Bombay Airconditioning

Lions just went from 130% to 125.2%. Dees currently 1 game 1.5% behind. Tomorrow is massive. Potential % boosters against the Roos and Hawks also.

You had a better read on them than me, I had the Dogs doing a number on them today.

% matters.

I tipped 9 last week (1st time this year) and found myself equal 1st in my work tipping comp. I caught up 2 points, I’m guessing it was on Pies and Swans. So far facing 0 & 4 but I think most in the same boat. Blues without McKay and Walsh Freo without Darcy GWS continue to surprise, Dogs have been in reasonable form. Suns, speechless considering what’s at stake for the Lions.

Most of us are.

I hope Collingwood continues to play him, I believe their more dangerous with Johnson playing.

Nail the easy shots he missed.

Hawks IMO won’t finish above Freo, they’re cashing in before Tassie arrive.

Are we doing the wrong thing by trying to force two talls into our fwd line. Look at the pies last night, McStay is a bust, was talking to a few pie supporting mates and they would rather Ash Johnson. He’s more mobile, little bit of X factor about him and a more reliable set shot. I think we should be playing Smith ahead of Petty, he ticks the first 2 boxes, hard to say on the goal kicking as there’s only a limited sample size for both.

McStay is a dud.

Maynard thinks he’s an enforcer.

Best team in the Goodwin era won the premiership.

I think you have misread what I wrote, Smith to get a full game up fwd with JVR and Petty can be the sub.

We need someone who can take marks and kick goals, that is the job of a key fwd. Can anyone remember how many games he played as a fwd this year? I can’t but he’s only kicked the 4 goals. People like Smith as the sub because he can play fwd or back, so can Petty. I’d like to see Smith get a full game up fwd with JVR and Petty can be the sub.

My comment of Macrae > Buckley was in response to your comment that the impact of coaches is overrated. Macrae is the most recent example of how much the right coach can have on a team. With regards to how I will assess him, that for me will be after his coaching tenure is up. I still believe we can win the flag this year. As we know success in our game only has one true measure and that is winning the premiership. Before the Lions game, Fagan was interviewed (can’t remember if it was tv or radio) and said words to the effect of credit should be given to teams that consistently play finals regardless of winning the premiership or not due to the toughness of the competition. I get what he was saying, but as we know there are no passengers when it comes to the top job. As for my comment of circle work, no it wasn’t an attempt of a clever sledge or has some cryptic meaning. I wrote it because the discussion you and I have with regards to Ben Brown go around in circles. I make a comment, you reply with a statement, I reply with a question, you don’t respond, I make comment to someone else, you respond with your original comment but without answering my question…. And tonight we learn BBB has been omitted, so what are to make of this? Was he to be rested this week regardless of form to keep him cherry ripe for finals?

And? They didn’t win it. Fly had the Pies 1 kick away from a GF birth in his first year, in 2021 they finished 17th, and many would argue they don’t have the best list this year but are playing like millionaires. Amazingly what an impact a good coach can have. All I can take out of this thread is that you think the impact of coaches is overrated. I think many most would disagree, and that it was imperative that BBB play on a wet track against GWS to get him cherry rope for finals even though finals were roughly 9 weeks away, and that loss has the potential to cost us a top 2 spot, and finishing top 2 would give us our best chance at winning the flag, but that’s all right because as you said it’s not about winning the battles but it’s about winning the war. Again, circle work….

Fly > Buckley.

Circle work.

Soft as in teams we should of beaten easily.

I’d like to see us try Melk and Fritsch in the same side. I think of the Hawks with Bruest and Gunston, both players hard to match up on and can be very dangerous around goals. I agree regarding BBB, can’t fault his team first attitude and endeavour but unfortunately his body isn’t moving like it used to.

Not impressed by what JVR has done this year?

The way I was looking at was, flexibility. I had mids / small fwds on the bench, with Smith at FF if a key defender got injured Smith could go back and Grundy ruck with Gawn fwd. If a fwd goes down same again. But in my team we have multiple avenues to goal which has been / still is our achilles heel.

But to give ourselves the best chance of winning the war a top 2 finish whilst not essential is highly desirable. The soft losses to Freo but more so GWS could well be the difference between finishing 2nd to 3rd or 4th. As for BBB fitness this is the part I don’t get. On a wet track how many miles into his legs did they think they would get? If we were 2-3 weeks out from finals I would understand, but 8-9 weeks out surely he could have played at Casey and done some additional fitness work if required?

And 2 of those finals wins coming last year.

Out of interest what’s Fagan’s record? Lots of finals, not many finals wins and no flag? Is he a success?