Wells 11

My thoughts exactly. On top of no ruck, the pies also, as you point out, kicked for goal really poorly. eg nick daicos hits the post from direct in front 15 m on the run. Elliot kicks 3 behinds all of which he normally nails. If I was a pie Id be feeling pretty confident of the match up if it happens again. I also see no blueprint there of how to beat the pies. In fact watching that game, and how undermanned they were, only makes me feel even more wary of them than I was before that game.

memories of the heartbreak years 😢

Or if the blatantly obvious deliberate oob had been paid against heath shaw after Pettard dropped it and he handballed it over the boundary line.

I guess it depends on what Gosh's would look like as its prime placement. But Caufield I imagine may give us way more room, capacity for better facilities and more of a sense of "our own turf" Tbh though both sound exciting to me.

First year in the system. He appears to have that “ something” about him. But he also looks like he needs a lot of fitness work. Once upon a time Clarry had the same look… so lets hope he has something close to the same discipline and drive.

In 3021 the policy seemed to be to play through pain for injured players and we win a flag. in 2022 that philosophy backfired. What’s his current position? Has it even altered or does it just seem like it has?

I’d love to hear you address the obvious question re rucks. TMac and Grundy just don’t seem fit enough atm to play the role. Shache is concussed and won’t play this week but going forward even he isn’t a genuine 2nd. JVR shouldn’t be asked to step into that on debut . Seems like a lot of our game plan fr 23 was based on aerial supremacy and now suddenly it’s a glaring weakness. How do we approach the next 4-6 weeks?

yes, true. It’s probably how it will go. Our ruck strength is suddenly a weakness. Neither Grundy or Tmac seem currently fit enough for the role. Trac and clarry etc gonna have to start reading opposition ruckman for the next 4-6.

I love the look of JVR. But I want him bought in in the right way also. I guess the question has to be, is giving JVR 2nd ruck duties just too much on debut? I watched him rucking for casey and can’t see that’s anywhere near his 1 wood. Id love to see him debut as a forward and perhaps take the throw ins in the fwd line.. but if he’s in the centre square that feels like a recipe for a mauling. you have no doubt seen more of him and know a bit about his character …what’s your opinion WCW?

I hope he does to be honest. In the last 50 odd years not too many players ever regretted leaving the dees… these are special times. Right now, if he’d stayed, he’d be the main man with a flag favourite. Freo will have a year or two of going backwards given all the players they lost AND ( not that I know anything …i don’t) I wonder if some of their players are [censored] about that. He absolutely should be regretting his move already.

I guess the question is that the siren went before the umpire called it deliberate. so does the decision have to be made pre siren or the infringement. I guess jimmy stynes, were he here, would have an opinion. ran over the mark AFTER the siren.

If he wants “ genuine worry” he should come to this site not speak to the MFC.

If / When there’s actual news can we post a new thread? I can’t keep checking this every 5 mins .. and pretend to have conversations with people. re stages of grief, Im officially in denial .. everything will be fine and nothing happened. Also we won in Brisbane and kozzy re signed. im not well. 🥶

Also feeling sick…. and yes that’s my hope as well.

not after last night he wouldn’t. T mac just doesn’t seem up to that anymore.

Agreed. Plus Kozzi doesn't appear to be all that comfortable with the press. Tbh I'd be asking him what he'd like the club to do here as he would have to deal with that exposure.

Super Impressive. Loyalty in the woman’s game still means something… or at least it does fr the dees!

sadly I think I agree. didn’t make head contact though so might get lucky. it’s a bad look , it’s early in the season so he might get made an example of.

living proof that a picture really is worth 1000 words ;-)

you can teach him about kindness on the way home . display yr humility in victory. :-)

we’re going to get a good look at our depth straight up against a very good side. We’re all going to know more about who we are as a club late sat eve. May is a huge loss but .. for arguments sake.. what if he was injured for a final? We need to know what our back ups can and can’t do. Anyone playing on Naughton is in for a massive test… 3 goals or less is a big win in this circumstance. we’ll see. Fingers crossed we come out with a win, no further injuries and deeper confidence in our best 27.

Great get. Im curious about how hard it is to leave a club he loved and start at a new one. more determined or more hurt?

He changed the way the game is played and deserves credit for that. That makes him a great coach. But he also fully lucked out with the draft...call it what you will but luck plays a part. When you pick up Buddy and Roughhead in the same draft as well as the many other players they did at that time well... they hit a rare gold mine. Then they were at the top when the new teams were coming in and the drafts were so compromised and competition polarised for a while ( Hawks stuck at the top with us at the bottom) . So was he a very good/ great coach yes . But he lucked out also, and his achievements will be, in my opinion, squared out a little by his failures after he retires. So I expect/ hope his ego will be tempered by the time he exits!

premature speculation is a curse ;-)

The question in my mind here is that tbh I’m not sure I can see him playing more for us this year then he did fr the doggies. As I see it in 23 Tmac, Fritsch and Brown are first choice. JVR knocking hard and schache next in line. So, at least for this year we would need to be 2 down of our starting 3 talls ( if Fritsch can be called that) for him to play. 2024 is a different story.