PaulRB

We're building nicely, with a fair bit to come. Don't mind the the haters continuing to hate. Next month will tell a lot.

I though against the Pies it was a real sign of our maturity that we could jump them in the first and then hold our foot on their throats for the next three, ensuring a comfortable win. Thats how good teams beat teams worse than them. If the Tigers are indeed in trouble, and I'm not convinced they are, then I'd expect us to dispatch them with the same ruthless efficiency, or turn it up for longer and give them a real baking. Games like the one against North build confidence as they extract four quarter performances, digging deep and overcoming the challenges of the opposition. The Pies didn't offer much that we couldn't easily handle on Sunday. If we can win through to the Saints it should be a cracker.

I like the philosophy that Roos and players have spoken about several times recently, that it doesn't matter who we're playing, we now believe we that our best is good enough against most, so we're just focusing on producing our best.

Agree it should be "Golden Goal!", the old "next goal wins"...

Imagine how insane that extra time on "next score wins" ball up and play would be! Wild! then so tragic... or euphoric!

No more Grand Final replays as AFL Commission agrees to 'golden score' Grand final draw, will go to time on (5 min each way), then if still drawn,... next score wins! Thats so awesomely school yard... I love it! Hate to lose to it...

I reckon the dynamics at the club have shifted with our depth and players having to fight to hold their spot. With a likely two unlucky players to lose their spot (from a winning team) to allow Vince and Garlett back, the pressure to perform is now internal. That almost half the team are one mediocre performance away from relegation, should ensure that they are switched on.

With his kick and nouse the HBF is an ideal training for setting up forward trusts. As he matures, rotating him with Vince into the middle to do likewise from the end of a Viney or Oliver handball, makes a lot of sense.

Interesting what Paul Roo's does next in his football journey. If we continue to do well this year and rebuild V3 is deemed a success, Roos will have several club presidents offering wheelbarrows of cash to do likewise at their club.

Aside from the established layers coming back into the side (i.e. Vince and Garlett), many of the new players coming in have come in to play a role in the new game-style's structure I.e. Hunt and Wagner. So with Petracca, who appears to be a high forward/ mid he would appear to be competing for a place with Brayshaw, Oliver, Pedo, Kent, Kennedy. So, unless one of those players has a dog day or injury, Petracca's going to have to put in some serious form in the VFL to force one of them out. I don't think his performance against Collingwood reserves was sufficient. Reckon GT over 80% plus 3 goals and being in our best is required... possibly for a couple of weeks depending on how those others are going.

Looks like Jeremy's transition to the Collingwood team is now complete.

Surely he's just as likely to be coaching the Tigers next year, given he's evidently booked in for a frontal lobotomy...

I had a Collingwood fan ask me "What do ya think of Howe?", I smiled and replied "He's soft." the Pie fan sighed and said "yeah, I've heard that too." I laughed quietly to myself.

Who?

Goldsack a late omission, replaced by White. Maybe an opportunity for Jack to do some damage.?

Problem with your "placing a premium on development, not winning." theory is it assumes we have better more experienced players which we're choosing to leave out. That doesn't appear to be the case. My theory is that we are committed to playing and developing players to play a certain game style, a game style that the FD believe will win us finals at the G when perfected. So players are being groomed and developed for roles in this game style, and the old school idea of VFL BOG being obvious player to be upgraded is throw out window if they're not right for the role required. I like that Hunt comes in before ANB despite ANB having a better game as with Brayshaw in and Oliver, Jones etc playing well around the ball we don't need him at the moment. But a fast line breaking defender we do...

As soon as the optimism levels rise about an up coming game, a siren sounds in the back of my head, that I foolishly ignore... Such is football.

The legal process of players suing the club will be by nature adversarial and leave a bad taste in all parties mouths... Making the likelihood of the player being disenfranchised and leaving high. Im some ways it's a shame as the Dons will make some progress toward rebuilding their team will all the high draft picks the AFL is going to hand them for the exodus. Hopefully they Prendigast themselves.

That Roos has said repeatedly we are building a game style designed to win finals on the MCG, gives me confidence that we won't be overrun and our contested ball work, Max Gawn, high press, will all work to our favour.

If Max can back it up against the Pies, we'll be well on the way to having a good day. Go Max!

This may have something to do with his recent statements - Dyson Heppell's million-dollar legal claim 33 to go.

Media licking their lips for a Pie loss and another week of Collingwood hysteria... yawn. Even game that will depend on which teams show up on Sunday. People who quote betting odds as indicative of the likely outcome fundamentally mis-understand how odds are set. Would love a win.

With our high attacking zone i.e all in forward half pressuring a score, having backs with pace also stops teams breaking out and beating us on the outside (like GWS tried to do)... It's smart.

This kind of makes me smile - http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-04-14/us-import-mason-cox-upgraded-from-collingwood-rookie-list