Diamond_Jim

Not sure that there's been a bigger contributor to the post war game. A great player and a great coach. His halftime instruction to handball at all costs in the 1970 Grand Final changed football forever. RIP Ron

Our H&A season this year was below 2022 with both close losses and wins. In 2022 we had the famous 26 points of indecision where we would get out to a near five goal lead and blow it. We rarely got to 26 point leads in 2023 it seems. As others have said our best this year was not as good as previous years but the other teams are not stand outs either so perhaps we might have pinched the big one. Straight sets is burningly disappointing though. It will take me a while to get over Goodwin's SF selection and I will never agree with Schache as sub selection over Grundy (or anybody for that matter)

Skills coach please Increasingly football is in the corridor. Even our boundary line play relies on skills. Leveraging weaknesses. Give Lever an easy outlet for example. His up and under kicking is not made for pressure games. Goal kicking accuracy is 30% mental. Do it at training with earbuds pumping out distraction. Have a plan for 10 players that is variable each match. Left goal post at this angle arc etc. Less thinking and more about execution takes the mind stress away

Definitely worth a thread of its own but why o why the inaccuracy

I'm over this

We leave two goals on the table and they get 2 easy ones

Lever is not a great kick

Need some clean ball

Schache...... Sub This team gets stranger by the minute

Not sure if it's been posted but lovely now and then story of Max Gawn from the Age. Hearing the now famous Gawn voice come out of a 17 year old in the draft camp interview is amazing. Thanks Max https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/max-gawn-a-video-portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-ruck-20230914-p5e4o7.html

This is it. We joke/despair about the lack of a Plan B but.... Also the existing gameplan even if successful is so automated and conservative it's draining on players and supporters. At the very least I'd like to see more freedom at VFL level even if it is only for alternate matches or halves. Can Tommo or Laurie play forward. Does TMac still have it down back if needed? We'll probably never know

Not impressed but selection has never been our strong point

Can't see a 3:20 start in Qld Next Thursday for example has a predicted top of 33 degrees A hard fought win in the draining heat of Brisbane was one of my many fears in this final series. My logic would be the Qld match on the Friday night but nothing about the AFL is logical as we all know

I'm having flashbacks to last year when many on this board including myself expected us to pick JVR for the finals. It made a lot of sense at the time. Will it be the same with Grundy?

Gleeson's instructions to his tribunal members When we come to consider the rough conduct (high bumps) provision, it was fairly and appropriately acknowledged by Woods (AFL) that, in order for us to find that this was a bump, there needed to be a voluntary bump, not a bumping into someone, but a bumping of an opponent. What in the hell happened to careless acts !!!

In the meantime you may care to read this article on the baseball team known as the Savannah Bananas https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/sep/12/savannah-bananas-future-of-sport Perhaps they are the future after all

Interesting As a prosecutor you generally prepare a list of the components you must prove to to get a conviction. AFL Counsel presumably knows what must be proved

The Football Act.... Ihle (Collingwood): Maynard was entitled to come forward off his player, he was entitled to jump when he saw Brayshaw about to kick.

It was Gus' fault,,,, Ihle (Collingwood): Although we're not critical of anyone moving or deviating from a path, that seems to be a factor that has contributed significantly to there being a collision.

Biomechanist: Once he's airborne, he's essentially a projectile. He's like a frisbee with arms and legs. Damning to say the least and it's Maynard's witness

Not addressing the issue It was impossible to adjust because he chose to leave the ground in a manner that attracted a dangerous outcome ie a careless act

OMG the quality of sports reporters.... The biomechanist has arrived four minutes early. She is officially better than any medical professional I have ever visited.

Woods (AFL): This type of contact isn't common. Leaping forward in the air with force to an opponent running in the opposite direction holds a key risk of badly injuring their opponent. It's a dangerous action to undertake & it breaches the duty of care owed to the other player.

AFL counsel went easy on him judging by the blog summary

That one struck me as well