Diamond_Jim

ah but there are members and memberships....so many variants. At least they stopped counting pet memberships And then there is of course the dark art of membership arbitrage played by those trying to beat the GF tickets system.

Richmond and Hawthorn took us apart in those last quarters and I cannot recall a win when we have run away in the last quarter. It brings up one of my bug bears about the game plan... we should have minor variants that reflect risk/ reward dependent upon conditions and scoreboard. When you are 40 points up and want percentage you tweak the plan to play with a higher risk/reward strategy knowing that you can flip the switch and move to another variant if required. Having watched and listened at the huddles at a number of VFL games the instructions to players are rather vanilla which given the amount paid to tacticians is surprising. Of course there is the "top secret money ball".

Not sure how it works but I would like to see Pedersen rookied in 2019... ie he is there to be activated in the case of long term injuries. If Weid fails at AFL level this season it will be a small such as Bugg or Kennedy who takes his place I think not Pedersen. If team balance allows I wouldn't mind using him as a work horse in the Darwin game simply to avoid draining the likes of Gawn or Hogan.

Almost deserves a thread of its own but we need to talk at some stage about who and how we will be replacing Vince and Lewis. For one or both it will definitely happen this year or next. Is Oskar a candidate .. not sure. Should we be trialling Stretch in that role at VFL level. A big chunk of experience to replace but I would like to think the boys at VFL level have their eyes on these spots.

Nice weekend to be playing in Brisbane. If travel is managed properly as I am sure it will be it's probably better than paying on a heavy ground in Melbourne. BTW that Docklands surface looks atrocious.... how can it be so bad after only 6 rounds ? Surely they schedule a turf replacement for March or thereabouts

strange thread.... you can disagree but it sounds like whoever was ranting about Tim Watson last week. Anyway couple of season defining games coming up for us again.

Darwin... definitely and not only just for Gawn. Conditions in Alice are relatively benign but the travel is a factor. The problem with resting hm for Darwin is Sandilands and it's a must win game. How I hate that Darwin game .....

Ah... Bring back the Bugg.. it has a a ring to it. Actually I think he is a real player but of course he has one flaw. Fix it and he's in.

okay detectives and stat people what is saving ANB Is it pressure acts or is it it something more difficult to discover like plugging some invisible hole. Perhaps a thread of its own... "what does the Nibbler Do?"

The travelling emergencies will hopefully be on the 6pm flight back from Brisbane and suiting up for Casey on Sunday.

Length wise most stadiums seem to be much the same except for Sydney which is 10m shorter. There is quite a variation in width at the widest point .... 12 metres difference between MCG and Docklands (NB: I could not find figures that were based on the position of the boundary line as distinct form the boundary fence.) http://www.freebookiebets.com.au/afl_football_grounds.htm

No one really pressed for selection at the last VFL game bar Pedersen and he is not in the mix. Equally everyone was a contributor against the Saints .. mind you watching the replay the winning margin should have been closer to 18 points even after you deduct the easy ones we missed. I thought Hunt provided a lot of drive but his disposal was often just a kick forward up in the air... not sure if that is entirely his fault in that there was a lack of targets. He could be the one to go if they don't want to rest Vince. In the outside mid thread we discussed the role of Hunt and similar players. With the press it is really hard for that style of player. May need to reinvent himself a little if he is to continue in the best 22.

Will be difficult to repeat the power dynamics. CEO's at AFL clubs unless they come with the direction of the AFL don't really have the power base that a CEO in the business world possesses. If anything they are more akin to COO's. The power rests with the presidents.... not to mention the football department. If PJ leaves us anything I hope it is the desire to appoint an experienced sports administrator and moreover we let her or him do their job. In reality the market is so small in Oz that there isn't that many candidates around.

There's a poster on this site that would love the job... he's a big fan of the AFL

it seems that the Mothers Day massacre was between Richmond and Collingwood. From an article in 2016: "This weekend’s AFL Mother’s Day round marks the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest upset wins in Richmond’s league football history. On Mother’s Day, 1991, the Tigers took on reigning premier Collingwood at the MCG. Richmond was struggling in 13th place on the ladder (in the then 15-team competition), having won just one game and lost five (with one bye) of its six games. Collingwood, on the other hand, was sixth going into the game, having won three, lost two and drawn one (with one bye). The Magpies, with 17 of the 20 members of their 1990 premiership side, were red-hot favorites to beat the young Tigers, who were coached by Club great Kevin Bartlett. But with spearhead, Jeff Hogg, in scintillating form, Richmond smashed the Pies by 57 points in a performance dubbed the “Mother’s Day Massacre”." http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2016-05-05/flashback-to-a-memorable-mothers-day-for-tigers

The AFL football field is a workplace like any other so I cannot see any reason why it would not succeed if he can prove the usual requirements. I can see liability against the club and the player being easier to establish than against the AFL itself if it does ever get to court. Many of the AFL practices regarding player welfare are driven not necessarily by concern for the well being of the player but by the desire to avoid future legal claims.

Gil now floating the idea of the ball player being further discouraged by reduction of the prior opportunity rule. Can just see the plays of the future ... six players stand around looking at the ball daring each other to pick it up. I am a big fan of it going the other way... the opportunity must be real not just a stumble forward or the like. "AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan favours a weakening of the "prior opportunity'' rule for the player with the ball, in the belief that this will reduce congestion and inconsistency in umpiring holding the ball calls." https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-boss-wants-less-prior-opportunity-for-holding-the-ball-decisions-20180509-p4ze7b.html

Will Casey be the scenes of a repeat of the "Mother's Day Massacre" Cannot off the top of my head remember the teams in that infamous day but IIRC one of them was Geelong.

Thinking about it for next year. What about the slow road trip via say Mildura and Broken Hill. In a non 4 wheel drive city car. Any ideas of nice places to stop and see along the way and of course the Rock (accomodation is pricey there and hard to get but you only go once or twice !!) Don't mind staying at old pubs or the like rather than the usual characterless Aussie motel.

The VFL is attractive simply because it offers the option of reducing the game time to say 60% while still offering match conditions. As others have pointed out when you combine comeback pressure with travel etc and of course the weight of expectations it just makes sense to keep it low key. We also need to consider whether his time on field etc and games played will need to be managed when he returns for say the first 6 weeks. (luckily there is a bye which could help in this regard.)

If I was a wagering person I would back Jack V for the VFL this week. There will be so much pressure on the medicos that I suspect no one would give an unqualified opinion. Play 3/4 in the VFL is my bet.

Speaking from the viewpoint of having seen 3 Casey games: Baker is doing quite nicely and if he continues to progress will probably get a game or two this year on the half back flank. Balic started very well but has been absent for the last three games or so. Hopefully he comes back this weekend. Early signs were good.

The tall forward line has failed the last two years at the pointy end of the season. Fritsch is also a marking forward so the plan is to play 4 marking forwards... could get very interesting. I have an open mind as our smaller forwards aren't exactly setting the world on fire. Certainly makes a change from our forward structure of only a few weeks ago against Hawthorn and any change form that day can only be good !

Just cannot see his game style working in the modern game. Watched him twice at VFL level this year as well. Even in those games the opportunities to break lines were almost non existent such was the tackling pressure. Your idea is radical but it is one of those things we could trial with a similar type of player at VFL level. (Frankly I am surprised we don't trial more game plan variations at VFL level if only for a quarter each game. Winning at that level is nice but it is far from the be all and end all.)

Excellent post MM. The line breaking player is no longer in vogue... ( more the shame) rather it is the team carrying it forward as you say by handball and tap ons which are becoming increasingly common. A line breaking player of the past used to avoid one or two tackles in running his 30 metres or so. Now in the same space the player has to typically avoid 4-5 tackles which is not a good risk/reward equation. There is also the problem that a fast line breaker gets ahead of the team and of course there are no recipients for his pass. Playing a permanent forward would remedy this but it is simply not done anymore. Against the Saints I thought we were not very good at defending against their run and handball from deep in our forward line. The press is excellent in defending the kick out of our forward line but perhaps it is not as good for defending the handball and run.