Lucifers Hero

The point was to make a statement and make them better players. Hinkley was prepared to take the risk. They all put in exceptional games in the SANFL. They are all match winners on their day. The success of the move can only be assessed once they are back in the team which they will be. I suspect Port will win more games from the improvement in the dropped name players than losing the game on Sat night. The alternative was to let them continue to play below expectations. As to who we bring in? I've given up on this season so I don't care who we bring in. The goal imv is to build a team for next year. If that means making a statement and drop Oliver or Brayshaw and we lose so be it. Give JKH a chance to show he deserves another contract or give Dunkley a run to see how he fares at AFL level. Nothing to lose.

It is looking that way. AVB has two years to go so if there is any chance of coming good the club will stick with him. On other possible changes, I think it is harsh to delist J Smith and Garlett as they have season ending injuries and its tough to recover without the support of a football club. I doubt they can be traded so would like to see them get a one year contract or be rookied.

Hinkley recently made a statement and dropped: Rockcliff, Westoff, Ryder and Powell-Pepper. There was an article yesterday about Ollie Wines (co-captain) the next one on the chopping block. That is what strong coaches do. The way our midfielders danced around and blindly flicked the ball around was awful - they wouldn't take a tackle. It was like a playground. As usual Oliver constantly trotted after an opp rather than chased. He has good tackle numbers but to players who are 1 mt away. He doesn't do the hard stuff. Neither does Brayshaw. Even Harmes' intensity has dropped off lately. Viney also looked like he caught the 'hands off' bug. Would love to see their metres run stats and the 'heat map'. The season is gone; we will end up bottom 3. I don't care who we bring in. Some statements need to be made. Hinkley did it. Clarkson did it. Even Hardwick dropped fan idol Higgins. Our coaches cannot avoid the hard decisions. If they do is it any wonder the players don't do the hard stuff. The sooner our players realise that no-one is a 'protected species' the better we will be. Perhaps drop Oliver until he learns to chase, defend and kick - no bigger statement than that. Everyone will be on notice.

Injury Ladder - Total Games Is there another table?

If its the table I think you are referring to it was total games lost to injury not to the best 22. The likes of Nietschke, Walker, Chandler, Smith are a considerable part of our total games lost. Of the Saints players I mentioned I think only one had a reasonable preseason: Geary. The rest little. Doubt we will agree binman.

A lot is made of preseason injuries but we aren't the only ones. Coll, Rich and a few others could claim loss of players in preseason or early season injuries. And, St Kilda had a bad run with preseason/early season outs. McCartin, Hannebery, Carlisle, Stevens, Roberton, Geary. All best 22. Without counting, those 6 have probably missed as many if not more games than our missing best 6. Yet they managed to win 6 games without them in the first half of the season and achieve a reasonable %. And really their list is nowhere near as talented as ours. Yesterday's smashing was because we had no physicality. There was no ferocity, no real effort to tackle or put bodies on the line. Had we done those things we may still have lost but not thrashed. In a word, we were timid. Referring back to preseason surgeries and injuries feeds the 'time will sort things out' narrative and papers over underlying issues.

Fagan: "...Melbourne, they want to get you into that contested ball environment because they believe that's where they play their best footy...that's the most pleasing thing … we were able to beat a fantastic contested ball team at their own game." How many coaches have said similar this year: match them on the inside and we beat them on the outside/around the ground etc. Defeat after defeat they are virtually telling Goodwin his version of a contested ball game plan doesn't work anymore. Just don't understand why Goodwin is not listening. Does he think he knows much better than the likes of Hardwick, Buckley and Fagan? If I hear the 'match them on the inside and we can win' mantra from an opp coach again, I will...I don't know what I'll do but good Lord something needs to change in the coaches box. At what point do players, who hear this from opp when we lose, start losing faith in the game plan...?

Joined up a week ago. Half your posts are in this thread and pot anyone non-positive comments. Similar to your posts in other threads. Are you the alter ego of one of our absent mfc apologists?

The voice of reason. Thank you,

As a dee supporter what choice do we have Dame G: Laugh, cry or drink!! Today has been cry, drink, laugh in that order...

Can highly recommend 2016 Sanguine Estate Projeny Shiraz.

I really needed a really good laugh. Thank you!

Thank you SWYL. I've had a few (too many) Heathcote Shiraz. My sarcasm meter is a bit numb! This club will send anyone to drink!

Anyone know what the 3/4 time spat between May and Frost was about. Commentators made it sound like May went to town on Frost a bit too long.

Sorry, 36 tackles is an appalling effort! No team is competitive let alone win with that sort of non-pressure and let the op have easy ball.

Our midfielders just do not work hard enough when they do not have the ball. Are hand-ball happy when the ball comes their way but that is it. Stats aside, none of Brayshaw, Harmes, Viney or Oliver had much impact today.

Why on earth did ANB go for the mark when it was obviously Fritsch's mark. Selfish play by ANB - just trying to get his own stats up!

Great first quarter by Petracca: Terrific bullet pass to start the chain for the TomMc goal and kicked two himself!

Tigers took a big chance bringing 7 players back many of whom are underdone. So far it has not worked. Saints on fire and making it hard for powers to be to sack Richardson. And, the tigers might end up 9th...how novel! But will be happy to see tigers win - just to help keep essendon out of the finals!

LOL, BBO, we all know your version of 'creepy' would be somewhat affected to entertain. And may I say that the 'fairer' gender would detect it as lighthearted whimsy. For Morris it seems innate. His 'creepiness' is of the 'makes your skin crawl' variety. I know of other females describe him as such. Trust me that type of 'creepy' you wouldn't want to know about.

3 upsets so far: Ess d GWS. Nth d Pies. WBD d Power. Today might make it 4 upsets with a Dees d Lions! Glad we had only one change. Time to settle the team and get some synergy going among fwd, backs, middle and synergy with ball movement end to end. Optimistic that we can click today; if we do we win!

Very happy that WBD beat Pies and North beat Port. Only prob is we are yet to play WBD and North. No longer the 'easy' games they once seemed.

Good on Jesse for calling him out. He leaked so much Demons stuff, it was good that the club sent him packing. Comes across as somewhat sly and from a female viewpoint as 'creepy'.

Was thinking about playing in the coming weeks rather than contracts. Since you asked: Contract renewal order for me would be JKH, ANB, Stretch. For mine, they are all depth players and not regular 22's. But I would play JKH ahead of the 2 in the coming weeks. But Dunkley might get selected ahead of all three. He is more likely a future 22 and it will be a good test to have a few games this year.

Out of interest would you put Jay k-H in the seniors ahead of Alex N-B?