Diamond_Jim

Hardwick now arguing for elimination of prior opportunity. My cynicism antenna is saying but "don't you have the best tackle breaker in the game." Just cannot understand a push to punish the player who is actually making the play https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/get-rid-of-prior-opportunity-in-holding-the-ball-decisions-hardwick-20210519-p57t6k.html

I think we are also taking the risk with the kickout of not going so close to the boundary. This makes it harder for the defender to knock the ball out of bounds and brings Oliver etc into play if the tall doesn't take the mark Makes sense because the pack position is now almost 80 metres from goal thus making it that bit harder to be punished on the rebound

and then occasionally we go fast straight up the middle with Hunt etc... I like it

would be interesting to know if Gawn, Brown, Weid, T Mac and Fritsch were ever all on the ground at the same time on the weekend.

Against North, Max acted as a decoy forward by propping and stopping the run of the back thus allowing the likes of Brown and T Mac to fly from behind. It seemed to work well. Against Carlton the positioning was all wrong even without the intercept drop in the first quarter where Ben Brown was perfectly positioned for the grab. I'm sure the brains trust will be looking closely at it this week but you have to wonder whether with 3 other talls plus Fritsch does Max have a role up forward. Perhaps a true decoy forward that drags a backman away. Just positioning him say 70 metres out for the rebound seems a waste given how well that role is played by Lever and other backmen

and they wonder why attendances are down? This is what comes from reducing club staff and outsourcing your ticketing. I suppose we should be thnakful that we're not paying the usual admin and ticket printing charge !!

Crows supporters selling tickets... not very black as it would be no more than cost if not below. https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-tickets/crows+tickets/k0c18361

strange the Age article didn't mention the continued closure of level 4 at the MCG TBH I doubt the AFL is concerened about crowds at all this year. It's all about maintaining revenues (memberships) and covering stadium costs. That's a great pity given our good year is unlikely to deliver the immediate revenue hot to the club that such a performance would usually deliver. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/kayo-d-cheap-streaming-complex-ticketing-keeps-fans-away-from-the-footy-20210517-p57soq.html

has there been a 22 game season where an 18-4 team has not finished one or two. the third ranked teams are now 3 games behind us. To better an 18 game season they would need to go 12 and 1. Highly unlikely To go 18 and 4 we would need to go 9 and 4 from here. Doable but tough 8 and 5 should be more definite putting us at 17-5 (boy this is strange when we are usually talking permutations to make the final 8)

half a game at Casey and then in for Footscray

In those few years in wich we have been comparatively successful we have usually made a late run that sees us just scraping into the finals. Thus we attracted the favoured underdog status. Others would call it pity. Have noticed that with early success we are often now described as "insufferable Melbourne supporters" Boy.. it's fun

just noticed we have a VFL game against the Swans on Sunday at 1pm at Casey. Assuming the sub and the emergency are back from Adelaide it could be a strong Casey side. Sunday weather looking not too bad.. 18 fine and a medium breeze

next week is a straight shoot out between BB and Weid. LJ is a better ruckman than both of them and offers more around the ground and say what you will in winter you can't play LJ and 3 other talls. One of BB or Weid needs to kick goals and/or bring the small fowards into play. The other is out. Perhaps in September there could be an argument for the extra tall but I doubt it.

we keep saying this but starting to wonder if they can improve greatly. You don't improve forward delivery overnight for example. Goals v Behinds is 50% luck... just ask Dusty The fringe players are contributing well Probably LJ has the greatest upside Sure there is scope for improvement but not sure it will come. Of course our present standard has been good enough so far

was intending to go on Saturday but the weather and drive put me off. Bulldogs is a real possibility. Would love a game at Preston/Windy Hill/Coburg or Port. Seems that the VFL draw pits the AFL related teams against each other.

Adelaide is Saturday at 5pm AEST so no way. Bears is Friday night game so ..yes PS sorry just realised you meant the Dogs...

regualtion 10-0 by next Saturday night OD...? the fun begins the week after Not too worried about the Dogs.. can stand a loss It's the Bears in Alice that is shaping as a big game

Won't happen but you have to wonder if Mitch Brown would provide better forward balance than both Weid and Ben Brown. The other issue is that the small forwards did not work well with the big men. Beautiful weather predicted for Adelaide on Saturday. No change.... May the big men fly

Suspect they will use the enforced break to freshen up LJ and not take him to Adelaide

don't think there will be too many Adelaide supporters attending but a lot of the seating is presold. Not sure if Adelaide members can transfer their seat for the day but if so there would be no problem. There will also be an allocation for the competing club which I doubt in this environment will be too full. Good luck if you go along... it's a magical ground

Regulation win nothing to excite.....

1 goal 6 for the quarter make that 1:7

what a fizzer of an ending...

let's finish it off with a 50 point win !!

couple more and it's game over come on