rjay

I just wanted to readdress some of the issues I made after the first game, and in fact at different stages through the preseason. I think they're worth looking at again now that we have come full circle back to West Coast. We were due to drop off at some stage. Since Roos came on board we had improved our position on the ladder every year, so that was 5 years of steady improvement. Why the drop off this year? Injury has been an issue for sure. The preseason operations, lack of preseason for key players, the run of injuries during the season has been unfortunate. Our coach is in his 3rd year, this is his big lesson year. He either sinks or swims in how he handles this...his reaction to the Prelim loss unfortunately let our players off the hook. We didn't play our brand was a poor answer. My source tells me the players didn't come back in great shape and really thought they were better than they actually are. Making the finals for them was a huge pass mark, wining a few cause for celebration. Goody needed to get them in on the Monday and go through that game whilst it was still top of mind. They needed to know they had achieved nothing...just made up the numbers and it wasn't good enough. They wiped out the gains of making and wining a couple of finals with that performance against a real team. A good experienced coach wouldn't have fallen for this one but as I say it's part of Goodwin's apprenticeship. Let's hope he learns from it. So far he hasn't done much to change things up but I think at the end of this season he will face his Thompson, Buckley, Hardwick moment. He will lose some control and we will appoint new people to the FD, if not we're going nowhere. List management; we improved our defensive stocks but at a high cost. I think we over paid for May and Lever. Not getting any value for them on the park just makes things worse. We have deficiencies with our small forwards and leg speed in general that weren't addressed. The punt on KK to add a bit of class to the team has so far been a bust. Tommy Mac hasn't produced up to expectation to date...will he be able to turn it on? or is he where he was as a defender a few years back and just barely holding his place in the team. If you can do it once surely you can do it again but what is the mental switch that will get Tommy up and running and can Goody find it. I don't like our midfield with Viney and Oliver in at centre bounces together. I much prefer Brayshaw to Viney as I think they work better together. I don't like to see Brayshaw sitting out of the wing, he's being wasted and is better value than Viney. Viney is see ball/get ball and really need to smarten his game up. Should never have been made captain so early in his career. Another novice coaching error. Oliver is getting a lot of ball but wasteful at the moment and he's much better than this. Is it him, is it game plan, is it teammates not getting to better positions...probably a bit of everything. Max is not holding his grabs and needs to. He's dropped off just enough to make a bit of a difference, he's been worked out a bit. Trac is treading water...I don't think his form has been as poor as others say but he has a lot more that he needs to give. I think he may be being over coached and needs to be let loose, have his shots from outside 50, have a good run in the guts... Now for Frosty... Frost has been ok, I'm a Frost knocker but concede he is at least worth a place on the list (not a good call by me) & has played some good games and is good depth. Stanley was a great athlete very average footballer a few years back and has turned the corner so maybe there is some hope for Frosty, we can certainly use his athleticism... but I shudder every time he tries to take on a dinky little pass or to cross the ball, please keep it simple Frosty. So we head back to Perth...would be a mammoth effort to win this one, I don't think we can do it but stranger things have happened. I will be looking for improved form from Tommy, see him lead up at the ball and hold a few marks, kick straight. Has Baker got something to work with, I didn't think so but he did a couple of nice things last week that showed some promise. Maybe he can make it, if he's half the player of that other redheaded Qld Brownlow winner he will be ok. I want to see Trac come out of his shell and just play footy. I want to see Viney do the team things, Clayton get back his great vision and decision making. I want to see Viney do the team things and be a real captain. I would like to see Brayshaw back in the middle. I want to know if Petty can make it, my observation is he might be a little too slow. I would like to see us change up the game plan...more of the same would be insanity. ...and to my poor mate on here who thinks I'm being too negative, well I think I'm trying to take an objective view and take my fans glasses off. Just make some observations from the cheap seats...

We're not playing Port 'Lucifer'...the earliest WC could get Lycett in would be next year if he gets a transfer back from Port, a very late in. Hardly names that would strike fear into Simpson or give him more than a moments thought.... I think Harmes will go to Yeo & if we must play Viney in the middle then he should mind Shuey... I do expect Preuss to play, can't see us going with Oscar & Petty. It would make us slow as treacle in defence...

Petty is no quicker 'bin'...probably on a par with Oscar and Preuss may have them both covered or at least break even.

Oscar was sore last week so you might be on the money there. I couldn't see both him and Petty in the same team, we would be way to slow if that were the case. ...but then again selections have been a bit baffling this year.

This is why I keep banging on about playing Sparrow back. He's got some leg speed, good in the air, tackles hard and is strong over the ball. Kicking is a bit hit and miss at the moment but biggest problem for me is he doesn't find enough ball as a mid. They should run him in defence at Casey as he is the only one that looks like he could be a replacement for Jetta. Jetta didn't find a lot of ball as a forward/mid but was reinvented in defence. Sparrow might find it easier with the ball coming at him and he could turn out a quicker version of Nev... Jordon is another at Casey now starting to find his feet at that level, still very young and developing. A good kick and with more time he could step up. A bit early for him yet but a spot will open for a good kick from the back half...

Not at all. ...but our dysfunctional forward line along with the primitive game plan we are using need to carry a fair bit of the blame.

That's rubbish 'Graeme'... Everyone was calling for him to kick more last year. I've seen Clayton hit some great passes to moving forwards. I'm not seeing forwards moving to the right spots at the moment and we seem to have a game plan to bang the ball in. It's obviously not a great game plan.

It's a bit of a nonsense stat... Unfortunately our forwards move like statues and lets face it on form our forward line is the worst in the comp so it's no wonder the ball isn't retained. We have next to no forward half pressure, Tommy Mc can't catch a cold and we don't have anyone better but let's blame the kicker. I've seen Clayton spot up and hit targets when they move to the right spots, our forwards rarely go there. Game plan? Forwards not up to the level?

Hard to tell form watching some video last night but to me he looks more a Sam Lloyd type forward than a quick small forward with tricks... Not that fussed by the highlights but he looks a neat footballer, not sure it's what we want or need.

Even last year those players you mention were only getting numbers in the 20's on a good day... Stretch this year for example, even ANB although apparently he had been told to focus on tackles. When Spargo plays he only gets low numbers, they should be racking up possessions or goals to get a promotion.

Has the style of VFL footy changed in the last 2 years? ...or is it just us? Grimes and Trengove would consistently rack up 30+ possessions every week at Casey. ANB racked up big numbers before he made the leap up. Last year the numbers dropped back a little with Tyson and Bugg usually around the mid 20's when they played there, maybe an occasional 30. ..but now we struggle to find anyone getting 20. Surely if you can't pick up 30+ possessions at VFL level in the midfield then you're going to really struggle at AFL level.

Have floated the idea of playing Smith back... Let's see if the FD have some imagination.

I get that, but my point is inside 50's are set up from the back half coming through the midfield. If he's forward of centre then he becomes more of a target or defensive forward. It's hard to improve delivery inside 50 if you're already inside 50... That's why I don't think King's point stands up.

Makes no sense...you generally set up your forward targets from half back to the centre. That's where Salem is. We don't need Salem to be a target, we need him to keep hitting them up.

Can Bull go back to take a role? Similar size too Darling. He has done some midfield time at Casey, so should have the tank to run with him. Be better to have trialed it at Casey but we don't have many options. Just a thought...

Salem is the bright spot in a pretty average season to date...

Had a great nights sleep thanks.... Can't see where I've been whingeing at all, just looking at where we sit this year with an objective viewpoint not red & blue fans eyes. I guess one mans trash is another mans treasure. Tom is really struggling at the moment, his form line is reminiscent of a few years back when he went from one of the most promising defenders in the game to nearly losing his place in the team before his renaissance as a forward. He looked to be the answer as a key forward, his strength being his marking and accurate kicking both of which seem to have deserted him. I hope the winning point might turn his confidence and form around...

Trouble is they were top line premiership/contender teams. At the moment we're nowhere near that & we're not doing what they were. We're scrapping out wins against other average/bottom rung teams. ...but it beats losing.

Not with that dropped mark he's not, it was an absolute soda. Harmes put it right down his throat, no defender on him & Tommy dropped it like a hot spud. Lucky he got a boot to it. When/if Tommy starts holding his grabs he will start to show some form.

Been calling for this one for a few weeks but time to try Sparrow back... Doesn't get enough ball for a mid but has attributes that might be better suited back. With Jetta, Lewis & Hibberd out nows the time to try it.

Did anyone hear Rampe's call when caught holding the ball. The ump reckons he called play on 3 times, Rampe said he couldn't here his little girls voice...

I don't see it as our only problem but it is a problem none the less. Would rather put development time into Sparrow now as he could be the longer term replacement for Jetta. Just don't see the point in Lewis any more...

I would keep the current lineup but with Sparrow in for Lewis... As for Frost, well....he's been ok and his pace can be an asset. Keep the game simple for him but as soon as he goes away from simple we are in a world of trouble. Who knows, maybe he can become a footballer. Stanley seems to have done it at Geelong and that's something I can say I never saw coming. ...but for now if it was a toss up between him and Oscar then it's Frost.

I think the poster meant the rail yards between the 'G' and the tennis centre. I don't think Andrews has an opinion on this let alone being against it...

Runner up last year in their B&F... Came to Hawthorn as a small forward. Sometimes you need to look at what the player brings. I think if Sparrow is going to make it, it will be as a defender...