Lucifers Hero

I don't recall Sicily impacting the game so purely a guess that Clarkson 1 to Sicily and Goodwin 1 to Weideman to reflect they played to instructions and more than fulfilled the role assigned. I'm wondering who didn't give Viney any votes...

: Fab to see Christian 3rd. Great reward for his work in pre-season and in the last 6 rounds. Some commentators are questioning why it has taken 6 years for him to start fulfilling his potential. I reckon that is harsh as he spent his first year out with an ACL. Last year he had a good season, not great but good and as we were a poor team we didn't make the most of it. And to have Max at 8th bodes well for him and the mighty dees! Also remember they have played one less game than everyone else. Great individual efforts but backed up by very good players around them.

Coaches votes are in: 10 Christian Petracca (MELB) 8 Max Gawn (MELB) 5 Clayton Oliver (MELB) 3 Jack Viney (MELB) 2 Steven May (MELB) 1 James Sicily (HAW) 1 Sam Weideman (MELB) What great encouragement for Sam to have caught the eye of at least one coach. To detail the votes: 5/5 Petracca 4/4 Gawn 3/2 Oliver 3/0 Viney 2/0 May 1 Sicily 1 Weideman. First 3 similarly rated by coaches. One coach rated Viney and one coach rated May.

Adelaide and North are poised to shake up the top end of the draft. They are 18th and 17th respectively and that is unlikely to change. So they get pick #1 and #2. If they let Brad Couch and Ben Brown go as FA's, each will command good $ contracts and clubs will get a 1st round comp pick. At the moment this would be pick 2 (Adelaide) and 4 (North). Also, Adelaide have GWS's first round pick and North have ours. Both likely to be around pick 10-12. It must be tempting to give up on 2020 take a bounty to the draft and with so many high picks they can cherry pick the non-affiliated players.

TMac probably won't play: key-dee-available-but-no-guarantees "When asked whether McDonald was an 'automatic' selection, Goodwin response was not definitive. "I think we're still finding our best mix is and we'll continue to look at how we function," Goodwin said. "He's (McDonald) no different to any other player, we'll pick the team that's in form." If he doesn't play it sends a strong message to all players to stay in form and fit because once out it will be hard to get back in. Applaud Goodwin for making the tough calls and resist selecting players who may be thought as walk up starts: Tomlinson, Jones, and now TMac, maybe. Very happy to see no change.

The video in this 'Highlights' article looks more like All The Goals. https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/745914/rd-7-highlights?videoId=745914&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1595111709001 If anyone can tell me how to directly post a video from an article it would be appreciated.

Anyone else notice some of our midfielders (Oliver, Petracca, Bennell, AvB) prowling in our d50? Hawks didn't follow them; not sure GCS did either. Big help to defenders and I reckon that is a key to our recent effectiveness of our attacking from the back 50 and getting our running game going. Need to watch the replay again but it looked as if defenders didn't have to defend so high up the ground. Our mids are two-way running, at last! Edit: Anyone know on which website player 'heat maps' are located and how to gain access? Cheers.

Someone who has access to the 'heat maps' might post them.

I checked the emojis for a green envy! The best I could find was: ? a 'nauseated face'. Well done @DemonOX. Enjoy the game. Barrack like crazy!

AFL give Tigers and WCE an extra draft pick at the end of the first round https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-west-coast-get-special-aflw-assistance-20200720-p55dof.html They have attached strings: "The pick must be on-traded to bring in an established player". "This pick can be combined with other selections and/or player/s, however, cannot be used in a scenario that brings another selection back to the club," I don't mind that too much as it is good to have a more even comp. Having said that I reckon the Tigers problems were of their own making rather than a terrible list, hence why they sacked their coach.

In an earlier post I said 'no change' in the interests of settling the team and and consistency. But Melksham should count himself lucky if he is in this week. In 6 games has had no impact in any features of the game. Hardly sighted and seems to stand still on the outside of the pack rather than assist or move and create options. Has forgotten how to tackle or chase. Can't see him being dropped but TMac has offered more this year.

AvB (and Kozzie) may not get a lot of the ball but their mere presence running full bore towards the opp creates so much 'inferred pressure' that he rushes the disposal; he knows a bone-crunching tackle is coming his way or will be caught HTB. The presence of 'inferred pressure' shouldn't be underestimated in causing turnovers and creating contests which is when we do our best work. Avb (and Kozzie) are very good with their second efforts, again more pressure. AvB stays.

I would not be surprised if Pert read the riot act to Goodwin after the Rich game. The blowtorch had been brutal that week (and imv unfair). Also, they get feedback on the public persona of coach and players. Goodwin's deadpan style had turned people off. In his press conf since the Rich game he has sounded and looked more energised. Also, I think it is no coincidence that our team selection and game plan changed after that game. This has a very similar vibe to when PJ read the riot act and declared 'the players trashed our brand' post Hawks game 2018.. No public comment about the coach but we all knew where the problem was. Something happened behind the scenes: game plan changed, Goodwin stopped the silly experiments of 1) playing without wingman and 2) playing a lot of players out of position 3) best midfielder used as a tagger when we were being thrashed in the middle etc. Now similar outcomes post Rich game: dropped the one tall forward experiment, dropped the experiment where we abandoned our f50 when Geelong had the ball. Moved to a more conventional team set up. The change could be the Hub environment but I would bet a penny to a pound 'things were said'. In 2018 we went on to play in a Prelim. Lets hope this leads to the same or better result ?

Score: · Coach - 10/10 · Player Execution – 9.5/10 Bring on Lions!

Ok, all those that fell in love with Weightman's game would you really take him over Kozzie, given how he played today: tackles, chase, team play, goal etc etc. ...and no ducking for frees. Didn't get enough adulation from commentators.

Clarkson's MO is to let the 1st qtr unfold see what the op set ups are. Move chess pieces around at qtr time. Let 2nd qtr unfold. Make more moves at half time. Beware the coach that is not paying attention or is slow to react to Clarkson's moves. All on our coaching box today.

What have you laced the coffee with

Signed a mega million $ contract. With his and all the talent around him he should be starring. But like many of his teammates, they know they are good and think it will just happen without the hard work... ...recipe for a lot of unfulfilled careers. Roos' original preference for Billings over Kelly may turn out to be the right call.

Some tactics: Sicily is their backline play maker so have our fwd take him to one side of i50 and we play into the other. Play thru Frost's opponent - weakest link in their defence Use the corridor once out of our d50; move the ball quickly thru gaining territory Run with (not tag) Silk - good job for Langdon Show last weeks composure We win .

pneumococcal is different to pneumonia. The age group of indigenous players falls outside those stipulated in the national immunisation program for pneumococcal. All AFL players must have the flu vaccine to enter Qld. The pneumococcal vaccine requirement applies only to indigenous players. The issue isn't that players were 'shocked', 'perplexed', it is that the AFL agreed to a vaccine requirement for a particular group of players but neglected to tell players, their rep AFLPA or include it in the player protocols.

Sadly, his little boy is very seriously ill. Taken to RCH last night. Ablett will probably miss a month.

I am struggling to believe this has happened: "Several players with Indigenous heritage were understood to be shocked when approached to have the immunisation {pneumococcal vaccinations} as part of their preparation for staying in Queensland and questioned why it was a requirement for them. The AFLPA was also annoyed they were not made aware of the condition before the AFL agreed to it and that it was not stipulated in the protocols they signed off on". https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-and-players-in-battle-over-vaccination-call-20200718-p55d8z.html If that is not discriminatory, I don't know what is. The AFL are just not seriousness about racism and discrimination. Firstly, no rebuttal (that I saw) re the Harley vilification. And now it seems they have stealthily subjected indigenous players to a treatment their teammates are not. Shameful AFL.

Didn't like the Selwood style lean-to-the-side-and-drop-his-head into op shoulder for a 'high' free. Umpire fell for it.

2nd chart very interesting. General thinking is that players between 50 and 150 games are the next premiership core. We have 14 they have 6. Says a lot about the respective lists, especially as their 10 > 150 games are at or over 30 age. As I mentioned in another post they can't run and can't chase. If we run and show use the composure of last week we have this .

I guess stats can tell a story. But a key fact is we have about 2,000 active cases and nearly 1,000 cases for which they don't know the source, NSW have a handful. Even at 1:1 that is still thousands of new cases in Victoria. And Vic are struggling (poorly resourced/poor management) to do the contact tracing so how many more are out there spreading it around. I may have been hasty saying it is out of control but it sure as hell ain't in control.