Tolstoys Nudge

I actually have same thought but then 50/50 between Hunter and Windsor as Sub as Windsor starts games well.. Hunter not running hard at Casey etc as reported by @georgeontheouter drastically overstated, he played his role & just didn’t get near it enough & I had a feeling he’d be close to selection and was told as such. He adds some much-needed cheek and mongrel for mine!

Shame cus he has something we just need to have him slot a few and I think his confidence will shoot up!

Club hopefully agree.. strange but I have a feeling Hunter is gonna play well, don’t ask me why!

Seems like McDonald will intercept/3rd-man from what I’ve heard

Reid tag wouldn’t have done a thing — maybe avoids that one GOTY but only MAYBE! I am actually glad Trac laughed it off, we prefer him Moping about it & letting it hurt his pride do we? We’ll get em back. Interestingly — seems it’s Tommo over Petty playing back which for me is the wrong call, just can’t see him intercepting whereas Petty would be perfect in that role! But we will see, hope for Tommo he nails-it & maybe even gives us enough for some compo if a club pays him enough. I’d actually prefer he stay for depth but we all know that ain’t happening. Turnover game will get a good test this weekend with sloppy-saints, need to generate better shots! Mcadam 2nd up I’m backing 💯 & with JVR I think he’ll be more dangerous.. can’t wait!

At end of day it all comes back to each week not being a darn indicator of a teams flag chances — factors can be small margins in a comp this tight.. we need some luck but we’ve not played anywhere NEAR best footy yet, and we will eventually so I can’t see how we miss top 4 but Lever hurts answer HAS to be Petty back for that long a period Tommo isn’t answer!

McAdam needs time — he’ll prove his worth! Petty goes back, it’s that simple. Seston (unlikely) or K Brown to get blooded, or Kolt in. Lingers & JVR return for Brown & Billings perhaps

Yep, wouldn’t be more than a 2-4% swing even with Ed, but 3 forced changes certainly isn’t ideal — esp when they’re structurally important players like Roo/Ed. Changes game for Petty/Max & Windsor/Billings and losing Lever like that early can’t be planned for & none are reason we lost in such a disgusting fashion but they culminate in a bit of the ‘why’ in terms of structure & mindset — but McAdam added something in my opinion & Ed will be back this week, I expect a stern response.. let’s hope! Flag ain’t won in May, but sure can be lost — I for one remain glad we aren’t playing best footy yet, as at SOME point history suggests we will at some point we’ve just gotta hope it ain’t too late. But if I’m betting, it won’t be.. losing by a margin can often force things to be looked at that might not be normally.

One slightly frustrating aspect of the critique this week is that no one ever seems to watch any of the player media — Salo made a big point of talking about the strategy this week of making a fast start this week, and pressure rating reflects. So first question by TDS was quite valid — Albeit one I don’t concur with — in asking if that specific strategy hurt us as opposed to us wearing teams down. WCE played with reckless abandon, cus they CAN! Risks came-off, Harley was making a statement, Waterman marked everything even when out of position! It was a bad night, and one we prob NEEDED to lose by a decent margin so we can truly address the current issues — As Hoyne’s data showed weeks ago, we’re not playing well (yet), so maybe an embarrassing loss is what the players needed to really reassess and know where we are at. It was horrible yes and seeing my 10yr old in tears due to fear of being teased all-week, it sucked — but there may be a silver-lining. We KNOW our strategy is to not okay so much of a contested game so come finals we’re not beaten-down, so something HAS to change, that’s for sure.

Seems like there’s a few ruck options and I think that’s where we’ll go if those options remain available — otherwise it’s gotta be midfield depth. Lots of inside mids but finding one with decent foot-skills will be the challenge.

Fantastic data mate

Shoutout to Terrance of Belgium as well, that TMac interview by Corn & Bucks was indeed insightful — sounds like a man who’s just wrapped to be back in the frame well-to-week!

Another great pod fellas — well done and thank you! @binman you’re ever so lucky you didn’t hear FF post match, whatever you heard re Dermie — multiply it by 3 & you’ll still likely leave it short in terms of aggravating-moronic beyond-a-joke-idiocy — the man clearly has some sort of issue with the club, has always minimised our good years and wins at every turn and this week to suggest Geelong ‘beat themselves’ by not taking their chances is not only infuriating, but it’s downright silly & contrite! This, from an guy who suggests Goody’s comments on expected score are somehow juvenile.. yet when it suits him, he will use it (despite fact he was way off as usual for this game had us by 22 on expected score). George — to suggest Billings was not only going to be definitively dropped, but to add the ‘why’ as being fact he cannot kick 40 after one errant shot at goal, is absolutely beyond-the-pale! Billings has the yips in front of goals but he was not brought in to kick goals, that’d be a bonus. He was brought in for his use of angles in his short-kicking, poise, and strong ability to hit those short passes i50. Fact he remains in the side this week is proof. Fact one of his direct competitors in Laurie was (unfortunately) omitted is a further tip in the hat of Binman who correctly stated JB plays his role, and whilst the yips are frustrating to watch, I think ruling a player out like that and dismissing them without the correct information is a little unfair, to be fair! I think perhaps it’s nearly time to get a few Demonlanders to launch a coordinated campaign in the thankless task of appealing to the more sensical minds of the AFL media, be it Whateley, Hoyne , Montagna or god forbid Cornes or King, Russell (also seems to hate us) in a hearty — albeit fruitless — task in terms of how expected score actually works, what stats are actually relevant in the modern game, or any of the 20+ other continuously false truths or misnomers they spew out in reference to our club.. I’ve had a gut flu and though I try to ignore it, even then you’re bound to hear unhealthy doses of the irksome diatribe fairly consistently.. don’t get me started on Brad Johnson - what a joke he is, how can ANYONE take a syllable he utters with a modicum of seriousness, or Dermot, Taylor even Nate Jones of late — it’s clearly aggressive contagion that’s got no vaccination or cure in sight!

Last Yze

Rumour is it’s potentially to 2028-29 — let’s hope it is as he’s shown now that he now comfortable again on the leaping-foot & that’s HUGE! Anyone still not convinced he’s a fwd is absolutely kidding themselves (yes, he’s also a defender, but my point remains — he’s also a fwd & right now that’s where he’ll be until something major changes in personnel. I do like fact that Rooch backed it up later with specifics by stating he’d heard it from two crows recruiters which does paint a narrative you can imagine ie call comes & clubs recruitment team was flat.. The worst parts about him leaving was that we’d lost our obvious May replacement in 2-3yrs but if he keeps the dukes firing like Sat night we MAY have lost him as The replacement anyways (pun may or may not of been intended, I can’t actually remember) — I know things change fast in footy but for now it’s good news & like to think it’s fact we stood by him through all the prev injuries & showed faith again by sticking fat this year as he wants to play fwd, maybe he feels it was a tipping point for loyalty or who knows maybe crows seemed like he’d be more a back man? Either way let’s hope he stick around as his trade value was at MAX lvl LY especially in terms of maybe getting Harley (which if we had traded him LY, would’ve been 💯 ON & meant we likely had enough to get deal done) can’t see us getting anything like that as a return again (whatever we got for Petty +other early picks could’ve netted us Harley not JUST what we got for Petty, just getting in early for anyone poised to comment) and seeing Harry taking grabs like that just felt RIGHT — would’ve been REAL close to a flag if not for one errant pass by ___ (not giving it away free — who recalls???) but thems the breaks I suppose.

let’s hope he gets a good run somewhere, he deserves it!

I know it’s so sad but also cursed on the ‘Always having a star ahead of him’ context.. I mean holy hell Goldy, Max (by choice as back then most clubs believed 2 ricks was gonna be a necessity) and goes to GWS where he’s #1, gets inj again and has Briggs bob up from NOWHERE to become a dominant Ruck in comp almost overnight!!! More I think about it, more I like idea. Haha It’d have to come cheap & he’d need luck on inj front but even as a ‘rookie’ listed player he’d be worth a punt without an iota of doubt.

Agreed on all fronts! Mid depth is 💯 a need.

Doesn’t mean we won’t grab a more mature ruckman, Fullarton is a Fwd/Ruck & I’m sure the club was always intending to add at MIN an exp back-up pure ruckman come end of year.. In this draft there’s not gonna be many available that are likely to be ahead of Verrell anyways so I think it could be a case of best available talent, or with current gaps and knowing what’s out there a ball-winning mid — actually plenty of those around as far as delivering that at lower levels. Either way, tis gonna be interesting! Pruess would be gettable at EOY… 😎

Absolutely— dog for life barring a late want to get out of Melb bubble & heads to GC/Bris/WC/Freo/Syd/GWS but that’s a 5% chance at best, moving to a Melb club is I’d say 0.05% unfortunately.. I debate it in my head how much he’d add, fwd craft def makes it appealing but I’d be more inclined to go all in for Harley— now THAT is more of a chance.. But we’d have every VIC club to compete with & Geelong odds-on given he’s a cat supporter & it’s close to home.

Greta podcast as ALWAYS fellas! Just a few points for me below… — George stated Nibbler played more on-ball support than usual, but Nibs has played the identical role for 2-3hrs now, is always played as an additional mid and as first crack showed it’s to release Trac, always has been. To Binmans point, port mids are nowhere near ours, even WITH JHF. Boak? More a winger, so then you’ve gotta count Lingers and Hunter then.. Powell-Pepper is a pressure fwd has been for 2.5yrs now so just some feedback and support for Binman, I’d have Clarry, Trac, Vines, Sparrow, Salem, Langdon, Nibbler over JHF, Rozee, Butters, Boak, Drew ANY DAY in the proverbial rain hail shine! So happy for Nibbler and most of all for the ANB haters, where are they now?!?! Been doing this for years without notice to most, so glad now more can see what he offers us, despite being laughed at for defending him all this time, so kudos to him and Binman for being his biggest supporter & helping inform others — Binman point re body language of Lingers it’s right of numerous players, inc Ed, who LY looked continually down flat and sad, as did others inc Salem, whereas this year, it’s flipped completely and they all look genuinely delighted to be at the MFC — Viney kicking another good point, 💯 down to being truly MATCH fit for first time following pre season & the extra work he’s done on track and via film on decision-making, brilliant — Also still unsure if anyone’s picked up the change in our zone. I know it feels/looks identical but I can assure you It is absolutely not, it’s far more adaptable, has rotated players through new spots & is more central-focused to neutralise corridor. Might try and raise it as a question next week — Loved caller mentioning Langers, and Andy/George calling it with Binman sharing as always he covered most ground which is EVERY game I think 39/40 or something ridiculous like that. He has been absolutely excellent last 2wks and goes totally unheralded. I think Hunter still comes in and Windsor gets used as the third winger and rotating high HFF with Billings so if all are fit, one is sub it’s that simple, but I think they’ll trial it at least but that’s weeks away yet. Finally named real wingers in AA LY and Ed should be a chance but won’t be cus he plays for us — Windsor goal, the sheer QUALITY of finish seen there has to get more credit, it absolutely OOZED class, was a 55m kick under pressure, post FULL acceleration - I mean that was a goal maybe 8-10 players in comp can kick due to the speed needed and without deceleration at all, wow! Glad someone called it out, but boy, that was so much more class than most realise it’s not funny, the footwork is instinctive — can’t teach most of what he’s good at and THAT is why he’s so exciting — Fritta goal great, but AS was BBB’s, I mean what a goal with composure to not react and kick it perfectly then not react to fans at all, he’s just a class human and SO glad he is back in, he adds so much for us via the vacuum, so glad George also caught and mentioned his tap to Fritta, HIGH IQ player who’s so underrated when at what he makes us significantly better — Those wanting to drop Billings this week, seriously, it wasn’t his night, he got shutdown, and enabled others to thrive. but his disposal is crucial.. who’s coming for him? Until Hunter fit, NO ONE. should’ve kicked that crucial goal but just didn’t get penetration due to the hard running he’d done — Stoppage scoring is a genuine weapon, port were 2.7 cus their transition wasn’t as clean and had tougher shots, our new style enables that stoppage dominance due to the fed running patterns I’ve been referencing all pre-season, which is another way the new zone or adj zone has helped inc TMac being a much better communicator & thinker than Tommo — Media morons re expected score inc Dermie who made ludicrous joke at end of game in coverage re Goody, SG has EVERY right to mention it, we lost a final after one of most dominant games in history he is a coach he can’t kick for them so it’s his way of talking to how we’re playing re form, THAT is why he talks to it, and why it’s vital cus missing easy shots doesn’t reflect how we’re playing or our competitiveness, and no binman they don’t understand it cus it means simply shows them how the game went if all appropriate goals were kicked it’s that simple my goodness

There’s no hits — In fact just opposite with Mayesy running round and Lever tipped to play alongside Clarry for that matter so I’d say it’s been an extremely positive day

Keen to get your thoughts Andy/Binman on my new (equal) fave (current) Demon, Blake Howes — I’ve been waiting for this cool-headed-kid to bear fruit ever since JT again managed to steal him in the draft at #39 in 2021, amidst doing some research on his attributes. I began to lose a tiny bit of my staunch belief of how much he’d be able to add to this side, but boy how that belief has now been not only repaid, but well & truly transcended. So much so, that I think he may have even surpassed Judd’s inclusion — & that’s close to my heart for I caught him in Jan of 23’ & called his potential R1 debut & thus take small pleasure out of spotting that one alongside my four young ens 😂 Blake personifies the word balance, in respect to what our defensive side needed with his clear attributes of; balance, steeliness, acumen, critical-thinking, precision, adaptability & most adroitly of all, a truly exceptional level of composure! I’ve also been taken with his size, reach & closing speed — all things that have been a very nice surprise. What have you guys been most excited by, surprised with, in Blake Howes? And do you think you may have put together the 3 most underrated debutant games in the last decade? Howes acumen has been integral to helping tighten our Zone Defence, which will be more vital than ever in wks ahead — Let’s hope the rest of the footy world begins to catch-on to how impressive his performances have been.

Very surprised Freo, Bris & Sydney haven’t got more votes — but I guess the Pies just steal the limelight too easily on this one!

Haha nice! Once that tenderness sets in and adrenaline dissipates = it’s a MIN 2-3Wkr likely 4-6.