PaulRB

Since coming into this season seemingly underbaked, we’ve improved each week. Our forwards started to gell last week, and our ability to connect across the ground took another step toward the levels we hit late last year. Continue on this improvement trajectory and we should have the saints covered.

With KK, Lockhart, Wagner x2, all relatively new to team, it took the first to gel. Was much better in second. Pieces starting to click, end to end.

It’s good. Us against the forkers of the world. Has ignited a bit of venom in me about tonight. Go Demons!

The corkheads will be out in force should we lose this Friday... be so nice to fork the bummers up big time...

Puts a hole in the tigers tilt and opens the door a little wider. hate to see players injured etc etc... so sad. ?

Hopefully Nev mark 2

Given the Dockers are playing North, if we win we’re into top two spot and finals... unless they win big.

May needs to save it up for the GF, and then go off (Dons 2000 style)...

Noticed in The Age article on Carlisle that Lever and May are both elite (Top 2 Lever, top 10-15 May) for intercept marks and intercept possessions. Given Mays new and Lever has been injured for the second half of last year, it’s a major injection of additional talent into our back 6 when both fit, in form and coordinating.

Freo “opening it up” so to speak should be interesting. They don’t bat deep in the midfield and will get exposed on the rebound. Losing ??? (Forget his name) To get Hogan only exacerbates their midfield issues.

Is there a stat that measures a forwards ability to defend, chase and hold the game in the forward 50..? Be curious to see that stat.

I think you’ve nailed the critical piece of data, with our midfielders now mature and at best practice levels of fitness, our need to rotate them through the bench decreases, allowing us to employ the bench more strategically. The days when young mids were managed at 75% game time are done, with Tracca the last to be needing this support. This means the Preuss addition will be for many games and to good effect.

As the number 1 clearance team in the Comp with arguably the best ruck and midfield, these rules should deliver a very dominant season for us. Any team with ruck or midfield issues will be hurt, more than in the past.

Neil Craig..?

Wow that description is so loaded!!! Peterson is a practicing professor of psychology from Canada who’s clinical experiences has lead him to advocate an “evolutionary psychological” viewpoint on some devisive issues that have become memes in the various ideology and gender debates going on. His book is well worth a read and his interviews are entertaining.

Oooohhh Mama!

I read that article and thought “I wonder where they rate Angus Brayshaw?”... given his Brownlow number he had an exceptional output last season as well, for one so young.

Goodwin has been blessed with a apprenticeship under Roos, a great list and a very solid high performance team in his FD. Now let’s hope he’s been touched by the Gods and he’ll pull it all together. Another 3 years plus Bartlett’s firstborn if he wins a flag. ?

Good luck to him. He was on holidays having fun.

Welcome aboard Nelo!

The Preuss and Maxy tandem with one in our goal square at centre bounces, is a nightmare for most oppositions. We’re clearing at 60% kick long and deep... if leadup blocked. We will destroy many teams this season, Goodwin and the FD have read the rule changes well and recruited to our significant advantage, i.e. Kolo for wing, Hunt becomes a weapon from kick ins where the player can now just play on... etc interesting times.

I disagree PD, I think both Tommy and Weid benefit and do well from time up the ground. I reckon Goodwin has a plan to evolve this part of our setup and further improve our midfield/clearance dominance by addressing the only area of weakness, those times when Maxy is resting or being double teamed. It may be at the expense of OMac if Maxy continues to roll or play back, or require tall forwards play stints on the wing providing hit up targets, etc... BTW I know your view, and am actually more interest in exploring how it might or could work than playing “I’m right ... you’re wrong” (yawn) chest thumping game...

The “replacing Hogan’s 47 goals” debate, needs to be broadened out to appreciate the genius of it, and how we’ll do much better than break even on the 47 goal “loss”. Losing Hogan allowed the perfect replacement in Weid to step up at the ideal time (with a great return), and allowed us to recruit May. So how to measure... Weid late last year averaged almost 2 goals a game versus serious opposition. So we can assume 2 goal average in 2019 Or approx 40 goals over 22+ games. PLUS May is an experienced key defender who should be able to be counted on to reduce by a further 1 goal per game, the goals against, than the MFC player he’s replacing in the 22. So there’s another 22+ goals my guess is for Hogan’s 47 we’re looking at a return of 60+ so a profit (gain on the competition) of 20 so goals..! Tres good

Does the arrival of Pruess enable us to rest Maxy in 3-4 games against struggling teams during the year, to have him cherry ripe for big games..? And should we?

I don’t think being an a$$hole when you lose implies you are less accepting of the loss than someone who has the class to be gracious in defeat. So we’re probably talking at cross purposes on this.