaiming our pride, when we were at our worst we were going to the AFL on a regular basis cap in hand and desperate. It was necessary but it was a shocking look, made us look extremely weak but worse than that it made us look like we were useless and a burden on the competition. We’ve copped the worst luck of anyone on the financial side of things regarding COVID, it sucks but I feel like the attitude is, “suck it up and move on”. I think if we can we might try to move one of our MCG games later in the year to Alice. Perhaps negotiate another replacement game with another club.

Them not being professional, and thus paid as a professional, is an interesting debate. Will they get decisions right more often? I’m not sure they would, as I think one the biggest issues they face is the AFL rules committee tinkering with interpretations every bloody year. Will it change the scrutiny of the decisions they make? Likely yes, in a way that the media will harp on them being “professional umpires, and these mistakes shouldn’t happen”. Look at the FIFA World Cup, referees still get heavily criticised for the decisions they make but they are meant to be THE BEST IN THE WORLD. I’m not saying they shouldn’t go professional, but I don’t see it necessarily changing a whole lot.