Lucifers Hero

Chugging along nicely at 47,174. 6,600 ahead of similar time last year. On last year's trend we should end up at around 52,000+, a 15% increase on 2018.

It was a special goal at a crucial time to event he scores. Well done. Look forward to more. Vote for him here: GOTY Vote That should go some way to build his confidence and trust his instincts.

Coaches Votes: 9 Max Gawn (MELB) 9 Nathan Jones (MELB) 4 Oliver Florent (SYD) 4 Clayton Oliver (MELB) 2 Jayden Hunt (MELB) 2 Christian Salem (MELB) Not sure we were that dominant but I'll take it. Allir Allir and Heeny a bit unlucky to not poll. Well done to all the guys. Interestingly, Salem has hardly rated a mention in this thread. He is silk but not flashy so he goes under the radar a bit. Good to see he is attracting the coaches' eye as he has now polled their votes in 2 of the 4 games so far. Our quiet achiever.

As Casey have a bye I wonder if the club will organise a practice match for them. Then Lewis and May can have a game-type run as they have had next to nil game time in the last month. (Jones, Viney and Melksham played Casey practice matches just before the season proper). Also a good chance to have another look at Garlett and others, maybe KK if over concussion. Just a few quarters each and modify their training and have them all cherry ripe for ANZAC Day. More generally, we play 3 games over a 13 day period which is similar to playing 3 games with 2 consequtive 6-day beaks. Our fitness staff are used to this sort of stuff. Didn't we have 3 or 4 consequtive 6 day breaks with interstate trips in the middle of 2017? Lots of options available to the club so I don't see the 4 day break as a problem especially as we have an extra 2.5 days extra rest than Rich this week and they also play ANZAC Eve off 4-day break. They need to manage the return of Houli, Cotchin, Dusty and Riewoldt if they are to play ANZAC Eve. So their player management issues are similar to ours. So ANZAC Eve will be a level playing field. Just to note: After ANZAC Eve we have a 10 day break so plenty of recovery time before playing the Hawks who have a 6 day break. So we are doing ok with time between games.

I was thinking an extra 3 days of recovery from niggles and bruises for the players, not extra training. To my mind the extra 3 days rest is a considerable advantage to freshen up, especially if we are wanting to curtail Saint's speed. 3 extra days rest should also enable us to run out the game better. As for the 4 day break to ANZAC Eve. Rich have the same 4 day break but they have two days less recovery than us this weak having played yesterday. No excuse for either team not turning up ready to play ANZAC Eve. It will be a level playing field. Potentially we have quite a few players fresh for next week or ANZAC Eve. Casey have no game next week and by all accounts Garlett and Petty played well so they are available vs Saints or ANZAC Eve. Lewis, May and Jetta probably won't play vs Saints as they are coming back from injury and a 4 day break may not be enough. So they will be very fresh for ANZAC Eve. Plenty of flexibility there to rotate players and keep the team fresh. Richmond are in the same boat to manage the return of Houli, Cotchin and Riewoldt.

We have an extra 3 days rest over the Saints. If we can't beat them with such a head start then we don't deserve to compete for finals. The players and coaches will not have forgotten how we let that game slip last year: too little, too late. We will win.

Goddard calls out Brown on flopping for frees: " ...just stand up and play like a man". Ouch, Ouch!! Not a fan of Goddard but good on him for calling Brown out albeit rather brutally. There are enough umpires on the ground to keep an eye on Brown who is a serial offender.

I didn't see this match but bulldogs and pies tried to copy the eagles control/possession game in the first half. Neither looked very skilled or confident using it and they also fell down fwd of centre. The first half was like backyard footy playing kick-mark. Awful game to watch. Pies dropped this style after half time. WCE usually go fast into i50 once they have the ball fwd of center and do it very well. Interesting that freo may have found the way to stop that. Good observations W11 - will be interesting to see how the styles evolve this year.

Not only did Geelong lose ? , Danger will get cited for an off the ball elbow to de Boer's sternum then Danger elbowed him again but hit him head high. Should get 2 weeks same as Dusty. If Geelong appeal it can be downgraded to a week. Geelong play Hawks then Eagles in the next 2 weeks. Lets hope Christian doesn't squib it and give Danger 1 week which can be downgraded to a fine by the Tribunal because Danger is Brownlow favourite.

Good post. Re the highllighted part. Its our youth and immaturity. We lost the game vs Geelong late last year because we didn't slow it down, keep control to run down the clock. We learnt from that and slowed the tempo vs Crows and Eagles and won two close games. This year we had forgotten those lessons and without Lewis or runners to remind players we reverted to old, ingrained habits ie our players are programmed to play on, at a ballistic rate so it doesn't come naturally to it slow down. When Jones was asked after the game what Goodwin whispered in his ear at 3/4 time, he answered something like '...to remind the players how to play...' Wouldn't be surprised if it was to remember those games last year when we did/didn't play tempo. We will get better at changing the tempo the more we lose/don't lose because of it and if our leaders remember to direct the play accordingly.

Bulldogs weren't playing their frenetic 'chaos' style that has served them so well. In the first half, both were trying to play the WCE 'control and possession', kick/mark game which the pies used very well to beat tigers a few weeks ago. Neither were very good at the WCE style nor confident playing it and spent the first half kick/mark between the 50m arcs. They seemed unaware of the WCE bit that when you get the ball in your fwd half you switch and go fast to fwds set plays/leads. Both teams were terribly slow going fwd, went backwards and it was terrible to watch. Neither has sorted out its game plan or implementing it consistently, so will be vulnerable for teams to exploit. Teams like us, I hope

Chistian's Decision It was Clarrie's fault. "As Oliver turns, he collides with Jones who braces for contact!" I wonder what Jones' braced with!! Can anyone do one of those video things to show the episode?

Thanks. Really liked his low key reaction to kicking a important and magical goal out of congestion, under pressure on pure instinct. No fanfare, just stayed calm. He is maturing! For those obsessing about his weight. If he didn't have the lower body strength he would have been dragged down in that tackle and never kicked that goal. Important goal re the position of the game.

LOL! How silly of me! Should be 75% eff!

He is a proud man and the criticisms from many quarters would have stung. Delighted that he responded to the blowtorch with a very good game. He led from the front as has been his want and the team followed him. Great effort and he did a better job of marshalling the troops after prompting from Goodwin at half time. Looking forward, he has a bit of work to do: 21 pos @ 57.1% eff, 7 clangers, 3 tackles and zero 1%. Accuracy and defensive work have been consistently poor in all 4 game this year and has cost us. Hope he has more consistently good performances and clean up the weaknesses.

Sorry, there was no exaggeration by Oliver; he is as tough as. If it was exaggerated he wouldn't have gone off the ground. Jones won't be suspended as it didn't look high; should still be sighted for rough conduct, medium impact, off the ball and get a decent fine. More if they take into account his past poor recorded.

From Goodwin: "He's been sensational the last two weeks and he's getting reward for his effort now..."He's winning a lot of one-on-one contests, he's working really hard...He's developed a few techniques to get off his man and I'm really liking his game at the moment." He is growing with every game. Some of the things he did last night were outstanding. Time to cut him some slack.

Tigers are without their big 4: Dusty, Rance, Riewoldt, Cotchin. They play Port at Adelaide oval. If Port play their 'control' game they will win. Crows dropped Gibbs. Big statement by the club. Would be handy for the Saints to beat Hawks and Bulldogs to beat Pies but can't see it happening. Sad to see Tyson dropped by North. Hoping for Suns win over Blues and Lions over Ess, partly to see the Qld teams do well and partly because as I loathe the self-entitled, arrogance of Ess and Blues. Results this weekend will go a long way to shaping the final 8.

Our game started to turn when our wingmen manned their opp at centre bounces, instead of playing at the defensive end of the square. We had played off them a lot in the first 3 games and badly beaten in the middle as they had space to get the ball fwd while we chased. Most obvious vs Port. Until half time our HO:Clearances was woeful. Florent in particular was very damaging, lots of centre clearances and several goals. Different game after he had an opp on his heels and we gained the ascendancy. Hard to tell who his opp was after half time; maybe Harmes? Whoever it was did a very good job to neutralise their playmaker.

Terrific game: 20 poss @ 7% eff, 9 marks, 8 rebound 50's and plenty of pressure with 3 tackles and 6 1%. Plays a similar rebound role to Hibberd and while it is early days he seems the one most likely to understudy and eventually, to replace Hibberd. In the meantime, he is a very handy back up for when Hibberd or Jetta are unavailable.

Loved the huge bear hug Gawn gave Preuss after the song. Awesome for Preuss to get that welcome from his partner in crime.

Wouldn't mind seeing a front view of the hit Jones laid on Oliver, miles off the ball. Oliver was kneeling in pain on the field and when he went off. Commentators dismissed it as he just being winded. Looked more than being winded - there must have been a backhanded, clenched fist or elbow. Jones is a repeat offender and deserves to be cited.

After the round 4 Hawks debacle last year Jackson came out and said the players 'Trashed Our Brand'. He said questions were asked of the football and coaching departments. I wonder how long it will take Pert to come out with fire and brimstone if we lose badly tonight and we are 0-4?

Jetta a late withdrawl - no reason given. ? He hasn't looked right all year so better to let him recover than risk whatever it is getting worse. Hore to replace him. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/jetta-adds-to-melbourne-s-personnel-crisis-20190411-p51d8v.html Grateful that it is Hore not ANB to replace Jetts

So we go to Sydney without a crumber in the team... btw I'm not counting Lockhart. He did a nice job last week but is essentially a midfielder being tasked with a job he has not had time to develop in. Given that our talls are not excelling at i50 marks going in without a crumber, I can see the ball bouncing straight out again like it did vs Geelong when we went in without one. I get the need for fwds to exert pressure and keep the ball i50 but it would be handy to have someone who can make something happen when the ball falls free.