Earl Hood

Can we talk point kick outs for a moment! 19 or twenty opportunities there today. The good sides turn a point against into an opportunity to get six, but not us. Again we seemed to have no strategy apart from the short kick into the pocket with no further options because we we were slow to start the movements. The Suns seemed to get a quick out to someone in space, with runners going past. Not us. So point kick outs kept coming back to us for scores. The kick out has to be done quickly if possible and you have to have three or four options to be used regularly, to keep them guessing. Some short to the pockets, the odd one long up the middle to a big target etc. others half way to a lead inside 50. Not easy but 12 or so other clubs can turn a kick out into an offensive movement. Not us. Can we also talk tackling? Today we failed to stop the opposition getting the release handball to a team mate so often it just did me in. Yet the Suns kids were very effective in laying a tackle and stopping our guys from getting a handball out to anyone. Why are we so bad at this?

Dawes should have kicked 5.1. He missed two sitters from inside 30 on no angle down the city end, then missed a snap up the Punt Rd end when he had oddles of time to straighten up. Kick those 3 plus convert a couple of misses from Howe and Frawley and we win, but it would have been a steal. All we had to do was kick the shots we should nail on our own home ground in perfect conditions every day of the week. Watching today I have no problem with our forward setup. The few times we delivered the ball quickly into the forward line we were able to take advantage. I really like Frawley up forward, I think he can develop into a D Neitz mark II. When he is making the play he has leg speed, good hands and strength in the contest. Ditto Dawes. But we are just too slow to move the ball through the middle. The Suns killed us around the ground and their delivery into their forward line gave our backs no chance. We just don't have leg speed to match these sides.

Are you talking Milton the Monster, they got the touch of tenderness, whoops too much!

Wonna, Clark, Howe Jurrah, Dawes, Hogan Sometimes I dream about this forward line, then wake up andI realise it was just a dream . if only the fickle fingers of fate had been different. We have certainly found unique ways to dismantle at least half of an A grade forward setup, mostly beyond our control.

Yes DC poor form I admit but SWMBO was with me and she gave me an ultimatum, if we stayed any longer I would have to go with her tomorrow to watch the Hawks train out at Waverley Park! That's when I really got on my bike!

Rode my bike down to the Lexus centre to look at the new statue of Louey and watched the Pies train for a while. I counted about 6 or 8 supporters watching. Then rode up to see the Dees and noted there were 20 or more gathered before training had even got started. Amazing what a win does for supporter's morale! Unfortunately decided to skidaddle once the southerly buster came in and the rain started so didn't see any action.

I notice a certain R Petterd playing a great game off half back for the Tiges tonight. Where did they get him from I wonder? His chronic Achilles problems have cleared up it seems.

I am just worried we are in for yet another Worst Case Scenario because that is all we have had over the past 7 years. Think the worst that could happen and yes that is what happens! Let us hope this one is different and maybe we have turned the corner and Trenners comes back better and faster than ever.

I noticed that in the stats our disposal efficiency for last Saturday was higher than the Hawks for last weeks games. There must be something wrong there!

RTG I think we agree. My observation is our inability to run into space looking for the pass. I suppose the Hawks do it so well because they trust their players down back to win the ball in a contest and then go forward, get clear and have time to pick out a target. Whereas our backs will get possession and just kick it clear to wherever and then it becomes a contest and often comes straight back.

Kramer, sorry Macca I have watched us play as well and gee I wish we could play as we train because we look a million dollars at training. But unfortunately on game day the witches hats move and tackle people. Then we go from elite to pedestrian. Not sure how the Hawks make it always work for them.

RTG I mostly love your work but on this occasion you should check your ticket, I think you are on the wrong tram! Don't think I ever mentioned the Suns.

Robbie yes that is part of it. Especially watching us last week against GWS we basically coughed up any chance of winning in the last quarter and a half because we kept kicking out from points to the same point. No one spread out the other way to at least spread the Giants. No we all congregated on the one wing and the Giants just lined up behind and wide of us, waiting to get the ball, then kicked forward yet again for another point before they finally started to kick straight. But what I am also referring to is our inability to anticipate the switch over from the full back line when our backs, gain possession and decide to switch over to the other flank because one side is flooded. When we pass over to the other pocket or flank I look down the line and there are no Demons leading out to the wings to kick to. The other Friday I had to watch The Hawks demolish Fremantle by switching play and always kicking to a target that is always there on their own and running at full speed. My in laws are Hawks supporters! Last Saturday I sat up at the top of the Ponsford to look at how we run and set up and we just don't cover enough ground, quick enough for modern footy. When we switch the ball to the opposite side around half back, there just has to be guys lining up downfield on the burst, that you immediately kick to. That is not happening at present, not sure why, lack of fitness? Lack of awareness? Don't know but if we get it right we will suddenly be very competitive because we have possession.

Agree to a point but how do you loose leg speed so early on? That is what is killing his performances so far.

I would say bruise full myself. But Biffo you live down that way, you must have caught up with the boys down at the baths as well.

Yes I agree Robbie in general. The midfield is operating better but even though we won on Saturday, I observed that we again lost the centre clearances, the around the ground clearances. And what really frustrates me is the inability to run wide to space when we get possession in the back half. If we switch play to the opposite flank from the back line, there just has to be 3 or 4 runners making position at half back, wing or half forward but there rarely is. We usually stop and prop which is fatal playing the Hawks or the Cats. So what happens is we hold up play and allow the opposition to flood the playing area.

Which corner has he turned that is the question! A good tier, I hope he gets better. Gawn, well when will he be fit to,play? Jamar looks to be Gawn. How much did GWS pay for Mumford I wonder? That could have been a deal worth pursuing. Mummy is injured this week but if fit he can dominate games in the middle and go forward. Sydney will rue the decision to off load him, I think.

Rode my bike passed St Kilda beach this morning and it was my wife who pointed out Dawes out in the water in recovery. Stopped had a look around and there were the some of the others sitting around outside the baths on their phones. Dawes was on his own, my wife said he is setting an example, I said he is probably just bloody sore! One intra match then straight into a round 4 match, gee I bet he is feeling every bump big time. I remember how at the start of every footy season on the Sunday after, you would feel exactly where everyone made contact to your body, however light the contact was.. It was amazing but a few games in and the body didn't register the ordinary bumps and hits, it had adjusted to the rough and tumble of the footy season.

I watched Chip last week up forward and thought no this doesn't work, very pedestrian, just didn't look like he knew how to make the play. Watching him today was a revelation, he was leading to the ball and marking everything and generally looking like he knew where to run to and was presenting as a target. He seemed to get the early break on his defender with ease. is that poor defending or is Chip deceptably quick over the first 10 meters? Could he reinvent himself as a poor mans David Neitz?

Master you realise that in comparison to our current list of players, the likes of Yze, Travis, Bruce and co are MFC legends, Demigods, if you like. Neitz, McDonald are God like in their ability to compete and win the ball. For all the failings of that group of 10 years ago that we all complained about at the time, good god what would we do for a few of them now in our team? And Neitz could make a statement and often did, both on the score board and physically.

How about coffee at Brunettis! Is that acceptable?

And Salem is not an automatic in for the Casey ones?

Short memories, remember last week or the week before?

No remember the argument against us last year getting any help, it is all our own fault, we don't deserve any help.

I notice that MFC was the butt of a joke on ABC TV's Mad as Hell tonight. The link was the AFLs decision to not have scores or winners or losers or best players for the under 10's and that would be a God send for Demon supporters. Got a big laugh, ha, ha. God I am sick of it.