Macca

It would be robbing Peter to pay Paul but the way we enter the forward line needs hard-nuts front & centre Those who relish contact and don't mind getting knocked about (like Viney & Brayshaw) To be honest, apart from a lack of real talent in the forward line we need an injection of real vigour up forward

On a brighter note we still sit 4th and if we beat the Saints and the Pies win this weekend, there's an excellent chance that we'll be effectively 2 games clear in 4th spot (percentage factored in) Need the Dons to win to be assured of that buffer So it's not all doom & gloom but we need to start winning

@beelzebub An example of a player thinking for himself is our best forward - Fritsch He's often goal hungry and often doesn't palm it off ... but when he kicks the goal we don't mind When he misses? But do you palm it off to those who have the yips in front of goal? And he still does it so does the coaching mind that he is goal-hungry?

Players are at fault as well but less so Thinking for themselves is an option

We are doing a lot right but the forward line woes stand out like a sore thumb We tweak it, we'll be fine Trouble is (apart from Fritsch) all our best players play in the midfield or defence Again, apart from Fritsch, we probably don't have a top 15 player in the forward line However, our delivery into the forward line is atrocious so what chance have the forwards got? Front & square smalls? Where are they? If they were on the ball, they'd have a field day (do they prefer the cheapie out the back?) It's definitely an assistant coach/coaching issue as the players look like they are playing to instruction So it's no good blaming this player or that player, that's blaming the A-end of the problem Don't be reading this thinking I want changes to the coaching either ... they need to do better

From an overall perspective our forward entries have been inefficient since the beginning of last season ... mainly because most of the oppisition teams are flooding back more and at the same time pressuring our midfielders into kicking the ball into our forward line in a haphazard way We got away with it for a while but we are now too easy to read Proof is in the pudding where we have lost 14 of our last 29 games from the 10 & 0 start in 2022 Our best players are in defence & in the midfield so we need to lean on them to repel counter-attacks if we decide to pass the ball into the forward line (doing that can create intercept marks or turnovers from miskicks) Forwards need to get on the move as well and leads need to be honoured This is footy101, not some ground breaking new philosophy. It's how suburban teams are coached We work so hard in so many other areas and then just waste possession moving the ball into the front half. Frustrating to watch I feel that if we don't address this issue we'll be gifting the flag to another team (Pies, Lions or Port) As stated previously, it's not a hard fix and there are times when a long kick to a 1 on 1 in the forward line is perfectly ok But to consistently bomb it to a 6 on 6 is dumb football By the way, I haven't read the Garry Lyon article as I don't need to. The eyes say it all

I still have a strong hope for the rest of the season despite our shortcomings We win the ball enough and our midfield & defence is strong and classy But we fall down up forward both with delivery to the forward line (method) and also with regards to how our forwards go about it The fix is not that hard For instance, (despite the wet weather last Sunday) if we had attempted to pass the ball into the forward line with most of our 73 forward line entries, then we would have given ourselves numerous chances to take marks or win free kicks and therefore, have as a result any number of set shots at goal Of course, those would-be passes might not have all ended up with positive outcomes but that's the chance you take Anf it's imperative that our forwards play in front with the front & centre smalls playing their part The above is coached and practised in the lower leagues at suburban level and is standard practice What we are currently doing with regards to our forward entries is quite farcical and lazy. Just doesn't make sense

If ever we should take risks with our kicks it's when those kicks enter the forward line But we won't or don't take risks and prefer to bomb the ball in chaos style But the opposition teams know what we're going to do and plan accordingly. They flood back as early as possible so those long bombs end up directed to large packs Very difficult to take marks in those circumstances and our front & centre smalls are often nowhere to be seen to further add to the issue But none of the above is news. Numerous people here as well as myself have been saying the same thing since early last year So it's really an assistant coach/coaching issue as the players are obviously kicking the ball into the forward line under instruction In simple terms we need to change our whole approach. We will not be winning the flag with our current method Lower the eyes, forwards to lead constantly and pass the ball into the forward line. When that doesn't work defend well from that point and further back It's not rocket science

A law unto themselves ... related to born to rule? Atherton with the dirt in pocket to change the make-up of the cricket ball ... a fine only and didn't miss a match Meanwhile, we set an example to the rest of the world by ousting 3 players with hefty penalties Yet it's just us that transgressed? Reminds me of all the tanking from numerous clubs yet apparently, we at the Demons were the only ones who crossed the line? 2023 and we still finger point without ever looking in the mirror

Stokes openly requesting dictored pitches to suit bazball ... when was that deemed to be in the spirit of cricket? They are full of it McCullum & Brayshaw have both tried to stump wandering batsmen on numerous occasions How about these whinging Poms accepting the umpires decisions? Hypocrites

Crumball?

The Poms hypocrisy is astounding They spend the best part of the 3 hours carrying out leg theory/bodyline where 98% of the deliveries were short and aimed at the throat & head area That included the short pitched bowling to an obviously distressed and injured Nathan Lyon Yet they prattle on about the spirit of cricket?? Practice what you preach England, and have a good look in the mirror It's our players who won't be wanting to have a beer with you, McCullum Show me a bad loser and I'll show you a loser

Bit hard to score against all this short stuff (with the appropriate field placings) I reckon we'll bat to half way through the last session. Should be 400 ahead by then And if they hop into our bowlers when they bat, we'll resort to the same short stuff. Boring but a legitimate tactic (under the current laws) Leg theory is often used against certain batsman but every now and again, all the time Our bowlers made life very uncomfortable for their batsmen in their 1st innings so I'm expecting more of the same in their 2nd innings

I agree .... Stokes is on record as not being interested in draws or playing for draws However, let's see if he can hold true to those comments if a 2-nil deficit is on the horizon The pitch is playing quite well and we don't have a front line spinner ... ideally we put a target out of reach but still be allowing enough time to bowl them out First assignment is to make 300+ creating a target of around 400 (or 450+ in an ideal world) The Aussie way is to go for the win (when holding the upper hand) so we'll be going for it you'd reckon

If we can bat until close enough to the tea break tomorrow then we'll have a massive lead you'd imagine That's possibly the time target ... which would leave at least 4 full sessions to press for victory No baz-ball type batting, just occupy the crease, play correctly and put the loose ball away Proper test match batting

That serves as a loss for the Cats

The teams below us aren't consstently good ... 1 team might win out or go close but I can't see it But it's at least 6 wins with a healthy percentage and we should be ok for top 4

With Smithy at the forefront Just a freak batsman and a big occasion player The Demon equivalent is Petracca or Oliver ... where's Clarrie!!!

Win at least 6 of our last 9* and we'll finish 4th or 3rd in my view ... especially if we can beat the Lions With a probable/possible QF against the Pies as a result If finishing 3rd or 4th (with a Pies QF match-up guaranteed) requires us to 'rest' some players in the last game against the Swans, so be it But of course, it's one week at a time and any manipulation will not be visible, thank you very much 😁 I'm confident that we'll win at least 6 of our last 9

England win the toss on a seamer and elect to bowl. At least it looks like the wicket could seam Starc replaced Boland and England haven't picked a specialist spinner We need to get to lunch no more than 2 down

The All-Australian is based on the season proper so if the finals (especially the GF) were counted, Fritsch may well have received a guernsey As it stands, he was another player who had a very good season ... and to a large degree he has carried on with that good form I can't help but think how good he would be (as the 3rd forward) with 2 standout key forwards in the team ... and that could happen with JVR getting better and with the (hopefully) acquisition of a quality KPF in the off season Brown & T-Mac are near the end and anyone else (apart from JVR) being less than very good/excellent Also Gawn up forward hasn't really worked but we've seen him play some terrific games up forward. I reckon Max just needs to get on the move ... if he does that, he'll get plenty of the ball (being such a big target) And with all the long bombs you'd reckon our front & square crumbers would standout. That's not happening There's lots of room for improvement right now (up forward)

Overall our forward line is a weakness as compared to 2 of the other phases (backline & midfield) ... but when those 2 other phases show stellar form, the opportunities for our forwards has better quality entries (and lots of entries) Where we were expected to standout was the Gawn/Grundy combo (remembering that we went with a similar combo in the premiership year - Jackson & Gawn) so there's real room for improvement with the current combo So we could easily add Brown soon enough but both Brown & JVR play deep forward (full forward) ... so can 1 of them play CHF? I'd be tempted to go with JVR at CHF just to see if it can work (currently CHF is weakness) Petty to stay back where he is most comfortable. No spot for Smith with the could-be Brown inclusion Fritsch is always going to be the opportunist but our small forwards (and Gawn) need to start performing But we still need to add talent to the forward line in the off-season

Imteresting thread in the sense that any number of our good & best players were previously playing to their max or close enough to their max For instance, back in 2021 we had 5 All-Australians with Langdon, Viney, Salem being unlucky to not receive that honour along with 9 or 10 others who all had decent year's So last season a number of players dropped off a bit and have levelled off. Injuries have played a part too McVee, JVR & Rivers are the standout improvers but what is required is for all our good players to get back to their best Hunter & Grundy have added to the team as well so it's hard to quantify improvement with those 2 I reckon what stands out is no matter how good the list is you have to keep adding talent to improve the team against dropping away In other words, the window of opportunity can be extended if talent is added. Relying on our best players continuing to play at their best (all at the same time) doesn't always or often work

In the AFL there is no 'should have' and whilst I agree with you about what should happen, what should happen doesn't happen Lord knows how it all ever gets fixed but I'm not holding my breath The AFL make it up as they go along which effectively keeps everyone confused and that's the way it is and it will probably never change So my thinking is that we get 400+ disposals to win a game of football. If we can't use the ball properly, we'll lose And to use the ball properly we need lots of talented players along with good coaching I believe we've got all that (by and large) however, most or nearly all our good players aren't forwards (Fritsch is a good player)

Yeah I agree but once the tackled player's head hits the ground then the tackle may or may not be deemed dangerous. The outcome on the field is in the lap of the gods much like all the other grey area free kicks (of which there are numerous examples) As for off-field with regards to whether the tackler gets cited and/or suspended, that's also in the lap of the gods No one knows thus the only conclusion we can come to is we simply don't know what both outcomes will be So we should congratulate the AFL in creating another murky, grey area that will be argued about until the cows come home (sarcasm)