Maldonboy38

Jeffo you beauty!!

Love Round 1, hate that it is Sunday 3.20pm and F1 weekend. I will have eyes on Jeffo who is surprisingly good in the wet (a few games at Casey last year). I am not expecting too much, but want to see his leading, effort and attitude. Max will be a huge factor in the game - win or lose. Can the 6 debutants quickly play our defence/stoppage game? Will our forward line look or feel different with new line coach and new faces? I definitely hope so. GWS are very well coached, disciplined except for their skipper, and transition as well as anyone. They go in likely favourites. Should be a cracker, hoping for a 20 point win.

Sloppy Lions so far.

Teams figured out Collingwood - let them have their handball chains but full pressure on their designated kickers. They couldn't maintain their gameplan under pressure. The Hawks looked very good last night, and their gameplan is wonderful to watch. But a lot of their effective kicking was unpressured. Cats, GWS, Freo, Dees who have a style of game based on defence and pressure will worry the Hawks. Today, really interested in the North v Dogs match. I see the Dogs sliding big time this year and North look set to finally mature and aim for the 8-10 ladder position. Beveridge is a cunning old bugger and could surprise, but it does not look likely.

Essendon have actually played better footy over the ground, but their disposal is atrocious. Hawthorn don't need much of the ball to execute with precision.

Spot on. They aren't creating things they are reacting to the Hawks.

Horrendous free kick to Will Day. Horrendous non free kick for Sicily pushing Hobbs in the face/neck. And surely McGrath has every right to handball it through. What is going on?

Essendon, stop falling over. And look for options better. Loose players not being spotted going into F50. Hawthorn running forward looking very well drilled. And stuff me they can kick.

I loathe everything Essendon - jumper, players, supporters, arrogant board members, Dodoro, Sheedy etc... - and revel in their finals losing streak. Even my loathing for Pies or Blues is dwarfed by it. But there is something brazen, arrogant and totally unlikable about the current Hawks team that makes me want to slap people. Strutting around, selfies on the ground after games, stupid pre-organised goal celebrations. Yuk!! I won't go as far to say that I will barrack for the Bummers (never, no) but I do want them to win. Unfortunately I think the Hawks will win by 4-6 goals.

Is it possible to be delighted, apprehensive AND excited at the same time? Yes. This squad looks like a deliberate break away from all the carp of 2024, and a risk/reward exploration of the new forward setup we so desperately need. Kozzie, Spargo and Tholstrup easily walk into this forward line, but unavailable. I have been a Jeffo fan for a while and hope he starts on the ground, but AJ looks more likely to worry the GWS backline. Centre line of Langdon, Clarry, Windsor please. Starting team might look like this: B: Petty May Bowey HB: Rivers Lever Salem C: Langdon Oliver Windsor HF: Henderson AJ Sparrow F: Fritsch JVR Chandler R: Gawn Viney Petracca I/C Langford Sharp Lindsey Jefferson Concerns - 1) defensive run over 4 quarters 2) can this forward setup click Anticipation - 1) Jeffo 2) Langford

Pace and forward handball showing some gaping holes in Blues effort and system.

It was a split second reaction but 2 weeks probably. Chose to bump and made contact with the jaw.

How is that not a free kick to Vlastuin? And Weitering walks over the line, unpressured.

Tiges doing so much right, only to have the last kick or handball in a chain be an absolute shocker. And around the packs the Blues are mobile putting the Tigers young brigade on their heels. Final result not looking pretty.

He is reading the play and getting to the right spots really well, but not executing simple kicking and marking. He looks ripe for mine, just rusty.

Free to air tv - if all else fails play re-runs of Friends or Seinfeld. Fox sport - if all else fails show some bland meaningless thing involving a Daicos. Apart from some great run-and-carry by the Giants, what a carp game of footy for a Sunday arvo. Dropped marks, poor foot skills decorated by some packs and tackling.

5 years too late SWYL. His last brain cell took the last train a long time ago.

Brown from GWS can't catch a cold, but boy he can play. He is going to destroy some oppo defences this year. But that Callaghan - wow.

It has always been so difficult to get a clear read on the quality of football at the postage stamp that is the SCG. The Swans v Hawks game has been quick and intense with lots of pressure plays, but little of the game style transfers to most other grounds. Both teams look OK, and it looks like the old fashioned "utility" player has had a field day.

The best our forward line has been since Neitz and Robertson, was with BBB and TMac as our marking targets. Despite modern football being a full ground defensive network, I maintain that having 2 large targets is the best option. I would like to see JVR and Jeffo, but JVR and Johnson looks more ready to go. ANB hole needs filling. Sharp might get there but looks outside our best 25 to me. Spargo, Kozzie, Fritsch and/or Melksham in any forward line means headaches for defenders. Hope we can see them fit and firing at the same time. Their combined leading patterns look static too often. Sparrow and Petracca also rotate through, which is a very strong variation. Other considerations are Turner, Kolt, and Chandler. Kolt will eventually take Melksham's position, Turner has very good hands and is athletic, Chandler runs two ways. Too many behinds kicked for too many seasons in a row. Not sure what the answer is. Lets give Chaplin a few weeks to see if anything changes. Two questions: Do we include Johnson as a 2nd ruck resting forward? What is the best matchup versus GWS?

I would add JVR, and Fritsch looks all at sea at the moment. Otherwise I agree.

First there was Nev Jetta in a filth jumper, and now BBB in a Bummers jumper!!! Sorry, but makes me want to puke. The sooner BBB is back at the Dees or helping out in Tassie, the better it will be.

I am a Jeffo fan, but Johnson is well ahead of him after the Freo game. I am OK with either of them for round 1. I am so hungry for Spargo to find fitness and form. At his peak he was so important, his delivery and decision making into the F50 was a standout when so many other of our players seem to fail at this too often. Although Chandler's gut running is a really important quality, and we have other smaller players like Laurie, only Kozzie and Spargo have that small forward touch of class and smarts around and through half forward. Bowey at his best is a great part of our defense, but his delivery has been iffy for the better part of 18 months now. Not convinced Langford or Lindsay are ready for round 1. Howes is better than he has shown in preseason. Is Fritsch ready for round 1? 2 very important players for season 2025 - Salem and JVR. Sparrow very solid. Not sold on Sharp. I wish Tholstrup was fit and ready.

Some clear deficiencies, but I am not too hassled by the score. Our general play is looking better as the game extends. Salem and Windsor growing, Langford ok. Johnson looking to have established his spot as our 2nd big body forward. Fritsch a worry.

Chipping around half back and then creating a path through seems to be used a lot more than previous seasons. Tackling and pressure excellent. An uninspiring game, with few highlights, lots of spilled marks, lots of fumbling, and missed shots at goal. May and Langdon excellent. Trac and Clarry looking really good. Goalkicking - grrrrr... Johnson looking handy. Flat and uninspiring so far.