Earl Hood

19 minutes ago, wizardinoz said:

What about the non free when Oliver had his head ripped off right in front of the umpire in the last quarter? Unbelievable.

To be fair I think that all 3 umpires were blind sided about that smack to the gob. We had the advantage of watching the TV where the cameras picked up the discretion in full view and most of the spectators also saw it clearly but all the umpires were busy looking away from the ball lest a Crow player might be being blocked or in some way impeded forward of where the ball might be going. It’s very understandable for games in Adelaide. 

9 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Stop blaming the umps. We need to tackle lower. 3 highs against Walker in row have turned the game 

When people throw themselves headfirst and forward deliberately playing for the free it’s difficult to tackle. That last one to Tex wasnt actually high. The umpires should not pay those ones as players endanger themselves leading with their head. 

2 minutes ago, monoccular said:

 

Exactly! 

19 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

Ah the dreaded Norm Smith Jake Spencer curse resurfaces

I was thinking this as well. What is it about backup ruckman, they always seem to get injured just when they get their big chance? I am sure I remember if Jamar got injured so would Spencer and Stef Martin. When Gawn missed a some games a few seasons ago so did Braydon Pruess. Now Gawn goes down, Jackson lasts one game and Majak retires! 

21 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

I've also noticed players getting pushed in the back in marking contests and not being paid. It's more than holding one's ground, the aim is to take the opponent out of the contest. I thought Neale's mark on the boundary Punt Rd end was a clear push out. I think Petty got a good shove in another 1:1 contest

Happy for players to hold ground, but not if it clearly takes the opponent out of the contest

Yes it happened a number of times in our game Thursday night, player in front obviously pushed forward with the hands under the ball. And I always thought that the push in the back rule was created to stop the player behind merely pushing the player in front to take a mark or otherwise take possession by disadvantaging the player in the front position. This seemed the main reason for the rule but is now not being paid. But we still see umpires paying frees for falling into someone’s back when they are already on the ground or when you tackle someone and both fall forward. If you are strong enough to spin the player around it’s not a free even though you made contact with their back. So it seems it is now a “landing in the back” infringement rather than a “ push in the back” rule? 

6 Viney

5 Lever

4 Oliver

3 Brayshaw

2 Petracca

1 Jackson

Can we repeat this in the second half? Lions would still be confident seeing our last 3 games. Got to keep the midfield pressure on. I am backing Viney to lead the way. 

No sign of any attempt to change up our ball movement. So predictable, the opposition set up waiting for it and we have to hope to win every contested ball to move forward. 

37 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Oh we are in a corporate box are we Uncle? Lucky for some! 

6 Oliver

5 Brayshaw

4 Jordan

3 Viney

2 Petty

1 Hibberd

In May, Bedford, Dunstan, Weideman. Outs Turner, M Brown, Sparrow, Spargo. 
 

Hopefully Dunstan adds some run and carry and provides a handball receive option for Clarry and Viney to offload. We just seem to be one handball or shortkick option as we move into our forward 50. So often on transition we run out of passing options around the wing and have no option but to kick long. 
 
Our small forwards aren’t crumbing goals off the ground, aren’t applying enough tackle pressure and aren’t kicking goals. Bedford to provide a bit more speed and defensive tackling along with Kossie and hope ANB gets his form back. 

22 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

We are just not hungry enough happy to win 1 premiership they are not running hard enough they are not doing anything enough. The easy draw stuffed them up can’t handle the harder teams. I’d like to think that May will save the side but I think we have bigger problems we have too many premiership players content Sparrow has to be dropped for Dunstan. Spargo, and Nibbler should be looked at too. We have one chance to turn it around and that’s against Brisbane and if we can’t do it we will just be making up the numbers 

Bring in May, Bedford, Dunstan and JVR or Weideman after the bye. Will that help? No idea. Big problems with the current game plan - playing through just one wing over and over, don’t switch play, then just bomb long to the pockets with the opposition defensive talls already standing there waiting. It’s all too predictable. 

18 minutes ago, bing181 said:

Don't disagree, but with May out, Lever is being asked to play as a KPD - which was never his go. He's never been a great one-one-one, lockdown defender, he needs the freedom to use his ability to read the play to intercept etc.

But then this comes back to what's going on further up the ground, where we're not able to prevent quick ball movement into the oppo forward line and especially, quick transition from opposition back line - which used to be one of our great strengths.

Yes it’s being turned over in our forward half too easily and it’s repeatedly coming out straight down the middle corridor with zero pressure, leaving our backs scrambling to cover their opponents. That opposition ball movement down the middle wasn’t happening last year. What’s changed? Our mids are racking up possessions but the team is getting little reward, it’s all defensive stuff, getting out of trouble, then a long kick up the line to no one. Endurance and speed over the ground seem to be issues this year

6 Gawn

5 Viney

4 Brayshaw

3 Jordon

2 Oliver

1 Fritsch 

Delivery into the forward line was deplorable. So I am not sure how to judge the tall forward’s tonight though BB is obviously struggling to get near it. 

It’s back to 2019/20 stuff just lob it in high and hope. Just kept feeding the McCartyns long set up balls. Completely different to our entries for most of 2021 where we had control of the midfield battle and had the time and space and composure for the ball carrier to pick out a short target. Max was unbelievable but the rest of the engine room is struggling to work as a unit even if they are racking up possessions. 

1 minute ago, bing181 said:

Missing May badly, not just in what he does, but in how the backline sets up. He's the anchor point, around which all the others play. Not helped by Salem being rusty and Thomlinson being reminded that it's a bit of a step up from the VFL.

As for up the other end ... Van Royen can't develop quickly enough. 

Yes but where is the engine room? Clarry and Tracc just going through the motions, not as clean with their hands at all. Viney battling, Harmes some cameos. If they get their act together in the centre we may take back control. At the moment the Swans are all over us. Reminding me of last week. 

2 minutes ago, Graeme Yeats' Mullet said:

Not at all

Didn’t control it and then a late call from the umpire who was behind and in worst position to call it. 

6 Viney

5 Brayshaw

4 Jordon

3 Oliver

2 Gawn

1 Kossie

7 minutes ago, IRW said:

Mitch Brown has never put a foot wrong as far as I recall and never gets in the way.

Having 3 tall forwards all who "could " be the main man and Fritta doing whatever it is he does is clumsy. 

Mitch would be a much better fit

I would definitely play M Brown. Always looks like a natural key forward to me but does suffer at times from poor accuracy. But he is tall, gets to contests at least to bring the ball to ground. Not our long term future but we should be concentrating on what we need right now, whatever it will take to get the final prize again this season. 

23 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Last week wasn’t good either

Interesting what you do in a game like that? We struggled in the midfield and when we did get it forward it was lobbed high on Brown’s head and the Freo fullback just bulldozed Brown forward, meters under the ball time & time again. Odd that there isn’t a rule for that sort of blatant action. But use a hand push or God forbid grab a bit of jumper in a wrestle for position, the whistle goes immediately? 

6 Viney

5 Pettracca 

4 Brayshaw

3 TMack

2 Jordan 

1 Kozzie

Gosch’s Paddock training ground looking good today on my morning ride. Work continues on landscaping around the perimeter. I wonder how long it takes for the turf to fully bind with the sand base so it’s safe for use? 

6 Brayshaw

5 Langdon

4 Oliver

3 May

2 Petracca

1 Pickett 

10 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I reckon it will be a comfortable win for us Red.

Well as it turns out we actually just fell over the line against the Hawks! This is why I will NOT be taking football advice and any game predictions from some body bulking, Basil Rathbone loving, bogan from the northern outskirts of Melbourne in the future! And you can include Frogs from Perth and pensioners from Burwood in that as well. And long live Prince Andrew, the rightful Duke of York forever! 

55 minutes ago, DubDee said:

I’m sure I am taking it for granted. But we are witnessing our greatest ever ruckman and one of our best players ever

Think we might be taking him for granted, not me but I include the coach who didn’t give him votes last week. If we lost him we would really struggle I reckon.