PaulRB

I’d be giving that role to Salem.

I think Rivers being so effective and damaging on the rebound put the focus on Nev’s challenges in providing movement out of our defence (an issue for a while now). love him and hope he regains his touch and place in the side.

I suspect Tomlinson will back up Max, with VDB moving onto the wing as required...

Like the team, and that Goodwin and the Selectors are picking the team based on what they’re seeing at training, while improving and developing the whole squad in this weird year. Jackson, Jones, Jetta, ANB and Bennell as outs makes sense, as each player has some clear and current issues or limitations. With bringing in VDB, Hannan, Pickett, Lockhart and Hibbard, I thing we both covering and improving on the outs. So it’s a good set of changes.. Bring on the cats...

It amazes me the strident certainty with which people post about the coach, team and player performance and role, after ONE GAME in 3 months... which we won. if “Old Dee” and “Picket fence” recon Harley out is a mistake, and have us getting beat by 5, I have to go VDB and Hannan to kick 5 between them and we’ll beat the [censored] in a canter in Sunday.

I’d suggest with VDB and Hannan in plus Melky, Fritz and Pickett in our forward half the pressure went up on Harleys spot and his omission makes sense... it’s early days, Harley was tentative (justifiably) vs Carlton and we need more physical and defensive pressure, An aspect all of those mentioned above do currently bring to our forward half. with our ruck and ideally midfield dominance, that forward line should make it hard for the Cats to get it out in Sunday...

Also, 4.2 million deaths annually from air pollution... which ironically dropped during lockdown for CoVID. weird world, and even weirder footy forum thread. ?

Agree. Would prefer that we didn’t play Dons this week, than play them next week (even undermanned) if there’s a chance they could infect our team. Imagine the response if the AFL green light the Dons vs Blues or Pies clashes and those clubs get infections as a result... Would be a slow motion car crash of epic proportions. This season is more in the hands of the footy gods than any previous season, and Maxy’s approach of not complaining, staying flexible and moving on to the next challenge is all we can do... and pray the footy gods are smiling on us.

That’s fair, an update from the club would be good, even to say they don’t yet know...

It’s premature because the AFL don’t know what’s happening with the spread of CoVID at Essendon, and the consequences for the whole competition that will result from that. If the Dons can’t play for a fortnight (or longer) then their season is effectively over and all their games are forfeited, as to think the AFL will postpone finals so the Dons can play us, Carlton, Collingwood prior is a fantasy. In addition, if any Doubt of any Dons being contagious then their next two games will also go the way ours did, because to allow the Don to infect another team would kill the AFL in 2020. so in the big picture context of what the AFL are trying to deal with, the MFC are wisely acting maturely aware of the challenges and recognising that in two weeks we’re likely to have both the Blues and Pies in a similar situation to us, at which point we won’t even have to say anything... as they say in the hood “bbc”...

It equates to grandstanding because it’s premature, I’ll-considered and about attention seeking over reasoned thought and discussion. Reality is the Dons are on verge of having their season killed, one way or another. And while I have a wry smile about this outcome, I’ve no desire for the MFC to be seen to be publicly dancing on their graves, as in the context of life/death CoVID... it’s an ugly look.

I don’t agree that not grandstanding equates with taking the scraps. AFL is trying to act responsibly re-CoVID in the public’s health interests and run a big business footy competition during a pandemic... should one club (Dons) be penalised for having to assist the AFL do its public health duty..? Is debatable. should the MFC be publicly seeking free wins from the Dons ill fortune? It me such a stance smacks of weakness and doubts that we can be successful without such handouts... How about we accept we all have to be flexible during CoVID and focus on beating Geelong this week and the Dons whenever the game is rescheduled to be played? There’s a flag to be won this year, and winning it with some handout due to the Dons misfortune would diminish it. Winning it despite the challenges we’ve been dealt, would make it truely glorious...

Assuming the worst, that he has it, and has infected his team mates, Dons are in quarantine for at least 14 days... so our game and their next two are in doubt, with no realistic way to make them up before finals. only way I can see of making it work is to declare all these games cancelled and a “draw” in terms of points to the various clubs now involved. Frustrating for us, in terms of us trying to build momentum and form in this weird season. Twice now in three games have we been torpedoed by CoVID.

Love it. Bound to fire Lever up... Bring on the Dons!

Methinks engaging in a discussion with people unwilling to consider alternate opinions to their own, is really tedious. and for those of curious minds, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerkes–Dodson_law

I once had tennis coach explained to me in that the best players get the balance between arousal and precision right, and can maintain this balance throughout the game and tournament. Transposing this to the MFC in 2020 and our performance vs Carlton in particular seems to explain our erratic performance. We started the game at the right level (aroused and precise), but then dropped it midway through the second, and struggled to regain it for the remainder of the day. so what happened? Without wanting to aggravate the froth and bubble crew and generate another outpouring of “More Excuses!!!”, I’d suggest a couple of things: 1. At 7-zip up we thought “this is easy” and our arousal dropped. I do this regularly when 4-0 up in tennis... 2. The Blues at zip-7 think we’re about to get fully humiliated and their arousal lifted. 3. While it took a couple of quarters to restore our arousal, the fact that we did (5min from the end), and we won is significant to our development. it’s significant because teams can rarely dominate for 4 quarters, and rarely maintain high arousal-precision for 4 quarters, so the key to success is being able to produce it when required in order to win. Anyway, just my two bits...

Not to me. Of our prime midfield of Oliver, Petracca and Viney, which would you swap out for Harmes..? Oliver was up against Cripps in the middle on Saturday, and was beating him around the ball early, with Cripps cutting lose up forward when Harmes was one of his matchups. Moving Harmes into the middle isn’t a zero sum game, as someone has to be removed to fit him in...

Meh. Pointing out the weather is a clear reportage of factual data without emotion or subjective commentary, very different to what goes on here. Facts from the weekend 1. We won. 2. Our first 1.5 quarters of play was dynamite and back to 2018 level. 3. Our next 2.5 quarters was poor with tones of 2019. 4. We don’t know what this means in terms of next weeks game. 5. Did I mention, we won... 6. This was our first competitive hit out since Round 1, not including playing ourselves. 7. We included 3 debut players and changed the team a lot from round 1 to round 2, 7 changes. 8. I was going to say “as a result...”, but will just say many players were rusty or performed below our expectations for them, several played really well... 9. So in summary, we won. Go Dees

Agree with it being sufficient for Harley to just get through. However, I was a tad disappointed by his contribution and thought he was tentative and casual at times, just not as intense and penetrating as I’ve recently seen at training, and I can’t recall him creating to many/any creative scoring chains as I thought he would. Agree, I’m being harsh, he’s been out a long time etc, so alls well.

Classic Melbourne game: brilliant 1.5 quarters, horrendous 2.5 quarters. Good and bad aspects have been covered in the past 14 pages. a point though is the sheer contrast in our performance, as in we weren't mediocre all day and snuck home, we were devastating in the first quarter and looking at belting them, then meek and fumbly and looking like spooners... What I find interesting is where we go from here, in 2018 we grew patches of good form in our games into full games of good form late in the year and it carried us into the preliminary. However, in 2019 our patches of bad form dominated and could never be turned... Our good form or game plan is good enough, and the key to growing these patches is minimal injuries, preparation and continued development. Gonna be an interesting season, and I've faith we can build this year, and that when we are on, we are truely hard to beat.

Chazz, you disregard facts and dismiss detailed analysis of any data that conflicts with your predetermined position and conclusion. I’d be a fool to keep “arguing” with you. Let’s agree to disagree.

Chazz, it’s delusory to conflate intention with results. They are not the same, and often don’t correlate. I.e. there are many other more influential factors that determine the results of a sporting contest then the guesses or estimations of a teams “assumed intention” by a biased (and disappointed) supporter. to keep arguing as if what you’re saying is logical or obvious is really agitating my Vulcan calm. Please stop.

Not to make excuses. But isn’t it unrealistic to assume a team who’s average ladder position the past two years is mid table, would knock off the team who’s average ladder position is top 4, including winning a flag... on their deck. Those wanting to stick the boot in seem to live in a fantasy land where everything is suddenly equal and it’s the players or coaches on the day that determines the result. its denies the reality of where our group is at (and where West Coast are at), and is a kind of magical thinking (ie delusional).

Harley on at 4:50 in the above... … hard not to feel his excitement and determination to make an impact and pay back those who've supported his journey. Officially very excited to see him run out in the Red and Blue.