Maldonboy38

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.

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

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.

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: We are playing Sydney. 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.

Not sure how to review a game like that. So many below par performances. Gawn's injury. Lights going out. etc.... But I think a few things need special mention, and although only 2 rounds in, some specific things emerging. Grundy is not a good mark. I rate him as a player, but not as highly as others have. But wow his lack of contested marking influence is a huge surprise. His ruck work is good, his ground ball work is good, but his lack of presence in the air is a liability. Harmes is in very poor form, to the point that some of his efforts are helping the opposition. TMac is in very poor form. Almost nothing is working. The tiny short handballs between Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow etc... have been figured out by opposition. Brisbane were right onto this last night and we turned a heap of these over leading to them winning the stoppage. Contested marking inside F50. Simply put, we are bad - really bad.

One tonight's performance, we might actually play better in the dark...

No, but seeing THAT kick, totally unpressured, from an experienced player is very frustrating. Why would you think I meant it was Grundy'd fault?

Lever and Bowey get a pass - not many others.