rjay

Not really, where is the over reaction 'steve'??? A lot of it is similar to things you have posted over the last couple of seasons. I've never been a Frost fan, and I've come around to your view on Oscar. ANB couldn't catch a cold or hit the side of a barn with a shot gun and he's probably our best small forward at the moment. All clubs have list problems but some of the media talk saying ours was complete and primed is off the mark I reckon.

It's player based 'Wise'... We have holes in the list we haven't filled. We are in desperate need of a class small forward and we're not sure our tall forwards will fill the bill. As for tall backs. Players, May & Lever replace players Frost and Omac...do you think that makes us better? Or we just keep those 2 and adjust the game plan. No amount of planning can fix substandard footballers. I'm quite calm by the way and I'm looking at a sample of the last 4 games not just yesterday. Yesterday was on the cards and true to our recent form, that's why the writing was on the wall. Unless a few players like Trac, Tmac, Weideman & a couple of others jump up this year then the writing is on the wall. Salem looks like he might which is good, lets hope he finds a few mates. Not saying we won't make it and hope yesterday was a wake up call but that's the 4th wake up call in a row and they're still asleep. Only half joking with that one 'Return'... Tommy is a senior player and he talks a good game. He needs to stop talking, get back to playing a good game and lead from the front. He frustrates me as he talks as much BS as a politician at times.

You're right 'Goody', it's no reason to overreact but that's now 4 poor games in a row. That's a trend. I think we can now put some things into perspective and act to fix what we can. From my post after the JLT games... "A lot of people wanting to put things into perspective from my readings.... ...so here's my perspective. We're not good enough to cruise through preseason games just yet...if these games are meant to tweak the game plan and fine tune for the first game then heaven help us. That was a dogs breakfast. No amount of perspective can change that." In another post earlier in the year I also said that our continued improvement will be harder this year. We've been on a steady upward climb and logic would see us drop off a bit somewhere. Is this the year we drop back a bit? do we miss finals? A bit early to call but on the evidence of the last 4 games we've got work to do. I think our list is overrated by the media and of course us fans...there are holes and I'm sure the FD know this. We lack quality small forwards, Jeffy is the only class one we have and he's super flakey... Spargo is not up to it yet and I don't think he has the tricks to ever be. At his size he needs them big time. ANB can fill a role but at the moment that's what all our small forwards are trying to do...he must hit the scoreboard to hold his place. We had Sparrow in there yesterday for his first game and at least he put some pressure on but he's not a small forward. Hunt's been tried but he's not one either. So our small forwards are about pressure but none bring scoreboard pressure except Jeffy at times. Our defence..Frost, should have been delisted. Omac...the experiment is over. Time to put development into Petty alongside May & Lever. Hibberd hasn't been the player he was in 2017, he's drifting by and not working anywhere near hard enough. We miss Lever big time but I think we overpaid for him, one of those draft kids running around now adding a bit of class could have been handy. Tommy Mac worries me, he's had a good season as a forward but has been very average as of late. History shows he had a really good season and a bit as a defender then dropped off dramatically. Let's hope it's just an aberration and he's up and firing again soon but the trend is remarkably similar. Is Tommy getting ahead of himself or have the opposition worked him? A big call but maybe Tommy could do with some Casey time with his brother. Weid is a kid and he will get a bit more time. Expect him to be up and down but he needs to work harder when down. Trac...undecided on him. I get the feeling he will never be the player we wanted but still be a good player. Just not a great one. It's time to deliver young Trac, no more teasing. The mids are a good group but they are believing their own publicity. Thanks Gary Lyon, we all know Oliver is a star but he doesn't need to drink his own bathwater and he has recently. Time for them to grow up and also time for Max to focus on his game, he's being pushed around too easily. You're a big boy Max and you don't need everyone to like you. Outside run, yeah we all know that. KK may provide some if he gets back to early career form but there's no guarantee there. Being out of the early picks in the last 2 drafts has hurt and we need to pick some more talent. Fritsch is class but is only a fringe player at the moment so he needs to give us more this year. A side note to yesterday...they were up and about. Did anyone notice how many players ran to Sparrow when he kicked his first AFL goal in his first game? not enough for my liking. We weren't up for it. So the question remains...the writing was on the wall for yesterdays game. Is it on the wall going forward? Will we drop off this year?

I would add, we got smashed on the spread. We got drawn into the contest and they had numbers outside waiting for the ball. As an aside, I coming around to your thinking on Oscar. Not sure he's going to make it now. Frost is a definite no for me, May steps in and I think I would look at putting the development time into Petty over Oscar.

This got me...they had a tactic to run into Max at any time, any player around the ground & it worked. Max did nothing, didn't react and played poorly. He can expect to cop it every game he plays unless he can reverse the trend. He doesn't have to play the tough guy & react to every push, shove or bump there & then but it must drive him to perform better. Coaches know the easy targets, Max is one. There are some players you just don't do this kind of thing to as it drives their performance, Max needs to be one of these. ...and while we're on this. Where were Max's teammates? why didn't they start throwing a bit of weight around. Surely we should have been bumping & making life hard for Ryder, he had a broken cheekbone. This was the nice Melbourne playing yesterday & that doesn't win games.

Posted similar, I don't have any intel but if the same injury has flared (and that's what Misson is suggesting) then that's a big problem as they went through a very long thorough rehab to get him back up. Let's hope it is a minor setback as otherwise it could well be career at the crossroads.

If he has the same injury as before then it's doubtful we will see him this year, forget a couple of weeks.

I know we need some pace in the team 'TGR' but Frost isn't the answer. He's fast of foot but slow of brain and got caught out of position or caught running into opponents time and again.

Sorry 'AF', can't agree and the stats show he had zero tackles. He's a liability at the moment because he can't stick a tackle and the opposition know it and use him as a way out. Also they just pop it in the air above his head, he has no aerial ability...

Also did very little right. He's too small to play AFL, there have been others/are others at a similar height but they can stick tackles. He gets run over way too easily. Clever player but at VFL level for now.

Frost - no spacial awareness. Frost - no more please... Please Frost lovers do you finally understand why we can't carry him any longer...of course he wasn't on his own today but between him and Oscar we need May back asap... Lever - Come back soon

It's an area of his game I expect will improve and it does need work. I'm sure he's aware of it... He's coming in to this year with only 58 games under his belt so he has time on his side.

The doctor always has responsibility to the patient. The club might employ him but the patient is his prime concern and the privacy of issues with that patient are paramount as it should always be.

At first the Hogan trade looked as though we got unders, surely he was worth 2 first round picks.... We might have even got those picks or equivalent in players and picks if Bell hadn't arrived on the scene. I think Freo went in with eyes open and took the risk on Jesse. I would be interested to know if the CEO overrode Bell on the final decision. He, Bell had cooled on the deal and I don't think that was just a negotiating tactic.

If he has a big problem with anxiety I hope he can get off the alcohol. Anyone that has had an issue with anxiety at any level can tell you that it's a bad cocktail. I know personally that if I have problems and anxiety kicks in the first thing I do is not have a drink.

Completely different type of player 'norm'.... The only similarity is they both play key forward, Weideman also has a run in the ruck. I don't see the Hogan type doing that.

Freo didn't have the Vic-bred assets to get Hogan either... Nothing in this world is static.

Reading between the lines it appears the AFL are using this as some kind of scare tactic. If it was a real issue then all clubs & club doctors would be right on to it not just "Some club doctors and football department officials have passed on the message to players" According to ASADA even though they can detect usage, the levels are not high enough to warrant a suspension. In other words the tests show that players didn't use the drugs on match day & didn't have enough in the system to give a competitive advantage.

People laughed at Gale when he targeted 75k membership and premierships. Who's laughing now. Dream big, but also do the work required to make it a reality. Happy to see us not content to remain a small club, we were once big and can be again....

It's out of control if true 'bin' and no reason to believe it's not. Apparently sharing across private groups. The world is a better place since the advent of social media said no one....

Listening to Andy Maher they other day callers talked about it being rife in all AFL clubs as well as in local footy. So, yep it's only a matter of time before it starts coming out.

By legalising it you have more chance of controlling it 'Ethan'...it is already out of control under current restrictive policies, that horse has bolted. If you take the marketers and distribution network out (criminals) then maybe you have a chance. The war on drugs is a failed public policy backed by those who make money out of the misery. Many in so called legit businesses.

I pretty much agree with what you are saying...there's a lot of self interest and big money propping up the war on drugs and it's not all on the criminal side. ...but if the AFL want to continue the current farcical system for me it's one in all in... Maybe then they will have a good think about what they are doing... Me, like you I think they need to stick to weeding out the performance enhancing stuff.

You don't think that Dill is on bigger bucks to perform (much more than any player)...or Eddie, Gary, Robbo, Sam??? I would think the decisions made at AFL executive and board level are more important than anything a player will have to do. Shouldn't they have a clear head. ...and those reporting, wouldn't it be good to know they are not being hypocritical in their views. Coming out strongly against drug use but privately in it up to their eye balls.

This list shows where we've been since '64 & why....we've lacked real star power. Oliver is the best mid I've seen at the club (apologies to Hassa one of my heroes growing up but the memory is fading) & well on the way to being an absolute champion of the game.