Maldonboy38

Pies without N Daicos look very different. A lot less dynamic around the ball.

Of all the days... I have a function on and will not see a single kick!! All glory, laud and honour to Max and TMac. This is a very 50/50 game for mine. Cripps is likely to rip us apart, we do not have anyone who can play on him and compete size-wise (Culley maybe?). Kolt or Sparrow probably go to Sam Walsh who is finding form. If we get badly beaten in the midfield, we lose. They only have plan A which is contest and pressure. IF we can get the ball to the outside, and use it well, they cannot go with our outside speed. Dees by 10 points.

Essendon are like the Dees 2012, + a humungous does of arrogance. Old boys behind the scenes pulling the strings with lots of passion but no business acumen or organistional discernment. Erratic drafting system & personnel Ineffective and tragic development of young players Self delusion But it is their arrogance that sets them apart. Dodoro being there for 20 years simply rogered their list, and they loved him, and he loved himself. The supplements scandal. Hird's mindset continues: "I did nothing wring and I am a great coach" Sheedy

I only have half an hour to watch footy this arvo, and I get the Saints v Lions game. What an absolute dull howler. If you think some our skills were poor in the 1st quarter v Freo, this game is another level of bad all together.

Absolutely disgusting and infuriating. I learnt my lesson during the South Australian Callington floods in 1993. Lots of houses damaged by flood waters, but the insurance companies said the old dry river banks were strengthened by used tyres after the WW2 to give ex-soldiers employment, and it was this that caused the damage, not the water. No surprise that Gus is being treated this way. I know it is difficult to get major sponsors, but this is bigger than $ so I can only hope the MFC makes a strong stance and exits the contract on some legal ground. Is there a Demonlander who knows if there is a moral/behavioural clause in many sponsorship contracts? We exited from iSelect over a decade ago because we discovered they were shady.

I have to admit being a bit confused by the selected team. TMac in for Turner is easy to understand. But I don't understand 3 things: Rivers being dropped. Latrelle holding his spot Cross being selected ahead of Laurie It marks Laurie harshly, who has never had a run of games but looked OK in the preseason. I know his record so far screams "a player who excels at VFL but struggles at AFL", but I really feel for hum. part from injuries, looks like his papers are signed. I wonder if that run of unpressured errors versus Freo was too much for the selection committee, because Rivers wasn't great but I felt he was nowhere near our worst. Very interested to watch this space. I thought Rivers might be in the conversation for our next skipper.

I will watch tonight with a leaning towards the Crows, but it is a bit of a meh weekend for games. North to beat the Bummers, and then they sack Brad Scott, go and get James Hird, and the whole thing implodes down on Hird, Solomon, Sheedy and all those other entitled pie-in-the-sky armpits.( I will forgo the Monkey Shoulder and break out the Bunnahabhain 12yo if this happens).

No hysteria here. I thought it during preseason, and it has been confirmed in the first 2 rounds. His top 10% of play is mercurial and brilliant, but his body is not yet large enough and his general kicking skills fall to pieces under pressure. I reckon he was a great pick up and will be something special for us. Just not yet.

TMac in for Turner. AMW, although short of a gallop, in for Latrelle who needs 1 year minimum at Casey. I know it is a forward for a backman, but we can shuffle players to accommodate. Try Lindsay at half forward maybe. Tholstrup to Sam Walsh.

Really agree, especially with this part. Even though we beat the Saints, it was a glaring system fault against them also. Some focused midfield/high half forward training needed over a series of weeks to evolve the change required.

Steele Gawn Langdon Salem Tholstrup Lever

Finally had a chance to sit and reflect on last night's game. More frustrated than disappointed, and as many others have noted above, we are in a season of discovery to find our next best 23, align to a new game plan, and become a single focused game day entity. I love how hard and quick we press forward when we gain possession, but our fumbling and skill level means we are fully exposed on transition. Over and over again. Also, our positioning around stoppages is ordinary as we are rarely getting first possession, and players on the outside are too close to the stoppage to feed the ball out to. Steele can't manage this alone. We need Viney to return and for Langford, Rivers, Sparrow, Windsor, Kozzie etc...to adjust their positioning. I feel sorry for our defenders being burnt by constant turnovers n the middle, but some experienced defenders are also playing nowhere near their peak. We miss Steven May so much bit that is water under the bridge and we need to develop, draft or trade a big bodied defender. Turner going off hurt us badly. Really, the first quarter showed us up. We looked slow and unready for action. After that we matched them for the most part. Not sure about Freo even though I have them top 4 by the end of the H&A season. For us to match them for 3 quarters must be a warning sign for them. I hate footy thuggery but I have marked the name of Patrick Voss.

Come on boys, they have stopped and we have just started. Petty you Doofus!!

Defending better, but some fundamental mistakes killing us. Also very slow in expecting pressure. Salem has been outstanding this quarter, so has Steele, reward for effort would be great.

JVR concrete hands again. Nooooooo

OK, that's one back. Well done Sharp.

Midfield - you are allowed to not run forward of the play every so often. Entire team - fumbling is not a skill Entire team - you are allowed to be first to the ball when it is at ground level.

This is as bad as we have looked in so so long.

Getting slaughtered at ground level, and our skill level is horrible.

We are playing so well, but those handball target misses - aaarrrggghhh!!

Fumbly and unsure in hand in F50. Freo midfield transition is cutting through too easily.

Hoping we are competitive in the midfield where Freo are very powerful. Treacy is my biggest worry so we have to pressure the supply to him. Their backline looks fragile and easier to score against. It was JVR who scored freely for us last week, but I don't reckon they have anyone who can go with Fritsch so I hope he gets off the leash tonight.

Crows pressure and skill level has gone through the roof.

The Crows mids have looked super ordinary tonight, getting shown up by the class and work rate of the Dogs.

Should be a great game, but without Heeney and Gulden the Hawks begin favourites. I want the Swans to win this so badly.