McQueen

I think the coaching staff have been working very hard on Sam Jacobs and the Crows midfielders set ups, where he hits the ball and how they rotate. In my opinion, this is the most important aspect leading into each round until Gawn or Spencer get back. We need to desperately understand this so our mids can get to work and shark as much ball as possible. It's the only way we stand a chance.

With Lynch back in our centre clearance work is the clear key to our chances. I fear a drubbing if the Crows forwards get decent ball. The mids are going to be working overtime tomorrow night.

Still think we'll get the job done.

This trip to Adelaide that supposedly helps the team galvanise is interesting. I can't see why you wouldn't just catch a mid-morning flight out of Melbourne, stretch the legs in the afternoon and play the game that night. They're not traveling to Perth! A footy trip to Adelaide from Melbourne to help 'galvanise' the group usually happens in a bus, at years end and involves lots of beer, pizzas, male flatulence and vomiting. At least that's how I remember it.

All well and good but the blokes we've had in to chase and create turnovers have hardly covered themselves in glory. At least Trengove can lay and stick a tackle. Just remember that approx 3/4 of a VFL team is made up of AFL listed players. They can't all be plodders that only JT can catch.

He's faster, I agree. What else?

He's actually been averaging 25+ touches, lots of tackles, marking the ball strongly and hitting the scoreboard. His case for selection is as good as anyone's. Nobody knows what role he might fill when he finally meets all of Goodwins objectives for him. You've placed him with blokes who either play solely in the guts or rotate off halfback. I believe Trengove can easily impact a contest in the forward half at AFL so there's no issues there. If I was to have a stab at anything holding him out of the team, it would be his burst then closing speed ability when the opposition rebounds. Nothing new really but if he can somehow manage to improve these facets of his game, I still believe he's a better choice than what we've been trialling/persisting with.

Plapp says Trenners is doing everything right, everything the coaches ask of him. Goodwin says Trenners is working on 'things' and he's close to selection. The bloke has it on a string every bloody weekend. FIIK.

I think it sends the wrong message. Just because there was a couple of byes following his ban shouldn't be factored into the 'time for the crime' so to speak. Seems as thought the VFL tribunal are a lot more lenient than their AFL equivalents. Would be interesting to see how he fared at an AFL level hearing.

I didn't watch any of the game so I'm not sure there was any glaring weaknesses either. I just said it to make myself feel good.

How much $ you risk losing?

...crack a Ginger Beer due to being on the wagon!! I'm just over posters saying this weekend is going to be a hammering. North exposed glaring weaknesses last week and that will be playing on the Crows minds more than how much they're gonna rebound against the Demons. We play like we did in the third quarter against the Hawks for the full game against the Crows and we'll bank the 4 points. Time to make a statement!

Edit OP to 'Mitch'.

Just had a play around with the ladder predictor on the AFL site. Put us down for dropping the next two games - Crows (highly likely) and Roo's (50/50) and tipped the rest of the rounds games on current form. The outcome is not good: 15th place by the end of round 9. If the season isn't already shot (as in the chance to play finals) it certainly will be if we drop these next two games.

I was being facetious

Maybe that's Goodwins strategy after all... Make our game plan so gob-smackingly indistinguishable that our opposition can't figure it out and counteract it.

Yes Norm, we clearly over-used the ball by hand and Goodwin even agreed in his post-match interview however, he seemed to isolate it to the first quarter. This would lead you to believe that it is game plan related rather than the players dishing out rushed handballs. The way they set up behind the stoppage and other contests is to allow an extra dimension to our ability to clear the ball - I think we can all get that. The bit that I don't get is that yesterday, we seemed to be trying to do it when in attack, when our players were goal-side and options were available to move the ball further up the ground bu foot. Instead, we passed it by hand to a bloke either flat-footed or under pressure from the opposition. We need to find a balance and I'm sure the coaches are fully aware of this. Questions of whether we have the skill level to execute this game-plan are valid although when you hear Nathan Jones state that "we're hell bent on playing a certain way" then I think we need to get ready for more of this. The other question is when will it pay off? Were the Hawks crappy with their ball movement before it clicked into place and they became elite ball users? I can't remember that far back but you would assume so. Yesterday was a combination of very good pressure from the Hawks and poor execution from us. There's only one thing we can control so we need to back the team in and hope that it will fall in to place soon. This year is going to remain a bumpy, frustrating ride.

I didn't read the game day thread so I'm wondering if anyone mentioned why did Lewis not ground the ball before lining up for goal, thereby adding time on?

I'm just too emotionally invested in this club that games like this absolutely suck every ounce of happiness out of me. This ridiculousness of handballing to teammates when they are in no position to receive it just has to stop. It cost us the game today - particularly in that first qtr. Just gut wrenching. Another opportunity lost.

And can Oliver please square up on Rioli. Just don't get rubbed out.

I haven't picked up on any mental fragility this year - rather periods of crap football. If the Hawks come into this game thinking that way then they'll get rolled. I just think we're gonna be far too fierce at the coal face for them to get effective first possessions.

It's not as if they got absolutely pants tonight. However, I do share your enthusiasm.

That's a very solid return.

Not looking likely mate. I haven't got a single tip correct so far this round.

We manage to match up well on the Crows so I'm quite optimistic about our chances against them considering the walloping they got from Norf. If anything, the results insofar of this round should provide further evidence to the players that this competition is so close and hopefully help to tune them in even more.