Earl Hood

6 Viney 5 Brayshaw 4 Lever 3 Petracca 2 Oliver 1 Petty

Playing a switched on Cats on a narrow ground, take the first option to dispose of the ball please. Trying to break tackles and baulking the first tackler looking for a target is costing us.

The commentators said Mitch was pinged for blocking but were at pains to point out that Mitch just set up under the drop of the ball which is his right. However they pointed out that Mitch did take his eyes off the ball before contact but then said so did Tex at the same time. However they said the umpire would only have been able to see the eyes of Mitch, not Tex! So it seems we have umpires paying frees in contests in front of goal based on their eye movements! Bizarre stuff. Then we had a number of frees paid in the first half with Crows players leading deliberately with their heads into on coming tackles, (I am looking at you Tex). Surely the Umpires should be onto this self induced dangerous tactic by now?

Seems like you can now take 3 opponents on and get wrapped up in a tackle, make no attempt to get rid of it but as long as you don’t let the ball spill, it’s ball up. Then with 3 minutes to go a Suns bloke barely takes possession and gets stripped of the ball in heavy traffic and it’s incorrect disposal. Glad I am not an umpire.

6 Petracca 5 Oliver 4 Langdon 3 Brayshaw 2 May 1 Viney

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.

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.

Exactly!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?