Macca

Yep, miles better than congested footy After quarter time we got end to end footy with the defences on top That's old school But both teams bombed it forward a bit too much ... Sydney more so

Hawks dominated possession later in the game ... Swans couldn't keep hold of the ball

Keep working on our skills and if we keep improving as a result, there will be less turnovers It looks like we're committed to this new breakneck style but from the last line of defence, I'm not sure that we should be attacking through the CHB region ... maybe later on when we're much more adept at hitting targets There's a time and a place to kick it down the line. But from half-back, speed, skills and corridor use will make us a dangerous opponent

It's important to note that Kolt re-signed (an extension) on July 26 2024 This thread has been re-booted from that time. So it hasn't happened (the extension) as a result from Sunday's game

If this was round 4, 5 or 6 we could expect to rest a 34yo Max (or, at least, lessen his load) The last thing we need is him getting a soft tissue injury that is fatigue related. And at his age, he's now in that zone I'd lighten his load this week, bring in the Moose and rotate them both with the 2 key forwards and if the tall backs need a spell, for a short time there as well Here's a possible breakdown (if not against Freo, but at another time) Gawn 60% Ruck 15% Forward 10% Down back 15% Bench Heath 40% Ruck 25% Forward 10% Down Back 25% Bench JVR 80% Forward 20% Bench Mihocek 80% Forward 20% Bench The MC would know best though so we could expect an unchanged side We're playing against 3 types of teams this season Teams we should beat Teams that we could beat Teams that we will struggle to beat (being realistic) So where does Freo (away) sit and when is the best time to play a 2nd ruck? If at all?

If Kolt tags in all the H & A games (plus finals?) he will potentially be matched up on 23 A Grade players He's not going to break even or win every battle. Success rate? Who knows? A 50/50 result would be a big win (from an overall perspective)

Of the 8 players who polled votes 5 x Experienced players (2 of whom are new to the club - Steele & Mihocek) 2 x Unproven types - 22-23yo's (Culley joined the club last season as well as the re-emergence of the re-born JVR) 1 x Youngster (who is now a tagger/run with type) A far cry from the Gawn, Ollie, Trac, Viney dominance

'Agree with either' Can't help but feel that his new role could be the making of him as a footballer Gets taken to the ball and can learn how the very best go about it. And he's going to get cut-up occasionally Pre-season, the debate here was what his position in the team was And to hear that King had Kolt earmarked 3 weeks out to tag Nas makes you think that it won't be a one-off

Definitely So who does Kolt tag/run with next up? Those who watch a lot of footy would know Petracca? (When we play the Suns)

As great as Max was today we still need to manage his game time and not overwork him And playing interstate is where the opportunity to give him some decent help works best Coach King being a ex top-notch ruckman will have a good idea on what to do Heath comes in if it's one of those games where we want to lessen the work-load with Max But it might be a bit early in the season so probably 'No Change'

We still kicked long a little bit today but they were often rapid, low trajectory kicks to 1 on 1's or to space for our players to run on to (not to packs) The rushed kick forward was nowhere to be seen Overall, we were very efficient as compared to the opposition, who had 60 extra possessions It was refreshing to see our players sprinting to position to receive the ball by hand or foot Our teamwork was as good as we've seen it for quite some time We didn't have too many non-contributors. A few had off-days but that's going to happen

The concern that the Saints (with a game under their belts) might run over us, didn't come to fruition In fact, we ran the game out well and we were clearly the better side on the day We need to defend the corridor better but the whole game plan is a work in progress with this new way of playing 20 marks in the forward line was a standout feature along with 9 goals from our 2 key forwards. Suddenly, our forward line is no longer dysfunctional The use of Sharp off the bench was a masterstroke as was the tagging of Nas by Kolt Well done coach King, you had a real good day King-ball!

There's been a few here not liking the new, helter skelter style of footy we're witnessing but they'll soon get used to it But it's nothing new, footy was primarily played like this, prior to 2005 Could be a generational thing or more so, what we get used to And you're right about the teamwork, the extra handpass or players sprinting to position was a sight to behold 2nd efforts, a functioning forward line and no boundary hugging were also standout features More of that please and there's no reason that we can't reproduce that style on a weekly basis

People here were questioning what Kolt's role going forward might be Tagger? Looks like it after today's performance As for Sharp? He can be a real weapon in the Ricky Jackson mould. A perfect injection of speed off the bench. The extra interchange allows that to happen

And as a tagger Kolt got it 17 times at 77% DE and set up a few goals Restricting Nas to 18 possessions was quite noteworthy. 2 clangers each but the match contained 107 turnovers Backed into a few packs today as well. I thought he played a fine game