La Dee-vina Comedia

SWOT analysis is very 1990s. But it's also a bit of fun and allows people to categorise what they see as positives and negatives in the current gameplan. And whether they call it a SWOT analysis or not, I'd be astounded if our coaches weren't doing exactly this in what is universally known as the post-game "review".

I haven't seen the game. In what way was Salem "found out"?

So, you don't like SWOT 'edu-speak' and then list a whole group of Weaknesses and Threats. And one Opportunity.

Injury has to be added as a threat. It's the same threat for all teams, but nevertheless, can't be ignored because it affects each team differently. And I don't know whether to put this one in weaknesses or threats but "Confidence". When teams lose, players react differently, but many will start to worry that (a) they are letting the team down and/or (b) their spot in the team is not secure. Either way, a loss of confidence means players play differently. I like the thread, by the way.

Thanks. A logical, if ill-thought through plan. My apologies to the AFL - they're just incompetent rather than deliberately trying to ruin football.

I am astounded that there is no football anywhere in the country today until 4.35 pm Melbourne time. I have already referred elsewhere to my dislike of Thursday night football, but I think the error of insisting on Thursday nights is compounded by not playing this afternoon. The simple answer (if the AFL wants to keep the Thursday night game) would seem to be to play Essendon v StKilda two hours earlier, especially given that Port v Carlton starts at 5.10 pm Melbourne time. And I'll bet if the AFL is asked why it's been fixtured like this, they'll say it's about concerns for player welfare given the possibility of extreme heat in March. Where was that concern last Saturday?

I think you may both be right! Greater Melbourne has been growing by 100,000 people per annum for the last few years. Some of that may be Australians from elsewhere who may already support a team, but I suspect most are from overseas and therefore unaligned. But I also agree with A F that without a premiership (or two), it may be difficult to convert these unaligned supporters into Demons.

Thanks Luci. I don't recall receiving it, but it might have been in an email I missed. I'm quite impressed with its up-to-datedness. Includes Lockhart and relatively recent injuries (such as JKH).

In addition, Reiwoldt was playing injured. Richmond has very much been a team reliant on their top 4 players (Martin, Cotchin, Reiwoldt, Rance - a very good top 4) for the last few years. It will be very interesting how they go in the next 4 weeks without Rance and Reiwoldt (who it has been announced will likely miss the next 4. It just so happens that Anzac Eve will be the fourth...).

He's on 196 games which also happens to be the clubhouse leader for current players not having played a final. (It's also the sixth highest of all time). Nevertheless, should this be the end, he should be proud of the fact that he played so many games. What's most impressive to me, though, is that he appears to have already mapped out what his post-playing career might look like with his experience as an assistant coach in the AFLW.

Wouldn't be much of a surprise. He played there a lot in 2018.

I find everything Carey says and writes is so 1990s. Hardly surprising since he was the best player in that era. But it all just seems a bit dated now.

Yeah, I know. I was a bit lazy with that post. I thought about how to phrase it in a way that talked about them playing their first game for Melbourne, but the sentence became too clunky. Nevertheless, if I were Wagner's father, I'd still be thrilled every time he played a game, whether it is with Melbourne or any other team and, quite frankly, whether it was in the seniors or at any other professional level. I also wouldn't feel like my whole world had caved in if he was dropped.

I'm not convinced that Jones will start on the half back flank. While he was named there last week, he started on the wing. And I don't expect Viney to start on the half forward flank, although I actually like the idea if he's still working his way back to full fitness.

Hence the O in O-Mac.

Hyperbole much! If I was a parent of Wagner or Hore, sure, I'd be disappointed, but I'd still be buzzing that my son had actually played a game at the highest level. As to the team selected, I have no idea what Lockhart brings...but I suspect Geelong doesn't either. May for Hore was (I thought) predictable. Frost staying in the side is no surprise to me. Geelong play a lot of pacy forwards (Ablett, Rohan, Dallhouse, Parfitt). Frost could play on one of them, although I suspect he'll take one of Hawkins or Ratugolea. Based on last week's game, though, if the midfield and forwards don't apply pressure, it won't matter who plays on whom in defence. And Spargo and Wagner going out are hardly surprising.

You're probably right, but my argument is so much better if you let everyone believe that what I wrote is the real reason.

The alternative way to look at it was that ANB got himself into positions to get the ball to have shots at goal when others didn't look likely. I suspect that will be of greater interest to the Football Department. One of our best kicks for goal in the last decade is now playing with Port because he didn't get the ball often enough in the first place.

I hope some of them wear boots with studs suitable for wet weather. The number of players slipping over last week was embarrassing.

Yes, I should have given credit where it was due. Rude of me.

I think you'll find Lewis is out for 2-3 more weeks. I presume, therefore, that looking at your outs, Hore keeps his spot?

You asked me a question. I answered it. I'm sorry if my answer wasn't to your liking. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?

A couple of posts over the week have referred to Jones playing after having been numbed with a jab or, perhaps, more than one jab. However, I haven't seen any coverage of what required an injection and when. (Before the game? During the game?) Is it possible that Jones dropped his marks because of the numbing effect of those any such injections? In other words, had he lost sufficient feeling, perhaps in his shoulder(s), to interfere with the split second timing taking a mark requires?

I thought we were in trouble when I noticed him run on to the ground before the game with his beard having been obviously trimmed to half its usual length. Haven't we learned anything from the story of Samson?

I've actually lost track of who's a realist, who's over-reacted and who is arguing with whom. I think it's time we all moved on (me included). For what it's worth, I think I'm a realist who over-reacted and started arguing with myself on this thread.