Lucifers Hero

jr, I don't buy all the talk about the (wet) weather. I think it is used as an out by some fans...

Would think Holmes wouldn't be happy about this treatment for last year's GF. We targetted Holmes at the draft but Geelong made a very late pick trade to get him. We would have Holmes and Bowey instead of Bowey and Laurie. We have been targetting an elite mid/wing (via draft or trade) for years: Gaff, Butters, Anderson (had we not lost pick 2 in 2019) Holmes, Cerra, Humprhrey but we just haven't been able to get the deals done. We need to soon find the next gen mids/wings to step up as our midfield ages! I would be surprised if isn't targetting this type of player at either the draft or via trade. Holmes would have known we would take him if he was on the board at our first pick and Taylor tracks his targets. Would be very happy to get him to the club and we have the draft currency to do it.

I thought we owned Adelaide Oval...☹️

For those reasons this has been one of the more entertaining 'What They... ' threads to put together. Its almost like they have accepted their lot as a mediocre team yet can still take a lighthearted take on it.

Hey, you weren't to know it was elsewhere...lots of water under the bridge in those threads today so the videos are a fair way back in the threads. It was good you put up the article just in case.

Several videos and much discussion of this in the 'Injury' thread and in the 'Pregame' thread. Merge with one of those...

Just a tad more confident now that Oliver is out out: No reason we can’t win now. Two of their most important players are out There are plenty of reasons. But no Fritsch and no Oliver is helpful. Sad to be celebrating Clayton's misfortune but that is good to see from my point of view with that been one of the major issues for them the last 6 weeks. If jones and hunter make the cut I'll be tepidly hopeful of a W.

This article has a video of Oliver running. (My copy skills don't extend to videos). https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/oliver-leaves-training-early-with-hamstring-concern-20230705-p5dlwq.html At the end Oliver goes for a run. He gingerly walks back with a tiny limp/favouring his leg. Make of that what you will. Maybe Oliver is too keen and trying too hard and not giving himself the chance to fully recover.

Did he say why? Played well for Casey so is he injured?

How does a journo get into a closed training session and film this stuff...

I don't expect any info from the club. Let's be clear your posts about Oliver are opinions and not based on any knowledge. Its best to say that from the beginning.

If you know there are other personal issues (no need to tell us what they are) that comment is fine. If you are assuming there are other personal issues that comment will spark another round of rumours about Oliver. There are more than enough out there and we don't need any more. So could you please clarify and perhaps edit that post and the earlier one about him being 'definitely unwell' to clarify if they are based on assumptions.

Their despondency is matched only by ours on bf and on our very own on D’land! We will get absolutely smashed next week. Highly doubt it. Dees coming back from a slog in Alice Springs, it’s at Marvel, and their form has generally also been far from convincing. Reckon we'll beat the Dees. Can't show up to a game against division 4 bush league footballers but will turn it on against a top four side. We're bipolar, it's in our nature. Saints by 27 I can't see it happening, mate, but that would outstanding. Yes, it would be a very St Kilda type of thing Gawn and Grundy will work Marshall over. Their midfield will have an absolute day out against Crouch and the Witches Hats. May and Lever will take a billion marks between them. Demóns by heaps. Melbourne will be a class above. Dees by 35 We almost certainly be 4th if we win… if Collingwood beat WB, we’ll be 4th and a win clear of 5th! Could be the worst top 4 team at this stage of a season ever! 💪 We need to do something different up forward. May and Lever are going to have a field day if go out with the same set up we've been sticking too that we know doesn't work and only leads to opposition defenders dominating. If you have a quick read of their preview thread, the sky is falling and all hope is lost for them as well. You’d think the two teams were 4th and 5th bottom: We’re gonna win this and lose to suns the week after… literal lock. Stroll in the park for Melbourne. May to get 25 intercept marks and 300 supercoach. Couldn't get on fast enough for a demons bet. Melbourne may be struggling to score/kick straight, but they seem to be doing almost everything else pretty well. Their rucks and mids will be too much for us alone I fear. I would be pretty surprised if we don't lose this by 30+ points. We have lost all run and dare...they are going to absolute torch us through the middle and our defensive unit has been very ordinary of late. Unless they kick 5.25 we are not winning this game Just our luck the media get stuck into Melbourne before we play them! We are going to get destroyed here if we can't find a spark on the track this week. Melbourne by 60+ Melbourne is the only team we haven't beaten since 2019. As it'll be under a roof instead in all liklihood, Dees by 47 and May to both look like he sucked on a lemon in disgust on his way to the same amount of intercepts and us to maybe kick 10 goals, maybe. No idea what this is about but gave me a good laugh: You're forgetting to factor in the Dougal pirouette. It's like a boxer that has no skill but insane KO power. If it lands, we're in business. Could not believe my (piercing blue) eyes when he attempted another. Leave-without-pay type operator. There was a moment in the 4th where he picked the ball up inside our 50, without anyone on him (maybe an Eagles player 15m away directly infront of him) and instead of shifting his body from front-on to the Eagles player to the right of the Eagles player so he could get the kick away, he instead spun around on the spot and then as he turned back around, went to the right. Literally sat there and said 'What the *??'. He's incredible. Favourites: A round 17 clash between 4th and 5th on the ladder and both Melbourne and St.Kilda fans couldn't be any more pessimistic. I'm sorry Melbourne, but we're going to lose harder then you! You guys need to step up your game, the woe and despair in here is a pale comparison to the Demons board at the moment. We should take care of their form slump for them. They should start paying us to return teams to form. The dees poor kicking have made a mess of my predictions lately but will go out on a limb one more time: Dees by 3 goals! One thing is for sure; with two very defensive coaches this will be a dour game to watch☹️.

It looks like that is exactly what is happening - we lose the i50 ground ball, it bounces out and the mids and def get the turnover and back i50 it goes. Rinse and repeat. No wonder we had so many i50 for such little scoring result. Not sure I get this point - by losing the ground ball i50 it is the opp that are getting the turnover not our fwds. Did you mean the mids and def are assisting the turnover further upfield....

This has to be the most damning stat of all: "According to Champion Data, Melbourne is overall the best contested possession team in the competition. Specifically, Simon Goodwin’s side is ranked first in the league for contested possessions won in both the defensive 50 and midfield. But alarmingly, the Dees are ranked 16th for contested ball in their forward 50" Even if the talls bring it to ground our ground level players can't win it. So we are losing in the air and on the ground. So much for having so many defensive forwards!!

I wasn't exonerating the mids and fwds nor blaming the defenders for the loss. Simply reflecting on a key moment of which there were many. Might just leave this response to an earlier post and check out of DL again for a few days:

I also think our defence is outstanding. Not sure yesterday was one of their better performances. I doubt there will be many positional changes as this is the time we and other clubs bed down the best 22. Having said that Fritsch's absence will force some sort of forward group rethink.

Whatever was in the first few pages it is still no reason to generalise and say many poster's analysis is shallow. Posters were clearly disappointed and angry. Let them vent. It is what a fan forum is about. Thank you for not putting me in the 'sticking your head in the sand' category.

That was a rare lapse by Lever. Turned his back on Kelly and jogged past him. Never a smart thing to do even if 60mts out as we weren't set up behind the ball to protect our goals.

I think that is unfair. Most posters accept that fatigue is a factor be it physical, mental or from loading. The debate is whether it is the dominant factor.

I agree that we press too high and it is our system. However, on field leaders have a role to play in the tactics for moment-to-moment action especially when there is no opportunity for coaches to send a runner out, which can only be when a goal is scored. And most clubs train and train and train possible end of game scenarios so not to rely on coaches in those frantic minutes. I would hope May and Lever have some license to employ one of those scenarios when coaching directive isn't available. I don't really wish to start a blaming game. My comment on lack of on field leadership wasn't intended to blame anyone but imv a fair observation of what happened: our system broke down.

Where were our defenders in the last few minutes!!! 3 minutes to go and not a single defender within cooee of the goal square! Kelly's kick bounced before going over the line... Its worrying if leaving the goal square undefended with mere minutes to go is our MO for protecting a small lead. Sure we were attacking to win but leaving most of the d50 wide open made us sitting ducks for a Giant's 'out the back' goal or a Kelly long range kick. Poor leadership by defenders for end of game defence tactics.

Folks, this is a football forum...🙄

Not if you watch it on Ch 7

If the AFL close the loophole again clubs will have to 'pay' more for F/S and Academy players.