Demon Dynasty

I'm not adverse to trying these two but hec.... there's been so many suggestions we may as well make this week's match a ruck try out for everyone over 6' 2"! The reward....The winner gets the bulk of the ruck duties and will likely be pummeled from pillar to post in the next 7 weeks!

Tracc how about running a match simulation against the bombers in AFL evolution with those ruck variations before selection night mate!!

You don't think some are significantly better at short passing and some significantly better at longer kicks for the kick ins?

That was very impressive WWS. Frost has really gained in strength and his attack on ball carrier the last few seasons. Becoming a pretty powerful athlete. Like his run too.

Our genuine ruck cupboard is now completely bare as you say Pro. I like the idea but can he even compete and keep up at an acceptable level over at least 3 quarters or so? Happy to trust the FD and Plapp here to make the call. If it's not King then Pedders is the main man......break even, huge loss or otherwise (in the ruck contests). Has to be the best of a bad bunch if King is assessed as being far from ready even for a short stint. And 7 weeks for King would not be a short stint i wouldn't think. What a baptism of fire that would be if he lasted the 7 weeks or so!

This is a worrying trend that's pervaded our backmen and also happens up the field a little too often Deestroy. Fix it or continue to fail down back (too many up i mean...allowing the loose man to impact from the spill). Hunt one of the worst offenders atm.

Is Frosty an option PF? That's a "look away" potential disaster as you say.

Don't mind that. Maybe 50/50 swapping with Lewis off HB?

Wow very emotional attack there Wise. Bugg unlucky to have been dropped in the first place after one match. That's the chopping and changing i'm referring to. Eg., A player being brought in for one week and dropped the very next, and/or coming back the next (Smith). Nothing to do with changes being "bad for the side" as you wrongly quote me. That was NEVER mentioned anywhere in my post. So that's 2 legit changes im suggesting (that aren't forced) in a losing (three weeks in a row) side. Hardly "dripping" with irony and far from upsetting to team cohesion or unusual in a losing team i would have thought, provided those coming in are in reasonable form to replace the two (unforced) changes. Lewis for Melk, who had another very ordinary game seems ok to me, and Bugg who was probably our best at Casey, for ANB, Nothing too severe there i would have thought and seems pretty sound. ANB has had a five week run at it and has been choppy over that period with a few weeks up and a few down. Way off it against the Blues, a very good game in general against the Cats, Ok against the Dockers (as was Bugg who was dropped) and ordinary at best yesterday. His persistent turnovers killing off some of the possessions and decent work. Cost us a momentum changing goal against the cats with that 180 degree brain fade kick backwards into the goal square and another yesterday just before half time with his 2nd brain fade OOTF kick. His decision making and disposal needs cleaning up with his DE % no where near AFL average, presently sitting at 60.2% (average). In our bottom three yesterday at 52.4%. AFL average approx 73%. Get as much of the ball as you like, if you ain't are only hitting targets about 50% of time you're having a mare. Jones had a horror second half yesterday also but still bottomed out overall at 62.5%. JKH also pretty far off here last night on 54.5%. I totally agree, changes for changes sake should be avoided. That's why i'm saying, when you bring a new player into the team don't take him out the following week. Give him at least 2 to 3 weeks to show some sort of return on the selection, backing the player in and your initial decision to select him, unless of course match ups severely over ride that decision. I'm also not sure why you disagree that if a player can't step up after a 2 to 3 week continual run at AFL level (from Casey) they are looked at in favour of a similar role player at Casey who is in solid form.

An amazing 2nd half by Daniher. Didn't see the first but wow. His decision making and long kicking to one on ones has been the difference IMO. Who goes with him next week? Frosty seems like the choice but if he has to share ruck duties? King a "no choice" 'IN' to allow for this?????

Pretty spot on dbj. Our selections and particularly the chopping and changing without any continuity towards team cohesion, player confidence and allowing new entries to step up to 'AFL Level' fitness and pace over 2 to 3 weeks continuity (at least) has been woeful so far. Agree with most of the above but now that Kent is out (agree should have been given one more week as should have Bugg) i want to see what JKH truly offers in the next 2 weeks (minimum). My view is if you bring someone in they have to have a fair crack at showing what they might be offering and backing your initial selection. Ie., they have to be in such good form over a few weeks or more at Casey that you have no option but to select and give them a run at it. JKH didn't do that but has now earned the continuity as he is there, even if his inclusion was on the back of an initial poor selection criteria/judgement. So, if the FD collectively feels King can at least neautralise a fair percentage of contests and has at least a 3/4 match tank or more i would run with.... Ins: Lewis, Bugg, King, Pedo Outs: ANB, Melksham, Spencer & Smith If King is just too far away and too big a risk then: Ins: Lewis, Bugg, Pedo Outs: ANB, Spencer & Smith Frosty to share ruck duties with Pedders, Watts playing a minor 3rd string role when needed (max approx 10% of game time)

Is King anywhere near capable of playing a neuatralising ruck role at senior level in the short term until Spencil gets back Melon??

Vince still required but should play a minor (mix things up) role here IMO. Last night the game plan was always bombing to the right hand flank from either end most of time. Opp just going to read that most of time and get numbers to that side, meaning its a 50/50 or worse on most occasions. Need that short kick sideways to the pocket or over the top, if its on, to break things up and draw defenders to their man a little more. Try to deaden the 1 & 1/2 intercept method a little. Then the longer bail out kick up the line closer to the wing so it's at least a 50/50 in a less dangerous part of the ground OR the next short pass inside (or lateral) to maintain possession and work up the field slowly unless there's an overlap option on like Hunt/Hibberd/Frost. Nev seems like the best option from not much choice here. Been around long enough. Wouldn't hurt to step up and give him the responsibility to take this on with occasional short pass chop out from Watts when he isn't having to play 2nd string ruck role. Which will be a fair way off

Not hibberd. Too valuable further up field with line breaking and great competitor when ball hits turf. Wasted on the kick in. Salem is bog ordinary In general play anywhere defensive side of the square IMO. Starting him from the kick in....no thanks. That leaves Nev and ummm.....

1. Oliver 4.80 / 1st - just over Hibberd....over use of handball when a quick kick i50 will do just as much damage a high percentage of time 2. Hibberd 4.08 / 2nd 3. Watts 2.93 / 11th - no hit out stats included but a 2.93 score around the ground was only bettered by Big Maxy in Rnd 2 vs the Blues where he scored 3.28! 4. Garlett 3.73 / 8th - our only effective forward who also played a fantastic 2nd half much of it up the field, admittedly most of the good work after half time. 5. Hunt 4.03 / 3rd - ran out of steam with about 10 to go in the 3rd but was brilliant up till then. 6. T-Mac 3.95 / 4th - undid some of his solid early work in the 2nd half with some costly one on one losses but he was taking their best forward.

These stats on our core mid-field vs the Tigers are telling IMO as we won most other stats apart from hit outs on the night till 3/4 time...... 'Kicks to Handballs Ratio'......... Tigers 1.55 , kicks to every handball Demons 1.08 , nearly one for one Handball happy players in the mid field for the Demons (eg., significantly less than 1 to 1) ... Demons 1. Clarry 0.33 (kicks to handballs ratio) 2. Jones 0.41 3. Viney 0.44 4. Tyson 0.60 vs The Tigers Mid Field (and a few mid/forwards thrown in) 1. Prestia 0.82 (only mid field offender significantly under 1 to 1) 2. Lambert 1.0 (Mid/Forward) 3. Caddy 1.1 4. Castagna 1.20 5. Butler 2.0 5. Dusty 2.2 (mid/forward) The above extreme ratios from our mid field (in the wet) results in not enough meters gained for the energy/output around the pill. With such over use in wet weather you are bound to have far too many turnovers, especially in more dangerous parts of the ground. Allows the opposition to get the ball into their forward 50 quickly without the opportunity to get enough numbers back whilst not taking our opportunities to kick quickly inside 50 and do the same for our forwards often enough when the opportunity arises!! I can see your point AF and not disagreeing but i think our lack of skills from many when kicking and/or lack of confidence in kicking, resulted in too much handball which in many cases got us no where as there were not enough "skilled" one grab outside runners to receive cleanly and get the ball i50 quickly. So many attempted receives were dropped in the wet and fumbled. I understand wet weather is hard to gather but that's why you go with direct longer kicks to dangerous spots. Modern day footy is all about transitioning and getting the footy as quickly as possible into your forward 50 to give you forwards a decent chance at a one on one without allowing the opposition the chance to get too many numbers back. We stuff ourselves here. Our mid field started the hand ball rot and continued it.....all night long. We also seemed to have too many throwing themselves at the ball too often and not enough keeping their feet on the outside for the spill and spread. We are our own worst enemy and i would hate to be playing a key forward role right now with the MFC. Watts is also about the only player capable of lowering the eyes and hitting targets on a consistent basis right now coming i50. The rest get bogged down too close to the inner stoppage too often with over use of handball when a clean quick kick inside 50 or HF (when possible) would be more damaging, especially in wet conditions.

And i blamed Jeffy at the time lol...Spot on WJ

We dominated most stats up till 3/4 time but by then our ring around the rosey over use resulted in too many turnovers around the stoppages. We started showing signs of severe fatigue coming into the last 10 minutes of the third. The 2 men down obviously playing a role and we saw the Tiges run us ragged in the 4th and got out the back at stoppages far too often. However, Richmond also played more direct, efficient wet weather football. 'Kicks to Handballs Ratio' tonight ......... Tigers 1.55 , kicks to every handball Demons 1.08 , nearly one for one Handball happy players in the mid field tonight for the Demons (eg., significantly less than 1 to 1) ... Demons 1. Clarry 0.33 (kicks to handballs ratio) 2. Jones 0.41 3. Viney 0.44 4. Tyson 0.60 The above equals not enough meters gained for the energy/output around the pill. With such over use in wet weather you are bound to have far too many turnovers, especially in more dangerous parts of the ground. Allows the opposition to get the ball into their forward 50 quickly without the opportunity to get enough numbers back. vs The Tigers Mid Field (and a few mid/forwards thrown in) 1. Prestia 0.82 (only mid field offender significantly under 1 to 1) 2. Lambert 1.0 (Mid/Forward) 3. Caddy 1.1 4. Castagna 1.20 5. Butler 2.0 5. Dusty 2.2 (mid/forward) Coaching, training, execution for wet weather ie., less handballs more direct football. Where was it and why didnt we attempt to change to this style at some point? Maybe we did and i didn't notice!

We have been making excuses for losing for a living for 53 years HB. Good teams find a way to finish, even under adversity.

That's been happening all year DD. Disorganised. Especially down back under heat. The only time we played reasonably smart footy tonight in terms of defensive set ups was in the 3rd. We didn't have a ruckman for the most part but we are still also finding ways to undo much of our good work.

The overuse of ring around the rosey handball (especially in the wet tonight) , often straight to the opposition, is killing us. As are our super slow mid fielders and ball hackers in Jones, Viney and Tyson. All are either a long way off their best or have never got near it so far this year, especially Tyson. Then you have other hackers around the ball like ANB and others who hardly see the ball when the heat is on like Salem. Just too many hackers who fluff around with indirect or turnover hand balls instead of recognising their limits and kicking long into the forward 50 quickly. We certainly have no idea of how to hit a target on a lead so I wouldn't bother with this in the short term as I don't think you can improve it much mid season. I think you are right Wunders... Just go long, low and hard to a spread out forward line with Hogan, Watts and Jeffy and that's it IMO unless the opp is parking the bus...only then would I man them up! The Hawks did this for years much of the time under heat up the field although the usually had 2 very talented Talls....plus Cyril and Puop floating.

Some of our so called best players are just horrible with their decision making and disposal generally and get caught far to often standing flat footed (Hogan included). It's a very slow and combersum mid field, Clarry and Tracc excluded (when in there) heart. It's not beating up it just is what it is. We are a bunch of hard working potatoes with some pretty good outside talent and an outstanding Clarry on the inside with a bit of Jeffy up forward. Our mid field failed to see out the match again. Good teams find a way to win under adversity, we don't,

Good nite MFC 2017. too much left to too little as always and no finish

Hogan miss.....Tyson miss.... Left to Tracc....caught

Get on goal side of your sweepers ....ughh