Maldonboy38

Gawn's tap work is much better than I remembered it - he sets up play about 4 metre away from the ruck contest. This is not easy to do, and he has the height to impose this act on a stoppage. Having him play half his time as a full forward could be a great bonus to our starting 18. He can take a mark, and with his height he will cause some major headaches for backline coaches. Why the Tiges let him go for so many one-one-one marks is beyond me. Third man up would have given Richmond many backline possessions if they had half a brain to think this through.

Both surprised and delighted. Apart from his size and marking ability, it is his hard work, two way running and tackling that stand out at the moment. He is not getting a heap of the ball but I acknowledge with admiration his work rate that allows the team to move the ball into spaces and set up play. This team mentality of his is allows us to defend space, and to make space forward. His defensive running is the highlight for me. He reads the play and gets back quickly. Probably leading the coach's award this season.

I thought he was good most of the game but not great, as there were still those "what's happening why is everyone running past me moments". What was frustrating were the amount of times he ran his guts out to get into position A or space A and his team mate kicked it to another option where we were outnumbered. But I loved his exhausting gut running. I was impressed with his game today because: He had vital possessions in every quarter. His last quarter was outstanding. He took some contested marks. Some of his tackles were very strong. He played a team game. His kicking. It really is a pleasure to watch him kick. And to that female Melbourne supporter behind me who kept screaming out "just kick it Jack" every time he got it, I love the way he holds onto the ball and takes his full 6 seconds to decide... then delivers.

Bitter, this is the difference. We have had some players this year to have shockers, but in the main we are producing an even spread of team football across the 22.

I noticed him a few times at pre-season training this year. He has a huge bum with a low centre of gravity so has that smooth low movement look about him. It is his kicking that is his strength and his weakness at present. This will become more consistent as he matures. But he has a huge engine, and rarely gets moved off the ball at a stoppage. I agree with a few people above - I can't remember a Dees midfielder with his class in a long time. Tingay maybe, before he was injured.

N.Jones - inspirational and tough Grimes - interceptions and turnovers Salem -just a game Watts - reward from running Toumpas - steady not brilliant Dawes - intimidating physical focus Viney - tough natural footballer Tyson - poised midfield machine Dunn - clam, reliable, effective Cross - great tagging game Garland - composed and influential Pederson - amazing work rate Vince- great second half Kennedy - Harris - keeps on impressing McDonald - effective but scary Riley -not too bad Gawn - very important role Howe - skilled and creative Jamar - strong feeds midfield Bail - just a game M.Jones - best forward spreader Terlich - good and bad

Forgot about Grimes. I thought he lessened Martin's impact after half time but never actually beat him. His disposal has been heaps better this year, but that one turnover today was classic Grimes.

The umpires were bad today but not anti-Melbourne. There were 4 shockers against us early in the 3rd quarter which got the blood and the voice flowing but the Tiges got ripped off a few times too. It is more that the Umps missed a lot of clear freer kicks on both sides and paid some real soft ones.

Yep - one week. Stupid thing to do really. It wasn't body contact or presence-pressure, but unnecessary use of his arms. He would have been very important vs Port.

I have to draw attention to our backline brain fade, rancid skill, weak turnovers and especially the ones that lead directly to scoring shots. We have got to eradicate this or the really good teams will annihilate us. Matt Jones at least makes up for it with some great forward run. I still can't completely trust Terlich in a one-on-one contest, kicking inside defensive 50, or decision makling in a handball chain. He works very hard and takes some good intercept marks but he is always a bit shaky. Tom Mac is frightening on the run. Tall, quick and often beats his opponent but he is in the Ben Holland class of "please handball". His decision making is frightening. Howe's turnover was a genuine howler (no pun intended) but he had a great game. I don't know what the answer is but it makes my guts turn when at the game. Are Terlich and T Mac solid in their positions?

I officially declare we are off the canvas, standing up, putting some punch combinations together, and starting to press. Before round 1, many teams would have penciled the Melbourne game in as a win. We are now in every game for long periods and can hold our ground when the momentum swings. It was great to be there today. We had some amazing brain-fade moments that put the wind up every Dees supporter but overall we had 22 blokes playing a strong brand of team footy. Although some players were outstanding, best of all it was a game of team footy. Even when the Tiges ran it endlessly and too easily off their half-back line, our boys got stuck into the two way running and refused to concede. My hat goes off the Pederson, Dawes and Watts who for big players, ran their backsides off all day and were still grunt running in the last quarter. Welcome back Max Gawn. Roos has turned Pederson from a "he's a good kick" player, into a hard running, pack marking team man. I did not see this coming but I reckon his name stays written in ink on the team sheet for each game. He was magnificent today.

6. Tyson 5. N Jones 4. Pederson 3. Viney 2. Howe 1. Gawn

Not a perfect game, but a strong consistent game during which he rose to the big moments. He was one of the few still at full pace in the last quarter. At one stage in the last quarter he and Dawes were over near the wing on the Brunton Ave side, and after 4 or 5 long plays both were absolutely stuffed. From there Watts led 2, 3, 4 times and burned off every opponent near him, ended up reciving it on the lead. I was surprised, relieved and delighted with his game today.

I am a little unsure of Gawn in for Frawley - they are two very different footballers, so it means a shuffle of someone else somewhere. It's not that we have great team balance that shouldn't be played with, it is just that it does change the dynamics across the 22 a fair but. Interesting to see how it works through. Riley in for Byrnes just means we have another in-and-under option rather then a small crumbing forward, and Byrnes crumbing forward play wasn't high class over the past few weeks. I like this because we now have Jones, Cross, Tyson, Viney and Riley who have a heap of grunt and body size. I am anticipating a very physical game from the Dees. I hope they don't move Dunn - he has been strong and reliable down back and is too much a a central cog to our defense in general, but specifically he is vital in bringing it out of the back 50. Pederson now becomes very important, and will probably play all over the ground at times. It feels like he should go back, but with Dunn, Garland and T McDonald holding down roles, Pederson will rotate forward and back of the bench. In my tipping I went with the Tiges by a tiny margin, but that was before the final teams being in. With Gawn and Riley in I don't have any clear gut feeling of how the game might go. Really looking forward to it.

A quiet night for footy in Melbourne - check. Paul Roos available to talk about an untested coaching set up at a (previously) struggling club - check. A grandstanding, "head-on-TV" journalist looking for a story to keep his personal profile in the spotlight - check. Result. One bag of speculative hot air. Roos will hold firm to the plan set out by him and PJ when he signed on. By the end of this year a senior assistant will be in place, and that recruitment list is still probably quite wide but they will have a two 2 or 3 ready to approach by now. The successful candidate will assist Roos in 2015 during which time Roos will decide whether to stay for a 3rd year. Bartlett, Roos and and PJ all have 2 character traits that are similar. 1 - they have a calm demeanour that hides an aggressive approach to success, and 2 - they do not leak information and hate it when others do. I don't believe for a moment that Robbo knows any more than he, or anyone else did, 4 months ago.

From reading that article, I too get the sense they have identified some things in Strauss that they like, and will persevere with him through this year to help him develop them. I have always wanted him to succeed but thought he had been tried too many times and not produced. Watch this space, I reckon, but I need some convincing about him now. Good reports on Michie, Riley, Tappy and Jordie. Interesting about Toumpas. Sounds like he has to learn to play much more than his natural game, and is only just coming to terms with it.

N.Jones - scragged but consistent Grimes -negative and effective Salem - some small improvement Watts - steady without intensity Dawes - palpable forward presence Viney - strong and gutsy Frawley - not enough impact Byrnes - fumbly without poise Tyson - strong and creative Dunn - first genuine loss Cross - courageous and wise Garland - first game back Pedersen - worked very hard Vince - not creative enough Kennedy - Harris - energetic without impact McDonald - won his position Howe - strong but fumbly Jamar - very important presence Bail -good negating game M. Jones - weekly improvement continue Terlich - growing into game Jetta - strong but limited

We need some creativity and class but we have few of these in the starting 22 let alone playing well at Casey. Blease has only played 1 good game in a row so may not be considered. I would give him a go just for his outside run and line breaking potential. Or Kent. Although he has now missed a game I rally like this kid. OUT: Terlich (inj), Byrnes IN: Kent, Blease

Our main failing over the past 4 years has been pretty much fixed - intensity at the contest including two way running. We have a mix of forward talls. Dawes presenting over again with vicious, physical intent being helped by Pederson, Jamar and Frawley. Hogan to come (hopefully!) Our backline remains our steady, able foundation who continue to beat or equal their weekly opponents. We basically lack class, at important moments and most importantly in one on one contests. The Dogs got a heap of easy goals because their class midfielders got easy possessions. Cooney, Dalhaus and Liberatore all had a class that only Tyson showed last night. Coming off half back Terlich, McDonald and Jetta just lack that polish and finish to ever really set up something special, quick and creative. Likewise for Bail, M Jones and Pederson. This diminishes our forward spread. Salem, Tyson, Viney and Hogan will begin to change this, and hopefully one of Hunt, Harmes will join in. I reckon Riley and Michie will be more grunt than polish players.

Finding it very difficult to understand that the AFL website has Tom McDonald in our best players. He really does some good stuff and he did kill his opponent on the night, but he often gives me the heeby-jeebies waiting to see what he will do with the ball.

6 Tyson 5 Cross 4 Jamar 3 M Jones 2 Viney 1 Howe

Just got home, and have to admit I am more disappointed abut this loss than any other this year. We lost a game we should have won. About 8 of the Doggies goals were very easy, out the back of the pack, running forward in unaccounted for numbers, and their midfielders either scored or somehow created space inside 50. Roos will not like that at all. At vital times we lacked class. We definitely have grunt and defensive pressure but at certain times Cooney and Liberatore looked a cut above us. The Dunn/Crameri non free kick, and Matt Jones missed goal were momentum sappers. We did not recover well after that, and I think the Doggies got three centre clearances in n a row straight after. We were really in this game, in every play, and at every point. The style of play from the Dogs is horrible. The amount of tackles they got was because they choose to mongrel around at stoppages. We actually beat them to the ball a lot but our spread from the stoppage was often second rate. Tyson is a gun. Not missing C. Sylvia at all. I defended Byrnes during the week, but he had a really bad game of fumbling and falling to the ground tonight. For some reason, from kick ins or stoppages right near our goal, the Doggies spread with 3 or 4 players to 1 on numerous occasion from the city end up the Brunton Ave side. By the end of the 3rd quarter I was seething with frustration at this.

Have we become so jealous of superstars that we can't recognise one in an opposition team? Buddy missed some stuff tonight, but he took 5 contested marks (usually his weakness), laid 5 tackles inside 50, and had nine shots on goal. He has always been an iffy kick at goal, but his presence is undeniable. I agree that Roughead is the better footballer of the two, but Buddy is a match winning superstar who runs at near Australian Olympic qualifying speed over 200 metres, and kicks vital goals to win matches. Personally, he annoys the carp out of me and off the field well..., but he is one hell of a player. He has his flaws, but I would take him in a heart beat, but not on the deal Sydney gave him. On a bit of a tangent; Reid, Tippett and Franklin running around and Goodes about 6 weeks from fit. Hannebery, Parker, Kennedy, McVeigh, Jack, Jetta running through he middle. The Swannies looming as a serious threat now.

I went to find the "contact us" tab on the AFL website. It is in tiny writing way down near the bottom, but not out on its own and under a tab where most would never think to look. I get ttaken to a webpage, asked about my windows operating system, what kind of internet connection I have and finally after some minutes, get through to a page where i can give my name and type out my feedback (one of the options in a drop-down box). I type that I believe the Viney tribunal decision works against the spirit of our game, and until the decision is reversed or the governing rule change, I will not buy any AFL official merchandise, or purchase any products/services from any AFL sponsor etc... At the last act of this ridiculous system - that is me having to enter my email address for a reply - the "AFL contact us" system will not process my feedback because I am not a Bigpond account holder. I simply want to scream.

I went to Casey once when he was playing and wasn't particularly impressed with his game. I later learned he was playing injured - again. But when I went to the quarter time huddle he was an imposing, angry, dominant leader who looked people in the eye and took no prisoners. I have been a fan since then. But over the past 4 weeks the respect has built further due to his intensity, effort and presence. Very impressed.