Lucifers Hero

Of course...several times I have posted about being outcoached...I just didn't want to labour the point...

Another thing which hasn't had much comment so far is that GWS used Cameron to lead Tommy away from the play out to the flanks. They didn't even look for Cameron thus preventing Tommy from stopping other passages of play. This in no way diminishes Tommy's fantastic work on Cameron for the whole day...just saying GWS were very clever about opening up their forward 50 to let their small guys charge through. The ploy worked!

There needs to be a good reason to drop a player other than a bad game. So for mine: - If Bernie can't play 75+% of time (vs 52% on sat) he is out (or else is the sub). - Dawes may be the coach's pet but he isn't contributing to games and more importantly hasn't for a long time. BTW: -Hogan doesn't need protecting, he can look after himself!! -If Dawes role is to be a decoy to take another tall, instead put Frost/Pedo/Gawn/xxx down there (who can relieve Jamar in the ruck) -Being in the Leadership Group is not automatic selection (ala Grimes) -I can't see what other effective role Dawes has played or can play so I would drop him. Grimes did a great job on Danger last year so could be considered. JKH and Toumpas are both match-fit so could come in. Really depends on match-ups. An essential change: Wake up the coaches box during the game!!!

The big surprise there is that Bernie played only 52% of the game time...effectively we were a midfielder short for half the game! No wonder we looked slow around the stoppages. That strongly suggests he should not have been selected or if that was the plan he should have been the sub and have a fit player out there.

Newton received a pretty heavy head knock and had to take the 20min concussion rule and was temporarily subbed out. It was close to a sling tackle and he hit the turf hard. That he came back on and stayed on is testament to his toughness and the knock probably slowed him up a bit. We should cut him some slack.

Yes, GWS were faster but they weren't that fast and we weren't that slow. They made us look slower becasue we: - had poor positions at the stoppages/centre bounces. - didn't adjust our stoppage play when Jamar lost dominance. - had too many players trying to get the ball at stoppages and competed with each other - didn't have players blocking the exits at stoppages (ala poor positions) - didn't learn to read Mummy. In a nutshell they got the ball at stoppages/centre bounces and ran and ran. We were in the wrong positions, couldn't catch them and looked slow. Won't bang on about it but this had as much to do with poor coaching as it did with poor play.

An interesting point, 'Bonkers'. Roos introduced something like this at Sydney and nigh perfected it in their premiership year. It was known then as 'tempo' football. And as you say we did it to some extent last year. Something went seriously wrong yesterday with our version of 'tempo' footy when we (players and coaches) lost all elements of a defensive game. Yesterday we did not try hard enough to stop them getting the ball. As you say extra players down back and blocking exits from stoppages would have helped slow the game and maybe get it back to our 'tempo' footy. As for the OP's question on trend? Lots of pressure from AFL and Port success to play fast, flashy, attacking (slingshot) football. At the end of the day it will be a balance but being able to control the game is where it is at. I'm ok with us playing 'tempo' footy as long as we start to get the attack/defend balance right.

I may be going out on limb here but IMO we were out-coached. If we didn't go in too tall we were certainly too tall when Tomlison went off and Wilson came on in the 2nd qtr. They then played outside footy while we stuck to inside footy. Momentum swing started here. But by the end of the 2nd qtr we should've figured out that wasn't working. 3rd qtr we stuck to inisde game. Momentum swing becomes an avalanche. 4th qtr players and coaches looked anaesthetized. 2nd half coaches box options: - taking off a tall for Brayshaw - a bit of old fashioned flooding the backline to stop the momentum - putting speedy player(s) behind the ball. (Watts & Garlett maybe, God knows they were wasted in the fwd line). - heavily tagging the more damaging GWS players (a bit of a heavy knock to them maybe ) - getting our players to feed off Mummy - blocking the exits from the stoppages - etc These wouldn't have saved the game but would have saved the massive embarrassment, loss of confidence, belief etc. Added to the selection of players underdone/recovering (Howe, Vince, Dawes, Kent - head knock last week) the coaches had a poor round 2. I hold coaches as responsible as the players.

It seems that wherever Mitch walks, controversy is his shadow!

This is rather Over-The-Top Saty, especially 3...no where has anyone, let alone me said anything remotely like what you are claiming. Completely unnecessary and inappropriate comments. You are, rightly a highly respected and valued DL poster but that doesn't give you the right to indulge these types of comments nor to regularly deride/insult fellow posters. That post is the last straw for me. In one minute you will be on 'Ignore'. And, I don't care that you don't care. Bye

1. Not 2nd hand - described by his captain 2. I have 3. Hyperbole is always a good red-herring as is insulting other posters.

Saty, it is one thing for you to be defender of the faith when it comes to our players and our club. But please to defend a player that left to go to another club in less than amicable circumstances! Seriously! ...if he let it (the sledging) pass then who the hell told (complained) to his captain? Nah mate at some point Mitch has to be held responsible for what he says and does. At GFC one way or another they will hold him to account if he 'imagined' the 'sledging'. Good on them I say...reap what you sow...

Maybe it was all a furphy: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-wont-investigate-mitch-clark-sledging-claims-until-geelong-lodge-complaint-20150410-1mi6xw.html Some extracts: AFL: "...the AFL was hesitant to act before the Cats came forward. "It's hard to investigate without a complaint. There's little to go on," HFC: "Hawthorn and Geelong Football Clubs have been in contact this morning regarding reports of an on-field verbal exchange in the Easter Monday clash," the statement said. "We have found it difficult to get clarity on what was said and by whom..." Cook: "We just don't know whether it was true or false. We don't like the possibility that it may have happened." GFC: A Cats spokeswoman said "the club has nothing to add on the issue." It is up to Mitch to tell his club who the player was and what was said. On the above this appears uncertain. I hope for Mitch's sake it was true otherwise he has dropped his captain into a bucket of poo and made him look a public fool! If not true Mitch is in for a world of pain with his new teammates. Can't say that I feel sorry for him. Something about 'just desserts' comes to mind

Quite right! And, if he wants out of the limelight he should deal with 'sledging' like any type of vilification, through official channels. According to SEN, Hawthorn have said the TFS was the first they knew as no complaint had been made to them or the AFL. HFC believe it could have been one comment from one player and if so said player will apologize. One wonders about Clark's motives to allow this to come up in the media rather than official channels. Someone from GFC leaked it. Of course none of that has anything to do with crowd booing...which was not 'sour grapes' as it wasn't the Dees booing. It was a bit like Sydney supporters booing Hird. The footy public is informed and know when morality has been breached. Both Hird and Clark can expect the booing to continue from neutral crowds.

My apologies...could moderators please change title (or advise how).

A very sad day for Australian sport. He was a great sportsman and a great gentleman. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-great-richie-benaud-dead-20150409-1mhzdy.html

Like you I would love to see Jack play AFL footy again (preferably as a Demon) but this line from Jack is the most worrying: "I saw the surgeon a few weeks ago now and I think it's the end of this season for me," It can't be progressing at all well to have the season written off before it started. Should he recover to play and we were to let him go to another club then I hope he makes it, lord knows the young man deserves a bit of luck. If this happened I would cheer him every time he went near the ball as unlike others that have been seduced by the siren song of money or 'success' and left, he stuck by this club thru thick and thin. Will always be a JT fan wherever he goes.

He is already off his game...was subbed out last week.

Outstanding reports and responses 'deespicable me'. I could visualise it all really well. Real insight into how the players are developing skills besides the obvious ones of kick, handball and mark. Thanks!

Roos has thrown a few more names into the mix for Saturday: "Although much of the selection talk has been about the likely inclusion of key forward Chris Dawes ... and Bernie Vince...Roos said there were others in the mix...he said midfielder Viv Michie had a “really good game” in the VFL last week and ruckman Jake Spencer was “starting to push up” for selection. He added that several others were staking their claims. “Maxy Gawn has been solid through the pre-season as well and Jordie McKenzie hasn’t done a lot wrong either..." They could just be the Master's musings and to keep all the players on their toes but its good to know that their are quite a few players ready to step up. Would have liked to see Jack Grimes get a mention in the Master's Musings. Looks like he has more work to do and has slipped down the line a bit. Edit:Tyson said he expected Chris Dawes (suspension) and Bernie Vince (hamstring) to be named this week after missing round one.

Tommy gets 5 out of 5 from both coaches on Saturday. All coach votes from the game: Melbourne vs Gold Coast 10 Tom McDonald (Melb) 6 Jack Watts (Melb) 4 Jeff Garlett (Melb) 4 Jeremy Howe (Melb) 2 Nathan Jones (Melb) 2 Jack Viney (Melb) 1 Dion Prestia (GC) 1 Michael Rischitelli (GC) Great endorsement for Tommy. Great example for the team especially little bro!

According to Patrick Smith the AFL has identified 3 areas of the WADA code for review: confidentiality, delays and appeals with which ASADA generally agrees and the AFL is seeking NRL to get on board. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/afl-lays-out-areas-of-drug-code-in-need-of-review/story-e6frg7uo-1227294833341 Lets hope sanity prevails and that Smith's suggestion (like that of many on DL) eventuates. "While it is yet to be considered by the AFL, there is increasing support for Australia to have just one independent national tribunal that would hear all doping cases brought against players or support staff...It would immediately streamline the processes that so bogged down the Essendon case. And its independence would be unchallenged. While the integrity of the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal is not in question, the panel falls under the authority of the league. As does the Appeals tribunal. Perception is everything". Its the only option that makes sense not only for 'justice being seen to be done' but also to have consistency across sports in Australia. I would go one step further and change it from a Tribunal to a proper court of law; our version of CAS. The AAS, which would overcome all the issues of evidence, oath, proof, (lack of) precedence, subpoena's etc etc. of Tribunals ala the EFC farce. While they are at it change the ASADA rules so it can get and use (in a courtroom) info from other bodies eg AFP.

Misson came in at end of 2011 and said it would take 3 preseasons to get the team to AFL fitness. Hard to count 2011 as one of those, so fair to say he has delivered. The team ran both ways for 4 qtrs on Sat, without signs of fatigue. Can't remember the last time that happened. Misson deserves a lot of credit. Hope Misson stays beyond Roos tenure.

I assume 'rat face' is the HWSNBN $6m man? If so, Viney would have no greater pleasure than tackling him (legally) into the turf for crapping on his beloved Demons. However, 'rat face' isn't good enough to have Viney on him, mores the pity as that match-up would be one to relish.

I read it the same way Macca...if ain't broken don't change it type of thinking.