Macca

So essentially we agree. And it's the major issue (F50 entries) However, it's a complex issue as no one thing is to blame It's on the midfield coach, the forward line coach, the head coach, the midfielders & the forwards I disagree, our energy, enthusiasm, attack on the ball and never-say-die attitude is first rate. Where we fall short is on application & efficiency Having 30 extra F50 entries in the QF final backs up my argument. We got a lot of the ball and we got it forward but it was the way we got it forward that was the issue. Plus, the style we have played requires quality forwards because that style leads to crowded forward lines and a lack of space for our forwards to lead into. And a lack of space for the midfielders to kick to So ordinary forwards with our style have very little chance Collingwood by contrast have an extremely efficient style going into their F50 so their personnel up forward don't have to be that good Average forwards just have to create separation as they've got heaps of space to lead into As for culture issues, we've got 2 players with some issues. It's not the whole club and as far as I can make out, it's no more than just 2 players So let's not tar & feather everyone on the back of 2 players transgressing

@Dr. Gonzo ... I'm surprised you haven't mentioned crowd support and that apparently, we don't make enough noise? After 1 flag, our crowd support should be at Collingwood or Richmond type levels? Laughable And in a close loss, you usually get stuck into the umpires as a default move. Or perhaps we should just sack the coach, that'll do Me, I've just never been a bad loser and would prefer to break down a game of football from a technical point of view. And the sport is very technical Our endeavour, energy and attack on the footy was first rate during the finals last year, we were just short on application

For most of those 69 entries the ball came straight back out ... we didn't enter the f50 with any science attached. Plus, a number of the entries were repeat boundary side entries. And we mostly bombed it in So we need to change our style to a more efficient style plus, we are too slow entering the forward line and we don't use the corridor enough The inside 50 count was almost dead even against Carlton but the same problem stood out - the way we enter the forward line, the speed of those entries and the quality of our forwards If you just want to have a giant whinge without analysis, go right ahead. You'll be joining the ranks of the miserable pessimists that reside here (nothing to offer but whinge, whinge, whinge) So what's your analysis Gonzo? (whinge-free)

Well if he was attempting to throw the ball out of play, his radar was off by about 20 metres!

Collingwood play a different style which allows them to keep their forward line open (they are a counter-attacking team) Their delivery forward is miles better than most as well (and that includes us) With our style of bombing it in, we really need quality forwards who can win their own ball. And that style did deliver a flag But no longer in my view, we need to change our style but we still need quality forwards as why wouldn't you want quality forwards (?) My main concern are forwards creating separation and the delivery forward plus, I'd prefer a quality forward line So I don't make excuses, blaming umpires is an excuse

Flacco should have thrown that one away to the sidelines. Very costly and it's probably game over

I can't say I blame you! But we'll be making some changes to the comp next year to make it easier to score points and as for the Bears, they can come good on the back of some savvy recruiting etc etc. You've got the no.1 pick acquired from Carolina so that's a good starting point I had the Packers written off for a couple of years but things can turn around very quickly for teams in the NFL. It's that sort of league

Hard to believe he's still only 22 years old An enormous future on the back of really stepping it up last season Agree with others, he needs midfield time Rivers, Sparrow & McVee are the future and all 3 are capable of being creative and dynamic. If Bowey, Salem & Langdon get their mojo back as well, lookout

Socceroos @ India in a world cup qualifier on the Ch10 main channel now (game starts at 10.30pm) Martin Boyle is back and starting

Not one road winner! Is it payback time for the regular season comp JV? haha I'm warming up for a big Sunday of TV sport (mainly NFL) with the Socceroos @ India in a World cup qualifier (Ch10 main channel now - game starts at 10.30pm)

7Mate are covering all the playoff games Bill Barnwell's Bracket Prediction & Previews NFL Wild Card Weekend Game Picks (43 minutes)

Yep, same Even the games involving Pittsburgh & Green Bay could be close because as we know, a punt or kick return, fumble or interception can lead to 7 or 8 points in rapid time That's what makes the sport so interesting and why we see so many underdog victories And we grow accustomed to the pace of the game with all the time-outs & other breaks in the games. An acquired taste but the sport can be quite addictive

Who is to say they were ever giving us the correct weight anyway(?) Paul Callery was a terrific footballer who gave his all but he was 5'4" (162cm) Did they tell us the truth back in the day? Height doesn't make any difference if you're good enough but some of the heights given out these days are highly questionable

@titan_uranus @Go the Biff @DeeSpencer @JV7 @Clintosaurus @DemonDave @BDA @layzie If partaking in the post-season tipping comp, the games start tomorrow from 8.00am We've got 4 starters so far so it should be a goer. A post towards the top of this thread explains how it all works

The first game of senior cricket I ever played was at Yarra Park no.1 oval (the same area floated as a training venue for the MFC) And there was a large tree on the ground at wide mid-on. So fielding under the tree was a prized spot (shade) Needless to say, the cricket ball ended up hitting that tree on countless occasions. Go figure

Or a shot of brandy at 3/4 time (especially on cold days) When I played cricket we put forward the tea break so we could listen to the Caulfield Cup Those were the days

We would probably match a certain amount but we'd have limits And Adelaide's limit might be a great deal higher Besides which, I'm not convinced that Petty is going anywhere anyway. A lot has to happen (or not happen) for him to go The Crows could go cold on the idea, there's injuries to factor in and Petty might re-sign and/or extend soon enough anyway My argument centres on the 'go home factor' and how it's overrated and overplayed So if Harrison strikes his best form I'd pay him the big bucks but not an exorbitant amount An example of that is Scully. We were never going to give him $6Million over 6 years and we certainly weren't going to give him $2Million in his first year of a new contract Ironically, we turned Scully into Hogan and later on we turned Hogan into May & Sparrow (and both those 2 helped us win a flag)

To me it's often about the money when a player wants to go. Not always but when we hear about the size of a contract on offer, you can't help but think it is about the money And it's not just about the overall contract, the big enticer is the first year amount on those sorts of deals. A signing on bonus per se Life changing amounts of money and we shouldn't be thinking that Adelaide haven't offered Harrison a big amount in his first year. Let's face it, if you want to secure a player that you believe is a game-changing player, it's what you would do (big, upfront $$$'s) So there are a stack of players who we know left for the big bucks (Judd, Buddy, Ablett, Scully the list goes on) With standout players, the go-home factor is used as bait but it's not the big bait. The money is

It's funny how we never heard of Petty wanting to go home in all the time he's been with us. Crickets Until ... an offer comes from Adelaide (a very large offer from all reports)

He'll get a lot more money at Adelaide To entice a player whilst that player has 2 years left on a contract, you have to offer bigger $$$'s. The go-home factor is a ruse (or an add-on) But we of course can match it but in the case of Jackson, we weren't going to match it as the amount was too high ($8Million plus) Again, the first we heard about about Jackson "wanting to go home" was after the offer from Freo was declared

Here's 2 examples of how an offer could have been put forward Hi Harrison, how would you like to come home to SA to play your footy? We'll see if we can put together $450k per year for you as well. Have a nice day Or ... Hi Harrison We've got a nice juicy contract for you to sign anytime you like. The contract amounts to $8Million dollars over 7 years and we'll pay you $1.5Million dollars in your first year And guess what? You get to come home to SA as well

You can believe what you like The same stuff was peddled about Jackson whilst people conveniently put aside the $8Million contract that was on the table

Well, by the time we get there we'll have a lot more more than 70,000 members and amongst those numbers, there are any number of horse racing enthusiasts and keen punters. Or people who like a flutter now and again And there are many like you but you only represent a percentage, not all Yes, problem gambling exists but those types often have personality disorders (I've known a few) and if wasn't the horses it would be some other form of gambling. Or the grog or drugs or whatever And as I've said to you before rjay, being a passionate supporter of a footy club is a gamble. We put our whole emotional energy into it and when we lose, we often act like problem gamblers. Blaming everything in sight (umpires = jockeys) And it's a financial investment as well being a keen footy fan, let's not forget that. And we don't like doing our money *Sack the coach* *Get rid of that player, he's useless* etc etc

Yeah I knew that but I can't see how things haven't progressed this far unless we were dealing with a club (MRC) that has opened up their arms to us Put it this way, if there was any hostility involved, why would our club & Pert be so excited about the venture? In my opinion, the MRC want us to come in, it's not necessarily us being desperate to get there. Could be that we found each other and there is a terrific opportunity for both clubs

Yeah I know that story but I don't particularly believe it. There's a lot of spin in footy and money talks