Lucifers Hero

Very plausible. I still feel the onus is on the coaches to get the message across to a player and if co-ordination is required between two fwds eg Weidemen and TMc that the coaches communicate and train such co-ordination. I'm not trying to put it all on the coaches. Players share some responsibility. From the outside it looks like Sam has been seeking help eg May now J Brown. But at the end of the day he (and others) need clearly defined and consistent roles that are clearly understood by themselves and their team mates and coaches that train those roles. From our 'Brown's cows' type fwd line performance in recent years not sure that has been happening.

I prefer no hubs. And, I wonder whether the industry would accept another year of hubs? From known and rumoured tales the hubs took quite a personal toll on some coaches, some players, absent family and solo attendees. Not to mention rumours of unreported and unsanctioned breaches of AFL and covid protocols - the old its ok just don't get caught! The AFLPA and AFLCA may take some convincing to set up hubs, especially clubs from NSW and Vic who had no opportunity to get home during the hub regime. Lets hope the vaccine arrives early and is effective (and Premiers get sensible on border closing) so that the season can continue as featured without hubs, even with reduced crowds.

Well, State Premiers have shown in the last week how trigger happy they are with borders. What are chances of getting a remotely 'normal' season played? The biggest risk to the fixture is WA: To get unquarantined entry a State must have zero local transmission cases for 28 days. No chance of all the eastern states achieving and maintaining that. They retrospectively imposed border/quarantine restrictions to people already in the state. They are dead set stubborn on trying to make (any type of) sporting fixtures work. Wouldn't be surprised if the AFL is doing a deep dive into where to place the hubs for 2021. Hopefully, sanity prevails and state premiers find a way of allowing people movement without shutting borders every time a dozen people get ill. Not optimistic on this at all. Well, I like our fixture: while it lasted ?

This fixture is already in jeopardy. With WA's rules that anyone coming from a state which has not had zero locally transmitted covid cases for 28 days must quarantine it is hard to see how games can be played in WA or how WA teams can re enter the state. Other state rules are somewhat less onerous, altho Vic looks a bit draconian atm. No one is allowed in. Hopefully, that changes soon. Unlike the AFL, AFLW is still a part time comp which makes it very difficult to create hubs without taking away the livelihood of many players. Hopefully, sanity prevails and state premiers find a way of allowing people movement without shutting boarders every time a dozen people get ill.

Agree with your comments and the last sentence is the hub of the matter. He hasn't had anyone to learn from! And I can't see where/how the coaches filled the void. So he turned to May and now turning to J Brown. Good on him for showing initiative. imv it is part of the coach's (head, line and development) job to identify requirements of a role (in this case key fwd) and put in place a development program to teach him. In absence of an internal player role model/mentor/fwd coach, getting external help for him 3-4 years ago would surely make him a better player than he is now.

And a decent, consistent game plan that is consistently trained and drilled into all players. Not to mention putting players in the positions that maximises their strengths. We have the 5th eldest and 7th most experienced list. A list built under Goodwin's watch. If he doesn't have the cattle he has only himself to blame. Its worth noting that about 10 of Collingwood's 2010 premiership playrs were rookie recruits. Its what a coach does with the cattle that counts.

Separation from op and running patterns would be fairly essential tools in a key forward's kit bag. It beggars belief that going into his 7th year the club has not provided this (or if it has, not sufficiently) and he feels he needs to seek it out for himself. He said in another interview that he was trying to learn what to do from Steven May which has some merit but not a substitute for good coaching. It all makes me wonder if we had a development plan for Sam or it has been left to chance. One could be forgiven for thinking his development has been collateral damage of not having an experienced forward coach nor a consistent one for most of his time at the club. Its hard to develop confidence if you aren't very sure on what to do or how to do it. Hopefully, this is a turning point for him. And hopefully, his up field teammates learn what Sam's running patterns will be so they can anticipate ball placement.

There will be covid outbreaks. Probably on the East Coast so a 'footy frenzy' may depend on how 'trigger-happy' state premiers are in closing borders. Right now they are very twitchy so it is likely we will see rescheduling of some sort. Hopefully, it is just location rather than wholesale change to the fixture. And, if there needs to be a hub it will be in Victoria so (selfishly) we can still get to see games. And while I'm talking of 2021; may you all enjoy this festive season, say goodbye to a horrid 2020 and look forward to good health and an exciting and successful year for our beloved Demons. ???

Players are paid monthly so had already been paid in full for at least 6 months from Oct 2019 to March 2020. So it was 50% of the remaining (4 to 6) months. That aside I agree, the speed at which expenditure was reduced was quite impressive. Sadly most of that was in the football and admin departments which meant cutting peoples' livelihoods.

That is a very good question. Apparently the Hubs cost just $60m - half to a third of what was originally estimated. The AFL had a cash holding of $187m at end of 2019, received about $200m from broadcasters (see article below), other income from sponsors, some income from gate revenues and payments from Qld gov't for hosting the GF. And it drastically cut expenditure across the board. I have a sense that it used but a small proportion of the $500m line of credit. This article provides a good run down of where the AFL finances are at the-afl-season-is-over-let-the-financials-begin! Have to agree with its summary: "...the forthcoming AGM and annual report will provide interest to many." The issue for me is if the AFL didn't need to use much of the $500m did the cut of 30% in Football Department soft cap need to be so drastic and similarly the sal cap for player payments which forced many clubs into back-ending revised contracts.

It could be what they asked for and being GF'ists requests get granted. And in a way it doesn't matter when they play there they will win. Just like Richmond had a long run of games at the G in the latter rounds in recent years. Being GF or premiers helps persuade the AFL on numerous fixture benefits. On the positve side for us, seven of our first 9 games are in Melbourne (6 at the G, of which 5 are Home games, and 1 is at Marvel). I'm guessing lots of early Melbourne games is what the club asked for to get fans attending games (gate revenue) and to sell memberships in the early rounds. That early revenue will be important to us.

I was thinking that it is unlikely there will be walk up GA tickets available because of covid capacity constraints. So if fans want to see game at the G such as Carlton, Rich, Hawks, Geelong, Collingwood (and an offset game for Alice probably vs Hawks) it is best to buy a membership . Good value I reckon.

A good fixture for memberships: Generally, quality opponents for our Home games at the G incl our two blockbusters vs Richmond and Collingwood. Every chance there will be capacity restrictions at the G so time to buy memberships folks.

Can we merge this with the 2021 Fixture Thread. Similar posts in both threads.

No back to back interstate games. Only two long-haul flights (Perth and Alice). Good break between Alice and the next game then the bye. Only two top 8 sides: Cats, Bulldogs. Overall this is a good fixture in terms of difficulty and fatigue issues. No excuses next year.

Happy to be playing the Lions in Alice. Should have the majority of fans for us rather than the usual WA or SA clubs. Significant 'Home' ground advantage for us. No bye after this game but we play Coll on QB so it would give us at least an 8 day break for recovery.

Double ups: Hawks, Giants, Crows, Geelong, Bulldogs. Geelong and Bulldogs are the only 2020 finalists we play twice. This is a kind fixture.

Coll vs WBD: Friday Night, FTA - AFL and broadcasters wanting to 'cash in' on the Treloar trade debacle. As an aside, not expecting much prime time, FTA exposure. With last year's top 8 teams to accommodate plus the AFL perpetual need to give Carlton and Ess maximum exposure we will be well down the pecking order. We will be in the bottom 8 in the tv stakes at least for the early rounds of the 'moving fixture'. Hopefully we start winning and earn better exposure as each fixture block is date/time scheduled

Their youngsters: Top 10 draft picks: Billings, Clark, King, Coffield. Top 10- 20 draft pick: Gresham, Later picks come good: Steele, Lonie And a variety of promising young players. They compare fairly well with our equivalents. And they have probably done better than us on the mature age recruits. On balance their list looks not too different to ours.

LATEST LIST HERE: 19 November 2021 Update for the Petty and Fritsch contract extensions. The Petty extension is until 2025 when he will be an RFA. At the end of Fritsch's contract in 2026 he will be an FA. No change to our list or draft position since the last update. This has been an amazingly small list turnover, almost all 'forced' changes: Jones and Jetta retired, Vandenberg going on to a new career, Nietschke had a long term injury, Bradtke (I think) had no more years left as a rookie. So only true delisting were one from the senior list (Hore) and two from the rookie list (Lockhart and Declase). A very stable list, one which just won a Premiership!

I don't think their playing stocks are better than ours but their list isn't really bad. Its better than the Hawks. And Pies facilities, financial strength, continuity and stability of sponsors, and membership are so superior to ours it isn't funny.

They are both right. It depends which version of the Coll contract is believed. One version had it at $900/$950 per year for 5 years so the HS is more correct. Another version is $750 in some years and $950 in other years over 5 years so The Age is more correct. I trust The Age to be (a little) less prone to hyperbole for click bait.

He can go with love-child, Buckley whose contract expires next year. No way they will make finals. Coll power brokers can start working on getting Clarkson to the pies. Of all the clubs that might be looking for a new coach next year Coll would be a juicy prospect.

That is really, really poor. I've not been a fan but he deserves public and resounding acknowledgement for his commitment to the club and praise for the professionalism in his work. Hopefully, it was an oversight and it is remedied at the AGM.

Not yet. Subject discussed in this thread.