spirit of norm smith

It’s strange given CROWS PLAY THREE TALL FORWARDS - Walker, HImnelberg and Mcasey. Fogarty also to play key forward. Perhaps Tomlinson to play CHB. Strange to drop Omcd for this one !!!?!?!?!?

Agreed. Footy is a relatively simple game. Gawn needs to use his dominance much better. Hit outs to advantage is the measure ... not just hit outs.

Still can’t believe we picked Toumpas over Wines. It haunts us. And again last night to see Jackson Macrae (who is an absolute star) deliver a 28 possessions game at 85% efficiency. He was at pick 6. His under 18 year was exceptional where he showed his skill, evasiveness, goalkicking and ability to win the footy.

Surely Pert and Bartlett will get us this one. Or are they soft?

Jackson is lost as a KPF. He runs to the pockets and his marking is still requiring work. No contested marks in the last 3 weeks. His go is his athleticism and 2nd efforts. Both outstanding. More midfield like. So his position is Ruck in the mould of Brodie Grundy. Given we have Max who should play until his 33-34, I think Jackson is 3-4 years away from assuming the ruck role. My “Eagles” mate reckons they see him replacing Nic-Nat and will entice him home with a truckload of cash to get him.

Thanks Rusty. I agree the urgent need for a midfielder or two with good skills and pace. We need to try Hunt or Baker (to use their run and carry and pace) or move them on at seasons end. Love to see Rivers or Jordan play on a wing for development as their pace and skills would be handy in such a role.

Bizarre. Leon Cameron described him as a classic utility. He often referred to him “playing a role”. Full back. CHB. Wing. Ruck. CHF. The Giants 2018 end of year summary describes him as a “key defender”. He was never a full time wing player for the Giants. Never. Never for two years through 2018 and 2019. I don’t think he’s our answer for skilled fast outside midfielder.

Any advance on this ...

Exactly. We have WATCHED them. Not as an analyst from afar. This strategy analyst had no idea. Some good points but captain obvious could see those. Skills. Skills. Skills.

I’d play Preuss if fit. That’s what he is on the list for. Otherwise trade him out for both his sake and our list.

Top 10 strategies for rest of 2020 1- put Pickett (or Bedford) inside the forward 50 and stay in the arc. Don’t go up to the wing or half forward. We want someone to actually crumb a pack inside forward 50. 2- a true wingman to partner Langdon. Rivers? Hunt? Jordan? Baker? We need pace and skill. If it’s not Baker or Hunt, then they are in the delist scrap. 3- Weideman. To bring his intensity every week. Not in patches. We need him desperately to stand up as our key forward. 4- kick ins. A plan B. Not just “May to kick it to Max about 45 metre out on the left hand flank “. So predictable. So boring. Teams expect it. What about setting up space. Run and Kick and run. Other teams create strategies to get the footy at least to mid-half forward. May could even kick it to 80 metres out. 5- kill off the OVERHANDBALLING pandemic. Dees have this need to handball handball handball until it leads to a turnover. Two effective handballs then kick it. 6- inside 50 attacks to a scoring position. NOT TO THE POCKETS. We wander “Why” we don’t score. FFS. You need to kick it to 15-25 out and get the forwards to play in front. Conversion rate 10-15% (Goals/inside 50s) is horribly low ... the worst 7- Salem to actually use the “elite “ ball skills through the corridor. He needs to be challenged. He’s safety first 15 metre kick sideways gets a 80-85% efficiency rating but does not achieve anything (a 125 metre gained rating is poor). Ineffective. 8- Harmes to play a run with tagging role. He’s like a Mitch Robinson type. Hard as nails but needs a focus of the job. On Sloane. On Simpkin. On Pendlebury/Sidebottom. On Shiel. These are the next assignments. 9- The Trac must become elite. There’s the challenge. He’s now in the zone. 24year old. Fit. Firing. Talented. He needs to be our star. He will get tagged. He needs to burst out and lift himself and the team. 10- Goodwin. Be a coach. Give some creativity. Show a strategy. Really needs to move BEYOND HIS CLICHE WORDS AND EXCUSES (“we are having trouble with our connections forward of centre”). Fix it !!!

Agree. But that’s why there is the term Coach. With the access to technology and psychological analysis and neuroscience and human biometrics modelling , surely the millions spent in the football department can get a bloke to kick the footy 45-50 metres in a straight line. Or are the millions spent on ego and cliche training. Oliver was a good kick in his under 18 year. He got worse as he has developed. It’s also decision making. He handballs to a teammate COMPLETELY SURROUNDED. He needs composure as the media highlights. BUT REMEMBER, He can get the footy 30 times in a match. That’s hard work. That’s talent. He has the ability. You need to work on fixing his weakness and then continue to work on it week after week.

It was a disgrace. 1 minute 18 seconds sums it up. The blooper video went for 2 minutes 48 seconds.

The Dees always seem to be the ones to lose the dead certainty games. In 1993 I remember the Swans hadn’t won for 26 games straight then played us in Sydney. They won by 7 goals and didn’t win another game all year. They were totally hopeless yet we played like lambs.

Dees didn’t tire or show fatigue. They could not kick or handball. Not a new problem ! It’s been years of this.

I believe this will be moved given the stage 3 restrictions in regional Vic. The Lions, Suns, Giants, Swans academy systems are playing 3 matches in a round robin. They will get good sightings on their prospects. Brodie Lake from Darwin is one of the best prospects as a tall 186cm running midfielder with good skills. But under the Gil Mc charity programs, the AFL GC Suns get Darwin access so he goes likely as a priority selection. If not, he’s one to think of around the 30-35 draft mark.

Exactly. Tomlinson was not the player to bring in. He never was any likelihood of being a wingman type. Endurance runner best suited to CHF /CHB role. Zak Jones was missed for a second time. He wanted out of Sydney and despite the potential to play with his brother, the Saints got him. Even Jack Newnes was available at half the price of Tomlinson.

Surely Dees v Dockers in Alice Springs. Round 16 or 17

Mahoney says our poor skills and execution were due to 1- conditions and 2- pressure. Firstly the conditions were perfect. No dew. No wind. It was perfect. Port didn’t have any trouble. Pressure. Sure Port applied A grade pressure but many of our MISTAKES were after a Mark or a Free Kick. It wasn’t pressure. It was LACK OF CONCENTRATION and LACK OF SKILL. Mahoney said it was a one off. Did he watch the Tigers game ? That was also poor. Our effort and attack on the footy is good. Our skills and transferring the footy is very poor. No excuses.

Here is 9 youngsters that showed they are excellent users of the footy across outside midfield roles or half back. Dees should look to add at least two of such youngsters based on efficiency skills.

Goodwin must simply win the next 2 games. Losses to Crows and Kangas could mean he’s gone by years end.

Blues are rubbish.

Jack Newnes. We screamed his name last year and no one listened. Exactly the type we need.

SURELY DEES V DOCKERS IN ALICE SPRINGS. UNDER THE SHADE OF THE ULURU SUNSET. GAME TIME 2/30 PERT. Earn your $$ and get into Gil the magnificents mind.

Mahoney got Tomlinson as a wing player on a 4 year deal.