Diamond_Jim

from the AFL site... need on say more about the gameplan The 33 points currently scored by Essendon is more than it has scored in the first half of either game this season PS... make that 40

cannot score...gameplan

I see the Essendon saga tell all being in the form of a book serialised in the mainstream press. Likely author.. Caroline Wilson. She will need an inside source and I suspect there are some that are ready to tell their story albeit anonymously. There have been some fantastic US political campaign bios written on a similar basis.

the release of documents well after the event is a long practiced and ethical means of investigative journalism. It's called public interest. I welcome the practice and await with interest the tell all story on the Essendon saga. It will come.

no doubt that two first rounders was overs for Lever as demonstrated by the Hogan trade. The only consolation was that the 2018 pick ended up being a high one given our success. Anyway.. it's in the past and hopefully we see some sunshine soon

Guardian article... no paywall https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/apr/05/former-melbourne-demons-coach-said-he-was-bullied-into-tanking-afl-games-in-2009

If we lose and Sydney lose against Carlton we have another battle of the Zero wins next week. This season just keeps on giving

not to mention the thread for Round 1.... where did all that optimism go ? My son (a Carlton supporter) is gleefully looking forward to this evening's match saying that whichever team loses their fans will implode ?

Lovely ground Box Hill ... easily accessed and good viewing areas. Hopefully a solid win against the Bombers tonight gets everyone into the mood to come along and enjoy a great day in the sunshine. (predicted top of 24... sounds perfect). Big year for Petty and Baker just to mention a few.

This should have been such a big game... instead it's a battle of the desperate losers. When is this cursed club going to have some luck ?? MFCSS in full overdrive

There's the facts, the story and the spin. The fact is that Bailey clearly believed he had been actually or impliedly threatened with the sack by Schwab and Connolly if the team won more than five games. (read the interview...it's all in there.) The story... write what you will. Now the Spin... Confront your mistakes and learn from them. Give the subtle message that other teams should do the same including those who have been involved in far more damaging scandals involving the future health of young men who entrust themselves to the camaraderie of a football club etc etc. It happened a long time ago and there is nothing for the present club to be ashamed of IF they learnt from the mistake. The win at all costs mantra of a sporting club breeds a toxic atmosphere sometimes just as it does in business. The challenge is to find the balance and leave the club a better place after you leave. I think Peter Jackson did that. Can this administration and group of players do the same.

Don't ignore it .... that's what Essendon have done. Face the truth ...learn from it and be a stronger organisation

Dean Bailey: There was no question I wanted to win. I remember Schwaby walking in andputs his head down and I can’t remember exactly what he said but it was something like:“F---ing Jesus, gee.” You know, shaking his head. Oh, I thought we are OK, we won. Hemumbled something about “difficult”, “hard”, what we’re doing to get to the end of the year,“gotta think of the club’s future” ... words to that effect. Chris said something to me about“F---ing Jimmy had just fallen out of his bloody hospital bed” or something. Oh, right. I justignored Chris, to be honest. Then the Monday morning meeting occurred exactly as yousaid. Chris is good with colour texta, he loves writing things on boards. He wrote up Scullyand I think he wrote (Tom) Scully and (Jack) Trengove’s names up on the board.

Bailey's defence is clear in the record of interview. In his view Schwab and Connolly impliedly if not actually threatened him with the sack if he won more than 5 games. Bailey's regret is that he didn't complain to the Board and in particular to Andrew Leoncelli. He admits that while he never deliberately threw a game he was at best ambivalent (my words) about winning

wow have read the first ten pages or so of Baileys record of interview not good stuff but it's great that it is now out in the open

Adelaide are happy to take their shots from 55 metres which gives them a lot more space in which to play their forwards. It's almost the antithesis of our bombing to the hotspot.

so LH according to your breakdown of favoured gameplans Adelaide v Crows should be a controlled game plan (Geelong) playing a hybird style. I will watch with interest

Bit hard to get excited about the other games this round given our form in the first two weeks but even for cellar dwellers such as the MFC there are a few 8 point games this weekend. Collingwood v WCE could decide top spot at the end of the season. Can the Tigers scrape through without their stars against the Giants. Who's top of the heap between Hawks and Roos. Finally can the Doggies continue on their winning way against the Suns. And of course the Cats have the chance in Adelaide tonight to show that once again they are a force to be reckoned with.

on the AFL site everyone seems to have tipped Melbourne to win.... https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-04-04/the-tips-are-in-our-reporters-find-you-a-r3-winner

after the bye perhaps

and that is a gameplan issue ...it just doesn't work

I love ethical debates What would Justinian have said on the subject, I wonder. On a more relevant issue as many of us did we goal umpired etc for our kids as they played football. One would notice the onfield niggling and my comment was.. just enjoy the game. The kids take it way too seriously... this was at around under 14's. There's a balance somewhere... just ask the Australian cricket team

BB.. excellent post.. there's a thread presently on the various game plans that would benefit from your post. The only thing I would add/query is where does the zone fit in.Last year when we were successful the zone protected the ball on the way out of our forward line and often sent it flying back in to advantage. Something has happened and our zone is now being picked to pieces. An 80 point loss where the game plan worked (far more inside 50's) but we lost by 80 points seems to me to demonstrate a dramatic failure of the game plan rather than player's failure to execute.

So if we take LH's excellent post as a base 8 out of the 18 teams are playing controlled possession football whereas only three are playing the chaos brand. Interesting and when people complain of bad delivery into the forward line that is what the chaos brand entails... just push it forward. Problem is that it just doesn't work if you don't have forward pressure..ergo the last two weeks

do the coaches get access to the aerial shots of competing teams. I would expect that the methods of play by the opposition are highly analysed.... at least I hope they are. This is where the pay tv product can shine with fans being able to get multiple camera angles on replay.