Demon Dynasty

Yes hence why i seconded the Rivers idea although i don't see him as a direct replacement for Clarry as such. More just to see what he might add at CBs. Would love to see Dunstan get a run for Clarry over a short block to see where he's at. Not saying he's the answer either but imv he's the closest bull / extractor we've got (to Clarry/Viney) and one of the best distributors by hand at the club with VG vision in traffic (sees things out wide and goes there more often than some of the other insiders like Clarry, Viney, Sparrow & JJ). Might bring the likes of Lingers/Hunter into play a little more often, changing lanes & giving the forwards a few extra decent looks vs our usual straight ahead bang it in style which is a bit predictable & fairly easy to defend. Not sure how he'd go outside of CB with kicking etc. but worth trialling while Clarry is out. If we give him a block of games now so he can get up to speed/demand of AFL level again, find some confidence there. Better now than last minute late in the season if one of Viney or Clarry happened to go down. Of course all that would be outcomes based. He might also flop badly.

Like to 2nd that CBAs will be the more difficult aspect to cover with Clarry out. We don't have another obvious *bull/extractor who'll give us first us bar Dunstan unless he's over his injury which seems unlikely. *The others being mooted are all triers but not really near the level and/or more inside/outside types. Around the ground ball ups should be fine assuming our set ups and ruck/on baller cohesion at ball ups are adjusted vs Sat night and those asked to do the job really step things up.

Haha one can only hope Mr L! I highly doubt it but you never know.

Footy world's gone mad!

Pretty sure WCW and Fritchybusiness have known about this for a while now. Keeping mum though

I understand thanks Kev. Maybe scans were y'day as per Clarry IF they took place at all

Yes, If it wasn't looked at as an option (a cooler to Rozee or Butters if they got off the leash at some stage during the game) prior to the match then very damning on all concerned Bubs. It appears the entire brains trust was asleep at the wheel. This is where a super smart game day analyst needs to have some significant input (if they aren't already) in match day prepping. If he isn't doing so or doesn't have an important feed in influencer role... why isn't he?? I would have happily sacrificed Kozzy or Chandler for this role if i felt either was capable. In the sense that you initially asign one of them to "go out and play your natural game in your usual small crumbing pressure forward role BUT...we are also going to prepare you this week to take on Rozee or Butters if they get off the leash at some stage". If it wasn't Kozzy/Chandler then surely Harmes should've been prepped as the sub to do same. Kozzy/Chandler off... Harmes on...from half time....or whenever the sirens started flashing! "Go get him... shut him down son!" "Don't get beaten by what you already know" i believe is the footy coaching catch cry .

I think there may have been a bit of slacking off by a number of those running through the middle of late Bubs both from a defensive and see-ball-get-ball aspect. With of course a few of the usual exceptions. There's also the set up issue that Watson raised at stoppage which is structural. I assume this has already been dissected by the review panel/line coaches and the major mis givings raised as a team (between line coaches) with the players in attendance this morning. Grundy mentioned this aspect (paticular emphasis on D50 stoppage work) in his pressor this morning. Along with the protection aspect for Maxy that was sadly lacking (for mine) on Sat night. Time for a few of our heavy weights, including big Max himself, to start throwing their weight around as well as handing out some 'pay backs' when the opportunity arises. Goody, the line coaches and some of the leaders might need a little pow wow me thinks. A bit of a rocket and some truth speak is needed along with some home truths IF, as has been suggested by some, certain players aren't quite pulling their weight at stoppages and CBs. And even anywhere else on the ground for that matter. I suspect there's alot more left to give from some. While others are already peaking and pretty much running at close to full tilt.

Has also had scans apparently

Fritsch also in for scans apparently

Thanks vm for another super update Kev 👏🏼👍🏻

Excellent work W11. The 'scores sources' stats say we only lost at around ground 'ball-ups'. Assuming you are on the money re 'happening all night'. You could have one of the greatest teams going around and still struggle here. One would think the review team would surely have also seen this and it should be on the coach's agenda for review and correction. And if we didnt adjust this in-game, especially after half time, why not??

Yep he isn't built for the jolly green giant types. This week on Amyss might work. Even if he keeps him to reasonable numbers without completely blanketing, if it allows Lever to play his preferred role it would be big win for us.

Round 10, 2023 MCG - Blues vs Pies Thought i'd take a look at the old enemy given they're sitting up top. Probably doesn't mean much given the oppo but their Team Rating against the Blues was 15% lower than our average season Team Rating of 70.97! Player Rating Rank D Moore 6.700 1 Nick Daicos 4.550 2 J De Goey 4.525 3 J Noble 3.600 4 S Pendlebury 3.525 5 Josh Daicos 3.175 6 T Mitchell 3.075 7 B Mihocek 2.950 8 S Sidebottom 2.925 9 O Markov 2.800 10 Jack Crisp 2.475 11 I Quaynor 2.275 12 N Murphy 2.250 13 J Elliott 2.100 14 B McCreery 2.100 14 W H-Elliott 2.050 16 Bobby Hill 1.950 17 B Maynard 1.775 18 D Cameron # < 64% 1.675 19 Mason Cox # 1.325 20 A Johnson 1.225 21 T Adams 1.000 22 J Ginnivan > 17% 0.250 23 Team Rating 60.03 Top 6 26.08 Bottom 6 8.95 # Hit outs to advantage not counted < Subbed out / TOG % > Subbed in / TOG % Stats courtesy of footwire.com

Spot on... it might actually be a wake up for many that we can't always rely on Clarry (along with some big assists from Viney), to win the day every time Others will need to get down and dirty to cover

They've been in there a bit so far, not for Clarry type roles obviously, but haven't added much. Can't see them taking things up a notch outside of that in terms of attempting first use/extractions and holding play up a la Clarry. Will probably come down to Sparrow with some minor assists from Jordan. Pitty Dunstan is out. Be very handy here and my personal preference if available. Tracc might also need to get his hands a little dirtier to assist.

For me our worst performance so far (qualitative not quantitative) was against Brisvegas DZ. Much of our claw back happening after the black out from memory. Team rating from that was 60.15 So yes statistically the Port result of 51.2 wins by the length of the Flemington but then we only lost by 4 points so i'm not sure what to make of it all. My guess is that Port are good but not that good. We probably handed Port an assist by not bothering to try and cool at least one of their main play makers. Surely we don't make the same mistake if we meet them again this season? We also appear to be a bit Jekyll & Hyde so far this season. Need to find some warrior/killer instinct vs the challengers & interstate matches. Seem to be in cruise mode in some of these until things start looking ordinary (Jekyll & Hyde!).

Listening to Sanderson on SEN (who's been around the traps a fair bit and recently coached also) he says Coaches are generally reluctant to go for shut down option/s much of the time at the Center Bounces (CBs or 666). We witnessed this against Port with Butters & Rozzee allowed to run amok. So most of the time (but not always ...see below) they're pretty much pitting their best midfield set up against others, looking to get first use and then clearance out at CBs. Personally i think Port did decide to curtail at least one of ours, by putting a cooler on Viney (smart move). Not sure why we didn't try and curtail Rozee after half time. Strange stuff from the coaches box. Now if your midfield's purring along, as ours once was, we get first use more often and things just keep bubbling along and no one pays it much attention other than how well the 'stars' are going and how good it is! Pretty shallow stuff other than the odd deep dive on the Couch or Sunday Footy Show. So what's happened to our / other mid set ups at CBs since 2021 flag? 1. Others have added and improved. GC, Port, Pies, even the Hawks to a lessor degree with Newcomb & Day. No doubt others as well. 2. We've added Grundy. Grundy"s ok to sometimes VG at CB. However, anytime he's taking that bounce it means Max isn't in there. That's all well when Max is injured, coming back from injury on the mend or just needs a chop out. However, with a fully fit firing Max, Max is easily the best tap / CB ruck going around when he's unhampered fitness wise. Great to have Grundy, real handy & allows Max to go forward but... you aren't going to get the same success / results at 666 with Grundy as you are with Max. 2. We usually have two main extractors (Viney & Clarry) and a part timer in Max at CB. Not just extraction ...also tackles / taking tackles in order to hold up proceedings so the oppo doesn't get first use so often. In the last few matches that's been left (mostly) to only Max & Viney and they both had an off game against Port. I suspect this wasn't per chance as they would've watched the vision against the Hawks and saw that most of the extracting was from these two so lets try and cool their influence here? That's pure speculation and im only an amature looking in from afar so potentially a complete load of bunkem but you never know. As to what's happened to Clarry at 666, easily best of all three when he's on song and possibly the best in the AFL... i have no idea. But the last few weeks or so, for whatever reason, at CBs we have not seen much of Clarry the super extractor. Occasionally yes, but not as prolific as usual IMHO. Fix this part and get him back to being one of the AFL kings here and we probably go back to our best pretty quickly i reckon! Viney can't do most of the extracting alone against the best with side assists from Max and occasionally Grundy. Not week in & out anyway. Some weeks it might come off. The strange thing is Clarry is still going great extraction wise at around the ground stoppages. So i don't get why it's dropped away at CBA. Having said that, it's certainly not panic stations either as it's only been a few weeks and i could also be totally barking up the wrong tree! Maybe the coaches were asking this (first use extraction at CBs) from others of late like JJ & Sparrow (alongside Viney & Max) and Clarry's just lost the instinct to jump in a little (for now) and will just need to get back on the bike. And this may be all it is plus also getting Max back to full match fitness & some really good form (through the middle). Remember that the Port match was the first time since coming back from iniury that the FD asked a whole heap more from Maxy at CBs. I dont know the exact numbers but the week before against the Hawks he was only at CBs 32% of the time and this went up to around 55% or so vs Port? He might need another two or three matches at 50% - 60% CBA in order to come up to speed / full fitness here? There are also other positives... it isn't all gloom Apart from Port, Viney's been in ripping form Tracc's having a superb year and still a force for clearances at CBs as a receiver. Get Clarry really fresh, full tilt fit and back on the extraxtion / first use bike at CBs and we might just be an unstoppable force again, even against the best. However, i also think we lack speed in the middle. Someone who can get on the end of an extraction burst out and off with silky ball use into the 50. Will probably need to recruit this. I can't see it coming from the present list. Tracc does offer an option here but it's more power than speed over the first 10 or so. Maybe Taj next year if he comes on nicely?

Was superb y'day but the last time we recalled him he didn't gell so well with our other two big boys playing as the 2nd tall D. Further up the ground he looks alot more sure of himself and makes less errors imho. Reads the play really well and positioning is excellent. Maybe on a wing for Hunter if he's out? Turner could come in to take the 2nd tall forward but then you're probably having to drop hibb who's been very good. Unless McVee makes way? He's also been up and about though. Maybe Petty goes back once he returns. We really don't want Rick taking the 2nd tall as he isn't the greatest here and we're robbing ourselves of our best tall intercept defender. That's one compromise (Rick on 2nd tall) and the other is a win to the oppo taking away one of our big past strengths (Rick's intercept rebounds). That's effectively two wins in one to the oppo! It certainly needs fixing whether this is Tomo, Petty going back or giving Disco another decent block. This is what the coaches get paid the big $$ for. Hopefully they'll make some decent calls. Adams played his best game y'day? (I missed the GC game). Starting to show some good signs. He might be a decent Petty replacement at some stage if the FD continues to play Petty forward.

Too busy barracking for Port

Tomo our best y'day but his best appears to occur higher up the ground towards the wing vs deep in defence. That's where he played his best footy for GWS and us when he first came across. Would you risk winding back the clock and giving him a go there? The SC probably won't. I didnt see the GC match so not sure of his form line but Joel was very good y'day. May get looked at. BBB was unselfish and serviceable. Taj's best game y'day for mine. Cleaned up his kicking and hit one or two targets coming inside plus a goal. Who's he a chance to replace though and what posi? Chandler? Kozzy's been off also but will most likely go around again.

Might explain why he's been a bit ploddy around stoppages of late. Needs a rest anyways and shouldve got one in the game against Norf imv. Looks a tad cooked.

This sums up the Shockers and their 24 - 27th players that were running around for a fair chunk of the night.... the PortPires Now another assist from our MRO mate Christian What a shiiiete fest last night was. Topped off by this complete arrsee wipe of a collision. Rozzie can pull out but instead prefers to dive into Hunter's arrssee head first Talk about brown nosing!

And this