spirit of norm smith

What did you make of Clayton Oliver the tagger? 🤔 Kate McCarthy and @XanderMcGuire7 unpack his performance against Hawthorn on The Round So Far, thanks to @AAMI: afl.com.au/video/1318760 Xander and KMC 💩💩💩💩💩💩terrible. Just terrible. Horrible. They have no idea and no right to question Oliver. Pathetic journalism if you can call it journalism!!!

Nathan Buckley 👍🏻 Finally someone speaks objectively about Clarry and his performance No grandstanding SEN. Clayton Oliver the tagger? Buckley said he actually liked what he saw from the Demon in Round 9. It sometimes helps to be the Hunter rather than the Hunted.

Ins. Howes. Petty. Melksham. Outs. Spargo. Jeffo. Frittata Mcvee May Turner Bowey Tmcd Salem Windsor Riv Langdon Chandler Petty Langford Pickett JVR Melksham Gawn Oliver Trac Int. Howes Lindsay Kolt Sharp Sub. Sparrow Emerg K.Brown Laurie Kentfield Unavailable 🚑 Lever Viney ✅Petty being back immediately offers a target ✅Turner strengthens the defence , although wish we had two of him (one forward, one defender) ✅Howes deserves a game and I’m tempted to perhaps try him across half forward ✅Melksham is a key player who delivers the footy better than most ✅Kolt & Sharp need a full run , and Sparrow needs to rotate as a sub

I’d take Derksen in a trade deal. May is unfortunately not the player that he was, with injury and time slowing him down. Adams is okay but is treading water in the VFL and not showing any signs to me that he is ready for MFC footy. Derksen could be seen as a fit for May’s replacement. Just my opinion.

Apparently there’s a matrix for some clubs and not others Hardwick tripping??? Had to be fined $5000 for a deliberate trip. AFL must come clean. It was an umpiring mistake. Ok we have to accept the wrong decision. Note Marshall got a fine for attempting to trip. MRO is confusing !!

At least it was a good crowd !! Hopefully Dees get good revenue out of this match 70,000 Anzac Eve v tigers Expect 70,000+ for ladder leader pies v dees for the Kings birthday game The journos love hitting the Dees when we only get 20,000 odd for a Suns or Giants game at the MCG. Dees are the only club that play Suns or Giants at the MCG this year ! And we had Freo at the MCG, again only 25000! It’s overall a terrible financial fixture for us this year and have more lower crowds likely to come for Dees v Kangas v Eagles 😭😭

For those that didn’t watch the game, don’t be fooled by looking purely at the stats. There was an overuse of little handballs and short kick mark short kick mark play. A lot of stats were completely ineffective. The game was scrappy with lots of congested play, ball ups and slow short play. It only opened up late and that’s when the Dogs and the umpires overwhelmed the Casey team.

@dazzledavey36 not sure that the demonlanders were convinced with JTs selection back in the 2022 draft. I’m still giving Jeffo some time (I think he needs to go back to Casey for a block of games 6-7) before we give him another go. Your prediction of Jeffo being “more of a 3rd forward type in the mould of Jack Watts” is closer to the mark.

@bluey ummm “Our training setup at Goschs is not that bad, and Caulfield is not going to land us much closer to Casey fields anyway”. Caulfield is SO MUCH CLOSER than Casey fields. Goschs to Caulfield. 12 kms. Goschs to Cranbourne. 52 kms. Caulfield HOME base would be a HUGE POSITIVE STEP if MFC could get a deal done & delivered!!

Great game by Harvey yesterday. 👏👏👏 Three goals. 22 possessions. Importantly 557 metres gained. He’s still a kid with lots to learn but his skill, desire and will to win are clear signs of a very bright future.

@Demonland I thought Sparrow would tag Newcomb in absence of Viney. Surprised to see Oliver tag but I think he did ok. Restricted Newcomb’s influence at the contest. Whilst Clarry only got 13 disposals, Newcomb had his lowest disposals count (13) but importantly his lowest metres gained (198, a season low). Newcomb usually has a high kick to handball ratio but yesterday was restricted and under pressure, with 7 kicks & 12 handballs (includes 6 throws). I hope Clarry returns to a “more see ball get ball role” (and works more on his decisions and effective disposal) , but don’t question yesterdays role in JV7 absence.

Ins. Howes. Petty. Melksham. Outs. Spargo. Jeffo. Frittata Mcvee May Turner Bowey Tmcd Salem Windsor Riv Langdon Chandler Petty Langford Pickett JVR Melksham Gawn Oliver Trac Int. Howes Lindsay Kolt Sharp Sub. Sparrow Emerg K.Brown Laurie Kentfield Unavailable 🚑 Lever Viney

⭐️The good …WHAT I LOVED THIS WEEK Superb game from Harvey Langford again. Great composure. Nailed his chances for goal. Two excellent contested marks. 👏👏 (XL20 also good this week) Kozzzy goal in the last. Just go for it. So many others are timid and scared to run. Kozzzys two bounces and run and a goal was a highlight.👏👏 3. THE EFFORT WAS THERE (at least for 3 quarters)…👏 MFC won key stats +11 clearances +3 centre clearances +12 contested footy +17 tackles 🤮The bad - what was disappointing SO HOW DID WE LOSE BY 6 GOALS. UNBELIEVABLE. It’s cruel to see us dominate and get no scoreboard reward. Our % of goals per inside 50 is the WORST in the league. SUB-PAR FORWARDS. Fritsch. Jeffo. JVR. Spargo. Zero goals. Zero. All were very poor. Jeffo to go to Casey. I would actually like to see us get truly ruthless and drop Fritsch & Spargo. @binman Tackles inside forward 50 … a very soft 5 this week 🤮 GOAL-KICKING ACCURACY. A key skill. Scoring. Goalkicking was poor. Killed us AGAIN. Missed chance after chance and should have been up by 3-4 goals at 3/4 Time THE LAST QUARTER WAS DISHEARTENING. It was really poor. The fumbles, the missed handballs, the players slipping or falling over. FITNESS? Or just a real drop off in energy and effort. Either way, our 4th quarters horrible The really ugly ☠️ SELECTION. Jeffo was out for weeks. Had a very poor game in the VFL two weeks ago and then got promoted - why? Goody why?? What Subbed out and his confidence looks shot. He doesn’t present as a physical forward and lack of second efforts is disappointing. Put him to Casey for a good stretch of games and reassess him. UMPIRES WERE A DISGRACE. That missed trip to Kozzy in the goalsquare. Worst decision ever seen in my lifetime. I had to apologize to a lady in front of her for swearing. I let the umps know my frustration with both barrels. Totally inconsistent. Also Newcomb throws the ball every time he gets tackles. I counted 7 or 8. Not even looks like a handball. Ridiculous!!! Agree with you @Demonland the Umps were horrible. POOR DEVELOPMENT. Blake Howes must have scratched Goodys car. Dropped. Sub. Dropped. Layover player. Dropped. Sub. Layover emergency player. Hardly had a full game for MFC or Casey. How’s he going to develop. Give him a game somewhere. He has talent. I don’t want another Bedford or JJ departure.

6 Langford. 5 Gawn 4 Bowey 3 Petracca 2 Langdon 1 Kozzzzy Apologies to Riv, Windsor, Lindsay, Tmcd,McVee Oh no Jeffo, JVR, Frittata, Spargo.

Thanks @Tim totally agree

4 things Forward line is a joke. Fritsch. Jeffo. JVR. Spargo. All were useless. I would like to see ALL of them dropped this week if we could (but Casey not much better after today’s effort) goalkicking accuracy. A key skill. Scoring. Goalkicking was poor. Killed us AGAIN. Missed chance after chance and should have been up by 3-4 goals at 3/4 Time LAST QUARTER WAS DISHEARTENING. WE SAT THERE WITH HAWKS SUPPORTERS JUST LAUGHING AT US. FITNESS? Or just pathetic drop off in effort. Either is horrible Umpires were a disgrace. Totally inconsistent. Newcomb throws the ball every time he’s tackles. Ridiculous. And that trip !!! Agree with you @Demonland umps were [censored] bias

Votes. Too soon !! I’m still hurting. Brownlow votes. Umpires should award them to themselves.

4th Qtr 1 win (v eagles 6 goals to 5 goals against the winless soulless eagles) 8 losses (badly each time) Someone please post out Season To Date “for and against” in the 4th quarter It’s now unbearable !! Lost in a whimper today v hawks Should have been up at 3/4 time then lost by 6 goals. Simply overrun and looked insipid in the last quarter Fitness? Seemed too tired to execute skills at all. Too many turnovers in the last quarter. I feel numb

Anyone put their hands up for a senior berth? Answer? Probably not in my view I’d like to see Kentfield perhaps given a chance soon. He’s at least got a big body and can take a mark. Good start and I think we need to see him in the forward half next 1-2 games. Laurie is too good for VFL but lacks the hard body or pace for AFL. Good depth player at best. Not sure he stays on the list ? Kynan Brown. I think he’s a player. He’s a good tackler (10 today) big heart , but just lacked composure with the footy. Adams - looked too slow and would be exposed at next level Sestan - good with the footy but cannot see him as a HBF in AFL, just looked too slow. Culley- unfortunately didn’t show me anything today. Missed targets, too laconic and loose. VFL level Johnson - big body and rips in but again costly missed chances and turns like the titanic. VFL level player Henderson, VFL is his level only. I am not thinking he’s going to be an AFL player unfortunately. Actually handballs to put others under more pressure!! Fullarton got three goals as clearly taller than dogs defenders but physically gets pushed aside too easily (lost battle with the smaller Coffield). Definitely delist at end of 25 Will Verrall - I was disappointed today as he was too easily pushed aside by 19yo dogs VFL second ruck. Tom Campbell . Yes he’s ok at VFL but is too slow to compete at next level. Got the tap but we lost stoppages as very little went to advantage. Could not see him assisting Gawn or playing AFL Dees best were Bryce, Cross, Laurie, Campbell and Hardie. Disappointing loss after being 26 points up at 22 minute mark of the 3rd quarter. Then 8 gosls in a row to the dogs as Casey capitulated.

At the G now … just looking at the game. Last 3 minutes. Saw Dogs ruck 19yo Lachie Smith outpoint out body Verrall in three ruck contests. Verrall either no ruck IQ or not strong enough ?

George some poor kicks. One was a bad turnover. Rebound dogs goal. Had some chances but he’s not quite seizing them. Laconic? Dogs 24 Dees 23 1/2 time Frees dogs 18-8 Inside50 dogs 22-18 Tackles Dees 40-27 Dees best Bryce, Laurie, Kentfield Scrappy Game Off to the MCG NOW!!

Aidan Johnson. Nice goal. Casey 23-Doggies17.

Poor skills. Sloppy fumbling. Slow boring movement. Unwatchable. Bailey Laurie is very good at this level but lacks the true intensity or burst of speed to go higher in AFL.

Commentators… “Windsor looking for the free and fooling the umpire there”. Had his head taken off. Wtf. Commentators are banging on about the dogs and not seeing the umps bias !! Frees 13-6 Dogs way.

1st quarter 10 inside50s each Free kicks favouring to Dogs 11-4 Kentfield. Big lad. Good mark. Good kick. 👏👏Playing CHB Windsor in. Blake Howes???? Not even playing a half ??? Is May out again?? Anyone want to go near Duryea. Playing loose man. 13 disposals.