Maldonboy38

I lived in Mt Barker SA for 3 years - great place. The Adelaide Hills is a tourism magnet with heaps to do and see. I am glad they get 1 game, but I cannot for the life of me think why they chose that location for an AFL match. If it is wet (and it is highly possible it will be), Mt Barker can be as cold, grey and foggy as the Dandenongs. 

Reads the game, run-and-carry type player, courageous, with a hint of leadership. Up until this year, I didn't like his long bomb ill-directed kicks (ala Brent Moloney or Clarry early in his career) but he is much more discerning with ball in hand now and is an absolute ripper. 

Our club is so different now. We recruit, trade, AND develop our players so well. 

Bummers were irrelevant to me until year 2000.

• They won the grand final pumped on steroids (I will always maintain this, with their "weights program" and/or "physique development" looking impossible and dodgy)
• They bashed a group of brilliant young Dees players out of the game

My despising of them went instantly to 11 on the dial, and has never abated. Leapfrogged Carlton and Collingwood. 

And then the jaw-dropping hubris during the drugs scandal headed by the most arrogant coach to ever grace our game - James Hird - moved my dial to 12.

I love seeing them struggling. I would prefer them finish position 13-15 each year so they are never wooden spooners so can't get the best young players, and therefore remain mediocre and irrelevant. 

3 minutes ago, FarNorthernD said:

Born in ‘64

A bit off topic but I’d love to see how our 1975/76 ‘centreline’ of Alves, Wells and Flower would go against our current day version of Langdon, Oliver and Hunter. 

Because of this thread, I have been asking myself the same question.

Oliver is the best player of the 6, followed closely by Flower (I hate relegating Robbie to no. 2 but Oliver is now the best Dees player I have seen).

Alves and Wells are a cut above Langdon and Hunter. They were both very very accomplished players.

2 hours ago, Kent said:

Gus is still doing his job intercepting marks and creating free players  underrated in my view

Absolutely agree still doing his job, and I also believe he is underrated. But his sloppiness is so stark it stands out.

We have LOTS of in form players, multiple 'utility' players, a very strong list, and many things going well. It is astonishing to think er can play this well with Gawn, Salem and BBB out. For pure strength and talent, we are as good as we have ever been.

Our fumbling is becoming a concern and will hurt us against the better sides, especially when it is Petracca, Viney, Oliver, ANB, Spargo etc... who are usually so clean. We have to tidy this up. 

Great to see many of our players improving et shot goal kicking.

We now have a scary forward mix. Maybe even better than 1994 and that is saying a lot.

My man Brayshaw is possibly our sloppiest current player. Some of his un-pressured stuff ups today (and over the last 2 weeks as well) were mind boggling. It is only his 2-way running and defensive efforts keeping him in the 22. He is a gun, but clean hands and feet required.

Our kicking and decision making - ugh!!!!

It is excruciating to watch when we are fumbly like this. Hardly a single clean possession. Missing targets. And apart from Grundy and Viney, our midfield very sluggish. 

I'll give it a go.

B:    Whelan      May              Wight

HB: B Lovett     Hardeman    A Johnson

C:   Alves          Wells            Flower

HF: Lyon           Shwarz         Yze

F    Farmer        Neitz            Fritsch

R:   Gawn         Oliver            Petracca

I/C:    Moore    B Wilson        Green       

Can't believe I couldn't find a spot for Jimmy, Trav Johnstone, Tingay, Laurie Fowler, or Cam Bruce. They would be my emergencies.

Also, my interchange has 1 ruck, 1 midfield, 1 forward, 1 back. 

And no other team of ANY era, would get a kick against that centre line. Pity both Alves and Wells left for success elsewhere.

If players like Laurie, Turner, Howes and AMW don't get much of a go at AFL level soon, we will lose some of them. They all look ready to step up, but other players are in front of them. And I love the look of Jefferson.

The umpires are missing so many blatant North free kicks - right in front of them. The club has to make an official complaint. And the umpires should be umpiring in the Maryborough-Castlemaine League U15s. I have never raged at a TV screen for a non-Dees game as much as I have today.

Lions fumbling is killing them. If they possess it clean, it stops the Pies swooping in and running forward in waves.

Lions forwards have taken away the aerial dominance of the Pies by often playing them one-on-one. Hipwood is showing what to do with Moore - stand next to him. 

Daniher has shown his best tonight. Get him away from goals and let him influence the play around the ground. 

Around the stoppages, the Lions are doing to the Pies what they did to us. Knowing that the first disposal is usually a small flick handpass, they are chopping it off or denying it completely. A really good tactic in modern footy. Well coached Fagan.

Cows v Dickers, Norf v Bloos, Bummers v Oranges. None of these games are easy to tip.

I picked the Pies tonight. I hear what WCW says above, but the Pies are playing footy that is good to watch, even if I loathe them. 

It won't happen, but would LOVE the Dorks to beat the Kittens.  

24 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

From BomberBlitz....

 

Where’s the emotion in the box?

Ran out of petrol.

mate we didn’t even fill up the car.

why are 4 defenders nowhere near the 1 forward

ERIC BANA CAN GO AND GET ■■■■■■

Darcy Parish is soft as ■■■■

Our defence has been such poo poo

the hell is going on? i thought all clubs capitulated on their 150th anniversary?

Weed is an ashtray on a motorbike

Well that just made my night. Nothing better than a woe-is-me rant from Bombers fans. Long may it endure.

1 minute ago, dees189227 said:

This show down match is great

Yep, pressure through the roof, and some really good players showing their wares. Only difference is maybe Port have a couple more match winners. 

The Pies are so damaging because they have 2 qualities which are too often under-rated:

• They have a lot of natural footballers who understand the game, where the ball is going, where to run to, what to do in close etc... It is much better to impose fitness on natural footballers, than it is to try and upskill athletes. Moore, Pendlebury, De Goey, 2 x Daicos, Elliot etc... The most appealing football is played by natural footballers. 
• I am not sure how kicking efficiency is measured, but their kicking skills look as good as I have seen. Likewise their handballs. It feels like they rarely miss targets.

However, with their manic running in waves through the middle of the ground, I am convinced that they will have significant periods of exhaustion throughout the year, including the finals. 

Richmond's kicking is sub standard, and their defensive pressure absent. I cannot believe it is only 20 points. 

22 minutes ago, praha said:

In a perfect world, both teams lose, fold, and cease to exist.

That won't happen, so I will go for the lesser of two evils and barrack for Richmond.

May God have mercy on my soul.

This describes my evening in front of the footy too. It feels wrong to support the Tiges, but bringing the Pies back  a peg  would be very, very sweet.

Apart from the midfield, lots of Dogs players being pushed off the ball or off the play too easily. English, Naughton, Ugle-Hagan, Lobb, etc... Lack of physical presence and grit. 

And if they keep on not kicking it to Bailey Smith who is running his guts out to space and being ignored, he is going to blow a fuse. Something not right at the Kennel.

Dogs forward line looks really thin. If Naughton has a shocker, or misses set shots, I can't see them scoring 60 points.

Lions forward line looks good, but Daniher is totally unreliable, and Hipwood often looks good but does nothing.

Midfield battle should be where the game is won or lost, and Lions midfield will kick more goals than Dogs.

Lions by 25 points.

I have historical family ties to Norwood so there is a lot of nostalgia and sentimentality for me re news of them joining the AFL. But it is simply not going to happen. The energy, money, business interest etc... for all things AFL is totally consumed by Crows and Port and there is not enough surplus for another footy team.

Tassie will get a license, and then the narrative will move on to the vagaries of the 19-team competition, and so a 20th license will occur. Canberra is the only option but it will take 20+ years to be anything like successful because it is a graveyard for sports licenses. Very few people are FROM Canberra (they move in and out mostly) so it will feel a lot like GWS - soul-less.

We will then follow the model of many USA sports, and have 2 "conferences". 

I love my footy, and I love my Dees, but boy that sounds a depressing scenario.

2 main considerations:

1. We are playing Sydney.
2. What happened at Casey today

SYDNEY

• Their midsized and small players are looking very strong. So we have to counter that while still attacking from half back.
• They are playing with post-grand final anger and intensity.
• We are at the MCG, where they beat us.

CASEY

• Schache possibly concussed
• Many borderline AFL/VFL players played well

OUT:     Gawn, Petty (inj), Harmes

IN:         May, JVR, Jordon/Hibberd

6. Lever

5. Bowey

4. BBB

3. Spargo

2. Oliver

1. Brayshaw

The worry for me is he has already had 2 major knee injuries earlier in his career. I was 30 metres away at the Casey ground when he did his 2nd one right in front of me. The history of people with 3 major knee injuries is not good, and at Max's age recovery is longer. 

Here's hoping a mild strain of something, and its 6-8 weeks maximum.