deejammin'

Oliver’s first game for GWS was outstanding. He was either extracting the ball from contest or linking up in handball chains, running hard both ways, hitting targets by foot and kicked an excellent goal. His next three games he’s still getting the ball and linking up but the team is struggling and GWS’s clearance work has been messy. He’s getting a lot of it and doing his great in close handball stuff, he’s also getting to link up in more handball chains from hard running than last year, seems fitter, but is rarely the kicker and when he is tends to still do the up and under kick into the forwardline. He’s been one of if not GWS’s best player, but they’re not the team they once were and sit 1-3 so it’s hard to tell how much positive impact he’s having. I don’t think he’s hit his peak 2020-2022 form if he even can get back there. Very disappointed he didn’t show up for Max, he has every right to be mad/frustrated with Steven King and the club but after everything Max did for him he should’ve been there. Tomlinson, Hunt, Spargo, Marty Hore, Jeremy Howe and many others that showed could have had reason to not want to show but they did it for their mate and to retain the legacy of the good times they had at the club. Clayton should’ve done the same, I hope he does in future.

Sounds like we won’t get a chance to find out given Cross has reportedly been sent for a thumb surgery that will keep him out for two weeks. It’s really not complicated. We have a 34 year old, GOAT of all time ruck who is our captain and must play every game who is playing over 90% game time in a physical role and needs to be given a chop out for longer periods of time to keep him going all season. I don’t have a problem with Kentfield ahead of Heath but I don’t think his body is ready for AFL yet, he needs a VFL game post knee injury. In this case GC are a tall team with 200+cm backs and a powerful ruckman in Witts and we have a short turn around to our Essendon game where we will need Max cherry ripe for a game he should dominate and we should win. We also play with fire having a KPD playing pinch hit ruck, as we saw with the Freo game if a key back man goes down our team balance looks terrible. Heaven forbid Max go down and we have to play the game down both a ruck AND key position player. Max and Max will play together eventually, unless the plan is to give Gawn a full week off at some point (which I hope it isn’t!), or the club waits for Kentfield to be healthy and ready for AFL again which could be the option, but it’s still another big. I think it’ll be Heath this week. Hardly lunacy.

He would be very stiff I agree. I also don’t generally believe in bringing guys in for one game and dropping them. However, 1 goal and 1 goal assist, 1 pack crash, 2 kicks, 4 handballs, one mark and zero tackles in four quarters of footy is droppable. Max Heath would also crash packs, probably more effectively, and would also give Gawn a chop out in the ruck that will freshen him up for Essendon. He can also take a mark which Cross only took one of for the whole game. We played Cross as a key forward for the last quarter and he did some good things, I don’t WANT to see him dropped, but I reckon it’s time for Heath against a tall GC backline. Mac Andrew and Collins are standing in the pack under that ball Paddy crashed to Fritsch and it’s an intercept mark. Just my opinion but he’s the one you can drop up forward to bring the Moose in and I think it’s time.

Ins: Rivers, Heath Outs: CJ (inj), Cross (stiff but it’s a team balance issue and Chandler, Fritsch and Latrelle have more weapons).

Such clever work from King with Kolt this weekend. Over the preseason I think many of us, including me, were wondering why he was playing back and then it’s revealed it was to prepare him for the NAS tag for over a month. Super clever. And while Nas had his moments so did Kolt, I just wish he’d kicked that goal and it would’ve been the an excellent tagging game. Onwards and upwards for the Kolt but good to see him add tagged to his game, makes him much more likely to get picked in an increasingly selection process.

Of that list if there’s two best 23 out, Viney and Bowey (although it’s a tricky exercise to work out which mid to drop for Viney), and MAYBE one of Jefferson, Johnston and Kentfield would’ve got a game, but all three can’t play together. Casey’s depth will be challenged but only 2/3 best 23 missing from the 1s is a hell of a lot better than we were looking a month ago and leaves us with a pretty damn good team which will have some tough choices at selection. Also with AMW available we finally have the small lockdown defender many have been crying out for, if he can find last preseasons pre-injury form lookout. I wouldn’t want to have to pick the team this week, some very good exciting players will miss.

The 2021 premiers. Saints one flag was…. Not recent 2010 choking? Last year? Year before. We’ve At least made finals and won a flag recently

I reckon his ability to get a quick handball and get the ball out to the running power GWS has looks very good in the second half. Put Callahan and a few others in there and he’ll be a weapon.

Of that list who’s a chance to get back for round 1? Gawn, Melksham, Petty, Culley maybe? AMW maybe? Get Gawn, Culley and Melksham in and I’m not sure Petty is ahead of TMac right now and that’s a pretty good team. Bowey’s absence hurts the most, Viney a close second. I don’t think TC, Hendo, McAdam, Johnston, Matthews, White are in our best so they’re hurting our depth, development and Casey more than best 22 and we looked better with McDonald ahead of May last year so maybe that’s not so bad. All in all if we get those 4 players back for round one I reckon we’re looking pretty good. Saints will be tough but they are also great chokers and were young and an unknown quantity with King at this stage.

Good start to the death ride, yes it’s a practice match, yes GC had a heap of stars out, but they still have the same problem as last year, they leak scores. Also it was in GC right? Thats pretty pathetic considering. That St Kilda team looks good but is not the best team they’ll face this year, probably mid tier. Keep it up GC, pick 8 would be lovely!

Great ins but geez GG and especially Denby are stiff! I thought Denby had some game saving and breaking moments last week and is in a lot better form than Lampy and Banno as much as I love them playing.

Great game. Super proud of all the girls, Hore, Tahlia, Heath, Lise, Paxy, the Taylor’s, Blaithin and Goldy, Harris, Cambell and Witherspoon with the key moments in the last. The umpiring was bordering on match fixing, the fifty simply wasn’t there, the Adelaide player ran into Paxy for the reversed free kick the spoil was close to perfect and that was a dropped chest mark if ever I saw one. It was game over without those clear blunders and it didn’t come back our way. There was some similar stuff in the second quarter last week. I would be shocked if there wasn’t some bias from the umpires towards trying to make a closer game or keep more interstate teams in it it was that bad. Ok tinfoil hat off. I went with my son and mother and father and had a great day, yes it would’ve been nice to have a bigger crowd but I’m not sure chiding each other or continuing the Melbourne’s crowds suck talk is going to fix it. Go Dees, who knows what happens next week, on paper the Roos win but the week off and both teams on a neutral ground with us hopefully getting more stars back in Zanker in particular who knows. I just wish we could see what would happen if Purcell, Chaplin, Beasley and Zanker were all available, fully fit and playing. I actually think that team would beat the Roos.

And while we’re at it what’s wrong with “ground” or “Melbourne Cricket Ground” or “Self contained breathing apparatus” or just “apparatus” or “Australian football league” or “Melbourne Football club”’and “demons”! Ban all acronyms and nicknames!!! We should say everything in full or not at all!

I remember Grace’s three games being pretty outstanding though. I imagine the plan coming into the season was for Kate to play more forward with a more stacked midfield but injuries to Purcell, Mackin and Beasley have prevented that. If she gets her game ready I suspect she’ll be in.

If that’s true it’s absolutely shameful. You couldn’t have kept him for one year and seen how he went with King then traded him for a junk pick next year? Trac’s salary and what we were planning to pay Judd going off the books isn’t enough? Nup that’s trash. GAGF Tim Lamb.