Demon Dynasty

There were a few taking the game on Robbie. Matt Jones and Grimes (disposal) were definitely having a crack and Watts was pretty classy all night and taking opponents on. But i do agree with your point about being hesitant. And yes thats a part of the "possession" style that Roos is trying to teach em. The trouble is when you do it "most" of the time it's just too predictable. The opposition have too much time to find a man a kick or so behind play but also players about 2 kicks behind can also push up a little and create a wall which if you kick to it under pressure will usually see the ball being rebounded quickly over your head with a fast break. We just don't have enough "dangerous/attacking" players** who are willing to take their opponents on and run (most importantly bounce) their way through a line and link up with a next player by forcing an opponent to come at them. This obviously creates the overlap (fast break linking up out the back) style. This is something the Cats are experts at and which has made them such a great team over the years. The possession/tempo side is important and we've so far seen a big improvement here vs recent times, but unless we learn to run hard and break lines with overlap style footy as well, then we're simply treading water and IMO we'll win very few games playing this style "most of the time". It's a balance of both IMO that will finally see us winning games on a regular basis, even against quality opposition once we can put a forward line on the park. ** Blease is a must if we are to counter this imbalance as are any other run and carry style players with a little bit of finish and decent ball use (yes i realise we don't have those type of players growing on trees lol... Jetta, Clisby maybe??)

Nice summary TGR. I think Frawley needs to look longer as first option instead of instinctively short. Not sure we can dismiss him as just being a chook at this stage as we don't exactly have many alternatives. Spencer does give his all and love his desperation around congestion and body work in the ruck but his options/disposal at times are ordinary and i've yet to see him take any pack or overhead marks around the ground. We are desperate for some strong overhead marks that can take a telling grab in congestion once in a while and act as QB across HB and up forward at times. Howe is a given here of course but outside of him i mean. Clark and Hogan would have provided some of this obviously but we need Maxy in ASAP to provide this tall marking ability and also take another tall opponent and stretch em a little more across the ground. JHK must also be blooded up forward this year IMO. Jetta is ok in traffick but i wouldn't be banking on much of a return from JHK higher up the field as he was played last night when he came on.

I would have Jetta in before Bail and just let him go for it for the next few weeks. Not sure that he's a better footballer at this point from an attacking aspect but at least he pressures and tackles super hard. Jetta's a marginal call but no loss losing Bail for him at this point i don't think.

We showed we could possess the footy and were a bit more capable and organised in the back half. We were more competitive around the stoppages but we still allowed too many balls out the back to a +1 or +2 on their defensive side with the easy kick forward or 1 2 handball then a kick forward to a lead up. To me this was a mid field loss against a very depleted and lowly rated mid field. This was the most dissapointing aspect IMO as we know we don't have a forward line and were expecting as much down there performance wise. I hope we never see Pedo having to play in any position other than HBF off the bench when alternative stocks are non existent. Hurry back Garlo. The same can be said of T MacDonald. Injury aside (ie., prior to injury) i still can't see a quality AFL footballer in any apscet of his game to this point. Dunn was fabulous down back and Terlich was his usual desperate self but a little hap hazard with his disposal and options. Grimes tried hard but his disposal turnovers cost as badly. Trengove showed some good signs but nothing outsanding. Watts showed some quality and class, creating time and space and many of our attacking opportunities and goal (or shot at goal) assists. There was a general determination not to give in at any point which was an improvement (but no less satisfactory outcome wise) compared to last year. Without a decent forward line that can actually kick at least 40% to 50% of shots at goal and players capable of hitting up some decent talls on a lead (if we ever find any that can stay on the park for more than a few games a season) we are toast for 2014 (and beyond if this aspect is not addressed/solved) from what i can see. If we do somehow manage to get a fit Dawes and Hogan on the park for the rest of the season from Round 4 or so then we might see a few wins against lower opposition at the G (and only at the G). That was our 8th first up loss in a row. and the 9th time in a row we've failed to win a first round. So many records for this club for all the wrong reasons. When will it end i wonder.

He was very good tonight. He gave us some run and creativity and created time and space bringing others into the game and starting many attacking runs off half back.

I agree chook. Apart from Jones, Reiwoldt and Armatige tonight (yes they have many outs who are worthy inclusions when they return) we played a very ordinary team this evening and still couldn't put any scoreboard pressure on them. Unless Dawes, Garland, Viney and Hogan return within 3 weeks i'd be surprised to see us beat many teams this year. My prediction of 2 to 4 victories (max) looks about right at this point.

Matt gave us some run and class through the middle and outside in parts of the 2nd half. Bail's finish and ability to choose obvious/basic forward options (ie., hit targets) has been his downfall his whole career so far. I think it's time to look elsewhere if he can't turn this aspect around in the first half of this season.

Pot calling the kettle black

A bit harsh on Toump given his inexperience but i agree with the alternative in Blease. Toumpas's tempo just isn't up to AFL tempo at this point. Fully agree with the other 2 as well. Byrnes is a massive weak link and Pederson is, at best, a 5th string (off the bench) backman when all others are injured. I also don't think we will see Tom McDonald down back once Garland returns. Tom is a handy athlete but that's about it IMO. Our forward line is way to crowded. I would isolate Howe one on one by asking the HFs to push into the mid and have JHK up there to crumb off Howe and hopefully run amok. We are incapable of finding a target i30 to i40 where most goals are kicked from so run and carry through the middle and past the 50 meter arc is a must if we're to have any chance of winning.

We must work harder to find that extra link up handball to a running player coming through the middle as watts did with Terlich for the goal in the 1st. No point kicking it to a player 55m out and waiting waiting to find no targets i50 or taking shots at goal from outside 50. Low percentage. The extra handball to a run through the line player as above will allow us to shoot on goal or stick the ball to the danger spot at the top of the square quickly, prior to the opposition getting numbers back, giving us a much greater chance of snap shot from front and square. Basic footy with no talls up forward. If we find this we win. If not, we could be in trouble.

Wow.... Chanel 7 are sure doing a nice job at promoting the bumbers. You would think they were playing tonight, not the Saints or us. I know they've had a few segments on the playing sides but sheez.... the bumbers have already gotten off lightly and are now getting nice free agency trades, Friday night blockbuster exposure and now exposure and interviews of their new recruits prior to our match. The AFL has managed this one nicely. A good outcome for them and the bumbers so far.

At the time i suggested you follow through with it Stuie if you recall. I prefer your version. And i prefer either to the current one which is just too busy with nothing that really makes it stand out or anything that's distinguishable or punchy.

For OD's and all our sakes tomorrow is a MUST win at all costs. I don't believe we'll get too many opportunities like this during the year unless we see a miracle with all 3 talls fit and running around on the park and Viney/Garland up and running on all 6 cylinders. As a side note, it was 9 seasons ago that we last won an opening round. 2005 against the bumbers. Fingers, toes and other things crossed here.

Come on guys, we all know there's only one worthy alternative logo....

Oh gosh...haha Thx mate

Haha... i'm almost certain he wont monoccular

Enlighten me pls OD, havent been on much of late

We really wont know until about round 6 how the mid field is shaping up. Although i agree, on paper it does look like a significant improvement on last years offering. Even after 6 weeks i wont be judging them too harshly though. It takes a season or 2 at least for a substantially new group to really gell together.

Thanks Steve. I only hope i am severley wrong. As mentioned, i really hope that we see him much earlier in this half of the season. I have faith that we have the right team and that the FD/club is ensuring every avenue is addressed professionally for the best possible outcome. However, similar to OD, i have less faith in some of the injury reports and "return" predictions that we are hearing and i'll "believe" when i see the related player (be it Hogan, Dawes, Garland etc) physically running around "unimpeded" on the park week after week.

You may well be correct Sassy. I still think Jones is a shoe in for a repeat though. I'm betting on Tyson as best recruit. This guy is going to be an absolute superstar in 2 to 3 seasons, assuming our mid field doesn't end up collapsing in a heap with injuries, like our key forwards.

Forward his details pls Hood

I was shot down on the Clark thread after the footy show interview when i stated... "And i hate to be a pessimist but after watching Hulk on the footy show with Gazza the other night, i wouldn't be holding my breath on his return this year either. He looked shattered IMO. Hopefully it was just over the thought of missing a few games and the start of the season and nothing more serious. Body language not good though." I still stand by that view. Yes like everyone, i'm hoping for a very early return, but i'm now prepared for the fact that we might not see him until some time in the 2nd half of the season (assuming the injury isn't career threatening). I await further arrows and barbs lol

As long as we don't have passages of play where we are kicking/running/passing as if we're kicking toward's the opponents goals like we did against the Cats on at least 3 to 4 occasions (didn't see the Dawks match thank goodness) then yes we might sneak over the line. However, i have no optimisim at all about Sunday's game. I'm sitting completely on the fence on a "wait and see" policy. I've seen Reiwoldt tear us a new one pretty much every time we've played them with him in the team. And he has about 200 plus games more experience than any of our "part time" rooky forwards... probably combined lol. Given our usual injury fiasco and our amazing record at Shityhad... i am hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

No just a wise head calling it as he's seen it over many decades. I don't think anything we say on here has any impact on MFC disasters

So you're saying you know something that we don't. And yes, if it is a serious illness, of course that's how you would deal with it. We might be passionate on here but most of us aren't heartless or stupid.