Diamond_Jim

Just a little more: Russia as you all know is an enormous country. Luckily the games are being played in the western third of the country but that area is probably at least one half the size of Australia. The days are long. In Moscow it's sunrise at around 3:30 am and sunset somewhere after 9pm. The night games start at 9pm local time presumably to go into Europe at prime time of 8pm. There are no real traditional Russian bars. There used to be vodka joints but they have been largely replaced by sports bars and themed bars .. Irish, Bavarian Belgian .. you name it. There are very nice tea shops that sell beer and food at quite reasonable prices.

Greetings from an overcast Moscow where the temperature is a a balmy 14 degrees or so. The weather next week is supposed to improve to low twenties which should be pleasant. Today, June 12 is Russia Day. It's a public holiday where people look for something to do but there's not much on. (Think Moomba). The day commemorates the announcement of Russia as a country or put another way the end of the Soviet Union. When you think about it that way you can understand why most don't think of it as a great day of celebration. The traditional May day is way bigger. Moscow is a very impressive city and I can thoroughly recommend some time here. With the devaluation of the rouble it's not too expensive although my ticket for the Bolshoi ballet tonight was serious money. Security is everywhere but the people and police are very pleasant. Nowhere near like the officious stereotype. Food is good but the local food is way outnumbered by just about every franchise you can think of. KFC and McDonalds have pride of place at the entry to Red Square !! Tomorrow I head to Kazan the capital of Tatarstan and my base for the next three weeks.

Ten games left ...probably 3 definite wins.... Saints , Bulldogs and Suns Freo in Darwin is now much bigger than it would have been had we played them in Melbourne. So that is 12 assuming we don't have an off day. None of the other games are gimmes by a long shot especially if GWS starts turning it on again. Can you see where I'm going with this thought process..............

Wiseblood put that forward as the reason why Brayshaw played a low possession game. I listened to the match so please correct us if this was wrong.

burning a key mover on a tagging role is not a percentage play ...use another if you want to do that. Example .. play Stretch and replace Hannan Goodwin rarely wins the tactical battles against the better teams it seems

Interesting coaching move to put your most recently prolific ball getter in a tagging role. Needs to be analysed a little more methinks

no real reason to think we will be better next year. The players are all in the zone where they should deliver. The disappointing thing is that we lost this game twice. Once in the first quarter and then we fight our way back in the early second quarter only to let it slip away again. The only positive is that it gave the players some experience of playing in front of a monster crowd ..something we do rarely

Nah.. he's too good for Casey but he does need some work. A few quarters in the mid field or down back might wake him up. Really not sure but that's what we pay the coaching staff to work out.

now that is the question...

nah... we only won one quarter and that was by 4 points. Just disappointing thinking of what might have been

It's always the Midfield Strange to get beaten in the one area that has been performing so well of late

that goal to the Pies was one we didn't need to say the least

Why can't Hogan get into the game. His form this year has been fantastic

okay ..one more goal before 3/4 time and hold off those Pies c'mon Dees

still teasing us...come on Dees....... Lift !!!

nah...they get another one and it's not looking good

Are they teasing us.... we get close but boy it's hard to get excited

Have said that a few times in the pre game thread...he's no ground player....hopefully Smith continues after the bye

Oh well the winning was nice while it lasted..... Are we forever destined not to have nice things

mmmmmmmm doesn't seem to be a match day tactician ... but we suspected that

so what do we need to get back into this. Their bad kicking has left the door ajar ...outscore them by two goals for each of the remaining quarters and the game is ours. Hogan is the key. Needs to dominate those forward thrusts. Jones with 3 kicks and 13 handballs needs to get more value.

One more goal to finish the quarter...please

Still in this big time .... luckily...need to hang on and bring it home big in the second half

And of course if you were "fortunate" enough to have your game broadcast on 3UZ you could be sure that just as Robbie was swinging it onto his boot you would cross to the fourth race at Rosehill. Mind you listening interstate on grandstand match of the day on ABC radio was little better, Robbie bled red and blue but he probably would have been an even better player at a stronger club. This is evidenced by his often incredible performances for the Big V in State of Origin games. We were very lucky to have had such a player. If and when we win a flag I hope we see RDB holding up the cup in the aftermath. What sadness that Number 2 is not with us to do the same.

Moscow Calling... One of the advantages of being overseas is that in Mellbourne time you are up all night. I thought it was very nice of the Socceroos to schedule their opening game against France during the MFC Bye. FIFA was obviously scared of a clash with the Antipodean power house the MFC has become. QB has always been special and it is even more so now because of Neale Daniher. The Pies think they are travelling well but we know a team who is travelling even better. Dees by 30 ...Go Dees PS If you want to drop over to the soccer thread on Demonlands Other Sports forum I will be posting about my time in Kazan where the socceroos are based and where they play their opening match next week.